Herbal Medicine Spring School 2012

March 1st 2012

St Werburgh’s City Farm Cafe

The course runs on Thursday evenings 6.30 - 9.30 pm at St Werburghs City Farm Cafe, Watercress Road, Bristol BS2 9YJ. There will be 8 sessions in all. First session is on March 1st 2012 and sessions will be on every thursday evening thereafter until April 26th. NB there is no class on the Thursday before Easter (April 5th).

You can download a printable .pdf file containing the timetable and full details of the course here.



The aim of the course is to give students a useful understanding of the principles and practice of Western Herbal Medicine, so that they may apply their knowledge to help treat common ailments. The course which is 8 x 3 hour sessions, starts in March.

The course is designed to nurture people’s individual appreciation of herbs. Students will be encouraged to explore their own sensory and cognitive perceptions with selected herbs, and to contrast these with established knowledge. In this respect, the emphasis is very much on participative and experiential learning, as well as reflective practice.

The main focus will be the safe use of indigenous herbs, including how to identify, harvest, and prepare the herbs, and how to classify them according to their properties and actions.

By the end of the course students will have gained enough knowledge of herbal practice, and sufficient insight into their own connection with herbs, to understand their own personal limits with regard to treating themselves and others with herbs.  Whilst this course will not qualify you to practice as a herbalist, it will give you a firm foundation in the principles of herbal medicine to enable you to choose your path, particularly if you decide to go on to higher education to get a professional qualification. You will have have new practical skills and a more informed perspective on natural healthcare in a modern western context.

Schedule:

Session date Title of Session Areas covered
Session 1. 1/3/2012 Herbal Medicine in the Modern Context Introductions. Establishment of ground rules. Themes that will run through the course and structure of the course.Identify what needs are being met by western herbal medicine.  Current legislation and regulatory framework. Code of ethics. Defining the scope of the course – what will you be able to do when you have successfully completed?
Session 2. 8/3/2012 Herbs Ways of seeing and describing a herb. How to assess the quality of a herb. Some basic herbal chemistry: key compounds in herbs, secondary metabolites,  and different methods of extracting them. External and internal preparations. Introducing some concepts of herb actions.
Session 3. 15/3/2012 Holistic treatment and the heart Introducing first principles for holistic health care. A holistic perspective on the workings of the human heart. Comparing vitalist and biomedical models of health perception. Key herbs for common cardiovascular conditions and maintaining robust health.
Session 4. 22/3/2012 Absorption and nutrition Its not just what you eat, its what you absorb that counts. Key herbs and herbal compounds that optimise absorption and nutritional status. The kitchen pharmacy. Bitters, volatile oils and polysaccharides. Treating some common gastrointestinal problems with herbs. How to make tinctures, vinegars and oxymels.
Session 5. 29/3/2012 Metabolism Herbs and the the organs of elimination: liver, kidneys, lungs and skin. The role of the lymphatic system. Use of lymphatics and alterative herbs to treat skin conditions. Using powdered herbs. Cooling and warming remedies.
Session 6. 12/4/2012 Nervines Some key herbs, including essential oils, affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. Role of herbal medicine in treating mental and emotional issues. Safety issues, limits and boundaries. Herbal approaches to treating sleep disorders, anxiety and depression.
Session 7. 19/4/2012 Hormones Looking at key herbs that are used to influence change in hormonal cycles. This session will look at reproductive hormones in both women and men, and also hormonal responses to stress. Using adaptogen herbs appropriately for treating many conditions where stress is a factor. Looking at other cyclic phenomena that might influence health and how we use herbs.
Session 8. 26/4/2011 Immunity & Inflammation Using herbs to treat inflammatory conditions and musculo-skeletal pain. Herbal approaches to chronic auto-immune and inflammatory disorders. Herbs for helping immune responses. Treating everyday coughs and colds, fevers and flu. The respiratory stystem. Using herbs to build up strength and resistance.