The Inner Alchemy of Nourishment is a series of classes, workshops, and retreats that may be taken as an entire program for a certification in Integrative Nutrition Counseling and Energy Medicine Wellness practitioner, or each aspect of the program may be taken as a stand-alone module with a certificate of completion at the end of each program or retreat. If one desires the full certification it is required to complete the counseling/practitioner aspect of the program so that you are experienced in working one-on-one with clients. The design of the entire program is done in an experiential lecture and apprentice format. The formation of a core group of students is essential to the depth and vitality that can be developed throughout the program. A minimum of 8 participants is necessary for any workshop, or retreat to take place.

This foundational workshop begins an exploration into the vibrational nature of the human body and the effective use of energy and food as medicine. We begin this journey with a history into the healing arts, allopathic medicine and the evolution of our relationship to food and nourishment. This sets the stage to understand health and illness as it affects our culture today.

Lecture classes in:

The Fundamentals of Nutrition Macronutrients

Carbohydrates, protein, fats and water are the building blocks for energy and growth. Students learn the sources of these nutrients, their digestive processes, and their foundational role in our diets. Experiential exercises enhance students understanding of the biochemistry and energetic nature. Other topics include acid alkaline, sugar substitutes, soy and food labeling.

Micronutrients: Building upon the foundation of the macronutrients, this class explores the function, deficiency states, and therapeuticsof vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants and phyto-nutrients.

Eastern and Western Anatomy and Physiology

This course introduces students to the basic structures and functions in the human body from both the allopathic western understanding and from the traditional Chinese Medicine perspective. A cadaver lab concretizes student’s understanding of the anatomy of the human body.

Students learn the detoxification processes of the emotional, etheric, and physical body. Food as Medicine is the focus of the cooking aspect of this class. The Alchemy of Nourishment students will participate in the meal preparation. Dinner, book, and medical cleanse supplements are included. Cooking classes included.

Through the art of conscious cooking, food becomes medicine. We will learn the five phases of foods and flavors and study ancient cooking traditions and techniques to support the body through illness. Students will learn to prepare delicious whole-food meals, wild-food delicacies and herbal tonics to deeply nourish the body. In addition we will practice the art of fermentation and sprouting, to support a healthy immune system. Set in the semi-arid foothills, students participate in hands-on organic gardening experience which celebrates sustainable practices while learning to co-create with nature. We will cover the basics, from soil fertility and seed germination, to harvesting and drying. The garden is a living opportunity to practice listening and learning from the plant-spirit kingdom.

This workshop delves deeply into the energetic consciousness of the 12 organs and the endocrine system. Wediscuss and explore the functionality and interrelationship between our emotional nature, our physiology, andbiochemistry. We start our journey into the “biology of belief” and how our unconscious thoughts manifest withinour physicality.The ancient art of classical Chinese five-element theory lays a foundation for understanding the dynamic relationshipsbetween these systems and their expression as a physical manifestation. Through this elementalunderstanding we will identify individual personality traits and characteristics, establishing a fundamental basis forall healing work. The elemental nature of our personalities is understood through the imbalance and distortions ofour chief features as they display through emotional, physical and psychological patterns. Supporting this work is anunderstanding of the meridian flows and various points for healing. 4 day retreat includes organicmeals and lodging.

A journey into the diverse landscape of the Rockies is a personal odyssey into the depths of our own inner journey of self discovery. The earth beckons us to explore what our own wild dreams and deepest longings may suggest to us about our soul’s path. We will use ceremony, impressions walks, deep imagery and dream work to connect with nature intelligence and be in companionship with our own wild nature. 6 days and 5 nights.

