Reclaiming what was initially lost can be tricky. For example, we assume we will always have good health until a disease process enters and cripples us. This business was born from a process of reclamation. I was reclaiming an ancient medicinal system, my ancestral heritage, and my health. I was reclaiming a relationship with my daughter. Like many, I have been through many battles related to health, such as diabetes, hormonal imbalance, and nutritional deficiencies.

My health battles came to the horizon as a result of childhood trauma. I was sexually abused at a young age, and this led to an unhealthy relationship with food, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple other survival mechanisms. I did not value my body, nor did I prioritize self-care. I internalized my emotions and kept everything bottled in. Over the years, my past experiences began to resurface in my dreams, and the feelings associated with them started to spill over into my life. After being put through years of stress without any resolution, my body began to slow down.

I found no respite in traditional medicine. I consulted with doctors to find a diagnosis and determine what was causing my symptoms. All my test results were normal, and the doctors were unable to find the problem. I was bedridden for several months and did not have the strength to take a shower, eat, or spend time with my family. I was in a personal hell, and I felt like I was going to die every day. At one point, I contemplated suicide because my body hurt so badly, and I was in turmoil. All of this transpired from stress and overworking. On paper, all of my tests were normal. Physically, stress had ravaged my body. I had unseen and undetectable bruises from years of chronic stress and anxiety.

I am grateful for the many positive people I had in my life then; those who spoke life into me, supported me, and listened to me when I wanted to give up. One of them is my daughter Rose. I am forever grateful for my tribe and have since learned the value and importance of being surrounded by like-minded individuals during our healing process. That is why community healing is so important to me. I did not heal in solitude. I healed surrounded by people I could trust. People who spoke life into me. That is why I am here, and that is what I will do for you.

I had to hit rock bottom, accept things, and gently work from there. During this intense process, I had to face my negative aspects. I did not eat properly. I ate out almost every day, drank soda every day, and didn't exercise most days. I worked extremely hard. I made no time for self-care. I had no boundaries. I never said “no”. I was abandoning my child. I thought money could replace my relationship with her. I was not showing up for her the way I should have.

I was bloated, irritated, stressed out, and overworked. My lifestyle was unsustainable, and I had to change my mindset about eating and prioritize my own care. Also, I had to face the trauma from my childhood and adequately heal. Healing from intense trauma will not happen overnight; in fact, we are always in a state of healing. I had to start somewhere because, deep down, I knew that my past experiences were linked to how I showed up in the world and how I treated and cared for myself.

Along the way, I evaluated my eating habits and gained a deeper understanding of nutrition and how to support my body optimally. No form of medicine can save you from a bad diet. You cannot outrun poor nutrition, and you cannot neglect your own care. I ventured from doctor to doctor to find no cure for my plight, but a pill was readily available if I wanted to indulge in that culture. I was offered antidepressants for my hormonal hot flashes and provided medication for my GI tract for my gut dysfunction.

All along, my diet consisted of meat, dairy, sweets, sodas, processed meats, processed snacks, and other things that did not agree with my body. After experiencing extreme side effects from multiple medications, I was confronted by Spirit and my ancestors. Where did you lose faith in your body’s natural ability to heal itself?, my ancestors asked me. Then they told me to trust my body; it knows how to heal itself, especially if you give it the right things. Then they wanted me to reconnect to plant medicine, my friend, my ally from lifetime to lifetime. This was a practice I am familiar with, and I am not a stranger to this life. However, I was not consistent and did not treat herbal medicine as the foundation of my health. It is now a part of my life and something I highly respect and give reverence to.