S1 Ep 5: Bitters in the Bywater- Building Relationships with Herbs with Bailey McNeill and Dewey Raybon

I spent the last week staying at my dear friends Dewey & Matthew Raybon’s house in the Bywater of New Orleans, and had a blast connecting with them and the beautiful plants that surround and fill their home. The trip was a amazing reunion of the Integra Collective’s members: Bailey McNeill, Dewey Raybon & Cameron Conklin.Over the course of the week we nerded out on our favorite herbal medicines, the ways we navigate health challenges, and our favorite elixirs. We drank bitter concoctions daily with Dewey’s extensive medicine/bartending cabinet- swirling up mixes of sparkly water, vinegars, juices, and bitters to make delicious mocktails for the late-summer heat.Sadly, Cam had to leave before we recorded this episode, but Bailey, Dewey and I had a blast sharing our quick-and-dirty top recommendations for connecting to herbs and herbal community. Here are our notes from the show!Thank you to our teacher and retreat co-facilitator Kealy Rudersdorf of KIS BotanicalsTop tips for wellbeing from Bailey & Dewey:* Wear an eyemask to sleep for deep rest* Spend time outside: skin in the sun, feet on the earth* Eat enough! Be conscious around restrictive diets* Build a daily relationship with your favorite plant* Walks (combine with a weighted vest or ankle weights if you so choose!)* Incorporate herbal medicine into your daily meals! Make “sprinkles” of blends of herbs, nuts, seeds, and salts* Make infusions of herbs in oils and vinegars to add to your foods (try thyme in your olive oil)* Bioregionalism: Work with the plants outside your door* Finding community around herbalism to learn and grow togetherMore about us! The Integra Collective hosts immersive programs and events that connect people to their bodies, communities and the Earth in service of a more regenerative future. Over the last three years we’ve hosted three festivals and three retreats connecting people to local herbalism, music, art, and more! Stay tuned for our Earth Body Spirit Retreat in North Carolina Fall 2026 and other upcoming events in California. You can follow along @integracollective on Instagram. Get full access to Abbey Joy Healing Newsletter at abbeyjoyhealing.substack.com/subscribe