Herbs and Grief

DESCRIPTION: This presentation will be grounded in the idea that grieving is an integral part of being human. Through this lens we will talk about the different times that grief appears in a person’s life and the many ways that plants can be supportive in those times. We will discuss acute trauma and loss and gentle approaches to offering care with herbs during those times. We’ll also talk about recognizing and tending grief in more ordinary times. Throughout our time together, we’ll be naming and honoring some of the many plants who offer particular support for grief, while also welcoming the medicine that any plant can offer.

BIO: Emily Pearson Ryan has spent her whole life an hour’s walk from the Mississippi. A long-time gardener and lover of plant medicine, she began studying with herbalist Lise Wolff in 2020, and the work has claimed her since. 

Emily currently sees clients for consults, teaches classes, and leads plant walks. She loves collaborating with other plant lovers she meets in her work, and offers care in times of birth and death.

She lives in a raucous, art-filled South Minneapolis home with her partner and three kids, and continues to learn.