I live in Bend, Oregon on a small farm with my family. Since 2016, I have had a practice of Energy Medicine and Holistic Nutrition. I grew up in the Cascade Mountain range in Washington state near Mount Rainier. I spent many hours in the outdoors and I fell in love with the beautiful plants…
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Well, I’m finally doing what I love; plants, nature, herbs, healing and learning. I’ve been involved in East West for a couple years. My original goal was to heal myself of a debilitating autoimmune disease that kept perplexing medical doctors. While they remained perplexed, I became more sick. My journey started with a wonderful…
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I came from a big family of many siblings, and was born in Lithuania Klaipeda (former Prussia`s Memel, by the shore of the Baltic Sea) while it was part of the Soviet Union. When Soviet Union collapsed, every one in my family took advantage of traveling opportunities and as a result, was spread in the…
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My name is Kareem Charlton, and I am from the sunny shores of The Bahamas. I worked many years as a certified lifeguard instructor, helping hundreds of persons from all walks of life and various countries. I always had a love for helping people, plants and nature. As a young boy I witnessed my grandmother…
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I was born in Lithuania while it was part of the Soviet Union. We were a self sustaining family, living and surviving on the labor of our farm. My father’s work as a forester connected me with nature and I developed a great respect of earth’s bounties. Growing up, we used many of nature’s plants…
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I always loved plants, as a little girl I craved to taste the sweetness of honeysuckle and play along with the soft sleeping grass. I first began my pathway to herbalism by working at Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods, assisting customers in the supplements department. This was my first exposure to herbal medicine and I was…
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It wasn’t part of my plan to find myself with the plants. Early in my twenties, after a rapid succession of trying times including an intense era of schooling and the unexpected death of my father, my health began to unspool into a collection of unsolved puzzles. As the days got more difficult, I left…
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Plants and nature bring me great joy. Sometimes along the way all this delightful stuff I’ve learned helps brighten others’ days too, and to me that is worth all the while. Herbalism was not a word or concept to me until my 20’s. The conceptualization that the wilderness around me was intelligent, symbiotic, full of ever-giving…
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My name is Gabriel and I am from Andalucia, Spain. Since I was a little child I felt a deep love for nature that took me to study Biology in the University. After completing my studies, I felt the urge to know life in a deeper way than science could give me. I became interested…
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“When I lie flat on the ground with my heart against Mother Earth, I can feel her breathe.” As a young child growing up in rural North Dakota, I began noticing the beautiful wildflowers and prairie grasses, I was drawn to the Earth and what it has to give us. I loved being in the…
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I have always felt an immense love for the plant kingdom. In 1988 I moved to Hawaii and took a job at a plant nursery. In 1990 I moved to India to live with my spiritual teacher. At that time, I was introduced to Ayurveda and had an immediate affinity and appreciation. During that year,…
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I am an Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner living in Weston, MA. I have a master’s degree in Electronics from India and Bachelor’s in Science and Math. My journey to alternative healing began when my daughter was born with multiple food allergies and eczema. After meeting countless doctors for solutions, I was not able to find much…
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My journey with plants began in grade school after learning about the importance of trees. As a result I planted a tree annually on Arbor Day. By the time I left home in my early 20’s, to move to Boston, we had a small orchard on our suburban plot in northern Ohio. I started college…
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Growing up in England, I have always loved trees, plants and nature walks. I studied Optimum Nutrition in London and that gave me a good background in getting the most out your food. My first interest in Herbalism was when, I was given a Nicholas Culpeper – The Complete Herbal book, I fell in love…
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At 50, I’m at a time of reflection with our only son having headed off to college this Fall and my husband and I starting a new life in sunny St. Petersburg, FL. Growing up, I used to travel with my mom from Louisville, KY to Boston, MA so she could get acupuncture and herbs…
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I grew up in a small town in New England. My soul was at home in the hardwood forests and in the arts, singing, dancing, playing music, sewing, drawing and painting. I moved to Chicago and trained in the visual arts at an amazing museum/school and for years had a tandem career as an exhibiting…
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When I was a little girl I was interested in many things but could not nail down what I really wanted to do with my life. When I came to the US from Hungary, I started studying Health Sciences at a community college. I was interested in health but I was not aware that schools…
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My name is Bianca Cuellar Arteaga. Born in Bolivia, I came to Indiana with my mother when I was a toddler to pursue a more opportunistic life. Although beautiful, our lives were faced with many hardships and traumatic experiences throughout the years. From a young age, I realized the impact that the mind-body-soul connection has…
