The Dancing Willow

This one is part adventure story, part herbal deep dive, and part reflection on what it means to come back to your most natural, human state.

In this solo episode, clinical herbalist Elliott Brinkley returns from a once-in-a-lifetime rafting journey through the Grand Canyon- 280 miles of raw beauty, challenge, connection, medicinal plants and profound transformation.

From navigating powerful rapids to sleeping under endless stars, Elliott shares what it really looks like to live on the river for three weeks and how that immersion in nature became one of the most healing and perspective-shifting experiences of her life.

 In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• What a 22-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon actually looks like day-to-day
• The magic (and logistics) of living fully off-grid with a group in the wilderness
• Lessons in surrender, simplicity, and letting go of control
• How nature immersion can reset your nervous system and circadian rhythm
• The powerful group dynamics that form when distractions disappear
• Beauty as a nervous system state and the process of receiving
• Desert herbal medicine allies, such as medicinal & energetic qualities of Ocotillo & Chaparral
• Herbal formulas that were the most supportive on the long journey

Links & Resources: 

• Michael Moore’s Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West
• Kristin Huisinga’s River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon
• Ocotillo Products: Fresh Plant Ocotillo Tincture, PMS Tincture
• Chaparral Products: Antifungal Salve, Antifungal Nail Oil, Herbal Aid Salve
• Elliott’s Grand Canyon Favorites: Healing Soothing Salve, Rooted Heart Elixir, Simple Bitters, Neutralizing Cordial & Tummy Calm

This episode is an invitation to step outside, to slow down, and to reconnect with the natural world in whatever way is accessible to you. Wh

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

What if better sleep, balanced energy, and a calmer nervous system all started with one simple shift, how you begin your day?

In this episode of The Dancing Willow, Elliott Brinkley sits down with clinical herbalist and Acorn Herb School founder Heather Luna to explore the real roots of chronic imbalance and the everyday practices that truly support healing.

From gut health and sleep to nervous system regulation, Heather shares what she’s seen work time and time again in the clinic. They dive into why a high-protein breakfast can transform your sleep, how stress builds from both internal and external sources, and why herbs are most effective when paired with foundational lifestyle habits.

The conversation also unpacks misunderstood herbal topics like black cohosh as a powerful nervine (not just a hormone herb) and the potential downsides of overusing adaptogens, while highlighting the importance of nourishing, moistening herbs for burnout and depletion.

In This Episode:

• Why digestion is the foundation of overall health
• The link between protein at breakfast and better sleep
• How blood sugar and stress impact energy + mood
• Simple ways to support deep, restorative sleep
• The role of movement, sunlight, and daily rhythm
• How gut inflammation contributes to stress
• Why adaptogens aren’t always the answer
• A new perspective on black cohosh
• The power of nourishing, moistening herbs for the nervous system

Links & Resources: 

• Join Acorn School of Herbal Medicine: https://www.acornherbschool.com/
• Follow Heather on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acornherbschool/
• Dancing Willow Herbs Digestive Formulas: Tummy Tea & Digestive Repair Powder
• Dancing Willow Herbs Sleep & Nervous System Formulas: Sleep Deep & Peaceful Heart
• Dancing Willow Herbs percolated Black Cohosh Tincture

A grounded, practical conversation that brings healing back to the basics, real food, daily rhythm, and herbal support that meets you where you are.

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

Struggling with seasonal allergies, histamine intolerance, or chronic spring congestion?

In this solo episode, clinical herbalist, Elliott Brinkley explores the root causes of spring allergies through a holistic and herbal lens. Rather than focusing only on pollen or quick-fix antihistamines, she breaks down the deeper terrain that shapes histamine overload- including mast cell activation, liver detoxification, gut health, food sensitivities, hormone balance, and nervous system regulation.

You’ll learn why histamine isn’t inherently “bad,” what drives allergic inflammation in the body, and how to approach natural allergy relief in a more sustainable way using herbs and lifestyle support.

If you’re looking for a root-cause approach to seasonal allergies so you can actually enjoy the spring season, this episode offers both education and practical tools.

In This Episode

• Histamine intolerance + mast cell activation explained
• Why seasonal allergies flare in spring
• The “histamine bucket” overload concept
• Liver detoxification & histamine clearance
• Estrogen–histamine connection
• Gut health, dysbiosis & food sensitivities
• Herbal strategies for natural allergy relief

Links & Resources Mentioned

Herbal Allies for Spring Allergies (free ebook) when you sign up for our newsletter here: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/

• Herbs for Springtime Online Class: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/classes/products/herbs-for-springtime-in-person
• Elliott’s episode with Paul Bergner (food allergies & vitalist herbalism): https://open.spotify.com/episode/35evpNunqMVCdQ8Z0Bd4TT?si=fe8fea0dd4c446e8
• Springtime Herbal Formula Collection at Dancing Willow Herbs: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/seasonal-springtime-herbs
• Herbal consultations with Elliott: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/herbal-consultations/products/complete-herbal-consultation?variant=50483045335329

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

Thinking about starting a medicinal herb garden but not sure where to begin?

