What if the way we’re learning herbalism is actually harming the plants we depend on?

In this episode, I sit down with herbalist Elaine Shefff from Green Path Herb School to explore ethical wildcrafting, plant stewardship, and what it really means to be in relationship with the land. As herbalism becomes more popular, it is more important than ever to slow down, observe, and rethink how we harvest and work with plants.

If you want to harvest herbs in a way that protects ecosystems and supports future generations, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Why ethical wildcrafting matters now more than ever
• How overharvesting is impacting medicinal plants
• What sustainable foraging really looks like
• Why starting with weeds can change everything
• How to build a relationship with plants over time
• Bioregional herbalism and working with local medicine
• Herbalism as a path back to connection and belonging
• Simple ways to support your community with herbal medicine

For full show notes, resources, and links visit:
theherbalistspath.com/blog/ethical-resilient-herbalism-elaine-sheff

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I'm hosting a free herb class all about How To Make Herbal Remedies That Work, & Taste So Good People Will Beg You For More!

Would love to have you join us! Get the details here 🌿

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Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

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Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

Spring is here, and that means some of the most powerful medicinal plants on the planet are popping up in your yard, your garden edges, and along your favorite walking paths. And most people are either pulling them out or walking right past them.

In this episode, you'll meet four spring weeds that can have amazing benefits to your health: dandelion root and leaf, nettles, cleavers, and chickweed. You'll learn what they do, why they matter this time of year, and how to actually prepare them so you get the real medicine out.

Free, potent, accessible plant medicine. Growing right outside your door.

What's in this episode:

• Why spring weeds show up exactly when our bodies need them most
• Dandelion leaf and root: two different medicines from one plant
• Nettles for depletion, allergies, and deep nourishment
• Cleavers for lymphatic support and why fresh preparation matters
• Chickweed as a cooling, anti-inflammatory ally inside and out
• Ethical harvesting tips and how to prepare each plant effectively

For full show notes, resources, and links: theherbalistspath.com/blog/theherbalistspath-com/blog/free-medicinal-weeds-in-your-yard

Learn to make potent tasty medicine with us inside Medicine Makin' Mommas here.

Come to the Nourishing Nettles Conference with Susun Weed in May.

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RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

What does herbalism look like when your community actually needs you?

In this episode I sit down with clinical herbalist Ashley Elenbaas of Sky House Herbs, who has been doing boots-on-the-ground mutual aid work in Minneapolis. We talk about how she organized local herbalists, partnered with existing mutual aid networks, and got herbal care kits into the hands of homebound immigrant families. And how she did it without burning herself out in the process.

This is community herbalism in action. Real, replicable, and deeply needed right now.

In this episode:

• What grassroots herbal mutual aid actually looks like
• How to find your role without duplicating efforts already being done
• The power of pausing and orienting before you act
• Involving your kids in the medicine making
• Knowing when to slow down so you can keep showing up

For full show notes, resources, and transcript visit: theherbalistspath.com/blog/grassroots-herbalism-ashley-elenbaas

Ready to go deeper into community herbalism? Ashley will be joining us as a guest teacher inside the Community Herbalist Certification and Mentorship program. Learn more at here.

Like the show? Got a Q? Shoot us a Text!

RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death globally, and nearly 50% of adults in the US have at least one major cardiovascular risk factor. The good news is you likely have herbs in your kitchen and garden that can help.

Learn the herbal actions that matter most for cardiovascular health as we share top herbs for heart support, from culinary powerhouses like garlic, ginger, rosemary, and cayenne, to longer-term tonics like hawthorn, motherwort, and ginkgo. These herbs work best alongside good daily habits to truly nourish your heart for the long haul.

What's in this episode:

• Why heart health matters
• The cardiovascular system's connection to blood sugar, stress, inflammation, and the liver
• Herbal actions to know: antispasmodics, cardiotonics, circulatory stimulants, hypotensives, nervines, and vasodilators
• Culinary herbs as cardiovascular medicine: garlic, ginger, rosemary, and cayenne
• Hawthorn: the heart tonic herbalists reach for again and again
• Motherwort for stress-induced hypertension and heart palpitations
• Ginkgo biloba and microcirculation: cold hands, brain fog, and beyond

For the Blueberry Cinnamon Heart Healthy Shrub recipe head here: theherbalistspath.com/blog/herbs-for-heart-health-hawthorn-garlic-motherwort

Like the show? Got a Q? Shoot us a Text!

RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

What does it really look like to hold space for someone in their most vulnerable moments? Heather Shelton, nurse-turned-herbalist and psilocybin facilitator, shares her journey from medical trauma to healing work with nervous system herbs and plant medicine.

Learn about lemon balm, motherwort, and chamomile for everyday support, what happens in a psilocybin session, and why plants have been her greatest teachers. Grounded wisdom for anyone called to healing work.

