Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program With David Crow, LAc

With Author, Herbalist, Educator & Founder of
Floracopeia Aromatic Treasures
David Crow, LAc

New Live Online Video Training Starts
Thursday, February 17, 2022

Open to a Limited Number of Participants by Application Only

We're sorry — the application period has closed. Please stay tuned for future offerings of this program!

Can’t make it live? After each class, video and audio recordings are available to download and watch anytime.

Immerse yourself in the practical knowledge of the Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western botanical medicine traditions, and experience contemplative practices... for rejuvenation, a long life, and spiritual illumination.

Gain skills that empower you to heal — mind, body, and spirit — and to guide others toward their own self-care and awakening.

What would you say are the two most important things you can do to live a meaningful life?

According to classic Asian medical traditions, the greatest goals you can achieve in a lifetime are 1) to take care of your health so you live in a constant state of rejuvenation and enjoy a long and vital life... and 2) to pursue a lifelong contemplative journey toward spiritual illumination.

Does that resonate with you?

Our world is facing a number of challenges that can appear to be separate, yet are actually closely interrelated. We’re in the midst of environmental deterioration, economic insecurity, famine, civil unrest, and a global health crisis... all of which can cause toxicity in your mind, body, heart, and spirit.

With all the external uncertainty and distress, how can you nourish and protect your health and cultivate your own vitality and life force, so you can achieve your higher purpose in life?

As a current student in David Crow’s course — Mastering Ayurvedic, Chinese & Western Herbal Formulas to Detox, Rejuvenate & Heal — you’re already aware that Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbal medicine traditions offer a wealth of knowledge about plant medicines that help us do just that and extend life. They also enable us to reach our spiritual goals with bodily freedom, mental clarity, and minimal obstacles created by health challenges.

That’s why we’re so excited to let you know about an extraordinary opportunity to participate in a first-of-its-kind Shift Network year-long intensive plant medicine certification program with David. He has designed an integrated and powerful curriculum that weaves together practical applications of botanical medicines from these three medical systems with the cosmological wisdom and contemplative practices of the spiritual lineages that produced them.

With these combined streams of knowledge, you’ll be equipped to take care of your health at the highest level possible... and share your skills to also help your friends, family, and community live long, healthy lives.

And, if you’re already a practitioner in a healing field, this certification will expand your botanical knowledge and take your particular area of expertise to the next level — whether you’re a physician, herbalist, naturopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist, or other health professional.

Distilled from David’s 40 years of intensive study, clinical experience, and meditation, this one-year program will certify you as a practitioner of his system of integrating the outer alchemy of herbal medicine with the inner alchemy of transmuting consciousness for rejuvenation, longevity, and illumination.

Herbalism is illuminated when you study and work with medicinal plants in conjunction with the mindfulness of their energies, elements, and physiological actions... both intellectually and as body-based awareness. Herbalism becomes an illuminating power when you use it to support the body and mind on your spiritual journey.

Illuminated Herbalism is the use of medicinal plants to enhance and deepen your meditative practices.

In this context, it’s the outer alchemy of using herbs to improve health, rejuvenation, and longevity, for the ultimate purpose of completing the inner alchemy of spiritual evolution.

It’s a complete system of study and practices based on millennia-old lineages of medicine, meditation, and mysticism. It offers simple and direct ways to explore and unlock the subtle energetic dimensions of the body that normally function in the background of our consciousness.

In this groundbreaking program, unlike any other herbal medicine certification offered anywhere, you’ll work with plant medicines and meditation together to improve your health and wellbeing, increase your self-knowledge, and cultivate inner peace, as you develop an understanding of your true nature, the source of your life force, your biological unity with all life, and your deeper cosmological identity.

You’ll receive a vast amount of practical information about herbs as medicine — the different types of herbs and their chemical constituents, how to prepare them, and how to use them to treat the major systems in your body...

... as well as the meditative practices the herbs support.

The Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program is a profound and innovative training designed to give you all the tools you need for self-care, as David offers a wide variety of resources on where to gather all the classic herbal formulas you’ll ever need (while you also learn how to blend some botanical preparations at home).

You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the physiological actions that each herb and formula produces in all of your major systems, and when and how to use them — to improve and maintain wellness through rejuvenation, detoxification, strengthening your immunity, reducing pain and inflammation, and more.

And, as you increase your understanding of how to take care of your body, you’ll learn how to take care of others who are living with similar challenges.

At the same time, David will guide you to cultivate meditation practices that enable you to directly feel how your body is working energetically with nature, so you can heighten your awareness of the intimate biological relationship you have with other beings — specifically plants. David refers to this phenomenon as “ecological spirituality” and “biological unity.”

David has invited other world-class plant medicine teachers, colleagues, and spiritual guides with expertise in specific areas to join him in transmitting a breadth of teachings — including Rosita Arvigo, Adriana Ayales, Dr. John Douillard, Dr. Marc Halpern, Dr. Marisa Jackson-Kinman, Daisy Lee, Nashalla Nyinda, Puma Fredy Quispe Singona, and Karen Wang Diggs.

Please see the unit descriptions below under the CURRICULUM DETAILS & DATES heading to learn more about these remarkable guest teachers and their wonderful offerings!

Also joining this stellar team is K.P. Khalsa, a world-renowned herbalist and teacher whom David has specifically chosen to lead two of the three Integration Sessions per month. (More about that below!)

By the end of this robust year-long journey, you’ll receive the Illuminated Herbalism Certification, which signifies you as a practitioner of David’s unique approach to botanical medicine.

It’s important to note that the certification does not qualify you to work as an herbalist in a medical setting. Instead, it means that you’ve become highly educated in a methodology for your own healing and rejuvenation — physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally — and you have the capacity to do the same for your family and community.

Rejuvenation, Longevity & Illumination — Outer & Inner Alchemy

In David’s course, Mastering Ayurvedic, Chinese & Western Herbal Formulas to Detox, Rejuvenate & Heal, you’re learning how to select, create, and use plant medicines for optimal self-care and the care of those around you — exploring the preventive and curative powers of modern and ancient herbal formulas to strengthen, revitalize, and reclaim your health in a holistic and sustainable way.

Are you ready to take your study and its practical applications to the next level?

In the Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program, you’ll delve deeper into each of your body’s systems, while integrating the botanical medicines you’re using with the spiritual lineages that produced them.

Again, this program is about how you can use medicine to rejuvenate yourself. And what is the purpose of rejuvenation? To have a long life. And what is the purpose of having a long life? To achieve spiritual fulfillment.

When you use the powers of plant medicines in conjunction with body-based contemplations, it becomes relatively easy to suspend the illusion of biological boundaries — and perceive your deeper unity with the elements of nature, which are flowing through you with each breath and heartbeat.

Practically speaking, you’ll learn how to easily assemble a highly effective home apothecary that uses the outer alchemy of plant preparations to support and heal you throughout your life.

And when you combine that objective with the inner alchemy of contemplative focus, you can expect to directly experience yourself as part of the greater natural and cosmological oneness.

The descriptions of the 11 multi-class units further down this page detail the specific and far-reaching content of this program.

Why Now?

In the midst of current global concerns and issues, this is an extraordinarily important time to nourish and protect your body — and cultivate your vitality and life force.

It’s also important, now more than ever, to reduce your emotional suffering... through practices that build your awareness of who you truly are at a deeper level — and feel your profound, interrelated connection with all beings, including plants.

Studying with David, you’ve already experienced how powerful herbal medicine can be in addressing your body’s ailments and any challenges with stress, anxiety, or depression.

Now you have the opportunity to work with him on an advanced level. This training is also an opportunity to dive deeply into the spiritual background of the Asian medical traditions and develop a comprehensive understanding of the creation and use of their medicines for rejuvenation and illumination...

... so you can use this knowledge for self-care and transformation, while helping others do the same.

It’s an exciting opportunity to participate in a community dedicated to maintaining optimal health — and committed to living long, fulfilling, and purposeful lives.

On a global scale, it’s apparent that the world is in need of a collective leap in consciousness. It’s clear that the “solutions” we’re using to address all the upheaval in our world aren’t working. To create significant and sustainable change — to help us get through our collective traumas — we have to move into the cave of our own inner being and do the necessary repair and maintenance work.

This leading-edge, year-long, live video program will guide you to fulfill the four aims of life, according to Ayurvedic philosophy — to have prosperity, to love and be loved, to fulfill your obligations, and to achieve liberation.

Working with plants as we heal and transform is the next step to co-creating a future in which all beings — including plants — can mutually flourish.

Has there ever been a more urgent time for this work?

Who Is This Program For?

If you want to heal or prevent your own specific medical challenges, and those of your family and community members... cultivate your life force so you can live a long life in continual rejuvenation and vitality... or deepen your spiritual journey through self-inquiry, you’ll derive tremendous benefit from the Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program.

