Dancing Woods Apothecary & Healing Arts

03/31/2026

Mark your calendars for the Minted Vintage Market | WV spring event! I’ll be back with a booth outside. Can’t wait!

Are you ready for Minted Vintage Market | WV on April 18? 👀 Don't miss out on this cozy shopping spree!

🌟 Saturday, April 18
🌟 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
🌟 Wood County 4H Camp | Mineral Wells, WV

03/16/2026

Just a word of gratitude to the Florida Herbal Conference organizers, teachers, volunteers, fellow vendors, and shoppers for such a beautiful day vending on Saturday!

Thank you as well to my big sis for coming along to help at my booth. It was a special treat to share this side of my life with you, Karyn Hetzel. ❤️🌱

I was also fortunate to attend an intensive class with Emily Ruff (!) on Sunday. Emily spoke with such intelligence, depth, and even wit on the topic Tending the Wounded Heart: Trauma-Informed Herbalism for Grief & Resilience. There were so many gems of wisdom about the many forms of grief—including collective grief—which feels especially timely.

With so much happening overseas, in the world, and perhaps even within our own homes, many of us are carrying a lot right now. May we remember to be kind to our fellow humans—and just as importantly, to ourselves.

May you walk with love in your heart today and lean into whatever brings you joy. As Emily reminded us yesterday through the words of poet Mary Oliver:

“Joy is not meant to be a crumb.” 💫

To Florida Herbal Conference and everyone who participated—thank you for bringing me so much joy this weekend. You truly filled my cup and to Bill Frederick Park for a picturesque venue. I’ll be back next year! 💚

03/12/2026

HEY FLORIDA FRIENDS & FAM!

Do you know about the Florida Herbal Conference?! 🌴

I was lucky enough to attend the conference last March, and since I found myself visiting family again here this year, I thought why not bring Dancing Woods Apothecary along too? 

I’m so excited to be a vendor this year and to connect with more herbalists from the area while reminiscing about my younger years in the Sunshine State. 🍊 It’s been quite a trip down memory lane so far. So if you’re in the greater Orlando area, definitely stop by and say hello! 

Details:
The 15th Annual Florida Herbal Conference is happening this weekend, March 14–15, at Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake in Orlando.

Saturday, March 14 is the main event: a full day of classes with over thirty teachers from across the state, covering everything from womb wellness and Caribbean herbal traditions to medicinal mushroom broths, adaptation gardening, and emotional alchemy. The day closes with a live concert and keynote presentation by Jim Mcdonald.

Among the dozens of classes throughout the day, there will be a vibrant herbal vendor marketplace (you’ll find me in booth 12!), nourishing food, and the kind of spontaneous conversation that only happens when plant people find each other.

View the full schedule, class descriptions, and teacher bios at:
www.floridaherbalconference.org

Hope to see you there! 💚

03/10/2026

I know it may sound like I was just gallivanting around Belize all winter, but I promise there’s been a lot happening behind the scenes over here.

First up — a fresh logo for Dancing Woods Apothecary! Huge thanks to DESIGNS by Rashada for helping bring this vision to life! ✨

Behind the scenes lately has also looked a lot like:
🌺 Updating product labels to be more FDA-compliant
🌺 Product development (tweaking beloved formulas & dreaming up quite a few new ones!)
🌺 Creating new in-person classes
🌺 Connecting with like-minded folks about collaborations

And perhaps the biggest one… STUDYING.

While I’ve completed several herbal programs over the years (plus a TON of self-study & countless hours in my kitchen apothecary making medicine), I’ve been in a more intensive program for about the past year & a half. The goal is to gain the confidence & knowledge to work 1:1 with clients to create custom tinctures & tea blends tailored to address their specific health needs—healing the ROOT of their imbalances rather than merely managing symptoms.

I’m not quite there yet — so be patient with me — but it’s a service I hope to offer in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, all this studying only makes the products better & deepens what I’m able to share with you in classes, at markets & in conversation.

I’ve also been reflecting a lot on where I want to focus my energy in 2026. While my goals list is (unsurprisingly) long, I may be a little quieter this year as I dive deeper into herbal studies & honor my own inner rhythm more.

That means fewer markets, but products in more local stores, along with classes & hands-on experiences — and finally launching an online shop.

