About Leslie Whalen

Leslie Gossett Whalen is an herbalist, holistic health practitioner, yoga teacher, naturalist, and educator. With deep reverence for the natural world, she finds wonder in walking barefoot through fields, gathering plants, and meditating beneath maple trees. Raised in Nashville, Leslie spent her childhood with pine trees as her closest companions, learning some of her most important lessons simply by being in the natural world.

Leslie is passionate about helping others reconnect with themselves and with the living intelligence of nature—an intimacy she believes is innate to the human experience. Over the years, she has come to see that all of her teachings and practices converge on a single thread: the path of awe. Through her work, she guides others toward this path, inviting them to rediscover wonder, remembrance, and the quiet wisdom that the natural world offers.

Herbalism is not just memorizing which plant does which action. Herbalism is a living practice of relationship. One of the more profound ways herbalism can help us heal is because working with plants invites us to slow down, to pay attention, and to tend to our bodies and our environments. My own healing journey has deeply informed how I show up as a teacher and practitioner, and I have seen time and again how cultivating relationship can invite a depth of healing that many holistic health trends lack entirely. Whether I’m teaching a class, or working with you one on one to address a health concern, I will always invite you to slow down, show up, and listen to what your body is actually telling you.

The Path That Led Me Here

My journey into this work began through my own health challenges in 2008, after finding little support within conventional approaches. That experience led me to explore the body’s inherent ability to regulate and heal, and in 2009, I began formally studying herbalism.

Over the years, I’ve trained with herbalists, teachers, and elders, and continue to deepen my studies in plant medicine and holistic health.

In 2012, I completed a Holistic Health Practitioner program, including certifications in herbalism and nutrition. In 2013, after experiencing a stroke, I made the decision to continue my healing path outside of conventional treatment beyond emergency care. That experience deepened my trust in the body and strengthened my commitment to helping others navigate their own health in a more informed and empowered way.

The Throughline: Awe

Underneath all of this is a single thread—a way of relating to the world through attention and awe. Not as something abstract, but as something practical: The moment you begin to pay close attention—to a plant, to your body, to the patterns in your life—things begin to reveal themselves.

This is where healing shifts. Not through force or control, but through understanding and relationship.

The Work

While herbalism is a central part of my work, it is always taught in the context of the whole system—how we live, what we consume, and the rhythms we participate in.

My work brings together:

  • herbalism and plant medicine

  • nutrition and what we put in and on our bodies

  • circadian rhythms and light exposure

  • ancestral practices adapted for modern life

  • energetics and pattern recognition

All grounded in relationship—with the body, with the natural world, and with the rhythms that shape both.

Training & Background

I have been studying and practicing herbalism since 2009 through a combination of formal education, mentorship, and ongoing self-directed study.

My foundational training began through a four-year program in holistic health, where I completed certifications in herbalism, nutrition, and holistic health practice. Since then, my education has continued through years of independent study, hands-on practice, and training with experienced herbalists and teachers.

I have also completed advanced herbalism training and continue to deepen my work through ongoing study and direct experience.

My understanding of health through a holistic sense has deepened through my training in yoga and meditation.

I became a certified yoga teacher in 2013 and have since completed a 500-hour certification, along with additional training in children’s yoga, trauma-informed yoga, special needs yoga, and meditation instruction.

Alongside this, my connection to plants led me into deeper study of botany, foraging, and ecological systems. In 2021, I completed the Tennessee Naturalist certification, further grounding my understanding and training.

Credentials

  • Herbalism Certification, 2011

  • Holistic Health Practitioner Certification, 2012

  • Holistic Nutrition Certification, 2010

  • Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), 2013

  • 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification, 2021

  • Tennessee Naturalist Certification, 2021

  • Circadian Biology Program, 2023

  • Advanced Herbalism Training, 2024

  • Additional training with herbalists, teachers, and elders (ongoing)

  • People of all religious backgrounds are welcome here. Leslie believes that all things are interconnected on a basic biological level. The plants around us create the oxygen we breathe. This truth is the foundation of her approach- to help people connect to something bigger, to the sense that we are not living in a vacuum. Leslie does not teach from a doctrine, and people of all beliefs and approaches can find meaning in her practices. If you want to know more about her personal beliefs, she is always happy to share more.

  • Email us. We can work with budgets, or even create work study or barter opportunities. This knowledge belongs to all humans, so you will not be turned away due to financial hardship.

  • If you have a special class request, location request, or unique need, just email. We love custom creations.