David has the remarkable gift of being able to relay a huge amount of practical information about Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western plant medicine — gathering the wisdom of the spiritual lineages, along with modern science, contemporary clinical medicine, and self-care concepts... and translating them in a way that’s accessible to any layperson.

This program will also benefit medical practitioners who want to expand and complement the knowledge they already have.

In Ayurveda, there’s a beautiful term for the kind of person that will most likely be drawn to this program — Sattvic.

A Sattvic person has a natural interest in both spirituality and natural medicine because both disciplines are beneficent, compassionate, gentle, good for everyone, rejuvenating, protective and sustaining of human and plant life — and they help us reach spiritual fulfillment.

This program will unveil your divine qualities and help you discover your highest purpose, endless capacity, and inner strength.

It will offer you a map for guiding yourself and others toward a shift in consciousness, as you learn David’s unique system of integrating the outer alchemy of herbal medicine with the inner alchemy of transmuting consciousness for rejuvenation, longevity, and illumination.

This is a brilliant offering for you if you’re eager to:

Heal yourself, your family, and your community members of chronic health challenges
Sustain a high level of clinical care by using herbs to improve your physical health and deepen your spiritual practice
Relieve the obstacles of pain, stabilize your mind, and apply yourself to your inner journey using plant medicine as a support
Attain a high level of perception of your body-mind-spirit relationship and the role of plant intelligence in physical healing and spiritual evolution
Know your body and medicinal plants in a biochemical and microcosmic way, with a truly holistic understanding and knowledge of both herbal medicine and spirituality, and how they impact the greater world
Enrich and expand your botanical knowledge and take your particular area of expertise to the next level — as an herbalist, naturopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist, or other health professional
Work with herbal medicine to gain deeper and more intimate knowledge and experience of the inner energetic, mystical, and elemental aspects of your own being
Have a profound understanding of how the body works, how medicinal plants affect your physical body, and how you can care for your health and the health of your family and community
Listen, feel, and interact deeply with the life force inside you — the inner alchemy — for profound transformation and heightened consciousness
Create and market your own herbal products
And much more...

Because of the rigor and intimacy of this exclusive program, we’re limiting the number of students to ensure that each person receives an abundance of rich learning and support. If you decide you’d like to join David for this extraordinary opportunity, we invite you to begin the application process.

What Are the Primary Teachings of This Program?

You already have a foundational understanding of the high-frequency energy of plants and how they aid in our spiritual evolution by providing us with the purest forms of energy, which nourish us on all levels of our being, creating deep resonance and balance within our bodily systems.

Now you can expand everything you’re learning to cultivate a high level of skill and a more enlightened way of being in the world.

In every session of this year-long immersion, you’ll receive an in-depth, substantial herbal training about how to treat symptoms, prevent medical conditions, increase your longevity, and understand your whole being and purpose on a deeply spiritual level.

David will guide you into this powerful level of integrative awareness and spiritual maturity through teachings that will:

Provide you with the capacity to treat all of your physiological systems through Illuminated Herbalism
Help you establish routines and habits that reduce stress and enhance the powers of rejuvenation — to assist you on your journey of healing and create a strong foundation for internal awareness and illumination
Give you a felt sense of the inseparability of spirituality and nature — using plant medicines and aromatics to support your contemplative practices
Show you how the body and mind are energized by a life force, known in classical Asian philosophy, medicine, and spiritual traditions as prana or Qi
Help you remove health challenges and change the energetic patterns of the body and mind to detoxify, expand your personal growth and evolution, and remove karmic obstacles
Provide an understanding of the physical, mental, and emotional levels of digestion from classical Asian medicine
Guide you to work with herbs to increase the power to metabolize at all levels — physically, mentally, and emotionally
Introduce you to the anatomy and physiology and a yogic understanding of the subtle nervous system
Show you how to prevent and treat common respiratory conditions
Help you understand the standard dosages for common herbs and how to increase their potency using visualization and body-based awareness methods
Illuminate the historical uses of adaptogens, their benefits, and how to integrate them into yogic and contemplative practices
Delve deeply into the concept of Qi... using specific herbs to study, experience, and regulate the 9 major types of Qi in the body
Show you how to work with herbs to build immunity
Instruct you in how to practice meditation and visualization to increase the power of immune building herbs while also using immune-building herbs to increase the powers of meditation and visualization
Guide you to experience the tastes, chemistry, and physiological actions of herbs as expressions of celestial, terrestrial, and botanical pranic intelligence
And much more...

You can read the descriptions of the 11 multi-class units below for a detailed description of the far-reaching content of this program.

More About the Certification

Being certified as a practitioner of David’s system of integrating the outer alchemy of plant medicine with the inner alchemy of transmuting consciousness for rejuvenation, longevity, and illumination means that you’ve completed the rigorous academic work... that you’re experienced in the practical applications of the herbs... and that you’ve dedicated yourself to the deep spiritual practices of this holistic program.

It means that you’ve demonstrated commitment to profound spiritual growth, with evidence that you’re walking the path of the Sattvic herbalist, in a symbiotic relationship with nature and the energies of the cosmos — able to bring your unique purpose to the world.

You’re ready to serve as an evolutionary healer, focused on rejuvenation of the mind, body, and spirit.

The certification signifies that you’ve:

Defined the goal of your spiritual path, establishing a foundation of health practices that assist the rejuvenation of vitality so you can accomplish that goal with the process of inner transmutation
Developed a powerful understanding of the 4 levels of herbal medicine — from treating diseases to supporting enlightenment
Created a home pharmacy and prepared herbs into different forms of medicine — while integrating spiritual focus and intention into your plant medicine preparations
Been intensively exposed to the teachings and have opened fully to the alchemical transformation of the integrated path of medicine and spirituality
Committed yourself to the highest goals of the classical Asian medical traditions — a long healthy life that leads to spiritual illumination
Participated in a wealth of contemplative practices that nourish plants as they nourish you
Learned how to make simple plant-based infusions and decoctions — incorporating tinctures, powders, and other extracts
Felt the inseparability of spirituality and nature — using plant medicines, essential oils, woods, and resins as sacred scents to support your meditation
Cultivated your awareness of the elements and energies of the body to transform ordinary consciousness into ecological spirituality
Come to know, perceive, and understand the nature of prana as it activates the flow of elements through the channels of your body
Learned the best ways to formulate medicines working with different herbal allies, such as herbs, roots, flowers, fungi, and resins — and the best menstruum for optimum extraction and personalized use
Studied the 5 element systems of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Absorbed plant medicine’s therapeutic categories — adaptogens, trophorestoratives, cholagogues, emmenagogues, tonics, nervines, anti-inflammatories, and more
Learned how to support all of the physiological systems in your body with Illuminated Herbalism
Explored how to safely and effectively detoxify the body according to age, constitution, health condition, and season
Worked with rejuvenative herbs to slow the process and counteract the symptoms of physiological decline, restore strong immunity, overcome fatigue, and increase your enjoyment of life

The Structure of the Program

David and a team of instructional design experts have created one of the most comprehensive learning experiences The Shift Network has ever offered...

There will be a total of 11 units, each lasting from three to seven weeks. David will teach a live 120-minute online video class every week.

Many classes will include a lecture and slide presentations. You’ll also be guided in core experiential practices and meditations... providing you with the opportunity to study medicinal plants through the direct experience of body-based contemplative awareness.

There will be time for Q&A in each weekly class.

There will also be three 90-minute online video Integration Sessions each month, one with David and two with Integration Facilitator K.P. Khalsa. As part of the core curriculum, the Integration Sessions are the perfect time to discuss the material David is teaching and participate in an in-depth Q&A. These sessions provide an opportunity for more individualized consultation and conversation about case studies, and to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of the complex learning in this certification program... in both real-life applications and their spiritual dimensions.

Throughout the year, you’ll also be invited to attend online workshops on botanical medicine-related topics... nine Elective Teaching opportunities — each presented by guest faculty — designed to supplement and personalize your year-long experience as you choose what interests you most.

In short, we want you to be well prepared to not only undertake your own journey of sustained wellness, rejuvenation, and longevity, but also to develop more skills to empower others. That’s how the participants in this program will become forces for good... by co-creating a movement of awakened longevity and service.

Are you feeling a resounding call to commit to this unprecedented journey into your own illumination... to become a healthier, more compassionate, connected, and resilient human being, ready to express your highest calling in whatever way feels most authentic to you?

What You’ll Discover in This Year-Long Certification Program

In this year-long transformational intensive, David Crow will guide you to unveil and embody the fundamental skills and contemplative practices you’ll need to rejuvenate and heal yourself and others, live a long and vital life, experience spiritual fulfillment, and serve the world with your unique divine gifts.

The Power of Live Streaming Video

You’ll connect with David and his guest faculty through live streaming video via any connected device. This connection is easy to use and will enhance the impact of the transmissions. Or you can listen to just the audio by phone.

