Today we’d like to introduce you to Juli Mae Munro.
Hi Juli Mae, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was overweight, under-loved, and full of self-esteem issues. My life had me tied up in the depths of corporate America feeling like I had no way to actually contribute to society. One day I thought “enough was enough”, and decided it was time to figure out my path. I have always been interested in gardening and herbs, so in my garden one day I was perplexed at the fact that I didn’t know if the plants I was growing had any purpose or medicinal value. I immediately went online and signed up for a Medicinal Plant Certification through Cornell. I definitely got the intensity that I was looking for; my colleagues were NPs and MDs and people with many other certifications. Here I was a software consultant with a business degree. I was overwhelmed, but I stood up to the challenge. I studied and learned the new terms and learned about the body and family classifications like Asteraceae and Fabaceae. These later became the foundation of my knowledge before diving into Ayurveda. Ayurveda found me in a state of despair, curiosity, and openness. I felt alone in my life and my body, and Ayurveda gave me a guide back to myself. Shortly after finishing my Medicinal Plant Certification, I enrolled at the Shakti School of Ayurveda, where I was able to explore what to me felt like, “the secrets of the universe”. These secrets and principles are now deeply rooted into the core of my being and walk with me through every facet of my life today. During this entire time dating back to 2019, I got really into foraging. Texas has so many native medicinal plants, and I was ecstatic to learn that the beautiful flowers growing on the side of the road in the springtime and fall, could be used to make medicine. I felt source come into me as my hands would forage the Yarrow, Mimosa, and Goldenrod. Following my intuition, I made these plants into beautiful medicines that would go on to help me, my family, and my community. I was so in love with the medicine making process that I turned it into my business. I started selling locally foraged herbs and herbal products at the local farmers market in Granbury and Mineral Wells. I was welcomed with open arms by my community, and now it has become part of my identity. I never stop studying and allow my creativity to be channeled through my medicine making as art. Through my artistic expression, I have been able to find my true path and meaning of life. I have been able to share my medicine, and my path has now led me to dive more fully into yoga. This winding path of mystery school is truly how I embody my philosophy of “Living Life Palms Up”, because I go where the wind and source take me. On this journey of healing and feeling alive, I have received my certifications in Kundalini Yoga (Breathwork and Meditation) and Baptiste Style Power Yoga (Vinyasa). Each of these modalities have healed different parts of my mind, body, and soul. It is a pleasure to share this with my community as well as built another pillar of my business. So, if you were to ask me, what is the story of The CuranVeda & Apothecary I would say that it started as a heart led dream to study plants, and is now a safe place for self-exploration using herbs, yoga, meditation, and love to find your way back to yourself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I see all things good and bad as learnings and teachings from the universe. There were times where I would take my mobile apothecary to big Dallas markets and think “this is it, I’ll make a ton of money here,” and then leave with 10 dollars. Finding myself way in the hole when you account for gas and booth fees, I could have easily taken this as a sign to quit, but I just decided to focus on my markets where people were receptive to what I was selling. I have always been a natural sales-woman (shout out Cavender’s as a teenager), but what I really wanted to do was teach people about herbs. The more I taught about the wild foraged herbs in my products, the more people were invested in the products with me. I put my oils and teas on shelves in a store at one point, but they didn’t sell. What sold was me educating people on these medicine-ways. This knowledge is meant to be shared. It is meant to be accessible. So, I had to create my own business model in order to spread the word about Texas Native Medicinal Plants. It was not an easy road to forge my own path, but oh yeah has it been worth it. I am proud of my products. I am proud of my own knowledge and when I make a new batch of oils for my clients, I want them to know. It is also not easy being at the mercy of mother nature. The last two summers I made an amazing bug deterrent oil. People loved this stuff. It was made with citronella and lemon bee balm. I loved making it and it was the perfect summer oil. I would sell out of it in two markets. But this year, the early spring was different. There were later freezes and it took longer to warm up. The Lemon Bee Balm was impossible to find where I live. I couldn’t make the oil and I was out one of my main lines of product. This has been difficult, but it caused me to get more creative. I learned more about Mimosa and Wormwood. I made more tinctures and less teas. Many struggles weren’t struggles, but invitations to go deeper into my craft.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make herbal oils, teas, and tinctures from locally foraged herbs throughout the entire year right here in Central Texas. My most popular product is Yarrow Oil, or my Prema Face Oil which is made with Wild foraged Yarrow, Home Grown Rose, and Saffron from my garden. I love yarrow and you can pick up a bottle for your skin at any market that I am attending. I also make tinctures and teas which have started to be something I am really proud of.
I also teach yoga and host women’s circles which can include: yoni steam, sound bath, meditation, sweat lodge, breathwork, and study into women’s cycles.
I am most proud of the fact that I am able to make my passions my business and what fuels my life. Because I get to do what I love, I can be a better mother, partner, and person. I live a heart-led life, and I think that is what God wanted for all of us.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The biggest risk I have taken is not jumping fully back into corporate America since my son was born in 2022. It is scary not having the security that is offered, but it was scarier for me to not be present for my son in his early years. I took a risk to open up my own private/semi private yoga studio to expand my business. I wouldn’t say these are major risks, but it has been a beautiful way to spend my time. I have definitely had classes with no people in them, and months where I barely broke even. I think that risk is more about how much you trust yourself and believe that the universe is on your side.
Pricing:
- Private Yoga Session (90 Minutes) 150
- Private Yoni Steam Session (90 Minutes) 150
- 40 days of Ayurvedic Consult 400
- Initial Ayurvedic Consult (90 Minutes) 150
- Meditation Package (4, 3o minute sessions) 200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TheCuranVeda.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventures_of_julitacos/
