STANDARD WORKSHOPS (A-Z)

Included in Conference Registration​

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Better Lucky than Good

Presenter: Howl

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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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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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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Thistle: Do Hard Things

Presenter: Howl

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 withTammi Sweet, Phyllis D. Light, Michelle Rigling, Trevor Mann, Joanna Mann, and Leah Larabell.