Community & Stories
Rare Exclusive Interview with Ron Teeguarden of Dragon Herbs
We have something truly special for you today ✨ If you’re even slightly interested in Chinese tonic herbs, you won’t want to miss this. Kate Magic sits down with none other than Ron Teeguarden, at the headquarters of Dragon Herbs in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Ron is the founder of Dragon Herbs and the man widely credited with introducing Chinese herbalism to the West. Ron rarely gives public interviews, making this a precious opportunity to hear directly from the master himself. His influence runs deep in the world of herbalism, and his wisdom is as rich as the traditions he carries. We’re deeply honoured to share this powerful and heartfelt conversation with you. In 1994, Ron was declared a Master Herbalist, and in 2009 he was honoured with the title Dan-O Sun Sha—“Elixir of Life Master of Tao” 🕊—by Grandmaster Sung Jin Park, Keeper of Rites in the 3,000-year-old Taoist lineage of Kook Sun Do. This recognition came after more than four decades of dedicated training and Taoist practice. Ron co-founded Dragon Herbs with his wife Yanlin in 1996. Their mission has always been to source, produce, and deliver the highest quality tonic herbs on the planet. Their teas, tinctures, powders, and encapsulated formulas are a staple in every serious health-seeker’s kitchen 🍵 Watch the interview below and check out our range of Dragon Herbs products HERE. We carry the widest range of their products outside of the USA.
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Natural Products Expo
In April, we exhibited at the Natural Products Show at the Excel Centre London, for the first time. Natural Products is the UK's biggest trade show for the health food industry, including beauty, supplements and foods. We had a great time, met customers old and new, and caught up with friends in the industry like Chris Dawson from Clearspring, Richard & Amanda of Ombar, and Dale Pinnock, star of ITV's Eat, Shop, Save. Everyone loved our bright and colourful displays, and the biggest hit of the day was our Shilajit; people are really starting to catch on to the wonders of this mineral-rich resin. Brexit has made importing and exporting increasingly difficult, so we are actively seeking out new UK shops to stock our products in. If you have a local independent health food store that you would love to see us in, put us in touch! Just email hello@rawliving.co.uk, and we can send them out a catalogue and some samples.
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Charity: Water
As well as our partnership with Trees For Life, we also support charity: water with a monthly donation. We are passionate about hydration and believe this charity is doing amazing work. You can find out more about them by watching the video below. charity: water is a non-profit organisation bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Since 2006, charity: water supporters have funded 91,414 water projects that will bring clean water to more than 14,762,215 million people in 29 countries. Shockingly, 771 million people in the world live without clean water.That’s nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide or ten times the population of the UK. The majority live in isolated rural areas and spend hours every day walking to collect water for their family. Not only does walking for water keep children out of school or take up time that parents could be using to earn money, but the water often carries diseases that can make everyone sick. But access to clean water means education, income and health - especially for women and children. Clean water changes everything. Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. 43% of those deaths are children under five years old. Access to clean water and basic sanitation can save around 16,000 lives every week. In Africa alone, women spend 40 billion hours a year walking for water. Access to clean water gives communities more time to grow food, earn an income, and go to school -- all of which fight poverty. Clean water helps keep kids in school, especially girls. Less time collecting water means more time in class. Clean water and proper toilets at school means teenage girls don’t have to stay home for a week out of every month. Women are responsible for 72% of the water collected in Sub-Saharan Africa. When a community gets water, women and girls get their lives back. They start businesses, improve their homes, and take charge of their own futures. charity: water work with local experts and community members to find the best sustainable solution in each place where they work, whether it’s a well, a piped system, a BioSand Filter, or a system for harvesting rainwater. And with every water point they fund, their partners coordinate sanitation and hygiene training, and establish a local Water Committee to help keep water flowing for years to come. And unlike many other charities, they make sure that our money is going direct to the people they are trying to help. They track every penny we raise and show the projects we helped fund with photos and GPS coordinates. They’ve consistently received the highest grades available for accountability and transparency. Generous philanthropists and Gift Aid cover their operating costs so 100% of our money can fund water projects. You can learn more about charity: water and make a pledge yourself by visiting their site.
