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About the Healing Calabash

The Healing Calabash is a holistic wellness company and platform rooted in ancestral wisdom and healing justice and offering community-based wellness, spirituality, nutrition, and plant medicine centered in healing justice for collective liberation and individual thriving.

As the founder of The Healing Calabash, I believe that healing and spiritual practices should be both practical and accessible. The most powerful wisdom, rituals, and services cannot do the most good if they are exclusive. I know that one of the reasons I am alive at this moment is to support marginalized folks in getting the care they need.

This is why all of the work I do is rooted and centered in both ancestral wisdom and healing justice practices.

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My name is Darasia Selby and I am Oshun priestess, trained nutritionist, herbalist, and community organizer.

My interest in healing modalities and healing justice began decades ago when I became aware of the persistant health disparities that negatively impact Black people. I had a longing to create a space in the hood where people could come together to socialize and fellowship around good, healthy food. After going through my own journey of connecting back to my ancestral practices, I wanted to add a spiritual component to this space that I was dreaming of, where people could also learn about African spiritual traditions and practices.

Now, after some time after working with a naturopathic doctor, earning degrees in Black Studies and Religion, and getting formally trained in clinical nutrition and herbalism, I have created this platform that combines my passions — healing justice, community organizing, food and plant medicine, and spirituality — to support you in journey.

My Training & Experience

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Past Training

  • Community Nutrition Courses with Frank Wyatt, ND (Philadelphia, PA)

  • BA, African-American Studies/Religion (Temple University, PA)

  • MLA, Africana Religions (Temple University, PA)

  • Clinical Hypnotherapy & Life Coaching (Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, AZ)

  • Community Herbalism and Herbal First Aid Training (Philadelphia, PA)

Recent & On-going/Current Training

  • MS, Integrative Health and Nutrition: Concentration in Herbal Medicine (current - Maryland University of Integrative Health, MD)

  • Spiritualist Training with Baba Richard Onque (NJ)

  • Olorisa Training & Classes with Egbe Imodoye Orisa led by Baba Solomon

Experience

  • Community organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (www.freethelandMXGM.org)

  • Executive Director of the Orisa Community Development Corporation (www.orisacdc.org)

  • 17 years working in alternative education (K-12+)

  • 8 years in non-profit management