Our first interview episode of From the Ashes comes in hot, following this year’s intention to hold bold and courageous dialogue. I sit down with healing justice practitioner, organizer, and bioregional herbalist Asia Dorsey for an unfiltered conversation about burnout, activism, and the moment you choose to stop sacrificing your body for the work. Asia shares her journey from decades of frontline organizing to a profound reckoning with depression, depletion, and the culture of martyrdom embedded in social change movements. Together, we explore what it means to lay down the sword, reclaim the body as a site of liberation, and build futures rooted in nourishment, restoration, and collective care. This episode is an invitation to rethink healing not as an individual luxury, but as a revolutionary act of self-protection and possibility. At a time when we are being called to reclaim our sovereignty, Asia’s story highlights an essential truth: healing starts with ourselves. Key Moments [01:06–01:53] I introduce Asia Dorsey, her work with Bones, Bugs, and Botany, and the concept of embodied liberation rooted in relationship rather than politics. [03:37–08:33] Asia shares her origin story—from a protected childhood in Colorado to NYU, environmental law aspirations, activist burnout, physical illness, and deep depression. [14:17–17:56] A powerful discussion on activists as modern-day warriors, the lack of communal care, martyrdom, and the unsustainability of sacrificing the body for justice work. [19:39–25:59] Asia recounts her healing turning point: discovering food as medicine, healing depression through gut health, learning to listen to the body, and recognizing herself as someone worth caring for. [48:49–53:19] We define healing justice, democratizing access to healing tools, reclaiming food and plants as medicine, and restoring people’s capacity to care for themselves and their communities. About Our Guest Asia Dorsey is an organizational consultant, educator, and bioregional herbalist based in Denver, Colorado. Her work sits at the intersection of healing justice, ancestral foodways, and regenerative systems change. Raised in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, Asia’s journey spans decades of grassroots organizing, global study of traditional food systems and ecological design, and a profound personal reckoning with burnout after years of frontline activism. Through her own healing, she shifted from sacrificing her body for the cause to learning the pattern language of restoration—reclaiming health through living foods, fermentation, herbal medicine, and nervous system repair. Today, Asia weaves food, plant medicine, yoga nidra, and organizational strategy to support individuals and institutions in building resilient, life-affirming futures that honor both people and planet. Connect with Asia About Asia: https://www.bonesbugsandbotany.com/about Asia's Upcoming Program, Food Genius: https://bonesbugsandbotany.circle.so/foodgenius About the Show From the Ashes is part of The Vibrant Visionary—a space for people who are tired of pretending they’re fine and hungry for a more honest way of living. This podcast is devoted to bold conversations and evolutionary dialogue that empower healing, self-trust, and authentic, vibrant living. Rather than chasing certainty or success for its own sake, From the Ashes explores what it means to live with intention in a world that often pulls us away from ourselves. Through thoughtful, unfiltered conversations, this show is for those who feel alone in their struggles, worn down by life, yet still quietly holding a vision for something more aligned. It’s not about becoming someone new—it’s about remembering who you are and daring to believe your desires are worth listening to. If this episode resonated, consider sharing it or leaving a review. These conversations grow through word of mouth, and your voice helps them reach the people who need them. About the Host Valerie Hwang Beck is a Vitality & Vision Mentor, Ayurvedic practitioner, and founder of The Vibrant Visionary. Her work supports people who feel disconnected, discouraged, or uncertain, yet deeply desire a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and true. Valerie works with those who are afraid to be “delusional” in their ambitions because life has knocked them down, and who need encouragement, perspective, and real support to remember that the life they want is still possible. Through From the Ashes, Valerie hosts conversations that prioritize honesty over performance, inquiry over dogma, and evolution over easy answers. Want to Go Deeper? Download the free Vibrant Visionary Blueprint: a practical and powerful guide to help you reclaim your energy, clarity, and creative fire 👉 thevibrantvisionary.com Connect with Valerie 📬 Email: valerie@intrepidwellness.life 📱 Instagram: @vibrantvisionary.val 📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@the-vibrant-visionary
