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Herbalists Without Borders - Iowa Chapter Meet Our Members ~Written by Valarie Kimm One Sunday each month, 5 inspirational women meet in Studio 128 of the beautiful, historic Cherry Building near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Cherry Building is nestled within a district known as NewBo (New Bohemia), named for the Czech immigrant population that first settled the area in the mid to late 1800’s. The neighborhood is now comprised of a wide variety of small businesses; including arts, culture and entertainment venues, and former industrial sites. Inside the Cherry Building, within the atrium of the main level, the entrance to the studio glows invitingly with the soft flickering light from an electric fireplace. Comfortable furnishings, candles, and natural décor provide a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. These 5 women assemble together, unifying to provide their unique experience and energies, an opportunity for the community to be empowered and assisted, through their services and knowledge of available resources. Each woman brings her own set of tools, products, and skills, for one very important purpose… providing free/low cost (donation-based) alternative health and wellness consultation, services, and referrals for community members in need. What are the benefits attending a People's Clinic?Herbalists Without Borders International sponsors People's Clinics globally, with locations and services being offered in many countries throughout the world. The HWB Iowa Chapter, based in Cedar Rapids and led by Donna Bass, Chapter Coordinator, is currently the only HWB chapter located in Iowa. Promoting the establishment and growth of additional chapters is very important to making this beneficial opportunity available to more communities and their members. All community members are welcome and are invited to monthly People's Clinics in Cedar Rapids via publicly-posted flyers, social media event pages, personal invitations from family/friends/co-workers, and promotions/referrals through local businesses that advertise wellness programs. People's Clinic is targeted to reach and help everyone in the community, but especially those who are uninsured, underinsured, and cannot afford necessary interim services outside of their regular appointments with medical/healthcare providers. No one is turned away from People's Clinic for inability to pay. Donation-based services are provided to all, at no/low cost to participants. Services offered at Cedar Rapids People's Clinics currently include herbal consultation, referrals to community resources, licensed massage therapy (chair massage/hand massage), essential oil aromatherapy, energy work, Reiki, modern shamanic practices, sound therapies (singing bowls, drum/rattle), spiritual guidance, and more. Participants are invited to experience one, or as many services as they have time to complete. HWB headquarters (or “The Mothership” as the Iowa Chapter lovingly refers to it), will often provide donations of natural body products and herbal supplements which are given (free) to clinic participants and community members in need. These 5 women in Iowa volunteer many gifts; a variety of services, products, wisdom, and loving presence, holding space and promoting transformation of mind, body, and spirit. Everyone who attends People's Clinic in Cedar Rapids is not only treated with dignity and respect, all are given unconditional LOVE from each practitioner, and offered support to face whatever life changes they may be encountering. HWB Iowa Chapter members are proud of the connection, emotion, and energy they are sharing with the Cedar Rapids community and its’ members. Who are the 5 members of the HWB Iowa Chapter? Donna Bass - Master Herbalist, Cosmetologist, Founder HWB Iowa Chapter Donna Bass, Founder of the HWB Iowa Chapter, earned a Master’s degree in Herbalism, and is a licensed cosmetologist. Donna completes review of intake paperwork with participating community members, provides herbal consultations, as well as offering suggestions/recommendations for resources and services. Donna is passionate about helping those who are underserved in the community, especially those diagnosed with PTSD, who are experiencing homelessness, and people needing resources. Donna loves educating people and indulging them with her unique line of herbal body products, salon, and spa services. She currently works in Brunettes on Center Point Rd. NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. You can schedule services or a consultation with Donna by contacting Brunettes at 319-393-1817.  Rebekah “Bex” Hurn – Licensed Massage Therapist Rebekah provides licensed massage therapy and other bodywork within Studio 128, inside the Cherry Building, in Cedar Rapids, IA. She describes herself as “a massage therapist that incorporates different modalities into a treatment. Anything from essential oils to energy work to sound bowls can be used…” Rebekah likes creating balance, a safe and sacred space for healing, and enjoys working on the root cause of pain and discomfort. She has generously donated the sacred space in her studio each month, allowing HWB Peoples’ Clinic volunteer practitioners a space to work within, so that the community may be invited to receive low/no cost alternative services.  