Dabney S. Lancaster Community College will host a six-week series on herbs and herbal medicine, “Intro to Herbal Healing,” in Room 906 at the DSLCC Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista, VA on Thursday evenings, Oct. 15 through Nov. 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Herbalist and aromatherapist Chin Velasquez is the instructor.
This is a class for beginners who want to learn about herbs and start using them in their daily life. Students will learn how to prepare various herbal products, including herbal tea, tincture (extracts), syrups, oxymels, salve, crème, and body oils. Students will also learn how to identify many herbs growing wild as well as those cultivated in the garden. Harvest techniques, drying and storing herbs will also be taught during this series. The student will be immersed in the world of herbalism, and will leave this six-week series with a solid foundation of how to incorporate the benefits of medicinal herbs into their everyday life. The last class is titled “Creating Your Home Kitchen Apothecary.”
Velasquez is the owner and founder of Soothing Herbals LLC, a local apothecary and holistic healing practice. She has had extensive study and practice in the field has an established UpS Botanical Sanctuary at her home in Goshen, where she plants and grows the herbs used in the products she formulates. She has completed the Master Gardener training and has been an organic gardener for the past 15 years.
Tuition for the full series is $250; there is an additional materials fee of $25.
For more information, contact Doug Jones at (540) 863-2870 or djones@dslcc.edu. The DSLCC Rockbridge Center is located at 35 Vista Links Drive, Buena Vista, VA.