A Cup of Tea & Jams: Healing with Herbs

Khayla Deans
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Monthly

A soulful experience of life musings, plant medicine, and music. A Cup of Tea & Jams elevates stories about herbs and their relationship to the healing vibrations of good music. Episodes features reflections from Black and Brown herbalists, land stewards, and healers who have a story to tell about a herb of their choosing and a song that embodies the energy of this plant. Host Khayla Deans is an herbalist and cultural worker who understands the power of storytelling as a tool for healing and collective care. As a multi-hyphenate artist who has created and amplified the stories of others through various mediums as a curator, writer, and image maker, she believes that art and culture are necessary strategies for empowerment & liberation. As a spiritual herbalist, it brings Khayla great joy to invite others to the creative process of healing through the partnership of supportive plant allies. Subscribe to our newsletter: acupofteaandjams.substack.com

  1. Aug 20

    Navigating Eclipse Season through Embodiment & Lemon Balm Tea

    Welcome to A Cup of Tea & Jams — a podcast that is full of life musings, the plant medicine, and music. Today I am sharing revelations about quieting the mind, listening to the body, flowing with as much grace as I can since it is eclipse season during this month of August. I lift up: Wisdom I received from writer Cole Arthur Riley about the trauma of disembodiment and what it means to truly be in our bodiesMy own journey to quiet my mind to become more attuned with my bodyHow eclipse season is a great time to get in touch with what you are feelingHow lemon balm and a few other herbal allies can be a great nervous system support during this timeTo receive the herbal recipe that was shared in the episode, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter — A Cup of Tea & Jams via substack.

  2. Jul 30

    Shifting into Perimenopause ft Adaugo Botchway, Certified Health Coach & Registered Nurse

    I don’t know about your algorithm, but as for mine — everyone is talking about perimenopause. In my opinion, this wasn’t so much the case around 5 to 10 years ago. However, this natural stage of life is still clouded with some mystery, confusion, and lack of support. Today, I am speaking with Adaugo Botchway, a Registered Nurse and Certified Health & Wellness Coach that specializes in perimenopause & hormonal shifts. In today’s episode we discuss: * Adaugo’s perimenopause journey * Adaugo’s experience caring for women as a Registered Nurse & her transition to coaching women as founder of Rooted in Her Essence * Developing the skill of body wisdom & awareness through personal health data to improve an individual’s agency while meeting with a doctor About our guest: Adaugo Botchway is the founder of Rooted in Her Essence Coaching where she assists women with navigating and decoding their body signals that occur during hormonal shifts. As a Registered Nurse, she spent over 25 years caring for women and families at all stages of life— from antepartum and postpartum units to newborn, pediatric, and nursing informatics care. Aduago holds a master of science in Nursing and is also a Certified Health & Wellness coach. She also served on the Board of the Junior League of Wilmington DE for two years and is currently serving as a member of the Delaware Valley Chapter of Mocha Moms. I truly believe Adaugo’s story and nuggets of wisdom that she gained from her own mid life transformation will benefit others who are experiencing perimenopause. I hope you enjoy our conversation! P.S. As Adaugo and I talked, I thought about various plant allies that are very supportive to the perimenopause & menopause journey. The herb that stood out to me the most was Motherwort — a personal favorite of mine. I didn’t get into the details of motherwort in our episode, however I had a great conversation with fellow herbalist Erika Parker-Smith, a couple of seasons ago, about her own relationship to the plant and how it helped her navigate life transitions. Check it out here: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/p/garden-talk-04-tending-to-a-courageous This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Jul 10

    Reacquainting with My 23 Year Old Self via Jupiter in Leo Transit

    Alrighty, I’m in my astrology bag during this week’s episode. Around June 30, 2026 — the planet Jupiter entered the sign of Leo, after transiting Cancer for a year. And it will be in Leo until July 25 2027. This transit is one of many significant astrological & powerful transits of 2026. As the largest planet in our solar system, it takes nearly 12 years to orbit around the Sun. This also means it takes nearly 12 years for Jupiter to return to a sign of the zodiac. The last time Jupiter was transiting the sign of Leo was from mid July 2014 to mid August 2015. A lot has changed in 12 years, right? Subscribe to my newsletter: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/ Learn more about Jupiter in Leo: https://www.chani.com/blogs/your-guide-to-jupiter-in-leo-2026 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Jun 25

