About Aleksa
(she/they)
I grew up in a holistic household, taking lots of vitamins, doing cleanses and visiting wellness practitioners weekly. Thanks mum! As much as she was trying to take care of me, I was trying to run free. You could find me outside for a lot of my childhood, scrapes everywhere, muddied and maybe eating a flower. I was, and still am, a tactile learner.I was also a sporty, yet clumsy teen, who ended up with two concussions by 16. I developed depression from the brain trauma and remained in that state for years. Part of it was that I was embarrassed to ask for help. As a young woman, the severity was downplayed. And so I began practicing meditations and yoga to help me manage my health and elevate my spirit. I already had ambitions to transcend my body (precocious kid?). Yoga fulfilled me in many ways until I got debilitatingly sick.In 2016, I fell ill from tick-borne infections. It equaled five years of hell and kept me housebound for long stretches. Surviving became a full-time job. I experienced symptoms that mimicked diseases such as MS, Alzheimer's and Fibromyalgia, After being tossed around from specialist to specialist, I took my health into my hands and studied herbal medicine.Thanks to my herbal mentor Tamara Segal, I started growing herbs and even making my own flower essences! Herbalism grew from a hobby into a vocation. Herbal allies along with several other therapies carried me into recovery in 2021. Because of plant medicine, I had the energy to train as a yoga and meditation facilitator, and conduct programs at corporate offices, community centers and schools.I still manage my health carefully every day, but I know I can rely on my holistic training to do so. Now that I am no longer disabled, I love sharing my skills and wisdom from experience to help you navigate tough times.Our Vision
We are bridging the dichotomy between mainstream biomedicine and holistic forms of medicine. Both have their strengths, and limitations, especially when it comes to the field of mental healthcare. We want you to feel validated and comfortable accessing both care paradigms in order to optimize your state of mind and emotional balance. One day, we hope every household has a herbalist, and everybody has knowledge of how to work with plants, safely, to improve their quality of life, mentally and physically. This will take time, but it is essential to creating healthier and happier communities.
What we believe
Health is experienced differently by everyone. Here, it's not about conforming to wellness or beauty standards, it is not ableist, racist, sexist, or judgmental. Exploring your body should be a safe, playful and loving experience. In fact, we believe that safety is the foundation of health. We also recognize that people have less access to safe spaces because of systems of oppression.
The inspo behind H&H
Do you recognize the saying, "to be hale and hearty"? Hale comes from "whole" or "safe" in Old English, while hearty means to be in a state of vibrant health! Hart is a portmanteau of "hearty" and my maiden name, "Hartog".
The logo is inspired by the alchemical symbol for salt. Salt represents the essence of matter and is renowned for its purifying qualities. H&H embodies the expression "salt of the Earth" which refers to honest, simple and hardworking people. This reflects my own character, even though I cannot physically push my body as much as before. It also reflects the folx I like working with: the ones who are actively creating a more loving, just and equitable world. Hale & Hart is here to sustain you!
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