medicine • mentorship • retreats
Essence —
the indispensable quality of something —
is the medicine you carry inside you.
For practitioners, spiritual & health seekers alike, let’s collaborate to meet the moment with clarity, strategy, and the kind of medicine that transforms.
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Health, rather than the absence of illness or disease, is your presence in your own life.
Between your body and your mind, between you and another, between what is seen and what is sensed, through medicine, meditation, and the wisdom of plants, I collaborate with people and practitioners who want to make a relationship to their own authentic presence.
Using classical Chinese medicine and Buddhist meditation, I guide you to find the medicine that’s uniquely yours. My approach blends clinical precision with lived presence — allowing you to navigate change with confidence and care.
traveling together
Three Gateways
Health & Retreats
change is already happening.
When illness, diagnosis, or transition calls, the question is: how will you meet it?
In a one-day, 3–5 day, or 18-day retreat, we step into a vessel of care made just for you.
Treatments, food, movement, and conversation are woven into a rhythm that lets your own knowing come alive.
Presence
Teaching & Mentorship
For practitioners ready to deepen.
With over 25 years in clinical practice and decades of Buddhist study, I teach the five channel systems, essential oils, and the living strategies of classical Chinese medicine.
Whether through seasonal courses, hands-on practicums, or one-to-one mentorship, my work supports practitioners to refine their seeing, their touch, and their long view.
Enrichment
The Plant Path
Essential oils as living teachers.
The Nectar of Plants is a 30-hour course that has changed the way hundreds of practitioners practice.
Rooted in Chinese medicine, it offers strategy, case studies, and a growing community exploring Chinese Medicine Aromatherapy.
Study
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seasonal invitation
The Heart in the Clinic
An intimate 3-day practicum (November 7–9, 2025, Cary, NC) limited to 6 participants. We refine strategy, pulses, needling, and long-view treatment plans across the five channel systems.
19 CEUs approved. Returning participants receive a discount.
the first step
Cocoa Chat:
A warm cup and a clear conversation
Every relationship begins with a Cocoa Chat — a 45-minute call to map your current moment and the paths available to you. From here, you’ll know whether to begin with a Blueprint for Change, step into a Retreat Vessel, enroll in a course, or embark on the Plant Path.
step in closer
Enter the Writing and Listening Library
Each week, I meet with a circle of practitioners and seekers to ask the oracle: what is alive now, and how do we meet it?
These Monday Morning Notes and group inquiries are gathered in my Substack — a living library of practice, reflection, and community
Courses
Deepen your practice. Expand your view.
I design courses that blend classical theory with lived clinical reality. Each one is rooted in the five channel systems and designed to make your work more precise, practical, and alive.
The Nectar of Plants
(3-part, 30 hours, CEUs approved)
Essential oils through the lens of Chinese medicine — a transformative approach for practitioners and dedicated students alike.
The Three-Legged Vessel
A unique classical method for working with the Primary Channels. Theory, strategy, and practical application for diagnosis and treatment.
Body Geography
An introduction to all five channel systems — Sinew, Luo, Primary, Divergent, and Eight Extraordinary vessels — with treatment guidelines and case studies.
What Others Say:
“I do not say this lightly. I have not had the depth and breadth of information in any other essential oils course or literature I have attended or read. Ms Spilka is a natural teacher who will make sure the student understands the theory, and practical application of essential oils in the profession.”
–Michele Salinas
“Josephine has a way of focusing her attention to bring depth and clarity to the human experience like I have never encountered. This presence allows for the paradox of acceptance and transformation. I have learned how to trust my body’s wisdom and listen deeply to myself.”
–sarah
About me
For over 25 years, I’ve practiced classical Chinese medicine and Buddhist meditation. My work is rooted in the five channel systems, herbal medicine, and the ancient lineages of self-cultivation that have shaped me. I am devoted to helping you choose the medicine that’s true for you — whether you are navigating illness, refining your clinical practice, or following the plants.
