Our 16-week Herbal Apprenticeship Program in Sandpoint is for those who have a strong desire to strengthen their skills and fill their herbal tool belts and apothecary with plant medicine from both the wild and garden. CMHS delivers intensive in-the-field plant identification with hands-on harvesting, formulation, medicine making and holistic health practices. This program is appropriate for both novice and advanced students and meets on Thursdays May through September.

The Roots to Tips apprenticeship program meets the last weekend of the months April through September in Sandpoint. It's designed for those who cannot attend the weekly program, yet have a strong desire to strengthen their skills and fill their herbal tool belts and apothecary with plant medicine from both the wild and garden. CMHS delivers intensive in-the-field plant identification with hands-on harvesting, formulation, medicine making and holistic health practices. Going beyond foundational herbalism, this program is appropriate for both novice and advanced students.

Redefining beauty and achieving glowing vibrant skin from the inside out with natural skin care products and self care. Oh, what you'll take home!

Conifers have an affinity for the lungs, containing the medicine in their leaves and bark in the form of terpenes and resins that stimulate the immune system and are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, expectorant, and bronchial stimulating for easier breathing.

Sabrina Seitz kicks off our Winter Workshops series by introducing the wonderful world of aromatherapy. The rich liquids we call essential oils, which are extracts of flowers, grasses, fruits, leaves, roots, and trees, are indispensable in assisting us in our journey to better health. Essential oils can replace toxic drugs, dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and even in our food. Students will learn why these aromatic ‘oils’ work so well to build better health and how to incorporate them into daily life. Whether you want to aid in healing, add wonderful flavor to a meal or get rid of fleas from your pet, this class will help you understand how to decrease the toxic chemical load that we are all exposed to and how to use essential oils safely. Students will take home a roller bottle for pain, an inhaler for headaches and a facial serum…a wonderful start to their own Fragrant Pharmacy.

Winter in North Idaho is long, dry and freezing, and skin gets chapped ~ let's get ready with extremely moisturizing herbal lip balms, body butters and lotion bars. More than just something slick to put on the lips and skin, they'll heal and protect the skin from our harsh winters. Students will aid in creating a tasty and effective lip balm, a luxurious body butter that glides on the skin and a solid lotion bar that moisturizes the skin like nobody's business! Students will choose their own packaging for the lotion bar. Best yet, they make beautiful Christmas presents that your loved ones will ask for time and time again!

Incense is the traditional roots of aromatherapy that has been used to delight the senses and in ritual and praise across every culture for ages. Making natural incense is as easy as noticing the plants that grow around you! Students will use spices, tree resins, herbs, leaves and flowers in combination with high quality essential oils, botanical extractions, and binders like honey and wine to create all natural fragrant incense cones.

Suzanne has pressed hundreds of beautiful flowers and leaves all summer long in preparation for this workshop. They are stunning on their own - tissue paper thin, achingly beautiful works of art made by nature. Students will create their own works of art with pressed flowers of their choice and plain or patterned art paper along with inspirational quotes to inspire students to add to their design. Picture frames will be provided along with all materials. Flower presses will be available for purchase for $35 each for future flower pressing. What to bring: your favorite writing utensil. It can be a calligraphy pen or just your favorite color ink.

After an excess of holiday treats, this workshop comes in at perfect timing. While bartenders use bitters in tasty cocktails, herbalists commonly use bitters to support the digestive, nervous and immune systems. The Standard American Diet relies heavily on salt, fats, processed foods and sugar. Bitter is normally avoided as “tasting bad,” but it’s the bitter taste profile that is so badly needed for robust health. Suzanne will discuss the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system and the roles that bitters play that go far beyond digestive health to mitigating insulin resistance, reversing chronic inflammation and more. Students will receive a .pdf of the presentation via email upon registration to download and bring to the workshop. We will create a tasty and healthy chocolate treat (and yes, chocolate qualifies as a bitter) and there will be a variety of herbal bitters to sample.

The role of elderberry as one of the most beloved and effective herbs for addressing many viral infections is well known, yet there are as many ways to utilize the berries as there are herbalists. Gain an understanding of the unique constituents of our native Elder, Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea, that make it such a valuable remedy. Students will make an elderberry honey OR tincture to take home.

Leaky gut seems to be a buzzword these days that many folks are being told they have. What is it and what can be done to correct this issue? Leaky gut is actual separations (breaks) in the membranes of the intestines which can cause chronic inflammation and low grade infections, giving rise to many health issues. Diet, herbs and lifestyle changes can correct this issue - repairing the membranes and resolving inflammation. Students will receive a .pdf of the presentation via email upon registration to download and bring to the workshop. This is a lecture class.

It seems so simple...herb + honey, what could go wrong?! Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation out there preventing folks from achieving sweet medicine-making perfection. Properly infused and preserved honeys are dependent on many variables including a basic understanding of how honey actually extracts plant constituents. Find out how, when and why you want to incorporate honey remedies into your herbal apothecary - let’s get the medicine to the people in ways they’ll enjoy taking, so that healing can occur! Students will make a herbal honey using conifer needles and bark, citrus and ginger.