Jennifer Davis-Bachmann - Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki II Practitioner Jennifer Davis-Bachmann is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki II Practitioner. She offers chair massage, hand massage, stretching, and aromatherapy services at Peoples’ Clinic in Cedar Rapids each month. Jen provides licensed massage therapy and Reiki sessions in Marion, IA and Cedar Rapids area. Jen serves anyone in need of relief from chronic pain, or who just wants to experience relaxation, de-stressing, and rebalancing. You can schedule by contacting her at 319-551-0862 or sending her a message through the Echo of My Heart Healing and Massage Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/echoofmyheart/  Paula Hinzman-Mitchell – Herbalist, Usui Reiki Master/Teacher, Shamanic Practitioner Paula is a practitioner of Modern Core Shamanism and provides Reiki and shamanic energy work during Peoples’ Clinic each month. She also provides shamanic energywork and reiki sessions at ReAlive in Marion, Iowa by appointment and at selected events. Paula works with anyone who wants to connect with their own spiritual path, their own sacred stories, and their innate healing potential. You can schedule by contacting her at 319-360-5972 or sending her a message through the Sacred Fire, LLC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SacredFireLLC/  Valarie Kimm – Usui Reiki Master/Teacher, Shamanic Practitioner, ACI Practitioner, Owner of SWEAT Hot Yoga & Sacred Dance Studio Valarie provides modern shamanic healing and energywork services, classes, workshops, and events through Spirit Sparrow Sacred Services & Guidance (online/distance & in person throughout Iowa). She is also the owner of SWEAT Hot Yoga & Sacred Dance Studio, opening February 2019 in Cedar Rapids (Hiawatha), Iowa. You can schedule services or register for classes by contacting her at 319-241-1980, call/visit SWEAT during normal business hours, or send her a message through the Spirit Sparrow Sacred Services and Guidance Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/1SpiritSparrow/ To find a Chapter near you, visit our Find a Chapter page;
www.hwbglobal.org/find-a-chapter.html To become a member of HWB or to renew your membership, visit; www.hwbglobal.org/member-benefits.html  ~By Wren Fulner, HWB Feature Blog Writer In an increasingly divisive political world, intersectional activism is more essential than ever. The recent project of Kristin Henningsen and Kenzie McDonald in Burlington, Vermont to start an inclusive and representational conversation around trauma through a weekend long workshop is an excellent template for healers to address community needs. This event came together through an alchemy of partnership, learning, and listening, with support from a small grant from Herbalists Without Borders, as well as hosting by Railyard Apothecary.  Their work began months before, meeting with the local Vermont Herbalists Without Borders chapter to plan a fundraising herbal spa day and craft fair to support workshop scholarships for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and transgender folks. This diversity was critical to the success of the trauma conversations because “the demographic of the participants should mirror the speakers, and vice versa”. The fundraiser was remarkably successful and raised funds to send between 12 and 15 people to the weekend’s workshop; Kristin and Kenzie are planning another spa day fundraiser gathering soon. The November weekend workshop itself was a whirlwind of practitioners of all modalities sharing space, from nurses to herbalists to reiki and yoga healers, as well as a collection of insightful speakers, “a really nice mix of science and spirit”. Framing the event as an experiential conversation rather than an academic training was critical to the desired result of a “sense of community and action” for the group. Arriving there took time, however, and through community feedback during the planning stages, Kristin and Kenzie realized the necessity of changing the rhetoric of the event to “trauma informed learning” rather than “training”, moving away from the expectation that a single weekend can provide all the tools one might need to support folks with trauma.  There will certainly be a follow up event in months to come, and the organizers look forward to being able to apply their learnings. More volunteers are needed, as well as earlier advertising in order to connect with the widest diversity of participant identities and modalities. In addition, Kristin and Kenzie wish they would have provided a feedback form at the event itself, rather than after the fact, so as to gather more useful input for future gatherings. Though the kyriarchy will continue creating trauma that challenges the skills and energy of healers, events such as this foster the community resiliency from which we can find strength to do the work. A big thank you to Kenzie and Kristin of HWB Vermont. ABOUT WREN:Wren Fulner is a queer amateur herbalist, a recent transplant to Eugene, Oregon from the cold winters of Minnesota, and writer for the Herbalists Without Borders blog. She is largely self-taught, both in herbalism and writing, and also enjoys hiking by the rugged Pacific Northwest ocean, practicing tarot and astrology, and playing Dungeons and Dragons when she can get a group together. Rose and Tulsi are her favorite herbal allies, though she's recently learning to love Skullcap as well. She hopes to share a house with her partner before too long, on acreage to homestead and establish an enormous garden for nourishment and healing.