While we hope you’ll attend all the sessions live, should you occasionally need to miss one, there will be recordings of the weekly classes and the three monthly Integration Sessions for you to download or stream. As you’ll discover, your live attendance is integral to your learning, understanding, and community connection.

Primary Weekly Class Sessions Thursdays at 10:00am Pacific

This program will feature LIVE teaching transmissions, experiential practices, Integration Sessions with David and K.P. Khalsa, nine Elective Sessions with guest faculty, and Q&A. Each session will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, to help you develop a complete, holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to receive the highest benefit from this comprehensive study.

Curriculum Details & Dates

Unit 1: Beginning the Journey of Rejuvenation — Understanding the Goal of Illumination

The highest goal of classical Asian medical systems is a long, healthy life leading to spiritual illumination.

These traditions offer a wealth of knowledge about plant medicines that protect, nourish, and extend life — so we can reach our spiritual goals with freedom of the body, clarity of the mind, and minimal obstacles created by health challenges.

But what is the spiritual goal? There are as many definitions and descriptions of “enlightenment,” “self-realization,” and “illumination” as there are lineages and systems of meditation.

What exactly is the ultimate purpose and aim of these diverse practices, described in numerous ways, in different times and cultures?

What is relevant and attainable for people in the modern world, and what role does natural medicine play in attaining that goal?

Yogic and meditative traditions teach that spiritual fulfillment is not found in the outer world, but within our own consciousness — and that the path to illumination lies in the inner transmutation of the heart and mind within the container of the body. This alchemical process requires conditions that are often difficult or impossible to find or attain: time, vitality, and freedom from obstacles.

You’ll begin your journey into Illuminated Herbalism by taking three steps: defining the goal of your spiritual path, establishing a foundation of health practices that support rejuvenation so you can accomplish that goal, and beginning the process of inner transmutation.

Your Unit 1 classes:

Welcome & Overview (February 17)
Orientation Community Gathering (February 22)
Class 1 — Rejuvenation, Longevity & Illumination: Outer & Inner Alchemy (February 24)
Integration Session With David (March 1)
Class 2 — Preliminary Practices for the Journey of Rejuvenation: Outer Alchemy (March 3)
Class 3 — The Nature of Illumination: Inner Alchemy (March 10)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (March 15)

During Unit 1, you’ll explore:

The relationship between the outer alchemy of plant medicine — and the inner alchemy of transmuting consciousness
Controllable and uncontrollable factors that increase (or decrease) longevity — and the importance of longevity for reaching spiritual fulfillment
Routines and habits that reduce stress and enhance the powers of rejuvenation — to support the journey of healing and create a strong foundation for deep meditative exploration
The ultimate goal of spiritual practices, how spirituality and nature are inseparable, and how to start using plant medicines and aromatics to support meditation
The relationship between classical Asian medical, yogic, and spiritual lineages
A powerful Integration Session with K.P. Khalsa
The 4 levels of herbal medicine, from treating diseases to supporting enlightenment
Concepts of aging in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine and the modern understanding of physiological changes and challenges of aging
Qigong methods for enhancing digestive power and rapid relaxation
Establishing ongoing routines and habits to reduce stress and enhance the powers of rejuvenation — and create a strong foundation for deep meditative exploration to support your healing journey
The appropriate diet for your age, constitution, and digestive power
Guided practices for awakening body deities for energy and rejuvenation... improving breathing habits... determining your spiritual goals and aspirations... evaluating the 4 aims of life... cultivating awareness of the elements and energies of the body to transform ordinary consciousness into ecological spirituality... and more

Unit 2: The Illuminated Herbal Pharmacy — Botanical Intelligence & the Energies, Elements & Compounds of Plant Medicines

The body and mind are energized by a life force, known in classical Asian philosophy, medicine, and spiritual traditions as prana or Qi.

There are numerous types of prana operating at all levels of the body and mind... from physiological functions, to states of consciousness, to the flow of time and the cycle of birth and death.

Knowing, perceiving, and understanding the nature of prana is the basis of spiritual illumination. It’s also the intuitive power that allows us to make healthy lifestyle choices, manage stress, and initiate a myriad of other important practical applications.

Prana activates the flow of elements through the channels of the body — the flow of earth as nutrients, water as fluids, sunlight as metabolic heat, and breath as air. The movement of these four elements through the internal space of the body creates the sensations that give rise to the illusory sense of separation from the world and others.

When you work with the powers of plant medicines in conjunction with body-based contemplations, it becomes relatively easy to suspend the illusion of biological boundaries — and perceive your deeper unity with the elements of nature.

From this awareness arises a profound sense of freedom and genuine compassion, knowing that you’re woven into the fabric of existence, and that the physiological activities of the body are manifestations of ancient cosmological intelligence.

Your journey into Illuminated Herbalism continues into two broad fields of study and practice. The first is how to create and use a home pharmacy. The second is how to use your pharmacy to support and deepen your meditative studies of prana and the elements of the body...

... and, how to use meditation to enhance your understanding of botanical prana, the elements in herbs, and their effects in the body.

You can easily assemble a highly effective home apothecary that uses the outer alchemy of plant preparations that will provide countless benefits for the rest of your life. Combining this outer alchemy with the inner alchemy of contemplative focus can lead to direct experiential knowledge of the subtle spiritual dimensions of your being.

Your Unit 2 classes:

Class 1 — Using Herbs in the Home Pharmacy: Outer Alchemy (March 17)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (March 22)
Class 2 — Botanical Prana & Qi: Plants as Agents of Nature’s Intelligence (Inner Alchemy) (March 24)
Elective Session With Adriana Ayales (March 29)
Class 3 — Herbal Therapeutic Categories & Families of Chemical Compounds: Outer Alchemy (March 31)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (April 5)
Class 4 — The Nature of the 5 Primordial Elements: Inner Alchemy (April 7)
Integration Session With David (April 12)

During Unit 2, you’ll explore:

Plants’ energies, elements, and intelligence as the foundation for understanding how they work in the body
Creating a home pharmacy and preparing herbs in different forms — while integrating spiritual focus and intention into your plant medicine preparations
Two Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa
How to make simple infusions and decoctions, incorporating tinctures, powders, and other extracts
General dosage and frequency guidelines, and the best times of day to take different types of herbs
The role of plants in planetary evolution — including how botanical prana and Qi create and maintain the planetary biosphere
Plants as the bridge between consciousness and matter, and as vehicles of sunlight and moonlight — and their relationship to balancing the biosphere of the body
The best ways to extract different herbal allies, such as herbs, roots, flowers, fungi, and resins — and the best menstruum for optimum extraction and personalized use
The 5 element systems of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Using herbs and aromatics to enhance meditations on the 5 elements in the body
Plant medicine’s therapeutic categories — adaptogens, trophorestoratives, cholagogues, emmenagogues, tonics, nervines, anti-inflammatories, and more
Medicine making — core preparations to create your own herbal pharmacy with guest Adriana Ayales, herbalist, writer, and founder of Anima Mundi Herbals
Guided practices for establishing baseline dietary routines to stabilize digestive biorhythms... meditation methods to enhance your perception of prana and Qi in foods, medicinal plants, and the environment... and organoleptic analysis to know herb functions based on taste, smell, and more

Unit 3: Aromatherapy, Sacred Scents & Deepening the Exploration of the Self

Our journey into Illuminated Herbalism now enters the realm of aromatic plants and their profound and mysterious influence on consciousness.

The outer alchemy of using plants for temple incense, fragrant smoke offerings, and anointing perfumes is an extremely ancient practice that has long been used to support the inner alchemy of meditative practices.

Just as herbs can support meditation and also be the focus of meditative study to understand their deeper cosmological energies and elements, “contemplative aromatherapy” is an illuminating practice that not only stabilizes and calms the mind, but immediately reveals the inner pranic and elemental dimensions of botanical medicines.

Aromatic plants are not only an important part of spiritual practices, they’re also powerful medicines that treat many health conditions.

By adding essential oils to your home apothecary, you have many new therapeutic tools to support your self-care and rejuvenation practices. When used in conjunction with herbal medicine, these effects can be enhanced with excellent therapeutic results.

The scented compounds of the aromatic woods and resins have a pronounced effect on consciousness. When used with meditation, the sacred scents measurably increase focus and clarity of the mind. They help deepen your exploration of the true nature of the Self... moving you forward on your journey inward.

