Pre-Symposium Intensive

Pre-Symposium: Rocky Mountain Plant Walk

On this walk around the Snow Mountain Ranch, you'll learn about the plants found in this 8000-foot elevation landscape, including creeping Oregon grape root (Berberis repens), uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi), the many conifers that thrive here and more. We'll discuss botanical characteristics, beneficial preparations, and clinical uses for the plants we see.

Pre-Symposium Intensive: Preserving the Herbal Legacy of Cannabis Culture
This class will help dispel decades of propaganda and misinformation that has resulted from the prohibition and criminalization of highly useful cannabis. Misconceptions surrounding cannabis mean the spread of falsehoods that arose from the demonization of a plant and do a disservice to both the plant and our communities. It is the duty of those who work with cannabis as medicine to counter the falsities that prohibition started and that ad agencies perpetuate.
 
Pre-Symposium Intensive: Health Protocols Inspired by Our Ancestors
Our ancestors and healers in Indigenous cultures consider body, mind, and spirit to co-create multi-dimensional protocols for people who came to them for help. As herbalists, we often know what herbal formulas are needed to restore balance, but when we look deeper at ourselves and our clients, we bring more synergy into our practice. 
 
Pre-Symposium Intensive: Healing Rituals of Curanderismo
Curanderismo is not just the art of making herbal teas, tinctures, rubs, salves, and beneficial foods. It often deals with the psychological healing from traumas (sexual, war-induced, grief, and others) and rituals for hauntings and possession. Healing in the curanderismo tradition can come through prayers, nature rituals, colors, floral scents, and visualizations. Third-generation curandero and vivid storyteller Charles Garcia shares the wisdom of his journey through the realms of his healing tradition.
Pre-Symposium Intensive: Your First Year of Clinical Practice

In this discussion session, we’ll focus on setting realistic expectations for your first year of clinical practice, as well as strategies for supporting yourself, your clients, and your practice during this phase. The vulnerability, excitement, and anticipation many practitioners experience during this time will be acknowledged and honored. We will explore logistical questions, emotional and spiritual challenges that often arise, and tips/tools for navigating the transition to clinical work.

Pre-Symposium Intensive: The Future of Michael Moore's Legacy: A Deep Dive into Bioregional Herbalism and Constitutional Physiology

An overview of the life and legacy of Michael R.S. Moore, founder of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine, author, and the "Godfather of Western Herbalism." We will explore the contribution that his life’s work made to the creation of contemporary Western herbal tradition.