The highest quality information on herbal medicine through conferences, video, audio recordings, and books. Distance Learning and Continuing Education for healthcare professionals since 1996. See our Naturopathic CE offerings!
Sleep may be the foundation on which all aspects of health are built, and in the clinic it has become an increasingly important topic. When practitioners help patients sleep better, it strengthens all areas of patients’ physical and mental health. As global sleep expert, Matthew Walker, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, famously said: “Nearly every disease killing us later in life has a causal link to lack of sleep.”
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December’s Featured Recording:
Healing Sleep with Christopher Hobbs, PhD, LAc
In this presentation, herbalist and acupuncturist, Christopher Hobbs, describes the contemporary research on the function and importance of sleep for health and longevity, and natural remedies and lifestyle choices for optimizing sleep. We discover what factors can reduce sleep quality (such as drugs and alcohol, which can sedate but also interfere with delta and REM phases of sleep).
Then we explore specific conditions that impact the quality or quantity of healing sleep hours such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome and other sleep disorders. Christopher presents treatment principles and botanicals from Western herbalism and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for a variety of sleep conditions in this comprehensive lecture. (Catalog Number 15SW20)
At Herbal Educational Services we Cultivate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We recognize the need for increased diversity in the fields of clinical herbalism and natural medicine and are committed to creating a welcoming environment at our events that affords dignity to all.
The conference is offering a limited number of full scholarships to persons of color (Black, Indigenous, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino) who would like to further their education in the clinical uses of botanical medicine.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship to attend the online Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine, March 22 – 24, 2024, please fill out and return this application form. We will notify you of acceptance within two weeks of submission. Scholarship includes basic registration fee. The pre-conference intensive and CE fee are extra.
Questions? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
Thank you for your interest, and we hope this initiative will further our goal of bringing more diversity to our events, and to the field of botanical medicine in general.
The legacy of Herbal Educational Services, Medicines from the Earth, and the Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine has taken root over the past three decades. Founded by Linnea and Larry Wardwell in 1993, with Ric Scalzo as an early contributor and mentor, their website BotanicalMedicine.org has nurtured the herbal community for the past 30 years by sowing the seeds of knowledge and connection across disciplines and modalities of clinical herbalism practice.
The first event was held in Ashland, Massachusetts, then moved to an extension campus of Boston University, which led to an island off the coast of Maine, then to venues in Oregon, and finally to Black Mountain, North Carolina, and the Sonoran University in Tempe, Arizona where herbal tradition and science are celebrated twice annually, bringing together a network of practitioners that now extends across the globe.
A video series for health care providers – with continuing education hours for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:
Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner. Please check your continuing education records to ensure you have not previously earned credits for these presentations.
November’s Featured Recording:
Panel: Naturopathic Approaches to Weight Management and Obesity Prevention with Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, Marianne Marchese, ND and Katie Stage, ND, RH (AHG), FABNG
October’s Featured Recording:
Longevity Elixirs, Foods & Recipes with Teresa Boardwine, RH (AHG)
Quite a bit of mixing and blending punctuate Teresa’s joyful presentation of her favorite recipes. These include Blueberry Kudzu pudding, Emperor’s Reishi Elixir, Detox Tonic Turmeric Shot and more! Support longevity by incorporating these foods and beverages into daily menus for their anti-aging, collagen building, nootropic, restorative and antioxidant effects. (Catalog Number 19ME27)
These events have been completed. Please see the 2025 herbal medicine conferences »
Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine
March 22 – 24, 2024
Location: Streaming online
Pre-conference Intensive with Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO: Restorative Sleep: Integrative Strategies for Remediating Sleep Disorders
Panel Discussions: Prevention of Viral Infections: Building Immunity with Botanicals and Botanical Therapies for Recovery from Myocardial Infarction
Speakers: Lise Alschuler, Ann Armbrecht, Lydia Bartholow, Paul Bergner, Todd Caldecott, Renèe Camila, Kristin Gilmour, Naturopath (Australia), Julianne Grant, Naturopath (Australia), Marianne Marchese, Brianna Pichè, Kenneth Proefrock, Mary Rondeau, Katie Stage, Jillian Stansbury and Christina Veselak
Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium
May 17 – 19, 2024
Location: Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC or join us online!
Pre-conference Intensive with Donald Yance, CN, RH (AHG): Optimizing Physical Performance and Recovery with Botanicals
Keynote Address with Mary Bove, ND: Inspired by Herbs: A Herbal Journey of a Modern Day Herbalist
Post-symposium Online Intensive with Eric Yarnell, ND, RH (AHG): Natural Treatment of Prostate Conditions: Blending Western Herbal Practice, Traditional Chinese Medicine
Speakers: 7Song, Rebecca Beyer, Teresa Boardwine, Mary Bove, Doug and Todd Elliott, Kat Maier, Jason Miller, Kenneth Proefrock, Vickie Shufer, Jillian Stansbury, Lucretia VanDyke, Marc Williams, David Winston, Donald Yance, and Eric Yarnell.
