Journeys

Journeys YOU & YOUR HEALTH JOURNEYS: JOURNEYS: One day, I hope to create a sanctuary for these wonderful plants and space for people to connect with them

Rachel Eten shares her journey from international modelling to producing her own herbal infusions in Kentucky…

Iwas born and raised in a small town in Kentucky where my first loves were fashion, the theatre and dancing in my mother’s dance studio. I attended the School for Creative and

Performing Arts for a few years which broadened my outlook. While I was there, my mother got very sick. After reaching out to many allopathic doctors, she found healing after connecting with a chiropractor who was qualified in Neuro Emotional Technique (NET). She switched her diet according to his recommendation and soon found relief and, a few months later, healing. As a nine year old, I loved her discovery of holistic health and whole, clean foods. I’d read her library books about the body’s pH balance and candida diets. I’d keep her company on her diets and eat whatever she was eating. This was my first experience with the natural world.

A couple years later I got scouted by a local modelling agency in Cincinnati and was soon working in LA, New York, Miami, Bangkok and London. I grew roots in NY where I spent the rest of my modelling career and married a wonderful man from my home town. When we moved back to Kentucky to raise a family, I was filled with a dream to help my

Rachel community find true health. We soon had a little boy named Ari Rocket who lives up to his name! We spend time together foraging and Eten snacking on weeds out of the yard. I feel it’s important to help the next generation connect with our sacred earth. As a family, we are regulars at our chiropractors including the doctor that helped my mom find healing when I was a child. Clean water and food are always important as well as a strong spiritual connection. We believe being kissed by the sun, light exercise and rest are also part of a healthy lifestyle. Incorporating herbs into our life is the icing on the cake! With certifications in Herbalism and as a Holistic Health Practitioner, I started making Elderberry Syrup at home. Word got out and I was getting so many orders that I needed either to start a business or give it up. I decided to dream big and we became Garden of Eten, a herbalism company specializing in organic, biologically grown and wild crafted botanicals which grow locally in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Elderberry Syrup is a fan favourite but we also have Wild Cider, which is similar to a master tonic, teas, skincare, and herbal extracts called Drunken Botanicals. We use locally grown and foraged ingredients wherever possible and teach about these beautiful plants through in person classes, and content on our private Facebook group. I also co-host a natural living podcast with some local natural moms called Cocktails in the Organic Aisle. I’ve grown so much while building up this business. I’m passionate about marketing, brand representation and product development, but have to make myself focus on organisation, book keeping and finding my work life balance. One day, I hope to create a sanctuary for these wonderful plants and space for people to connect with them. A forest resort of some kind to create a safe place for rest, education and healing. Until then I will continue to do what I do best, be the gatekeeper who welcomes people into health through Garden of Eten. n i To find out more about Rachel and her products please visit www.

gardenofeten.com.