Shay Koloff's journey into herbalism began in 2016 after she found out she was pregnant.
She had recently been diagnosed with diabetes and was high risk. Although Koloff was careful about her health throughout her pregnancy, she faced complications such as pre-eclampsia, which left her hospitalized for a week after giving birth to her daughter.
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“After I got out of the hospital and went back home to my family, I started thinking seriously about how I could improve my life and make it better,” she said.
For several years, she relied solely on medication.
Shea Koloff's store shelves are filled with locally grown, organic herbs. Parker Seibold▲
“All this was causing me a lot of health problems and I was gaining weight quickly. My blood pressure was getting high,” she said. “I didn't get the results I expected, so I had mixed feelings.”
Then, in 2018, a friend invited Koloff to a community garden.
“That was really the epiphany for me,” she said. “I got involved in a community garden and fell in love with learning how to grow things, how to harvest, and how to use things that come naturally from the earth.”
She quickly convinced her husband to build a two-bed garden in the garden. From there, she said, she “went wild.”
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“I started growing herbs and all kinds of vegetables, from cucumbers to tomatoes to eggplants to pumpkins. It was getting out of hand, but it was a lot of fun,” she said. “That really changed my perspective. I didn't have healthy eating habits before.”
Koloff decided to take a more holistic approach to her health by stocking her garden with carefully selected herbs and vegetables. She wanted to learn how to make tea. Even though she wasn't a big fan at first.
Shay Koloff poses for a portrait at The Bloom Circle Holistic Healing and Tea Room on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Since the store opened in 2019, it has gained attention in the community, especially as the only black-owned holistic herbalism store. Colorado Springs. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) Parker Seibold▲
“I wanted to start growing herbs and learn how to use them, but I hated tea,” she said. “I ended up taking a more holistic approach. … So I really got interested in my love of tea and how to use herbs to be healthier. ”
From cooking with vegetables from his garden to learning how to make tea, Koloff fell in love with herbalism step by step.
“Herbs have a lot of different uses depending on your needs, so what I really like about herbal medicine is the big appeal for me is how much control you have over it,” she said. Ta.
Now, Koloff runs her own business in hopes of helping others heal with herbs.
“There are so many options in herbal medicine. I also love that herbs can actually be used in modern medicine,” she said. “I want to marry both of you. My job is not to make you feel like you can't go to the doctor, you can't go to the clinic. My job is to support and assist you with your medical needs. That’s it.”
Koloff opened The Bloom Circle Holistic Healing & Tea Room in April 2022, but has been selling herbal remedies since 2019 after studying herbalism and permaculture.
“Once I really got into herbalism, my life really started to change,” she said.
The shop consists of organic items made by local artisans, including tonics, smudge bundles, soaps, and lotions.
Koloff doesn't consider it a metaphysical store, but does offer spiritual products from local vendors.
“Our store is not necessarily metaphysical, but we carry a lot of metaphysical items like crystals, jewelry, things like that,” she said.
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Koloff creates handcrafted herbal remedies for Zenith Moon Co., which he founded several years before opening his brick-and-mortar store.
Koloff sources many herbs from local gardeners and blends each herb to suit individual needs.
“We don’t sell anything for over-the-counter medicinal purposes,” she said. “Normally it's something I make for you. I customize it personally.”
Koloff emphasized the need to create herbal blends based on the individual, especially to ensure that the ingredients do not interact with medications taken at home.
“We try to make everything that's sold on the shelves very general, so we're mainly dealing with things like anxiety and stress, appetite, energy, etc.,” she said. . “It's like a supplement for you, but one that won't negatively impact your health journey.”
So if you'd like to address your specific health needs, Coloff offers a free consultation to determine what's best for you.
At Bloom Circle Holistic Healing & Tea Room, those looking for herbal remedies can also find spiritual products from local vendors. However, owner Shay Koloff doesn't think of the store as a metaphysical shop. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) Parker Seibold▲
“When we take care of a customer's medical needs here, it's obviously much more one-on-one,” she said.
There is a tea room inside the store where you can reserve a tea session. This room also serves as a gathering space for meditation, healing circles, tarot readings, and more.
“We offer in-store teas that we blend in-house,” she said. “But we also have the option of making our own special tea blends, which makes us a little different than other tea rooms out there. We just make the blends as is for people.”
Koloff said her business is gaining momentum, especially as the only Black-owned holistic herbalism store in Colorado Springs.
“I have a lot of people of color coming to me. They want people of color who know how to help them,” she said. “It's small and family-run. Everything is very individual.”
Ultimately, Koloff hopes her store will be a source of healing for others.
“This store is my peace of mind,” she said. “It's not just a store, it's a safe place. It's a haven for people who want to come in and sit down.”
