Hello! Today we are meeting with Katherine Wong, the founder of The Andean Apothecary. She is telling us more about how she spent the last 12 years immersing herself into her passion for natural healing and finally turned it into a beautiful entrepreneurial adventure.
To start, I am curious to know how did you become an entrepreneur! You are a sound practitioner, an energy healer and a flower remedies practitioner, how did you decide to leverage your expertise in those field with a more entrepreneurial approach?
Having worked in the medical insurance industry for 7 years, and after becoming a mother, I realized that I wanted to live a more purposeful life, creating a positive spirit. It was very important and clear to me that I wanted to spend more time with my son too.
I wanted to help people feel better, feel happier and live a balanced life. I was already consulting friends with my flower remedy blends and energy healing treatments, and gradually developed my passion into a profession, creating healthy, non-toxic and zero-waste products in combination with my customized flower remedy blends, that are inspired by my South-American background.
在开始之前，我好奇的想知道您怎们样成为一个创业家！您是个可靠的从业员、能量疗愈师和花疗法治疗师，您是如何决定发挥您 您在这些领域的专业知识？
在医疗保险行业工作了7年，而在成为母亲之后，我发现我要过一个更有目的性的生活，要创造正面的精神。对我来说也是非常重要和清楚，我想花更多的时间陪伴我的儿子。
我想要帮助人们，让人们感觉更舒适，感到快乐并过着平衡的生活。我已经与我的朋友咨询我调配的花疗法和能量治疗法，并渐渐地将我的热情发展成为一个专业。创造健康、无毒和零浪费的产品，来与我客制化所调配的花疗法做结合。这是来自我南美洲背景的启发。
What is The Andean Apothecary? What do you do exactly, what is your mission?
The Andean Apothecary brings the ancient knowledge of natural healing from the Andes (in South America). Most of these healing methods and tools were used by the ancient Inca and Quechua culture of Peru and Bolivia. Apothecary because we bring medicine, but the natural kind.
I create blends with flower remedies; specifically orchids near a sacred valley from Peru which makes everything even more special and connected to me. Flower remedies or essences is a vibrational medicine. Which more and more people are feeling the benefits of.
I believe we all can prevent illnesses and cure most of them in a natural way. I believe if we can live a happy and balanced life we will be able to achieve that. Nature has everything we need to be balanced. I want people to be able to feel good and positive about life.
The Andean Apothecary是什么？你做什么、你的使命是什么？
The Andean Apothecary带来了来自安地斯山脉（南美洲）的自然疗法。大多数这些治疗方法和器具被秘鲁和玻利维亚的古代印加文化和克丘亚文化所使用。 Apothecary（药剂师）则是因为我们带药，但是是天然的种类。
我创造了混合的花疗法，特别是来字秘鲁的一个神圣山谷附近的兰花，这使一切变得更加特别而且与我更加有连结。花疗法或是花卉精华是震频能量医学，而且越来越多人感受到它的益处。
我相信我们都可以预防疾病并用自然疗法来治愈。我相信如果我们可以过着快乐平衡的生活，我们将能够实现。大自然拥有我们需要维持平衡的一切。我要让人们能够对生活感到良好和积极。
You are making “vibrational” candles; can you explain a bit more what does it mean and what are the benefits for people?
Flowers essence or remedies is a vibrational medicine that is usually taken orally to raise the vibration of the person who takes it. Every flower carries a specific energy and therefore can help us with any ailment we might be going through. For example if you are sad, there will be a flower that will raise your vibration to make you feel happier.
So all my candles are infused with different blends of flower essences carrying the energy or vibration of these flowers and orchids in it.
When you have one of my candles in your space the candle in it-self is emitting this vibration even if you don’t light it up. The energy is there for your space, and when the space feels good people around will also get this feeling.
你制造“振动”蜡烛。您可以解释更多那些“振动”是什么吗？还有他们对周遭人们的益处。
花的精华或治疗剂是震频能量医学，通常以口服来提高使用者的振动。每种花会都带有特别的能量，因此帮助可以帮助我们解决我们可能遇到的任何病痛。举例来说，如果你感到难过，有花卉可以提高你的振动来让你感到快乐。
因此，我全部的蜡烛都注入了不同的花卉精华混合物，带着含有这些花朵和兰花的能量或振动。当你的生活空间有我的其中一种蜡烛时，即使你没有点燃，蜡烛本身也会释放振动。那股能量也因此会存在你的空间中，而当空间有良好的感觉时，周遭的人也会有同样的感受。
What is your personal background, were you always passionate about natural medicine?