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I was born and raised in Toronto Ontario, Canada. After completing a BSc and DDS at the University of Toronto, I moved west to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I practised dentistry for several years. I then returned to school at the University of Saskatchewan and completed an MD and residency after which I became a full…
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I live in Perth, Western Australia with a loving husband, son and daughter-in-law, two labradors, two rabbits, two ducks and many visiting birds. Our wonderful daughter also lives in Perth. Keisha and Noxy, our beautiful labradors, are mother and daughter. Noxy is due to give birth next month. I am a registered home breeder and…
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My herbal journey began after the birth of my fourth child and a long episode of overlooked and undiagnosed postpartum depression. A homeschooling mama of four children, I desperately began seeking alternative health treatment so I could just make it through the day. At the time, the essential oil business was booming. I looked into…
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After graduating in 2002 with a degree in Physical Education and a certification through the American Council on Exercise, I set out with the ambition to try to make the world a healthier place as a personal trainer. It did not take me long to see that diet and exercise were not the silver bullet…
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I came to appreciate the power of herbs fairly late in life. After working as a postdoctoral researcher in cell biology for several years and then an institutional investor in private equity, venture capital and agriculture for nearly 2 decades, I found my calling as a healer. Through my Chinese medicine, acupressure and tui na…
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One of my earliest memories is of picking and eating raspberries in the backyard. My mother taught me to love plants. I come from a long line of gardeners, and my mom tells me that my great grandmother was an herbalist. Currently, I grow native herbs and plants and raise backyard chickens. I’ve pursued a…
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I come from Greece where the culture of herbs is a continuum of the ancient Greek tradition. Using folk remedies to treat common health conditions is a memory that I have had, which extends beyond the family environment. My foundation studies are Agriculture Science (BSc) and Environmental Politics & Management (MSc). Thus, for over a…
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This February, I am thrilled to finally say I am an East West Intermediate student with plans to be an Advanced student this June. At the age of 16, I stepped into my first health food store. I can still picture myself walking around that store in Chicago. I purchased three books: Rational Fasting, The Mucusless Diet, and Back…
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I was born (and still live) in Florence, Italy. Growing up in an old city, filled with art and history, birthplace of so many Renaissance geniuses, I naturally became fond of anything that had been created by human ingenuity. I was an extremely shy child, with very limited access to the wild Nature, and not…
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I grew up in London and then moved to Chico, California in my late teens. I studied International Communications at Chico State. During my Chico time, I also began my yoga journey, did my massage certification and other explored other modalities such Shiatsu and Reiki. I also worked for the weekly college paper, writing and…
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I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California and majored in Business Administration at the University of Hawaii because I felt it was a good foundation. I worked as an accountant in the construction industry for about 20 years and then in the airline industry for about 17. Sometime in 2015, I…
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I reside in the remote city of Perth, Western Australia with a beautiful son, husband and dog named Alby. Coming from Croatian ancestry my mother and aunties often resorted to folk medicine from their home land for all sorts of ailments as a child. This was my early introduction to healing through plants. My love…
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I grew up in the small town of Yuba City, CA. I spent most of my childhood helping do the inventory of my local health food store’s vitamin department. It was one of my favorite things to do as I learned about herbal remedies and all the crazy big names. I used that knowledge as…
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My name is Christina Q. Slotin and I live in Cocoa Beach Florida with my husband Michael and our two teenagers. As a child, my family moved from Mexico to a small farm working town in Florida named Immokalee. Plants have always played a role in my life, my childhood includes fond memories of grinding…
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I grew up with the wet land plants, white oaks, and hickories in Illinois. My love and connection with plants has been with me my whole life. I remember looking at a beautiful blossoming burdock as a young girl, the vibrant green purple pink of each flower and wondering who is this plant? My family…
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I grew up in Colorado where my family was very focused on gardening. This sparked my love of plants and gardening and wherever I’ve lived, I’ve had a garden, large or small. At my current home here in Indianapolis I’ve transformed most of my suburban yard into a paradise of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. After…
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I am a retired JD (Doctor of Jurisprudence), living in Toronto, Canada. I came to herbs and nutrition from a personal health history of “over-reactivity”: i.e., allergies, hay fever, and the toll they take on vitality. I saw this pattern repeating in my children, associated with nervous effects such as anxiety, ADHD. Western medicine, though…
