Without a doubt, the most asked question i've been asked since closing up shop is - what happened? 

The reason I closed that dream boat downtown shop location is because I decided to slow down.

The reality of opening a shop seven months before the pandemic started was unexpected and unfortunate. I made it through some of the most challenging few years for small business but at a cost to my own well being. Between keeping shop, the acupuncture practice, teaching classes, the growing product line, and my personal life - my energy was spread thin for too long. The hustle was too real.

The decision to shut it down came quite suddenly. But with that choice my life became more spacious as I reclaimed time to simply rest, sleep, reconnect, sit directly in the sun and heal. 

And so the follow up question is - well what's next then? I'll continue to teach with inspired, community based classes this Summer here and here. The Herb Folk tea line is thriving via the online shop and at some really cool shops and clinics. And I am finishing the manuscript for my first book, Asian American Herbalism - Folk Traditions in Modern Day Practice, due out Fall 2023 via Princeton Architectural Press.

The party has just begun. I've love to see you at an upcoming event so stay connected by signing up here. I remain in awe of that tiny shop space and the friends and experiences that it brought forward. Onward.

Two herbal tea recipes for Wind Heat // early stage cold and flu

In Eastern theory, early stage cold/flu is considered an invasion of Wind. Pathogenic Wind draws Heat or Cold into the body, weakening the body’s defenses and triggering cold/flu symptoms. The current COVID-19 coronavirus is considered a warm disease. So here are the recipes for Herb Folk's house blends for Wind Heat early stage cold and flu.

Coronavirus pneumonia is considered a “warm disease” with damp and heat affecting the chest and upper abdomen (upper and middle burner).

We’re following the herbal strategies and formulas coming out of China right now. These formulas have herbs that clear damp heat, nourish body fluids and release the exterior. Thank you to THOMAS AVERY GARREN for his continued work and translations.

If you’ve been feeling tired, stressed and spread thin (because, real talk, who isn’t right now?) there are simple ways to add Qi herbs and formulas to your daily routines. Qi deficiency affects everyone differently and some of us are more susceptible to this type of depletion depending on constitution and lifestyle.

In Eastern theory, early stage cold/flu is considered an invasion of Wind. Pathogenic Wind draws Heat or Cold into the body, weakening the body’s defenses and triggering cold/flu symptoms.

So when you start to feel sick, determining whether you have more Wind Cold or Wind Heat symptoms will help you choose the right herbs and formulas.