STANDARD WORKSHOPS (A-Z)

Included in Weekend Registration​

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Baba Yaga's Apothecary: The Medicine & Magic of Amanita Muscaria

Presenter: Michelle Rigling, PhD

Amanita muscaria is found in myth, lore, folk medicine and healing traditions that touch every corner of the globe. Foraging guides warn of their toxicity while folk traditions and ancestral medicine stories suggest the possibility of physical, emotional and spiritual healing. It's no wonder that we are both curious and a bit scared to go down the rabbit hole! In this class we will explore the folk medicine and healing properties of this mysterious mushroom. Michelle will share some of her own experiences with Amanita as well as offer guidance around medicine making, microdosing, and developing a relationship with this sacred medicine being. 

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Better Lucky than Good

Presenter: Howl Aza

Luck is the oldest preventative. Many indigenous cultures have a concept of luck that wasn't fleeting, but rather it was/is built up and maintained throughout a life - it can be given or taken away. Ensuring your luck is in good shape is a wonderful preventative for a healthy and happy life. We'll explore the ways Luck might be a natural outcome of right relationship, intention, reciprocity, and personal choices and discuss practical things to do to increase and maintain your own Luck. 

 

Botanical Breathwork & Meditation

Presenter: Christy Miu

Step into a nourishing sanctuary where breath, stillness, and the wisdom of the natural world come together. Botanical Breathwork & Meditation is a grounding and heart-opening experience designed to help you reconnect with yourself through conscious breathing, guided meditation, and the supportive energy of nature. Inspired by the rhythms of the earth, this workshop invites you to slow down, soften the nervous system, and return to your natural state of balance. Through intentional breathwork practices, gentle mindfulness, and botanical-inspired sensory elements, you will create space to release stress, cultivate clarity, and deepen your connection to body, mind, and spirit. This experience is open to all levels and designed to be both restorative and empowering. Come as you are and allow yourself to be held in a space of breath, beauty, and deep presence.

 

​​Grief Like a River: Mourning & Death in Southern Appalachia

Presenter: Byron Ballard

This is a workshop on the processes of grief and the predictable stages that most people go through and the herbal allies that can be engaged in support of this process. We will discuss traditions relating to death and its aftermath with helpful guides from the wisdom traditions of the region. We will also consider some rites of passage, of ordeal work, that if held as such give us clarity and meaning to these hard things.

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Growing Plants as Medicine: Herb Farming for All Levels

Presenter: Trevor Mann

Come learn from Trevor’s 12 years of experience of medicinal herb farming! Learn how to grow plants that are more nutrient dense and potentially more medicinal, techniques for growing medicinal plants that harmonizes with nature, and techniques for different types of plant material (roots, vines, bark and leaves). In this class, we will cover the practical steps to grow potent plant medicine, nutrient dense foods, plant community arrangement (guilds) and soil. 

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Native, Naturalized, and Invasive Plants

Presenter: Lisa Bedner

Where did all these plants come from? What are their stories? What medicines do they hold? In this class, Lisa will share some stories, offer her reflections on native vs. invasive herbs, and open our eyes to the unique medicines of each of these plants based on their origin stories and the ways they have traveled. ​

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Native Plants of Native Peoples: 

Presenter: Lisa Bedner

This workshop will introduce us to about 10 of the most common Native plants and weeds used by the Native Peoples East of the Mississippi and what medicines we made from them. Some of the plants we'll cover include Allheal, Bloodroot, Boneset, Blue Cohosh, Lyre Leaf Sage, Mountain Mints, Scullcap, Yarrow, and Goldenseal. And, as Lisa always says: of course there will be stories!

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Pain & Cannabis: A Deep Dive

Presenter: Tammi Sweet

Chronic pain affects 80 million people annually. Understanding the pain pathway will allow us to intervene at multiple levels with a myriad of interventions rather than the one intervention conventional pharmaceuticals offers. Cannabis has been used successfully to treat chronic pain, especially neuropathic pain. We will explore the pain pathway physiology from its origin all the way up to the final recognition in the brain. From here we will discuss the latest findings in pain research, the methods to interrupt the pain pathway (Including cannabis, lifestyle and other herbs!), how these methods work, and finally, their indications and contraindications for use.

