In this illuminating conversation, herbalist and teacher Paul Bergner joins Elliott Brinkley to explore the foundations of true healing through vitalist therapeutics addressing lifestyle, nutrition, and the spiritual dimensions of wellness. With over five decades of clinical experience and a lineage of teaching that has shaped generations of herbalists, Paul shares both timeless wisdom and modern clinical insight into what it really means to heal.
As we move into the holiday season, conversations about family tend to get louder. For some, gathering around the table is nourishing and familiar. For others, it can stir up tenderness, old wounds, anxiety, or the intensity of navigating multiple nervous systems in one space. For all of us, it’s a potent moment to reflect on how we want to show up with the people we love.
As the light wanes and the air grows crisp, we find ourselves at the turning of the wheel- Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival that marks summer’s end and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Long before Halloween took its modern form, Samhain was a time of deep reverence for the cycles of death and rebirth. It’s a season of liminality, of standing at the threshold between what has been and what is yet to come.
This past year has been one of the most transformative, challenging, and magical seasons of my life. And as the air cools and the plants begin their slow journey toward dormancy, I’ve found myself craving conversations that feel like sitting at the kitchen table with a pot of strong decoction, grounded, honest, and full of heart.
