In a world of constant sensory overload, how do we care for the mind without burning it out?

In today’s episode, I sit down with Jennifer Kurdyla to discuss gotu kola (Centella asiatica), an herb that has long been known for supporting calm focus, emotional spaciousness, and long-term nervous system resilience.

Through the lens of Ayurveda, Jennifer explains how gotu kola cools inflammation, supports the gut–brain connection, and nourishes the senses. She reflects on her personal journey with gotu kola, highlighting how this quietly powerful herb helped to bring her back into balance after a mysterious, unexplained illness, and how it continues to be a part of her daily herbal practice.

Jennifer shares the many ways she likes to work with gotu kola, including her recipe for Spacious Mind Herbal Cacao—perfect as a coffee alternative or as an evening ritual! You can download a beautifully illustrated recipe card for this delicious herbal beverage here.

Gotu kola isn’t just an herb for the brain! Here are just a few other ways that gotu kola can benefit your health:

► Encourages strong, well-knit tissue repair during wound healing

► Soothes inflamed or ulcerated tissues in the digestive tract

► May slow stress-related hair loss and premature graying

To learn even more benefits of gotu kola, be sure to check out the entire episode!

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How gotu kola can help cultivate calm, spacious focus without overstimulation

► The role of gotu kola in calming inflammation—and why that makes it so beneficial for both the body and the mind

► Why gotu kola is so often paired with ghee in Ayurvedic medicine

► A surprising way to work with gotu kola to encourage healthy hair growth

► How nasya (Ayurvedic herbal nose oiling) with gotu kola supports the brian and nervous system

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Jennifer Kurdyla is an Ayurvedic practitioner, herbalist, yoga teacher, and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. Committed to sharing the ancient tools of Ayurveda and yoga with modern communities, she helps her clients and students discover personalized rituals that support their well-being in body, mind, and spirit.

Jennifer thrives in the creative space of her kitchen, where she crafts seasonal plant-forward recipes with a focus on supporting digestion and reviving our sensory experience with food prepared fresh and with love. She has studied Ayurveda at the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and clinical herbalism with David Winston.

A former book editor and graduate of Harvard University, Jennifer is also the co-author of Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women's Wellness (Tiller Press), and the author of Sense-Care is Self-Care: Ayurveda and Yoga for Mental Resilience.

I’m thrilled to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Jennifer at JenniferKurdyla.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you

Is there anything black seed can’t do?

In this episode, herbalist and nutritionist Abrar Al-Shaer takes a deep dive into the many gifts of black seed (Nigella sativa), a revered herb that has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Abrar has been studying this plant since she was a child, and has so much to share about it—from the home remedies her mother gave her as a child, to ancient teachings from Islamic medicine, and even modern-day medical research on this celebrated plant.

Abrar also shares her recipe for Black Seed Herbal Energy Bites—combined with warming spices and fragrant rose water, this is a deliciously nourishing way to get black seed into your diet! You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

As Abrar notes, it is traditionally thought that black seed can help with almost any ailment—and if it can’t, it’s just because we haven’t figured out how to properly prepare it yet! Here are just a few ways that black seed can be worked with to benefit your health:

► Supports lung health, providing relief for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma

► Promotes cardiovascular health, including healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels

► Topically, black seed oil helps to nourish and protect the skin

To learn even more of black seed’s benefits, be sure to check out the entire episode!

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why black seed has been revered for centuries in traditional Islamic medicine

► The many ways black seed can be prepared: mixed into honey, added to water or food, pressed into oil—or even applied by the drop into the nostrils!

► What modern research says about black seed’s role in cardiovascular and metabolic health

► How black seed can support both acute concerns, such as chest congestion or tooth pain, as well as long-term chronic health concerns like inflammation and immune resilience

► Simple, food-based ways to incorporate black seed into everyday meals

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Dr. Abrar Al-Shaer, PhD, RD is a registered dietitian and herbalist and the owner of Precision Women’s Care, a women’s health, integrative nutrition & herbal medicine practice. She is also a clinical teaching professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Medicine, where she teaches advanced case management in integrative nutrition therapy.

Dr. Abrar completed her PhD in nutritional biochemistry & immunology with a dietetic specialization in high-risk OBGYN. With over a decade of experience as an herbalist, she frequently weaves together her herbal medicine and medical nutrition backgrounds to provide patients the highest quality of care.

I can’t wait to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Dr. Abrar at PrecisionWomensCare.com.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

If you...