Empowering Wellness: 5 Black Female Herbalists to Know & Follow

February is a month to recognize and celebrate Black history and excellence. We find it essential to honor the contributions of Black individuals in various fields, including herbal and holistic medicine. In this article, we highlight and celebrate the work of five Black female herbalists and practitioners making waves in the wellness space. These women bring a unique perspective to herbal healing, incorporating their cultural heritage, personal experiences and dedication to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in holistic health.

We had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, yoga teacher, social justice advocate and herbalist Kattye Soares, thanks to her time at The Shakti School. Kattye creates a safe, inclusive environment for all individuals to delve into Ayurveda’s knowledge and unlock their highest potential through her wellness coaching, workshops, classes and retreats. Also, the owner of Sunrey Wellness, Kattye, has a line of Ayurvedically inspired transdermal roll-ons that connect people with the spirit of the 5 elements in Ayurveda- ether, air, fire, water and earth. Additionally, Kattye Soares is an ambassador for We Hike To Heal, a non-profit organization that creates safe and equitable spaces for all women, especially BIPOC women, to enjoy access and time outdoors to heal from the inside out.

Discover more about and follow Kattye!

Website: Sunrey Wellness

Instagram: @kattyesoares & @sunreywellness  

Founder of Moss Medicine, Brianna Cherniak is committed to bringing traditional herbal practices into a modern context, offering approachable plant medicine and comprehensive herbal education to her community and clients. This powerhouse herbalist cites her upbringing in New York City and the connection to her Caribbean ancestry as the inspiration that guided her medicine journey and inspired her herbal line of products. Moss Medicine offers various tinctures, herbal honey and smoke blends that address womb health, digestive well-being, anxiety relief, liver support, hormone balance and candida cleanses. It is clear that through Brianna’s work and dynamic energy, she helps individuals return to time-honored practices that empower them to feel confident in their ability to care for themselves naturally.

Learn More about Brianna & Moss Medicine!

Website: Moss Medicine

Instagram: Moss Medicine 

A Southern California University of Health Sciences graduate, Kadiatou Sibi is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Reiki Practitioner and founder of Los Angeles-based A Web of Wellness (AWOW). What drives Kadiatou is her goal to codify traditional African medicine in the same way that Ayurveda is codified in sacred, informative texts like the Caraka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita. Further, Kadiatou’s health and wellness practice, AWOW, is bringing Ayurvedic healing to the BIPOC community of Leimert Park Village in South Los Angeles and beyond, thanks to her herbal product line, Ayurvedic treatments and detox packages. Kadiatou is committed to building cultural competency and cultural humility among Ayurvedic practitioners.

We had the honor and privilege of interviewing Kadiatou in our Practitioners We Love Spotlight series. You can read that interview here.

Continue learning & connecting with Kadiatou!

Website: A Web of Wellness

Instagram: @AWebofWellness 

Abi Huff is a talented clinical herbalist, medicine maker, educator, healing justice organizer and all-around plant lover! As an esteemed faculty member at the California School of Herbal Studies and a presenter at the Northern California Women’s Herbal Symposium, Abi focuses on education, healing justice and equity in the health care system. Her work is rooted in her ancestor’s traditional ecological and herbal knowledge. As an herbalist and teacher, Abi supports her students, individuals and communities to build resilience through self-care, radical self-healing, responsible alliances and a deeper connection to the earth. Abi is also the founder of The Stinging Nettle Apothecary, which provides high-quality, organic, consciously and ethically sourced herbs. The apothecary is located in Sonoma County, California.

Connect with Abi & explore her course offerings!

Instagram: @TheStingingNettle

Courses: California School of Herbal Studies 

An Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, Trudy Geneus is on a mission to inspire individuals to consume mindfully with respect for one’s body, mind and the planet. Rooted in her studies of Ayurvedic medicine, Trudy offers vegan recipes, parasite cleanses, herbal education and informational vlogs on her platform, My Gut Culture. Currently, Trudy is traveling Southeast Asia and documenting her wellness experiences for health-conscious travelers. Her insightful content and videos share wisdom like how to balance vata dosha during travel, accessible yoga postures for bloating, how to maintain a healthy diet while on the road and self-care treatments available at various hotel stays. We crossed paths with Trudy over 7+ years ago and continue to follow and admire her work and values in the wellness space.

Connect with Trudy!

YouTube: My Gut Culture

Instagram:   @mygutculture 

Prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the realm of Ayurveda is paramount to fostering equal opportunities for individuals to access the profound healing attributes of this time-honored tradition. PAAVANI Ayurveda remains unwavering in its dedication to embodying DEI values and eradicating racism by actively championing and acknowledging Black herbalists such as Kattye Soares, Brianna Cherniak, Kadiatou Sibi, Abi Huff and Trudy Geneus. Through uplifting their work and recognizing their invaluable contributions, we endeavor to cultivate a more unified and balanced wellness landscape that accommodates and celebrates everyone's journey toward holistic well-being.