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THE PLACE

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Quinta Melilotus is set in 6.6ha of almond, fig and olive groves and the new herb and vegetable gardens where you will be learning and eating from. We are near a river bed set in the campo yet within walking distance of two nearby villages and just minutes drive from multiple sandy beaches, secret coves, fascinating rock formations and caves and stunning cliff walks as well as the bustling town of Lagos with all its modern amenities set within the backdrop of its ancient town walls, marina and winding cobblestone streets.

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This will be a rustic down to earth experience where you will have your own wooden cabin or caravan on site near a shared shower block and compost toilet with access to the internet in the communal kitchen/living area and quiet time in the meditation area/sacred space of the geodesic dome. Bicycles are available for exploring the local surrounds and you will have access to a working herbal dispensary where you will have the opportunity to undertake pharmacy activities and dispensing of herbal medicines.

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THE PEOPLE

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MAUREEN has nearly 25 years of experience working with herbs and sharing the Green knowledge. She co-founded the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in 1992 offering courses from introductory to professional training at BSc and MSc degree level.

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At the same time she encountered Goethe's way of studying "the Holy Open Book of Nature" as shared by Rudolf Steiner and discovered an approach of wholeness to studying plants, landscape and natural phenomena. She developed a clinical application of Goethe's method which shaped her herbal practice and the way she supports the healing process for the people she works with.

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In 2012 she established the Herbal Apprenticeship at Drimlabarra Herb Farm, Isle of Arran, Scotland which she ran for 4 years before relocating to Portugal.

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Her travels in Peru and Ecuador meeting shamans and teacher plants helped create a deepening into the interior world of self healing and the shamanic practices which aid these processes are now an integral part of her approach to purification and rejuvenation.

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JOSE has been involved in music since his first successful punk rock band as a teenager in Sintra which had a strong following for many years and made a number of recordings. He quickly moved into working with the uplifting, feel-good beat of ambient electronic music which he composed and produced as a professional musician for several record labels and  performed as an internationally acclaimed musical artist DJ for over a decade.

Performing to a live crowd gave him the knowledge of how music influences emotions, the sense of well being and connection to the whole.

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His musical expression is continually evolving as he is continuously looking for new ways of communicating through music to now embrace the deep healing resonance phenomena of medicine songs and the healing frequencies of plant spirit vibrational medicine, especially to the essential oils and the aromatic herbs whose high frequency vibration has a commonality to harmonious musical resonance.

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His warm, easy going and caring approach allows people working with him to relax into their own healing through close encounters with teacher plants and allies.

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BETTINA MAUREEN JI
http://www.theherbalpath.net/bettinamaureenji

is an internationally certified sound healing practitioner, teacher, traveler, unique musician and shamanic practitioner with accreditation in sound, voice and music healing from the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA.

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Bettina Maureenji will be sharing her transformative practices using the breath and voice for you to become your own medicine as a beautiful finale to the herbal path course this year. Her ability to transmit healing vibrations of plant medicine through the resonance of her music is deeply effective to bring about lasting healing. We will be integrating meditations with herbs to directly integrate her teaching. To hear more about what Bettina Maureenji will be sharing, she has recorded this clip

https://youtu.be/7SXPKLRvt28

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BENDLE has been working as a herbalist in Sheffield in the UK for over 25 years and is a teacher on the BSc in herbal medicine in Lincoln. He is known for exploring the psycho-spiritual aspects of herbal medicine with down to earth pragmatism and humour and will be sharing his herbal approach to mental health care both theoretically and experimentally.

 

He will be showing us how to apply some techniques drawn from Process Oriented Psychology to the understanding and use of herbal remedies, and to exploring interconnections between ourselves and the wider world.

We will explore connections between our physical and emotional selves and how problems with one aspect of our health may be expressed in another. How might our physical symptoms provide us with insights about our emotional and spiritual lives - and how might they guide us to the herbal medicines that might aid us?

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FERNANDA BOTELHO is one of Portugal's best loved medicinal plant experts having written many books on the subject including for children whom she regularly interacts with when invited to speak in schools. She also appears on TV shows to share her knowledge.

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We are very honoured that Fernanda is returning for a third time to guide us on another inspirational herb walk, this time on our new land to give us insights into the plant family members around us.

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CAT RAIZ D'OLIVA has a natural affinity with plants that shines with love through all the beautifully crafted natural products she creates. Her skill at getting just the right combinations to make her magnificent salves, creams, natural deodorants and soaps are a wonder to behold.

Immerse yourself in the wonders of practical herbal medicine making of some of the plants we will be meeting under Cat's helpful supervision.

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Her training in Thai massage with hand made aromatic oils will assist us with lymphatic cleansing to fully prepare ourselves for the voice as medicine work with Bettina Maureen ji.

 

 

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JEROME has been leading plant and cliff walks amongst the unique flora and off the beaten track paths of the far west of Algarvre for many years and has a profound knowledge of the whole area. His other passion is working in ceremony with sacred plants from his training in Brasil, Catalonia and now Portugal. His joyful presence will help us connect with our inner child so we can resonate closer to the higher vibrations of the plants we are working with.

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