Moonflower Community Cooperative is more than a whole foods grocery — it’s also a place to learn healthy habits through various classes the co-op sponsors each month.
Upcoming in July is a class on the topic of “The Art of Self-Empathy: Transforming Inner Dialogue from Judgment and Criticism to Kindness and Compassion.” For more information, visit moonflower.coop/calendar.
June’s “Herbalism 101: Five Essential Herbs for Everyday Life” class was presented by the owner of Sister Root Medicinals, Ali Fuller Matz. She talked about herbs and how she uses them to heal infections, boost immunity, aid digestion and cleanse the body.
Herbalism can be overwhelming, with so many plants from which to choose, and so many different beneficial uses, Matz said. For that reason, she said she likes to distill the topic to five of her favorite herbs: yarrow, nettles, lemon balm, calendula and plantain.
At the herbalism class on Tuesday, June 19, Matz talked about how to use these five herbs that she said are common and can be grown easily. Her intention with this class, she said, is to give people a good understanding of how to create a huge medicine bag with just these plants. For example, Matz recommends specific herbal teas that help heal colds, sore throat or flu.
“Plants that are abundant around us are what we should use the most,” so as not to over-harvest the plants, she said.
And while Matz does gather some herbs in the wild, such as juniper berries, and in the Sonoran Desert, chaparral, she grows a lot of her herbs in Castle Valley on 5 acres of land.
Matz, 33, grew up in Moab, where she began studying herbalism at the age of 16. She apprenticed with the late Keith Travers. She said Travers “opened her eyes” to holistic healing after she was injured in a car accident. Matz continued her studies at the Dandelion Herb Center in California under Jane Bothwell. In 2010, she founded her business, Sister Root Medicinals.
In addition to various herbal tinctures, Matz creates other products such as sunscreen, tooth powders and poultices. Two years ago, she acquired Wise Raven Herbs from a friend. Through the two herbal lines, Matz now offers 80 herbal tinctures. She also formulates custom products for a local naturopathic doctor. All of the products are sold at Moonflower Cooperative.
“We truly believe in those products; the staff has seen benefits and wellness those can bring through our own use of those products,” Moonflower Community Cooperative General Manager Derek Whitworth said. “We sell so much of her allergy-relief tincture.”
Moonflower generally hosts two or three classes each month. Other topics have included gardening, permaculture, cooking, and yoga and other movement-based classes, said the store’s community outreach and events coordinator Stephanie Hamborsky.
“All are free and open to the public,” Hamborsky said.
Three classes related to emotional health will be held in July.
The first, on July 3, is taught by author Elana Davidson, of Moab, on the topic of “The Art of Self-Empathy: Transforming Inner Dialogue from Judgment and Criticism to Kindness and Compassion.” The class is designed to help people control negative self-talk through concepts and practices of nonviolent communication.
“The Gifts of Adversity: A Dialogue on Healing Traumatic Wounds and Building Emotional Resiliency” is on Tuesday, July 17, and on July 31, there’s a class titled “The Art of Intuition: Using Kinesiology to Develop Your Inner Knowing.”
“We see these classes as a way to promote socially conscious goods coming from the community,” Whitworth said. “It helps create a healthy community.”
Topics include herbal essentials and transforming emotional health
When: Classes are ongoing; The next class is on Tuesday, July 3, at 6 p.m. with a featured presentation on “The Art of Self-Empathy: Transforming Inner Dialogue from Judgment and Criticism to Kindness and Compassion” by Elana Davidson
Where: Moonflower Community Cooperative, 39 E 100 North
Cost: Free
For more information about Moonflower Community Cooperative and the ongoing classes offered each month, visit moonflower.coop/calendar
“We see these classes as a way to promote socially-conscious goods coming from the community. It helps create a healthy community.”
