Wheel of the Seasons: Aligning with the 5 Elements using Herbal Medicine

Back by popular demand, this year's Wheel of the Seasons workshop series offers expanded classes and more time in the gardens getting hands on with the plants!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the year is divided into five seasons, each governed by a natural element—Wood (Spring), Fire (Summer), Earth (Late Summer/ Harvest Season), Metal (Autumn), and Water (Winter). Each season influences our health, emotions, and energy in unique ways. and by aligning with these natural rhythms, we can cultivate balance and vitality throughout the year.

This year long workshop series offers 5 formal classes and 5 hands-on activity days

Classes: Each of the five classes focus on one of the five seasons and will explore the many ways we can use food, activity, and herbal medicines to harness the lessons and natural energy of element associated with that season. You will prepare a remedy (tincture, tea etc.) usi`ng one or more medicinal plants for you to use throughout the season.

Activity Days: These "bonus" days take place between formal classes and will offer additional hands-on time in the gardens, interacting with our plant kin and deepening the embodied experience of the teaching of the elements.

Through engaging discussions, hands-on harvesting and garden time, and seasonal lifestyle guidance, you’ll learn how to:

✔ Understand the physical and psycho-spiritual nature of each season and their impact on health
✔ Select and prepare herbs to nourish and harmonize with the changing seasons
✔ Incorporate seasonal food and lifestyle practices to optimize well-being
✔ Work with nature’s cycles to strengthen the immune, digestive, endocrine (hormonal), and nervous system.

✔ Learn how the seasons naturally influence our emotions and how to work with these shifts to foster emotional well-being in each seaon.

Whether you’re a wellness practitioner, herbal enthusiast, or simply curious about TCM’s approach to healthy living, this series will provide practical tools and insights to help you stay in sync with nature’s rhythms.

Join for a single class or purchase the entire series (15% discount). Receive an additional 10% early-bird discount on series passes until March 18th!

Spring is the season of new beginnings, expansion, and creativity, governed by the Wood element. In this session, we’ll explore herbs that support the liver, enhance detoxification, and promote flexibility—physically and emotionally. Learn how to work with spring’s upward-moving energy to clear stagnation and harness the season’s momentum for renewal and growth. Make-and-take activity: spring cleansing juice

May 15th - Spring Activity Day - Mystery Plant Tasting & Artisitic Expression

The class will do a "blind" tasting of a tea and tincture made from a "mystery" herb and use their experience to create a piece of art (painting, drawing, writing etc.). Afterwards, we will share our experiences as a group before revealing the identity of the herb. This exercise is a wonderful way to experience the unique personality of a plant at the somatic level (vs. cognitive) while aligning with the creative energy of spring through artistic expression.

Summer is ruled by the Fire element, representing joy, connection, and expansion.This session focuses on herbs and foods that cool excess heat and support cardiovascular health. We’ll also discuss ways to harness the expansive, expressive energy of summer while remaining emotionally centered. Make-and-take activity: flower essence

July 10th - Summer Activity Day - Harvest

Summer is when plants are in full bloom and, for the herbally-inclined, that makes it the most exciting time of the year! For this activity day we will be delighting in the joy of the summer season by harvesting together. As an embodiment of the teaching of connection to one's community that the Fire Element offers, you are challenged to make something from your bounty that you will give to someone else in your community.

Late Summer is a transitional season governed by the Earth element, associated with digestion, grounding, and nourishment. In this class, we’ll explore herbs that regulate digestion and enhance gut health. Emotionally, the lesson of Late Summer is about cultivating stability and integrating the experiences gained in the more expansive Spring and Summer seasons. Make-and-take activity: herbal oxymel

September 11th - Late Summer Activity Day - Herbal Potluck

In the spirit of harvest season, we will feast together! Everyone is encouraged to bring a dish that includes at least one herbal medicine (yes, culinary herbs count!)

Autumn is the season of release, refinement, and preparation for rest, ruled by the Metal element. This session will focus on lung and immune-supportive herbs to fortify defenses against external pathogens and start preserving our vital energy in preparation for the colder months ahead. We’ll also explore the emotional aspect of the Metal element which is all about discerning what is valuable to us and learning to let go of what no longer serves us. Make-and-take: immune-boosting tea.

November 13th - Autumn Activity Day - Making an Essential Oil

The process of making an essential oil embodies the teaching of the Metal Element which is all about refining what is most valuable (essential) to us and letting go of the rest.

Winter is the most yin time of year, a season of deep restoration, introspection, and conservation, governed by the Water element. In this session, we’ll explore herbs that nourish the kidneys, support adrenal health, and build resilience. Learn to embrace rest with restorative lifestyle practices, warm foods, and strengthening tonics to stay balanced through the cold and dark months. Make-and-take activity: adaptogenic tincture

January 8th- Winter Activity Day - Plant Meditation

Winter invites us to go deep into stillness, silence, and rest. In this final class of the season we will embrace this invitiation by sharing tea and embarking on an inward journey of reflection with our plant ally.

This workshop series will take place at Innisfree Farm —a vibrant, living classroom where traditional wisdom meets hands-on learning. With over 200 medicial plants, this setting offers a unique opportunity to experience herbal medicine where it grows.

Throughout the workshop series, you’ll have the chance to:
🌿 See, touch, and smell the herbs we discuss in class, deepening your connection to their properties and energetics.
🌱 Harvest and prepare herbal remedies using fresh, locally grown plants.
🌞 Learn in a natural environment that encourages observation, interaction, and seasonal awareness.
🍃 Engage all your senses in the study of herbal medicine, making learning more tangible and memorable.

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Host or Publisher Alina Baker, Medical Herbalist