165. Re-Release: Sustainable Funerals, Sociocracy, and Balancing our Nervous Systems: Erin Young on Permaculture Herbalism
Episode Description
To Celebrate The Elder Tree's Foundations of Sociocracy In Person Training with Erin Young, we bring you this Re-Release!
March 7th & 8th 2026
Erin Young is a mover and shaker in the realm of socialpermaculture and tunes in with us from Kabi Kabi country near Eumundi on theSunshine Coast. As a certified Human Potential Coach and Sociocracy trainer,she shares insight into how she brings nature-informed frameworks and aholistic toolkit to help individuals and forward-thinking organisations balancenervous systems to establish safety and avoid distraction and dysfunction tomake real traction in creating a positive impact. She speaks to living anenchanted life and ecological patterns brought into social settings toencourage a diversity of perspectives and governance hierarchies to makedecisions with a "power with, rather than power over".
We discuss her garden and what is growing, her favouriteplant, Lemon Grass (Cymbopogoncitratus)and its many functions and her healthy journey using Ayurvedic practices,intuitively going to certain plants when she needs them, and the underestimatedbalm of a cup of herbal tea.
Erin holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering anddiscusses how her first Permaculture Design Course in Portugal unlocked herunderstanding of how life works and led her on this path, whereby she nowteaches Social Permaculture weekend courses alongside pioneer Robin Clayfield(who will be joining us in an interview soon!), speaks at Festivals and teacheselements of her toolkit at courses such as the Change-makers PDC on theSunshine Coast.
Currently, she is partnered with Earth Funerals, anorganisation establishing sustainable funerals and natural burial groundsaround Australia. With developmental coaching, consulting and training incollaborative decision-making and governance (aka sociocracy), socialpermaculture, and artfully facilitating group processes, she is modelling howgroups can be healthy human ecosystems and a regenerative force beyondmonoculture thinking!
Show Notes:
Social Permaculture Weekend with Robin Clayfield Feb 11th& 12th, 2023: https://www.facebook.com/events/564776655431004
Earth Funerals: https://earthfunerals.org/restoration-burial/
Zen and the Art of Dying: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4245204/
Introductory Guide to Social Permaculture & SeasonalGoals - A living Guide: https://www.erinyoung.net/shop
Connect with Erin:
Website (with e-books mentioned): www.erinyoung.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinyoung.coaching
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinyoung___/
To learn more about The Elder Tree, visit the website here anddonate to the crowdfunding campaign here.
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Get in touch with The Elder Tree at: asktheeldertree@gmail.comThe introand outro song is "Sing for theEarth"and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins. You can find Chad's music here and here.