The Wisdom of the Body: Somatics, Herbalism, and Nervous System Healing

In this episode of The Wild Rose Podcast, we’re joined by Marie Zak, a herbalist and somatic therapist whose work weaves together plant medicine, nervous system care, and embodied healing.Marie shares her personal journey into herbalism, shaped by sensitivity, burnout, and a deep return to the body, and how this path led her to integrate somatic relational therapy with clinical herbal practice. The conversation explores what it truly means to tend the nervous system, why so many modern health challenges live in the body rather than just the mind, and how authenticity, power, and belonging are inseparable from wellbeing.Together, we reflect on somatic therapy, trauma and stress physiology, people-pleasing as a nervous system response, and the role of plants as allies in helping us inhabit ourselves more fully. Marie also speaks to the importance of connection with the more-than-human world, and why relationships with plants and land are essential to healing in these times.The Wild Rose Podcast is hosted by Megan Kendrick, Registered Clinical Herbalist and Herbal Village Coordinator. Through thoughtful conversations with herbalists, clinicians, and plant-centered practitioners, the podcast explores the art, science, and lived experience of herbal medicine.About Marie: Marie Zak completed her herbal studies at Pacific Rim College and is a Registered Herbal Therapist with the British Columbia Herbalists Association. She is the co-founder of Althaea Herbals, where she offers clinical care and education focused on emotional, spiritual, and psychosomatic wellbeing. Marie completed her Somatic Relational Therapy training through Opening to Grace with Mariah Moser and has studied animism and ancestral healing with Daniel Foor.You can find Marie and her work through Althaea Herbals online and on social media.For more herbal education, community learning, and plant-centered resources, visit Wild Rose College of Herbal Medicine and explore the Wild Rose Herbal Village.If you enjoyed this episode, consider sharing it with someone who might benefit from this perspective on somatics, herbalism, and nervous system healing, and follow The Wild Rose Podcast wherever you listen.