About Petal + Leaf

Petal + Leaf was born from a deeply personal healing journey.

I began experiencing debilitating menstrual cycles at a young age. Intense cramps. Flu-like symptoms. Recurring fevers. I missed weeks of school, and what began in childhood followed me well into adulthood.

There were countless doctor visits and countless tests, yet the answer was often the same: nothing was wrong.

As I got older, I began hearing another answer: remove what hurts.

But I didn’t believe my body was the problem.

I believed it was asking to be understood.

At 44, after one particularly severe cycle left me pale, feverish, and frighteningly weak, something had to change.

My partner, Ken, had never seen me that way before. He was scared. I had lived with it for so long that, to me, it was simply what my body did every month.

That moment became a turning point.

Through acupuncture and holistic care, I was introduced to herbal baths as a way to support my body, ease tension, and create space for rest and restoration.

So I went home and gathered fresh botanicals from my garden.

I needed something to hold the herbs while I soaked, so I reached for what I had: a lingerie bag. I filled it with herbs, placed it in the warm water, and let them steep.

And then it clicked.

Only this time, instead of drinking it, I was soaking in it.

That simple realization changed the way I approached my own care. Over time, the ritual of herbal bathing became part of a deeper connection with my body. My cycles softened. My awareness deepened. I became more conscious of stress, how I carry it, and how closely my body responds to it.

What once felt like something I simply had to endure became something I could tend to with intention.