I want to further share and explain what I am currently offering. I am offering a FREE first consultation, for health concerns that you want to try to address with herbs. The consultation will be 45 minutes. You can address a certain issue you want to tackle. Maybe it is PMS, Weight (up or down), Skin issues, Energy issues, etc. We will go through my intake form together, where I will talk to you about diet, lifestyle, and your emotions. Then I can give you my suggestions for herbs, and self-care. 

When I suggest herbs they are either my own formulas, Dr. Christopher formulas, or I sometimes use some Young Living supplements and essential oils. I am pretty picky about what people take. I have been working with supplements for 20 years, and tried hundreds, if not thousands of products and I know what works. I am willing to entertain or check what you have to see if it is a good fit for you, but I know that high quality herbs and supplements work, and if you aren't using great stuff, you won't see results. NOW you may be buying something that someone said is the "best" or some company calls the "best." It may be really expensive. That does not necessarily mean it is good. In fact I look for herbals that are not expensive, and mine and Dr. Christopher brands are very affordable, but still amazing. 

Appointments are in via ZOOM for the first FREE consultation. Follow ups are $35 for a half hour, or $55 for a full hour appointment. See my Herbal Consultation page for more details on pricing because I offer a package discount. 

I really feel that my prices are really good. Many other services are higher, including hair cuts, massage, dental, or doctor, or other body service. Yet, my service could really change your entire life. I could ask a lot more, but I A. want to see people get well, and B. know you will need to spend money on herbs and supplements, and C. know it will take time for you to see changes. 

This is your chance to get a FREE appointment and ask the questions you want to ask. I am not sure how long I will be able to offer a FREE 45 min. appointment, because I am just rebuilding my business. When I get too busy, I will not be able to offer such a great deal. Please send me an email if you have interest in scheduling an appointment. ​Go to my Contact page and write "consultation query" in the subject line. 

In my early 20's I found myself experiencing recurring yeast infections. I also had a bout of Mono, and my tonsils removed. I had been on rounds and rounds of antibiotics, and my "conditions" were not improving. My doctor told me that some women just have yeast infections and have to deal with it. This was in no way a good or proper answer. I knew there had to be another way. 

I found help with herbs, that worked, and I have not looked back since. My appointments are to help people make an herbal plan that is easy, but effective along with dietary and lifestyle changes, so that they can be healthy without drug side effects. I know for me, I wanted to be as natural as possible, and really get to the root of my problems. It hasn't always been easy, but I would never trade what I have learned for an easy path. 

Maybe this resonates with you. Maybe you want to learn about herbs, and you are really feeling good, but would love to feel amazing. A FREE consultation could be for you too. I love to talk to fledgling herbalists and help them get directed to this amazing healing path. I wish I had had more mentors to help along the way. Most of my "learning" was the hard way, but I love to share that knowledge, because I see herbs as "The People's Medicine. You can connect with me by sending me a message on my Contact page, please write consultation in the subject line and write a message, otherwise I might think you are spam. Thanks!

I wanted to address a question or concern that the herbs you are taking may not be working, or seem to be taking a long time to work. There are a number of reasons that this could be so, but I want to look at 2 big reasons. 
The first is that the herbs you are eating, or taking, or applying topically are of inferior quality. Unfortunately this happens a lot. My personal favorite way to "use" herbs is to grow, gather, and collect my own plants, dry them and make medicine from them. The next best method, is if you have a friend, or community Herbalist who is doing this and you get your herbs from them. If you buy herbs in capsules in bottles, you have no way to be sure that you are getting a great product. Of course you could go on the recommendation of others and what has worked for them, but just remember by the time you buy a bottle of capsules, the herb has gone through a lot of processing. Even a great herbal company will lose some potency and effectiveness in the herb just through process. 

The best way to preserve is drying immediately and saving the dried herbs as tea, or fresh wilting them, and turning them into tinctures for long term preservation. I do recommend Mountain Rose Herbs as a reputable herb supplier, and have a banner below for their herbs. I also like many other small farms that grow and make small batches of herbal products, like Free Verse Farm in Vermont. I hate to say it, but stay away from big chain store brand herbal products. I do not want to name names, but if it is a box store, don't get your herbs there. 

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The second main reason your herbs may not be working, is that your mind or your thoughts are working against the herbs. Herbs work. They work so well that if you give even small amounts, of safe herbs to a child or even a pet, the herbs know what to do, and work on fixing a problem. The child or the animal has no preconceived thoughts, fears, doubts or troubles and when they take the herbs that are given to them by a trusted person, the herbal medicines do their job. 

If you have suffered from some sort of chronic or long term affliction, you will have built thought patterns of doubt, disbelief, frustration and even skepticism of ever really getting well. So you may take handfuls of herbs every day, and your subconscious mind may be working against you actually getting better. If you are one of these people, and you find yourself frustrated with your results, and lack of progress, you will want to get to the deeper level, the subconscious level of the mind and "reprogram" your feelings about wellness. 

I am going to have to say that this is going to be difficult, at first. Your conscious mind will reject the new programming. If you have been afflicted for years, there is a lot to undo. The trick, or technique I am going to suggest will feel uncomfortable and very hard, at first. If you can continue though, on a daily basis, you will find that you are making progress at a faster and more successful rate. I learned about these techniques from a motivational speaker, Jake Ducey. He is not an Herbalist, but I apply much of his teachings to my herbal practice. 

