In today's episode, I’m joined by Mike Masek, director of The Forager’s Path School of Botanical Studies in Flagstaff, Arizona. With over 30 years of experience and training in Herbal Medicine, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mike has devoted his life to helping students move beyond textbook knowledge — into real, embodied herbal wisdom rooted in nature and daily life.

In this episode we dive into:

🌿 How vitalist herbalism differs from “green pill” thinking
🌿 The difference between family, community, and clinical herbalists
🌿 How to address stress at the root by healing your sensory input & accessing beauty
🌿 Why learning your local plants is more powerful than memorizing distant materia medica
🌿 Ethical wildcrafting and honoring the seasonal rhythms of nature
🌿 Practical advice for herbal beginners ready to build hands-on experience

We also explore why true herbalism is about practicing — not just studying — and how slowing down, observing, and building relationship with plants transforms not only your herbal skills, but your entire life.

Whether you're just starting out or deepening your herbal path, Mike's grounded wisdom will leave you inspired to reconnect with the plants, the land, and yourself.

Links & Resources:

• Mike's Website: www.theforagerspath.com
• Mike's Facebook
• The Foragers Path Instagram

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

What does it look like to build a thriving herbal business rooted in community, care, and ancestral wisdom?

This week Elliott sits down with Sarah Josey, clinical herbalist and founder of Golden Poppy Apothecary in Fort Collins, Colorado, to explore how herbalism can be made accessible, practical, and deeply human. From her start in biochemistry to becoming a community herbalist and business owner, Sarah shares the winding journey of following her calling—and how she’s built a 14-woman team that operates like a modern-day village.

They talk about motherhood in the workplace, crafting herbal remedies for everyday people, honoring diverse herbal traditions, and the sacredness woven into fertility and postpartum care. It’s a beautiful reminder that herbalism doesn’t have to be complicated and when it is cultivated within community, it helps everyone grow.

In This Episode We Cover:

• Sarah’s journey from biochemistry to herb school with Paul Bergner
• What it means to practice “herbalism for the people”
• The evolution of Golden Poppy Apothecary and building a 14-woman team
• Supporting motherhood and children in the workplace
• Honoring ancestral and folk herbal traditions around the world
• Sacred fertility work and postpartum rituals
• Herbs for trying to conceive, pregnancy & postpartum
• Creating herbal products based on real community needs
• Running classes and bringing in ancestral craft as part of herbal learning

Links & Resources:

• Golden Poppy Apothecary (Fort Collins, CO)
• Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism
• Golden Poppy Instagram

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

This week we have a very personal, solo episode. I’m dropping in with you one-on-one—no guests, just a real-time reflection from my heart to yours. It’s been just over a month since launching the podcast, and while it's been a whirlwind of incredible conversations, I wanted to pause, connect, and share what’s been moving through me.

This episode is about grief, growth, and the gentle reminder to slow down. I open up about the recent loss of our beloved dog Bleau and how that grief is shaping my perspective and shifting the pace of this podcast—and life in general. I talk about the arc of his life and how the seasons mirror our own inner transitions.

We explore:

• The challenge and beauty of being a sensitive person navigating creativity and business
• My transition to releasing bi-monthly episodes to honor sustainability and ease
• The energetic dance between masculine and feminine modes of working
• How grief reorients everything—and how nature, ritual, and plants offer healing

I also dive into the powerful herbal allies that are helping me stay grounded and open-hearted right now, including hawthorn, rose, and reishi, the key herbs in my Rooted Heart Elixir. We talk about Shen tonics in Traditional Chinese Medicine and how they support both grief and voice—two themes that feel intertwined in this moment.

✨ Herbal Allies Discussed:

• Hawthorn – for heart support, grief, and liminal times
• Rose – for boundaries, beauty, and authentic expression
• Reishi – for nervous system regulation, grounding, and spiritual connection

🌱 Whether you're navigating your own grief, creative burnout, or just craving a deeper sense of presence and alignment this spring, this episode is for you. It's a vulnerable one—but also a hopeful one. We're moving through the sacred dark together.

Links + Resources:

• Rooted Heart Elixir (Hawthorn, Rose, Reishi + Honey)
• Blooming Rooted Retreat, Autumn 2025
• Botanical Breathwork with Dandelion, April 27th

I'd love to hear from you. How are you moving through this season? What’s been resonating?

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco