Herbal Academy – Introductory Herbal Course

Herbal Academy – Introductory Herbal Course

Introductory Herbal Course Outline

The Introductory Herbal Course is made up of 6 Units and over 30 Lessons and Bonus Lessons, dozens of charts and visuals, ebooks, and herbal monographs. Scroll down to view the entire course outline. To learn more about the Introductory Herbal Course, please visit the course registration page. We’d love to have you join our Herbal Academy family!

UNIT 1: HERBAL BASICS

Lesson 1: The Herbal Approach and World Healing Traditions

• Introduction to the Course
• Why Herbs?
• European Herbalism
• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Ayurveda
• Herbal Energetics
• How Do Herbs Work?
• Whole Herbs and Synergy

Lesson 2: From Field to Apothecary

• Choosing the Best Herbs
• How to Store Herbs
• Supplies for Making Herbal Preparations
• Store-Bought Herbal Preparations
• Creating an Herbarium

Lesson 3: Herbal Teas and Tinctures

• Water Infusions and Decoctions
• The Tea Book
• Water Infusion Demo (VIDEO)
• Tincture Making
• Folk Method Tincturing Demo (VIDEO)

Lesson 4: Syrups and Topical Applications

• Syrups
• Topical Water Extracts
• Topical Infused Oil, Salve, and Balm
• Crushed & Chewed Leaves and Poultices

Lesson 5: Herbal Actions

• Introduction
• Herbal Actions Defined

Lesson 6: The Medicine Around Us

• Tree Medicine
• Mushroom Medicine
• Healing from the Sea

Lesson 7: Anatomy Overview

• Homeostasis
• Holistic Health and the Body Systems
• Anatomy Introduction (VIDEO)
• The Heart (VIDEO)

Lesson 8: Offshoot: Native American Medicine

UNIT 2: COMMON DISCOMFORTS

Lesson 1: The Immune System

• Overview of Immune Function
• Immune Response
• Some Components of the Immune System
• Herbal Immune Tonics and Immunomodulators
• Herbal Immune Stimulants
• Recipes for Immune Health

Lesson 2: A Healthy Terrain

• Supporting the Body with a Healthy Digestive System
• Herbal and Food Energetics
• Myriad Ways to Detoxify and Cleanse
• Tonic Herbs and Adaptogens…What’s the Difference?
• Getting the Hazardous Chemicals Out: Natural Cleaning

Lesson 3: Colds and Flu

• The Respiratory System
• Cough
• Bronchitis
• Influenza
• Allergies
• Cold and Flu Recipes

Lesson 4: Herbs and Children

• The Wild and Wonderful Just Beyond the Back Door
• Creating a Children’s Garden
• Common Herbs for Childhood
• Safety and Dosing
• Children’s Herbal Recipes
• Yummy Food Recipes

Lesson 5: Herbs for Her and Him

• Herbal Support for Women
• Herbal Support for Men

Lesson 6: Materia Medica

• A System for Organizing Plant Information

Lesson 7: Offshoot: Vitamin D

UNIT 3: KITCHEN REMEDIES

Lesson 1: What’s in Your Kitchen

• Spicing Things Up
• Spices as Antibiotics Hypothesis
• Getting to Know Your Spice Rack

Lesson 2: Kitchen Materia Medica

• Speaking of Food, How Should I Eat?
• Kitchen Herbs for Digestion
• Kitchen Herbs for Infection
• Kitchen Herbs for Inflammation
• Nervine Kitchen Herbs
• More Kitchen Herbs

Lesson 3: Kitchen Remedies, The Dooryard, & Wildcrafting

• Herbal Vinegars
• Herbal Honeys
• Culinary Infused Oils
• The Kitchen Dooryard: Creating an Herb Garden
• Wildcrafting and Foraging
• A Few Favorite Wild Herbs
• Plant Identification Key

Lesson 4: Demonstration

• Make Your Own Herb Pesto (VIDEO)

Lesson 5: Offshoot: Bringing it Home

UNIT 4: NERVOUS SYSTEM

Lesson 1: Overview of the Nervous System

• The Brain
• The Spinal Cord
• Central Nervous System
• Peripheral Nervous System

Lesson 2: Stress

• The Physiology of Stress
• Herbal Support for Stressful Situations
• Nervine Herbs
• Lifestyle Considerations to Reduce Stress

Lesson 3: Headaches

• Types of Headaches
• Headache Prevention
• Liver Support
• Herbal Therapeutics

Lesson 4: Sleep

• Insomnia
• Herbs for Insomnia
• Lifestyle Strategies

Lesson 5: Demonstration

• Make Your Own Relaxation Tea (VIDEO)

Lesson 6: Offshoot: The B Vitamins

UNIT 5: BODY CARE

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Skin

• Anatomy of the Skin
• Skin Conditions
• Herbal Actions and Herbs for Skin Conditions
• Topical Applications

Lesson 1: Body Care Recipes

• External Health, Internal Health
• Topical Oils, Salves and Balms, Body Butters
• Salt and Sugar Scrubs
• Herbal Baths
• Facial Cleansers, Moisturizers, Toners
• Hair Care
• Common Ingredients to Avoid

Lesson 3: Demonstration

• Make Your Own Easy Oatmeal Cleanser (VIDEO)

Lesson 4: Offshoot: Anti-Aging

UNIT 6: THE HOLISTIC APPROACH

Lesson 1: Introduction and Overview

• Conventional Medicine
• The Holistic Model

Lesson 2: The Holistic Body

• Developing a Theoretical Framework
• The Healing Power of the Mind
• Holistic Approaches in Practice

Lesson 3: The History of Plant Medicine

• The Eclectics
• The First Hospitals
• Whole Body Introspection

Lesson 4: Integrating the Holistic Approach

• Your Place on the Spectrum of Self Sufficiency
• The Next Steps – Moving Toward a Holistic Mindset