The Dancing Willow

If you’ve been craving a deeper way to move through winter, one that honors the mystery, the magic, and your personal inner fire, this conversation will feel like stepping into a portal.

The winter solstice brings us into the darkest days of the year — a time when many of us feel pulled between the desire to slow down and the very real demands of December. In this deeply nourishing conversation, I’m joined by herbalist, teacher, and author Marysia Miernowska to explore how we can tend our inner flame, reconnect with the Earth, and find meaning in the fertile darkness of winter.

Marysia is the founder of the School of the Sacred Wild, author of The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary, and a beloved voice in the world of earth-based spirituality and traditional plant wisdom. Together, we dive into seasonal rhythms, herbal allies, and the deeper emotional and spiritual threads that winter invites us to explore.

In this episode, we explore:

• The winter solstice as a portal into fertile darkness
  
  
• How to navigate the tension between inner winter and outer world demands
  
  
• Practical ways to stoke the inner flame during the coldest months
  
  
• Warming herbs and lifestyle practices to support circulation, vitality, and mood
  
  
• The role of plant spirit meditations in opening intuition and connection
  
  
• Reclaiming voice and power, healing the witch wound, and trusting ourselves as leaders
  
  
• Why January can be reclaimed as a true month of rest and dreaming
  
  
• The beauty of tending hope, innocence, and inner inspiration through seasonal practice

This episode is heartfelt, grounding, and enlivening- a balm for anyone moving through burnout, seeking clarity, or wanting to feel more connected to themselves and the cycles of nature during the winter season.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Follow Marysia Miernowska:
   Instagram: @marysia_miernowska
   Website: https://www.marysia-miernowska.com
   School of the Sacred Wild: https://www.schoolofthesacredwild.com
  Sacred Rituel skincare: Use code sacredwild20 for 20% off
• The Witches Herbal Apothecary is now on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Witchs-Herbal-Apothecary-Audiobook/B0G3YP4RRT?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=player_overflow 
• The upcoming Honeypath Course: https://www.schoolofthesacredwild.com/walk-the-honeypath
• Dancing Willow Herbs Holiday Gift Collection
   Thoughtful, handcrafted herbal offerings for loved ones (and yourself)
   https://dancingwillowherbs.com/collections/holiday-gifts
• Dancing Willow Herbs Fire Tea: https://dancingwillowherbs.com/products/fire-elemental-tea?_pos=1&_sid=5f311ba5c&_ss=r&variant=44951396516129

10% off all Dancing Willow Herbs products through December 18th with the code podcastfam at checkout

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

The holidays are nearly here, and so is the opportunity to transform how we show up with the people we love-  with more regulation, presence, and real connection.

In today’s conversation, Elliott is joined by Eliza Rose Kane to explore her new offering, Family Breathwork, a program designed to bring families together through nervous system regulation, emotional attunement, and being truly witnessed by the people closest to us. Whether you’re parenting young kids or teens, navigating dynamics with your partner, or wanting to build more connection with your parents, this episode offers meaningful tools to support real transformation within the home.

We dive into:

• What co-regulation and self-regulation look like inside the family unit
  
  
• How breathwork can help us move from chaos to connection
  
  
• Simple practices to root into the physical world while holding expansive creative vision
  
  
• Tools for soothing the nervous system in overstimulated times
  
  
• Breathwork as a pathway to purpose, especially for teens
  
  
• Healing the inner child through parenting and partnership
  
  
• Protecting innocence and strengthening bonds in a tech-driven world
  
  

Eliza’s passion for supporting families shines so brightly in this conversation, and I know you’ll walk away feeling inspired and empowered to build new rhythms and rituals in your home.

Links & Resources:

Listeners receive 20% off Eliza’s Family Breathwork course with code THEDANCINGWILLOW20. https://elizarosekane.com/family-breathwork-course

Connect with Eliza:

Eliza’s Substack can be found here: https://substack.com/@elizarose

Instagram: @elizarosekane

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 the key to lasting health isn’t the next super herb or supplement but removing what’s quietly draining your vitality?

