20 Herbal Questions Answered | Katja Swift & Ryn Midura

Today on The Herbalist Hour, I'm joined by Yasmeen Faraj, LCSW, CIMHP, therapist, herbalist, and founder of Kinda Crunchy Therapy and sMOOches Organics. In this conversation, we explore the intersection of mental health and herbalism, including nature connection, community, burnout, intuition, sleep, nutrition, and the healing power of plants. Yasmeen shares how she incorporates herbs into her therapy practice through plant walks, herbal tea, and sensory experiences, and we discuss what therapists and herbalists can learn from one another. We also talk about Motherwort, Mugwort, ecstatic dance, inner child work, and what it means to follow a "full body yes." I absolutely loved this conversation and know you will as well! A big thanks to Yasmeen for joinin' me and thanks to you for tuning in. ~Mason Learn More About Yasmeen Kinda Crunchy Therapy | KindaCrunchyTherapy.com 🌿 Smoochies Organics | sMOOchesOrganics.com KCT on IG | @kindacrunchytherapy sMOOches on IG | @smoochesorganics Resources Mentioned 📖 The Gift of Healing Herbs by Robin Rose Bennett | BUY THE BOOK 📖 The Ultramind Solution by Mark Hyman | BUY THE BOOK If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow plant person. 🌿Grab FREE Herbal Resources Sign up for the HerbRally newsletter and get instant access to a 91-page Botanical Anthology sampler—plus a bundle of herbal freebies. 👉 Get the freebies | HerbalFreebies.com Want to join us live for future interviews?  Become a HerbRally Schoolhouse member: HerbRally Schoolhouse | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Use coupon code SCHOOLHOUSE30 for your first 30 days free! ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

To celebrate HerbRally reaching 20,000 YouTube subscribers, Katja Swift and Ryn Midura from CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism joined us to answer 20 questions submitted by the HerbRally community. Over the course of nearly four hours, they explore herbalism, clinical practice, stress, uncertainty, formulation, mentorship, learning, philosophy, and what it really means to become an herbalist. What started as a simple Q&A turned into a thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion filled with practical insights and hard-earned wisdom. A huge thank you to Katja and Ryn for their generosity, and thank you to everyone who has supported HerbRally over the years. ~Mason PS - WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE LINKS & RESOURCES CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism https://commonwealthherbs.com/ CommonWealth on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CommonWealthHerbs CommonWealth on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/commonwealthherbs/ The Holistic Herbalism Podcast https://commonwealthherbs.com/category/podcast/ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Back in August 2024, HerbRally crossed 10,000 subscribers on YouTube. To celebrate, I invited 10 herbalists to answer 10 different questions. The result was more than five hours of herbal wisdom, stories, insights, humor, and practical advice. This is the first time we're releasing the full recording on the podcast. A huge thank you to all of the contributors: 🌿 Mimi Prunella Hernandez Website: http://www.mimiprunellahernandez.com 🌿 Brigitte Mars Website: https://www.brigittemars.com/ 🌿 David Winston Center for Herbal Studies: https://herbalstudies.net/ Herbalist & Alchemist: https://www.herbalist-alchemist.com/ 🌿 Asia Dorsey Website: http://www.bonesbugsandbotany.com 🌿 Chanchal Cabrera Website: https://chanchalcabrera.com/ 🌿 Thomas Easley Website: https://eclecticschoolofherbalmedicine.com/ 🌿 Larken Bunce Website: https://www.larkenbunce.com/ 🌿 Phyllis D. Light Website: https://www.phyllisdlight.com/ 🌿 Howie Brounstein Website: http://www.botanicalstudies.net 🌿 Lupo Passero Website: https://www.twinstartribe.com/ Thanks for being part of the HerbRally community. We couldn't have reached this milestone without you. ~Mason Want more herbal goodness? 🌱 HerbRally Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/herbrally/herbal-freebies 🌿 HerbRally Schoolhouse: https://www.herbrally.com/schoolhouse ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Enrollment for Herbal Dental Care closes tonight at midnight, so I wanted to record a quick episode sharing a few thoughts about why this course has me so excited. This isn't just a course about herbs for teeth or gums. It's about understanding oral health through the lens of tissue states, constitutional patterns, inflammation, digestion, stress, mineral balance, and how the mouth reflects the whole body. The course is taught by Kyle Denton, who spent 15 years in the dental field before becoming a clinical herbalist. The way he bridges those two worlds is unlike anything I've personally encountered in herbal education. The live classes are held Thursdays at 6pm Central on: May 28 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25 Recordings will be available for anybody who can't attend live. Learn more & register at HerbalDentalCare.com

