The Advice that Changed the Course of my Health Journey

Have you ever felt alone in your health journey? Or left a doctor's office feeling disappointed by what they had to offer? Let me tell you, I’ve been there. I also know how it feels to come out the other side, feeling healthier, more confident and empowered. It all started 15 years ago, with the unexpected doctor’s advice that would change the course of my journey.

I felt nervous as I sat in the waiting room. At 22 years old, I had been struggling with chronic digestive issues for over a year. I’d already been to several doctors, and each time they told me they couldn’t help me, I felt more alone. These health issues were seriously impacting my quality of life, but I had no clue as to how to solve them.

I’d just graduated from an ecology undergrad program. Though I felt fluent in the language of forests, rivers and lakes, I felt mystified by my own body. I worried, how could I heal if I didn’t understand the problem? The longer this went on, the more helpless and confused I felt.

When I met with the gastroenterologist that day, I was desperate to find a solution. After a 15 min consult, I held my breath in anticipation as the doctor spoke. He said, “I don’t know what’s going on. But you’re entering a Master’s program, you’re a scientist. You can figure this out.”

OK, so maybe that sounds like terrible advice. Solve your own problem? Wasn’t that his job? Though I’d been looking for a guide to help me, I realized in that moment I needed to take agency over my healing. So I started researching. I poured over articles about gut health, digestion, food sensitivities, allergies, and more. I changed my diet, began working on my mental health, tried holistic approaches to healing my gut. The more I learned, the less mysterious my illness started to sound. And my digestion started to improve!

This kicked off a lifelong journey of learning holistic medicine and herbalism to heal my own body and mind. It wasn’t easy- and it took years of study, research and training, leading me to become the Clinical Herbalist I am today.

All this to say- I know what it's like to feel overwhelmed by your health concerns, confused on where to start, and to feel like you're alone on this journey. I also want to share, what it took me 15 years to learn- you are the hero of your healing journey, but you don’t have to do it alone! There 100% IS a reason for the health problems you have, as mysterious as they may seem. There are steps you can take to feel healthier and more balanced. All you need is some guidance and a plan.

As your Clinical Herbalist, I’ll be your guide. I spent years studying and practicing clinical herbalism, holistic healing, and medicine making so others wouldn’t have to take this journey alone, like I did. Over the past 5 years, I’ve helped my clients reclaim their healing and improve their quality of life, through consultations.

Through a holistic consultation, I’ll help you get to the bottom of what’s driving your health issues, and find healing with herbal medicine. You’ll receive a roadmap - a personalized plan with simple steps you can take to heal- and custom herbal blends from my apothecary. I"ll be your guide throughout, offering compassionate care and the tools and resources you need to feel more confident and in control of your healing.

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My Journey to Healing

As a little girl, I would spend hours picking flowers to make "medicine", near my beloved creek. I didn't know the medicinal benefits of the dandelions, clover, and other weedy wonders I was foraging. Though my journey started then, it would be years until I realized herbalism as my calling.

Always happiest in the outdoors, I studied the natural sciences at the University of Michigan, getting my bachelor's and masters degrees. I spent years learning about the intricacies of nature, acquiring knowledge that would strengthen my belief in the interconnectedness of all things. Though I loved every moment of it, I still felt that the human piece was missing (we are after all, a part of this beautiful earth!) I started working in sustainable agriculture, which I felt was an essential way to strengthen our relationship with the land. I worked in sustainable food systems in West Africa and North Carolina.

As with most good things in life, it took a destructive force to knock me off of my path. I was working toward my Ph.D. at UNC and I was deeply unhappy. I felt that the research I was conducting was too far removed. Caught in the ivory tower, I wondered if my work would ever make it back to the communities I studied. I wanted to help people, but I didn't know how. And my creative, spiritual self felt oppressed by structures of hierarchy that left me powerless.

When I left the program, it was sudden, painful, and I had no back-up plan. In a society where identity is so entrenched with material success, I felt had majorly failed for the first time. Unsure of what to do, I took time off to reconnect to the land. I studied community herbalism at the Blue Ridge School in Asheville, learned from local foragers, and built my first herb garden at my home in Durham.

