Herbal classes and Instructors are people and courses that teach you about using plants for health and healing. You can learn about different herbs, how to grow them, and what you can do with them. You can take herbal classes, learn about natural remedies, and even start your own herbal business. Let's talk about what to look for when choosing herbal classes and instructors and how to choose the right ones.
Imagine growing your medicinal plants in your kitchen garden, and not having to take a pill every time you have a bad ache or cough. Rather learning herbalism is opening your mind to ancient wisdom of using herbs to cure a wide range of diseases.
Studying Herbalism
Studying herbalism is your door to preparing your own medicines or supplements from the herbs growing in your garden. By picking the right herbal classes and instructors, you gain access to ancient wisdom behind usage of different medicinal herbs to treat common health ailments. By taking herbal classes, you can learn to use your common kitchen herbs and dried herbs in various ways.
With an upsurge in mental and physical illnesses at younger age, many people now look for natural treatments. Not only is the scope of herbalism quite vast, but having a strong herbal education is truly a rewarding experience. The best part is that everyone can learn herbalism. However, before you dive in, you must understand how to choose the right herbal classes and instructor.
Why Should You Study Herbalism?
You can find herbal recipes on blogs, books, or maybe learn it from your grand mom. The remedies do work like magic for common ailments, right?
Unfortunately, we limit the use of each herb to treat a single ailment, for example Willow bark for aches and arthritis or cranberry juice for UTIs. But, the world of benefits of each herb are vast that you are unaware of.
If you are unsure of whether you should study herbalism, here are reasons why you should embrace the ancient medicinal wisdom:
(1) By taking the right herbal classes and studying from professional herbal instructors, you can learn to use each herb to cure multiple health issues.
(2) Herbs are an all-natural treatment for diseases with no side effects.
(3) You can learn about the right dosage of herb needed to cure a particular ailment.
(4) You are not bound to complete a medicinal course of 3 to 5 days to benefit from an herb (as is the case with antibiotics). Herbs are potent antidotes and sometimes a dose or two are enough to treat the disease.
(5) You can learn to use synergist herbs (or helper herbs) that double the effectiveness of the main herb.
Can I Self-Study Herbalism Online?
Online blogs and websites arenβt the best places to learn herbalism. By studying a couple of blog posts about an herb, you cannot actually tap into its benefits completely. In fact, most of the times, we do not read entire blogs but skim through them instead. This can lead to erroneous knowledge.
Herbs are different from your OTC drugs. They do not treat the symptoms. These natural tonics work on a different level. They help your body restore its natural balance. The in-depth wisdom behind each herb cannot be covered in a blog or two.
By taking herbal classes or choosing a professional instructor, you can gain holistic perspective about each herbβits uses and over dosage harms.
Factors to Consider When Selecting Herbal Classes and Instructors
β Identify your goals: Do you want to learn about herbs for your own health, to help others, or to start a business? Knowing your goals can make finding classes easier.
β Experience Level: Look for classes and instructors that match your experience level, so you can learn at your own pace.
β Remote Vs Face-to-Face: Taking classes in person is great for hands-on learning, but it might be difficult to find or require travel. Online courses are more convenient and available to everyone. Additionally, we all learn differently. Someone you know may learn faster through online classes while you may learn better in physical classes.
β Budget: The cost of herbal classes varies. Some are free or low-cost, while others can be more expensive. Make sure you find classes that are within your budget.
What is Your Preferred Learning Style?
When selecting the right herbal classes or instructors for yourself, be mindful of your learning style. Understand if you are an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner. Consider your preferred teaching style. Some people prefer hands-on classes where they can smell and touch the herbs, while others prefer online classes with videos and quizzes. Based on your unique learning style, you can decide what kind of herbal course will suit you. Although all online herbal courses do claim to cater to all learning styles. But, adding in a couple of videos, hands-on activities cannot compensate your unique learning needs. All auditory lessons should also be delivered through appealing visuals and hands-on projects. So, itβs important to understand your unique learning style and pick the right herbal school for yourself.
What Types of Herbal Schools Cater To Your Needs?
All herbal classes and instructors arenβt alike. Rather herb schools have been divided into following categories:
(1) Traditional or Ayurveda: These herbal classes focus on historical roots of herbalism (for example Ayurveda from India and Chinese herbal remedies).
