Herbalist and trainer Teresa Boardwine described Rappahannock County as “a spot that draws those that are searching for.” She mentioned possibly there’s a frequency or magnetism within the air that attracts individuals in, or possibly it’s the Blue Ridge Mountains and exquisite panorama.
I got here to Rappahannock County in the midst of a sophisticated well being journey with persistent ache and an undiagnosed autoimmune illness. For eight years I had by no means obtained any actual solutions or options from docs and at occasions have felt helpless to ache that controls my on a regular basis life.
I first met Boardwine whereas reporting on an occasion that passed off at her Inexperienced Consolation College of Natural Medication in Castleton. That was my introduction to the world of natural medication, and feeling like I used to be working out of choices, I believed it wouldn’t damage to present herbalism a strive.
Teresa Boardwine teaches a category on the Inexperienced Consolation College of Natural Medication whereas foraging for herbs, in Might 2022.
Images by Julia Shanahan
After a three-hour lengthy session with Boardwine and her college students, which they supply freed from cost, throughout considered one of their scientific lessons, I had the most efficient dialog I’ve ever had about my well being. Boardwine mentioned “divine intervention” helped me discover the Inexperienced Consolation College, and I left with tea, a tincture (each of which I bought) and a newfound hope that I’d get a deal with on my well being and persistent ache.
For nearly two months, I’ve been taking herbs prescribed to me by Boardwine to assist deal with a situation referred to as Interstitial Cystitis, also referred to as Painful Bladder Syndrome, which I used to be recognized with by a urologist a few weeks after my appointment with Boardwine. This situation causes persistent irritation within the bladder and a bunch of different signs like persistent fatigue and abdomen pains.
Boardwine’s holistic care alongside common visits to a medical specialist have been pivotal in my therapeutic course of, and I’m now capable of management the ache that used to make me really feel helpless.
Whereas everybody’s story and well being journey is totally different, herbs have performed a important position in mine. Herbalism is sometimes called different medication, however Boardwine mentioned she likes to name it “complementary medication” as a result of it’s greatest used at the side of care from a medical physician.
Boardwine is licensed by the American Herbalist Guild, one of many few natural colleges alongside the east coast that’s licensed by an expert group. So as to be licensed by the AHG, a person will need to have 800 hours of foundational natural schooling and 4,400 hours of scientific work with medicinal herbs. The foundational schooling consists of an summary of 200 plant medicines and what they’re used for, plant chemistry and the pathophysiology of the human physique.
Boardwine receives weekly correspondence from the American Botanical Council and a useful resource referred to as PubMed, which is run by the Nationwide Institute of Well being. These organizations, thought of to be among the high organizations within the nation for analysis on herbalism, ship newsletters with up-to-date info on medicinal herbs.
“I do suppose there’s sufficient literature, there’s sufficient science, there’s sufficient historical past of use [of herbs] on the planet,” Boardwine mentioned. “Critically, the books date again some vegetation over 2,000 years … There’s simply so many locations across the globe that we have discovered about using [herbs], after which the documentation got here when the science caught up and mentioned, ‘Oh, yeah, that is why that works that approach.’’’
Throughout a scientific session at Inexperienced Consolation College, which is what I participated in, an individual sits down with Boardwine and her class of advanced-level college students the place they undergo every system of the human physique, speaking about any and all well being situations and accidents an individual could have needed to that system. Some search care from Boardwine for particular well being issues, like me, whereas others go in an try to enhance their wellness.
After the preliminary two-hour lengthy consumption, the category brainstorms dozens of herbs that can be utilized to deal with numerous illnesses and situations. This seems to be like an online of phrases and arrows on a white board and a bunch of ladies with noses buried in a selection of textbooks, all devoted to discovering an answer that shall be greatest fitted to that particular person’s physique.
“Being on this a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the bio area is wealthy with vegetation and it is very distinctive, so we have now among the oldest, well-known plant cures in our woods.”
By Julia Shanahan
Medical consultations are freed from cost and purchasers are solely required to pay for any herbs or tinctures they could be prescribed, in the event that they select to take that route. Boardwine will start taking purchasers for scientific consultations once more in September. Folks can even schedule non-public appointments with Boardwine for a cost.
College students journey from all around the east coast to take lessons on the Inexperienced Consolation College, some like Tonya Marino, who drives 4 hours from New Jersey as soon as a month to take lessons from Boardwine. “There’s not a number of lessons on the east coast… none fairly like this,” Marino mentioned.
“Being on this a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the bio area is wealthy with vegetation and it is very distinctive, so we have now among the oldest, well-known plant cures in our woods,” Boardwine mentioned.