Your Unit 3 classes:

Class 1 — Essential Oils & Aromatherapy: Outer Alchemy (April 14)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (April 19)
Class 2 — Sacred Scents: The Uses of Aromatics in Spiritual Practice (Inner & Outer Alchemy) (April 21)
Elective Session With Puma Fredy Quispe Singona (April 26)
Class 3 — Vasthya & Ahamkara: Wellbeing & the Sense of Self According to Ayurveda (Inner Alchemy) (April 28)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (May 3)

During Unit 3, you’ll explore:

What essential oils are, how to use them safely, and how they’re integrated and blended with other forms of herbal medicine
The most important botanical aromatics used throughout history for sacred purposes and spiritual devotion — how they’re used, their effects on body and mind, and how they support meditation and inner alchemical practices
Practices for integrating aromatherapy into daily life — a self-inquiry using the principles of Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Tibetan medicine... the “Sitting Forgetting” Taoist meditation for loosening ego fixations... and more
The meaning, importance, and practice of svasthya (“abiding in the self”) for medical and spiritual purposes
Essential oils as botanical immune systems — their antimicrobial powers, uses for immune enhancement, and more
The alchemy of distilling essential oils — plus safe uses, contraindications, and adverse reactions
An overview of the major sacred scents from precious woods and resins — their uses in spiritual practices... their effects on neurochemistry, moods, and mental states... and their wish-fulfilling powers
Ahamkara, the process of self-identification in the body’s matrix of cosmological energies and elements
“The Power of Prayer and Plant Spirits in Ceremony” with guest teacher Puma Fredy Quispe Singona, Andean medicine man and spiritual leader

Unit 4: Illuminated Herbalism & the Inner & Outer Dimensions of the Respiratory System

The respiratory system is not only the anatomy of the lungs and respiratory physiology. Breath is also prana, the vital energy of life, which has a multitude of related spiritual and mystical dimensions.

Our breath is linked to the biosphere of the Earth, specifically to the breathing of plants as they photosynthesize solar energy. The respiratory cycle is intimately connected to the pulsation of the heart. The breath and heartbeat are the physical basis for the mindstream — the current of consciousness that flows in your body from birth until death.

There are many simple herbs you can add to your home apothecary that have highly effective therapeutic powers for preventing and treating common respiratory conditions. Aromatherapy, essential oils, and the sacred scents are also important botanical medicines for the lungs. Understanding how to work with these plants for protecting the respiratory system increases your overall wellbeing and reduces the need for stronger and more toxic medications... thereby supporting long-term rejuvenation and longevity.

Medicinal plants that protect and strengthen the lungs are also powerful allies that support the inner alchemy of your contemplative practices. Herbs and aromatics that work directly on the lungs can deepen your awareness of the subtle energies and elements of the respiratory system, such as the “Prana Vata” and “lung Qi.”

These subtle energies have always been used in ancient practices — such as pranayama — as doorways into the deeper dimensions of our mind and consciousness, and can ultimately lead to profound wisdom and insight about the nature of reality.

You’ll explore the inner and outer dimensions of the respiratory system and the breath — the principles of self-care for respiratory health, immunity, and rejuvenation... the biological unity of all breathing things on earth... and the flow of consciousness that the breath supports.

Your Unit 4 classes:

Class 1 — Principles & Practices of Clinical-Level Self-Care, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (May 5)
Integration Session With David (May 10)
Class 2 — The Spiritual Dimensions of the Respiratory System, Part 1: The Nature of Prana and Qi (Inner Alchemy) (May 12)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (May 17)
Class 3 — Respiratory Therapeutics, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (May 19)
Elective Session With Dr. John Douillard (May 24)
Class 4 — The Spiritual Dimensions of the Respiratory System, Part 2: The Mindstream & the Journey of Consciousness (Inner Alchemy) (May 26)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (June 7)
Class 5 — Respiratory Therapeutics, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (June 9)
Integration Session With David (June 14)

During Unit 4, you’ll discover:

The primary treatments for protecting, treating, and rejuvenating the respiratory system
A deeper understanding and experience oflife force according to classical Asian medicine — and its relevance to herbal medicine, rejuvenation, and illumination
The muscles of emotion and the rhythms of spirituality with guest Dr. John Douillard, a globally recognized leader in the fields of natural health, Ayurveda, and sports medicine, and creator of LifeSpa
The journey of the mind through the 6 bardo states of consciousness
Therapeutic strategies, essential oils, and aromatherapy formulas for protecting, treating, and rejuvenating the respiratory system
Combining herbs and aromatics for addressing respiratory infections, allergies, and asthma
Nasya therapies for chronic sinus conditions and rejuvenation of the respiratory system
Practices such as using awareness of prana and Qi to enhance intuition and sensitivity or sensing for self-healing... breathing together with plants to cultivate ecological spirituality... meditations to study different levels of prana and Qi
How mind, breath, nerve current, and heartbeat are different aspects of the same current that flows through your waking, sleeping, and dreaming states
Resources for ordering and interpreting your own blood tests
The 4 levels of Prana Vata — breath, nerve current, heartbeat, and mindstream
Concepts of the mindstream from Buddhist, Tantric, and Vedic meditation lineages
Two Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa

Unit 5: Illuminated Herbalism & the Inner & Outer Dimensions of the Cardiovascular System

The journey into Illuminated Herbalism now brings you to the heart — the physical organ, the abode of mystical consciousness, the temple of the innermost Self, and the ultimate destination of all spiritual pilgrimages.

The heart is the abode of Shen, our spiritual radiance according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s the door to a kind of happiness that’s independent of external causes... and the crucible of inner alchemical transformation. Tantra, yoga, and Ayurveda provide their own methods for discovering the mysteries of life in the heart’s inner recesses.

Just as you must practice self-care to protect and rejuvenate the vital breath — so you’ll have the blessings of longevity to complete the inner alchemy — you must do the same for the sensitive physical and emotional organ that maintains your life one beat at a time.

And, just as you can use the outer alchemy of herbal preparations to support your contemplations on the breath and its inner teachings, you can also listen to the heart — literally and metaphorically — and discover in its rhythmic pulsations great revelations and insights.

Your Unit 5 classes:

Class 1: Listening to the Heart: The Spiritual Dimensions of Cardiovascular Rejuvenation (Inner Alchemy) (June 16)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (June 21)
Class 2: Principles & Practices of Clinical-Level Self-Care, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (June 23)
Elective Session With Rosita Arvigo (June 28)
Class 3: Cardiovascular Rejuvenation (Outer Alchemy) (June 30)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (July 12)
Class 4: The Luminosity of Spirit & the Rhythms of Celestial Qi (Inner Alchemy) (July 14)
Integration Session With David (July 19)

In Unit 5, you’ll discover:

A deeper awareness of and relationship with the heartbeat, the prana of the heart, and the spiritual dimensions of the heart
The most important herbs for strengthening the heart and protecting it from metabolic inflammation and degeneration
The concept of Shen, the spirit and luminosity of the heart, as described by Traditional Chinese Medicine... its role in consciousness, health, and spirituality... and its relationship with the flow of time and biorhythms for rejuvenation and illumination
Practices such as contemplating the 7 levels of heart prana, incorporating herbs and aromatics to enhance heart-centered meditations, and integrating Shen-nourishing and stabilizing herbs into your heart-centered meditations
How to use primary cardiac herbs like tonics, trophorestoratives, circulatory enhancers, and more
The role of botanical medicine in supporting the stability, clarity, and the luminosity of Shen
Listening to the heart by cultivating self-nourishment and developing emotional intelligence
The self-love and self-nourishment of heart-focused meditation
What “internet medicine” means, how it can support or damage health, and the importance of developing critical thinking skills to create your unique personalized herbal program
How to distinguish between plausible and implausible causes of illnesses and symptoms
Principles of rejuvenating the cardiovascular system
Two Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa
“Spiritual Wellbeing and the Heart” with guest teacher Dr. Rosita Arvigo, DN, naprapathic physician, herbalist, and author

Unit 6: Illuminated Herbalism & the Inner & Outer Dimensions of the Nervous System

Cognitive function is the foundation for all success and accomplishment, whether it’s your work in the world or your inner spiritual development.

Stress, nutritional deficiencies, environmental toxins, medications, and normal aging are only a few of the many influences that weaken and damage healthy brain function.

Throughout time, plants that support mental functions, enhance memory, and improve concentration have been regarded as having a unique and special place in the botanical pharmacopeia for supporting mental wellbeing and nourishing spiritual evolution.

Traditionally, many medicinal plants and therapies have been used to support meditative and yogic practices — some feed the brain with concentrated nutrient essences, some sharpen the mind and concentration, and some produce euphoric relaxation and support tranquil meditation.

These therapeutic powers are not only beneficial for those engaged in the inner alchemy of contemplative endeavors, they also enhance wellbeing. Medicinal plants help counteract stress, calm the mind and emotions, and uplift moods. When integrated with meditation and other practices, herbal medicine can transform disturbances of the mind into a path of liberation.

In this unit, the journey of Illuminated Herbalism comes to the study of the inner and outer dimensions of the nervous system.

As in previous studies, the medicinal plants of your apothecary can be used for self-care, as well as prevention and treatment for a wide range of conditions, including stress, anxiety, and depression.

More importantly, it’s the inner alchemy of meditative practice that ultimately liberates the mind from concerns of the world... while the outer alchemy of plant medicines can take you deeper into contemplative freedom with greater mental focus and clarity.