In this episode of The Dancing Willow, Elliott sits down with Crystal of Growing Creations Herb Farm for a rich, grounded conversation about biodynamic growing, medicinal herb farming in the high desert, and what it really looks like to build relationship with plants from seed to medicine.

Crystal shares her journey into herbalism and farming after a life-changing pivot in 2020, and how biodynamics, permaculture, and deep listening to the land now guide everything she grows. From cow horn preparations and planting by the lunar calendar to worms appearing once the soil is loved back to life, this episode is a dose of inspiration before the growing season begins. 

Together, Elliott and Crystal explore:

• What biodynamic farming really is, and how it differs from organic gardening
• How Crystal transformed clay-heavy, dry land into vibrant, living soil
• Choosing plants that call to you, and letting some plants choose you
• Favorite medicinal herbs to grow (and which ones were surprisingly challenging)
• Creating balanced ecosystems where insects, birds, and predators work together
• Inside Crystal’s wallopini (pit greenhouse) and how it extends the growing season
• Drying, harvesting, and working with herbs to preserve their vitality
• Turning plants into salves, teas, tinctures, and everyday medicine
• Why seeing plants growing in the earth changes how we understand herbalism

This episode is perfect for gardeners, herbalists, and anyone curious about growing their own medicine, whether you’re dreaming of a full herb farm or just a few pots on a patio.

✨ Plus, Crystal shares details about an upcoming June plant sale at Dancing Willow Herbs, where locals in Durango, CO can purchase medicinal herb starts grown with care and intention! Save the dates June 5th, 6th and 7th from 11-3 PM at Dancing Willow Herbs, 1018 Main Ave in Durango! 

Links & Resources:

• Website: growingcreationfarm.us
• Instagram & Facebook: Growing Creations Herb Farm
• Shop Dancing Willow Herb Fresh Plant Tincture Collection sourced from local farms like Crystal’s: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/fresh-plant-tinctures

Let this conversation inspire you to slow down, get your hands in the soil, and see what begins to grow. 🌱

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

If you feel called to herbalism but don’t know where to begin, this episode is your starting point.

In this solo episode with clinical herbalist, Elliott Brinkley, we return to the foundations- creating a soft landing place for beginner and budding herbalists alike. Elliott shares her early entry into working with plants, from the overwhelm of sitting with herbal books that felt like another language, to the shift that happened when she began tasting herbs, making medicine, and building direct relationship with the plants themselves.

This conversation reframes herbalism as something lived and embodied, not just studied. You’ll walk away with a clearer sense of where to start, how to work with herbs safely and relationally, and practices that help move you from curiosity into confidence. We explore the role of vitalist herbalism, the difference between knowledge and wisdom, and why beginning simply, often with just one plant, can be the most impactful way to root into this path.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why herbalism can feel overwhelming at first
• Elliott's personal story of finding the plants
• Knowledge vs. embodied wisdom
• Vitalist herbalism + working with the body’s intelligence
• Relationship as the foundation of plant medicine
• How to choose your first plant allies
• Herb-of-the-week / month practices
• Ways to sit with, taste, and learn directly from herbs
• The individuality of plant experiences

Links & Resources

Introduction to Herbalism online class: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/classes/products/introduction-to-herbalism-class-january-19th-in-person-virtual?variant=44172610371873

Some good herb books for absolute beginners: 

• Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide, Rosemary Gladstar
• Body into Balance, Maria Noel Groves
• The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook, James Green
• Wild Remedies, Rosalee de la Floret & Emily Han

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

Are you being unconsciously shaped by culture and being dreamed into a reality you didn’t intentionally choose?

This episode is one for the feelers, the sensitives, and those who like to go deep. Elliott sits down with herbalist, writer, and teacher Seán Pádraig O’Donoghue to explore what it means to live, teach, and heal from the heart. Woven with poetry, ancestry, plant wisdom, and lived experience, this conversation is an invitation to soften out of the intellect and return to relationship, with the Earth, with our bodies, and with the unseen threads that shape us.

Together, they explore how, in this time of cultural hypnosis and psychedelic revolution, it is more important than ever to question who, or what, we are consenting to be “dreamed by.” This episode is for anyone feeling the tension between modern life and ancestral memory, for those drawn to plants, poetry, and presence, and for anyone longing to return to a more meaningful, earth-rooted way of knowing.

