Background and Beliefs

I began my adventure in Madrid, grew up in the suburbs near Chicago, and studied in San Francisco. I spent a few months in Brooklyn, and now currently reside near the mountains in Central Oregon. More and more I find myself learning to ease with the inevitable shifting of life, whether geographic or not.

Despite growing up in a rather pleasant suburb from a young age I felt disconnected, alienated, and separate. It was easy to believe the narratives I was taught as a cis-gendered white kid, however, something always felt off about my experience, I felt wrong and I didn’t know why. My privilege wasn’t able to shelter me from the failings of white supremacy, capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, and the patriarchy and as I grew it became apparent the disconnection, devaluing, and sense of scarcity that forced competition and separation creates in society at large. I felt alone. And incredibly alone with my feelings.

Having experienced physical and emotional trauma through sickness and neglect that resulted in a deep detachment from my physical experience, I have spent my time since age 12 or so learning to understand more about how trauma is stored in the body, how trauma shapes us, and what tools and techniques best release it.

My teenage memories are blanketed in clouds of depression. Medicated, my sense of expression was quietened, I was pushed to be like everyone else, and my gifts didn’t quite fit the mold I so desperately sought to inhabit. This sense of not belonging led to a yearning to understand what was going on around me and within me, which has fueled my exploration of life through many means.

For the last 6 years, I have dedicated myself to exploring systems theory through the environment, sociology, psychology, and gender and sexuality. But more so through a life lens. I enjoy looking at things from a micro and macro lens to better understand the interwoven complexities of ‘being’ and how we have designed things to function based on our perceived knowings.

Recognizing our need and ability to change, I find it important to share gratitude for what is serving us while working extensively to move our collective in a more sustainable direction. Sustainable for the planet and sustainable for our souls.

I am passionate about our ability to come into alignment on a mind, body, and spirit level with our personalized potential to maximize our individual and collective experience. When our internal systems work cohesively, we work cohesively. Often I find that ‘that which is expressed externally can be found internally’ and vice versa. Everything is connected, and everyone is connected. We are all in this together. And we each learn so much from coming together and collaborating, from reflecting back to each other what we don’t always have eyes for alone.

Many of our systems are outdated and no longer serve the function they once were designed to, or perhaps we have evolved out of wanting the functions they serve. This is true of our collective social systems, but also of our individual systems and patterns. As we collectively shift and grow we need our systems to do the same.

Working in and with nature inspires me to call upon the wisdom that is intrinsically stored all around us, in all forms of life. I call upon the earth and its knowledge to better help me express ways of being that are harmonious and synchronous, moving our man-made systems towards a system in flow.

I have adapted meditative and mindfulness practices, as well as energetic cleansing to aid in my ability to realign with what is mine. To stop and connect back to my light. Exploration of all sides of myself and the allowance to radically express my experience and all that comes with is a practice of daily liberation. Each moment with each of you takes me one step further on the ever-present journey. My biggest goal is to help others step more fully into their authentic self as I step into mine.

In these times the phrase mitakuye oyasin (1) feels fitting. It is incredibly important for us to come together as one to face today’s challenges. And more so, to recognize our intrinsic oneness and come back to harmony in the interwoven web of all life.

Cheers! To another day to change the world. You’re doing great!

(1) Mitakuye oyasin is a phrase from the Lakota people of North America that roughly translates to “all my relations.” It is a prayer of harmony and oneness with all life: all people, animals, birds, insects, trees, plants, rocks, mountains, rivers, valleys, etc.

I began feeling the ‘oneness’ this phrase references rather intensely around 2015 after some healing experiences in nature. It wasn’t until recently in 2020 that I was reminded of this phrase and truly realized it references the notion I have been playing with for some time now. While it isn’t how I came to know the oneness I feel, it is the oneness I speak of and so I want to pay tribute to the Lakota people who held this world view of interconnectedness.