With that support, you can enjoy the health benefits of greater emotional balance, restorative sleep, and peaceful meditation. You can also gain insights into the deepest levels of your being — how mind and matter meet... how the stream of consciousness flows through the conduits of the physical and subtle nervous system... how the celestial rhythms of sun and moon operate in your consciousness... and other great mysteries waiting to be illuminated by your inwardly focused attention.

Your Unit 6 classes:

Class 1: Principles & Practices of Clinical-Level Self-Care, Part 3 (Outer Alchemy) (July 21)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (July 26)
Class 2: Medicinal Plants for Counteracting Stress, Anxiety & Depression: Nervous System Therapeutics, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (July 28)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (August 2)
Class 3: Form & Emptiness: The Conjunction of Mind & Matter — Spiritual Dimensions of the Nervous System, Part 1 (Inner Alchemy) (August 4)
Integration Session With David (August 9)
Class 4: Medicinal Plants for Enhancing Cognitive Functions: Nervous System Therapeutics, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (August 11)
Class 5: As Above So Below — The Body as a Reflection of the Cosmos; Spiritual Dimensions of the Nervous System, Part 2 (Inner Alchemy) (August 18)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (August 23)
Class 6: Medicinal Plants for Restful Sleep — Nervous System Therapeutics, Part 3 (Outer Alchemy) (August 25)
Elective Session With Karen Wang Diggs (August 30)

During Unit 6, you’ll discover:

The changing paradigm of medicine and healthcare
How to perceive the microcosm of the body as a reflection of the macrocosm of nature and the Universe — and what that means for health, rejuvenation, and illumination
How to work with botanical medicine to support cognitive functions... as the basis for longevity, rejuvenation, and illumination
Practices such as cultivating mindfulness between sense organs and sense objects... combining herbs and aromatics with meditation methods... listening to the heartbeat as a mirror of the mind, thoughts, and feelings
The importance of deep sleep for healing and rejuvenation, the major underlying causes of sleep disorders, and the major categories of botanical medicine for treatment
Mental health conditions according to classical Asian medicine... the strengths and weaknesses of botanical medicine to treat them... and how to integrate botanical medicine into other modalities for better therapeutic results
The strengths and weaknesses of allopathic and natural medicine and how to effectively integrate them
Which conditions herbal medicine treats best, with the most reliable positive outcomes
How to determine your options when your doctor wants you to take a medication you don’t want, and when you want to create a personalized herbal program to supplement medications
Shen disturbances and Prana Vata disorders that affect the mind and emotions
Concepts of emotional disturbances and psychological disorders from Indigenous cultures and shamanic traditions
The purifying and rejuvenating powers of the 5 cosmological elements for individual and collective health and wellbeing
Insights into sleep, dreams, and spiritual evolution
How to use cooking as a spiritual practice with guest teacher Karen Wang Diggs
Three Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa

Unit 7: Illuminated Herbalism & the Inner & Outer Dimensions of the Digestive System

The journey of Illuminated Herbalism continues into the inner and outer dimensions of the digestive system. This is the realm of the fire elements, which transform everything that enters your body, senses, and mindstream.

In the body, the outer alchemy of herbal medicine is a powerful support for good health, fulfilling the aims of life and assisting you with your inward practices. You have access to a vast pharmacopeia that can be highly effective in preventing and curing digestive illness and maintaining optimal functioning of the digestive fires... for complete metabolic transformation without stagnation or accumulated toxicity.

Spiritually, your practices of inner alchemy are also intimately related to the fire element. Digestion is happening in every moment through every level of your being. Assimilation of the outside world is happening continuously, not only through the digestive tract, but also through every tissue, the sense organs, and in the mind and psyche.

Every stage of digestion — from the outer GI tract to the inner psyche — influences how you feel, think, understand, and perceive yourself, which in turn is expressed in your daily activities. Healthy digestion therefore includes metabolism of information, sensations, emotions, and memories... all of which have powerful influences, not only on your health and happiness, but also in your personal evolution and spiritual maturation.

Your Unit 7 classes:

Class 1: The 5 Interwoven Bodies (Inner Alchemy) (September 1)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (September 6)
Class 2: Dental Detox & Rejuvenation; Digestive Therapeutics, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (September 8)
Integration Session With David (September 13)
Class 3: The Inner Radiance of Sunlight: The Spiritual Dimensions of the Digestive System, Part 1 (Inner Alchemy) (September 15)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (September 20)
Class 4: Digestive Therapeutics, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (September 22)
Class 5: The Evolution of Light Into Consciousness: The Spiritual Dimensions of the Digestive System, Part 2 (Inner Alchemy) (September 29)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (October 4)
Class 6: Digestive Therapeutics, Part 3 (Outer Alchemy) (October 6)
Integration Session With David (October 11)
Class 7: The Subdoshas of the Respiratory, Cardiac, Nervous & Digestive Systems (Inner Alchemy) (October 13)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (October 18)

During Unit 7, you’ll explore:

Teachings of the 5 koshas (sheaths) and their relevance to medicine, rejuvenation, and illumination
Ways to support detoxification and rejuvenation by addressing dental hygiene
Practices such as meditations to develop awareness of the gut-brain axis, gut-lung axis, and the gut-immune axis
How to develop personalized herbal protocols to regulate the 13 agnis, 5 subdoshas of Pitta, and 7 tissue levels
How to create personalized digestive protocols using combined herbs and aromatics
The role of dental health issues in disease processes throughout the body and the role of rejuvenating dental health for longevity and immunity
The cosmological dimensions of metabolic and digestive fire — and what this reveals about your inner spiritual nature
The primary treatments for protecting, treating, and rejuvenating the digestive system
The relationship between digestive functions and dental health
The flow of solar energy from the sun through metabolic transformation and into the light of awareness
Concepts of digestive fire in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine
The relationships and interplay of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha at the organ level in the respiratory, cardiac, and digestive systems
Four Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa

Unit 8: The Medical & Spiritual Dimensions of Detoxification

Plants detoxify the biosphere of the Earth. Many medicinal plants are also highly effective for detoxifying the inner biosphere of the human body, which pharmaceutical drugs can’t do.

Environmental toxicity, illness, unhealthy lifestyles, and stress all create toxicity, which affects every system of the body, making the purifying powers of plants increasingly valuable and necessary.

Detoxification, whether from environmental poisons or from toxic addictions, has profound implications for removing your obstacles to health, happiness, and fulfillment — and plays an important role in individual and collective spiritual evolution.

The outer alchemy of physical detoxification is a crucial aspect of healing that requires specific knowledge of what, when, where, and how to get the best results.

There are numerous plant medicines that gently support the body’s natural detoxification processes, as well as others that are stronger purgatives and purifiers. Some work by helping cleanse the blood. Some work by enhancing lymphatic drainage. Some work by improving digestive power and restoring the gut membrane and microbiome. And some work by supporting liver and kidney functions.

Detoxification of the body directly supports the inner alchemy of purifying the mind and transmuting the causes of suffering into wisdom and illumination.

At the same time, the inner practices that detoxify the psyche lead us to a balanced relationship between our mental states, sense organs, and the objects of the senses. A clear and luminous mind and heart will protect us and uplift those we come in contact with.

In this unit, the journey into Illuminated Herbalism enters the phase of purification, cleansing, and detoxification on all levels.

You’ll learn how to safely and effectively detoxify the body according to your age, constitution, health condition, and season... and how to avoid depleting the body with excessive and unnecessary cleanses. You’ll also delve more deeply into the spiritual practices that free you from the inner toxins of mental and emotional disturbances, which obscure the innermost radiance of your true essence.

