Just in time for the holidays and the winter season, this class is meant to be a fun way to learn about various herbs and how to make tasty creations from them for health. We will be learning about and discussing various herbs for the immune system, for rest and sleep, and for digestion, along with other systems. A popular herbal syrup is Elderberry Syrup and you will learn how to make that as well as modify it for you and your family’s needs. Herbal cordials are herbal blends preserved in honey and brandy to be taken in small doses for enjoyment as well as the support mentioned above. Make up a batch and pour into fancy bottles, make your own labels, wrap and give as a unique and healthful gift! Be prepared to smell, taste, and learn new recipes to incorporate into your life. 

Katya Difani is a recent transplant to Durango after two decades in the Pacific Northwest, in and around Seattle. She is a graduate of the Herbal Science program at Bastyr University near Seattle and is the founder of Herban Wellness, a retail herbal apothecary shop that she ran for fifteen years, located in Kirkland, Washington. She sold the business in order to relocate and realize her dream of creating a healing retreat center on land. Katya has been a practicing herbalist for 17 years, and she consults with people on their health, compounds herbal formulas in tea, tincture, and powder form, and teaches classes on using herbs in daily life. She is passionate about empowering people to use herbs safely and effectively for health and well-being. 

She was drawn to herbal medicine because it combined her interests in health and healing, as well as our intimate connection to Nature that she finds is such an important part of living a truly balanced and sustainable life. Reconnecting people to their own bodies, the healing power of plants, and to the Earth we are part of, leads her to care deeply about sustainability in all aspects of life.