In this episode, we explore:

• Sensitivity as strength, and teaching from this place of presence instead of performance
• A simple heart-centered practice for coming back into the body
• Seán’s recent heart surgery and how healing bone opened inquiry into being reshaped by land and lived experience
• Ancestry as lived relationship rather than fixed identity
• Language, poetry, and grammar as ways consciousness is shaped
• Psychedelics as elders of the Earth, not tools for optimization
• Integration vs. transformation in psychedelic experiences
• The importance of ritual, boundaries, and discernment with the use of Cannabis
• Microdosing, neuroplasticity, and how context shapes consciousness
• Cultural hypnosis, media saturation, and unconscious consent
• Herbs for connecting with our hearts, beauty and the Earth

Connect with Seán:

• Website & classes: otherworldwell.com
• Books: The Silver Branch and the Otherworld | Courting the Wild Queen

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

Aphrodisiacs aren’t just about sex. They can be utilized to help us deepen our love of life, and awaken pleasure with the world around us. 

In this solo episode of The Dancing Willow Podcast, clinical herbalist, Elliott Brinkley explores herbal aphrodisiacs as allies for embodiment, pleasure, mood, creativity, and heart-centered connection, especially during the quiet, inward season of late winter. Rooted in traditional herbalism, seasonal wisdom, and nervous system awareness, this conversation reframes aphrodisiacs as plants that help us feel: our bodies, our emotions, our relationships, and the world around us.

Drawing inspiration from the Celtic cross-quarter day of Imbolc, this episode weaves together herbs, physiology, folklore, and lived experience to explore how pleasure can be a practice of presence, and how certain plants gently guide us back into sensation when life feels dull, 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why aphrodisiacs are about far more than libido, and how they support embodiment, mood, and connection
• How winter stagnation and stress can dampen desire, and how herbs help gently restore flow
• The three main categories of herbal aphrodisiacs: circulatory, nervine, and heart-centered
• How stress, depletion, and nervous system overload are some of the biggest blocks to desire
• How pleasure, creativity, and sensuality are deeply connected

Herbs explored in depth include:

• Damiana – a classic, joyful aphrodisiac for circulation, mood, creativity, and social ease
• Horny Goat Weed – a traditional Chinese herb that supports vitality and pelvic blood flow
• Warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove for cold, stagnant conditions
• Milky Oats – a foundational nervine for burnout, overwhelm, and nervous system nourishment blocking desire
• Maca & Shatavari – adaptogens that rebuild reserves and restore the conditions for desire over time
• Rose – a heart-opening plant for emotional safety, vulnerability, and relational intimacy
• Cacao – a gentle, bonding aphrodisiac that supports circulation, mood, and presence

Links & resources:

• Our Herbal Aphrodisiac Collection
• Damiana Love Cordials
• Lover’s Tea
• Aphrodite’s Delight Tincture
• Milky Oat Tincture
• Damiana Tincture
• Horny Goat Weed Tincture
• Adaptogenic Honey Paste

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

What if gentle, intentional touch could realign your organs, regulate your cycle, ease digestion, and reconnect you to your body’s innate wisdom?

In this episode of The Dancing Willow, Elliott sits down with longtime friend, licensed massage therapist, abdominal therapy practitioner, and artist, Cara Sheahan of Gold Pine Wellness for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation on abdominal massage, bodywork as medicine, and the often-overlooked power of pre conception, pregnancy and postpartum care.

Cara shares her journey from an early calling toward birth work into massage therapy, where she found a path that allows her to support fertility, pregnancy, postpartum healing, and overall vitality. Together, Elliott and Cara explore what abdominal massage really is (and what it isn’t), its roots and evolution, and why this modality can support everything from painful periods and digestion to fertility, pelvic alignment, and nervous system regulation. They also explore bodywork as a whole, why deep tissue is often misunderstood and how gentle work that is in alignment with the nervous system may be much deeper.

They also discuss:

• Why postpartum bodywork is deeply needed and culturally undervalued
• How abdominal massage supports menstrual health, fertility, digestion, and pelvic balance
• The connection between organ placement, circulation, hormones, and pain patterns
• Common misconceptions around prenatal massage and first-trimester care
• Gentle versus deep work, fascia, lymph, and nervous system safety
• Self-massage as ritual, embodiment, and daily medicine
• Plant allies for bodyworkers and womb health, including tulsi, lemon balm, damiana, and mugwort

The conversation closes with reflections on fertility as life force, Cara’s plant relationships, and her hand-drawn Living Tarot deck, alongside practical guidance on who abdominal massage is for, contraindications to be aware of, and how to find a qualified practitioner near you.

Whether you’re curious about womb health, pregnancy and postpartum support, digestive wellness, or simply deepening your relationship with your body, this episode offers grounded wisdom, tenderness, and a reminder that healing doesn’t have to be forceful to be profound.

