Layered Herbal Medicine & the Path of the Herbalist | Elaine Sheff

In this special Winter Solstice edition of The Herbalist Hour, Mason sits down in person with one of his closest friends and longtime herbal ally, Nick Moya. Nick and Mason first met over a decade ago while studying together at the Columbine School of Botanical Studies, and this conversation feels like two old friends weaving together stories, science, herbal wisdom, and deep curiosity. Nick shares his personal path into herbalism, his love of medicinal mushrooms, and how herbal knowledge shows up in his daily life — not as a clinical practitioner, but as a deeply engaged human, forager, maker, teacher, and lifelong learner. Together, they explore mushroom double extractions, Turkey Tail, Oregon Grape (Mahonia/Berberis), the importance of play, sustainable wildcrafting, writing herbal monographs, teaching plant walks, and what it means to live a truly holistic life. This episode was recorded in person during Nick and his partner Steph's cross-country road trip, making for a warm, wide-ranging, and heartfelt conversation. ~Mason PS - You can watch this episode on the HerbRally YouTube channel. LINKS & RESOURCES OsoMoya | OsoMoya.com OsoMoya on Etsy | OsoMoya.Etsy.com Wildcrafting Checklist | LEARN MORE BOOK: Play it Away by Charlie Hoehn | BUY THE BOOK Columbines School of Botanical Studies | BotanicalStudies.net Hawthorn elixir recipe | READ THE POST Rooted Remedies Apothecary | RootedRemedies.co The Herbalist Hour Episode Playlist on YouTube | WATCH ALL EPISODES The Mushroom Hour Podcast | LEARN MORE Thomas Easley's Medicine Making | LEARN MORE 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌼 WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies! 👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿 WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member! You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars, and more — plus discounts to herbal companies, a private Facebook group, and ongoing education. Use coupon code PODCAST to get your first 30 days FREE. 👉 Learn more & register | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods. HerbRally HerbRally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 22. In this powerful and wide-ranging episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin speaks directly to the moment we're living in — a time of immense challenge, ecological strain, cultural pressure, and profound possibility. Wolf reflects on the crossroads facing herbalists, healers, and culture-shifters of all kinds, exploring how fear, grief, and uncertainty can become sources of clarity, motivation, and purposeful action. Rather than retreating into resignation or victimhood, we're invited to deepen our awareness, sharpen our senses, and remember our place within the living world. This episode weaves together themes of herbal access, plant protection, self-worth, intuition, responsibility, and celebration — reminding us that even in difficult times, it remains possible to cultivate meaning, connection, and joy. Herbalism is framed not only as medicine, but as a vital skill for self-care, community resilience, and cultural renewal. A stirring reflection on empowered folk herbalism, embodied awareness, and the wild responsibility of living fully — even when the stakes are high. This audio was extracted from the beautiful video version available on the HerbRally YouTube channel. This episode is brought to you by The Good Medicine Confluence October 12–15, 2026 Ghost Ranch, New Mexico Join herbalists, healers, wildcrafters, visionaries, misfits, and medicine makers for four unforgettable days of learning, celebration, connection, ritual, and more than 100 classes from over 40 teachers. You're warmly invited to gather, study, celebrate, and dance under the stars in the Land of Enchantment. 👉 Learn more & register | GoodMedicineConfluence.com 🌼 WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies! 👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿 WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member! You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars, and more — plus discounts to herbal companies, a private Facebook group, and ongoing education. Use coupon code PODCAST to get your first 30 days FREE. 👉 Learn more & register | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods. HerbRally HerbRally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

🌿 Become a Professional Herbalist with Green Path Herb School Enrollment is now open for the Herbalist Certificate Program, a year-long, immersive training designed for those ready to dive deeply into herbalism — whether you're pursuing a professional path or looking to build a solid, well-rounded foundation. Classes begin January 5, 2026, with the option to attend online or in person in Missoula, MT. Students meet each Monday for a full day of study covering botany, body systems, materia medica, medicine making, and the science and spirit of herbal healing. With 430+ hours of class time, guided projects, and lifetime access to the course materials, this is one of the most comprehensive herbal programs available. LEARN MORE & ENROLL This class was recorded at the 2015 Midwest Women's Herb Conference. Menstruation, typically a taboo subject in our culture, can be a rich source of information about health and well-being for both women and their practitioners. But what is normal menstruation? Join herbalist Elaine Sheff of Green Path Herb School to take a deeper look at how to interpret the fertility cycle by creating a menstrual map. This class focuses on hormonal balancing, as well as addressing herbal actions including reproductive antispasmodics, emmenagogues, hormone balancers, phyto-estrogens, progesterone encouraging herbs, uterine astringents, and reproductive tonics. 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member!  You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars and more.  There's also discounts to cool herbal companies, a private Facebook group and more! You can get your first 30 days FREE with coupon code PODCAST LEARN MORE AND REGISTER | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods.  HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

