When I moved to Asheville, one of the first things I fell in love with was the large community of herbalists. From top schools in the field, to people who practice the craft, enthusiasts aren’t hard to find. And it’s easy to see why considering a lot of the ingredients at the root of herbalism can be found in our own backyard! There are stores in town, like The Villagers and the French Broad Coop, filled with shelves of dried herbs and all the tools needed for creating magic. Another element of this city that I love is the number of opportunities there are to learn all SORTS of things! Classes are held throughout our little town to teach us a vast variety of trades and skills. I’ve attended a class at the French Broad Coop where I learned about edible, wild plants; and ate all sorts of weird, yet surprisingly delicious (and nutritious) “weeds”. I’ve sat in on a class at The Villagers to hear more about herbs for the heart and try tinctures. I’ve even driven all the way to a farm in the middle of nowhere to learn about food preservation, and how to make your garden vegetables last throughout the winter (now I just need a garden). The point is, I’ve been able to learn SO many new things since moving here, and that isn’t even a fraction of the classes I’ve been to.
As if we needed another excuse to go there, just this past week Maggie and I attended a class hosted by Flora, about salves and other herbal topical treatments. Surprisingly, this is my first class at Flora, but I’ve been eyeing their class schedule for a while. For now they have a Plants & Flowers as Medicine Series on Wednesdays 5:30- 7:30 and a Botanical Art Series on Saturdays. In these classes, you can learn how to press flowers, make natural pigments, and compose different floral tea blends (that’s just to name a few). In the backroom of Flora there is a sweet little room with dried flowers lining the walls and a table set up with chairs to be filled by eager students. Classes are taught by popular local artists, businesses, and experts who are well seasoned in their individual crafts. Pollen and Poplar, SOMOS by CocoNuco, Jacqueline Maloney Art, Christa Briana, and Blood and Spicebush just to name drop a bit.
So on a blustery Monday evening, we found ourselves sitting patiently with a cup of tea in our hands, ready to learn about herbs for healing. On the counter there were pots and pans, tins and oils, and all sorts of stuff for getting our hands into making what we were learning about. Our class instructor was that tattooed temple of wisdom, Ash Sierra, of Ritual Botanica. She is well-learned in her craft and she demonstrated her knowledge well by fielding all of my questions (which Maggie will attest is an impressive feat all in itself).
Now, let’s talk herbs for a bit and share some of what we learned. Whether you are new to herblism, or a seasoned veteran, I’m sure you’re aware that there are many ways to use herbs for wide variety of benefits. You can take herbs internally (for example: teas, decoctions and tinctures), or you can use herbs topically (infused oils, salves, liniments, compress, poultices and creams). There are many ways to reap the healing properties of herbs; and the method you use depends on the results you’re aiming for. The first step to make any of these remedies is to choose the herbs you want based on their different properties. You can learn all about herbs through books, articles, teachers and of course, classes!
This class was focused on the healing properties of herbs through topical treatments like herbal oils, salves, liniments and creams. Topical treatments are a great way to receive the benefits of herbs since our skin is our largest organ and has the ability to absorb the outside world.
Herbal Oils are made by extracting the medicinal compounds of herbs into an oil base through gentle heat. The plant is then strained/pressed from the oil to produce the final result, a medicinal oil. The oils used should be organic and unrefined. Good oils to use are olive, sweet almond, sunflower, jojoba, avocado, coconut, sesame and sunflower. This topical remedy is great for penetrating the top layers of the skin in a large quantity, can be massaged in for over-all healing of the body.
Salves are made through using an infused oil as mentioned above, and combining it with a wax to create a semi-solid topical remedy, similar to an ointment. This delivers a product that will sit on the skin longer, so they are great for cuts, burns, rashes, etc.
Herbal Liniments are created by extracting an herbs medicinal properties into an alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is typical, but ethanol alcohol can be used as well. This topical remedy is great for sore muscles, bruised skin and swollen areas.
Herbal creams are not only moisturizing, but can also be healing depending on the combination of herbs you use! This is a great replacement for store-bought lotions that use all sorts of chemicals that aren’t great for our bodies to be absorbing on a regular bases. This process is a bit more complicated, so we will be diving into this further in a future post.
It was such a treat to learn all these wonderful ways to introduce herbs into our bodies! We learned the benefits, how to make each extraction and what herbs are best to use for what we want to treat. And let’s not forget the star of these different treatments, the herbs of course; without them no healing would be possible!
There are herbs to treat pretty much anything you want. There are some that heal tissue, promoting a faster healing time like Comfrey, Calendula and Plantain leaf. There are herbs that help our lymphatic system (which is responsible for moving all the “junk” out of our bodies) like Violet leaves and flowers and Figwort. Then, there are herbs for nerve repair like St. John’s Wort. And there are even anti-microbial herbs like Yarrow, and anti-fungal herbs like Black Walnut, Usnea and Cedar. Herbs can also help us feel more grounded and focused, like Rosemary and Angelica. Oh, all the amazing and unexpected things herbs can do! If this sounds like a potions class for Harry Potter, you’re right! It does and how fun is that?! As Ash so accurately stated at the start of class, “Plants are our original medicine.”
After filling our heads with powerful thoughts of healing the world (or just our loved ones) we got to practice what we learned. Ash had a set up for making our own salve. She had a base oil infusion ready for us, olive oil infused with sage leaf, comfrey leaf, calendula, usnea, vitamin E and beeswax. She stirs her magic potion and her voice guides us as we pick different essential oils to add to the mix, which have their own individual healing elements. Maggie chose lavender, thymol and mugwort and has yet to put it down. Everyday since the class, it permanently belongs in her hand. I blended mine with lemongrass and mugwort with a refreshing scent and it gives a sense of clarity and calmness.
So, take a class. Learn about herbs or whatever interests you. Check out the other classes Flora has to offer and keep an eye out for Ritual Botanica!
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what we’re up to! Also, you’re definitely going to want to follow Flora Forage and Ritual Botanica to add inspiration to your news feed!