The earth offers us healing in many forms. Flower essences rebalance our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual state. Aromatherapy has profound influence on the body and its health. When we ask the earth for healing, we need to look no further than the medicine-making techniques and traditions of those who came before us. We will turn plants into infusions, tinctures, and lotions into nature’s apothecary. What to do before going to the doctor provides understanding and care for everyday health issues. We will learn therapeutic usages of nutritional supplementation, herbal medicines, and energy healing techniques to create your personal first aide kit. This workshop will cover first aide techniques, colds and flues, allergies, sinus infections, yeast and urinary infections, nausea, indigestion, constipation and diarrhea, and headaches.

Emphasis on plant-spirit healing will provide the foundation for understanding and connecting with the healing properties of the earth. Includes herbal medicine making, flower essences and aromatherapy. Evenings will be spent in movement, drumming, and earth centered rituals.

7 day workshop includes organic meals and lodging.

Neurotransmitters, Chinese 5 Element Theory, Dietary Basis of 21st century Disease and Nutrition Intervention: Class

Fall is a time of transition.... All of nature gently shifts the flow of energy from branching out to sinking down deepinto one’s root in an effort to store vital nutrients for the coming winter. This is an opportunity to clear out accumulated debris that may contribute to feeling foggy or sluggish and weaken our immune systems. It is important to prepare ourselves for winters’ cold by gently cleansing, nourishing, and toning, our body, mind and spirit. This 3-week class will guide you through a 14-day cleanse and immune boosting dietary program. Nourishing meals, exercises and daily practices will support your body’s natural detoxification system; strengthen your immunity while calming your nerves. The group provides a container of wisdom, and experience that supports a successful cleansing process. Personalized needs will always be addressed. Come with questions about your health. Recipes and dinner served with each class.

The Alchemy of Nourishment students will participate in the meal preparation. Dinner, book, and medical cleanse supplements are included. Cooking classes included.

This workshop focuses on balancing our brain chemistry and immune system through diet and exercise. We explore the concept of self identity and strength of our immune system as a function of boundaries and perceptions of self and non-self. The brain and its relationship to our identity, self observation, and recognition of self and consciousness all provide a fascinating background to the study of psychological health and healing. We learn what a profound effect our diet has upon our moods and emotional states. Develop techniques to unlock stored memories and release emotional blockages. In addition, we will study the Eastern chakra system. The chakras are the core of our vibrational and spirit body. This ancient system is explained through the study of Western archetypes and characteristics. We use the structure of the chakras as a map for a journey through one’s inner dimensions as well as a model for addressing our patterns, issues and health dilemmas. It is taught as a psychological method to facilitate the healing process.

5 day retreat includes organic meals and lodging.

Transformational body usage is about connecting to the inner experience of our physical structure. We experience how we feel ourselves moving through space and how emotions move through our body. It is the awareness of our body and the ability to see and sense the structural patterns of our vibrational body as they concretize themselves in our physical structure. This practice allows us to track sensation in our body, to distinguish between thoughts and emotion, and to recognize how our body responds to its environment. We will “see” how emotional patterns became locked into our physical stance. We will learn structural emotional exercises to unlock and re-pattern the physical structure.

Unconscious beliefs, attitudes and mental images of how we “should” act and look, wreck havoc on our sense of self worth and well being. By embracing our shadow and recognizing our deep fears we can come to understand our mechanism of self sabotage and begin a process of belief shifting. It is through this biology of belief that we can learn how our DNA and early environments created perceptions and fears about ourselves and the world. We begin to identify our petty tyrant: those personalities that show up time and time again to challenge our beliefs and sense of self. As we come to know our saboteur, we begin to explore the nature of duality so we can accept all aspects of ourselves. We cannot live our truth until we embrace both sides of our nature, just as we understand that where there is light, there must be darkness. Through dream reflection and guided imagery, we begin to unify the hidden aspects of our self in a step towards wholeness. This is a retreat to go beyond fears and self-limiting patterns.

Authentic movement exercises help us to experience and understand where the intentions for our movements come from within. Thus one may feel empowered by the strength of their inner knowing. It sets the stage for students to experience the movement of energy through their own bodies and to bear witness to the flow of energy in others. It provides as framework where we investigate our perceptions and see how often they are a projection of our inner reality, which helps to develop objectivity.