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My name is Liz Collins. My first passion in the recognition of physical and spiritual health is the practice of yoga, with over 25 years of teaching and study. I was certified in the Iyengar tradition through the Center for Yoga of Seattle in 1997. In the past 14 years I have immersed myself in the Shadow…
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I grew up in San Francisco, CA, just a short walk from the city’s famous Chinatown neighborhood. As a child, I was fascinated by the interesting ingredients displayed at the herb shops; I had no idea that years later, I would have my own collection of Chinese herbs. I attended college in Burlington, VT and…
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Kia ora and greetings from the southern hemisphere! My name is Jen and I first started getting interested in herbalism working as a wilderness guide in the NC Appalachian mountains. As we hiked, my fellow guides would teach me the plants of the region and we would munch as we walked. We ate rock tripe and sourwood…
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I am Sarah Ford Thompson. I began my love affair with plants and plant medicines as a young child. I spent my first few years on a self-sustaining farm in Kentucky with my family. We grew our own food and raised goats for milk. We traded goat milk and homemade goat cheese with the nearest…
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My fondest childhood memories are making “magic potions” over pretend rock fire circles in the forests of the Green Mountains in VT and the Appalachians in New York, the woods I knew as my back yard. I’d rock hop barefoot, seeking the head of the stream to obtain water where it bubbled out of the earth.…
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My name is Emily Martin. I’m originally from the small town of Jena, Louisiana but currently live in Alabama. After graduating high school, I earned my BA in Elementary Education. With my husband’s military career and our family moving every 2-3 years we decided I would stay home with our children. Eventually figuring out that…
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My name is Laurel Paxton, I grew up in the beautiful oceanic community of Santa Cruz, CA. I currently live in South Lake Tahoe, where I spend my days homeschooling my children and studying the healing arts. I love studying herbology from around the world and everything around me as much as possible! I have…
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Ironically, though I grew up on a dairy farm, surrounded by crops, animals, and nature, I was never exposed to natural health or healing during all that time. Farmers are not necessarily naturalists, and my parents showed little interest in herbal medicine. I never even tried whole wheat bread until I was a teenager and…
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Born a sixth generation Montanan, I grew up enjoying the outdoors, hiking, riding horses, camping, fishing and hunting. I love the circle of life and there is no place you can see and experience it more than in the backcountry wilderness. When I worked for an outfitter, my days consisted of hard labor, being in…
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I currently live in Colorado with my husband. Our three boys are grown and finding their way in this world, just as we continue to find ours. I always believed my calling was to be writer. I pursued that calling as an undergraduate and graduate student. I wrote short stories. I worked on several books,…
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Born and raised in France, I came to Boston with my family about twenty years ago to pursue a scientific education in biochemistry and biophysics. An avid Aikido student for many years, I have always been attracted to Eastern philosophies. While working my first science job, I took evening classes and earned a Zen Shiatsu…
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I have been a massage therapist, gardener, wildcrafter and lover of herbs for over 20 years. I grew up in Florida and started my herbal journey in 1992, when I was 22, working part-time at an herbal apothecary and part-time for a master gardener doing landscape gardening. The combination of these two jobs helped me…
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I was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I grew up in a culture where native plants were used everyday in food, medicine and limpias. My mother used to believe that negative spirits can cause disease; so when I would fall “mysteriously” ill, she would take me to the medicine woman to perform cleansing ceremonies…
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My name is Josh Kuhn. I am an Ohio native and have for as long as I can remember felt a deep kinship with the natural world. Over the years I have worn many hats (bicycle builder, found object sculptor, mime) but have always come back to the land. In 2011 my wife Bix and…
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Hi, my name is Jodi Martin. I have been a student with East West since 11/2013. I am from upstate New York but have been living on the Island of Kauai in Hawaii since 2011. I am a mother of three amazing daughters and most recently find myself with an empty nest. While living in…
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I was lucky, though having been born in London, to have spent much time in Nature as a young boy. My mum who’s Polish also brought us up on natural foods and medicines at home and by the time I was a young student I was talking peoples ears off about natural being the best!…
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This school has been such a transformative experience. My interest in alternative medicine started with my high school boyfriend’s mom of all places. With herbs, homeopathy, and so much love she helped me tackle health problems that Western medicine seemed to only make worse. That seemingly impossible success led me on an investigation in alternative…
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I grew up in the heart of Europe, in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia) during the times of repression and Communist era. During these times it was second nature to grow or forage for food; this is simply what people did. Having a vegetable garden with fruit trees and a few chickens was the norm,…
