Instructor -Rachel Warnok
Date: Saturday, February 27th, 2027
Time: 1-5pm
Location - Lincoln, MA
Fee - $65 (includes $12 for materials)

Explore the Vedic system of herbs, health, and wellness! Learn the basics of the 3 doshas (elemental body types) in Ayurveda and the Vedic method of creating an infused oil via double decoction. This is a unique, heated method of infusing oils, and reducing the molecular size of oil so the herbs are carried deeper into the body. In this 4-hour workshop you'll explore how the 5 elements manifest as the 3 doshas in the human body, which dosha is your primary, and what that means for creating balance in your life. You’ll gain an understanding of how the elements weave and work together in your body, and an increased ability to detect imbalance. You leave with a better understanding of your physiology, tips and tricks on creating balance for yourself,and a bottle of the oil that we make during the workshop. 

Recommended for people who enjoy working with herbal oils(and want to work with them more!), cosmetics, those who want to better understand the role of the elements in herbal medicine, and those who would like to learn more about Ayurvedic medicine. 

Description

The Boston School of Herbal Studies is delighted to offer their level I apprenticeship students the opportunity to study herbs at Sweet Autumn Farm (180 Prospect St. Carlisle, MA), a pristine organic herb farm that allows people to "pick their own herbs." This rare experience brings a deeper knowledge and understanding of the plants, plant identification and harvesting practices that are necessary for every herbalist. We feel fortunate that our students are able to follow the growth of the plants through their many forms, which provides a well rounded and complete education.

Our weekends are structured to combine cognitive learning with hands-on experience. Students identify and harvest plants and make a variety of herbal products.

Each weekend, we cover a different body system. Mornings, we focus on a particular organ system and the herbs that nourish and support it. Herbalism is also an education of the senses, and we teach students to identify the energies of herbs: warming, cooling, moistening or drying, among a number of factors.

Afternoons are an immersion into the plant world with plant walks and harvesting. Students learn to blend teas and to make tinctures, infused oils, salves, flower essences, liniments and much more. Students also learn about essential oils and experience Shamanic Plant Journeying.

This well-rounded education places a strong emphasis on community. During the apprenticeship, students connect with each other. The Apprenticeship offers opportunities for all kinds of learners to assimilate material.

Once students graduate from the program, they earn a certificate and most importantly, are transformed in how they view plants. This program changes lives and provides a perspective of gratitude that everyone experiences.

2027 Schedule
The Apprenticeship meets on Saturdays from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 10:00 to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates:
April 17 & 18
May 15 & 16
June 19 & 20
July 17 & 18
August 14 & 15
September 11 &12
October 16 & 17

Areas of Study
Herbal Energetics and World Systems
The Digestive System
The Respiratory System
The Nervous System
The Immune System
The Circulatory System
The System of the Skin
The Muscular-Skeletal System
The Urinary System

Topics Covered
Plant identification and herb walks
Creating your own teas, tinctures and salves
Remedies for acute and chronic illnesses
Historical traditions in herbalism
Plant meditation
Intro to assessment skills
Seasonal tonics
Bibliographies
World systems
Online resources

Tuition
The full tuition for the 2027 Level I Apprenticeship is $1,895 including a material fee of $45. A $300 deposit is required to sign up. Tuition and deposit are non-refundable.
You may pay in full, or reserve your spot with a $300.00 deposit (non-refundable). If you would like to pay your balance in installments, reserve your spot now and we will email you a link where you can make your payments. Installment payments will include a 4.0% processing fee that is non-refundable.

For more information, please contact us at 781.281.8787 or email herbstudies@gmail.com.

Click Here to Pay in Full

Instructor: Linda Patterson, Clinical Herbalist, Aromatherapist, Palmistry Instructor
Dates: Oct 24th, Nov 21st, Dec 12th, Jan 16th 2027
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Milton, MA
Fee: $550 plus $50 Materials Fee

Learn how essential oils work to heal the body, mind and spirit. This comprehensive course addresses the body systems, their common ailments and the essential oils most helpful for each condition. Three different methods of blending will be introduced with demonstrations of how to use essential oils in our everyday lives. There will be a particular focus on reducing stress. We will also be making our own natural cosmetics and learning how to use essential oils to trigger memory, mood and attraction. 

You may pay in full, or reserve your spot with a $312.00 deposit (non-refundable). If you would like to pay your balance in installments, reserve your spot now and we will email you a link where you can make your payments. Installment payments will include a 4.0% processing fee that is non-refundable.

Click here for Installment Plan payment.

Thyroid Balancing and Adrenal Health
with Michaël Friedman

Instructor: Michaël Friedman
Date: October 21st & 28th
Time: 7-8:30pm
Location: Live online
Fee: $85

Join The Boston School of Herbal Studies for a live online workshop with Michaël Friedman. Michaël, the author of the medical textbook Fundamentals of Naturopathic Endocrinology will be sharing his experience and expertise in thyroid health, metabolism and imbalances. He will be discussing stress, the adrenals, energy resilience, and adaptogenic herbs to support cortisol balance which is key for adrenal health.

