Persimmon Herb School

Inspiring Individual and Collective Wellbeing

Wild Persimmon School of Wellness arose from a shared understanding that individual human wellbeing is directly linked to the health of our relationships, and the resilience of our surrounding environment. Founded in 2015 by Colleen Donahoe and Greg Monzel, both of whom are experienced gardeners, naturalists, and educators, Wild Persimmon connects students to the art and medicine of yoga, meditation, permaculture, and community herbalism to inspire individual and collective wellbeing.

Raised by avid backpackers and adventurers among the forests and fields of Indiana, a deep reverence for nature took hold in Colleen at a young age. The abhorrent and expansive destruction of Earth's natural landscapes made her question her place and the human experience all together. She channeled this need to understand into a Wildlife degree at Purdue, but eventually the constant doubt and questioning combined with unfortunate family history to become a disheartening depression. Yoga was the ladder she needed to escape from this pit, the study of which reveled countless parallels between ancient eastern philosophy and her early existential inquiries. She began formally studying and practicing the Sivananda yoga tradition in 2009 and has been teaching traditional hatha yoga ever since. She is most fascinated with the mind-body connection and how yoga and meditation can help treat mental illness and addiction.