Connecting Community through Herbs

We met at a local creek for the first content shoot for our new collaboration. Alissa chose the spot, and I met her there to film some clips and to make some photographs. The rain this year has made creeks flow with a force rarely seen in this region. As we found some spots along this tributary, the ground could barely contain the water. This energy is matched by Alissa who is bursting with positivity for her new direction.

It makes sense to find strength through a connection to our local natural world, but it is easier said than done. It takes someone like Alissa Maya of Akasha Apothecary to create an intentional path to that crucial local alliance of people, plants, and the environment. Due to the mania of global markets, we consume things from all around the globe in a mostly haphazard manner. Akasha deliberately sources their herbs from hand selected local farms.

Bottled water, boxed foods, prescribed medications: these things have no connection to the physical world surrounding us. Locally grown and produced herbal remedies actively work to supply us with this crucial element of place. In this disconnected world, a practice of making connections matters and nobody is doing more to make this a reality than Akasha Apothecary.

I’ve been working with Alissa of Akasha since the beginning of her business ventures, and I have seen her growth and evolution. Two things that remain the same are also key ingredients to her amazing herbal remedies: community and a connection to place. She cultivates both through her work and makes a positive path for others to follow.

Sensual Herbalism and Healing

Alissa believes in an intuitive approach to working with herbs. There is an artistry to her practice as an apothecary. In order to make the best products, the raw ingredients must be the highest quality. She believes that this can only be done by visiting and working at the farms. When we walk on the ground where the herbs are grown, we know more about their quality than if we do not.

This is similar to how many of the best restaurants in California feel about food. It all comes down to the ingredients and being able to source the best local raw materials. To further this end, Alissa has created connections to two key local farms that will be growing the herbs for her coming ventures.

We are currently working on launching the next phase of her business. In the coming months, you can learn more about how Akasha plans to make local herbs and locally produced tonics and salves a larger part of our reality. Follow @akashaapothecary on Instagram to stay in touch, to see how you can support, and to be the first to take advantage of this new offering.