Many herbalists speak of coming to healing through their own personal health crisis, and it was no different for me. Unable to acknowledge the grief and pain from this major blow, I started suffering the worst insomnia I'd ever faced. Jobless, lost, exhausted beyond belief yet unable to rest, I was in the darkest transitory period of my life. I struggled with my identity during this career transition, worrying, 'If I wasn't a scientist, what was I?'

Herbalism was my life raft in this dark period. After going to many doctors, I started to realize that no single approach could heal me-- my illness was one of mind and body. I couldn't heal my physical illness without addressing the heartbreak driving it. And I couldn't heal emotionally without nourishing and grounding into my body. I started taking walks daily in parks nearby and adapting a daily mindfulness . After a respite of fishing with my brother, hiking in forests, and plenty of nervine herbs, I started to regain my natural sleep cycle and recover the energy I'd lost! Recovering from my own pain, I'd found a new purpose- helping others on their healing journey!

I am sharing this story for several reasons. First, I want to explain that I know what it's like to have a health crisis and feel scared. You are not alone on this journey. Second, I have witnessed how powerful the mind-body connection is to healing, which is why I take a holistic approach in my practice. Third, this story explains the name of my business-Sequoia Herbals!

Behind the name Sequoia Herbals The giant Sequoia tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum) has wisdom to share, wisdom that I relate to. Though leaving my old career and starting over was one of the most challenging periods of my life, it was also the most transformative. The destructive forces that caused me to "burn my old life to the ground", so to speak, and begin anew--while terrifying- were liberating! I would not have found my new path if I couldn't leave the safety and comfort of the old one behind. I needed a push, a spark, something to ignite this major life change! This is where the Sequoia comes in. This incredible, age-old tree has a special way of reproducing; it requires a destructive force to release it's seeds-- fire! The serotinous cones can stay green on the trees for years, even decades, until heated by fire, before releasing their seeds. After falling to the earth, these seeds lie dormant until activated to grow by the heat of fire. The fire creates optimal growing conditions for these seedlings, clearing leaf litter, letting in new light, and providing rich minerals. Though it can take years for these seeds to manifest their potential, once they are released they grow into the tallest, oldest living trees on earth! They are not only magnificent in their size and beauty, but the adult trees have thick, fire-proof bark, protected from future fires! The Sequoia is truly a mastery of resilience.

We can learn a lot from the wisdom of Sequoia. We can learn how the seemingly destructive forces in our life, whether these include illness, loss or pain, can unleash new opportunities for growth. By clearing the debris that block our path, these forces can let in light, open new space, and activate potential inside us, that before lay dormant-- enabling us to grow into who are meant to be-- stronger, more resilient, fire-proof versions of ourselves!

Sequoyah of Cherokee Nation

The Sequoia tree is named after an important historical figure in the Cherokee nation. Sequoyah created the first written language of the Cherokee in 1821, creating a symbol for each syllable in their spoken language. This language was widely adopted across the Cherokee nation, enabling the transcription of laws, printing of news, and the sharing of ideas. This incredible accomplishment, the development of an entirely new language by a pre-literate man, inspired other indigenous cultures in Alaska and Liberia to create written languages. Sequoyah went on to empower and support other Native American tribes in developing their own written languages. He also worked ardently to reunite Cherokee groups when the nation became divided. A botanist named Stephen Endlicher, named the tree after Sequoyah, whom he greatly admired.

References

• Cherokee, North Carolina. "Bet you didn't know this about the sequoyah stature in Cherokee!" https://visitcherokeenc.com/blog/entry/bt-you-didnt-know-this-about-the-sequoyah-statue-in-cherokee/

• Britannica. "Sequoyah, Cherokee Leader", https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sequoyah

• Oklahoma Historical Society. "Sequoyah (1778-1943)", https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SE020

• Unseth, Peter (2016). "The international impact of Sequoyah’s Cherokee syllabary". Written Language and Literacy 19.1: 75–93.