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Visit To The Living Libations Store, Venice, Los Angeles
Kate recently had the opportunity to visit the Living Libations store in Venice, LA—a true haven for lovers of pure, high-vibrational beauty. We have been selling Living Libations products for over 15 years, and Kate has been using them just as long. But seeing the entire collection in one place, being able to touch, smell, and experience the products firsthand, was a revelation. The Art of Unadorned Essentials Living Libations' manifesto is "the art of unadorned essentials." Founder Nadine Artemis has created a range of bodycare formulations that are truly one of a kind—with poetic names, enchanting descriptions, and an uncompromising commitment to the highest purity possible. While the premium price point reflects the exceptional care and quality of the ingredients, Living Libations has a devoted following who swear by both the ethos behind the brand and the transformative results of using these products. Living Libations say, "Celebrating the beauty of diversity in people, plants, animals, ideas, and ecosystems is one of our core creeds. As we revere the numinous nuances of nature, we also esteem each individual and community with openness and dignity. We love this beautiful planet, the altar of our existence, and we appreciate creating respectful relations and enjoyable experiences for our beloved clients, dedicated distillers, superstar suppliers, and dream team of employees that bring their best and bring it all together each day. Our hope is for all people who grace Living Libations to thrive." More Than Just Skincare—A Conversation with Nature Living Libations products aren’t just creams and oils—they are an intimate connection with the natural world. The spirits of flowers, herbs, and trees are alive in every drop of serum and pinch of powder. When you apply them to your skin, face, mouth, or hair, your cells respond with gratitude—awakening a radiant, natural glow that doesn’t mask or interfere with your body's biome, but enhances what is already beautifully yours. The Largest Selection Outside North America We currently stock over 100 Living Libations products—118 at the time of writing! This makes us the largest retailer of Living Libations products outside of Canada and the US. 🌍✨ But with such an extensive range, there are still many more to discover. 💌 If you have a favourite that isn’t in stock, let us know—we’re happy to order it in for you! Check out the entire Living Libations range here.
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Ubud: A Raw Vegan Paradise
Nowhere in the world is the raw vegan food scene thriving quite like it is in Ubud, Bali right now! 🌿✨ What makes Ubud such a magnet for holistic health seekers? With world-renowned restaurants like Alchemy and Zest, an abundance of fresh local produce—think coconuts, cacao, and fresh spirulina—plus kind and welcoming local people, and of course, the stunning natural landscapes, it’s no wonder Ubud has earned its reputation as a vegan paradise. 🌏💚 👉 Click here to read Kate’s full article on the history of Ubud’s raw vegan scene and why it’s the ultimate destination for conscious food lovers. Tempted to visit? 🌴✨ Check out our offerings here:🏡 The Magic Villa🧘♀️ The Bali Magic Retreat (January 2026)🌟 Or book your own VIP 1:1 retreat with Kate!
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Making An Impact Together
Together, we are making an impact! Thanks to your support over the past few years, we’ve achieved some wonderful milestones: 🌳 Planted 99 trees in our grove in the Scottish Highlands with Trees for Life.💧 Provided clean water annually for 43 people through Charity: Water.🍽️ Donated 298 healthy vegan meals to those in need via Made in Hackney's community food service. But we’re not stopping there. This year, we’re making an even bigger commitment: we’ll match every donation you make, doubling the impact of your generosity! In these challenging times, it’s clearer than ever how precious it is to have a stable roof over our heads, a fridge full of food, and access to clean air and water. Yet, for so many around the world, these basic necessities remain out of reach. Here's how your support for Made in Hackney transforms lives, "I was in a desperate situation, going to food banks and struggling so much. Living in temporary accommodation with my son, I couldn’t believe I’d receive six meals a week delivered to my home. These meals have helped me not just financially but also mentally." Our hope is for a world where no one has to worry about these essentials. That’s why we’re committed to:🌱 Planting trees to improve air quality.💦 Providing clean water to communities facing water poverty.🥗 Distributing healthy meals to those in need in our local community. Join us in making a difference. Add a Tree or a Plate to your basket whenever you feel able, or visit our Spring at Charity: Water, and together, let’s create lasting change. Thank you for helping us build a healthier, more compassionate world!