What's in this episode:

• From medical trauma to herbalism and facilitation work
• Learning directly from plants when teachers weren't available
• What a psilocybin session is really like
• Nervous system support: lemon balm, motherwort, and chamomile
• Creating safety and presence as a healer
• Teaching kids to trust their intuition

For full show notes head HERE

Want to learn from Heather and become the kind of herbalist people trust guide them in their healing journey? The Community Herbalist Certification & Mentorship Program teaches you how to think like an herbalist, hold space for real healing, and show up with herbal skills and the confidence to use them for your community.

Like the show? Got a Q? Shoot us a Text!

RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

The world feels heavy right now. Many of us are moving through stress, grief, anger, and exhaustion while trying to stay grounded in our lives and communities.

In this co-hosted episode of The Herbalist’s Path, Mel and Brittany talk honestly about what it looks like to stay regulated during hard times. They explore nervous system support through herbs, foundational practices, and self-awareness — without bypassing what’s happening in the world.

In this episode, we cover:

• Navigating stress & overwhelm
• Why this stress isn’t new for BIPOC communities & why context matters
• Nervines for immediate nervous system support
• Heart-centered herbs for grief
• Milky oats for depleted nervous systems
• Adaptogens for long-term resilience & when to use them
• Foundational practices no tincture can replace
• Herbalist burnout and practicing what you preach
• Joy, laughter, and community care — including caring for yourself

This grounded conversation between two clinical herbalists focuses on resilience, capacity, and caring for yourself so you can keep showing up with integrity and clarity.

For full show notes, click HERE:

Ready to deepen your herbal practice?
Learn more about the Community Herbalist Certification and Mentorship Program HERE.

Like the show? Got a Q? Shoot us a Text!

RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

Essential oils are powerful tools, but they’re also some of the most misunderstood substances in modern herbalism. Safety concerns, quality questions, and sustainability issues are real, and sorting through the marketing noise to find reliable information isn’t easy. This episode cuts through the confusion.

Hana Tisserand, internationally respected essential oil educator and author, joins me to talk about how herbalists can use essential oils confidently and responsibly. We cover safety guidelines that actually make sense, how to assess quality when you’re buying oils, what sustainability really means in the essential oil industry, and how to integrate aromatherapy into your herbal practice without overwhelm.

If you’ve been curious about essential oils but unsure where to start, this conversation offers a solid, grounded foundation.

You’ll learn:

• What essential oils are, and what they are not
• Why essential oil safety requires more nuance than most people realize
• How quality, sourcing, and sustainability impact both people and plants
• Common misconceptions herbalists should be cautious of
• When essential oils make sense in herbal practice, and when they don’t

If you’ve ever felt unsure about essential oils, overwhelmed by conflicting advice, or curious about how they fit into responsible herbalism, this episode brings clarity without fear or hype.

Connect with Hana at the Tisserand Institute:
https://tisserandinstitute.org/

For full show notes, resources, links, and to download the transcript:
https://www.

Like the show? Got a Q? Shoot us a Text!

RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.

Your liver is working every minute to filter toxins, balance hormones, metabolize fats, and support over 500 functions in your body. But here's what most people get wrong: your liver doesn't need a "cleanse" or punishing detox. What it needs is ongoing support through the right herbs at the right time.

In this episode, you'll discover how to think like an herbalist when choosing liver-supporting herbs. Learn why bitter herbs stimulate digestion, how cholagogues and choleretics improve bile flow, and which hepatic herbs protect and regenerate liver cells.

Whether you're dealing with skin issues, digestive struggles, hormonal imbalances, or simply want to support your hardest-working organ, this episode gives you the practical herbal wisdom to nourish your liver.

What you'll learn

• Why the liver works 24/7 and why "cleansing" language misses the point
• The liver's role in fat metabolism, hormones, bile, and blood sugar
• How bitter taste receptors kickstart digestion and bile flow
• The difference between cholagogues vs choleretics
• Key herbal actions for liver support: hepatoprotective and trophorestorative herbs
• Practical ways to use bitters and Milk Thistle seeds daily

If this episode helped you think about liver support differently, come say hi. Message me on Instagram or Facebook at The Herbalist's Path and share what your liver needs this season.

For full show notes, resources, links and transcript: https://www.theherbalistspath.com/blog/liver-health-herbs-natural-support

Ready to go beyond surface level herbalism, and learn

Like the show? Got a Q? Shoot us a Text!

RSVP for the Herbal Medicine Planning Party here🌺

Wondering how you can use your herbal skills to help people when times are tough?

Grab Medicine For The People - An Herbalist's Guide To Showing Up For Your Community In Times of Need

It's loaded with ideas and resources to help you help others!💚 Click here to ge

Support the show

Ready to deepen your herbal skills and knowledge?

Whether you're stocking your family's medicine cabinet, building your formulation skills, or stepping into the role of community herbalist, we have a program for you.

Learn more here

If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you left us a review and shared it with a friend. It helps more herbalists find their way here, and helps make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers 🌸

Join me on: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Disclaimer:
*The information shared on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbs.