Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine

Courses

“I’ve been to other herbal schools and what I found unique about the Blue Otter School is that Karyn and Sarah not only share their wisdom about how plants heal you on both physical and spiritual levels, but they offer very deep and meaningful training on how to be a healer. That is, how to walk in your power and hold yourself, your clients and your community so that we can all realize the potential to be our brightest selves. It’s a rare gift to find an herbal program that takes you beyond studies about the plants and holds you through a deeply transformational experience. This is training for life, not just for being an herbalist.” Tracey Brieger, Full-Time Program 2010

Full-time Certificate Program | Part-time Classes | Download Forms

FULL-TIME CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

The Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine full-time program runs for four months and is designed for students who are ready to fully immerse themselves in the world of plants, spirit, medicine and self. Our students leave grounded in basic practitioner skills, plant knowledge, energetics and a love of and delight in the plants.

We will be working in the garden, tending to stands in the wild, spending time in nature, making herbal medicines, spending time in classroom instruction and taking the plants internally. Additionally, we will be spending time in meditation, discussing the political context of health care, getting our hands dirty and laughing.

Curriculum includes; 400+ hours (you may download the full syllabus below):

Materia medica – physical and spirit medicinal properties of the plants
Energetics – energetic interactions of plants with each other and with people
Cultivating techniques – starting plants from seed or root, planting and harvesting techniques, growing plants, soil preparations
Medicine making – how to make herbal preparations
Body systems – basic foundation for understanding the body’s physical functions
Case studies – working cases to learn assessment and herbal formulations
Animal care – using plants for the health of animals
Practitioner skills/ethics – what it means to be a practitioner and work with people

Schedule: April 3 – July 25, 2013. Registration for 2013 is closed; we are only processing current applications.

We will not be offering this course in 2014 and will resume offering it in 2015. We encourage you to apply early for 2015!

School is in session April through July. Classes are held Monday through Thursday 9:30am – 4:30pm, with a one-hour break for lunch. We will have some field trips that take us outside of these hours. There is a one week break from school midway through the four month session.

Class size: Classes are limited to a maximum of 16 students in order to ensure individual attention.

Tuition : $4,800 in 2013 (with class overtime, comes to less than $12/hour). Tuition covers the cost of in-class medicine making supplies. Students are responsible for their own food and lodging.

Instructors: Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes

Application process: Applications to the school are accepted year round. We fill up quickly, so early applications are encouraged. Applications will be considered on a first come and space-available basis.

In addition to the written application there is a phone interview with the instructors. Applications may be downloaded here or requested by phone, mail or email. Contact us for exact deadlines and schedule as the dates vary each year.

Please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page as well.

Visiting
Prospective students are welcome to sit in on a class or meet with the instructors with prior arrangement. Siskiyou County is beautiful and most people enjoy their visit to the area. We only offer this to students seriously considering the full-time program.

PART-TIME CLASSES
Beginning Herbalism | Advanced Herbalism | Gourmet Herbal Vegetarian Cooking | Herbal Backpacking

Advanced Energetic Herbalism
Our part-time advanced program is by teacher approval only, and is only open to students who have successfully completed our four month, full-time program. This course is offered to allow our graduates an opportunity to advance and deepen their skills.

We will be focusing on working with energy, chronic and serious illness, advanced formulation, interview skills, plant cultivation/gardening, deepening work with self and practitioner skills.

Instructors: Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes

Schedule: this class meets for four days, four times per year

Beginning Energetic Herbalism

This course will be offered one weekend a month for several months. We have not offered this course for several years and are excited to announce that we will be offering it again in 2014! Stay tuned for further details and dates.

Photo by Claire Bohman.

Plant Meditation Weekend

Spend a weekend immersed in nature and the healing energy of plants. We will spend time sitting in meditation with plants, observing our own energy and feeling the energy of different plants moving through us. We will spend much time outdoors as well, as weather permits. No prior herbal or meditation experience is required.

Instructors: Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes

Schedule: September 7-8, 2013; Saturday and Sunday 10 – 4

Tuition: $180; You may download the registration form here: registration.meditation

Herbal Backpacking Trips
Spend a weekend backpacking in the mountains and learning about herbs. In addition tobackpacking in a beautiful setting we will be identifying plants, learning about medicinal uses of plants, discussing a minimal impact on our environment and doing plant meditations.

Multiple trips are offered each summer. You may sign up for one or all of the trips. A registration form must be submitted with your deposit and may be downloaded backpack.registration or requested below. Each trip is limited to 6 people.

Schedule: Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.

July 12 – 14, 2013

August 2 – 4, 2013

Tuition: $275 per trip (includes group dinner on Friday and Saturday)

Instructor: Sarah Holmes

Energetic Herbalism Intensive

Come learn about Native American energetic herbalism during this week long intensive. Here is a chance to immerse yourself in another perspective toward herbal healing. This class is for herbal practitioners. The week will include plant meditations, indigenous perspectives on health and healing, relating to the plants and nature, working with people and working their cases from an energetic perspective. Class time will include:

plant meditations and sitting with the plants
practicing energy techniques
finding the root of an imbalance
how to be/work with clients energetically
putting a formula together
case studies; bring your cases to work energetically

Instructor: Karyn Sanders

Schedule: Will be offered again in 2014, dates tba; 10 – 4 daily (This class is for herbal practitioners only.)

We may go longer some days if we are in a flow and we will be teaching some nights to understand star energy.

Tuition: Price includes lunch and dinner each day. Meals will be vegetarian and students will assist with meal clean-up. A list of local lodging options will be provided upon registration.

Gourmet Herbal Vegetarian Cooking
This class will focus on basic gourmet cooking techniques such as: cutting skills, reductions, flashing, how to create recipes, cooking and creating herbal foods. Come learn how to incorporate your medicine into amazing looking and tasting meals!

A registration form must be submitted with your deposit and may be downloaded here or requested below.

Schedule: 10-4 with one hour lunch break. Bring your own lunch. Students will get to taste all food made, but full meals are not provided. This course is not scheduled in 2013 at this time.
Tuition: $250
Instructor: Karyn Sanders

Download Forms: