HERBAL THERAPIES FOR HERBALISTS

   35hrs, 5 days at Baan Hom Samunphrai.

 

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35 Hours, 5 days. Restricted to 12 participants.

   A SAMPLE PROGRAMME

Monday          Introduction: Identification, Gathering  and Preparation of Herbs at Baan Hom
                        Samunphrai.

Tuesday          Thai Food as Natural Medicine - Day 1.  Introduction and theory. Food in Season. 
                         Includes  learning to use traditional tools: the machete, the hoe, the cleaver, the mortar and
                         pestle, the charcoal pot. Herbal drinks & teas. A walk to the local earth market to buy fresh
                         ingredients.

Wednesday    Thai Food as Natural Medicine - Day 2. Learning to use the knife Thai-style for fruit
                         and vegetables.  Cooking by season.  Special Thai foods: for example,  Miang Kam,
                         Sticky Rice With mango, Thai Salads.

Thursday         Thai Food as Natural Medicine - Day 3. Vegetarian Cooking, and/or Fresh Spring
                         Rolls, and/or Herbal Desserts. . 

Friday              A Morning at a Local Traditional Medicine Clinic for Thais -  Wat Ton Heow.
                        
Various traditional treatments can be observed and/or experienced -- free of charge
                         as part of the workshop. Afternoon: preparing a special Thai dish for the evening meall.

DAILY SCHEDULE

7am Rasidaton (Thai Yoga)

8am to 9am Breakfast

9am to 12.00 Workshop Activities

12.00 to 1.00pm Lunch

1.00pm to 4.00pm Workshop Activities

5.30pm Herbal Steambaths

7.00pm Dinner

Each day will consist partly of discussion, and partly of examining the plants as they grow in the Baan Hom Samunphrai environs and/or at local markets. There will be some plants that we may discuss that will not be growing or at the local earth market because they will be out of season, and there will be a number of Thai herbal plant books to supplement the discussions.  Students are encouraged to bring their own plant books as well, as such a course is very much a collaboration between the teacher and the student.

Thai Food as Natural Medicine

 This part of the workshop will cover 3 essential topics.

1.    Eating specific foods for the season. By eating for the season, your body is able to combat the effects of the weather. This is even more important when the seasons change, as your body is affected by the dramatic changes in weather.  Needless to say, the emphasis will be on the Thai seasons, of which there are essentially two, Wet (Cool or 'Monsoon') & Dry (Hot). As we are just entering the transition between the Wet (Monsoon) Season and the Dry Season, a time when many people catch colds or suffer other illnesses, some of the course will focus on specific plants and dishes for right now. A significant proportion of each day will be spent foraging for food, buying food in local markets, and preparing food to be eaten at our table.

2.    Eating for one's specific body element and to balance the elements as a whole. Each person has an element that is specific to their body and determined by their birth month and date. That element defines how illness occurs in the body, and which illnesses the individual is most prone to contract. If the body goes out of balance in a way that is evident by their element, certain foods can help to rebalance the elements. Eating foods specifically recommended to their element can also help to maintain balance. For example, fire elements should eat cold foods like watermelon, wind elements should eat foods with a spicy taste like ginger.

3.    Eating to prevent and/or to cure a specific diseases. Certain foods have been prescribed for specific illnesses. These are not just herbal remedies to be taken when ill, but instead plants that are incorporated into the food to fight illness. This can also include foods not to eat, as some foods become taboo during times of illness.  


RATES

Live-in students: 2200 baht per day. Includes the Rasidaton, teaching. materials, a private room, 3 meals a day, herbal steam baths, and transportation. Total 5 study days x 2200 = 11,000 baht.

Non-live-in students: 1600 baht per day. Includes the Rasidaton, teaching, materials, breakfast, lunch, herbal steam baths, and transportation for class activities. Does NOT include  transportation to the school in the morning or the return in the afternoon. Total: 5 x 1600 = 8,000.baht.

Students may join for individual days if there is room -- full-time students will be given priority. Non-live-in students are welcome to stay for dinner at 150 baht extra (a special price)..