    Sole to Soul: How Our Feet Are Maps to The Inner Workings of Our Bodies

    Hey good people! I am excited to bring forward a virtual workshop on Thursday, July 9th at 6pm ET with my good friend & fellow herbalist Brittaney Whitenhill. On today’s episode, Brittaney and I shared a bit on what to expect from our upcoming workshop as well as our own experiences. Our feet carry us through life, but they also carry important messages about our health. Drawing from African American spiritual herbalism and Chinese Traditional Medicine, this virtual workshop explores the connection between the feet, internal organs, energy pathways, and ancestral healing practices. Participants will learn to recognize common indicators of imbalance and discover rituals and herbs that support restoration from sole to soul. Link to register: SoleToSoulWorkshop.eventbrite.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jun 18

    Protecting My Inner Fire with the Energy of Rosemary

    This episode, I continue my mini series on taking baby steps into the summer solstice. Every week, I am tapping into the energy of an herb that is ruled by the Sun to honor the arrival of summer. This week I am sitting with Rosemary, a protective plant ally of the sun and fire. I know it is a common kitchen herb that many folks cook with because it is packed with aroma and flavor. But it is also potent with medicinal benefits and spiritual fortitude. Some links I lifted up in the episode: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/p/garden-talk-03-remember-yourself https://centersageremedies.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

    Protecting My Inner Fire with the Energy of Rosemary

  6. Jun 11

    Taking Baby Steps into the Solstice

    Good people, How is it June already??!! On June 21st, we will experience Summer Solstice. In this podcast episode I share how I plan to embody the essence of summer. For this upcoming solstice, I am calling in abundance, play, growth, and success that will carry me into the rest of the year. What are you thinking about calling in at the turning point of the year? What are the intentions that you have sown and the top of the year that you want to continue to nourish and grow? I also share how my daily practice of pilates and the nourishing presence of chamomile remind me that taking small, mundane, and incremental steps are just as important as taking big leaps of faith. I hope you enjoy the episode! Let me know what are you calling in for yourself during the summer solstice? Or what baby steps you are taking in your life that you want to celebrate? You can subscribe to my newsletter at acupofteaandjams.substack.com & share in the comments. Until next time, Khayla This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

    Taking Baby Steps into the Solstice

  7. Feb 25

    Anchoring Our Joy with Calendula ft Brittaney Whitenhill

    Welcome to A Cup of Tea & Jams, a podcast and publication that is full of life musings, plant medicine, and music. If this is your first time listening or even if you’ve listened to previous episodes — thank you for tuning in. We made it to season 2! We made it to season 2! This season, I am highlighting different practices that helped ground, nourish, and fortify me during seasons of transformation. To kick us off, I invited my dear friend & fellow herbalist, Brittaney Whitenhill to chat about sustaining our joy practices during a time of upheaval. This conversation was such a balm for my spirit and I’m excited to share with you. It is also a glimpse into a workshop that Brittaney and I are co-hosting on Wednesday March 4th about joy practices. We still have tickets available! Purchase here: https://joyinthemidst.eventbrite.com Our Backyard: https://www.our-backyard.org/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

  8. 04/20/2025

    Slowing Down to Witness

    During this month of April, I am celebrating the first anniversary of the launching of my newsletter, A Cup of Tea & Jams! Today, I am returning to a previous reflection from my newsletter titled Freedom in the Quiet. To Read: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/p/freedom-in-the-quiet Playlist Referenced: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02hYVtOFkX7xobllxA8Sbp?si=LEk8WFLnRmer6O03uPVHYg Subscribe to A Cup of Tea & Jams newsletter: https://acupofteaandjams.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit acupofteaandjams.substack.com/subscribe

    Slowing Down to Witness
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

A soulful experience of life musings, plant medicine, and music. A Cup of Tea & Jams elevates stories about herbs and their relationship to the healing vibrations of good music. Episodes features reflections from Black and Brown herbalists, land stewards, and healers who have a story to tell about a herb of their choosing and a song that embodies the energy of this plant. Host Khayla Deans is an herbalist and cultural worker who understands the power of storytelling as a tool for healing and collective care. As a multi-hyphenate artist who has created and amplified the stories of others through various mediums as a curator, writer, and image maker, she believes that art and culture are necessary strategies for empowerment & liberation. As a spiritual herbalist, it brings Khayla great joy to invite others to the creative process of healing through the partnership of supportive plant allies. Subscribe to our newsletter: acupofteaandjams.substack.com

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