In this illuminating conversation, herbalist and teacher Paul Bergner joins Elliott Brinkley to explore the foundations of true healing through vitalist therapeutics addressing lifestyle, nutrition, and the spiritual dimensions of wellness. With over five decades of clinical experience and a lineage of teaching that has shaped generations of herbalists, Paul shares both timeless wisdom and modern clinical insight into what it really means to heal.

Together, Elliott and Paul trace his journey from early work in lifestyle medicine to decades of supervising herbal teaching clinics. They discuss what sets vitalist herbalism apart from symptomatic herbal medicine, why sleep and digestion form the bedrock of health, and how simple herbs can support the body’s innate intelligence when lifestyle patterns are restored.

The conversation dives deeply into:

• Sleep debt as an overlooked epidemic and how restoring circadian rhythm transforms vitality
  
  
• The role of digestion and food intolerance as core obstacles to healing and why even the smallest amount of an offending food can trigger systemic inflammation
  
  
• The importance of observing results over relying on theory or trend
  
  
• Using herbs to support natural processes rather than to fix conditions
  
  
• How emotion, grief, and spiritual stagnation surface during healing, and how Paul integrates flower essences and spiritual heart herbs into that work
  
  
• A powerful story about the golden currant bush that shaped Paul’s understanding of lineage and legacy in herbal medicine

By the end, you’ll walk away seeing health through a new lens one rooted in simplicity, observation, and reverence for the body’s wisdom.

Links & Resources: 

• Explore Paul’s full curriculum or dive into specific topics with his audio courses and lectures at https://www.naimh.com/
• Dancing Willow Herbs formulas for digestive support:  Tummy Tea, Digestive Repair Powder, Tummy Calm Tincture 

Listen now to reconnect with the foundations of healing and remember what medicine has always known: nature, rest, and nourishment are the truest forms of cure.

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

As the wheel turns and the nights grow longer, we step into the liminal season of Samhain or Halloween- the Celtic New Year and the sacred threshold between worlds. In this solo episode, Elliott explores the herbal allies of protection and boundary-keeping that support us as we descend into the dark half of the year.

From Yarrow and her tightening, astringent magic to Hawthorn’s thorny guardianship of the heart, these plants teach us how to hold our energy close, honor our sensitivity, and navigate the unseen with steadiness and grace. Elliott also shares personal stories- from early experiences with overwhelm and energetic boundaries to finding grounding through relationship with these plants and the cyclical wisdom of the seasons.

The episode explores:

• The roots of Samhain and its connection to modern-day Halloween
• How Yarrow, Hawthorn, Rose, and Elder act as protectors- physically, emotionally, and spiritually
• The role of aromatic herbs like rosemary, cinnamon, and sage in uplifting our spirit and filling our space with light
• Rituals and reflections for honoring the ancestors, shadow, and inner flame
• How herbal practice becomes a form of protection, remembrance, and connection to the self

This is a nourishing listen for anyone feeling the pull to slow down, create sanctuary, and honor the deep medicine of the season.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dancing Willow Herbs single-plant tinctures: Yarrow, Hawthorn, Elderflower, Ginger
• Elderberry Syrup
• Rooted Heart Elixir
  
  
  

Extra Medicinal Mulling Spices for autumn rituals and cozy kitchen magic

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

Two besties, a pot of strong herbal decoction, and a year that tested their roots, this is a conversation about finding magic in the mess.

In this deeply personal and heart-centered conversation, Elliott welcomes back one of her best friends and fellow “witchy sister of the West,” Katie Ramos, for an honest exploration of herbal magic, spirit dosing, resilience through hardship, and the power of rooting into authenticity.

From childhood broomstick flights to modern-day herbal rituals, the two reflect on how their relationship with plants, ritual, and each other has supported them through burnout, health challenges, and big life transitions. Katie shares her journey navigating endometriosis, connecting with Mugwort, and Holy Basil on a spiritual level, and reclaiming her body’s wisdom after years of not being heard in medical spaces. Elliott opens up about her own year of reckoning with cystic acne, surrender, and self-acceptance.

