HANS Associate Members

HANS Associate Members are the Nova Scotia growers, medicine makers, educators and herbal enthusiasts who play a vital role in our growing herbal community! On this page we celebrate and recognize our associate members and share a brief summary about how they contribute to the world of Herbal Medicine.

2023-2024 Associate Members

Want to be represented here and become a HANS Associate Member? Apply on our membership page.

Our Associate Memberships are renewed annually starting in August.

Melinda Crestani
Reflexology Therapist RCRT™ & Herbal Consultant + Student for Herbal Practitioner

Business Name: Melinda`s Reflexology

Business offering: Facial & Auricular Reflexology in combination with healthy lifestyle- / nutrition- / herbs- / supplements – consultation

Relax – Unwind – Support your Health

I offer Auricular and Facial Reflexology with extended suggestions and consultation for a healthy and supportive lifestyle (including nutrition, supplements, and herbs).

Reflexology increases circulation and supports metabolic optimization, which can lead to better oxygen and nutrient supply and waste removal.

My complementary treatment is non-invasive and moves out of the sympathetic fight and flight/tension response into the parasympathetic relaxation response.

Further education in the moment: Foot reflexolgy in combination with Cranio Sacral Reflexology and Herbal Practitioner

webpage link:

Melinda´s Reflexology – Melinda Crestani RCRT™ & Herbal Consultant (novascotiareflexology.ca)

Tawny Stowe
Master Reiki Practitioner, Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Sacred Temple massage practitioner, Permaculturist, Yoga teacher, Animal Tracker, Oracle reader & Herbalist

Coming together to nourish our mind, bodies and souls through plant medicine, homesteading and beyond. Nourishing Circles is where we all intersect! My intention is to create and hold space for those seeking to learn with us as we steward heritage breeds and take a deep dive into the Living World that explains agriculture where it intersects spirituality.

It is my mission to inspire seeking Moms to embrace the spiritual connection in raising families, food, and fiber with old fashioned values as I share my journey to master old world skills raising food and fiber and together master old world skills raising food and fiber using a foundation of old world values that nourishes our entire family and communities mind-body and soul.

About Tawny:

Tawny is Metis with Red River ancestry, who works and lives on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kma’ki people. She is a steward of land and resources which guides her to embody her values. Tawny shares her written reflections on the Mind-Body-Soul connection in raising food and a family through the sharing of stories, food, gardening, spirituality + yoga practices, and nature exploration. It is her hope that through her lived experiences she is helping folks return home to themselves and their children through a (re)connection to the Earth.

Tawny is the proud mother of one 7 year old active and curious boy who inspires her to step up as a community leader for better land stewardship practices and spiritual transformation.

In the Herbal Community

I bring my love of food and medicine converging. I grow medicine gardens, forage, and am working at understanding herbs for livestock. With people I use the work of Samantha Orthlieb and my yoga background to help examine emotional and spiritual blocks manifesting physically and attempt to partner plants and archetypes to help with whole healing.

I often run online or in person events connecting to plants and the seasons and offer a written online membership to follow along on my journey of wholesome living.

Upcoming events with Tawny

Oxford Nova Scotia Learning Farm Program

For those local to Oxford Nova Scotia a very special annual program has been designed to bring you and your family on farm to participate in general chores, major projects, and experience what raising healthy and nutritious food is all about . This program is rooted in traditional values to help folks see honesty, courage, truth, wisdom, love, humility, and curiosity all in action as we steward our land and resources.

Projects will vary according to season and can include gardening, processing food (canning), foraging, plant medicine, animal husbandry, and more. An effort to teach and highlight everyone’s interests will always be made. At the completion of the program folks will receive set amounts of protein raised here on the farm that you were all included in.

To learn more about the cost of this program please email Tawny directly at email hidden; JavaScript is required

DATES FOR THE PROGRAM ARE: April 6, 27, May 18 June 1, 29 July 13, Aug 17, Sep 14**special event 21st ** Oct 5 , 19 Nov 9 And a chance to harvest a tree on or near December 15th.

ENERGY EXCHANGE FOR LEARNING IS $700 per family for year and includes:

1 Meat Rabbit at 4-5 pounds each beginning April to May

1 Mixed box of goat roast and stew or all ground meat approximately 5 pounds of meat available in the fall (approximately $160)

1 dozen eggs with each visit, (Total 11 dozen guaranteed value $77)

1 to 2 bars of goats milk soap

Come out on an agreed date for harvesting your own Christmas tree!

**IF SPACE IS AVAILANLE: $80/ day event and only includes eggs **

PLANTS & CHAKRAS PART 1 Sunday May 12 11-14:00

Join me @UA Honey Co for an energetic approach to healing the mind, body and soul connecting the chakra system to medicine plants!

YOU DO NOT NEED ANY EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA, REIKI, OR PLANTS TO ATTEND.

This workshop is geared for all levels in the energetic healing realm who desire to learn more about ways to work with plants as healers .

This is a 2 PART series. You don’t need to be at both but will greatly benefit from a full immersion from the ground up!

Using the work of Caroline Myss, and Samantha Orthlieb I will take participants on an experiential journey to know 3-4 plants and their role in facilitating healing of the mind-body-soul. I will share my Reiki-Yoga-Medical Intuitive approach to understanding the chakra systems as they connect to plants and some of the ways we might feel these systems in or out of balance in our own lives. I draw on yoga, and crystals and how the psycho-spiritual aspects of the plants can help us heal at a subconscious level and share this for each chakra as go along

This is a 3 hour workshop with a reiki healing meditation at the end of our session. As time permits I will strive to incorporate facilitated conversation and ways to deepen your experience with these majestic plant beings.

Please bring your own lunch and snacks and dress very comfortable. You will need a notebook to take your own notes in, handouts are not provided. I ask for an open heart and a curious mind and I strongly recommend water, something salty or healthy sugar as energy work can make you have cravings for either!

In honor of Samantha’s work her book and oracle deck “Senses of the Soul” will be available for purchase after the workshop.

In part 1 we will aim to cover chakras 1-3 and possibly part of chakra 4. Part 2 will be happening May 26th.

The cost to attend each session is $65 and is payable via EFT. Please contact Tawny via message or email email hidden; JavaScript is required to reserve your space.

Please note these workshops are not refundable unless the venue cancels the event due to weather.

PLANTS & CHAKRAS PART 2