Herbalist with 75 Years of Joint Experience as Consulting Herbalists & Herbal Authors
Matthew: "When I was a young herbalist we still adhered to the hundred-year-old view of the nervous system as the major regulatory system of the body. Very little was known of endocrine or immune regulation. ‘Nervines’ were therefore one of the centerpieces of the herbal apothecary. I hope, this class (or perhaps I can’t help but) represents this old way of thinking.
Phyllis: “Like Matthew, I was taught that the nervous system was in charge of a good portion of our health. We talked about the nerves as structures in the body and the Nerves as a description of our mood and stress level. We will define the different parts of the nervous system: central (CNS), autonomic (ANS), peripheral (PNS), and enteric (ENS) discuss the brain and spine, and touch on the major neurotransmitters; all the while describing important remedies for the system.
Herb discussion in the beginning and intermediate classes include: skullcap, motherwort, peppermint, spearmint, pennyroyal, lemon balm, catnip, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, sage, valerian, vervain, black hoarhound, monarda fistulosa, gotu kola, and many others.