Together, they weave personal stories with practical herbal insights—like working with Wood Betony to unlock expression, or using spirit doses to build intimate, intuitive relationships with plants. This isn’t a how-to episode. It’s an invitation to slow down, root in, and remember that healing is multifaceted, magical, and entirely your own.

In this episode, they discuss:

• The attraction to the magical from a young age, from broomsticks to moon rituals
• What “spirit dosing” herbs looks like in practice
• Wood Betony as a bridge between the gut, solar plexus, and voice
• Navigating health journeys with endometriosis & acne
• Finding power through surrender and daily energy alignment
• How plants can wait for us and meet us when we’re ready
• Building trust in the body’s innate ability to heal

Tune in if you’re craving real talk about healing, magic, and finding groundedness in hard seasons. Whether you’re deep into herbal work or just starting to explore, this conversation will make you feel like you’re sitting at the table with two dear friends and a pot of strong decoction.

Links from the episode: 

• Katie's first appearance on The Dancing Willow Podcast, where we discussed all things lavender and her story. 
• Call Dancing Willow Herbs during business hours to place an order for our single herb extract tinctures of Holy Basil/Tulsi, Mugwort & Wood Betony. 970-247-1654, 10-6 MST Mon-Sat. 
• Mesa Verde Lavender website
• Mesa Verde Lavender instagram

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

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 people with a uterus, yet in the U.S. it still takes an average of 7 years to receive a diagnosis. In this episode, herbalist and teacher Kat Mackinnon joins host Elliott Brinkley to explore the often misunderstood condition of endometriosis, a journey that weaves together personal story, clinical insight, and the wisdom of plants.

Together, they unpack:

• What endometriosis actually is, why it’s so difficult to diagnose, and the mystery behind its origins.
  
  
• The wide spectrum of symptoms, from silent cases to debilitating pain, infertility, and emotional toll.
  
  
• Kat’s deeply personal experience navigating endometriosis from adolescence to adulthood, including surgery, herbal support, and the realities of living with a chronic condition.
  
  
• Practical strategies for support: nutrition, lifestyle shifts, and the role of herbs in easing pain, reducing heavy bleeding, and working with inflammation.
  
  
• Reflections on integrating Western medical approaches with vitalist herbalism in a pragmatic, compassionate way.

Whether you live with endometriosis, love someone who does, or simply want to better understand the interplay between hormones, inflammation, and herbal medicine, this conversation offers both grounding knowledge and hope.

Connect with Kat: 

Instagram

Meet the Green

Herbal Support for Endometriosis- Online Class

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 the way we eat is just as important as what we eat? In this episode, Elliott welcomes Kate, known as the Mindful Chefette, who brings a soulful and intentional approach to food, cooking, and nourishment.

From her retreat kitchen in Cornwall to her travels around the world, Kate has cultivated a philosophy of food that blends creativity, spirituality, and gentleness. Together, Elliott and Kate explore:

• How to bring intention and presence into your cooking, even when the ingredients aren’t “perfect.”
• Why how you eat—your nervous system state and mindset—matters just as much as what you eat.
• Simple ways to use the chakra system as a creative framework for meals, through color, story, and ingredients.
• Practices for letting go of perfectionism and choosing grace over rigid food rules.
• Building a deeper relationship with plants and herbs, not just as “remedies” but as teachers and allies.
• How food can become a form of ceremony and connection—nourishing not just the body, but also the heart and soul.

Kate’s insights remind us that food is more than fuel, it’s connection, creativity, and a way back to ourselves.

Resources & Links

• Follow Kate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themindfulchefette/?hl=en
• Learn more about her work and upcoming cookbook: https://www.themindfulchefette.com/

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

Something profound happens when we stop asking only what plants can do for us, and start asking what we can do for them. In this episode of The Dancing Willow, Elliott sits down with Dara Saville- herbalist, author of The Ecology of Herbal Medicine, founder of Albuquerque Herbalism, and director of the Yerba Mansa Project, to explore the profound relationships we can form with plants and the land.

