YOUTH MINDFULNESS COACH
"NO MUD, NO LOTUS"
Thich Nhat Hanh
I AM A
BADASS EDUCATOR • MINDFULNESS TEACHER •
YOUTH ADVOCATE • RICHMOND PRIDE CHEERLEADER • ALLY OF ALL OUR PIECES • FACILITATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE •
#FAMILYPORVIDA
There was a time in my life when I felt so broken. I saw the challenges of my life as proof that there was something wrong with me. I felt anxious and like an impostor waiting for everyone to discover the truth that I did not belong.
It was a time of A LOT of mud without yet the awareness that all this mud was creating a rich soil for blossoms to take root.
Discovering mindfulness changed my life. It was like a magic salve on all the places that ached. There was still mud - oh yes, there was still plenty of mud, but even in the darkest times, mindfulness was that persistent light that helped me write a new story for my life and marvel as the lotuses began to emerge from the depths.
THE PERSONAL SIDE:
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Bay Area born and raised with hella East Bay Pride; I grew up splitting my time between Richmond and Walnut Creek.
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I am multicultural, and come from a mixed-race Latinx family. We are a big crew with lots of love and our share of challenges, too.
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Social Justice is in my blood. I was raised by a family of fierce community organizers who taught me how to rally, be bold and use my voice and agency to demand justice for all.
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I have learned to see challenges as opportunities to grow and know how to take the sourest lemons and make lemonade.
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I am a survivor of traumatic events that have turned into my greatest strength. “No Mud, No Lotus” ya’ll.
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I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. It was that kind of knowing deep in the bones that says “this is why you were put here on this Earth.”
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Growing up I often felt invisible and like I didn’t belong, which now fuels my passion for uplifting others who feel alone or misunderstood.
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I am a bridge builder often becoming the pathway between two cultures, communities or people.
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On the daily, I invest in my own personal healing and growth to keep me grounded and moving forward on my path with intention.
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I believe in the power of beauty and strive to create beauty wherever I go.
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I am here because of my ancestors. My personal and cultural lineage is my greatest source of inspiration, wisdom, teaching and power.
CORE PROFESSIONAL INFLUENCES:
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I headed south for school where I received a B.A. in Chicano Studies and Feminist Studies from Pitzer College and M.A. in Education from Claremont Graduate University.
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My path has been shaped by the words and actions of many remarkable feminist sisters including, Gloria Anzaldua, bell hooks, Audre Lorde and Cherrie Moraga.
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I spent a decade as a school teacher before I officially burned out. But rather than turn away, I built resilience and shapeshifted my role so I can continue giving California students, teachers and schools my all. That’s dedication ya’ll!
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Spending four years as the Program Manager and Mindfulness Instructor at the Mindful Life Project changed the trajectory of my career and life forever - giving me the platform to bridge my teaching experience with my personal mindfulness practice and professional trainings in group facilitation and transformation.
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Everyday I’m hustlin’ far beyond the 9-5 work hours. Whether it’s implementing new programs, tending my own healing process, leading a local women’s circle or expanding my horizons in professional trainings - I have a voracious appetite for learning, creativity and community building.
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After a long personal relationship with yoga, I received my Yoga Teaching Certification from Oakland’s Niroga Institute as a way to bring the transformative power of yoga to at risk youth.
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I am a carrier and student of Joanna’s Macy’s The Work That Reconnects and the Regenerative Design Institute’s Ecology of Leadership Program.
TENETS OF MY PRACTICE
1. I don’t expect anyone to be perfect. I believe in creating brave spaces for real, authentic connection that allow us to relax and bring our humanness.
2. I believe our presence is our greatest impact.
3. I believe mindfulness is not a means to an end. This work is not about results. It’s about the journey. The goal is empowerment and you being able to see yourself and express yourself more clearly and compassionately.
4. I believe the body is a deep well of wisdom patiently waiting for us to tune back in and re-member our way back to each other.
5. I believe we are all on different timelines. I believe the more we can accept where we’re at and the path we each must walk, the more free we can be.
6. I believe compassion, self acceptance and love can transform the parts we think are broken into the fertilizer for our most beautiful blooms
7. I believe we got to fight like hell for our destiny.
8. I believe that healing happens together.
9. I believe all parts of us - the dark and the light, the solid, and the broken BELONG.
10. I believe that everyone has a gift and something precious and uniquely theirs to bring forward.