Please share your background and what sparked your interest in holistic healing and the benefits of herbs?
Looking back at my life, I now realize that as a young adult, I was searching for something like herbalism or Curanderismo to study. But during the 80s and early 90s, these practices were not as mainstream as they are now. Without social media or the internet, it was challenging to learn about them. Despite this, I felt a calling to pursue these interests, which I now identify as an ancestral memory. At first, I tried to study psychology in college, but it felt cold and distant. It lacked the warmth and sensuality of herbal medicine.
I eventually discovered herbalism through my sister, who invited me to a herbal gathering in the 90s. At the Women’s Herbal Gathering, I felt like I had come home. Watching people make tinctures, teas, and salves, I realized that this was what I wanted to do. I met my first teacher there and began my journey as a student.
Early on in my herbal education, I also became curious about ancestral medicine practices. My father’s side of the family is from Poland, while my mother’s side is Mexican, Hungarian, and Native American. Due to assimilation and other factors, the traditions were not alive in my family. Still, I knew that all these cultures have strong herbal traditions, and I wanted to find my way back to them.