Dara shares the story of her first plant ally, globe mallow, and how that encounter opened the path to her life’s work in ecological herbalism. Together, she and Elliott dive into:

• What it means to practice ecological herbalism- learning directly from how plants live and interact in their ecosystems.
• The ancient and multifaceted teachings of Yerba Mansa, a plant with lineage stretching back millions of years.
• How tending land and plants can transmute grief into action and deepen personal and collective healing.
• The power of slowing down, listening, and building reciprocity with the plants in our everyday landscapes.
• Ways that restoration work is not just about replanting, but about honoring stories, ancestors, and living relationships.

This conversation is an invitation to remember your place in the web of life and to discover how plants can offer guidance, resilience, and renewal—especially in changing times.

✨ Connect with Dara Saville:

• Albuquerque Herbalism
• Yerba Mansa Project
• The Ecology of Herbal Medicine (University of New Mexico Press)

If this episode inspires you, please share it with a friend and leave a review—it helps keep these conversations thriving.

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

Burnout isn’t just about doing too much but about losing touch with what truly lights you up... In this solo episode, Elliott invites you into the apothecary for an intimate, heart-to-heart on navigating burnout in all its forms. From the classic “doing too much” variety to the deeper, more subtle misalignment burnout, she explores how to recognize the signs, reclaim your energy, and reconnect with what truly lights you up using the help of the plants.

You’ll learn about:

• The two main types of burnout and how to tell which you’re in
• How subconscious beliefs about productivity and worthiness impact your energy
• Spiritual heart herbs like rose, hawthorn, and Tulsi for purpose, authenticity and boundaries around what no longer is feeding you
• Kidney chi tonics and adaptogens to nourish your adrenals and HPA axis
• Nervines for calming your system in the moment
• The unexpected plant allies that may be calling you right now

Elliott also shares personal stories, herbal wisdom, and lifestyle shifts to help you find balance, create space for joy, and remember that rest is productive.

🌿 Mentioned in this episode:

• Blooming Rooted Retreat (over the autumn equinox) – a space for deep nervous system nourishment and plant connection.
• Herbal formulas like Peaceful Heart, Gear Down, Sleep Deep, fresh Milky Oat and fresh Tulsi tincture from Dancing Willow Herbs.

If you’ve been feeling overextended, misaligned, or simply in need of a reset, this episode is your permission slip to slow down and come home to yourself, supported by the plants that love you.

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 body’s symptoms were actually sacred messengers—nudging you back toward your most authentic self?

In this soulful and deeply moving episode, Elliott Brinkley is joined by one of her dearest friends, Calley Hoffman. From the early days when Calley was working behind the counter at Dancing Willow Herbs to the launch of Harmonic Earth Sanctuary in downtown Durango, this conversation is a testament to the power of living authentically, even, and especially, in the midst of life’s hardest initiations.
Together, Elliott and Calley explore:

• Calley’s profound healing journey through eczema and the spiritual nudge that brought her from Chicago to Durango
• The evolution of her work and calling, including the creation of Harmonic Earth Sanctuary and her work with the Harmonic Egg
• How the body speaks through illness and what can happen when we truly listen
• The language of the plants, dreams as medicine, and Calley’s ongoing relationship with plant spirits like elder, rose, and blue lotus
• Her sacred path through grief following the stillbirth of her daughter Stella, and the birth of her herbal line, Cosmic Mother

You’ll also hear about the magic of the Blooming Rooted Retreat, where Calley experienced profound release and transformation among a circle of women, nature, and breathwork.

Whether you're navigating change, craving a deeper connection with your intuition, or curious about plant spirit medicine and vibrational healing, this episode offers a gentle but powerful invitation: return to your body, your heart, and your truth.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Harmonic Earth Sanctuary and the Harmonic Egg: https://www.harmonicearthsanctuary.org/
• Special code for first-time visitors to the egg: WILLOW for $25 off
• Cosmic Heart tea by Cosmic Mother
• Blooming Rooted Retreat (Sept 19–22): https://dancingwillowherbs.com/pages/blooming-rooted-herbalism-retreat

As always, if this episode speaks to you, please share, rate, or leave a review. It helps the show grow and keeps this circle connected.

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