✨ A nourishing listen for anyone interested in embodied healing and gentle, effective care. ✨

Links from the Episode:

• Gold Pine Wellness (Cara’s practice): https://goldpinewellness.com
• The Abdominal Therapy Collective Directory: https://abdominaltherapycollective.com
• Dancing Willow Herbs Inner Warmth Massage Oil: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/new-bath-and-body/products/inner-warmth-massage-oil-1?variant=47550052860193
• Living Tarot Deck (available at Dancing Willow Herbs if you call to place an order at 970-247-1654)

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

What if your New Year didn’t start with resolutions but with fire, intention, and deep relationship to the Earth?

In this expansive and intimate episode of The Dancing Willow, Elliott sits down with her Uncle David Elliott, healer, teacher, and ceremonial leader, for a powerful conversation on ritual, intention-setting, and the living intelligence of the natural world. Recorded just before the New Year, this episode invites listeners to reimagine how we mark transitions, release the old, and step consciously into what’s next.

Together, they explore David’s decades-long practice of leading New Year’s fire walks, the potency of choosing a single guiding word rather than a resolution, and why fire, especially at the winter solstice, is such a profound ally for transformation. From chanting under the stars to walking barefoot across hot coals, David shares how ceremony works on both the visible and invisible levels.

The conversation widens to include practical ways anyone can create meaningful ritual at home, working with plants, water, minerals, the directions, and the elements you already feel connected to. David also speaks candidly about cultivating reciprocal relationships with the Earth, plants like tobacco and mullein, animal allies, ancestors, and unseen support systems that guide us when we learn how to listen.

Woven throughout are personal stories, from family lineage and ancestral farming roots to weddings, dreams, and moments of unmistakable guidance, that ground this episode in lived experience.

This is an episode for anyone feeling called to slow down, reconnect, and enter the New Year with reverence, clarity, and trust in the support that surrounds us.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why fire is a central teacher in winter and New Year ceremonies
• The power of choosing a single word as a life-long compass
• How intention & connection to the elements shapes our nervous system and reality
• Simple ways to create ritual and ceremony at home
• Building relationships with plants, animals, ancestors, and the elements
• Earth-based spirituality beyond dogma or tradition
• How subtle support can be more powerful than force or effort

Links & Resources: 

• David’s Website- https://www.davidelliott.com/
• Free Breathwork Meditations on Spotify by David: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7lnGKrOWAuKvNoxEleY8Vm?si=FCABvuzQTwi4zWc-h2XP1A
• Freedom from Anxiety Meditation: https://www.davidelliott.com/freedom-from-anxiety/
• Intro to Breathwork Podcast with Eliza Rose Kane: Episode 3, The Dancing Willow, “Breathing with the Earth: Botanical Breathwork with Eliza Rose Kane” https://open.spotify.com/episode/250Gi4fhBSfXB4DeYQ2yEf?si=e3b53135c0af4d02

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco

If you’re craving a grounding, calming episode to carry you through the darkest days of the year, this is the one to press play on. In this winter-solstice-timed conversation, Elliott takes us deep into the green heart of one of her favorite seasonal allies: pine, a plant that offers medicine for the body, steadiness for the spirit, and a gentle reminder that resilience lives in us, even during the winter season.

As evergreens fill our homes and line our snowy trails this time of year, Elliott explores why humans have always been drawn to them in winter and how their presence, fresh, fragrant, symbolic, can be powerful medicine in more ways than one.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why evergreens became symbols of hope, renewal, and resilience during solstice season
  
  
• Energetic qualities of pine: grounding amidst chaos, softening perfectionism, and cultivating self-acceptance
  
  
• How pine can help us find structure and steadiness after the frenetic holiday pace
  
  
• The role of pine flower essence in easing guilt and supporting gentler self-talk
  
  
• The immune, respiratory, and digestive benefits of pine needles
  
  
• Why pine is a powerful ally for cold & flu season
  
  
• The best ways to work with pine, including medicine making techniques and home rituals!
  
  
• The medicine of pine resin
  
  
• The story behind Dancing Willow’s pine tincture and the deeply intentional process of wildcrafting for the Elder Bear Elixir
  
  
• Reflections on Osha, respectful harvesting, and bioregional responsibility
  
  
• A heartfelt end-of-year moment as Elliott wraps up 2025 with gratitude for the community gathered around these plant teachings

Featured Remedies:

• Pine Tincture, handmade from needles harvested on Elliott’s own land
  
  
• Elder Bear Elixir, a winter ally made with local pine, elderberry, and sacred Osha
  
  

Perfect For You If…

You’re navigating holiday overwhelm, seeking grounding practices, exploring herbal immune support, or simply longing to reconnect with the evergreens in your home this time of the year.

Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share with others who would love it.

Support the podcast by making a purchase with Dancing Willow Herbs!

Website: www.dancingwillowherbs.com
Instagram: @dancingwillowherbsco