(2) Family Herbalists: Most people choose to take these courses to learn the everyday use of herbs in foods and as medicine for their wellbeing.
(3) Advanced Herbalism: For those who enjoy studying medicinal properties of plants, the advanced herbalism courses are perfect. People who opt for advanced herbalism classes usually make a career out of it as herbalism is in high demand.
(4) Survivalist: Herbal classes that focus the aspect of survivalists are preferred as you learn to use herbs as medicines when there is no OTC drug around.
(5) New Age Herbalism: These herbal courses focus on spiritual aspects of herbalism.
Being new to herbalism, you can take a free online herbalist course for beginners to evaluate your interest in ancient medicine. Find basic herbalism course options here.
Understand What Herbal Classes Matches Your Belief Systems?
One of the biggest mistakes most people make while selecting a herbal school is overlooking the underlying belief systems. If the herbal course is entirely backed by spirituality while you have a different belief system, you may end up losing interest and money.
How to Choose The Right Herbal Class and Instructor
As a beginner, it may feel overwhelming to choose the best herbal class or school for yourself. To help you make a wise decision, we have gathered a couple of tips you should keep in mind when picking an herbal school.
Here are some pointers:
β Many herbal classes do not excavate the roots or evidence behind different herbal medicines. If thatβs where your interest lies, you must pick an herbal school that connects your curriculum with ancient wisdom and scientific evidence.
β Choose an herbal school or class that focuses on collaboration. These courses reflect upon diverse aspects of herbalism. You get a broader perspective on herbalism that comes from experienced herbalists instead of one person or belief system.
β Pick a herbal class that includes the βsurvivalistβ herbalism course as it adds a lot to your practical knowledge, particularly for emergency situations.
β Identify a class you're interested in, and speak to the instructor about their experience, teaching style, and what you can expect from the class. Make sure you feel comfortable with the instructor, since they'll be guiding you through the herbal world.
β Taking a sample class or watching a video of the instructor teaching can help you decide if the class is a good fit for you.
Some additional things to consider:
β Some instructors have completed programs or have experience in related fields, such as naturopathy or nutrition. Find instructors with credentials that prove they know what they're talking about.
β To make sure the class covers the topics you're interested in, request a course outline or syllabus. A good herbal class will have a clear outline or syllabus that details what you will learn.
β It is important to consider the class size: Some people prefer smaller, more intimate classes, while others like larger classes with more people to interact with. Be sure to choose a class size that works for you and your learning style.
More considerations:
β Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers who have taken herbal classes before. They might be able to recommend a favorite class or instructor.
β You can ask your friends, family, and colleagues who have taken herbal classes before for recommendations.
β Find previous students of herbal classes or instructors you are interested in taking. Their reviews can help you choose the best option from your wish list.
β It's a good idea to research herbal classes and instructors in your area or online and read reviews. This will give you an idea of what others think of the class and the instructor. If you are looking for best reviewed herbalist course for beginners online, here are a couple of options you can consider.
Find the Best Method of Learning Herbalism for You
Choosing an herbalism course or school that connects the dots with modern science and evidence adds more value to your learning. You can easily pass on the knowledge to your friends and family.
Herbalism classes are being offered everywhere now. The three basic methods to learn herbalism are: online, physical herbal schools, or a combination of the two.
Online Herbal Classes
If you can learn and apply the knowledge right away through online learning, an online course is a great start. Rather it will be a gateway for you to understand where your true interest in herbalism lies. You may pursue advanced herbalism courses later on as well.
Advantages of Online Herbal Classes:
β Online herbal courses are mostly short, niche-specific and affordable.
β The online instructors are easier to access.
β You can take classes from anywhere via chats and webinars.
β You can research questions during the class.
β It is easier to find former students and get reviews about the course before you enroll yourself.
It is recommend not to choose cheaper online courses as they may not bring you in-depth knowledge of herbalism that you are looking for. Instead, you may end up losing interest in herbalism altogether.
Physical Herbal Classes
Attending herbal courses in person is another best approach to learn herbalism.
Advantages of Physical Herbal Classes:
β You can get hands-on experience to identify plants and apply your learnings.
β Itβs easy to find like-minded people to discuss your findings and learnings.
β The instructors are easier to approach and they will take the time to answer all your queries.
There are tons of in-person herbal schools in America that you can find. Look into this School Directory by the American Herbalism Guild to find what option best suits you.