journal


LIVING WELL

With kristen caissie

Welcome to Living Well — our bi-weekly spotlight on different women that we admire and find fascinating. Our goal is to share an intimate peek into these women’s lives by asking them the questions that allow them to open up about their imperfect truth, whatever that may be. 


It takes so much bravery when someone decides to venture out of their established success and try their hand at something new, something that speaks more deeply to the latest version of themselves. It’s as risky and uncomfortable as it is exciting and inspired. 


Kristen Caissie has done just that. She’s long established herself as a talented floral artist and then taken her passion for plant-life to that of a herbalist and healer. Her new line of herbal supports — teas, tinctures, elixirs — is unique and powerful. Moon Canyon Healing is full of intention and wisdom and so is Kristen. I loved getting to know more about the woman behind this beautiful line and the thread that runs through it all.

What does a life well lived look like to you?

I would say being present as much as possible. Present to the good, the joy, the pleasure as well as the heart ache and pain. There is honesty and medicine in all experiences. Being courageous enough to not turn away from any of it feels like a life well lived to me.

My version of success is…

Success to me is my channel clear, open, and set to receive all of the messages this Earth has to share. It literally feels like a homecoming to have the ability to resource self from a place of grounded intention and to heal into service. With that comes the ability to be walking in integrity with the Earth and the interconnected web of life. To make responsible decisions not only for myself but for all of life. That reciprocal balance is one of the most ancient and most needed codes for success on this planet.



In what way are you seeking to grow right now?

I am currently stepping more deeply into the healer archetype. Listening deeply to that which is calling. It has been a bit unsettling at times to really say yes to some of what has been coming in and asking to be seen. Most of what I hope to grow into in the next few years is the ability to hold deep space for folks around climate despair and ecological grief. Personally, this is one of my biggest core wounds and I truly would be so honored to provide a safe container for that pain, trauma and despair to be alchemized into action and connection. 


Some of my teachers in this space embody this depth of presence and have provided us all with creative healing modalities that allow us to access these most forgotten of places in ourselves. Joanna Macy's teachings have been fundamental in showing me that we can work somatically to integrate this despair. She was one of maybe the first to develop these practices. A true healing artist. She truly embodies the role of healer, activist, mother, and teacher. It's inspiring to see and exciting to be a part of.

What is one way that you are different today than you were ten years ago?

10 years ago I was just learning how to resource self and open up to the greater connection that spirit provides. Today I have greater capacity for love and a greater resilience to come back from painful moments and find gratitude.



Setting aside modesty for a moment, what are you excellent at?

As I write this it is currently Leo Season, and I believe that this quality flows so effortlessly because of the Leo in me! I have the ability to help others get really excited about achieving their dreams and life goals. Ever since I was young one of my favorite things was to support my friends in stepping fully into their truest selves. Once I knew what you really wanted to do, it was my passion to help you get past any road blocks, create that fire within that will drive you to the finish line, and get down to the nitty gritty with you.

Whose life perspective and way of moving through the world teaches you something about who + how you want to be?

My greatest teachers are my children. To sit on the grass with my 4 year old daughter and 7 year old son and truly step into their perspective is so nourishing to my spirit. I want to see the world through their eyes and hearts. Reframing the most simple of things is a rebirth. The innocence of life is a gift that I hope to always be able to tap into. This life and this planet are actual magic. I never want to take that for granted.



Is there a quote or mantra you always come back to?

The medicine the Earth needs now is you.

Can you share a book, podcast, or article that changed you in some way?

Wendell Berry has a book called the Unsettling of America. In that book is an essay called the Body and the Earth. In it he speaks of the fundamental truth that healing is relational, meaning we cannot separate the healing of our selves from the healing of each other or from the healing of the planet. We do not exist as individuals alone but as a vital piece of a living ecosystem. This thought was always something I knew in my bones and was why I decided to go into the healing arts. But to have it written so plainly and eloquently touched me deeply.

What are you grateful for today?

As I drink my morning tea I am grateful for the relationship between the sun and the leaves. How ancient and sacred that bond is. I am honored to have their love story come to form in my morning cup.


Kristin Caissie is a Somatic Counselor, Herbalist and co-creator of Moon Canyon - Earth Centered Healing. She sees clients in one-on-one sessions, working with them to heal the connection to self and to the Earth by providing the foundational nourishment of body and spirit necessary to foster these deep relationships. 


Be sure to check out Moon Canyon - Earth Centered Healing’s Summer Seasonal Wellness Box (shipping this coming week), which is a part of their annual Seasonal Wellness Box subscription. You’ll also find some of their teas and tinctures on our brick-and-mortar shop shelves in Topanga! 


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