Herbcast

"I discovered there was another language for describing our health and another way to feel empowered to look after it."Simon Mills (our Herbcast host) interviews Sebastian Pole (our other Herbcast host!) as a welcome and introduction to the inspiration behind Herbal Reality.Sebastian is a registered member of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, and a Fellow of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. He qualified as a herbalist, using the principles of Ayurveda (the ancient art of living wisely) and, the Herbal tradition to help transform health. He co-founded Pukka Herbs in 2001; he's an author; a qualified Yoga therapist, fluent in Hindi and lives in a forest garden farm growing over 100 species of medicinal plants and treesIn this episode, Simon talks to Sebastian about starting Herbal Reality to support his mission of bringing the incredible power of plants into people's lives. Sebastian talks on:His inspiration and love of nature and people. Discovering Ayurveda and herbalism - an awakening to the wonder of nature.Historical continuum – anthropological and ethnobotanical links between herbal traditions around the world.The organic herb movement and organic farming.Starting Pukka, its value-chain, and the drive for quality.The Fair Wild Movement – sustainable and equitable herbalism.The Herbal Alliance, addressing the future of herbalism and the climate crisis.Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com 

"Herbs nudge the body to better physiological activity"Simon is the Self Care Lead at the College of Medicine and Herbal Strategist at Pukka Herbs. He has been a herbal practitioner in Exeter for 45 years. He has led the leading professional and trade organisations for herbal medicine in the UK and served on Government and House of Lords Committees. He has authored standard textbooks used by herbal practitioners worldwide, including with Professor Kerry Bone from Australia. He co-founded the University of Exeter's pioneering Centre for Complementary Health Studies in 1987 (building complementary research and postgraduate teaching programme from scratch), then at Peninsula the first integrated health course at a UK medical school, and the first Masters degree in herbal medicine in the USA, at the Maryland University of Integrative Health.He is fascinated by the insights distilled from the millions of intelligent people who over many centuries needed plants to survive. Mostly he wants to learn and share the old skills, to experience healing plants as characters that can help us fend off ill health. His passion for offering people tools to look after themselves and their families has led to working with the founders of the College of Medicine on pioneering national self-care and social prescribing projects.Simon talks on:Shaping a neglected profession into a real health care option.His fundamental love of physiology and pharmacology – how herbs can contribute to the needs of today.The loss of human autonomy – returning health ownership and empowerment with self-care.A crucial turning point in the awareness and need for herbalism in our society today.Fundamental day-to-day health skills – food, sleep, and a connection to nature.The language of health - recognising symptoms as signposts, not threats.The role of the herbal practitioner today and connecting with communities.An intuitive goat called EmilyComplex systems, the microbiome, and the wisdom of herbalism.Making herbalism accessible to all.Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com We are fundraising to continue our work!These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead.Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com Mentioned in this episode:Support our cause - Donate to Herbal RealityWe are fundraising to continue our work! These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead. Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

Welcome along to Herbcast!Do you know your Echinacea from your Eleutherococcus? Or your lavender from your lemonbalm? Whether you’re a budding herbalist or a botanical beginner, Herbcast is here to inform and inspire you to explore the integration of herbs in our every day lives.Meet Sebastian, your host and founder of Herbal Reality, for a taste of what to expect from Herbcast; the podcast from Herbal reality, delving into the plant-powered world of herbalism.