Testimonials
The workshop was a lovely day from start to finish. Columbia shared information with passion and warmth. Despite being familiar with the herbs, I learned a lot more about how they can support my health. The food was delicious, the company was lovely and I came away with lots of treats. I'm looking forward to attending more workshops at Anam Cara.
Meabh
Yvonne
The workshop was excellent, really enjoyable. Making immunity boosting syrup with rosemary, pine and bay laurel was a highlight for me, especially important right now in the middle of winter. I also liked how Columbia integrated healing herbs into food recipes. Introducing herbs into tasty dishes, even into soups and teas. It’s a great way to stay healthy.
Marie
Thank you Columbia for such a fantastic day, and welcoming us into your lovely home. It was a gentle balance of informal and informative, and I left feeling nourished mind, body and soul. Your passion for herbal medicine shone through which provoked real consideration of what is possible when treating disease in a holistic manner. The gifted herbs and recipes were a lovely touch and I shall be using them all enthusiastically. This is a wonderful event for anyone interested in medicinal plants and I would highly recommend it.
AnneMarie
I would like to express my gratitude for your kindness in inviting us into your home to experience this inspiring Herbal Medicine Making workshop.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to, learning and talking about herbs, particularly the ones that were focused on today, interestingly, as they are grown locally to this area, which you pointed out in your own garden.
I would also like to mention the scrumptious food that you provided for lunch, educating us of the nourishing properties within the herbs that were used.
The whole experience was such a pleasure, the relaxed atmosphere, ease of conversation, the food and enjoyment of the practical hands on making herbal tonics and sweets.
It was simply an excellent afternoon.
Diane
The recent workshop, led by Columbia Hillen, was an engaging and practical experience that beautifully combined learning and creativity. Columbia's expertise and approachable teaching style made it easy to explore the properties of various herbs, their health benefits, and sustainable sourcing from her very own herbal remedy garden. The hands-on portion was a highlight, as we crafted our own herbal recipes, including Bay Laurel and Rosemary tea, a delicious winter syrup, and Grá balls. It was an informative and inspiring session that left me confident and excited to incorporate herbal remedies into daily life.
Pauline
I recently attended a Making Herbal Medicine Workshop hosted by Columbia Hillen in her lovely home in Co Donegal. It was a fabulous day – the sun shone for us and the sent from the herbs drying on the stove was very welcoming. There are so many herbs out there but Columbia introduced us to a few very common ones that can be readily available in our gardens/locality.
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We enjoyed Rosemay / Bay tea and the benefits of them in our daily routine. We were shown how to make our own Winter Tonic and very tasty healthy sweets she called Grá Balls and lots more. There was a lovely mix of people on the course too and each of them had their own story to tell which was very interesting. Not only did Columbia teach us a few things about herbs she also fed us with her homemade soup, bread and pate. I came away buzzing with enthusiasm and joy and will definitely be introducing more herbs to my family . It was a fabulous day. Thank you Columbia. I look forward to doing more workshops with you in the future.