Curanderismo and Community Herbalist Mentorship + Apprenticeship Program for BIPOC

Join the Curanderismo & Community Herbalist Mentorship and Apprenticeship Program at Tierra Rituals, led by Lidia Ruelo-Salazar. This flexible two-year journey is designed for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and mixed-race individuals seeking to reconnect with their ancestral wisdom through herbalism and Curanderismo. The program offers a comprehensive learning experience, covering body systems and herbal allies, intermediate and advanced plant medicine-making, ancestral ceremonies, and holistic healing practices that nourish the mind, body, and spirit.

Rooted in healing justice, harm reduction, and transformative justice, participants will learn how to apply these principles to support both personal healing and community well-being. Whether you're on a path of self-healing, desire to work in an ancestral/ traditional herbal clinical practice, creating your own product line or pursuing a career in herbal education, this program offers the tools to empower your journey.

Participation is flexible, with the option to complete just one year or continue through the full two-year mentorship and apprenticeship.

Key Components

  • Honoring Ancestral Medicine: Reclaim ancestral rituals through Curanderismo and traditional medicine-making methods while celebrating individual ancestral lineages.

  • Herbal Support for the Human Body: Explore how to nourish and therapeutically support each body system through medicinal plants.

  • Herbal Support and Ancestral Rituals for Los Aires: Explore traditional practices related to the Aires “Winds” in Curanderismo, addressing various ailments affecting the body, mind, and spirit with herbal remedies and rituals.

  • Integrating Healing Practices: Implement egg, water, and fire limpias into personal and professional lives.

  • Spiritual Hygiene and Discernment: Cultivate practices to maintain spiritual well-being, protect energy, and establish healthy boundaries for sustainable support.

  • Healing Justice, Harm Reduction, and Transformative Justice: Honor the inherent wisdom and resilience of individuals and communities by addressing systemic health inequities through decolonized, culturally rooted care. Provide resources and education that support informed healing choices, while fostering collective care practices that uplift shared responsibility, mutual aid, and interconnected well-being.

  • Embracing and Trusting Healing Gifts (Don): Explore and navigate any hesitations or fears around expressing healing gifts, fostering trust in one’s abilities and the wisdom of these practices. Decolonizing Healing Practices: Engage in decolonizing healing practices and reclaim healer identities.

  • Curanderismo in Practice: Discover and apply resonant Curanderismo practices in various settings.

  • Uplifting Pláticas and Emotional Support: Engage in heart-strengthening dialogues and provide emotional support sessions that empower individuals’ self-determination.

  • Mutual Aid and Community Support: Build mutual aid networks and provide herbal first aid support to community organizers and marginalized or disenfranchised communities involved in social justice efforts.

Program Cost

I offer a sliding scale payment structure to help make the mentorship and apprenticeship program more accessible. The program costs for each year range from $1,950 to $2,600, allowing participants to choose the contribution that best aligns with their financial circumstances.

Students who have taken the "Sacred Path to Curanderismo Class series" or the "Rooted in Ancestral Plant Wisdom and Rituals Class Series" will receive a $700 discount off year 1.

  • Year 1 (Mentorship): $1,950 - $2,600

  • Year 2 (Apprenticeship): $1,950 - $2,600

  • Total for Two Years: $3,900 - $5,200

  • Required Down Payment: $400

    Payment Options

  • Yearly Payment- A 10% discount will be applied for those who choose to pay each year in full upfront.

  • 12 Monthly Installments for each year

  • Quarterly Installments for each year

Requirements:

There are no minimum requirements, but participants are highly encouraged to complete Tierra Rituals’ "Sacred Path to Curanderismo Class" or the "Rooted in Ancestral Plant Wisdom and Rituals Course." Students who have taken one these courses will receive a $700 discount.

Mentorship Program- Year 1

Program Schedule (Starting January 23, 2025)

In-Person + Online Location:
El Sobrante, CA 94803 + Selected Online Sessions

Monthly Group Sessions (In-Person):

  • When: Third Saturday of each month

  • Time: 3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

  • Duration: 3.5 hours

Bi-Weekly Online Sessions:
In addition to the monthly in-person gatherings, we will hold two 1.5 hour online sessions on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

  • Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

  • Zoom sessions will be recorded for students who cannot attend live.

1:1 Bi-Monthly Sessions with Lidia:
Each mentee will have a one-on-one, 30-minute session every other month, providing personalized support and guidance. These sessions will focus on your herbal healing practice and personal growth.

Year 2: Apprenticeship

Program Schedule (Starting January 2026)

In-Person + Online Location:
El Sobrante Hills/Richmond, CA 94803

Monthly Group Sessions (In-Person):

  • When: Third Sunday of each month

  • Time: 3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

  • Duration: 3.5 hours

Bi-Weekly Online Sessions:
In addition to the monthly in-person gatherings, we will hold two 1.5 hour online sessions on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

  • Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

  • Zoom sessions will be recorded for students who cannot attend live.

1:1 Bi-Monthly Sessions with Lidia:
Each mentee will have a one-on-one, 30-minute session every other month, providing personalized support and guidance. These sessions will focus on your ancestral herbal healing practice and personal growth.