In the autumn of the third year of our intensive herbalism course, we explore the herbal nuances of a topic that is top of mind for many students - the menopause.
Whether it’s your current stage of life or not, the menopause is an extremely hot topic at the moment, so it’s constantly flashing through the news, advertisements, products, medical contexts and conversation. And with all this noise swirling around, it can whip up feelings of confusion, stress, anxiety and dread.
And that is exactly how industries, systems and big businesses want you to feel.
Because when you’re overwhelmed and bombarded with negative feelings, you suddenly have a ‘problem’ that needs ‘fixing’ - and voila, there’s a product you can buy for that! Disempowerment reigns as dissonance drowns out your inner voice. Combine that with a social demographic that is on the whole more likely to be in a position to have both more free time and more disposable income, and you’ve got a perfect market ripe for the picking.
The menopause is big business. And, let’s be honest, women’s bodies have always been big business, no matter what stage of life they’re in.
So how do our students learn to cut through the noise?
First, by turning up the volume on their intuition, by developing the habit of listening to their bodies and the skills to understand both those messages and know how to respond to them with support, rather than suppression. This is a core practice we begin working with right at the beginning of year one when we’re tasting each herb on its own for a week, getting to know it and feeling how it interacts with our bodies. Our students are primed with two and a half years of experience in this before we dive into the discussion of the menopause.
Second, by acquiring knowledge. Knowledge does not appear in an instant in the form of an algorithmic summary of the scrapings of the internet. Knowledge does not emerge from endless contradictory online articles. Knowledge does not speak in sound bites spiralling their way round social media.
Knowledge is gained through the exchange between experienced teacher and student. Knowledge is embodied and amplified through the passage of time.
One of the herbs that’s been put in the spotlight in the menopause market is wild yam - Dioscorea villosa. So of course this is one of the herbs we’re exploring in depth on year three of our intensive herbalism course.
After our conversation, our third-years were completely surprised. It was not at all the chat they expected, given what’s circulating in popular media and markets about the plant, which is increasingly becoming overharvested due to the explosion of interest in it. They were anticipating hearing all about this wonder herb, perhaps contemplating making their own wild yam creams, etc.
And yet, when we pulled back the veil of all the hype and brought in the context of how this plant has traditionally been worked with, combined with a substantial helping of how the body works and how plant compounds work (possibly the most ‘technical’ or ‘scientific’ we ever get on our courses, but we cover the essentials in a way that is as straightforward as possible, because with this particular topic, it is crucial to help you cut through the noise), what our students found was the humble wild yam. Yam, which was traditionally and until recently, primarily found in herbal blends to provide support for spasm in the digestive tract and female reproductive system. Yam, which was worked with in inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and rheumatism. Yam, which has been heavily exploited by the pharmaceutical industry to create products that can only be made in a laboratory environment - not transformed by the body’s natural processes - since the 1950s.
Yam, which is not a substitute for what the body, mind and spirit fundamentally need as support whilst the body takes its time performing a very natural recalibration and enters a new stage of life.
Our journey into having our menstrual cycles does not begin in an instant and ‘perform perfectly’ from day one. Nor is the journey away from having our menstrual cycles one without sensations of recalibration. Our bodies are not Prime delivery services, whatever you want to your door within 24 hours and cheaply priced. Our bodies take the time they need. Our bodies send us messages and feedback so we can provide them with the support we desire as individuals. Our bodies are nature, and so we move at the speed of nature, no matter how much we may try to force them.
These are the conversations we can have in year three. When our cohort has been together for many moons and seasons. When the bonds are tight and the trust is strong. When we can ask tricky questions and receive straight answers. Perhaps we were harnessing the energy of the menopause, the shedding of social pretences and the stepping into one’s full unfiltered voice, but our explorations of herbs, bodies, messages, society, daily practices, habits, personal power and responsibility were bold, confident and grounded in wisdom that has been around for much longer than progesterone cream.
If our students’ journeys are inspiring you and you’re here in the UK, you’re very welcome to join us on our intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom - which spans all four seasons. With up to three years of development available, our course gets herbalism both deep into your bones and your daily life, without either having to do a clinical degree or a traditional full-time apprenticeship. Although it is intense, it’s suitable for a wide range of herbalists, including beginners!
Be sure to join our mailing list to hear more about what the current cohorts are up to, learn some of the golden nuggets that emerge from our sessions and receive other school community updates. Enrolment opens after dates are announced each spring for the following year, and places are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re ready to join us on the journey, you can request an application to join an upcoming cohort.
Whatever your next step is with learning herbal medicine, I hope you enjoy the journey!
At the Heritage School of Herbal Medicine, our practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. Through our intensive herbalism course, we facilitate the development of confident, empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world. Living the deep wisdom of herbal medicine within themselves, their homes and their communities, they uplift themselves and others, creating a stronger society organically. We do hope you'll join us on your journey!