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Pattern Language: Aligning with the Wisdom of Nature

Presenters: Trevor and Joanna Mann

We live in a fractal creation: the same patterns pop up over and over again and when we take time to stop and observe our environment, physical bodies, and inner worlds we may notice these patterns unfolding at all levels. Within these patterns we can find timeless wisdom and coded information. As we become fluent in this "pattern language" we can begin to see that the solutions to what ails us are sometimes surprisingly simple. With this awareness, we can align our energy to feedback loops that bring healing and wholeness to our bodies, spirits, and the ecosystems in which we live. Join Trevor and Joanna Mann as we explore pattern language and how that may be applied in herbalism, permaculture, and spirituality. 

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Rhythm of Mycelium

Facilitator: Michelle Rigling

Did you know that mycelium growth is stimulated by sound waves? And that's not the only overlap between mycelium and music! Each morning we'll meet fireside after breakfast for 15-minutes of music, movement, and breath before heading off to class. Consider this your morning "micro-dose" :) 

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Roots, Rivers, & Remedies: Herbal Lymphatic Care

Presenter: Christy Miu

The lymphatic system is one of the most overlooked yet essential systems in the body when it comes to self-managed health and wellness. This workshop is designed to provide participants with a practical and accessible understanding of lymphatic function, the importance of healthy lymph flow, and simple daily techniques that can support the body’s natural detoxification and immune processes. Attendees will learn how the lymphatic system functions, why stagnant lymph can contribute to symptoms such as swelling, fatigue, inflammation, and brain fog, and how movement, breath, hydration, herbal support, and gentle manual techniques can encourage healthy flow throughout the body. Participants will be guided through simple self-lymphatic drainage techniques using light touch and intentional movement that can easily be incorporated into daily wellness routines. The material will be presented in an easy-understand-way; attendees will leave feeling confident not only in understanding the lymphatic system, but also in explaining and demonstrating lymphatic techniques within their families and communities. ​​​​

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The Inner Ecosystem: Herbs for a Healthy Gut

Presenter: Joanna Mann

Chew on this: Studies show that nearly two-thirds of Americans experience regular digestive symptoms like heartburn, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. And you aren't what you eat- you are only what you can digest! Healthy digestion is the foundation of good health. There are so many herbs that can be supportive of healthy digestion- it can be a lot to stomach! Join Joanna Mann as she breaks it down into easily digestible bits of information so you leave feeling equipped to know what herbs to work with to maximize the health of your inner ecosystem!

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Thistle: Do Hard Things

Presenter: Howl Aza

Digging into the lessons Thistle has to offer, we'll talk about how this plant can be a guide during the hard times. With deep roots, spikes & thorns, stunning flowers, and soil fixers, Thistle has been one of the strongest teachers for me in the last several years. Learning to embody discomfort and struggle in a way that blossoms into beauty is such amazing medicine.

 

Warts, Waters and What Mountain Folk Know

Presenter: Byron Ballard

Dive deep into the world of Southern Appalachian herbal folk magic. We will look at the “dishpan” plants that grow in yards throughout the region and how they have been used and continue to be used by modern practitioners. From Mugwort to Elderberry, we’ll explore the stories that came down from the great aunts and yarb women. There may be some singing, too.

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Willers and Primrose: The Herbs of Appalachian Balladry

Presenter: Rebecca Beyer

This workshop will examine the transmission of herbal folklore from the North Atlantic Islands (Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales) to the Appalachian region of North America via the beautiful art of traditional song. What plants have held the mythic imagination across oceans and why? Let's explore by hearing them sung live and digging into their history.

 

Plus classes with Phyllis D. Light, Michelle Rigling, and others coming soon!