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I live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, in the Greater Victoria area (North Saanich). I have lived between Vancouver and Vancouver Island most of my life, and have developed a love for our mountains, oceans and old growth forests. We’re so fortunate to be surrounded by this magnificent beauty which offers so much opportunity for…
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I am a California gal, born in Long Beach but I’ve spent most my life in the northern part of the state. I currently reside in the beautiful mountains of Santa Cruz where my passion for plants and the healing arts has taken root and the local, like-minded community has embraced me with such loving…
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I am a Northern Californian, born in Oakland, California where I currently reside. I grew up in Berkeley, California, but also in the woods of the Pacific Northwest and on the rocky beaches of California’s northern coast. As a teenager, I developed a sense that people came to me with their injuries and ailments for…
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A good portion of my life’s journey was spent among the corn and bean fields of Illinois, but I’m a California native currently living in the Sierras immersed in the beautiful backwoods. I’ve always had a pull towards nature, where I feel most at home. I spend as much time as possible enjoying the elements…
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I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for most of my life, with short stints in Minnesota, Montana and Idaho. The plan out of college was to work as botanist, but the Bush Administration happened, and after attempting to get work with something of the naturalist flavor, I figured it was best to separate my vocation from…
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Hello! My name is Rachael Witt. I am a land-steward, herbalist, and teacher of ancestral skills. I grew up amidst the Oak woodlands in the foothills of the Sierras. As I explored the world around me, studying plant ecology and ethnobotany, opportunities led me to the small town of Duvall, Washington, where I am currently…
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Where can I say my journey into East West began…. I wasn’t much into natural medicine growing up, but I have always loved nature. I didn’t become interested in natural medicine until I travelled to Vietnam many years later, where I, unfortunately, picked up something nasty. Upon my return to Australia (where I was living…
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My name is Sheri Hawn and I am currently an Advanced Student here at East West. What a journey of learning and self-discovery this has been. I grew up in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and spent many hours, as a child, wandering the land, picking plants and flowers and “making medicine”, which I usually fed to the dog! I come from a line of healers and nature lovers; I am grateful to my elders for helping me to see beyond what eyes can see in both people and nature. …
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I grew up in various places along the coasts of California, the Pacific Northwest and up into Alaska in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. As a very young boy I was always most at home in these old forests, bea …
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I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and I currently live in Burlington, WA with my husband. If someone would have told me, when I was young, that someday I would become an acupuncturist a …
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I currently live in Panama City Beach, Florida and co-own Wild Root, a community-centered hybrid espresso bar and apothecary with my husband. My passion for herbalism grew out of a lifelong love of pl …
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I have always been interested in living and eating healthy. I’m sure it began with my grandfather. He taught me to fish, to plant a garden, and to can fruits and vegetables. He was from an era long pa …
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First of all, being an Earth Rat (Jan. 1949) and with Indian Summer approaching, I want to thank GOD for the harvest that I’m about to receive. Whether it be herbs, vegetables or just witnessing the F …
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I have always been interested in food as medicine and started to explore herbs as a way of healing when my oldest dog was diagnosed with invertebral disc disease as well as a heart murmur at age 5. To …
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My name is Joe Granger and I am a third-year student at East West. I am thankful to be acknowledged as student of the month amongst our network of talented healers. I found East West at a very inter …
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This July I am thrilled to be celebrating my third year as a part of the East West School Community where I plan to be a life-long-learner of Planetary Herbology. It makes me so happy to say I finally …
DetailsWithout a doubt, herbalism became my life’s path. I am driven to understand the power of plants and their healing energy. My name is Bethany Chappell, herbalist and owner of Herbal Health Omaha. I am …
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I am originally from a small town in Calaveras county California, which is in the foothills and upward into the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. I knew since I was a child that I wanted to live on …
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I am an herbalist and doula in Moab, Utah, USA. I have a store-front apothecary and product line called Sundial Medicinals, which I retail and wholesale throughout the Four Corners region. I grow ove …
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I am originally from Evansville, IN, and I am currently planting roots in the Louisville, KY, area. My passion for healing herbal products started in my early childhood years where I would mix differe …
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I currently reside in Pittsburgh, PA, where I was born and raised. Growing up, my mother treated our family’s health issues with herbal and food remedies. Like many people, I became interested in lear …
