Herbalism for Midwives and Birth Workers Certification Program

Lesson 1: The importance of maintaining an emotional state of neutrality while preparing herbal medicine in a traditional way.

  As with all of our Original Instructions certification programs, we begin this online training by outlining the importance of cultivating a strong inner practice. As an Herbalist you will most likely find yourself in very personal interactions with people. When you are addressing the health and wellness practices of humans it is almost inevitable that the underlying issues will show themselves, and exploring that with another person feels extremely vulnerable for many people. When humans are healing, or otherwise feeling vulnerable, it is imperative that those present (especially anyone actively participating in the healing) not interfere or overshadow the moment with their own personal baggage.

  By maintaining a strongly rooted daily spiritual practice, ritual, and/or therapeutic activity we are able to continually fortify our ability to maintain a neutral state of mind before entering into sacred and intimate space with mothers and their families.

 

  Please read the following questions, complete all indicated activities, and answer the applicable questions. You may submit all answers to the email address Brittany@OriginalInstructionsSchool.com in the form of

 -Word Doc, PDF, Google Doc, or Handwritten (submitted via high quality photo or scan)

 

1.)  Do you currently have a spiritual practice or ritual through which you can effectively connect to divine guidance? If so, please describe. If not please create or learn one and then describe.

 

 

2.)  Take 2 minutes to perform your spiritual practice or ritual before cooking your meals this week. In a journal record your observations regarding this practice each day in two sentences or less.  

 

 

3.) Do you currently have techniques that you use in your life to help you feel centered and powerful in your ability to choose your own internal state regardless of your outside environment? If so, please list at least four of these techniques. If not, please create at least four centering/grounding techniques for you to use with yourself before entering into Herbalism and Birth work with families. 

4.)  Practice each of these techniques at least one time per day for the next week, especially when you may be feeling stress, anxiety and other hard to shake emotions. Record your observations about the effect these practices have had on your ability to "check your baggage at the door" in a journal entry at the end of the week.

 

  Thank you and congratulations for beginning for journey as an Original Instructions herbalist! 

   Your next lesson with be on the basic steps and protocols for preparing and administering herbal medicine in a traditional Indigenous way. In order to begin seeding thoughts of the Plant Nations in your mind we would like to leave you with this traditional Lakota creation story as told by Duane Hollow Horn Bear. This story is one account of how humans came to be here now. Please pay special attention after minute 10:30 of the video when the story begins to speak to the alliance between the Plant Nations and Human Beings.

Click Here: Lakota Origin Story