Intestinal health depends on over 500 different strains of beneficial flora known collectively as probiotics. Probiotics’ many health benefits include strengthening the immune and nervous systems, stimulating digestion and protecting against the spread of harmful yeast overgrowth, lowering cholesterol and guarding against cancer. Wise healers have known for centuries how a healthy gut = more robust mental health and calm. Included in the discussion is how much fermented foods per serving is beneficial and why too much can cause an inflammatory response. Learn how to make cultured butter and fermented curtido.

Whether you are just getting started in the amazing world of herbalism, continuing with your studies, or a seasoned herbalist desiring to go deeper with hands-on field work, the Botanical Primer is an excellent opportunity for a deeply rooted exploration of wild plants, with a focus on ethical harvesting practices, understanding plant energetics, and the positive impacts plants have on our anatomy and physiology! We also cover plant constituents and why knowing them is vital to making effective medicine.

Elderberries are a beloved and consistently reliable herb for addressing most illness caused by viral infections. Sail through the winter healthy and ready to enjoy the season by building your herbal toolbox now! In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to craft effective elderberry remedies that can help to prevent or shorten the duration and intensity of a cold or flu and save a ton of money in the process!

What are those bright, gorgeous berries that are beckoning? Hawthorn! This "everything is going to be ok" herb is considered a primo herb for supporting cardiovascular health and the heart both physically and emotionally. We’ll delve into plant constituents to learn the “why and how” hawthorn is working with our anatomy and physiology to improve the health of not only the cardiovascular system, but of the nervous system as well. Come learn all about the benefits of Hawthorn and learn how to make exquisite medicine with its bountiful gifts!

Without a doubt, one of the most popular remedies we teach about and make is an infused honey with our iconic Douglas-fir-a wonderful seasonal treat...I mean medicine! Come see what all the excitement is about and try it for yourself! It is a prime example of "getting the medicine to the people in the way they will enjoy taking it"...in fact, you may even need ration it to them so they don't eat all your honey!

One of the best ways to learn about a plant is from the plant itself. Let me create space for you to get to know one of our most revered and sacred plants in the PNW: Oplopanax horridum/horridus, better known as Devil's Club. Don't let the unfortunate name bestowed upon it by humans color your perspective of this truly magnificent, awe-inspiring, spine-tingling plant...it is a privilege to get to know it!

Leaky gut seems to be a buzzword these days that many folks are being told they have. What is it and what can be done to correct this issue? Leaky gut is actual separations (breaks) in the membranes of the intestines which can cause chronic inflammation and low grade infections, giving rise to many health issues. Diet and herbs can correct this issue - repairing the membranes and resolving inflammation.

Aging gracefully with joy is a mindset. It is also a process that can be aided by making some lifestyle changes to prepare for a smooth transition. The sooner you start the better - and easier transition - for you and even for your daughters! Learn about the impacts of xenoestrogens (aka estrogen mimickers), how to avoid them and how phytoestrogens from plants can play a protective role.

Let's get real! Two menopausal women share their stories and strategies for sailing through the ups and downs of menopause, including herbal remedies we have found helpful in getting relief from hot flashes, acne flares, vaginal dryness, muscle and joint aches and more! We will share why we love our ages and the many benefits of getting older.

An exploration of healing with plants, fungi, and the combined potential of nature, wisdom, perspective and love from the knowledge and experiences of those who came before us. Their voices can be heard in our teaching.

As one of my apprentices said: “To me, the importance of picking herbal medicine at the correct time, (with) the ray flowers are pointing towards the sky, the purple of the hypericum at different times in the bud, flower. I don't think I had really understood there was a difference between pollinated and unpollinated plants prior to the class. I don't think other herbalists that I follow really teach that.” We’ll explore roots, leaves, flowers and barks.

Restful sleep is crucial for all of our body processes and our mental health. Does restful sleep elude you? Let's fix that! Learn about healthy sleep hygiene, effective habits and some wonderful herbs to develop your own custom plan that will help you fall and stay in blissful slumber the whole night through! Ahhhh....get ready for some zzzzzz’s!

It took a long time to get there. We may have seen signs, yet ignored or dismissed them. The inability to think clearly, constant tiredness. Anxiety and/or panic attacks. Body aches, changes in hair and skin. Weight gain in the torso, butt and thighs that no amount of sit ups or diet changes help. Help is on the horizon. Suzanne shares her journey from adrenal exhaustion to deep healing.

Do I simmer or steep a particular plant? Which part? for how long? Hot or cold water? Is an herbal infusion different than a decoction? Does it even matter? Oh, yes, it really does! Whether you are new to learning about herbal remedies, need a refresher or want to take your skills to the next level, you will learn about a variety of water based preparations and which process is best suited for the herbs - knowledge that will empower you to craft the most effective remedies!

Epigenetics is the study of how cells control gene activity without changing the DNA sequence.The foods our mothers and grandmothers ate while pregnant, the stressors they dealt with, the foods they ate, their relationships, perspectives and thoughts, their involvement in nature and environment in the home play a part in our health today. We can become unbound from what we think as genetic predisposition and take charge of our health.

It seems so simple...herb + honey, what could go wrong?! Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation out there preventing folks from achieving sweet medicine-making perfection. Properly infused and preserved honeys are dependent on many variables including a basic understanding of how honey actually extracts plant constituents. Find out how, when and why you want to incorporate honey remedies into your herbal apothecary. Let’s get the medicine to the people in ways they’ll enjoy taking, so that healing can occur.