A Snapshot of Prema Rose

Prema incorporates many diverse aspects of life into her picture album.

Having grown up in the world of the arts and theater in New York City, she began her professional career as an actress at fourteen years old. She played on Broadway, TV, prestigious repertory and regional companies, and in film.

After a "near-death" experience, Prema's world began to change rapidly. On Christmas Eve of 1970, she and her husband, Hugh Rose, received a transmission of a story that has since evolved into an award winning animated musical feature film screenplay, demoCD, and synopsis animatic. (www.mccsproductions.com) We hope to be in full production soon.

In 1971, she and Hugh left their careers and life as they knew it to pursue a spiritual journey around the world. This brought them to the island of Ibiza, Spain, where they opened an art gallery in the 2,000 year-old town. Later, they found the school they had been searching for, a Sufi mystery school in England. Based on the teachings and work of George Gurdjieff and John G. Bennett, they began to learn to work with plants and herbs in the magical English gardens of the Cotswold countryside. Sustainability became a driving force.

From there, Prema and Hugh traveled to India. Prema had been drawn to have a baby in the international community of Auroville. Settling in the barren Indian plains, they helped to plant the trees and bushes that would save the soil from the erosion that washed it into the Bay of Bengal. They created new gardens, which have flourished over time into a veritable oasis. Their daughter, Suryananda, was born in their mud and thatch home. The power of that experience lit a spark in Prema to become a midwife.

They were called back to the USA by their teacher in England, John Bennett, who had bought a 400 acre farm in West Virginia and wished for the people he had trained to start a self-sufficient community and school fashioned on the one in England. They were taught biodynamic gardening from Alan Chadwick, founder of the Covalo Biodynamic Farm, and his students. Here, her second child, Hugh Michael, was born.

In 1978, when Hugh and Prema separated, Prema moved out to Boulder, Colorado. As a single mother with two small children, she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a midwife. Within a week she met her preceptor and started her apprenticeship. This allowed her to become clinically proficient in the use of herbal remedies with her clients. Her assistant, Barbara Wishingrad, started a small kitchen based herbal company, WishGarden Herbs. As a midwife, Prema was a devout believer in the efficacy of the remedies and always carried a birth related stash in her bag of tricks. Twenty-five years later she retired from being on call 24/7, but still maintains her relationship with the company and has been working for them. She is currently producing a documentary and educational film for them as well as writing the featured herb articles for their blog. She enjoys the fact that she has been a small part of WishGarden Herbs from its inception.