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."