Special Qualities We Offer

Founded in 1991 by Peggy Ellis, ASHH, is the oldest and most comprehensive school of herbal studies in North Carolina. Located in the Eastern Blue Ridge Mountains, the oldest mountains in the world, ASHH offers students the greatest variety of native and exotic medicinal plants in the country. This makes the area ideal for communing with the plants in their natural habitat as well as gaining the multitude of other health benefits that access to Nature provides. Frequent field trips introduce students to the extensive National Forest and wilderness areas surrounding Asheville and the splendor of the Appalachians.

At ASHH, we offer beginning, intermediate, and advanced programs focusing on preventative medicine, self-nourishment, and sustainable living.

Nature as a classroom: Self-renewal is important for anyone studying the healing arts. Communication with nature teaches rest, rejuvenation and moving with the rhythms of life. Some of our classes take place at waterfalls, on mountaintops or in the woods. Being out of doors promotes a special bonding in each group.

Dual Locations: With our campus in west Asheville and another in nearby Sandy Mush, we are able to provide the best of two worlds. The Center for Vital Living, where our weeknight classes are held, houses our library and herbal store, is close to downtown and makes attending classes after a busy day very easy. Soulflower Botanical Sanctuary, where we often hold weekend classes and our Earth Sprouts camp, is a short drive from Asheville yet feels worlds away.

Spiritual Community and Personal Evolution: The class environment encourages students to connect with each other in a positive, mutually supportive way. Inner focus through meditation, breath work, movement and other practices, promotes ones evolution. Knowing how to stay heart centered and grounded provides a stable base to help others call forth sacred unity from them selves.

Small Class Size: A low faculty / student ratio assures each student personalized attention. This allows for an ntensive learning experience most like an apprenticeship. The learning process emphasizes direst experience, intuition, practical skills, technical knowledge and self-transformation.

Over a Decade of Experience: The Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism, formerly the NC School of Natural Healing, was founded in 1992 by Peggy Ellis. Ellis passed the school on to Ceara Foley, a graduate of the program, in 2002. Foley expanded the staff and curriculum to include holistic living skills and renamed the school to reflect a renewed commitment to personal and planetary health.

Finest Quality Botanicals: The Appalachian forest, with its wealth of native and exotic medicinal plants, is the most biodiverse region in the country. We ethically wildcraft herbs found in abundance for our preparations; reseeding is part of this practice. When necessary, we use high quality organic herbs and oils, purchased from sustainable herb companies, for use in our labs.

Policies

Admissions: ASHH does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex or sexual preference, age or physical disabilities that do not affect performance.

ASHH Refund and Cancellation Policy: Due to the small class size a strict refund policy is adhered to. The application Fee is non-refundable and is not included in this refund policy

• Buyers Right to Cancel: You have the right to cancel your enrollment. Students withdrawing/ canceling enrollment after acceptance but within the first 72 hours of signing the Enrollment Contract will receive a refund of all monies paid excluding the Application Fee.
• Cancellation of enrollment after 72 hours but before the first class will result in a refund of all tuition paid minus the tuition deposit. ASHH retains the tuition deposit.
• If a student withdraws or is dismissed during the first 25% of the course, ASHH will retain 50%
  of the full tuition. The student will receive a 50% refund of the full tuition.
• After completion of 25% of the required course work (based on the total number of hours in the program), no refund will be made.
• Students who withdraw or are dismissed after 25% of the program are responsible for payment in full of the outstanding balance of their tuition and fees.
• Refunds shall be calculated from the last date of attendance and made within 30 days of withdrawal or dismissal. Refunds after classes begin apply to tuition only and do not include
  books or fees. In the event that a program is cancelled, students will receive a full refund of all monies paid.