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April 6, 2025

Happy Scentsational Sunday, Reader!

I should say there are TWO portals to a better life. The number ONE portal is Jesus Christ, our Savior.

I'm an herbalist and not a preacher, but I can't NOT say this truth before I dive into the second portal for a better life.

The second portal is working with medicinal plants for physical, mental, emotional, and even for supporting spiritual health.

I remember the exact moment I decided to study herbalism seriously. This decision was life-changing for us in many ways, but number ONE was in our health.

After I had made about ten herbal products, including tinctures, tea blends, herbal salves for therapies, aromatherapy sprays and others—and they ALL worked—I decided to take learning herbalism and aromatherapy seriously so I could be sure I was doing things right and went about learning as much as I could.

The reason I'm telling you this is because this past week, I have received no less than 23 emails from people asking me for help with their health and medical issues.

It's so hard for me to receive these notes, and here's why:

First of all, I want to help so very badly. As I read their questions and requests, I know of many herbs and oils I can suggest. However, it is literally illegal for me to offer advice without a client-herbalist relationship and a signed acknowledgement that I'm not a doctor and that I do not offer medical advice. Herbalists support wellness, and we don't promise treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnoses.

Secondly, I simply don't have time to create customized formulations for people on the fly. Creating protocols and formulas correctly takes literally hours. Consultations with clients are lengthy and intensive meetings, during which we discuss health history, mindset, physical practices, and more so I can craft the right products for them.

Every person's body is different, and it's vitally important to make products that "fit" each person's needs.

And those are the main reasons why I can't answer medical questions, especially on social media and in emails.

That's why we, here at our school, do what we do.

We TEACH and HELP you around how to consider your body, mind, and emotions differently (holistically), to make herbal and aromatic products that fit your individual and unique needs, and to do this in community with others (because more brains are better than one).

I AM allowed to guide and make suggestions for my students within our student communities and help them figure out ways to tackle health needs and to become healthier. Students learn to take responsibility and greater ownership for their health and wellness, and that of their family.

Our community is incredibly wealthy at this point in terms of experience and knowledge between our advanced students and me.

Essentially, our helping to empower you to be more in charge and knowledgeable about your body, health, and wellness by teaching you how to use the very medicinal plants God placed here on earth for us all is the best, most helpful thing we can do for you.

This is my calling, my heart, and my soul.

I deeply want for everyone to learn what I have learned, only a LOT faster than I did. That's why, at the School of Botanical Arts & Sciences by Healing Harvest Homestead, we take the time to mentor students in our serious courses.

Perhaps it's time for you to consider taking an herbal or aromatic course and truly begin the herbal learning process.

Collectively, many of our students have:

• Started their own work with clients
• Solved debilitating health issues for themselves and family members
• Created businesses selling amazing products
• Become the "go-to" person for their families and oftentimes, their communities for safe, effective remedies
• Learned the knowledge to enjoy greater self-reliance when it comes to their health
• Started teaching others these skills
• Become independent, either totally or partially, of the pharmaceutical industry and are feeling better while saving a TON of money
• And more

THAT's what learning herbalism and aromatherapy can do for you and those in your life. Knowing these skills can help you feel better, look better, and provide a great deal of joy.

I hope you'll take a moment to consider some of our course offerings, especially our ever-growing, valuable community and massive collection of courses inside The Confident Herbalist Tribe.

Some great changes have come to the Confident Herbalist Tribe !

Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or even advanced, the Confident Herbalist Tribe has it all. It's priced extremely affordably, too. It's been nearly a year and a half since we've raised prices, and the Tribe has become more valuable than ever before.

Prices will be increasing soon, so if you haven't looked at it yet, I hope you will! It will only be open for a short time, then closed for several months before we open again.

The EVENT schedule inside is already out through August!

Stay tuned to hear more about exciting changes to the Tribe PLUS valuable free trainings for you coming up!

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Aromatic Question and Answer

One of our Aroma Specialist students wrote in with this question, and I thought I'd answer for all of you. I think you'll find it interesting:

QUESTION:

"As I practice with blending by the chemistry of the essential oil instead of just by scent alone, I wonder if a blend that an individual finds 'stinky' can still be effective on a therapeutic level. What happens when a person's nose says, 'NO' to a potentially beneficial blend? Will it still be helpful on the person's body?"

ANSWER:

The short answer is: Yes....but.....

Aromatherapists understand that whether or not the scent is liked or not doesn't impact the effect of the phytochemicals in the essential oils on the emotional brain or the body. So, yes, there will absolutely be beneficial therapeutical effects.

However, there is something we've become aware of in aromatherapy called "The Hedonic Effect."

The Hedonic Effect is when a person loves the aroma, and this in turn adds another beneficial level to the therapeutic action on the body. This is basically a "feel good" property, and it can be quite powerful.

Here's why:

When a person enjoys an aroma, this activates the reward system of our brain's limbic system, releasing serotonin and other "feel good" chemicals. This makes the person want to smell it again and again, and actually enjoy the therapeutic effects through aroma instead of enduring the smell (and the therapy).

This ALSO improves compliance of use, and thusly further enhances the therapeutic benefits on the mind and body.

Aromatherapy is an excellent modality to learn about! There's more to it than meets the eye.

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Gardening Time!

It's springtime, and most of us are probably gearing up to plant herbs. I love planting many herbs in containers. Container gardening comes in handy, especially if you have a small space.

Here's an herb you can grow easily in containers, and it just keeps giving!

It's Rosemary! Find Out Everything About Rosemary!​

From traditional uses to folklore, to growing rosemary successfully (even in cold climates like mine), harvesting, preparing, and more, this is a complete guide to this fabulous herb!

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Another article you may enjoy is How to Grow an Herbal Tea Garden: 20+ Best Flowers and Herbs to Grow​

In this article, you'll get some GREAT ideas for the best herbs, flowers, and even fruits to grow in your garden to create delicious herbal teas. You'll also find recipes and access to my Herbal Tea Challenge!

NOTE: Our popular Art & Science of Herbal Tea course is included with the Confident Herbalist Tribe courses!

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I hope you have a beautiful and blessed evening, morning, or day today. Be encouraged.

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Did you get your FREE Essential Oil Blending Guide? Find 25 commonly used essential oils and other essential oils they blend well with so you can make the BEST diffuser blends today.

P.P.S. Be sure to forward this note to a friend!

"The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace." ---Numbers 6:24-26

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The Confident Herbalist Tribe proudly sponsors this note!

There is simply NOTHING out there in the herbalism education world like the Confident Herbalist Tribe. I can say that confidently because my herbal education is broad and wide and with investments of thousands of hours of coursework from several herbal schools and teachers to compare to.

Here's a peek at our NEW Herbal Pilgrimage Paths inside the Confident Herbalist Tribe. Students are already choosing their unique paths and digging in!