In Episode 4, HWB Executive Director Denise Cusack speaks with Ola Obasi of Well of Indigenous Wisdom School and HWB Puerto Rico. They discuss ongoing relief and recovery from hurricane Maria, honoring indigenous wisdom, respecting local customs and culture in our work, decolonizing volunteerism and herbalism, community building, and herbs as a spiritual practice. This is an episode you don't want to miss.
Find out more about Ola's classes at Well of Indigenous Wisdom, her work, Omaroti, HWB Puerto Rico, and more: https://www.wellofindigenouswisdom.com/
Listen now on this page, or subscribe to your favorite podcast format below.
Subscribe to your favorite podcast format:
On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/herbal-action-podcast/id1429057753 On blubrry: www.blubrry.com/herbalactionpodcasthwb/ RSS: https://feed.pippa.io/public/shows/5b6b6cb399ad42844b43b743 iHeart Radio: www.iheart.com/podcast/269-Herbal-Action-Podca-29758398/ Spreaker: www.spreaker.com/show/2935570 Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ifkidpkursbdfjp7jitzfetdibi You can also always find our episodes at our HWB YouTube Channel: On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl8tjHkLOGg&t=945s To see past episodes, visit our Herbal Action Podcast Page. Interview Questions, Editing, Music, & Interview By Denise Cusack. 
Gigi Stafne has been a practitioner of natural and botanical medicine for 33 years. She created the first natural medicine clinic, bringing on a team of 12 skilled practitioners. Gigi is founder and director of the Green Wisdom School of Botanical Medicine in the upper Midwest. Gigi served as the previous ED of HWB for over a decade, and is currently chapter coordinator for HWB, offering HWB Free People's Clinics.
Gigi talks about how to organize, plan, and host a Free People's Clinic using the HWB model. Find out more about Gigi and her school: Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine Website greenwisdom.weebly.com/ Facebook www.facebook.com/greenwisdomschool/ Listen now on YouTube, or visit links below for other formats.
Listen and subscribe to our free Herbal Action Podcast at any of the below formats:
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn1Qv-tv7RM On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/herbal-action-podcast/id1429057753 On blubrry: www.blubrry.com/herbalactionpodcasthwb/ RSS: https://feed.pippa.io/public/shows/5b6b6cb399ad42844b43b743 iHeart Radio: www.iheart.com/podcast/269-Herbal-Action-Podca-29758398/ Spreaker: www.spreaker.com/show/2935570 To see past episodes, visit our Herbal Action Podcast Page. Interview Questions, Editing, Music, & Interview By Denise Cusack. HWB is hosting a series of HWB Chapter Features so you can get to know a little bit more about HWB Chapters and their Coordinators as well as find out what Chapters do, and how they are working in their communities.
