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January 2017 newsletter

1/1/2017

Foundations of Herbal Medicine Program for 2017
Herbal Certification Course Starts April 18, 2017. We are re-designing our upcoming Foundations of Herbal Medicine Program to include ongoing intensives and laboratory studies in medicine making, therapeutics, diagnostics, field botany, and more. Contact Tomas at 505-820-6321 for more information and applications or get more details at www.milagroschoolofherbalmedicine.com. Our focus has always been hands-on, practical, informative, bioregional, multicultural, and holistic. 250 hours of pure herb learning you take anywhere in the world. We need more herbalists and community health workers as our modern medical system continues to become unaffordable, erratic, and irresponsible. Become a herbalist, a skill you can use for a lifetime.

Ongoing 6 Week Seasonal Herb Classes
Starting in February we will offer 6 week intensives and ongoing field trips. All classes limited to 12.

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december 2016 newsletter

12/9/2016

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Herb of the Month - Wild Chile (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare)
It seems appropriate at this time of year to talk about all things pungent/spicy particularly in the Land of Enchantment or Land of Chile! What has fascinated me for years are the wild chiles, a distant cousin of our common cultivar. Chiltepins, as they are called by desert natives, are small round chile peppers that grow on bushes in south-central Arizona, south Texas and deep into northern Mexico. Our senses know it as hot on the tongue but the sensory experience also signals a much deeper log of information about chiltepins, or its near cousin Cayenne.

Native desert people such as the Tahono Odham of southwest Arizona often eat spicy native peppers to assist in digestion, relieve arthritis pain, and to ward off witchcraft. It is known as a counter-irritant topically, helping to bring blood and circulation to sore muscles and damaged nerves.

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November 2016 newsletter

11/3/2016

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Herb of the Month - White Sage (Salvia apiana)
A native to southeastern California deserts, Salvia apiana or white sage, is an aromatic, edible, and medicinal plant used by native peoples for centuries. It is in the mint family of plants, a desert salvia. that is easily recognizable by its distinct and purifying aroma. White sage tea has been used for its' ability to cleanse infections both internally and topically, cleanse unwanted thoughts and feelings as smoke/smudges, as a tea to decrease secretions of the respiratory and digestive tract, and the seeds were a reliable food source every autumn.

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october 2016 newsletter

10/8/2016

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The Ethnobotanist Beat
This month I am featuring Chaparral as herb of the month. It has been a great year for this plant, as we received good rains in early spring and August to assist blooming. Chaparral typically flowers 3 times per year in New Mexico; I enjoy collecting it for the floral, soft flavor while in flower. The greatest resins and oils are available just before flowering.

Although there were reports several years ago to avoid its use, Chaparral has been used by desert people for centuries. It is important to prepare it appropriately so the oils do not inhibit liver function. The traditional method is to make a ‘clear tea’; that is, steep the herb for just a few minutes, do not let it sit for long and drink plenty of it for optimal benefits. Among the Tahono Odham tribe of Arizona it is reported to have been used for over 65 different ailments.

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September 2016 Newsletter

9/5/2016

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Herb of the Month – Hierba Santa (Eriodictyon angustifolium)
A dryland shrub, Hierba Santa is sturdy and aromatic. Its’ high resin content is sweet smelling during the summer months which reveals many of its healing properties. The leaves are an effective expectorant and bronchial dilator, useful in chest colds, bronchitis, asthma, and hay fever. It has mild decongestant properties, all valuable as we enter the cool fall season when allergies can flare up or throats become raspy and phlegm-based. The tincture is most effective at 30 drops up to 4 times per day. For a great allergy tea Hierba Santa can be combined with nettles, mullein, and spearmint.

It is also valuable in smoking mixtures for lung congestion or for folks who are trying to quit tobacco but still need something to smoke (more benign). Mix it with mullein leaf and lavender flowers; take internally in tincture to break nicotine tar off the lung walls and begin detoxing from tobacco addiction.

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