Today we are scratching the surface on the importance of minerals. Not just how they make up our bodies and all of the functions needed to support our health, but the interconnectedness of our bodies with the soil, ecosystems, and all of life on Earth.

Maybe you've been told to take calcium pills or to supplement with magnesium. But why are we depleted in the first place? And is the approacch of supplementing with individual minerals really the right course of action with the synergy and interconnectedness is what fuels life on Earth?

What we're exploring today:

• The role minerals play in sustaining life on Earth
• When Science started realizing minerals matter, and the mistakes made along the way
• Synergy between minerals and how it affects our health
• The connection between our cells and our soil
• How industrial agriculture is hurting us more than helping us

Notes & Links:

• Connect with me on Instagram @ashleywulkan
• If you want to work with my clinic on your mineral status, you can fill out this form.

Do you feel a sense that time is running out? A rush to get it all done? Contstant low-grade urgency that pulls your focus away from the things that you genuinely enjoy in life? This episode asks more questions than it offers answers, but collectively we should be questioning a lot about the speed at which we are living.

What we're exploring today:

• The impact of living at warp speed on our bodies
• When the body puts on the brakes and manifests thyroid dysfunction
• Questioning whether technological advancementy is helping is life better or just faster
• How to start slowing down (and that the first step is a shift in values not a shift in pace)

Notes & Links:

• Connect with me on Instagram @ashleywulkan

Spring is calling, do you feel it too? As our bodies, minds and spirits awaken from the inward journey of winter we're asked to release what has been shed and welcome the brand new. The day you sow the seed is not the day you eat the fruit, though, and this time of year can also bring frustrations to the surface. Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us to focus on supporting our liver health at this time of year, and the Earth puts all the medicines we need to do this right in front of us too. Perfect timing.

What we're exploring today:

• The Spring Equinox and what is represents in the cycle of the year
• The emotional significance of liver stagnation
• The energetic shift from Pisces into Aries
• Common herbs you can connect with for gentle Spring detoxification support
• Foods for supporting your liver during the Spring
• Practices to help you stay balanced and grounded during times of transition

Notes & Links:

• Join me for on March 19th for a Spring Equinox Circle & Spring Tonics Herbal Workshop (online)
• Join me in-person on March 23rd for a Detoxifying Tea Blending Workshop (in Haileybury)
• Connect with me on Instagram @ashleywulkan

Have you been feeling more fear and anxiety as we move through the last bit of winter? If so, you are absolutely not alone. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers Winter to be "kidney season" and the kidneys to be the energetic root of our fear and anxiety. 

What we're exploring today:

• The emotional significance of our kidneys
• How kidney imbalances show 
• Food to nourish the kidneys
• Herbal allies to support us in seasons of fear and anxiety
• Life shifts that ground our energy and kidneys

Notes & Links:

• Connect with me on Instagram @ashleywulkan

We've all heard the term "placebo effect" but how often do we pause to ask what it actually is? Placebo is effective about 35% of the time, and research has now shown that we can increase that significantly by tapping into the factors that increase self-healing. 

What we're exploring today:

• What is the placebo effect?
• History and research
• How the human body can produce endogenous opiods
• Shockingly effective placebo surgeries
• Components that improve placebo response 
• How to support your own self-healing

Notes & Links:

• Connect with me on Instagram @ashleywulkan
• "The Powerful Placebo" by Henry K. Beecher
• A Controlled Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee
• Components of placebo effect: randomised controlled trial in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
• Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
• You are the Placebo by Joe Dispenza

Today we're going on a (somewhat) brief exploration of the archetypal energies that rule us and how people and plants are constantly reflecting these planetary influences. True holistic medicine zoome out to look at not just the pathology, but the person and how they exist as an expression and balance of specific energies in Nature. This is a primer on the topic of astrology and opens up the pathway for us to explore astroherbalism in future episodes.

Topics explored here:

• Allopathic vs. Holistic medicine and how each views the treatment of health imabalances
• The 4 elements: fire, earth, air and water
• The three modes: cardinal, fixed and mutable
• The 12 zodiac signs
• The 10 planetary influences
• How these energies are expressed through the seasons and through the life cycle
• Botanical correspondances for each sign

Notes & Links:

• Connect with me on Instagram @ashleywulkan
• Generate your birth chart for free: https://astro-charts.com/ 

As a companion to Episode 1 on Wintering, this bonus episode shares stories and learnings about some incredible plant allies to connect with during a winter season (internal or external) and how we can work with them to move through winter energy. 

We are metting & exploring:

• Everygreens tree medicine
• Pine for grounding
• Cedar for protection
• Rose for heart connection
• Ginger for sustained warmth 
• Peppermint for mental clarity
• Mugwort for dreams and stagnation 

Notes & Links:

• Find me on Instagram @ashleywulkan
• A favourite source for herbal teas and tinctures with many of the plants mentioned here are my sweet herb farmer friends at Foggy River: https://www.foggyriverfarm.com/

As we in the Northern Hemisphere move into the season of Deep Winter, we're being invited to relax into the soft embrace of darkness, cold and quiet. It's a time of year that brings immense challenge but also immense opportunity for deepening and fortifying our roots. 

Today I am sharing some of the lessons offered by this season and how we can answer the invitation and integrate the learnings offered.

We are exploring:

• The anatomy of cycles and the role of Winter energy in all cycles and loops
• The art and practice of Wintering
• The root of resistance to winter energy
• Working with the themes and energies present in Capricorn season
• Internal vs. external winters
• Embracing Bear energy and supporting your sleep
• Circadian rhythmns and the medicine of morning light
• Winter nourishment and resisting the pressure to shrink your mammal body
• Journeying into yourself

Notes & Links:

Find me on Instagram @ashleywulkan

Poetry Book Mentioned: Rilke's Book of Hours