Your Unit 8 classes:

Class 1: Principles & Practices of Clinical-Level Self-Care, Part 4 (Outer Alchemy) (October 20)
Elective Session With Dr. Marc Halpern (October 25)
Class 2: Prana & Qi of the 5 Senses — Spiritual Dimensions of Detoxification, Part 1 (Inner Alchemy) (October 27)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (November 1)
Class 3: Ama & the 7 Stages of Disease — Detoxification Therapeutics, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (November 3)
Integration Session With David (November 8)
Class 4: Purifying Memories: Spiritual Dimensions of Detoxification, Part 1 (Inner Alchemy) (November 10)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (November 15)
Class 5: Detoxification Therapeutics, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (November 17)
Elective Session With Nashalla Nyinda (November 29)
Class 6: Dissolving the Body: Tantric Meditations on the Body of Space; Spiritual Dimensions of Detoxification, Part 2 (Inner Alchemy) (December 1)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (December 6)
Class 7: Detoxification Therapeutics, Part 3 (Outer Alchemy) (December 8)
Integration Session With David (December 13)

During Unit 8, you’ll discover:

Self-care skills to approach detoxification practices in a balanced and healthy way
Practices such as integrating simple, safe herbs and aromatics for ongoing gentle detoxification... meditating on the flow of sensory prana, developing personalized protocols that combine meditation, herbs, and aromatics for detoxification of mental Ama — the waste products of incomplete metabolism
How the conjunction of the mind, sense organs, and sense objects creates physiological balance or imbalance and depletion or rejuvenation — as the foundation of detoxification
How Ama accumulates and spread throughout the body, becoming the basis of disease processes
Classical Ayurvedic and contemporary detoxification methods to reverse and detoxify the body’s waste products
Herbs, aromatics, and meditation to purify the brain and subconscious of past emotional trauma — to enhance detoxification and deep rejuvenation
The principles of safe and effective physiological detoxification — and the role of detoxification in supporting rejuvenation
The inherent space-like nature of the body and mind as a method of dissolving the root causes of mental and emotional suffering
The principles of safe detoxification from addictions — and specialized detoxification protocols for environmental toxins
Three Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa
“Detoxification in Yoga and Ayurveda” with guest teacher Dr. Marc Halpern, ayurvedic doctor, doctor of chiropractic, and founder and president of the California College of Ayurveda
“Men Drup: Tibetan Mantra-Infused Medicines” with guest teacher Nashalla Nyinda, TMD (Tibetan medicine doctor), Menpa, M Acu. & LMT

Unit 9: Rejuvenation & Detoxification for Musculoskeletal Pain, Inflammation & Degeneration

Musculoskeletal pain and inflammation are great obstacles to living a joy-filled life of purpose, which includes meditative and yogic practices.

When you’re freed from pain by the powers of medicinal plants, a profound appreciation for the benevolence and healing compassion of nature’s remedies arises.

Numerous herbal medicines have significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic powers that can be helpful for both acute and chronic conditions. Some are in the form of essential oils that you can make into liniments, some are best taken as tinctures and teas, while others can be used in herbal baths.

These medicines are often milder in action than their modern synthetic counterparts, but work at a deeper level of healing and with far fewer side effects and adverse reactions.

The pharmacopeia of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory herbs is vast and requires knowledge to use correctly... but with a few simple, safe, and easily available species, even complex and chronic medical conditions can be resolved.

In this unit, the journey of Illuminated Herbalism focuses on increasing the comfort of the body — to enhance your quality of life and support your daily activities... and provide assistance as you discover deeper levels of meditative stability, concentration, and focus.

You can use your meditation practices to reduce your experience of pain, and learn to attain peace and equanimity with physical discomfort.

Your Unit 9 classes:

Class 1: Medicinal Plants for Pacifying Pain & Inflammation (Outer Alchemy) (December 15)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (January 3)
Class 2: Musculoskeletal Therapeutics, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (January 5)
Integration Session With David (January 10)
Class 3: Bone Health & Rejuvenation: Musculoskeletal Therapeutics, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (January 12)

During Unit 9, you’ll explore:

The nature of pain and inflammation and their role in spiritual evolution
The major categories of herbal medicines that help the most common types of pain
Practices such as herbal and aromatic baths for pain and inflammation and to support meditation... safe exercise protocols for building bone strength... herbal treatment for bone health based on your individual needs
Simple, effective, internal and external herbal methods to treat the most common musculoskeletal conditions, thereby preventing injuries and rejuvenating tissues
Traditional and contemporary herbal and nutritional strategies for protecting and rejuvenating bone tissue
Types of pain according to Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine
The safe uses of the most important anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and analgesic herbs for specific body systems
The primary types of musculoskeletal pain and inflammation that generally respond to herbal treatments
Bone tissue and its psychospiritual functions according to Qigong, yoga, tantra, and Asian medicine
The role of nutrition and digestive health in osteoporosis
Herbal care of muscles and joints for yoga practitioners and meditators
An Integration Session with K.P. Khalsa

Unit 10: Illuminated Herbalism & the Medical & Spiritual Dimensions of Rejuvenation

Just as pharmaceutical drugs cannot detoxify the body, they’re also incapable of replenishing the body’s nutrients and increasing true vitality.

Classical Asian medical systems and their closely aligned alchemical traditions offer powerful herbs and sophisticated methods for rejuvenating both the body and the mind... and for millennia have considered them indispensable for the spiritual journey.

As you advance in age, rejuvenative herbs play an increasingly important role in slowing bodily processes and counteracting the symptoms of physiological decline. In many cases, it’s possible to reverse chronic conditions you didn’t have the knowledge, resources, or ability to resolve earlier in life.

Using plants rich in nutritive compounds for nourishing the vital essence, you can restore strong immunity, overcome fatigue, and increase the length, quality, and enjoyment of life — all of which are required to complete the inner transformation of consciousness.

At the center of rejuvenation therapies are medicinal plants with adaptogenic powers. These plants offer unique restorative powers that balance and strengthen the immune, endocrine, and neurological systems. Modern research confirms their anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating properties.

Reputed to support meditation practices and enhance wisdom, these medicines are known to be the elixirs used by sages for millennia.

In this unit, the journey into Illuminated Herbalism enters the realm of Rasayana, the path of rejuvenation. Rejuvenation is the cure for all illnesses and health challenges arising from exhaustion and depletion. It’s the key to long life with fully functioning cognitive powers — the outer alchemy that supports the fulfillment of your inner spiritual potential.

Your Unit 10 classes:

Class 1: Ojas; Rejuvenation Therapeutics, Part 1 (Outer Alchemy) (January 19)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (January 24)
Class 2: The Nectar of Moonlight: The Spiritual Dimensions of Rejuvenation, Part 1 (Inner Alchemy) (January 26)
Elective Session With Daisy Lee (January 31)
Class 3: Rasayana: Rejuvenation Therapeutics, Part 2 (Outer Alchemy) (February 2)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (February 7)
Class 4: Rasa & The Essence of Satiation: The Spiritual Dimensions of Rejuvenation, Part 2 (Inner Alchemy) (February 9)
Integration Session With David (February 14)
Class 5: Roots of Powers & Mushrooms of Immortality — Rejuvenation Therapeutics, Part 3 (Outer Alchemy) (February 16)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (February 21)
Class 6: Support for Cancer & Autoimmune Patients — Immune Regulation, Detoxification, Nutrition (February 23)
Elective Session With Dr. Marisa Jackson-Kinman (February 28)

During Unit 10, you’ll explore:

The role of ojas in Ayurvedic medicine — including the health impacts of both their depletion and rejuvenation — and their role in longevity and illumination
How to work with the most ancient and powerful adaptogenic plants for vitality, rejuvenation, and longevity
Practices such as individual protocols for incorporating ojas-nourishing foods and herbs... integrating Rasayana herbs, formulas, and methods into daily life... and using herbs and aromatics rich in moonlight to support tranquility, contentment, and rejuvenation
The relationships among the moon, water, flowering plants, sweet flavors — and the rejuvenation of body and mind
Principles, practices, and herbal therapeutics of rejuvenation therapies
The meanings of “rasa” and its role in rasayana (rejuvenation)
Botanical medicines for regulating immunity and counteracting the toxicity of cancer, autoimmune conditions, and their treatment
Nurturing therapies and medicinal plants rich in nutritive compounds — to restore strong immunity, overcome fatigue, and increase the length, quality, and enjoyment of life
Three Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa
Qigong practices for rejuvenation with guest Daisy Lee, an internationally celebrated teacher, trainer, and workshop leader, and the founder of Radiant Lotus Qigong
Sexual energy, the mystical gateway to the remembrance of our true nature as spirit, with guest Dr. Marisa Jackson-Kinman, doctor of Ayurveda and senior faculty at the California College of Ayurveda

Unit 11: Sexual Rejuvenation, Longevity & the River of Life

Classical Asian medicine and its associated spiritual lineages place great emphasis on protecting and rejuvenating sexual vitality — not only for romantic and erotic fulfillment, but also for general health, rejuvenation, and longevity.

Medicinal plants offer many forms of nourishment that revitalize and enhance sexual functions, and when conjoined with knowledge of the spiritual dimensions of sexuality, this vitality energizes your contemplative path.

Your journey through the Illuminated Herbalism Program concludes at the source of life, the power of procreation — and how that power drew in and propelled our individual mindstream into this incarnation.

Sexual rejuvenation has always been considered the root of vitality, which, when nourished and turned inward, accelerates the completion of the inner alchemy by revealing the deepest levels of your essence and being.