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My name is Barbara Scavotto, and I’ve lived in Northern Connecticut my entire life. My mother is an avid gardener and taught me how to grow flowers from a very young age. I remember the wonder of wat …
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I grew up in the boreal forest of northern Alberta, Canada. My love of the natural world was cultivated at a young age by numerous days of fishing,> camping, and foraging for berries and mushrooms in …
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My name is Hanni Heller-Ram I was born and raised in Israel. My mother is German and raised us on Dr. Schuessler’s bio cell salts and chamomile tea. We had a garden with over 400 species of fruit tre …
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Hi! My name is Hesty Morley. I have always been fascinated by the human body, how it works, disease and health. My journey began in university where I studied Biochemistry and Biomedical Science. I …
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Hi! My name is Megan Deely. I am currently residing in the outskirts of good old Cleveland, Ohio. I’ve been here for ten years now and although I am only 24, I feel as if I have lived through quite a …
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I was born and raised in the mountains of Caucasus in Russia. I have very early memories of my grandmother making herbal teas, remedies, and tending the garden. We used to spend summers with my dad fo …
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One of the main reasons I got into holistic health, and learning about herbal medicine, nutrition, iridology, self-empowerment, etc., is because I was upset that there has always been such a cloak of …
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My name is Nathan Shannon. I was born in Meeker, Colorado, which is in the northwest part of the state. I moved to central Wisconsin before I started school and lived there until I was 21 at which ti …
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My name is Hung Ting Ting from Hong Kong. I am 33 years old and I danced ballet for 14 years. After earning a Bachelor’s of Fashion Design, I became a jewelry designer for several years. A mild health …
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I lived in Baltimore most of my life. I was drafted into the military and joined the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was deported for 6 months off the coast of Vietnam. After that experienc …
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Hi, my name is Anne Roe and I am 33 years old. My origin is Germany, which I left five years ago to travel the world and find the most important person in my life: me. What a ride! I initially biked a …
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Currently, Chloe is the generator of a heart-centered hub for the alliance of ethno-botany, expressive movement, alternative art, and Earth medicine via transformational workshops and women’s Red Tent …
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Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee didn’t allow for much exposure to things like herbalism, just the vestiges of southern folk medicine mixed with the health food store accounts of rare radicals like my …
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In 1999, I graduated from California State University, Fresno, with a Degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Magna Cum Laude; and in 1994, from Fresno City College, CA, with a Degree of Associate …
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I’ve lived in Tinmouth, Vermont, for the past 36 years amongst the hills, < fields, and trees. There’s such a diverse amount of plant material here that will keep me busy for a long time to come. My ...
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I grew up in Campbell, < Ohio with one sister and two loving, supportive parents. I was raised in a political family, and hold the elected office of precinct committee person and serve as presiding ju ...
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I grew up just west of Salt Lake City, Utah, and have spent my life surrounded by protective mountains and four very dramatic seasons. Since I was a child I’ve been fascinated by the natural world, an …
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Growing up in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, I have wonderful memories of time spent in the garden with my parents who harvested and preserved their own fruits and vegetables. We also kept beehiv …
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Growing up on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, UT (yep, I’m a Mormon) my family grew and preserved much of our own food and enjoyed the great outdoors. Outside of school I studied many types of dance …
DetailsHi! My name is Morning. I have lived in various places around the U.S., as well as elsewhere in the world. I have loved and enjoyed the people I have known, < and the richness of being able to experie ...
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Prior to studying herbs, my background was in graphic design, having my own business and eventually working with a major state-wide and local newspapers and full service ad agencies. I moved from the …
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I’ve been in the nutritional consulting field for the past 8 years. Prior to that I was a full time yoga instructor. I am the founder of www.MetabolicHealing.com, where I’ve authored around 300 resear …
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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” There were too many answers. Now, I’m lucky enough to be able to say I’ve ‘been’ quite a few things. I’ve been a nanny, a bartender, a preschool teacher, an …
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I’ve moved from East to West over the course of my life. I was born in Boston. My parents were involved in the home birth movement, and natural food co-ops. We followed my father’s career first to Chi …
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Finding myself in the place I am now, I feel so much gratitude to witness my life filling with herbs- building my apothecary, building my understanding, having a homestead to invite medicine plants to …
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