The best time to do what I am going to suggest, is right before bed, when you are relaxed. In fact, you will definitely want to help relaxation by doing something with herbs. Burn a smudge stick of Mugwort, put Lavender on your pillow, drink a cup of chamomile tea, take a few drops of Valerian. Or you may need to do all of these things to relax before this exercise. 
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Then you will lay down in bed, with the lights low. I don't want you to fall asleep yet. Resting, say to yourself, "I am healthy." You can do this out loud, or in your head. As you say it though, you need to visualize, or imagine a picture of yourself, as a healthy self. For instance, I see myself leaping through a sunny field, almost floating through the grass, smiling, feeling free, and wonderful. If you have been sick for a long time, this will be most difficult, but give it a try. Imagine yourself as the healthy way you want to be. You can be anywhere, doing anything, but really get into the feeling of it. FEEL it happening, see it with your mind. Repeat "I am healthy." For the first night, do this 5 minutes, and then go to sleep. 
It is really important to be in the feeling of health before falling asleep because this will carry into the deeper parts of your mind, as you sleep. When you wake up, I know you will feel better than ever. Then throughout the day, when you feel tempted, or frustrated again. Remember that feeling of health and the visual you created for yourself, and tell yourself again, "I am healthy." 
Continue with this exercise every night, maybe extending it up to 10 minutes before sleeping. Do this as long as you need to see the results you want to see. I cannot tell you how long, but it will be different for each person. I think for myself, I did a certain visual for at least a few months, maybe up to 6 and then as if peeling the layers of an onion, I would "work" on something else. 
I still do this technique before bed, as I am wanting to manifest other things in my life, and I know that it all starts with how our subconscious mind has been programmed. I could go on an on about this, but I will say that I had to do this to see my own personally healing. I actually said "I am healthy, wealthy and wise," as my little mantra. I said it over and over, and really felt it. I have seen my health increase many times over, and the wealth of our household. Wisdom- well lets just say I have always been wise.😉

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Photo credits for this post, www.unsplash.com  

The first thing you need to 'believe' to be a really effective Herbalist is a love of plants. Maybe I should step back a minute and define what an Herbalist is. Dictionary.com defines an herbalist as 'a person who collects or deals in herbs, especially medicinal herbs.' This definition is ok. It is basic, but I want to expand on what I believe an Herbalist is. An Herbalist is someone who works with plants, and "work" is not a thing you go to and leave at a certain time. When I say work, it is a total life immersion with plants- almost a oneness with them. There is a small word in that definition that I want to concentrate on and that word is 'collects.' An herbalist is someone who collects plants from nature. They know plants, and can identify them. They are familiar with their ways and growing patterns. They wait expectantly for their shoots, flowers, and follow the plants cycles. They also have a deep respect for nature and plants. Let me give you an example of what I mean by "loving plants." 

​Every time I moved, I took my plants with me. "Oh your potted plants," you say. No- not just my potted plants, but my plants that were rooted in the ground. I always divided them and made baby plants that I could take and replant somewhere else. I was saddened each time to leave my plants, even more than my homes. I would miss a lot of the trees. In fact my children still talk about a certain apple tree we had at a property when they were young. As an Herbalist you will love plants and see plants as your friends. If you tend to see plants as how you can make a profit. If you look at a beautiful forest, or field and only see dollar signs, you are not an Herbalist, you are something else. Not sure what- but something else. 

An Herbalist will collect seeds and save the seeds to bring more plants to life. An Herbalist will not over harvest an area. She will take from the gifts of nature, respected the space where plants grow, and allowing the other little creatures to enjoy those gifts as well. An Herbalist will always be growing something. She (or he) will have seeds and pots and little containers of soil, starting more plants, and more trees, encouraging more growth. She will also find little plants alone and in danger of being cut, or mowed, or torn out and transplant them to a safe environment. She will pray for the plants that are suffering in areas where people abuse them.

Another story- where I live there is a home, a property where an older woman lives. I do not know this woman as she really is not willing to communicate with the neighbors. She mows the property daily and weeds whacks back the grass so low, that much of the tree roots are exposed to open air. There are no flowers, or weeds of any sort, or any other growing thing on the property. There is a definite feeling of low energy when we walk by the home. I feel sorry for the woman, and even sorrier for the plants, who cannot move from their spot. We say prayers when we pass her place, and I think of the day when the trees can stretch their roots, and feel the swaying grass and be happy in the sunshine again. 

The second 'belief' you need to have to be an Herbalist is the the belief that herbs are nature's way of healing. I am always careful at saying this, and unless you are an herbalist, you probably will be angry or not understand what I mean. I am not saying that I do not appreciate hospitals, or doctors, and am grateful for a system of emergency care. My belief is that God has provided a bounty in nature to feed the souls of mankind, if we only knew how to harvest that gift. Modern medicine is so new, compared to the thousands of years of plant medicine we have in our history. Some people may feel that that was a backward time, and real life only began when modern medicine, and pharmaceuticals began. All I am saying is an herbalist at heart, will be fully committed to plant medicines.

The third belief you must possess is a strong belief in treating nature with respect, and not seeing it as something to strip bare for profit.

“The land is sacred. These words are at the core of your being. The land is our mother, the rivers our blood. Take our land away and we die. That is, the Indian in us dies.” – Mary Brave Bird, Lakota “We learned to be patient observers like the owl.

My question to you is- What do you see when you look at the picture of the forest below? Make a list of the 10 words that come to mind when you see this picture. I would love to share mine, but I do not want to cloud your own thoughts with mine. Share below a few of your descriptions. Ok- I can't help but share one "tranquility."

I hope this article helped someone get a clearer definition of what it means to be an Herbalist. I want to end this article by saying I do belief it is a true calling. If you have been called to work with the plants, you will probably know.