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Algamar Win Spanish Food Award 2023 For Best Organic Production
We want to take a moment to congratulate one of our favourite brands, Algamar, on winning the award for best organic production in the Spanish Food Awards 2023. This award was for the conservation of biodiversity and respect for the environment, the enhancement of rural development and local resources and technological innovation. Algamar are committed to working with native seaweed, making sea vegetables more accessible in order to improve the health of the population, and promoting these very special local resources, with sustainability and respect for the environment as a core objective. The winners of the 2023 edition were chosen from more than 100 nominations. For the deliberations, the Ministry had a jury made up of people with extensive experience and knowledge of the agri-food and fisheries sector. The judges said, "ALGAS ATLÁNTICAS ALGAMAR wins the Organic Production Award. It is a leading company in the promotion of seaweed as a resource of high nutritional value and is considered one of the first bio-based companies in all of Europe." The jury highlighted ALGAMAR's long evolution in the development of an innovative product of which there was no precedent, based on the collection of seaweed in an environmentally friendly way, as well as the creation of a new market for a food that today is demanded in many food sectors. Both the harvesting and its delicate subsequent handling have yielded exceptional results. The jury valued the constant scientific activity and work in R+D, in collaboration with different universities and the Spanish National Research Council, to research and create new products. Check out Algamar sea vegetables here, and see for yourself why this is an award-winning brand.
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Anima Mundi Herbals Apothecary, Venice Beach, Los Angeles
Kate recently visited the Anima Mundi Herbals Apothecary in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. It's situated on Rose Avenue, just ten minutes from the beach, and is a haven for tonic herbalism. They stock the full range of Anima Mundi products, as well as loose herbs, incense, crystals, jewellry, and mugs. They have a beautiful outdoor space where you can sit and enjoy your adaptogenic brew, and where they hold regular events. And there's a qualified herbalist on hand to consult with if you're not sure which products are right for you. It's a very inspiring space to be in, and epitomises everything we love about the Anima Mundi brand. Creativity - the formulas are so popular, because they uniquely blend herbs from the Chinese, Ayurvedic, and South American traditions into potions specifically tailored to meet our modern day health challenges. Beauty - everything about Anima Mundi is exquisitely presented, with the loving care that has gone into creating it all very apparent. Purity - the purity of intention that goes into the products is reflected in the purity of the ingredients themselves. Abundance - just like Mother Nature, they embody the infinite spring of wellbeing that is available to us when we learn how to tap in. Education - the educational element is an integral part of the brand. Anima Mundi are all about empowering their customers with the knowledge and wisdom to be the healthiest version of themselves possible. Check out more photos on our Instagram, and let us know, which are your favourite Anima Mundi Herbals products? We stock the full (legally permitted) range - just click here to explore.
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Summer Solstice Retreat 2024
We took some of our favourite brands with us to our Summer Solstice Retreat at the Avebury stones, June 2024. Raw Halo and 8 Foods provided the snacks, Olives et Al and Loving Foods shared their delicious drinks, and Clearspring supported on the salads. Here is Kate's weekend menu:Kale Caesar - Magic Kitchen Beetburgers - Raw Living Buffalo Cauliflower - Raw Living Turmeric Butter - Raw Living Blue Lemonade Pie - Raw Living Chia - Magic Kitchen Broccoli Sushi - Magic Kitchen Zucchini Marinara - Raw Living Pop up Cake - Magic Kitchen https://www.rawliving.co.uk/collections/kate-magics-books We hope you can join us at a future retreat. Gourmet raw foods, inspirational content, beautiful locations, and good company always guaranteed!
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