Plant Walk: The Energetics of Herbs, with David Winston & Patrick Kooyman
The Experience
Curious about the medicinal plants growing right under your feet? This walk is designed to shift your perspective from “looking” at nature to “experiencing” it. Led by the legendary David Winston and herbalist Patrick Kooyman, this session focuses on the energetics of herbs – understanding their heating, cooling, drying, or moistening effects on the body through direct sensory engagement.
What You’ll Learn
- Sensory Connection: We will taste, smell, and observe plants in situ to understand their traditional and clinical uses.
- The Language of Energetics: Learn how David Winston’s world-class expertise in Chinese, Western, and Cherokee herbal traditions applies to the local flora of Vancouver Island.
- Slow-Paced Walking: This is not a hike; it is a slow, meditative exploration designed to let the “lessons from the plants” truly sink in.
About Your Guides
David Winston, RH (AHG), is an herbalist and ethnobotanist with over 50 years of training in Cherokee, Chinese, and Western herbal traditions. He has been a clinical herbalist for over 45 years and is a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild. David is the founder of David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies, where he has taught his two-year herbalist training program for over 35 years. He is the author of several definitive texts, including Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief and Saw Palmetto for Men & Women, and has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed journals and major herbal texts.
Patrick Kooyman is a clinical herbalist and ethnobotanist who has been in practice in the West Kootenays since 2017. He holds a degree in botany from the University of Calgary and completed the Master Herbalist program through Wild Rose College, followed by clinical training through Emery Herbals. Patrick is the owner of Blue Lotus Ethnobotanicals, where he specializes in creating high-quality tinctures from wildcrafted and cultivated medicinals. His practice and teaching are rooted in scientific herbal medicine, enriched by the influences of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and the indigenous traditions of North and South America.
