The world is booming with guides, gurus, and prophets who claim they can save us or fix all of our problems with one magical pill or secret panacea. Now, I’m not knocking anyone’s know-how, but my job as a practitioner is not to fix or save anyone. You will always know your abilities, blocks, fears, limitations, dreams, and desires better than me or anyone else. Which means the work is not to fix you. It’s to help you discover what nourishes you and facilitate your process of becoming. It’s to help support you in returning to yourself and trusting the wisdom of your body and intuition so that you can make the best decisions for you and the life you’re creating.

We are all connected. With each other, the earth, the cosmos, and the whatever else. Painful experiences, generational trauma, and the systems of modern day capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy have caused many of us to become lost and disconnected from this truth and wellness spaces to run rampant with unacknowledged privilege.

We cannot practice folk herbalism with integrity and right relationship without acknowledging and honoring the wisdom, knowledge, and deep earth connection many members of Indigenous communities and the Black and African Diaspora have always held and continue to hold, without whom Western herbalism would not exist.

When we choose to practice medicine intentionally and do the work of healing and deconditioning ourselves and our communities, we repair that connection by re-membering who we are and deconstructing the harmful systems that continue to exploit the planet and it’s people.

Nature is a self-regulating organism possessing the innate knowledge of how to balance and regenerate herself. She is longing to share her wisdom with us and if we can learn to listen, we can also access this knowledge. In this lifetime, we are all tasked with protecting the planet and becoming stewards of the land to preserve her health for future generations.

Our experiences and traumas shape the way we see the world and if those are left unexamined, skewed by painful past experiences and beliefs, we end up feeling victimized by life. We might stay stuck in cycles of subconscious, dysfunctional patterns, blocking ourselves from joy, connection, and fully experiencing life. If we don’t take the time to explore these parts of ourselves, we risk remaining in the same holding patterns, unable to find relief and fulfillment.

Our capacity to love begins with us. We have to feel fulfilled and sustained from the inside in order to show up as our whole selves in the world. When our hearts feel empty, we latch onto external accomplishments, material things, or people for value or worth. Doing this separates us from our authentic power and leaves us burned-out and resentful, compromising ourselves for validation. Doing the difficult work of healing our wounding with self-worth and self-esteem allows us to fully claim who we are and share our unique gifts with others.

When you understand that you are inherently, deeply worthy, shame and judgment don’t have sh*t on you. Releasing the need for approval frees you to be your most gritty, unapologetic self and gives you the courage to pursue your loftiest dreams and deepest longings.