I was born in Boliva and grew up in Peru. Both countries are very rich in culture and in natural ancient medicine. I was very lucky to always have a family member around me with a natural way to cure simple illnesses like colds, headaches or stomachaches. So I grew up with all these natural ways of healing that for us were so normal. Somehow I’ve always been against chemical medicine, the main reason being the untold side effects of it.
It was when I came to Shanghai that I realized how special is what I experienced back home and decided to learn more about it to keep my family healthy. I even studied basics of TCM to grow my knowledge on how food can help us heal too.
For me the natural way will always be the best way, as you won’t have any side effects unlike chemical medicine. I love the benefits of yoga, meditation, flowers, herbs, crystals, essential oils and water in my life.
你的个人背景是什么？你一直以来都对天然医学如此热情吗？
我在玻利维亚出生，在秘鲁长大。这两个国家都有很丰富的文化和古老的天然医学。我很幸运在我身旁总是能有一位家人用自然的方式治疗感冒、头痛或肚子疼等简单疾病。所以我是与这些对我们来说稀松平常的自然疗法一起长大的。而不知怎的，我一直反对化学医疗，主要原因可能是它数不清的副作用。
这就是当我来到上海时我发现我在家乡的经验是如此特别，并决定了解更多以保持我的家庭健康。我什至读了中医学的基本知识，来了解食物是也如何可以帮助我们治愈。
对我来说，自然疗法会永远是最棒的方法，因为与化学医学不同，你不会有副作用。我喜爱瑜伽、冥想、花卉、草药、水晶、精油和水在我生活中的益处。
Thinking of flowers as a natural healing method is not quite natural for a lot of people nowadays... Can you share with us some interesting facts about the positive impact of flowers on our health and wellbeing?
I started using flower essences consistently, and I saw a major improvement in my wellbeing. The experience was so life-altering that I wholeheartedly embraced this beneficial modality.
Flower essences is not a new way of healing. It has been used by monks and nuns centuries ago, and other people from ancient civilizations in many parts of the world. Old natural ways of healing are coming back.
Many traditional cultures, including TCM, understood that the mind and body are inseparable and that the health of one is intimately linked to the health of the other. Flower essences activate the innate healing power of the mind. It locates and transforms subconscious blocks and limitations around an infinite number of emotional themes. Since they are subtle energetic remedies, the essences tend to work mostly on the subtle and energetic aspects of ourselves, such as the acupuncture medians, and emotional states; Other than their efficacy, one of the primary advantages of flower essences is their safety; they are completely safe and appropriate for people of all ages, including babies. Animals respond incredibly well to flower essences, too.
Just as the beauty and fragrance of a flower uplifts our senses externally, the energetic imprint of a flower essence acts internally to uplift our mind and spirit. The essence of a flower works directly on consciousness to transform emotional challenges and blockages into personal growth. They often deepen our relationships with ourselves and all of life. These shifts in awareness can have many positive manifestations, such as remedying feelings of disconnection and loneliness. Flower essences contain many benefits that can help us shed the “old” to make room for a new and improved version of ourselves.
