The cultivation of mastery in herbalism and other aspects of the WMA approach
Hi there,
I am Sulin, the creator of the Wild Medicine Academy, a fully online and flexible solution for:
- learning and deepening your practice of herbalism
- enriching your medicine manufacture
- rounding out formal training for current herbalism and naturopathy students
Our courses are lovingly and consciously developed to deliver to you an exceptional learning experience. Below I outline our unique approach to learning natural medicine.
The Wild Medicine Academy approach is defined by four personal and professional goalposts.
Connection
Our learning experiences facilitate and deepen your personal connection to nature which is foundational to the nature cure approach. We acknowledge plants as teachers, the garden as classroom, and nature as alive and intelligent. Yes, more intelligent than us…
Our learning journeys assist you in developing an intimate connection to yourself as healer, and the healing process. This aspect of herbalism features little in formal training today, but know that the ancient origins of herbalism are based in ritual with a view to the bringing about the transformation of medicine and self.
This is why we value connection to tradition in healing. Many of our courses delve deeply into pivotal historical events, people and concepts in nature cure. This keeps you connected to your herbal ancestors.
Holism
Within the realm of holistic medicine where the individual is addressed in their entirety (emotions, physical body, energetic body) you will find the concepts of the vital force (chi or prana) in our courses. Medicines featured in our courses are explained not only in terms of their phytochemistry and therapeutic applications but also by their qualities and elemental makeup.
We acknowledge the power of an individualised approach to prescribing medicines with understanding of constitutional types.
Our courses celebrate viriditas – the notion of the earth being alive, lush, green and full of life force. We see plants as living, breathing and intelligent entities that heal.
Practice
Efficacy is an important factor in dispensing herbs. Every medicine featured in our courses is formulated to be therapeutic strength based on British Herbal Pharmacopoeia or similar guidelines.
Dosage guidelines, cautions and contra-indications are outlined for every preparation in a WMA course to ensure safe prescribing and usage. However you must stay within the guidelines of our suggested dosage.
Most of our courses are designed to develop specific skills. Learning goals are provided in every lesson and module are finalised with online quizzes to test understanding. Integrating theoretical knowledge and stories from herbal history and weaving that understanding into your practice develops herbal wisdom.
Cultivation
As you move through the afore mentioned aspects of a WMA course you deepen your practice as healer, broadening your skillset and clarity of purpose. We refer to many courses as ‘learning journeys’ because that’s what they are.
We do not limit the term ‘medicine’ to a physical medicinal supplement or product. We see the development of self, healer and medicine maker as the birth of your most important gift to the world, your ability to heal using herbs.
Mastery is achieved in our larger scale courses such as the Complete Elixirs Course where you progress through all of these stages steadily. It is our wish for you, that you are always transforming into something greater and more powerful than what you were at the beginning of your learning journey.
It has taken me many years in herbalism and naturopathy to see the challenges we face in the 21st century in natural medicine. With the emergence of the post-modern period and the tendency toward commodification in healing, we are riding a train at high speed towards the reduction of herbalism to a technique that produces products. Therefore, while we do emphasis skillset development and currency of information in our courses, we always ensure that these goal posts are present and met in each and every Wild Medicine Academy course. We want to keep the traditional wisdom of natural healing alive for a long time to come.
To viriditas!
X Sulin