HWB Green Wisdom Chapter Coordinator: Gigi Stafne How long have you been a Chapter Coordinator: 12 years Tell us a bit about yourself and herbalism in your life: Herbalism has been a longtime calling for most of us involved in Herbalists Without Borders and Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine. A passion for plants, people and this precious planet! Sit knee-to-knee with me sometime I and I will share the adventurous storylines. Tell us about your Chapter: Our Herbalists Without Borders Chapter has quarterly meetings. These are often tele-conference format since we cover a large region in the Upper Midwest and Lake Superior region. In the earlier years they were most often in-person meetings. On average there are 7-13 people attending a meeting and volunteering at our HWB Free Peoples Clinics.  What type of activities does your Chapter do: The main focus of our chapter's work has been on affordability and accessibility of health and wellness care for all people during the past years. We have made this happen via Free Peoples Clinics, mobile clinics, street medic work and international aid...volunteering in some poverty stricken rural Upper Midwest regions to Cuba health care delegations. Our chapter is portable, mobile and knows how to respond to emergencies from natural disaster to environmental disasters. The most recent being a response to a refinery explosion and free herbalism aid to those in need in the Twin Ports region of Lake Superior. Other HWB Chapter activities have included writing eGuides for Herbalists Without Borders, hosting concerts, speaking engagements, plant sales, plant identification walks, kayaking for the cause and much more. Each event and project has been a volunteer labor of love, but well worth it! 
Find Green Wisdom on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwisdomschool/ To find out more about becoming a member of Herbalists Without Borders visit:
lherbalistswithoutborders.weebly.com/member-benefits.html To find or join a Chapter visit: http://herbalistswithoutborders.weebly.com/find-a-chapter.html HWB is hosting a series of HWB Chapter Features so you can get to know a little bit more about HWB Chapters and their Coordinators as well as find out what Chapters do, and how they are working in their communities. HWB Richmond, VA Laura Baum, HWB Richmond, VA We asked Laura a few questions about her Chapter, experiences, and how she works in her community. HWB Richmond, VA Chapter Coordinator: Laura Baum How long have you been a Chapter Coordinator: Since March 2018 Tell us a little about yourself: I am the founder and organizer of Richmond Herbalism Guild founded in February 2016 to be an epicenter for local herbalism in Richmond Virginia. Working with herbs through organizing with others has been a tremendous learning experience. Can you tell us a bit about your Chapter: We follow the guidelines to meet at least once quarterly so that we don't swamp ourselves with meetings. We have success with doing a long meeting once quarterly with breakfast and guest practitioners to come teach us new skills and we are planning a fall training series on topics such as listening skills, deescalation strategies, urban food justice, and overdose prevention. We are using materials provided by HWB and also plugging into local agencies to do these trainings as they relate to the work that needs to be done here in our city. We keep sign in sheets for our meetings. Tell us a little about any upcoming Chapter activities or events you are hosting: We are currently working on creating our own individualized working sets of summer formulas for general public dispensing. These formulas are agreed on by everyone through email and in person meeting. At our last meeting we created our own vision statement which we will introduce to the public at a planned forum on Plant Sustainability with Dr. Susan Leopold executive director of United Plant Savers June 13th here in RVA. We will be introducing our HWB team and making our first public statement of our intention to the community at the event. Find Richmond HWB on Facebook: www.facebook.com/richmondherbalismguild/ Essential Oils & SustainabilityEssential Oils & Sustainability June 13, 2018 6-8PM EST @ Ellwood Thompson's, 4 N Thompson Street, Richmond, VA
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters and Richmond Herbalism Guild present Essentially Sustainable, an evening of guest speaker presentations on sustainability in the essential oil industry. Experts in the field will be gathering to discuss herbalism, health, and sustainability. There is no fee for the event. Open to the public. We are so honored to announce our featured speakers: Susan Leopold executive director of United Plant Savers Jade Shutes director of education New York Institute of Aromatic Studies. https://www.facebook.com/events/560867137627785/?active_tab=about To find out more about becoming a member of Herbalists Without Borders visit:
lherbalistswithoutborders.weebly.com/member-benefits.html To find or join a Chapter visit: http://herbalistswithoutborders.weebly.com/find-a-chapter.html |
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