SACRED PLANT MEDICINE APPRENTICESHIP
Our foundational 8-month Apprenticeship in Traditional Herbalism, Sacred Plant Medicine, Spiritual Ecology, & Holistic Healing.
Start
24 May, 2026
Duration
8 months
Frequency
1 weekend a month
in person
About the course
Our First Year Plant Medicine Apprenticeship is an immersive 150-hour course in traditional herbalism and sacred plant medicine. This course creates a strong foundation in herbalism and building personal relationships with our healing plants.
Location
Wind Whistle Farms, Mulmur, Ontario
Class will be held at Wind Whistle Farms in Mulmur, Ontario filled with herbal gardens students can harvest from!
Our Approach
We explore the systems of the body in depth through the lens of herbalism and holistic anatomy and physiology.
Students will learn to identify, grow, and harvest plants for medicine year-round. In each class, we seek to unite Western modes of learning with ancient traditions of learning directly from the plants, ourselves, and the earth.
Classes include
harvesting & medicine making
herbalism lectures
tea meditations & guided journeys
plant walks & identification
herbal gardening
simple rituals
Alessandra
Course teacher and owner of Laya Spa
Working with natural medicine and with plants has always been at the core and practice of Alessandra's life and wellness. She believes in a holistic approach to living in a healthy and sound body and mind. Alessandra began her journey as a young child growing up in a home where her mother kept the traditions of working with plants passed down through her lineage. Alessandra's grandmother was a herbalist in Brazil at time where herbalism as a practice was controversial.
In 2017 Alessandra decided to further her knowledge outside of her own traditions to learn about the plants that are commonly used in North America. Since then she has taught several online course, gathered in circle to explore various plants and is currently studying Chinese herbology to deepen her knowledge in traditional uses of plant medicine.
She also practices acupuncture, massage therapy and has been working in the world of facilitating healing for over 20 years.
Apprenticeship class focus
A multi-layered curriculum weaving together science, spirit, tradition, and embodied practice
This apprenticeship is both a course in ancestral herbalism and Western sciences, with a strong focus on our own personal relationships with the plants themselves. We touch on many plants that are used in traditional Chinese herbology and Ayurveda and how we can use them to support the body. In the first-year course, we get to know the plants in our own body, through experiential learning, plant communication, and journeying.
-
Folk & Traditional
-
Herbal Healing
-
Systems of the Body & Herbal Energetics
-
Nourishing Self Care
-
Body-Centered & Heart-Based Learning
-
-
Growing & Wildcrafting
-
Healing Plants
-
Wild Foods & Plant Identification
-
Plant Medicine Walks & Identification
-
Healing Plants of North America & Tropical Plant Medicine
-
Ethnobotany & Ecology
-
Sustainable Herbalism
-
-
Medicine Making (tinctures, infusions, salves, etc.)
-
Restorative Medicine & Nourishing Traditions
-
Systems of the Body & Herbal Energetics
-
-
Plant Spirit Medicine
-
Communication with Plants
-
Meditation with Plants
-
Chakra Healing with Plants
-
Energy Healing & Bodywork
-
-
Spiritual Ecology & Earth-Centered Ceremony
-
Magical Herbalism & Folklore
-
Herbalism & Social / Environmental Justice
At the end of the 8-month program, each student will be certified by the school for 160 hours of training* in traditional herbalism, holistic healing, and sacred plant medicine.
*Please note: There is no legal licensing or certification required for herbalists to practice in Canada. Herbalists are not legally allowed to practice medicine or "treat" patients, instead, we recommend plants from our own personal experience, helping to support each person's own healing path. This course offers certification in 160 hours of training.
Classes in our first-year course focus on self-healing, as well as building a strong foundation in herbalism. In year two students focus on bringing all they have received from the plants in year one to their communities.
Year 1 - based on Gaia School
2-year program curriculum
What you can expect
Pathways for Life, Work, and Service
Graduate with a 160-hour certification and the ability to integrate plant medicine into your life or career—whether for personal healing, community care, or professional practice.
Hands-On Medicine Making & Harvesting
Harvest medicinal plants, wild foods, and seeds from the Gaia School gardens and gain practical, embodied experience working with plant medicine.
A Personal Healing Journey
Deepen your connection with medicinal plants in a way that naturally flows into your home, health, and everyday life.
Ancestral & Global Plant Wisdom
Learn from plants as conscious beings while exploring ancient traditions from Northeastern America and herbal lineages of Europe, Central and South America, Polynesia, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine—rooted in sustainability and respect
Lifelong Relationships with Plant Allies
Form meaningful relationships with plants that support the body and soul and become a source of health care for a lifetime.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
All of meals are shared and served potluck style
Lodging may be available but will need to be arranged prior to stay, for more details on this email alessandra@layaspaandyoga.com
-
May 24-25
-
June 14-15
-
July 12-13
-
August 9-10
-
September 6-7
-
October 4-5
-
November 8-9
-
December 6, 7,8
Saturdays & Sundays, 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
160 hours total
-
The cost for the 8-month Year One Apprenticeship starting May 2025 is $2,200 - $2,500 sliding scale.
We offer a monthly payment plan and a sliding scale based on income level. BIPOC scholarships are available. We ask that each student choose what they can afford, understanding that those who pay the higher end of the sliding scale are providing support for lower-income students to attend as well.
A $400 deposit (non-refundable) is required to register for the apprenticeship and is subtracted from the total tuition. This deposit holds your place in the course as space is limited!
Full payment is due by the first apprenticeship class meeting unless a payment plan has been arranged in advance.
For payment plan assistance, please email alessandra@layaspaandyoga.com
Before the start of the course you will receive a welcome packet with your course syllabus, booklist, course information, and beginning readings.
The class will meet for 8 weekends total, for a total of 160 hours of class time. Solitary study, practice, and assignments for the course are optional (with occasional required assignments) and home practice is highly encouraged!
Students should plan to devote 2 hours a week to their class home practice.
This apprenticeship is open to anyone interested, regardless of their gender, belief system, past experience, or knowledge of plants.
We believe strongly in creating safer spaces that honour diversity, difference, and many voices. We continue to work on creating safer spaces for all people who have experienced marginalization.
We strongly value creating safer space for BIPOC, queer, and gender non-conforming people.You can apply for Apprenticeship directly here, or email alessandra@layaspaandyoga.com for more details.
