Hi everyone, I am in the 1st edition western herbalism program and find it extremely interesting. However, due to my age or maybe I am going too fast; but I am having a difficult time maintaining the information. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have tried a herbal tincture of ginko baloba and ginseng and it doesn't seem to really do much for me. When I was younger I prided myself on my ability to remember everything. Now I can't seem to remember anything. I need help!! Any suggestion whether herbal or just a better way to study would be helpful.

Michelle

I used index cards and used color coding too. I found using color really helped me to organize and lastly, I started but have not yet completed, a quick glance filing system.

Anyway, I used up lots of paper, writing helps me to remember and helping people with their problems helps you to learn really well too. Also, teaching family and friends what you have learned helped me a lot. I asked my youngest granddaughter to help me memorize and study for upcoming tests and children do learn really quickly and they retain it remarkably well. When she would quiz me and I would get an answer wrong she would know the answer after helping me study only 2 times. What happened was she learned by helping me to learn and I don't think she will ever forget what she has learned. So, when I can't remember something we studied together, I just ask her and she has it right on the tip of her tongue. My advise, get a kid under 12 to help you study!

One more last thing. I think Matthew made it kind of like a mystery to sometimes get to the correct answer and I think he did this on purpose to get us to really search and search and search in different ways than what we were use to doing. I think the more we researched, the better we prepared ourselves to help people. Sometimes there is more than just one thing going on with people and learning how to look at disease from different angles and more than one angle helped me to become a really good researcher. I had lots of trouble finding the correct answer to questions and I'm glad I did. Now I learned how to really research and dig and find and that knowledge is invaluable. Embrace the struggle, it will make you!

Thanks Bonnie, I really appreciate your input. I know what you mean about the researching and I feel that I have always been good at that. Sometimes I just get wore down when it is taking too long to find the answer. I do find that the more I speak with other people about it it seems to help. Sometimes I am reluctant to do that because I am afraid people are not going to take me seriously. Yesterday, I went to a medicine making class and it was so nice just to be around like minded people.

As for having a child to study with that sounds like a terrific idea and you are truly blessed to have that. Unfortunately, I don't even know any young children and I don't have anyone that I can study with. You know how it is with schedules and all.

It's great to be able to do this program on our own time, but I do wish we could have more in person classes, like at least once a month. It would also be great to have some kind of internship. I get so excited just thinking about being able to help people with their problems. I can hardly wait. I hope my confidence will come to me though, because I've got some people asking me questions now and I just can't remember anything. I always say I will have to look it up. And I know that I need to know more information about them.

Thanks again,
Michelle

Michelle,

I think Matthew does have an internship available after we get our master herbalist diploma.

Where did you attend a workshop? Yes, it would be really nice to be around like minded people.

In the last newsletter Matthew did give a couple of helps for studying. Don't know if you saw it.

My phone number is: 612-402-9969. Give me a call if I can help!

Your herbal friend, Bonnie