Tonight, herbalist Kyle Denton is hosting a free live webinar called 5 Herbs for Oral Health. In this class, Kyle will teach about five herbs he personally reaches for again and again for gum health, microbial balance, recovery, irritation, and more. 📅 May 21, 2026 🕕 6 PM Central Can't make it live? Register anyway and you'll get access to the replay afterward for a limited time. 🌿 REGISTER FOR FREE

🌿 FREE Herbal Dental Care Mini Course (available for a limited time) Join herbalist Kyle Denton for a free mini course exploring oral health through an herbalist's lens, including tissue states, digestion, stress, inflammation, and more. REGISTER FOR FREE In this episode, I sit down with herbalist Amy Boldt of Barefoot Medicine Farm to talk about her path from high school English teacher to clinical herbalist. We chat about plant allies, nervous system support, community, homesteading, impostor syndrome, social media burnout, and the importance of slowing down enough to really listen to the plants. Amy also shares some great stories about nettle, herbal conferences, teaching, and building an herbal practice rooted in authenticity and connection. LINKS & RESOURCES Barefoot Medicine Farm | BarefootMedicineFarm.com Amy's Practice | TheWildWomanMedicine.com Amy on Instagram | @the_wild_woman_medicine Read the blog post mentioned in this episode | CLICK HERE TO READ If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow plant person. Want to join us live for future interviews? Become a HerbRally Schoolhouse member: HerbRally Schoolhouse | HerbRally.com/Schoolhouse Use coupon code PODCAST for your first 30 days free! ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

FREE HERBAL DENTAL CARE MINI COURSE 🌿🦷 Available for a limited time LEARN MORE & REGISTER In this clip from Herbalists After Hours, herbalist Kyle Denton shares thoughts on authenticity, vulnerability, and what actually helps grow the herbal community. Kyle talks about embracing your unique path, showing up authentically, and why the herbal community doesn't need more perfection — it needs real people willing to learn, experiment, and participate fully. This conversation was recorded at the International Herb Symposium and originally released through Folk Methodology. Kyle is also the teacher of the Herbal Dental Care free mini course, where he explores oral health through an herbalist's lens using concepts like tissue states, energetics, and foundational herbal principles. To hear the full episode with Kyle Denton, subscribe to Folk Methodology on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube.

In this short episode, I share a few highlights from Video 1 of the free Herbal Dental Care mini course with herbalist Kyle Denton. Kyle explores the connection between oral health and whole-body wellness, including digestion, stress, posture, jaw tension, mineral balance, and more. The free mini course is available for a limited time. REGISTER FOR FREE

Oshala Farm Herb Camp returns to Southern Oregon June 26–28, 2026 for a full weekend of herbal education, plant walks, medicine making, music, community, camping, and connection. Hosted at Oshala Farm, Herb Camp features hands-on workshops with experienced herbalists alongside the beauty of a working medicinal herb farm with more than 80 varieties of herbs growing on the land. LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Join Rosalee's FREE Cooling Inflammation Mini-Course LEARN MORE & REGISTER FOR FREE Available for a limited time! This episode of The Herbalist Hour is a little different. Recorded inside a working tattoo shop in Twisp, Washington, Mason sits down with herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt and tattoo artist (and tarot reader) Caitlin Cordell… while Rosalee is actively getting tattooed.  What unfolds is a lively, unscripted conversation weaving together herbalism, embodiment, and everyday practice in a setting that's anything but typical. Along the way, we dive into the nuances of inflammation—why it's not the enemy, the crucial difference between acute and chronic states, and how herbalism can support long-term vitality without fear-based restriction. Rosalee shares insights from her clinical experience, busts common myths (including the turmeric + black pepper debate), and highlights herbs like hawthorn and lemon balm as powerful, often underappreciated allies.  Midway through, the energy shifts as Mason and Rosalee receive a spontaneous tarot reading, adding another layer of reflection and meaning to an already rich conversation. It's equal parts education, storytelling, and real-life moment—needle buzzing in the background and all. Join Rosalee's FREE Cooling Inflammation Mini-Course LEARN MORE & REGISTER FOR FREE Available for a limited time! Learn more about Caitlin and her work | UnrulyBeings.com ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.