Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Brunson

Hi Kara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

I’ve always been fascinated by the self-made approach. When I was younger, I’d always try to make the things I wanted; I liked that sense of control and accomplishment. So, when it came to my health and self-care, I was always the type of person to explore home remedies in books like Back to Eden and Heal Thyself. But, as instructive as those books were, I did hit a limit as to what I could accomplish on my own. Especially by the time I had my own family and when it came to my children. There came a point where I realized that I needed to deepen my knowledge and understanding.

About 15 years ago, I took the leap and pursued a second master’s degree at a school for natural healing in Utah; this institution traces its roots to the eclectics in the Western herbal medicine tradition, like Dr. Shook and Dr. Nowell in Canada.

While completing my studies, I started working with people in my community; no longer limited to my family and friends. And by the time I finished my program and became a Master Herbalist, I was ready to open Rihla Wellness, my herbal clinic.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Sure, I think with anything, right, once the initial excitement wears off, you have to hunker down and commit to your purpose in order to make progress and overcome the challenges that come up along the way.

For me, I had a full life already: a separate professional career as a communications analyst, five children—you know there was not a whole lot of spare time or spare brain space. I love working with plants and working with people so my passion and my determination to be able to do more in the wellness space, that’s what kept me going.

And COVID upended a lot of that traditional in-person care-giving model. Everything moved online for about a year and that opened up a window of possibility for restructuring how to connect people with alternative medicine.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Rihla Wellness?

Rihla Wellness is a community herbal clinic. We specialize in comprehensive health support, meaning the healing perspective is not about using herbs simply as prescriptions and quick fixes. It’s fully about helping clients, everyday, bring about their own healing transformation through an integration of diet therapy, herbal remedies, and guidance on body work, sleep hygiene, and social and spiritual connection.

What sets us apart is our emphasis on the Islamic herbal medicine tradition. This is a healing approach distinct from but sharing some similarities with Ayurveda, TCM, Western herbalism, and folk medicine. Both the spiritual foundations and materia medica, the natural medicines we work with, are unique in that regard.

Rihla Wellness, that name is very special and has meaning. From my own personal experience and in my work with clients, it is clear that health is a journey. Wellness is ongoing; it is a path to be walked. And there are many ways to do that. For us as a brand, we are proud to be one of the only black-owned herbal clinics that center the pure phytotherapy from Islam’s rich tradition of medicine. We feature culturally-competent holistic care that honors the whole person.

We offer remote herbalist consultations for anyone, anywhere seeking a dedicated partner in their health and wellness journey. The herbal remedies used in the clinic are custom formulated by me and exclusively available to clients. Recently though, I launched Tayyib Herbal, to retail a product line of herbal formulas for the general public even if they’re not clients of Rihla Wellness.

Through the clinic, I also offer community workshops, collaborate with partners on wellness retreats, and develop white-label formulas for businesses in the herbal products space.

What does success mean to you?

Success to me is when you see you’re on the path you envisioned. It’s not necessarily about arriving at a specific point or place, because life is a journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rihlawellness.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rihla.wellness/
• Other: https://tayyibherbal.com/