Kia ora and greetings from the southern hemisphere! My name is Jen and I first started getting interested in herbalism working as a wilderness guide in the NC Appalachian mountains. As we hiked, my fellow guides would teach me the plants of the region and we would munch as we walked. We ate rock tripe and sourwood leaves, identified bee balm and jewelweed, and of course kept our eyes out for poison ivy. I was hooked. I wanted to know more! I took a few plant walks in my area then started with a distance learning course with Rosemary Gladstar which laid a beautiful foundation.
My life took a big turn in 2015. I got really sick with excruciating constant pain, tried dozens of doctors and prescriptions and finally found a TCM formula that made all of my pain disappear. The docs were baffled. I was deeply intrigued and it launched me on this journey with East West which I started in September of 2019!
I’m not sure if I’ll turn this into a profession one day, but my hope is to dive deeper into the art and science of herbs and formulations so I can help others achieve more vitality and health in their lives!
Currently I work as a teacher and circus arts instructor in New Zealand! You can see what I do at www.themovementcollective.