In person classes

Join Jessica Baker, LAc for qi gong and herbal classes in Lafayette, CO for 3 Sundays, February 11, March 3, and March 10, 2024

All classes are held at CSCH 424 E. Simpson St. Lafayette, CO.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CLASSES.

Sunday February 11, 2024

10:30-11am   Qi Gong- FREE CLASS

 This gentle movement class is an offering to gently move your body, build qi (life force) and set a relaxing tone to your day. 

11:30am-1:30pm 

Congee Curious: Food Is Medicine

 This interactive cooking class will be fun and delicious! Despite the concern of eating grains due to being overprocessed or genetically modified, slow cooked grains are still an integral part of Chinese dietary therapy. When we slow cook grains, their starches are able to break down, making them easier to digest and absorb. Herbs are added while cooking, making congee a perfect way to take your medicine! Congees are ideal for everyone, especially those with digestion issues, long term illness, and eating disorders. Most grains can be used to make congee, and we will discuss the differences between drying and moistening grains. In class we will make and eat a delicious gluten-free oat congee!

 Participants will be introduced to Chinese herbal dietary theory, join in creating a delicious and nutritious congee, and will learn a little about how the digestive system works.

 3:00-5:00pm

Si Qi Wu Wei: Chinese Herbal Energetics 

When working with herbal medicine, knowing the energetics of each herb is essential to choosing the correct herb or formula for yourself or others. In Chinese herbalism, the nature of plants, the 4 temperatures (Si Qi) and the 5 flavors (Wu Wei), have been documented for thousands of years and used as a guide for herbal formulation. As you come to know herbal energetics, your formulas will become more effective, do less harm, and enhance livelihood. 

This class will include an overview of the 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine. We will taste an example of each flavor and explore the therapeutic properties of several herbs and foods.

 Sunday March 3, 2024 

10:30-11am  Qi Gong- FREE CLASS

 This gentle movement class is an offering to gently move your body, build qi (life force) and set a relaxing tone to your day.

11:30am-1:30pm

Herbs to Calm Shen (Spirit)

 Class will begin with a brief discussion on the Three Treasures: Jing-essence, Qi- life force energy, and Shen- spirit. When our Shen (Spirit) is at peace it is easier to feel joyful, content and at ease. From a classical perspective, it enables a higher capacity of achieving the Soul’s purpose for this Life.  When our Shen is disturbed or unsettled, which is very common in our everyday lives, we may experience restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, and sadness. 

Shen has a strong connection with our heart and brain, as well as our nervous system. Our class will cover a wide array of herbs that nourish blood, anchor yang, calm Shen and more. We will drink tea, sip gem elixirs and explore the richness of our beings.

3:00-5:00pm

Revolutionary Herbalism

 This workshop explores the innate connections between plants and humans. The evolution of humanity is intimately connected to the evolution of plants. Our physiology has been governed by the ingestion and inhalation of plant constituents since humans first evolved. Working with plants is on the forefront, as knowledge of and communion with plants is once again being embraced and practiced. Many people are interested in entheogens and psychoactive plants, as they have been since the dawn of man. How did our physiology evolve to ingest these substances?

 Deepening our relationship with not only mind-altering plants, but more importantly all medicinal herbs, is not only a great way to help adapt to the stress of our modern lifestyle, but it can also bring courage to make the changes necessary for us to heal ourselves. To understand ourselves, we must know where we came from. The story of our evolution is ancient and far more miraculous than imagined. Plants such as fig, pine, reishi, psilocybin, cannabis,banisteriopsis, and more will be discussed. 

This class may provide you with a better understanding of plant and human evolution. We will discuss the pros and cons of working with psychedelics and entheogens in western medical and psycho-therapy models. We will drink tea and sip (legal) herbal elixirs.

Sunday March 10th

10:30-11am  Qi Gong- FREE CLASS

This gentle movement class is an offering to gently move your body, build qi (life force) and set a relaxing tone to your day.

11:30am-3:30pm (we will break for a 30-minute lunch)

Navigating the Flow: Pattern Diagnosis for Clinical Herbalists/Practitioners

 Many herbalists do not feel confident working with clients due to a lack of diagnostic skills. While it is not legal to diagnose western medical conditions, herbalists can identify patterns of imbalance that may lead to dis-ease. Being able to access the constitution of the person as well as the pathogen that is affecting the body, is vital to treat a person effectively. Many medical models use pattern diagnosis to determine whether the person/pathogen is hot/cold, dry/damp, or external/internal. Understanding how to read patterns based on listening, observing, tongue diagnosis, and basic anatomy and physiology is both a science and an art, and is essential for clinical work.

 This class will explore Vitalist and Chinese medicine diagnostic techniques and provide guidelines for clinical pattern identification. You will be introduced to the basics of pattern identification according to Chinese medicine techniques and learn how to distinguish between hot/cold, dry/damp, external/internal conditions.

 This is a fun, interactive workshop where we will look at tongues, have a roundtable discussion about a case study, and work together to build your clinical and diagnosis skills.