Anya Syrkin
Herbal Medicine
September 2004
Until
the summer of 2004, Anya Syrkin split her time between her private
herbal practice and teaching at herbal and holistic education centers,
local health food stores, private classes, and the state department.
After Anya visited Tai Sophia in 2000 (two years before
the opening of the herbal medicine program), she wanted to enroll in
the program's very first class, but that would involve a move from the
Midwest, and her children were not the "transplantable kind." So she
waited until they were a bit older before moving to Maryland and
pursuing her master's degree. Although experienced in the world of
herbs, she wanted the benefits of a master's from Tai Sophia, including
the possibility of teaching in universities and colleges and, of
course, the opportunity to gain more knowledge.
As a practicing herbalist, she appreciates the courses
in which she learned to communicate with other medical practitioners
about her clients' needs. She uses what she learned in the SOPHIA class
in her personal relationships as well as with her clients, and has
found that the language and perspective of SOPHIA provides a common
ground for community. She points to a Nourishment class that she
especially enjoyed: it focused on functional nutrition, not just
supplements, "on what foods do in the body at a deeper level than what
can be learned in the 'wholistic' marketplace. The teacher brought in a
depth of understanding I really appreciate."
Anya notes that herbal medicine is an art, involving an
understanding of plants and the underlying science as well as the
ability to be truly present with a patient. "There will never be a
shortage of things to learn at Tai Sophia," she says.
Lisa Scott
Herbal Medicine
September 2005
"I don't come from a background of herbs or gardening - I grew
up in Chicago," says Lisa Scott, student in Tai Sophia Institute's
Herbal Medicine master's program. In the summer of 2002, while working
as management consultant for a nonprofit in New York City, she took a
class in aromatherapy and chakra work. "That was my first exposure to
plants. I became fascinated and started reading more," Lisa says. "I
got so into it, I began blending oils for friends, and I healed myself
of a urinary tract infection. Then I knew I wanted more experience with
'alternative' medicines.
"I began looking online for information, and found that
Tai Sophia Institute was 20 minutes from where I lived in Silver
Spring. Coincidentally, around that time I began seeing a Tai Sophia
graduate for acupuncture treatment. On my first visit I noticed a
brochure about the Institute in her waiting area. That prompted me to
research Tai Sophia further, and I found that its acupuncture program
was well established with a strong reputation, and the Herbal Medicine
program was the most thorough of anything I had come across. So I
arranged to visit the Institute. When I entered the building, I
instantly felt that this was a healing place. I was impressed by the
professionalism of the people I talked with and the whole process - it
was top-notch.
"I love it here. I feel I'm in the right place with
regard to my personal evolution: I'm learning about myself as I learn
about herbs, and becoming more grounded and authentic with each passing
trimester. I am connecting with Self on a deep level, which is allowing
me to experience healthier and more profound relationships with the
people in my life, as well as with plants and other living things
around me. My learnings at Tai Sophia have helped me tap into what I
believe is my life's mission: to help others choose and live their
highest good."
Tokunboh Obasi
Herbal Medicine
September 2005
Growing
up in Kenya, Tokunboh spent summers away from boarding school with her
grandmother, who taught her ways to use herbs and how to plant them.
Those experiences influenced her decision to study medicine in some
form, particularly a modality that addressed the social aspects of
medicine.
In the United States and caring for her three children,
she worked in health food stores, with the Red Cross, and as a teacher,
all the while searching for a master's program in alternative medicine.
Out of financial necessity, Tokunboh used herbs and nature to care for
herself and her children. After investigating a number of schools, she
determined that Tai Sophia was the right place for her. "I was drawn by
the way the Institute applies a philosophy of oneness and wholeness
throughout the program," she says. "I resonated with that." She applied
and was accepted; and then her mother, who lives in South Africa,
stepped in to help her: she insisted that the children stay with her in
Africa so that Tokunboh could "travel her own path" and fully
experience her master's program.
A year into the program, Tokunboh can see her own
growth. "One of the things I especially appreciate about the Institute
is the support for students," she says. "When I came here, I was
hurting from my struggles as a young mother. I needed some
'earth-mothering.' In this community I got the 'poking open' that
enabled that growth. No one told me what to do, they just supported and
encouraged me in my discovery."
Tokunboh's long-term intent is to promote self-empowerment and
lifestyle changes, and to work especially with children who suffer from
HIV/AIDS in Africa. "What I'm doing not only means a lot to myself, it
has wide implications - for my family, for Africa, for the world," she
says. "I finally got myself in a situation where I know I can be useful
and make a contribution to the world."