My journey to wellness of body and spirit started in massage therapy school where I was introduced to various modalities supporting our health while decreasing dis-ease. As a licensed massage therapist of 20 years now, I have been on the path to assist others in accessing ease from stress and maintaining balance within the body. Another complementary connection that has helped decrease the effects that stress can have on the mind, body and spirit is through herbal and plant wellness.
Tea and herbal infusions have always been an easily accessible and affordable form of herbal and plant nourishment that has been providing me and my family with balance and wellness for years now. I attended the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and received a certificate in herbal medicine making. This has afforded me the initial step in being able to build my apothecary and create specific tea blends to provide comfort and ease. I am currently a student in the Foundations Program under Dr. Tieraona Low Dog in order to become certified as a clinical herbalist.
I absolutely love learning and soaking up this knowledge and then sharing this with others. I think of plants as a sort of companion for us as we move along this journey together in life. The beautiful simplicity of sitting down together over a cup of comforting tea is pure magic to me!
I also want to pay homage to my mother, Kathleen Martin, who instilled the foundation in me that our natural state is that of well-being. While we did use western medicine when called for, my mother raised me in a holistic fashion, utilizing the natural medicine all around us to treat many aliments, whether it was physical or emotional. I remember when I had a cold she would brew some herbs on the stove and I would stand over this pot with a towel over my head, inhaling this herbal preparation for relief. Or as I entered into my teenage years of angst she would give me valerian root. Her ways never really left me, even though I did take a detour for many years. I am forever grateful for her imprint on me and being led back to my roots.
The inspiration for Ivy Moon Botanicals began brewing a few years ago along with some nudges from friends and family. As a lover of the moon and anything related to the cosmos and my love for my soul mate canine, Ivy, I merged the two together and thus a new creation was born. I want to share this sense of peace and comfort I have found when gazing up at the moon on a visible starry night with all that I love around me. I find it to be quite magical what can transpire when we align with what we love, letting our heart and soul guide us. This is the energy, the magic, that is at the heart of Ivy Moon Botanicals.
Thank you for visiting with me and I look forward to connecting in friendship together. My hope is that by adding a cup of my tea magic to your day, you too will experience a sense of ease & comfort. May you be happy, healthy and at peace.
Many Blessings,
~April