5 day retreat includes organic meals and lodging.

How People Heal, Guided Imagery Shamanic Journeys, Diet and Disease, Western Clinical Skills, Lab Diagnostics and Nutrition Supplementation

Your mind and body communicate in images. This dialogue is going on all the time, sometimes in healing ways and sometimes in harmful ways. Guided imagery is a process for engaging the inner healer. It is a door-way to listen to our symptoms, and to learn to hear the guidance within. Students learn various imagery techniques for self-healing and guiding others. Intuition is a powerful tool overshadowed in recent generations by technology and the modern preference for “rational explanation.” In sharpening the skills of intuition, one becomes a compassionate observer, synthesizing wisdom, logic, and feeling to gain a multi-leveled insight into the highest needs of an individual or client. Through experiential exercises, students develop confidence in the use of intuition in professional (as well as personal) life, thus learning to intuitively guide clients toward their own inner essence. Therapeutic uses include: enhancing clarity and increasing diagnostic and decision-making skills. Shamanic journey exploration and reflection are included. Diet and Disease covers practical protocols to implement with clients. This class will allow students to practice the design of therapies for specific disease states. In-depth physiological, psychological, behavioral, and structural interventions will be explored, preparing students to begin clinical practice. Western clinical skills will teach students to interpret medical and functional laboratory tests frequently used by healthcare practitioners. The use of functional testing to assess nutritional status, physical health, and their implications will also be discussed. Topics covered are gastrointestinal dysbiosis, hormonal status, toxicity evaluation, and immune system assessment.

The Intimate Language of Disease How People Heal:  ~ Retreat:

Each of us has a unique story that begins at conception and continues through birth, infancy, and childhood. This story lays the foundation for the way in which we perceive reality. These stories are rich with beliefs that guide our daily choices and keep us from fully embracing our gifts and talents. What do you repeat in your story? What do you protect and what do you show the world? Where do you keep making the same bad choices and mistakes? Discover through body talk, guided imagery, dream work, and art, how to step out of the old story, reconnect to your essence and plug back into nourishing your authentic self. As you become aware of these habits you realize the old survival patterns are no long necessary. Often our body speaks to us through our symptoms. The causal nature of disease is reflected through the energetic blueprint of these symptoms. When we understand the language of the body we can see our patterns and begin to rebalance our emotional and physical body.

The Alchemy of Nourishment students will participate in the meal preparation. Dinner, book, and medical cleanse supplements are included. Cooking classes included. 

The Art of Embodiment and Nourishing the Sacred Feminine: Retreat:

Our spirits are calling to live a life free of self-conscious patterns and expectations. This retreat is about uncovering the beliefs and stories that have held us back and stepping into the person we have longed to become. It is about true nourishment, discovering the diamond in the rough as we open our hearts to embrace the fears and phantoms that stand in our way. It is about going past our internal limits together, shedding our old skin and transforming our perceptions.

During our time together we will establish a practice of nourishing rituals that brings conscious intention and self remembering into our daily lives. Experiencing ourselves as an integral spirit in the web of life fosters appreciation for the sacred in all life. This retreat will enhance our ability to receive information from our body, our intuition and our environment, so we may be responsive rather than reactive. We will celebrate our essential nature by moving beyond guilt and shame to self appreciation. We deeply nourish our soul through connection with the nature kingdom.

Nourishing the Sacred Feminine invites you to immerse yourself in the wisdom of the Feminine as a tool to unification. Calling on the wisdom of our ancestors, we will explore the feminine as mother, provider, healer, and goddess and give voice to our feelings and expressions of sensuality and sexuality. Through dancing the wild divine we will integrate consciousness through the exploration of the “earth-body.” Releasing emotions through spontaneous movement opens us to the dance of our spirit.

3-day retreat includes organic meals and lodging.