在现今，对很多人来说，将花作为一种自然疗法并不是那么自然......你能否与我们分享一些关于花对我们健康和幸福的正面影响的有意思的事实？
我开始持续地使用花卉精华，并发现到我健康有大幅的进步。这个经验改变了生活，使我全心全意地接受了这种有益的方式。
花卉精华不是新的治疗方式。在过去数世纪，它一直被僧侣和尼姑使用，甚至是世界许多地方的古代文明人。
在很多传统文化中，包含中医学，都了解身心是不可分割的，而且一个人的健康与另一个人的健康密切相关。花卉精华激活了心灵的治疗天赋 。它发现和转换潜意识的阻碍和无数个情感主题的限制。
因为它们是微妙活力的药剂，它们的精华往往在我们本身的微妙和活力方面作出反应。如同针灸经络和情绪状态，除了功效，花卉精华的主要优点之一是它们的安全性，它们是绝对的安全并适合各年龄层的人，包含婴儿。动物对花卉精华的翻应也非常好。
就如同花卉的美貌和芬芳提升我们的外在感官，花卉精华的活力印记在内部起作用，增进我们的思想和精神。花卉精华直接影响意识，并将情感挑战和障碍转化为个人成长。他们通常加深我们自己和所有生命的关系。这些意识的转变可以有很多正面的表现，如同治疗断绝感和孤独感。花卉精华含有很多益处，可以帮助我们摆脱“旧“，为我们自己崭新和进步的一面建立空间。
More and more people are getting interested in natural healing. What would be your advice for people that would like to do their first steps into those practices but don’t know where to start?
After studying basics of TCM I realized how old civilizations had the same idea on nurturing our emotions in order to keep a healthy body. If you are in China take advantage and take a course in TCM. My teacher Dr. Zhang taught me so much about how the right food in the right season can be a great preventative and healing tool. Nowadays you can find different mini TCM courses around town.
然而，越来越多人对天然医学更有兴趣，尤其在中国，中医非常中的地方。对于那些有意愿想要迈出第一步，但没有足够知识且不知道从何开始的人，你会有什么样的建议？
在研究了中医的基础知识后，我意识到古老文明在培养情绪以保持健康的身体方面有同样的想法。如果您在中国，利用优势并参加中医学的课程。我的老师张博士指导我很多有关在为什么正确的季节和食物可以成为一个伟大的预防和治疗方式。 如今，您可以在城镇周围找到不同的小型的中医学课程。
What are the biggest challenges you are facing in your entrepreneurial journey?
Many people expect to have scented candles, as some people believe Flower essences are essential oils, though the two are quite different. Since flower essences are energetic, they do not contain a scent. So when they smell my candles they wonder why they all have the same sweet smell of honey. If people don’t know or understand about flower essences my candles will be just normal candles for them. Educating people about it has been a challenge for me.
Having amazing feedbacks from my clients is what keeps me going on offering my healing sessions and making my candles.
Life is energy and not so many people understand that yet. Like Albert Einstein said: Matter is Energy. Energy is Light. We are all Light Beings.
什么是你在创业路程中所面对的最大挑战？
很多人期待有香气得蜡烛，因为许多人认为花卉精华是精油，虽然他们相当的不一样。而因为花卉精华是有能量的，所以他们不含香气。因此当他们闻我的蜡烛时，他们会想为什么它们都有相同的甜甜蜂蜜香味。如果人们不知道或不了解花卉精华，那么我的蜡烛对他们来说就只是个普通的蜡烛。教导人们关于这些事，对我是项挑战。
从客户那里获得的精彩反馈是我继续提供治疗和制作蜡烛的原因。生命就是能量，但并非很多人理解。如同爱因斯坦（Albert Einstein）所说：「物质就是能量。能量很轻。我们都是轻的众生。」
Do you have plans or dreams for the future of The Andean Apothecary?
I have so many ideas for The Andean Apothecary. New products and ways to make it grow. These candles can clean the air! Everybody should have one at home.
你是否对The Adean Apothecary的未来发展已经有计划？
我对The Andean Apothecary有好多的构想。新的产品和提升它的方式。这些蜡烛可以滤净空气！每个人在家中都应该有一个。
Do you have role models, or people that have inspired you in your work or life?
My grandmother who was the healer of all our family and my great great grandfather who was very famous in his small town for healing so many people. Both of them are great inspiration to me and my work.
你有榜样或在工作或生活中激励你的人吗？
我的祖母是我们全家下的治疗师，我的曾曾祖父因为他治愈了很多人而在他的城镇中非常有名。他们两人都对我和我的工作有恨大的启发。
You can find more info and buy Katherine products on her website
You can also get in touch with her on wechat: kathzeim
Related Articles:
Ingmar Rentzhog - We Don't Have Time, A Social Media To Collectively Solve The Climate Crisis
Xenia - UseDem: Upcycling & Conscious Design To Tackle Throwaway Culture
To join the movement and receive our best stories directly in your inbox
Leave us a nice comment