So here’s to a year of slow growth, deep roots & new branches. 🌱

Thank you all so much for continuing to support this budding herbalist’s little dream. I’m grateful you’re here & I hope you’ll keep growing alongside me in 2026. 🙏🏼💫

More to come!

03/07/2026

Belize share part 4 ~ Okay just one more Belize adventure post. I leave you with this and encourage you to use it as a little 60-second meditative reset for your day:

Gaze at the glowing sun sunsetting with the gentle rippling waters of the ocean tide and…

BREATHE

Big big inhale, full to the belly, hold….. and

RELEASE.

Sigh.

Return to your normal breath. Gaze.

Empty the mind just for a moment...

💛

03/06/2026

Belize share part 3 ~ It’s a longer story, but the synchronicities in this life still amaze me. 💫

I’ve wanted to visit Belize since I read Sastun by Rosita Arvigo about 7 years ago. A must-read for anyone herbal-minded (or needing a dose of inspiration) — talk about tenacity! So I had a feeling this trip to Belize would be special.

I especially hoped to learn more about rainforest medicine & receive a traditional Maya abdominal massage — something Dr. Arvigo has helped preserve & pass on to practitioners around the world.

I stumbled upon another book on the trip - Fire Heart: The Life & Teachings of Traditional Maya Healer of Belize, Miss Beatrice Torres Waight. I had not learned of Miss Beatrice yet, but turns out there’s a connection between Miss Beatrice, Dr. Arvigo & Rosemary Gladstar — a little herbalist superhero moment for me. 💞

Sadly Miss Beatrice has passed on, but the little jungle lodge Adam booked was not far from where she once lived, and her daughter, Thelma Waight, now carries on her mother’s Maya healing traditions nearby(!!). So naturally, I booked an abdominal massage & spiritual cleansing. The session was so special I honestly can’t describe it well enough to do it justice here. Thelma exudes loving kindness - it’s a healing & exchange I will cherish forever.

I was tempted to stay longer, but after 2 weeks of exploring — from beach to city to jungle & back again — including meditative visions in the Macal River with Maya goddess Ix Chel, plus another at the ruins of Xunantunich involving a jaguar & a blue butterfly… What more could I ask for? I felt the pull back to my own work & herbal studies, and this trip, felt beautifully complete.

Belize is so rich with ancient culture & healing traditions though, I have no doubt I’ll be back to explore more ruins, dive deeper into Maya healing wisdom, and learn more about bush medicine. Until then, I’ll definitely miss the exotic fruits, fresh-pressed juices, hand-processed cacao turned into decadent delights, and the surprisingly delicious seaweed drinks. Thank you Belize! 🌿✨

03/05/2026

Check out the first episode of the From Scratch Co-Op podcast! Bre and Sara did such an amazing job. I can’t wait to be a guest. 🤩

03/05/2026

Belize share part #2 ~ The plants. Oh, the plants!!!!  

While in Belize I was fortunate enough to arrange a 3-hour walk through the forest with widely respected local plant medicine man Don Renee, to learn about bush medicine. 

Rooted in Maya, Creole, and Garifuna traditions, bush medicine has been passed down through generations and is still actively practiced today. Almost everyone I spoke to in Belize — whether in the jungle or the city — carried some knowledge of local plants their parents or grandparents used to ease ailments. This tradition reflects a deep relationship with the land built on centuries of observation, respect, and lived experience — all things that make this Earth-loving plant nerd’s heart sing. 💞

I found myself eagerly scribbling in my tiny notebook, capturing a jumble of teachings and traditional uses while trying to decipher pronunciations through Don Renee’s thick accent. I wrote everything down phonetically so I could later research the Spanish spellings and track down their English and Latin names, ha! 😅

I’m still deciphering my notes, but some of the plant pics shared here are:

🌱Dormilona (Mimosa pudica / Sensitive Plant) — traditionally used for joint pain & inflammation

🌱 Trumpet Tree — for hypertension

🌱 Wild Coffee — for the nerves

🌱 Achiote (Annatto / Lipstick Tree) — for the lungs & heart (and used by the ancient Maya to stain their clay pots!)

