Pre-Conference Events
13th Annual Midwest Women's Herbal Conference
Celebrating 13 years of Plants, Funga, & Sisterhood
Featuring Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, MD • Mimi Hernandez • Lisa Ganora
Pre-Conference events take place Tuesday, May 21 - Friday, May 24, 2024
at Camp Helen Brachman in Almond, WI
Sign up for a Pre-Conference 2 or 3-day immersion, or 3-hour workshop! Participants will complete all pre-conference events before the main conference begins. You can either add a Pre-Conference event to your Main Conference registration, or choose to only attend a Pre-Conference workshop.
Pre-Conference 2- and 3-day Immersions
Multi-day workshops that offer an incredible opportunity to take a deep dive into a specific topic in small groups with amazing teachers!
Pre-Conference 3-hour Workshops
These workshops offer attendees the chance to deepen and expand their skills and knowledge in these 3 hour classes happening Thursday and Friday before the Main Conference.
Pre-Conference 2 & 3-day IMMERSIONS
Tuesday, May 21- Thursday, May 23 | 9am-5pm
Wise Woman Tradition Immersion
with Susun Weed
In our three days together, we will discover and explore the unique perspective of the Wise Woman Tradition, which nourishes wholeness. We will sit upon the three-legged stool of nourishment and observe our impressions, create rituals, and listen keenly to each other. Each day begins with a talking stick ceremony, grows as we desire, includes trance work and hands-on remedy preparation, and delights us with story and song.
Day One: Discovering the Wise Woman Tradition
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What is the Wise Woman Tradition?
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How does it differ from alternative medicine?
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From modern medicine?
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Why is herbal medicine people’s medicine?
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Trance: Connect with the Ancestors
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Herbs are not drugs
Day Two: Nourishing the Wise Woman Way
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What is a nourishing herbal infusion?
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Why do we want to break cell walls?
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Is the soil really depleted?
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Do supplements work?
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Trance: Connect with the earth
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There are no toxins
Day Three: Using the Wise Woman Tradition
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How do I decide which herbs to use?
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What is a simple?
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What is the difference between a tincture and a tea?
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How can I help others?
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The Great Remedies
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Trance: Connect with your green ally
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There are no diseases
Tuesday, May 21 - Thursday, May 23 | 9am-5pm
Transform Your Voice, Transform Your Life with Cornelia Cho
The way you sound and the way you think are inextricably linked. Discover the power of using your voice to rewire your mind. Changing your life starts with changing your voice.
As infants and throughout our lives, we respond to tone immediately and involuntarily. We cringe from a gruff tone and warm to a loving one. In this three-day immersion, Dr. Cho will guide us through using the mind-body-voice connection to initiate change from within.
As Bessel van der Kolk explains in "The Body Keeps The Score" our body stores unresolved trauma that keeps impacting our life until it's healed. So our tone of voice not only keeps the score, it shouts the score from the rooftops every time we speak.
Our habitual tone directly reflects our psychological life history - the complex total of early expectations placed upon us, ways of speaking modeled for us, what we were raised to believe about ourselves, messages aimed at us by society, and even cultural and historical events that impacted those with our heritage(s).
This voice work differs from most because it doesn't focus on either singing or public speaking voice, though doing this process could improve either or both.
Rather than imposing changes from the outside in, we'll be instigating changes from deep inside ourselves and watching it spread out to all aspects of life. By tapping into the power of voice to reshape our inner self, instead of becoming more self-conscious, we can become freer and less self-conscious.
Within the collaborative, supportive environment she's become known for, Cornelia will lead you through the following process:
The following "ABC and three R's" will start you on the path to rewiring your brain. As a bonus, you can 'road test' your newer tone immediately. How fun is that?
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Analyze: What message are you sending with your current tone? You'll start being able to hear the increasing difference in your tone.
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Backstory: What are the elements that contributed to it?
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Challenge: Pinpoint the tone that directly opposes all of that training.
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React: Because your training was intended to restrict your range, you'll respond strongly to speaking the "challenge tone."
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Release: Letting your body process your response is an important part of your healing.
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Repeat: Persistence pays off. You'll start being able to hear the increasing difference in your tone. The "ABC and three R's" will start you on the path to rewiring your brain. As a bonus, you can 'road test' your newer tone immediately. How fun is that?
Real Life Examples:
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Applying this method to herself contributed to Cornelia's development into a frequent keynote speaker.
