What Do Permaculture and Herbalism Have in Common?

In the new Regenerative Herbalism Intensive available in The Herbarium, you’ll deepen your understanding of the exquisite interdependence of human health and the well-being of our planet. In this Intensive, Herbal Academy educator Sarah Wu offers an in-depth overview of the parallels between the earth’s structure and the human body, in all of their complexity and nuance. Through her profoundly intersectional work, Sarah Wu is a shining light of connectivity at the crossroads of plants, people, and planet, infusing meaning into the intricacies of how we are all interwoven with our biome, both micro and macro.

This Intensive presents a unique perspective on the concept of “as above, so below.” We will journey to the core of the earth and the marrow of our human bones to learn how the body is a microcosm of the planet itself. Merging the spheres of permaculture and herbalism, permaculturist, herbalist, and international educator Sarah Wu brings the best of each world to the forefront, insightfully unpacking both inner and outer landscapes. Filled with insight drawn from ethnobotany, earth sciences, anthropology, and biology, this remarkable Intensive will help you gain an understanding of how the human body and the planet are mirrors of each other.

Both permaculture and herbalism are inherently ever-changing as both plants and planet evolve. At the crossroads between the two we find a multitude of parallels ranging from how our own lungs mimic the breathing patterns of trees to the connection between hydrology and the lymphatic system. 

What Exactly is Regenerative Herbalism?

In this Intensive, we take a deep dive into permaculture from the perspective of an herbalist, examining how what we put into our bodies affects our external ecosystem. Using blueprints such as how underground webs of mycelial life mimic the incredible network of the human nervous system, we look at both human beings and planet earth with new eyes. Over four sessions and seven videos, we explore the major features of the earth as they relate to our health, wellness, and true sustainability. 

Deepening your relationship with your body and the plants around you simultaneously is a rewarding path to enhancing your own herbal practice and way of conceptualizing herbalism. Check out the video excerpt below to get a taste of the depth of the Intensive, and find the entire 4-part series in The Herbarium to find ways to incorporate permaculture into every step of your herbal practice.

This video excerpt from Session 2 of the Intensive showcases a snippet of Sarah Wu breaking down how trees and their relationship with carbon are both a reflection of their unique ecosystem and also a holograph of our own bodies.

Permaculture and herbalism are complementary fields of study. Deepening a relationship with one of these enriches your relationship with the other, as seen in this brief example on the connections between trees as the lungs of the world, and our own respiratory system. 

Learn More

Are you intrigued and ready to learn more? If you’re already a member of The Herbarium, you can log in for immediate access to the Regenerative Herbalism Intensive, where you’ll find an in-depth discussion of permaculture for herbalists packed with insights from Sarah Wu, including:

Session 1—Intro to Permaculture
In this session, we’ll begin by defining and discussing the concept of regenerative herbalism from a permaculture lens. What are the foundational ethics, principles, and philosophies of permaculture from an herbalist’s perspective?

Session 2—Forests and the Respiratory System + Soil and the Microbiome
In Forest Ecology & the Breath of Life, we’ll learn how and why trees mimic the structure of human lungs, and how the process of breathing parallels transpiration in the natural world. In The Microbiome Within and Without, we draw on ancient connections to conceptualize the relationship between soil health and our own internal microbiome.

Session 3—Water and the Lymphatic System + Mountains and the Skeleton
In The Living Waters: Hydrological Cycle & Body Fluids, we further these connections by piecing together how the water cycle mirrors the lymphatic system, the waters of the body. In Moving Mountains: Tectonic Plates, Minerals, and the Human Skeleton, we come to see how just as our bones are the pillars of our bodies, the mountains are the backbones of the earth.

Session 4–Mycology and the Nervous System + Pollination and Reproduction
Finally, in Myco-Networks and the Nervous System, we dive into one of the most fascinating connections, that between mycelium and the human nervous system. Next, in A World of Fertility, we match up the puzzle of pollination with the mysteries of human reproduction.

Throughout this Intensive, we develop a beautiful understanding of how nurturing planetary health goes hand in hand with nourishing our own well-being, and vice versa.

SEE THE FULL LENGTH VIDEO IN THE HERBARIUM!

Interested in exploring the rest of this deeply thoughtful intensive? Members of The Herbarium can join herbalist Sarah Wu as she delves into these topics in more depth! You’ll find this enlightening video in its entirety, and the entire intensive, in The Herbarium.

Interested but not yet a member of The Herbarium? Get access today with quarterly or annual membership!

The Herbarium is our ever-expanding, illuminating virtual collection of over 200 (and counting!) searchable herbal monographs, topic-specific intensives, masterclasses, and numerous articles, videos, ebooks, and helpful downloadable resources. Members also gain instant access to many other intensives on popular topics, such as The Sustainable Herbal Supply Chain Intensive, The Sustainable Herbalism Intensive, and The Seasonal Rhythms Meditation Intensive. The Herbarium is crafted to help you learn and grow in your herbal journey! 

Learn more and sign up for The Herbarium here.