Your Unit 11 classes:

Class 1: Gynecological Therapeutics (Outer Alchemy) (March 2)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (March 7)
Class 2: Mahat: The Mind of the Universe & The River of Life (Inner Alchemy) (March 9)
Integration Session With David (March 14)
Class 3: Illuminated Herbalism & Sexual Rejuvenation (Outer Alchemy) (March 16)
Integration Session With K.P. Khalsa (March 21)
Class 4: Conclusion (March 23)

In Unit 11, you’ll discover:

The primary herbal treatments for restoring balance to the female hormonal and reproductive systems
Practices such as developing individual protocols for incorporating herbs and formulas for gynecological and hormonal health... contemplating the river of the heartbeat to understand your lifespan... enhancing sexual rejuvenation with the subtle Rasa of botanical perfumes
The Samkhya system of how the individual mindstream evolves from the universal mind — including how the mindstream is incarnated into the innermost chamber of the heart
How to access your mindstream’s wisdom and guidance — and how the ancestors of your family lineages live on within our heartbeat
The unique aspects of rejuvenation therapies that focus on sexual vitality, and the role of sexual vitality in health and inner alchemy
Psychospiritual concepts of the uterus, menstruation, conception, and menopause from Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine and alchemy
The 3 mystic treasure boxes in the heart that contain primordial omniscient consciousness
Shukra and Jing — concepts of essence in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine
The role of nourishing the blood for sexual rejuvenation
Two Integration Sessions with K.P. Khalsa

What People Are Saying About David Crow...

— Krista Holland, Shift Faculty and Sacred Drummer: “David’s Teachings Are Set Into a Mature Spiritual Foundation”

— Karen Wang Diggs, Celebrated Author and Chef: “I Know Whatever Information David Choose to Disseminate Is Well-Researched and Substantiated by Science”

— Kathryn Wylde: “David Has an Incredible Desire to Bring His Teachings and His Knowledge to Help as Many People as He Can”

“As always, David Crow has a wealth of knowledge to impart to his students.”

I have taken quite a few courses from David Crow through The Shift Network. As always, David has a wealth of knowledge to impart to his students. I have learned so much from David to use in my everyday life and to talk to my friends about him and the courses he teaches. I highly recommend his courses and The Shift Network.
— Aretta Klingbeil, Fayetteville, Georgia

“He elegantly weaves the paths of legalities, realistic expectations, and self-responsibility...”

As a naturopath, I enjoy the opportunity to expand my knowledge and respect for the practices and philosophy of other cultures, which David gives firsthand experiences of. He elegantly weaves the paths of legalities, realistic expectations, and self-responsibility, and I agree with and practice the teaching to think like a clinician.
— Jenny Kenneally, Australia

“David Crow is an amazing teacher...”

This course exceeded my expectations. David Crow is an amazing teacher with his lectures and the added information he provides to ensure that we understand and have the resources available. I appreciate the multidimensional and spiritual, energetic aspects of the healing properties of the herbs and oils, and how he explains that.
— Marsha, Michigan

“I have taken several of David’s courses and have never been disappointed in any of them.”

I have taken several of David’s courses and have never been disappointed in any of them. The amount of information you receive has been very helpful for me and my practice.
— Emily Smith, Columbus, Ohio

“His courses and guidance have had a profound positive effect on my life.”

David Crow has an amazing range of knowledge about herbs, tree medicine, essential oils, and Chinese and Ayurvedic systems of healing. His courses are chock-full of information through lectures, monographs, and detailed handouts. I’ve also benefited from his one-on-one consultations, in which he encourages me to participate in my own healing by safely experimenting with herbs until I find the right combinations that soothe and heal. His courses and guidance have had a profound positive effect on my life.
— Nancy Simonds, East Windsor, Connecticut

“He is very patient and is able to explain things in a way that people of all levels can learn from.”

This was my first course with The Shift Network. David’s slides and materials were such a huge part of this course, I now have amazing references to go back to as I delve deeper into tree medicine. I am a visual learner, so David taking the time to show us what the resins and the trees actually look like will help me remember what they’re used for. This course has gotten me excited about learning more. I highly recommend taking this course and any other that David teaches. He is very patient and is able to explain things in a way that people of all levels can learn from.
— Catherine, Calgary, Canada

“I feel the course was superbly organized and the resources offered were amazing.”

I feel the course was superbly organized and the resources offered were amazing. As a practicing herbalist, I know the path of learning goes on forever, and this course not only taught me more, it gave me sources to study for a long time to come. It more than filled my expectations!
— Linda Vaughan, Santa Cruz, California

“His teachings give me a deeper understanding and awareness.”

I love David’s teachings, and how he combines practical knowledge, his wisdom, plant wisdom, the sacredness of trees, plants, nature, and the gifts she provides us and our connection to it. His teachings give me a deeper understanding and awareness. David and his teachings are a gift. I have taken several of his courses and will continue to take any future courses he offers.
— Ramona, Bancroft, Canada

“David is thoughtful, reverent, and kind in his responses to questions, and I really appreciate his global perspective on trees.”

There is so much to learn about tree medicine, and David presents the information in a comprehensive and organized format. I have incorporated more tree medicines into my home pharmacy and daily routine, and I have so much more to assimilate and put into practice. David is thoughtful, reverent, and kind in his responses to questions, and I really appreciate his global perspective on trees. He encourages us to continue to put all the pieces together in a “mandalic” image so as to understand the depth of healing that we can experience.
— Leslie, Avalon, California

“He has accumulated a lifetime of knowledge and experience to share, and he does so in a manner that is sensitive and understandable.”

I will not hesitate to take another course from David Crow in the future. He has accumulated a lifetime of knowledge and experience to share, and he does so in a manner that is sensitive and understandable. Every week, my curiosity was piqued to learn more and he offered the resources for me to do so. There is a vast wealth of information here and my study will continue through the additional resources he has provided.
— Dawn, Idaho

“Every lesson hit home with direct relevance to my life.”

Every lesson hit home with direct relevance to my life. Continuously surprised by how well thought out each lecture was.
— Matthew Marcy, Bluemont, Virginia

Join the Global Community

The Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program offers some of the most advanced online teachings available, within a thriving global community of learning and practice.

Join fellow students and practitioners to support and inspire each other as you integrate the teachings and practices David Crow will share in this powerful training.

You’ll be part of an international community that’s on the leading edge of a global movement of people manifesting a world grounded in principles of health and longevity, cooperation and harmony with nature and the cosmos, and reverence for all of life.

Here’s What You’ll Receive

Fifty-Three 120-Minute Class Sessions With David Crow

Experience a unique opportunity to be mentored by and learn from renowned plant medicine expert David Crow — online, from the comfort of your own home. Each class includes a live streaming video option and guides you to immerse yourself in deep, comprehensive, practical, and spiritual teachings and experiential practices to build your skills and catalyze profound transformation. Primary class sessions are on Thursdays at 10:00am Pacific.

Three 90-Minute Integration Sessions Every Month on Tuesdays at 10:00am Pacific

As part of the core curriculum, Integration Sessions will be led by David or K.P. Khalsa to provide the opportunity for deep listening, further immersion in the teachings, and working closely with faculty, as they share sacred expertise and provide group direction. Integration Sessions will be recorded for you to refer to time and again.

In a selection of these sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in Community Consultations under David’s guidance. David will demonstrate the key components of a successful professional herbal consultation — with group member contributions.

Elective Sessions

Throughout the year, you’ll be invited to attend several online workshops on Illuminated Herbalism-related topics presented on Tuesdays by guest faculty. These offerings will supplement and personalize your year-long experience as you choose what most interests you. You must attend at least three Electives throughout the year to receive your certification, but you are welcome to attend all of them.

Video Recordings of Class Sessions

After each online class, integration, and elective session, the digital video will be available for you to stream in high-quality format. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can watch anytime and anywhere at your convenience.

Audio Recordings of Class Sessions

After each online class, the audio will be available for you to download in high-quality MP3 format. You’ll never have to worry about missing a session, and you can listen anytime and anywhere at your convenience.

Transcripts of Class Sessions

In addition to the high-quality videos and MP3 audios, you’ll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.

Practices and Questions for Each Unit

David will be teaching principles that are best absorbed through direct experience. As such, he’ll provide you with techniques and methodologies to practice between sessions to accelerate your learning and more deeply embody the material. You’ll complete a written assessment after each unit to demonstrate your understanding of the content.

Online Community

Our exclusive online community is the perfect place to continue your discovery process after each class. Here, you can continue the discussion about your program materials and interact with your fellow students to take your exploration to an even deeper level.

20% Discount at Floracopeia Online Store

As part of your participation in the program, you’ll receive a 20% savings on any purchases you’d like to make from David’s Floracopeia online store. Floracopeia was established to provide the highest-quality aromatic treasures and health education — to support ecological agriculture and promote traditional plant-based knowledge. No purchase is required for the course, and it is not required to use Floracopeia products. You may use whatever products you’d like for your training.

Herbal Supplier Discount Package

David’s extensive knowledge of plant medicine comes with years of experience in selecting the best suppliers for his formulas. As part of your participation in this certification program, you’ll receive 10% savings on purchases made from three of David’s recommended herbal suppliers below. No purchase is required for the course, and it is also not required to use products from these particular brands. You may use whatever products you’d like for your training.

10% Discount at Banyan Botanicals
Banyan Botanicals produces the highest-quality Ayurvedic products using certified organic herbs that are sustainably sourced and fairly traded.

