So you’re interested in plants ....

If you’re on this page, then my guess is that you have a fascination with plants, herbs, fungi and all things medicinal.

Perhaps you are...

• a holistic healer who loves the idea of having a more intimate understanding of herbs and the natural environment around you

• a mother who wants to bring natural healing into your home and know how to use herbs for healing and first aid

• someone who’s been through hard times in life and finds nature to be incredibly healing and wants to learn more

• an elder who always wanted to study plant healing but never had the time and wants to age gracefully

• an environmentalist who understands the damage done to our environment by the manufacture and disposal of synthetic pharmaceuticals (or pills)

• a chef who wants to incorporate healing herbs into their cooking

• a yoga student who wants to understand the subtle effects of herbs, food, seasons, tastes, weather on their body and mind

• a gardener who wants to add healing herbs to her garden.

If you’re like many of the people we work with, you see plants not only as beings that give us oxygen, shelter, clothing, fiber, beauty and delicious food but also as something more - maybe as teachers that bring us much needed healing and give us lessons about how to live.

Even if you don’t believe in plant devas, you kind of like the idea and believe that plants are not only alive but sentient and can communicate with us.

You believe that working with plants and the natural environment is intimately connected with deeper emotional, psychological and spiritual healing.

And so you’re drawn to learn more about how to work with the plants

We might resonate and get along because……

You would rather use plant based medicine when possible because you are cautious of pharmaceuticals

You feel that psychology without the support of nature is not enough for deep healing

The idea that things like dream work, shamanism, psychological healing work and plants work well together is not a strange idea for you. For you it’s ‘of course they do!’ (even if you couldn’t articulate why).

A part of you has often felt that dis-ease isn’t something that happens to an individual as an isolated event that we need to fix but that, maybe, disease is relational (that our relationship to our food, job, the place we live, our lifestyle or the core people in our life play a profound role in our health. That sometimes it’s not what’s wrong with us but who is wrong with us).

You also suspect that disease may, ultimately, be about being disconnected from plants, the seasons and the elements

You like the idea of focusing on enhancing our life rather than being obsessed with constantly solving our problems.

You are a strong spirited individual who wants to empower herself with practical empirical knowledge

You also want to share your passion of healing with others

You care deeply about mother earth and you also want to help heal her

You are innovative and you want to collaborate with other students in the development of an important body of healing knowledge for future generations

You want to learn from an elder who walks his talk and is willing to share the teachings he has gathered from a life dedicated to learning and healing

You are cautious about the reductionist approach to medicine, and are questioning of herb schools that focus on medical herbalism.

You love the idea of seeing more community herb gardens

Because, we imagine that you want to…..

• have the knowledge to learn which herbs are proven effective and safe

• learn a system that informs you about wise choices for your health, lifestyle  herbs, food, exercise, relationships and even vocation

• create a healthy lifestyle based on the seasons

• personally experience the effectiveness of the herbs, knowledge, tools and techniques that you are learning

• heal yourself while learning how to heal others

• be able to study all of this anywhere any time

Don Ollsin founder of Grassroots Herbalism

For the past five decades I've been helping people cultivate a deeper relationship to the plant world.

I've been interested in plants, herbs and fungi for as long as I can remember.

I offer excellent educare (bringing out that which is within) that heals while it informs. I offer books, courses and programs that guide you through sustained development in your journey of self healing, community healing and earth healing. Your healing begins on the first day of study. Learning not only the healing uses of plants but seeing them as teachers/other living beings you can get to know.

My earliest memory of plants is sitting in a garden as a young child amongst the tall corn nibbling on raw corn kernels off the cob.

The moment I knew I wanted to work deeply with herbs was working at the Golden Lotus vegetarian restaurant in 1969. What drew me to it was serving exotic herbal teas that smelled enticing and tasted delicious. I was startled to learn all about their healing powers.

Over the years of doing dream work, shamanism, and deep process oriented psychology healing work, I came to see how they were all connected in a holistic way. I found herbalism lacking in psychology and psychology lacking in contact with nature and the healing energy of the plants.

I came to see that disease and wellness were relational while working with clients. I watched a woman with chronic, pelvic inflammatory disorder heal through dealing with the anger in her relationship, while also sipping on anti-inflammatory herbal tea.

I also came to understand that disease might be about being disconnected from nature, her plants, the cycles of the seasons and awareness of the four elements. When I took students into the forests and had them attune to the plants and the elements, I watched their lives transform.

I was born in Assinaboine, Saskatchewan and moved to the Pacific Northwest around the age of 9. I now reside in beautiful Victoria, BC. with my partner Sandy. I love to garden, grow mushrooms, mindmap, continually learn (recently completed an MA in Environmental Education and Communication) and cultivate my inner life through daily mediation practice.

To sum it up, this is for all sincere healers and...

• You can heal yourself while learning how to help others heal and....

• Learning and healing can be fun & enjoyable….

This is a review of my book (available in paperback or as an ebook) by Rosemary Gladstar. My courses and programs are based on material from my book (see below).

Medical Disclaimer

All material provided on this website is provided for informational or educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your healthcare professional or physician.