🌱 Hot Pigeon Pepper — for libido

🌱 Coconut — chopped fresh off the tree for electrolytes and thirst-quenching yummy goodness 😋

(Note: These uses are generalizations of traditional applications. Each plant carries far more benefits, depth and nuance than can fit in this caption!)

03/04/2026

Oh, why hello, 2026… I’ve been a bit quiet on here. Winter is, after all, the season for deep reflection & going inward. While there was plenty of that in early January, trust me — there comes a point when winter in Ohio has me feeling less like the magically resting roots of a perennial and more like a wilting flower on a sill, pressed dramatically against the glass, searching for any hint of sunshine & warmth available. 😳❄️

Living the homestead life on an off-grid farm in a tiny home tucked into the Ohio woods is a gift. I don’t want to diminish how grateful I am, but well, heh, when the dead of winter hits and the rainwater catchment freezes (aka goodbye indoor plumbing), and you’re suiting up to trek through the snow to the outhouse each morning, uphill to the chicken coop, across the field in the cold to the outdoor shower, bringing in more wood for the constant feeding of the woodstove, and conserving every bit of energy from the solar panels on endlessly grey days, trust me — the true meaning of “cabin fever” becomes real, real quick!

So, when the dead of winter starts testing our pioneer spirits, Adam and I migrate south like sensible little snowbirds — visiting family and friends in NC & FL. It’s also my favorite window before market season to sneak in an adventure that feeds my herbal-curious brain, fills my soul, and renews my spirit. 💫

This year, we hopped from FL over to the jungles and beaches of Belize for a trip filled with bush medicine teachings, traditional Mayan healing and spiritual cleansings, ancient ruins and mystical archaeological caves, yoga in the jungle surrounded by strange new (to me) rainforest creatures, and beaches so clear and blue they barely look real.

I’ve been back in FL a few days (still mentally barefoot in the jungle), but also slowly getting back to plotting and planning what is to come for Dancing Woods Apothecary. I’ll have plenty of new things to share, including classes, products, experiences, and more. But first, allow me to revel in jungle memories just a bit longer and share some highlights with you here. 

More Belizean adventure pics in a couple of posts to come! 🌴✨

02/02/2026

Mark your calendars for the return of the farmers market and special events with From Scratch Co-Op!! I’ve been behind the scenes making new product for the season and developing a workshop for May. Details coming soon! 🙌🏼

✨2026 From Scratch Co-Op Market Schedule✨

🌞SUMMER MARKET OPENING DAY - JUNE 20TH🌞

Opening day will feature:
-Samples from every vendor
-Guernsey County Bookmobile
-LIVE pasta making demo🍝
-ROOTED COFFEE COMPANY ALL SEASON!

We have been planning and organizing behind the scenes getting everything in place for our 2026 MARKET SEASON!

🥰We are inspired and excited to head in to our second season after the way our community showed up for us last year!

📍We will be located at 433 Wheeling Ave every Saturday through the summer starting June 20th - September 12th

🤠Join us SEPTEMBER 19th as we take this show on the road to the The Guernsey County Fair and Fairgrounds during the Guernsey County Fair! This is an opportunity we are very excited about!

🎄Then we close out the year December 5th for our 2nd Annual Christmas Market as we return to The Farm at Old World Garden!

✅Applications are OPEN for anyone wishing to apply to join us as a VENDOR (remember we only accept locally handmade and hand raised food or natural body products) --> https://forms.gle/tyFfq2U7eShGZ4i99

💌You can also join us as a MEMBER to get first sign up access to workshops + discounted rate once you join (supply cost may be applicable), monthly newsletters and more ---> https://forms.gle/MyhiFarAFJfrSM179

☺️Join us as a FRIEND OF THE MARKET to support our efforts and receive weekly "what's at the market" emails with pre ordering links directly to your inbox each Friday before the market ---> https://forms.gle/MyhiFarAFJfrSM179

💗We can't thank you all enough for supporting us and our vendors in 2025 - every single one of our vendors pour their heart into their products and it's amazing to see them rewarded through the continual support of the community. It is our mission to grow and strengthen the local foods community through collaboration, education, connection and empowerment.

💫Let's see what 2026 has in store for us!💫

01/16/2026

I’m so looking forward to being back at the Ohio Herb Center to teach a few more classes this year! Stay tuned for dates and details. ✨🌿