🌿 Become a Professional Herbalist with Green Path Herb School Enrollment is now open for the Herbalist Certificate Program, a year-long, immersive training designed for those ready to dive deeply into herbalism — whether you're pursuing a professional path or looking to build a solid, well-rounded foundation. Classes begin January 5, 2026, with the option to attend online or in person in Missoula, MT. Students meet each Monday for a full day of study covering botany, body systems, materia medica, medicine making, and the science and spirit of herbal healing. With 430+ hours of class time, guided projects, and lifetime access to the course materials, this is one of the most comprehensive herbal programs available. LEARN MORE & ENROLL In this replay episode of The Herbalist Hour, I'm joined by Elaine Sheff, co-director of the Green Path Herb School based in Missoula, MT. We explore a wide range of topics, including: 🌿 Elaine's herbal origin story 🌿 Layered herbal medicine 🌿 The Montana Herb Festival 🌿 How to make it as an herbalist 🌿 And so much more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Thanks to Elaine for joining me, and thanks to you for listening! Until the next episode, ~Mason 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member!  You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars and more.  There's also discounts to cool herbal companies, a private Facebook group and more! You can get your first 30 days FREE with coupon code PODCAST LEARN MORE AND REGISTER | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods.  HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

In this short episode, we listen to Denise Cusack as she walks us through the U.S. donation and distribution space for Herbalists Without Borders. This audio is extracted directly from a YouTube video tour filmed at her sanctuary, where she explains how HWB inventories donations, batches herbal products, distributes seed grants, and supports clinics, community projects, and mutual aid efforts nationwide. You'll hear how HWB: 🌿Receives and tracks donated herbs, supplements, body care products, containers, and tincture materials 🌿Crafts inhalers, pain rubs, blends, flower essences, and other care kits for community health projects 🌿Distributes food and medicinal herb seeds for community gardens across the U.S. 🌿Partners with clinics, disaster-response teams, seed donors, herbalists, and community organizers to meet real needs 🌿Practices reciprocity-based mutual aid: those with extra share with those with less This is a beautiful peek at how grassroots herbalism, community medicine, and seed saving come together in one vibrant network. 🎥 Watch the original YouTube tour Learn more about Herbalists Without Borders | HWBGlobal.org 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member!  You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars and more.  There's also discounts to cool herbal companies, a private Facebook group and more! You can get your first 30 days FREE with coupon code PODCAST LEARN MORE AND REGISTER | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods.  HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 21. In this reflective episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin explores the idea that among all the plants we cherish, there may be one green ally whose presence, timing, symbolism, or healing effect plays a uniquely meaningful role in our lives. Wolf shares how a personal plant may appear during transition, heartbreak, celebration, or illness — offering medicine, emotional clarity, inspiration, or companionship. A plant ally might be one we've known for years but only now truly hear, or an unexpected species that arrives precisely when needed. We're invited to slow down, notice the plants around us, feel their resonance, and recognize the qualities, stories, and teachings they bring. Once we identify our plant, we can turn to it for grounding, guidance, and everyday support. A beautiful meditation on intuition, plant relationship, and the lifelong path of learning from nature. This audio was extracted from the beautiful video version available on the HerbRally YouTube channel. This episode is brought to you by The Good Medicine Confluence October 12–15, 2026 Ghost Ranch, New Mexico Join herbalists, healers, wildcrafters, visionaries, misfits, and medicine makers for four unforgettable days of learning, celebration, connection, ritual, and more than 100 classes from over 40 teachers. You're warmly invited to gather, study, celebrate, and dance under the stars in the Land of Enchantment. 👉 Learn more & register | GoodMedicineConfluence.com 🌼 WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies! 👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿 WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member! You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars, and more — plus discounts to herbal companies, a private Facebook group, and ongoing education. Use coupon code PODCAST to get your first 30 days FREE. 👉 Learn more & register | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods. HerbRally HerbRally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

Spice Rack Medicine – Winter Online Series 2026 A cozy, self-paced kitchen herbalism course from Jade Alicandro that explores culinary herbs, folk medicine-making, bone broth, food energetics, adaptogens, nutritive herbs, seaweeds, medicinal mushrooms, and easy medicine you can make right in your home kitchen. Registration is open now through Dec 12 👉 LEARN MORE & REGISTER Today we're revisiting my delightful interview with community herbalist and educator Jade Alicandro, originally released two years ago as Episode 82 of The Herbalist Hour. In this conversation we dive into bioregional herbalism, weeds as medicine, food-as-medicine practices, kitchen folk remedies, herbal energetics, and so much more. Jade is known for weaving her love of locally abundant plants, culinary herbs, and accessible kitchen medicine into her work as a clinical herbalist and educator in Western Massachusetts. She teaches through Milk & Honey Herbs, offering year-long apprenticeships, herb walks, workshops, Patreon classes, and her annual Spice Rack Medicine Winter Series. 🎥 Watch the full YouTube video here If you enjoyed the episode...  Share it with a friend, tag us on Instagram, or leave a rating on Apple Podcasts. It means a lot and helps grow HerbRally's listener community. Thanks for tuning in! 🌿💛 ~Mason 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member!  You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars and more.  There's also discounts to cool herbal companies, a private Facebook group and more! You can get your first 30 days FREE with coupon code PODCAST LEARN MORE AND REGISTER | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods.  HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

