My goal in taking people into the forest is to help them get acquainted with and feel at ease with every medicinal plant in the forest. I believe that, once a person knows their plants, they can gain a better connection and reverence for nature that surrounds them. I challenge the participant to be in touch with all of their senses and use their intuition to guide them in finding the medicinal uses for the plants that we encounter.

Once I find a medicinal plant to explore, I give each participant a piece of the plant to see, smell and taste. Once they have fully experienced the plant, I will ask them to feel where the plant is working in their body. They may feel sensations such as tingling, changes in temperature, or even changes in their emotions. All of these sensations are clues as to how the plant acts on the body.

Due to our individual uniqueness, each person may have different sensations when experiencing the plant. Also, each plant has many constituents and hence a multitude of effects. The action that is needed most for the participant is expressed by the plant when introduced in a sensory manner.

Once I have input from all participants, I will describe the established actions of the plant. I believe this immersive experience with will create a lasting memory of the plant due to its imprint of the “felt sense” in each participant.