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A grandmother, by repeatedly adjusting her tone, has gotten her previously school-skipping granddaughter to not just attend school but to seriously apply herself towards graduating this year.
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Another woman has been getting numerous apologies from a decades-long partner who never used to be aware of how 'snippy' they could sound.
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Since learning about tone, Cornelia and her husband have significantly improved their relationship, replacing triggered responses and reactions with camaraderie and laughter.
Join this Transformative Immersion!
Join us in this unique transformational offering and help create a world where our female voices can shine authentically and we can speak as our true selves.
2-Day Immersion:
Wednesday, May 22 - Thursday, May 23
9am-5pm
Herbal First Aid
with Linda Conroy and Leah Wolfe
Join herbalists Linda Conroy and Leah Wolfe for this interactive experiential workshop. Learn basic first aid assessment skills, including the ABCs, and basic strategies for dealing with emergencies, while applying herbs in common injuries and ailments. Linda and Leah will talk about herbs for urinary issues, digestive issues, allergies, anxiety, bleeding, dental issues, tick bites, stings, and other bites, burns, headaches, earaches, wounds, bruises, dehydration/heat exhaustion, eye issues, poison ivy, sprains, strains, and bruising. The instructors will bring their first aid kits and share the contents and their favorite first aid herbs and strategies.
The following topics will be covered:
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Know what you need to have on hand for common first-aid situations (for home and travel)
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Develop assessment skills
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Learn to attend to acute situations
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Provide comfort and relief
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~Identify common ailments and injuries (a list will be created in collaboration with participants)
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Discuss safety considerations and red flags
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Brainstorm psychological first aid techniques for creating calm
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Learn about herbs and their applications (a comprehensive handout will be provided)
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Practice applying several first-aid remedies
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Practice scenarios to build skills and confidence
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Start some remedies for your own first aid kit
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Share recommendations for continued study
In the last part of the workshop, put together some remedies for a basic first aid kit to take home. Plus, learn some basic skills for using tinctures, salves, poultices, eye washes, lozenges, and more.
Pre-Conference 3-hour WORKSHOPS
on Thursday, May 23 (6:30-9:30pm)
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | 6:30-9:30pm
Introduction to Herbal Constituents
with Lisa Ganora
Come explore the inner mysteries of herbs in our 3-hour presentation, Introduction to Herbal Constituents. We'll dive into the fascinating world of phytochemicals to understand them as information signals and "patterns of energy in relationship" that contribute to the energetics and therapeutic actions of your favorite herbs. Explore the synergistic interplay among constituents, and learn why an herb is much more than the sum of its parts(constituent). We'll also touch on the art of identifying constituents through sensory evaluation (organoleptics), and discuss how to improve your herbal preparations by focusing on specific constituents and the essentials of solubility and extraction. Join us for an enriching exploration of the inner world of medicinal herbs, and learn some practical ways to transform your practice through a deeper understanding of the living, dynamic phytochemicals in herbs. Lisa Ganora's approach to plant chemistry is rooted in her Wise Woman way of respecting, loving, and partnering with the plants as living, healing entities that embody their spirits in aspects of the physical world - like herbal constituents!
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | 6:30-9:30pm
Heal The Healer, A Clarity BreathWork Shamanic Ritual with Crystal Dawn Silas
Embark on a transformative journey through this Clarity Breathwork Ceremony, where you'll navigate transcendent states and embrace the healer archetype's purpose and passion. With evocative music, guided imagery, and breathwork, we'll commune with the Gaia Grandmother Spirit, receiving personal messages of rebirth, rejuvenation, regeneration, and release for enhanced well-being. Join us for deep healing and a profound connection with the natural world through this ancient shamanic practice. Eat a very light dinner. Bring an eye mask, blanket, sleeping bag, sweater, socks, and anything else to create a comfy nest for yourself. Mattresses provided.
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | 6:30-9:30pm
The Art of the Sacred Pinecone
with Dr. Tess Kenney
Join us for an enlightening workshop focused on the mystical Pineal gland, delving into the symbolism of the sacred pinecone. This unique session will explore the intriguing connections with the third eye concept, offering a deeper understanding of its significance in various cultural and spiritual contexts. Enhance your experience with a hands-on activity: drawing a detailed segment of a pinecone using natural walnut ink, a method that blends art with nature's beauty. This workshop promises to be a journey of discovery and creativity, ideal for those interested in the intersection of spirituality, biology, and art.