10% Discount at Herbalist & Alchemist
Herbalist & Alchemist’s mission is to develop, manufacture, and distribute herbal supplements that are of the highest quality, manufactured from plant material that originates in harmony with the environment: organically grown, ethically wild-crafted, or sustainably harvested.

10% Discount at Five Flavors Herbs
Five Flavors Herbs cultivates a unique and specialized approach to holistic healing and bridges the therapeutic traditions of East and West. Focused on sustainable, local, and ethically wild-harvested botanicals, they formulate herbal products that provide superior care for individual patients and reliable tools for practitioners and purveyors.

An Unprecedented Opportunity to Join the Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program

We feel honored that David Crow has chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive LIVE online training. This is a unique opportunity to interact directly with renowned plant medicine teachers whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.

If you’re serious about immersing yourself in a world-class certification and doing the intense inner work necessary for personal and global transformation, we hope you’ll consider taking this one-of-a-kind training. David is deeply humbled to journey with anyone who feels this level of calling and commitment.

If you’re ready to take the next step in evolving yourself, click the Apply Now button below to start the process now.

Note: If you have NOT experienced David Crow’s Mastering Ayurvedic, Chinese & Western Herbal Formulas to Detox, Rejuvenate & Heal teachings before (through the 7-module course), you’re welcome in this year-long certification program, but we ask that you register at a different page. Please click here to learn more and apply.

Investment and Application

Invest in yourself and bolster your contribution to our world with this immersive, first-of-its-kind Illuminated Herbalism certification program with David Crow.

Please note: We’ll be limiting the number of students in this exclusive training to ensure that each person receives an abundance of rich learning and support.

Total Program Investment:
$5,000 when paid in full
2 monthly payments of $2,550
or 9 monthly payments of $611

Are You Ready?
If So, Start Your Application Here

To consider you for this Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program, we must receive your completed application. If you’ve already submitted an application, thank you.

More Praise for David Crow...

“... respect and reverence for the traditions.”

David makes the ancient teachings of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Tibetan medicine relevant to our times, without compromising his respect and reverence for the traditions.
— Robert Thurman, American Buddhist writer and academic

“... the wisdom of the ancient Himalayan cultures...”

David shows us how the wisdom of the ancient Himalayan cultures can benefit humanity today.
— Deepak Chopra, MD, author of How to Know God

“... always up to date on modern developments in his field.”

David Crow is an elite teacher of natural medicine who really knows what he’s talking about — and is able to express that deep knowledge in a way that his audience can sink their teeth into. He has the rare, remarkable ability to make clear the sometimes arcane concepts of traditional healing systems, and he’s always up to date on modern developments in his field.
— K.P. Khalsa, Ayurvedic herbalist and teacher

“... a clear and articulate teacher of deep herbal wisdom.”

David is a clear and articulate teacher of deep herbal wisdom. Steeped in the ancient arts, he also has his finger on the pulse of the most current research. Time spent with David is time well spent!
— Dr. Marc Halpern, President of the California College of Ayurveda

“[David’s] knowledge of botanical medicine is unsurpassed...”

David is well-traveled and weaves traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medical wisdom together with modern scientific research and his own clinical experience. His knowledge of botanical medicine is unsurpassed — and grounded in an appreciation and love of the natural world that he brings to all his courses and topics.
— Dr. Jill Stansbury, naturopathic physician, Associate Professor Botanical Medicine, Medical Director

“[David’s] courses and classes are a treasure trove of information and knowledge.”

With a shared love of aromatherapy, herbal medicine, and gardening, I regard him as one of the experts and teachers from whom I’ve learned the most, and from whom I continue to learn. David’s writings are inspiring, his essential oils are divine, and his courses and classes are a treasure trove of information and knowledge.
— Chanchal Cabrera, RH (AHG), medicinal herbalist

“... shares practical ways to help you bring his teachings into your daily life.”

David Crow is a gifted teacher, practitioner, and author who has a deep understanding of how essential oils, herbs, and Traditional Chinese Medicine can enhance health and improve our lives. David’s educational programs are comprehensive, yet easily understood — and he shares practical ways to help you bring his teachings into your daily life.
— David Winston, RH(AHG), author of Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief

About David Crow

David Crow, LAc, is a master herbalist, aromatherapist, and acupuncturist with more than 40 years of experience. An expert in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, he is one of the world’s foremost authorities and leading speakers in the field of botanical medicine and grassroots healthcare. David has presented his vision of grassroots healthcare, preservation of botanical medicines, and the use of plants for ecological restoration to hundreds of audiences, including an internationally broadcast discussion with the Dalai Lama.

David is a renowned author, a poet, and the founding director of Floracopeia Aromatic Treasures. Floracopeia was created as a way to preserve and promote the use of botanical medicines as solutions to numerous interrelated global problems, such as lack of healthcare, poverty, environmental destruction, and loss of ethnobotanical knowledge.

He has given numerous keynote speeches, taught at conferences and colleges of naturopathic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurvedic medicine, and has been interviewed on numerous radio programs. He has published in several magazines, and his book, In Search of the Medicine Buddha, has been translated into three foreign editions. David travels and teaches throughout the world. Through his visionary synthesis of medicine, ecology, and spirituality, he has helped transform the lives of thousands.

Guest Faculty

Rosita Arvigo

Adriana Ayales

Dr. John Douillard

Dr. Marc Halpern

Dr. Marisa Jackson-Kinman

Daisy Lee

Nashalla Nyinda

Puma Fredy Quispe Singona

Karen Wang Diggs

Integration Facilitator

Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Yogaraj (Ayurveda), AD, DN-C, RH, is one of the foremost natural healing experts in North America. He holds a doctorate in Ayurveda, and is nationally credentialed in the U.S. to teach herbalism, Kundalini yoga, and Ayurvedic massage.

K.P. is a professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, a founding faculty of the Ayurvedic sciences program at Bastyr University, president emeritus of the American Herbalists Guild, and director emeritus of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. He’s also a faculty member in the botanical medicine department at the National College of Natural Medicine, where he trains naturopathic medical students and teaches Ayurveda.

He’s written or edited 30 books, including major works on Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and physiology. His latest book, The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs, co-authored with Michael Tierra, brings Ayurveda to life in an understandable and practical way.

To consider you for this Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program, we must receive your completed application. If you’ve already submitted an application, thank you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: If you have NOT experienced David Crow’s Mastering Ayurvedic, Chinese & Western Herbal Formulas to Detox, Rejuvenate & Healteachings before (through the 7-module course), you’re welcome in this year-long certification program, but we ask that you register at a different page. Please click here to learn more and apply.

Q: What is the price point, and do you offer payment plans?

A: For graduates of Mastering Ayurvedic, Chinese & Western Herbal Formulas to Detox, Rejuvenate & Heal, the investment is $5,000 USD if paid in full (2- and 9-month payment plans available).

If you register with a payment plan, your first payment will be due upon registration, and subsequent payments will be automatically processed every 30 days until complete. The total payment plan price includes a finance charge.

Q: Are scholarships available?

A: A limited number of partial scholarships will be made available. To be considered for a partial scholarship, please fill out the program application. If accepted into the program, a link to apply for one of our limited partial scholarships will be included in your acceptance email.

Q: What is the refund policy?

A: Your purchase will be refundable on or before the third class of Unit 1 on March 10, 2022 at Midnight Pacific. When you relinquish your seat in the program, we will open your spot to the next person on our waitlist.

Q: Will this program certify me to practice as an herbalist?

A: While there are no institutions in the United States that can certify you to legally practice herbal medicine, nor is there a licensing board, this program does certify you as a practitioner of David Crow’s system of Illuminated Herbalism.

Q: What programming is involved in the certification program & schedule?

A: All sessions will be held online through Zoom. There will be no in-person engagement.

The program starts on February 17, 2022, and ends on March 23, 2023.

Class Sessions: Two hours per week on Thursdays at 10:00am Pacific most weeks of the year. Students may attend live on Zoom or access the recording soon after. Students are expected to attend all class sessions or access the recordings during the same week of the live teaching.

Integration Sessions: 90 minutes on three Tuesdays at 10:00am Pacific throughout each month, led by David Crow or Integration Facilitator K.P. Khalsa. Students are expected to attend (or access the recording of) every Integration Session.

Guest Faculty Sessions: Workshops will be offered one Tuesday per month most months of the year on various topics to supplement and expand on the teachings. Students are expected to attend three Electives throughout the year for their certification. Recordings will be available for students to access on their own time.

Q: If I participate, how many hours per month should I plan on dedicating to this certification program?

A: This will vary depending on whether you choose to attend all offerings or the minimum requirement, but on average, you can expect to spend approximately 16-20 hours per month on this program.

For answers to additional questions about the Illuminated Herbalism Certification Program, please see our extended Frequently Asked Questions support page.