2026 Ojai Herbal Retreat

Lanny Kaufer
Author, Nature Guide, Herbal Educator
Lanny Kaufer of HerbWalks.com has been leading herb walks, nature hikes, and workshops in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 1976, educating hundreds of residents and visitors on the edible and medicinal flora of the area. He holds a biology degree from UC Santa Cruz and is the author of Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants (Falcon Guides, 2021). Lanny is on the faculty of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands. He serves as chief consultant on medicinal plants for the Swimmer Medicinal Garden in Playa Vista and the Chumash Garden at Ojai Valley Museum..

Meet the Global Plant Community of Krotona Hill
For 100 years the Krotona Institute of Theosophy has created a beautiful landscape of plants from around the world. Meet some of the most interesting on an immersive, walking tour. Experience with all your senses our local native edible and medicinal sages and shrubs. Stroll beneath the majestic deodar cedars of the Himalayas and savor the aroma of the lemon eucalyptus of Australia. You’ll feel a renewed connection to your kin in the plant kingdom.

Jiling Lin, LAc

Jiling Lin is a Ventura-based acupuncturist, herbalist, and artist who provides integrative medicine and experiential education for thriving personal and ecological wellness through gentle acupuncture and herbs, accessible lifestyle medicine solutions, and empowering classes and retreats integrating nature, art, movement, and ritual. Tea Talks podcast host on Herbal Radio and writer for various publications, Jiling also loves surfing, backpacking, and gardening– and is writing her first book about Five Elements Lifestyle Medicine! (Publication 2028). Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com and join her newsletter for seasonal beauty.

Other bio lengths: Jiling Bio_public
Photos and other marketing assets: Jiling marketing assets (shared)

Creative Rituals for Everyday Beauty
Life is art. Reconnect with your innate creativity and mama Earth’s generative brilliance through nature journaling and abstract art. In this experiential workshop, we’ll practice creative rituals for everyday beauty. Through freeform writing and simple drawing experiments, you’ll learn contemplative techniques that nurture intuition, spark new ideas, and sustain ongoing inspiration. We’ll also discuss herbs that support creativity, and explore adaptable rituals for inspiration wherever you are. You’ll leave with an nature-inspired creative ritual to practice through the seasons, deepen your connection with yourself and the natural world— and open to everyday beauty.

Emily Watson
Certified Clinical Herbalist, Certified Clinical Nutritionist
Emily Watson is the Director & Founder of the Artemisia Academy of Herbal Arts & Healing in Santa Barbara, where she supports herbalists and aspiring healers to deeply connect with plants, body-wisdom, and sustainable practice. With more than 15 years of experience in the field, Emily’s journey spans farming apprenticeships, clinical herbalism and nutrition training, massage therapy and medical qigong.
Her path has taught her first-hand the importance of becoming a healed healer: moving beyond the overwork, overwhelm, and disconnection so many holistic practitioners face, and stepping fully into a life where body, purpose, and plant wisdom align.
Emily brings a rich blend of tactile, embodied practice (massage, movement, touch) and botanical knowledge, guiding participants to not only learn about herbs—but to feel them, activate them, and weave them into real-life clinical practice and rituals. Whether you’re new to the herbal world or a seasoned practitioner, Emily’s classes invite you to reconnect with your body’s innate intelligence and the plants that support it.
Bio pics: https://www.artemisiaacademy.com/director

Grounding Through Touch: Herbal Oils & Self-Massage Rituals
Led by Emily Watson, Director of the Artemisia Academy
Reconnect with your body and the healing power of plants in this hands-on session with herbalist and educator Emily Watson. Learn how to create your own deeply relaxing herbal massage oil and explore simple self-massage techniques that soothe the nervous system, ease tension, and restore you back to your present self. This experiential class blends practical herbal crafting with embodied ritual, offering tools you can bring into your everyday rhythm of rest and renewal.
(version 2:)
Immerse yourself in a nourishing hour of embodied herbal wisdom and self-care. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore how to bring herbs into your daily rhythm through the art of self-massage and botanical oils. We’ll begin with a brief introduction to key herbs and carrier oils that support nervous system calming, circulation, and grounded presence. Then you’ll be guided through a gentle self-massage practice — designed to meet you where you are, whether you’re moving slowly or simply exploring touch. Finally, you’ll create your own take-home 1 oz herbal massage oil, infused with choice botanicals and essential oils, and learn how to build a simple ritual around using it at home. By the end of the session you’ll leave feeling relaxed, re-connected to your body, and equipped with a practical herbal ritual you can integrate into your “everyday living” practice.

Carol Wade RH (AHG)
Registered Herbalist (American Herbalists Guild)
Carol Wade has been practicing as a professional herbalist and nutritional counselor for over 30 years and is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild.

She is the founder and Director of the Ojai School of Herbal Studies, a 22 month in person foundational course in plant based medicine, that includes in depth education in how to use herbs safely and effectively, hands-on time in the garden and product making, and working with other like minded folks. The Earth Island Medicinal Herb Garden is part of the class room as well as the site of interactive EcoTours of the garden for folks of all ages and a beautiful place for nature immersion.

A highly experienced, knowledgeable and warm teacher, Carol truly enjoys sharing her deep understanding of herbs with students and guiding them as they embark upon their own journey in herbal living.
www.earthislandherbs

Rest, Reset and Restore
In these very demanding times we live in, we will create individually designed sleep pillows filled with your choice of aromatic herbs to enhance the rest and relaxation that are a foundation for reclaiming and creating optimal health. While we’re at it, we will highlight accessible tools that reset healthy biorhythms and restore and establish the practices that allow us to creatively navigate stressful circumstances with health and ease.

Patrick Tumamait
Chumash Elder and Culturalist
Patrick Tumamait is the son of Vincent Tumamait & Lucy Castro Tumamait. He grew up in the Ojai Valley and still lives in the Meiners Oaks neighborhood near the birthplace of his great, great grandmother, Maria Ricarda Alulalmeque, who was raised in the Chumash village of Matilija. Pat has traced his family lineage from his father to at least 11 known Chumash villages and as far back as the mid-18th century.

Pat works as a native Chumash representative monitoring excavation sites from Malibu to Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands, part of that in consultation with archeologists in the event of any findings. He sees that everything is handled appropriately according to protocol.

“The culture and the people are still alive. Our life entails protecting the cultural history and ancestry of our people, having people recognize the past as a legacy to our future. Protection and awareness so that we can share it with others and preserve it for the future generations to come.”

Opening Blessing and Land Acknowledgement