Courses on natural medication might be discovered on-line, however many individuals from this area select to drive to Rappahannock to take in-person lessons. Boardwine mentioned that’s one thing she tries to emphasise in her schooling: the hands-on expertise of foraging for herbs and roots and making the teas and tinctures collectively as a category.
“That is considered one of my best items, is connecting individuals to vegetation, and I simply really feel like when you see a plant, contact a plant, style a plant, see the place it grows within the wild, you simply have a lot extra info than you’d from studying,” Boardwine mentioned.
Margaret Fagan drives about two hours from Bethesda, Maryland as soon as a month for sophistication, at first as a result of she needed the in-person expertise of natural college. Now she makes the commute as a result of she desires to proceed her schooling with Boardwine.
“I really like with the ability to assist individuals, and it is so accessible,” Fagan mentioned of herbs. “And there is that belief problem, although. [Herbalism] is so historical, and it is also so international. So, some individuals are actually into it, and others are actually inflexible, which is ok. I am actually in only a studying section proper now, however that is my drive.”
After this 12 months, Boardwine will retire her nine-month course and give attention to her superior college students and scientific lessons.
“My lessons and my college students, that is what provides me pleasure, in any other case I might be actually tired of myself out right here,” Boardwine mentioned. “So saying that I am not going to do my nine-month curriculum does not imply I am not going to be an herbalist or supply issues, however I believe will probably be way more casual.”
Roots in Rappahannock
Boardwine was residing in Europe in her early twenties whereas her first husband was deployed with the U.S. Air Drive. She was at a bookstore in Italy in 1982 when she picked up {a magazine} about herbalism, and within the categorised part, she noticed an commercial for Religion Mountain Herbs and Antiques in Sperryville, Virginia.
Whereas Boardwine is a local Virginian, she had by no means been to Rappahannock County. However that journal, which she mentioned “turned her bible” whereas residing overseas, finally introduced her to Rappahannock to start out her enterprise in 1994 after she completed natural college in California.
“That is how Teresa met me, by way of mail order, as a result of … she was residing in Europe and he or she discovered my catalog, which is fairly superb,” mentioned Cheri Woodard, who beforehand owned Religion Mountain Herbs and Antiques and now works in Rappahannock as a realtor. “I do not know the way she [found me], I by no means heard a narrative like that … it’s like a fairy story.”
Cheri Woodard holds a photograph of Flossie Williamson.
By Julia Shanahan
Woodard apprenticed alongside self-taught Rappahannock-based herbalist Flossie Williamson, who has since handed, from 1974 to 1977 when Woodard was 26 years previous and new to the county.
Woodard mentioned she’s at all times had an entrepreneurial spirit and was impressed to start out her personal store referred to as Religion Mountain Herbs and Antiques, however finally phased out the herb aspect of her enterprise. However, she mentioned herbalism has at all times been a ardour and Williamson turned a great pal. Woodard nonetheless retains a photograph of Williamson in her workplace.
In a cookbook put collectively by Woodard and others who knew Williamson referred to as “Flossie’s Recipes,” Woodard wrote, “Days spent with Flossie have been like a dream — a returning to a different period — and I certainly really feel lucky for our time collectively … her fundamental competition that ‘contemporary herbs make a distinction’ was drilled into me from the primary day.”
Herbalism has an extended historical past in Rappahannock County. Woodard helped Boardwine develop the enterprise aspect of the Inexperienced Consolation College, and Boardwine has educated herbalists who now have their very own companies within the county.
Cara Cutro, proprietor of Abracadabra Therapeutic massage and Wellness, and Colleen O’Bryant, proprietor of Wild Roots Apothecary, each apprenticed alongside Boardwine and now run their very own companies in Sperryville.
“There’s a number of freedom to securely discover and observe herbalism underneath that umbrella of schooling…” Cutro mentioned. “So professionally, as an herbalist seeing purchasers — that is one other factor that for those who’re a scholar of Teresa’s you get an excessive amount of publicity to when you attain the scientific section of your coaching.”
Cutro labored with Boardwine in 2011 and 2012 after seeing her for persistent eczema and pores and skin situations. Cutro was additionally combating drug and alcohol dependancy and mentioned herbs helped her an amazing deal in restoration, particularly in therapeutic her digestive and nervous programs.
“After which spiritually and emotionally, I used to be in a supportive and secure surroundings, in order that was actually stunning,” Cutro mentioned. “I had grow to be shut with Teresa. She was a extremely helpful therapeutic artist in my life at the moment, and a trainer and a pal … It gave me one thing to do, as a result of I believe a number of occasions when individuals are newly sober or newly getting clear … in case you have one thing to give attention to that is good for you and that you just get pleasure from, that may be very useful. So it gave me a function.”
