Apprenticeships in Herbal Medicine

at Drimlabarra Herb Farm, Isle of Arran, Scotland
A unique apprenticeship opportunity with two of the UK’s leading herbal practitioners and teachers. Maureen & Keith Robertson, Founders of the Scottish Sch
ool of Herbal Medicine, are offering to share their wealth of knowledge with some specially chosen individuals. If you would like to learn about growing, identifying, harvesting, drying, processing and using herbs throughout one complete season within a small, unique group please contact us on www.veganherbal.com We are recruiting for a maximum of 4 visiting apprentices and 2 live-in apprentices.

This program is designed for:People who are passionate about natural medicines and who want to become empowered with knowledge on self care.
People who want to learn how to make and dispense herbal remedies – storing herbs, making infusions, ointments, oils and more
People who value an experiential, hands-on, practical and traditional energetic approach to herbal medicine use and are less concerned with an academic or professional qualification.
Medicine Making and Pharmacy -embrace the opportunity for hands on and experiential learning in all the practical aspects of being a herbalist. Learn how to find or grow herbs, process them and make medicines; then learn how to use them safely and effectively for improved health, including tutorials and work shifts in the dispensary. This is an apprenticeship in self reliance.
Learn to be in Conversation with Nature by recognizing food and medicines, becoming familiar with botany and plant identification via herb walks, tasting and studying family characteristics. Allow yourself to explore a more intimate relationship with plants through botanical illustration and looking at growth sequences.
Harvesting and processing herbs -careful harvesting ensures long term sustainability of the plant; careful processing ensures a high quality medicine.
Enjoy a practical introduction to organic cultivation & sustainable/wild crafting.

Making and dispensing herbal medicines will allow a practical understanding of the use of herbs for medicine – formulating and prescribing for specific ailments.
Plants as teachersExperience the pharmacology of taste based on the 5 elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Air & Ether. Discover how to discern therapeutic qualities and indications of herbs using your senses in an unforgettable exploration of the six tastes of sweet, sour, astringent, bitter, salty and pungent. This draws you perfectly into holistic plant chemistry –mucilages, tannins, flavonoids, bitters, volatile oils etc.
Materia medica and clinical applicationsUsing the traditional energetic framework of constitutional types and temperaments, we will consider in detail how the herbs work energetically; how they might affect different constitutional types and their different tendencies to illness. This will include formulating strategies and treatment planning, dosing and contra-indications.
What you get:Four weekend workshops between April and July 2012 worth £480
2 days of tutorials either side of the 4 weekends ie 8 days worth £800
6 x Monthly individual follow up consultation/tutorial via skype or telephone worth £200 (face to face with live-in)
Correspondence course worth £450 or exemption if a SSHM Correspondence course graduate. Concessions on other programmes included
Cost for the apprenticeship programme is £1990
£500 non-refundable deposit on acceptance and then payment balance before 16th April 2012.
Weekend workshop for 2012 (can be taken separately)
April 21-22nd Practical Herbal Medicine making and tasting
May 26-27th Food as Medicine - growing a herb/kitchen garden– feeding yourself & others
June 30th-1st July Staying Healthy with Herbal Medicine & Herbal First Aid

July 21-22nd Finding balance in a busy life – using herbs for nervous system health, energy and stamina including Plant meditation practice
25th- 26th Aug Gathering the Self – Identifying and setting your new intention and finding & making your own remedy to support that. (25% discount for apprentices).
One Year Correspondence Course in Herbal Medicine can also be taken separately.
Contact
www.veganherbal.com