These two evenings will be recorded and all participants will receive both the link for the recordings and the slides used in the presentation. 

Naturopathic physician Dr. Michaël Friedman is author of the recent book There’s No Pill for This: A Naturopathic Physician’s Personal Prescription for Managing Multiple Sclerosis (Chelsea Green, 2020). He is the founder of the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine and the Journal of Restorative Medicine. He also creates and formulates herbal and nutritional supplements, and is president of the Restorative Formulations supplement company. He is the author of the medical textbook Fundamentals of Naturopathic Endocrinology, a contributing author of Evidence-Based Approach to Restoring Thyroid Health, and co-author of Healing Diabetes. He has treated patients with illnesses ranging from lymphoma to liver cancer, achieving remarkable results that have been published in several medical journals. He lives with his family in Vermont, USA.

Instructor: Brendan Kelly
Date: Saturday, November 7th & Sunday, November 8th
Time: Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Location: Lincoln, MA
Fee: $300

Using the lens of Chinese medicine, we will discuss the underlying causes of autoimmune disorders and the use of local western herbs to bring the body back into balance. You will learn strategies to address Irritable Bowel (IBS), Crohn’s disease, Celiac diseases, Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Graves disease, among others. We will also look at nutrition, lifestyle and the connection between the mind, emotions and autoimmune conditions.

Brendan Kelly, a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine and a master practitioner, explores how our self-understanding plays a role in our immune responses and how heat/inflammation is often a root cause for autoimmune issues. The excess heat experienced with autoimmune disorders mirrors the heat of climate change and cultural overstimulation. Brendan will address ways to bring balance to our health in a world that is out of balance.

He will also discuss how major concepts and traditions in Chinese Medicine can be used to help identify and heal autoimmune imbalances. These concepts include Yin/Yang, the Five Phases (or Five Elements), and the Eight Principles of foundational diagnostics, all of which help illuminate the root cause of disease.

Finally, participants will learn tongue diagnosis, how it is used to assess the body’s internal environment, and its importance in the treatment of autoimmune imbalances. Students will practice their new-found diagnostic tools on each other to cement this ancient art of diagnosis into their repertoire of knowledge. 

This workshop brings insight into autoimmune diseases, provides information about the herbs that benefit these challenges and offers practical methods for regaining balance.

Brendan Kelly has a master’s in acupuncture and extensive experience with eastern and western herbs, including in-depth, hands-on experience growing, wildcrafting and medicine making. Since 2004 he has been combining the potency of local, bioregional medicinals with the older, pre-westernized traditions of Chinese medicine. He teaches about natural medicine and environmental issues around the US and Europe and has been a faculty member at Johnson State College/Northern Vermont University in VT, the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in FL and Daoist Traditions in NC. Brendan is part of a multi-disciplinary team lead by Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center that in 2024 submitted a proposal to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for him to train acupuncturists to treat long COVID. He is also long-time student of Dr. Jeffery Yuen, 88th generation Daoist priest and internationally recognized teacher of Chinese medicine.

Brendan is an experienced practitioner of Tai Ch’i Ch’uan having studied weekly for ten years with Wolfe Lowenthal, who was a senior student of Cheng Man Ch’ing, the creator of the Yang style short form. Brendan practices full time at Jade Mountain Wellness, the clinic he founded in Burlington, VT where a major focus of his work is treating complex conditions include Lyme, late-stage neurological Lyme, COVID, long COVID and cancer. His first book "The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis", published by North Atlantic Books, uses the lens of Chinese medicine to look at the bigger and deeper issues of our warming plant.

Please register directly here: **EventBrite Registration Link**

Location: Cambridge Naturals: 23 White St, Cambridge, MA
Times: 7-8pm Feb 5th, May 7th, Aug 6th, Nov 5th
Cost: sliding scale of $15-$25 per class

Ready to take your tea game to a new level?

Cambridge Naturals and the Boston School of Herbal Studies are teaming up to bring you a new tea series, empowering you to blend teas for your specific needs. 

In this quarterly series, a professional herbalist from the Boston School of Herbal Studies, will guide attendees through a specific formulation, offering suggestions for substitutions to meet tailored needs. Each tea night will have a theme- join them all or pick the ones that resonate most with your needs and health goals. 

Feb. 5th- Immune-boosting tea with Kristina

May 7th- Respiratory support tea with Dominique Ross

Aug. 6th- Decompress/calming tea with Rachel Warnock 

Nov. 5th- Helping digestive tea with Tommy Priester 

During this one-hour event, you'll sip on a pre-prepared version of that night's tea blend while a Boston school herbalist describes what all the ingredients do, and how they relate to that night's theme. They'll teach you how to make the tea (infusion vs decoction) and talk through some potential ingredient substitutions to make the formulation more tailored to individual needs. Afterwards, there will be an optional 30-minute Q&A where you'll have the opportunity to shop with the herbalist, or get additional support in tea blending. 

There is a sliding scale exchange for this event: $15-$25, tea not included. If you enjoy the tea blend shared that evening it will be available for purchase by the ounce. Please plan for an additional ~$10 if you wish to purchase the tea blend from that evening. 

** EventBrite Registration Link **