Sunday 1pm - Hydrosols: Plant Waters for Hearth, Skin & Spirit with Lauren Nichols-Scheffler
Sunday 1pm - Hydrosols: Plant Waters for Hearth, Skin & Spirit with Lauren Nichols-Scheffler
Long before laboratories and perfumeries, there were stillrooms: warm with steam, copper shining in firelight, herbs laid upon the table like offerings. From this old craft of water and flame comes the hydrosol - the plant’s gentle spirit carried in mist and memory.
These are not merely floral waters, but living plant waters, soft in touch - yet steady in their work. They cool and clarify the skin, soothe overheated humors, brighten heavy moods, and cleanse both body and dwelling. Where essential oils blaze, hydrosols murmur. They carry the subtle virtues of the green world in a form safe enough for daily blessing and tender care. In this hands-on gathering, we will tend an old-fashioned copper still and walk step-by-step through the ancient art of distillation. You will learn about the alchemic process and draw forth a fresh hydrosol of your own to carry home. Along the way, we’ll explore the aromatic herbs of aromatic Materia Medica, the energetics of plant waters, and the quiet alchemy that unfolds when we listen well. This is a class for thosewho feel kinship with the stillroom, who trust the old ways, and who wish to deepen their craft.
Come stand by the steam.
Come learn the old art.
Come let the plants speak through their mist.
Lauren Ann Nichols Sheffler is a certified herbalist, educator, and wildland steward whose work is rooted in bioregional herbalism, ethical sourcing, botanical stewardship, and reciprocal relationships between plants, people, and place.
A graduate of the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, Lauren has spent seven years specializing in herbal distillation and handcrafting hydrosols from fresh plants. She teaches community herbalism, participates in the Sustainable Herbs Initiative, stewards’ wildlands, and hosts classes at her United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary in Denver, Colorado.
At WishGarden Herbs, Lauren brings her passion for ethical sourcing and sustainability into the supply chain, helping cultivate a future where plants and people thrive together.