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, getting our hands dirty and laughing.

Curriculum includes (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 2 – July 26, 2012; We are full for our 2012 session. Consider early application for 2013.
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.

Tuition : $4,000. 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. Later applications will be considered on a space-available basis. Admissions for our 2012 session are closed. Consider early application for 2013.

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.

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

Beginning Energetic Herbalism
Our Beginning Energetic Herbalism course meets one weekend a month for six months and is designed for people new to herbs, beginning herb students and intermediate students interested in Native American energetic herbalism.

This course will provide you with the information and tools to begin, or expand, your use of herbs in your life for you and your loved ones. This course alone will not prepare you for professional practice; if this is your goal, consider our full-time program.

Curriculum includes:

medicinal and spirit properties of plants
energetics
medicine making
herb walks
plant meditations

Schedule: We will not be offering this course in 2012; consider our other offerings. This course is held one weekend each month during May through October. Class hours are Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 8-2; for a total of 72 hours.

Tuition: $1,250. Tuition does not include food or lodging. A $150 non-refundable deposit payable to Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine is required to hold your space in the class. The balance of tuition is due two weeks before the first day of class. A registration form must be submitted with your deposit and may be downloaded here or requested below.

Instructors: Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes

Advanced Herbalism
Our part-time advanced program is by teacher approval only, and is 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 medicine making practices, advanced formulation, interview skills, plant cultivation/gardening, deepening work with self and practitioner skills.

Instructors: Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes

Reading the Body

Join guest instructor, Margi Flint, for a fascinating weekend. This two day seminar will focus on various diagnostic techniques including facial signs, tissue color, elimination analysis, signs of hot, cold, damp and dry conditions. The seminar will consist of both lecture and hands on learning with ample opportunity to ask questions. This is a rare opportunity to study with Margi on the West Coast. Early registration is encouraged, space limited.

Schedule: May 26-27, 2012; time tba

Instructor: Margi Flint, for further information about Margi visit her website http://www.earthsongherbals.com/index.php

Tuition: $240 includes lunch both days

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 2012 at this time.
Tuition: $250
Instructor: Karyn Sanders

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 here or requested below. Each trip is limited to 6 people.

Schedule: Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.

July 6-9, 2012

August 3-5, 2012

August 17 – 19, 2012

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

Instructors: Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes

Schedule: October 10 – 16, 2012, 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: $900 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.

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: October 27-28, 2012; Saturday and Sunday 10 – 5

Tuition: $180