My name is: Marisa Hall.
I’m known as: A yoga teacher and community herbalist.
My expertise is in: Yoga, herbalism.
I stay physically healthy with: Trying to go outside every day, yoga, incorporating herbal teas and drops, intuitive movement to my favorite songs, taking my time in the morning.
I keep my emotions balanced with: Getting rest, making medicine, herbal drops from 69Herbs, CorpusRitual and Moon Mother Apothecary, baths with soaking salts in Opus 5 from 2 Note Hudson. I’m also playing Moses Sumney’s new album on repeat at the moment.
I’m intellectually stimulated by: I am intellectually stimulated by texts. Here are some that I’ve returned to recently:
How to Survive the End of the World, a podcast by Autumn Brown and Adrienne Maree Brown
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
All About Love by Bell Hooks
Almost any poem written by Ross Gay
This TED Talk by Shantell Martin
Something I Saw, a daily newsletter from my dear friend Kimberly Drew
Tourmaline’s gorgeous piece on Freedom Dreaming in Vogue
I was recently transformed by:
A retreat in Nicaragua with Apogeo Collective in early March. Described as “a bed & breakfast safe-haven for travelers of color, LGBTQIA+ travelers, and our allies,” this experience felt like a divine and restful preparation for an intense period of change and much-needed work that we’re all experiencing and could not have anticipated.
Another transformative moment and process was a month-long writing course I took in April called, “In Surreal Life,” facilitated by friend and poet Shira Erlichman. It brought me back to the role that writing plays in my healing and offered the opportunity to share consistently and collectively, which I hadn’t done in years!
In the last six months, the ritual that has become so important for me is:
My essential rituals are taking time to give myself mini-facials in the morning a couple of times a week (massaging with cleansing oil from Pink Light Botanicals or a mask while I make my coffee) and making tea before bed.
Here’s how you can do it too:
Keep 3-5 dried herbs in view somewhere in your kitchen. I recommend one for relaxation (something like lemon balm or tulsi), something floral and warming (like rose or calendula) and something cooling or warming, depending on what you need before bed (peppermint is cooling, ginger is warming).
You can mix and match herbs to make the right blend for the moment! I usually blend a total of 2-3Tbsp of dried herbs, add to a tea pot, reusable tea bag or French press and steep in 8oz of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Pour into your favorite mug and bring it to bed!
It helps me live my process because:
How I need to nourish myself can vary so much day-to-day, so having the herbs that I need to show up for nuanced emotions at the end of the day feels incredibly grounding and helps quiet my mind.
Take a moment to learn more about Marisa Hall’s journey here.