Classes & Events

We live in a bountiful and beautiful environment near the coast of Maine. Nature's abundance calls us to reconnect with all of our senses and to develop our skills as gardeners and healers. The Herbal Classroom, located on Avena's 3-acre certified organic and biodynamic, invites you to renew your relationship with nature's rhythms and wisdom. Come celebrate and deepen your connection to the green plants and to your inner spiritual resources by attending one or more of our classes and herb walks. 

   2013 Medicinal Herb Garden Walks with Deb Soule   

May 12, 2013 16th Annual Mother's Day Plant Sale, Sunday, 12-3

                          Medicinal Herb Garden Walk with Deb, 1:30-2:30

June 12, 2013, Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm

June 26, 2013 Pollinator Walk in celebration of National Pollinator Week, Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm

July 10, 2013, Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm

July 24 2013, Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm

August 7, 2013, Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm

August 14, 2013, Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 pm

Other Events

"Growing, Gathering and Using Medicinal Herbs" A talk by herbalist Deb Soule at the McLaughlin Gardens
July 13th at 3:00pm at 97 Main Street, South Paris, Maine
Join Deb Soule, originally from South Paris, for an informative and colorful slide show on medicinal herbs followed by a garden walk led by Kristin. Deb was inspired by Bernard McLaughlin while growing up in South Paris which she briefly describes in her newly released book How To Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants.

Herbalist Deb Soule will be speaking on the Medicinal Uses of Herbs at Merry Springs, July 23rd at noon http://www.merryspring.org/

Karyn Sanders (Offering a weekend class 8/31-9/1 listed below) Friday, August 30 at 7pm  $15
An introductory talk about working with medicinal plants from a Native American perspective

Art of Healing with Herbs with Deb Soule and Jillian Rose (A summer-long class, listed below)

Our Living Earth, Living Soul Series
Sponsored by Avena Botanicals and MOFGA
In honor of the late Russell Libby, a fundraiser for the Russell Libby Memorial Fund

This series of classes is offered by Herbalist Deb Soule and other teachers, all passionate about the health of people and our planet. Avena Botanicals' Medicinal Gardens have been certified by MOFGA for 28 years and founder Deb Soule knew Russell Libby for most of that time. These classes aim to bring people together to learn herbal and nutritional ways to care for ourselves in today's stress filled world, to gain better understanding of why seed and soil quality are essential for growing healthy food and herbs, and to explore specific herbs and foods being used in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Each speaker is donating their time. All proceeds go directly to the Russell Libby Memorial Fund. Classes are by donation only. Suggested donation: $5-$500.

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. For information and registration call Avena Botanicals at 207-594-0694. If you are unable to attend and wish to make a tax-deductible donation to the Russell Libby Memorial Fund, contact MOFGA at 207-568-4142 or visit www.mofga.org

Saturday, February 16, 10-11:30a
Herbs for Easing Stress and Building Resiliency
With Herbalist Deb Soule

Saturday, March 16, 10-11:30a
Seeds, Soil and Spirit
With CR Lawn from FEDCO Seeds

Saturday, April 13, 10-11:30a
Herbs and Meditation for Calming the Mind and Easing Despair and Grief
With Herbalists Deb Soule and Kahadish Wa'adabi 

Saturday, April 27, 10-noon
Cancer Prevention and Treatment with Herbs and Whole Foods
With nurse practitioner and herbalist Kristina King

Kristina King, FNP- C and clinical herbalist

Kristina was born to a very medical family of three generations of physicians and two of nurses. But her fascination with health and illness took her elsewhere, to the garden, to the woods and then eventually to nurse practitioner school. She has studied with many herbalists including David Winston and, most recently, the pioneering Donnie Yance an innovative clinician with over 30 years of experience helping patients live healthy lives in the face of often advanced-stage cancer.

She has practiced integrative and alternative medicine at the Hopi Health Care Center in Arizona’s high desert and upon returning to her native Maine, she was one of three NP/PA providers providing medical care, including alternative services, for an island of 1,200 people year around off the coast of Maine. She now works at Maine Integative Healtcare in Manchester, Maine, and provides energetic bodywork and health consults at Rheal Day Spa in Rockland.

She’s a Third degree Reiki practitioner trained by Libby Barnett, Reiki Master in the Usui, Hayashi, Takata lineage and Dr. Dustin Sulak. Kristina studied with Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, author of Coyote Medicine, whose work is very helpful for releasing stuck messages lodged in the body, returning patients to better health, and reducing pain. Finally, she practices the hands on techniques of William Bengston, PhD that have demonstrated the ability to cure cancer in lab mice and humans.
She invites you to explore the health within you!

2013 Classes

The Art of Healing with Herbs

Celebrating Women's Wisdom and our Connection to the Plant World

With Deb Soule and Jillian Kelsey-Rose

A women's herbal class set in the beautiful, three-acre biodynamic gardens of Avena Botanicals.  This summer-long class takes place one weekend per month for four months, inviting students to learn about medicinal herbs in their different growth stages:  beginning in May with newly sprouting life, following through to August when the garden is overflowing with flowers and hummingbirds. 

Our teaching includes a strong emphasis on eating and preparing medicine with the seasons, moving from spring into the fullness of summer towards autumn.  We will explore the roots of traditional knowledge and usage, both in our daily lives and in working with illness.  We will talk about and work with the spiritual aspects of plants and scientific viewpoints, building a balanced foundation for working with medicinal plants to support daily and seasonal health and vitality.  Each weekend will include exercises and teachings on biodynamic gardening, growing, collecting and using medicinal herbs, medicine-making, flower essences, plant meditations and walking meditations. Students will gain confidence and skills in preparing and using fresh plant tinctures, glycerites, oils, salves, poultices, foot baths and facial steams for various conditions. 

Our aim is to provide direct, experiential teaching in the garden and to inspire and deepen womens connection with the plants and our inner wisdom.

Save the dates:  May 17-19, June 14-16, July 19-21, August 16-18  2013

 Registration at 2:00 each Friday and wrap up after lunch on Sunday

 Camping available on site at no added cost, there is also a limited indoor camping available, call for details

 Six vegetarian meals are provided each weekend, made on site with only local, organic ingredients

Cost:  $1500.00 ($375 per weekend)  Payment plans available. Please make checks payable to "The Herbal Classroom."

Working with Health and Herbs from a Native American Perspective
Sat-Sunday August 31st and September 1st 10a-4p

vegetarian, organic lunch provided both days and fresh herbal teas
$190

In this class we will be looking at what health, balance and medicine mean from a First Nation's perspective. What does it mean to be in balance? What are all of the factors that are needed to be healthy? We will explore seeing ourselves as energy and light. We will look at how the emotional and spiritual guide us and how they influence and lead the physical. Class time will include meditations, sitting with plants, tasting plant medicines and working with energy. This class will also talk about the energy and medicine of the plant people and growing and collecting herbs. Other topics may be covered as the spirits see fit. 

Karyn Sanders has been working with plant medicine her whole life. She is Chata (Choctaw) on one side and first generation Hungarian/Jewish on the other. Karyn started her training at seven years old and had 10 years of continuous traditional training. Beyond that she had two more years of traditional native training and attended a Western herbal school. Karyn has  been working with people and teaching herbal classes for 40 years. She co-runs the Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine in Northern California (www.blueotterschool.com <http://www.blueotterschool.com> ). Since 1996 Karyn has produced and hosted a live radio-show, The Herbal Highway, that airs every Thursday from 1-2 PM (PST) (http://www.kpfa.org/herbal-highway).