Pre-Conference 3-hour WORKSHOPS
on Friday, May 24 (9am-12pm)
Friday, May 24, 2024 | 9am-12pm
Herbs for Love & Limpia - Cleansing Herbs for Ceremonial Self-Love with Mimi Hernandez
Welcome to the enchanting world of herbs for love and limpia! In this unique experience, we will explore the transformative power of herbs and their profound effects on our emotional well-being and spiritual growth. Drawing inspiration from ancient traditions and embracing modern practices, we will delve into the art of using specific herbs for ceremonial cleansing and cultivating self-love. Discover a carefully curated collection of herbs known for their potent energetic qualities. Some of the herbs we'll delve into include cacao, rose, Aztec marigold, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lavender, rue, copal, lemongrass, and more. Each herb has a unique vibration and purpose that contributes to our journey of self-love and personal resilience. Our exploration will encompass various techniques for working with these herbs. We will learn how to cleanse and protect our energy from external influences, empowering us to maintain a sense of balance and harmony. Through methods such as spiritual bathing, burning, and energy sweeps, we will develop rituals to release stagnant energy and cleanse our energetic space.
Friday, May 24, 2024 | 9am-12pm
Tincture Making: Folk to Formulation
with Katie Knipfer
Herbal tinctures are an easy and accessible form of herbal medicine that can be made right in your kitchen or the field.
In this hands-on pre conference workshop, we will:
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Learn to make a variety of herbal tinctures using fresh and dried herbs
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Learn about what tinctures are, their concentrations, and dosing
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Discuss solubility of herbal constituents in alcohol and water
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Make herbal tinctures using methods including: folk, maceration, percolation
Each participant will gain experience making a variety of tinctures and receive handouts with step by step instructions. Leave feeling more confident in your tincture making skills as well as with a few tinctures of your own to add to your herbal apothecary. All equipment, alcohol, and herbs will be provided.
Friday, May 24, 2024 | 9am-12pm
Flowers and Ashes: Creative Death Rituals for the Modern Woman with Katherine MacLean
]In this workshop, Katherine MacLean will explore the complex and invigorating territory of psychedelics, death, and personal transformation. Many of us may have recently lost a loved one. Some of us may have already developed personal rituals and practices that have helped us navigate and even celebrate these losses. This workshop is inspired by Katherine's experience as a psychedelic researcher and guide at Johns Hopkins University and School of Medicine, as well as her experience holding space for her family members during death. She will discuss her own approach to being with dying and death, which draws upon Buddhist mindfulness and compassion meditations, psychedelic use (notably, mushrooms, cactus, and MDMA), and the application of fire and water elements to support the physical transition of life energy before, during, and after death. Please note that this workshop is not intended to support illegal activities and does not include ingesting any psychoactive substances. Participants are expected to show up in a clear and sober frame of mind and body. There will be an opportunity for brief, confidential sharing of personal experiences (if participants wish), and Katherine welcomes participants to bring examples of creative death rituals they have used in their own lives.
Friday, May 24, 2024 | 9am-12pm
Beginning Botanical Illustration with Tess Kenney and Rose Tursi
Dr. Theresa A. Kenney will present an intimate seminar on Colonial Era Plant Studies: Celebrating Jane Colden (1724-1766), the First Woman Botanist in the Pre-Revolutional America. Attendees will engage in the art of botanical illustration as practiced by early naturalists. The session will cover the life and contributions of Colden from the Hudson Highlands in New York. It will also touch upon the revolutionary binomial classification system of Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist. Participants will acquire skills in botanical drawing for accurate plant recording.
Friday, May 24, 2024 | 9am-12pm
Medicinal Herb Cultivation – The Horticulture of Herbs with Jane Hawley
Join Jane and enter the world of wonder and beauty learning to cultivate medicinal herbs and flowers for business or pleasure! Herb sales continue to rise as more people become aware of their unlimited healing potential. With this increased demand for medicinal herbs, more growers are needed. But you can learn to grow herbs simply for fun and increased well-being. Jane will reference her new book, “The Celestial Garden, Growing Herbs, Vegetables, and Flowers According to the Moon and the Zodiac” demonstrating hands-on propagation, seed sowing, and plant division. You will take home some cool herb plants, too! Join Jane to expand your knowledge of the Horticulture of Herbs!