🌿 Grab 13 FREE Herbal Resources Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and get instant access to a beautiful 91-page Botanical Anthology sampler — full of seasonal recipes, remedies & plant magic. Plus, unlock 12 more herbal freebies! 👉 GET THE FREEBIES  In this deeply honest conversation, Ashley Elenbaas of SkyHouse Herbs shares how yoga quite literally saved her life — helping her heal from an eating disorder, substance use, and the inner voices that once told her she was not enough. Ashley reflects on taking her very first yoga class at age 12 in Minneapolis, discovering embodiment for the first time, and later deepening her practice while attending college in Asheville. As yoga, meditation, and philosophy began reshaping her relationship with her body and mind, plants naturally entered the picture — guiding her toward an energetic, holistic approach to herbalism rooted in awareness, presence, and self-healing. Today, Ashley continues a daily movement practice that includes yoga, running, and weightlifting — and she also teaches yoga at a women's recovery center, supporting others through trauma, addiction, and reconnection with the body. In this clip, we explore: – Discovering yoga at a young age and learning embodiment – Healing from an eating disorder through movement and mindfulness – How yoga philosophy shaped her herbal path – The connection between plants, chakras, and energetics – Teaching yoga to women in recovery – Stillness, mental strength, and the real work of presence Ashley also speaks to the quiet power of staying in a single pose, listening to the stories of the mind, and learning — one breath at a time — that transformation is possible. This excerpt is part of a longer, wide-ranging conversation on healing, embodiment, recovery, and the deep overlap between yoga and herbalism. Learn more about Ashley and her work | SkyhouseHerbs.com WATCH THE FULL EPISODE 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member!  You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars and more.  There's also discounts to cool herbal companies, a private Facebook group and more! You can get your first 30 days FREE with coupon code PODCAST LEARN MORE AND REGISTER | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods.  HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.  

In this moving excerpt from Episode 68 of The Herbalist Hour, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog offers a deeply grounded reflection on what self-care truly means — and why she believes we can let go of the word "self" altogether. She speaks on love as something that must include ourselves, the importance of quiet and time in nature, and why the voice we hear in solitude is often the one we most need to trust. Drawing from lived experience, family, and the natural world, Dr. Low Dog reminds us that we are both profoundly strong and deeply fragile — and that both truths deserve tenderness. You'll also hear a thoughtful exchange about distraction, technology, walking in silence, and how listening to the land can reconnect us to our purpose, our ancestors, and our place in the long chain of life. A beautiful reminder to slow down, take the headphones off, and remember that you are not alone — and that you are here for a reason. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE 🌼WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies!  👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member!  You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars and more.  There's also discounts to cool herbal companies, a private Facebook group and more! You can get your first 30 days FREE with coupon code PODCAST LEARN MORE AND REGISTER | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods.  HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 20. In this episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin explores one of the deepest inner tensions faced by healers, activists, caregivers, and culture-shapers alike: the longing to create real, visible change — and the emotional weight of what we cannot control. Through poetic reflection and grounded wisdom, Wolf speaks to the outcome-oriented heart that lives inside so many of us — especially herbalists, healthcare providers, parents, justice workers, and environmental advocates. He explores our shared desire to relieve suffering, to fix what is broken, to bring about lasting cures and total solutions — and the quiet harm that can arise when we measure our worth solely by what we can "successfully" change. You'll hear why it's both beautiful and perilous to carry the world's pain on our shoulders, how unrealistic expectations can quietly drain our vitality, and why a truly sustainable healing practice depends on learning the difference between what we can influence and what we must release. Wolf offers a compassionate framework for shifting from impossible cures toward meaningful, tangible, day-to-day impact — without abandoning our deeper ideals. If you've ever felt discouraged by outcomes you couldn't control, burned out by constant striving, or torn between big visions and personal limits, this episode offers a powerful reminder: your small, steady, real-world efforts matter more than you may realize. This audio was extracted from the beautiful video version available on the HerbRally YouTube channel. This episode is brought to you by The Good Medicine Confluence October 12–15, 2026 Ghost Ranch, New Mexico Join herbalists, healers, wildcrafters, visionaries, misfits, and medicine makers for four unforgettable days of learning, celebration, connection, ritual, and more than 100 classes from over 40 teachers. You're warmly invited to gather, study, celebrate, and dance under the stars in the Land of Enchantment. 👉 Learn more & register | GoodMedicineConfluence.com 🌼 WANT MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and receive THIRTEEN herbal freebies! 👉 CLAIM YOUR FREEBIES! 🌿 WANT EVEN MORE HERBAL GOODNESS? Become an HerbRally Schoolhouse member! You'll get access to a TON of herbalism classes, monographs, webinars, and more — plus discounts to herbal companies, a private Facebook group, and ongoing education. Use coupon code PODCAST to get your first 30 days FREE. 👉 Learn more & register | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Herbalism in your neck of the woods. HerbRally www.herbrally.com DISCLAIMER The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by your physician or other medical professionals. Always consult a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy or food, especially if you are nursing, pregnant, or have any medical condition.