These events have been completed. Please see the 2025 herbal medicine conferences »
An audio series for health care providers – with continuing education for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:
Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner.
September’s Featured Recording:
Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive and Collaborative Approach with Jason Miller, DACM, LAc
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and, as men live longer, they are more likely to develop the disease. In general, prostate cancer is a slow growing cancer, and many men diagnosed with low-grade disease are recommended to follow an approach called “‘watchful waiting.” Watchful waiting entails allowing time to pass while monitoring the PSA at regular intervals, and most men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer will die with the disease, rather than from it.
In this presentation, Jason Miller explores prostate cancer risk factors, assessment protocols, treatments and their related side effects, and holistic therapeutics including botanicals. A botanical medicine approach can play a powerful role in managing symptoms, regulating androgen metabolism, and slowing disease progression. (Catalog Number 20ME21)
A video series for health care providers – with pharmacy hours for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:
Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner.
August’s Featured Recording:
Herbal Allies for Nourishing the Emotional Heart with Deborah Frances, ND
Keeping our hearts open but protected can be a challenge, especially in these chaotic, often heartrending times. Yet it is only from the heart that we have any hope of healing our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with all creation. Plants are invaluable allies in aiding us in this endeavor.
They can heal us, teach us and guide us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. In this presentation, naturopathic physician Deborah Frances explores herbs that nourish and support the emotional heart. Herbal allies include hawthorn, cactus (night-blooming cereus), Aralia spp (spikenard), passionflower, pine, Leonurus (motherwort), Alchemilla (lady’s mantle), and frankincense. (Catalog Number 21SW06)
Herbalist, naturopath, and much revered teacher and elder, Dr. Bill Mitchell once said, that through the process of photosynthesis, plants just naturally bring light into physical form, making them invaluable allies for those who proceed along a spiritual path. Indeed, I know of no tradition in which plants do not play a part.
It was another wonderful year of herbal conferences! Many thanks to all the attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors. We could not do it without you!
If you were unable to join us this year for Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine or Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium in North Carolina, you can now enjoy the recordings from home.
Continuing education is available for naturopathic physicians and nursing professionals for the recordings.
Videos:
Audio Recordings:
Continuing Education for ND, RN, FNP, etc:
For visual learners, you will love our videos and digital books (a PDF of speakers’ lecture notes and PowerPoints). You can follow along while you listen and/or watch the presentations.
Happy herbal learning!
July’s Featured Recording:
The One and Only Ashwagandha with Mary Rondeau, ND, RH (AHG)
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb that deserves a deep look at the historical use and evidence-based use of this plant. Ashwagandha has global effects on the body including psychiatric, neurodegenerative, anti-aging, oncology, and fertility just to name a few.
The presentation will look at the use from an Ayurvedic perspective as well as a Western herbalism perspective. Mary Rondeau explores Ashwagandha’s effect on sleep, sub-types of anxiety, and Vata, Pitta and Kapha constitutions. She also provides several herbal recipes to highlight the medicinal strengths of Ashwagandha. (Catalog Number 22ME10)
June’s Featured Recording:
40 Years of HerbalGram: Working to Ensure Accurate Herb Information and Authentic and Sustainably-Sourced Herbs with Mark Blumenthal
Recorded on June 3, 2023 at Medicines from the Earth. Mark has never presented such a comprehensive overview of his work over four decades and we wanted to get this to you as soon as possible!
We congratulate Mark Blumenthal on the 35th anniversary of the nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) and the 40th anniversary of its peer-review journal HerbalGram. It was a pleasure and honor to have Mark join us at this year’s Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium to share his journey with ABC.
Under his leadership, the organization has grown from an herbal education organization to one of the leading advocates and educators for the sustainability and authenticity of herbal materials. The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has seen ABC collaborating for over 12 years with leaders in the botanical field to help members of the herbal industry identify and select authentic herbal materials and avoid buying cheap, intentionally mislabeled fraudulent materials.
Additionally, ABC’s Sustainable Herbs Program has inspired and educated responsible herb companies to access sustainable and regeneratively farmed botanical materials. Mark’s lively presentation will increase awareness of the positive progress in responsible sectors of the herbal community and how we, as herbal consumers, benefit from this progress. (Catalog Code 23ME03)
An audio series for health care providers – with continuing education for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:
Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner.
