The Embodiment Project

Trigger Warning: This episode contains mentions of violence, suicide, and self harm. Listen with care! In this episode, I welcome Amy Lee, birth worker and founder of Musa Mama Apothecary. She is a Birth Anarchist mama to five Freebirthed babies. She is a defender of birthing bodies and physiological birth and is grateful + honored to guide families during the sacred journey of labor & birth as well as sanhüjori, the traditional indigenous Korean postpartum practice of honoring and caring for the new umma. A creatrix through and through, her nearly 17 years of being an industry professional in Natural/Organic Foods & Products has benefited many clients and customers as she uses her ever expanding knowledge base to create effective products and give trusted counsel for individuals and families. Main Topics Discussed: *How to conquer imposter syndrome *Inhabiting your truest self without shame while being mindful at the same time *Why should not hide your authentic self even if your highest self is “not for everyone” Why do you call yourself a “birth anarchist”? Amy: I do not work with everyone. I am not for everyone. I work with people who really need that reminder to tap in and know that they are not the sum of their abuse, their trauma, and everything else that they have had to do to survive. We're freaking badasses: We birth human beings. We keep lineages going. I'm just here to remind moms that I'm not the only warrior. All of our ancestors are warriors because they've all gone through attempts at colonization, and they've endured all that pain to become badasses. What other choice do I have but to take that on? What is impostor syndrome? Amy: Impostor syndrome is figuring out who you are in the world. A lot of us feel impostor syndrome, especially us immigrants, indigenous folks, and people of color—the global majority: We're in a space where we don't belong. We're trying to figure out if we meet the requirements to belong here. We're scared of being found out. A lot of the time, it has to do with our upbringing. We're either supported growing up, or we're forced into studying or working in something that we didn't want to for the sake of bettering our family. Our generation finally has the luxury to prioritize our mental health, self-care, and filling our own cups. We have serious impostor syndrome because our ancestors never had these opportunities. How do you fight impostor syndrome? What do you put your energy into instead? Amy: I put my energy into fine-tuning on just being myself. I have five kids. I homeschool. I don't have the energy. I just want to be myself. That may be the reason I had impostor syndrome as a birth worker: I'm a very rebellious person. I literally believe that birth is physiological. I'm not just saying I trust the body and the process. I really know that this is how shit works if you just let the body do its thing. How do you embody your highest self? Amy: What I should be doing to embody my highest self is self-discipline. I'm lacking that a lot. Self-discipline is an action towards betterment of self. I embody my highest self when I am doing the work to become a better version of myself. It's never-ending because I'm always striving to be a better version of myself, even if that means taking a million steps backwards just to take the right step forward for my growth. Learn more about Amy: Check out his favorite resource, Latinx Parenting: https://latinxparenting.org/ Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musa_mama/

In this episode, I welcome clinical psychologist Michael Martinez. Dr. Michael Martinez is a gay Latinx father of three and psychologist. He earned his Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree with a focus on Community Psychology at the University of La Verne. His graduate program helped him view his clients as a product of their environment and how their environment contributes to their mental health. Michael has dedicated his academic and professional career to work with many types of minority groups (LGBTQ*, Latinx, Asian Americans, African Americans, economically disadvantaged people, and unhoused people). Ultimately, Michael views his clients as their own experts and is dedicated to helping his clients find balance, control and a voice in their everyday lives. Main Topics Discussed: How living in a single-parent household influenced Michael as a parent and partner How to heal your core wounds by simply being present What is your “highest self” and how can you fully live out your potential What is alive for you right now? Right now the major focus for me has been my own healing journey of repairing generational trauma, and also trying to be the best parent partner that I can be and trying to be as present as I can be as well. What does presence look like for you? Presence means that there is not only just joy, but also the willingness to do things like this: have these difficult conversations, as well as the joy that comes with living life and enjoying life that I feel really makes up adulthood. Tell us about your relationship and your family now and how your upbringing has influenced how you are as a parent and a partner. I grew up outside the traditional makeup of a family. My grandma was a primary caregiver. She was there after school cooking, cleaning, doing laundry. I also tend to kind of take up more of the cooking, more of the laundry, more of the cleaning up around the house. Of course not to say that my husband doesn't help out, but I think I tend to kind of take those on a little bit more. Do you have a chosen family who helped you become who you are today? Throughout my college years I had that steadfast group of friends. My best friend who I've known since high school, we always joke that she didn't go to college with me to do classes. She partied with us. She's been an integral part of my life and, for her in particular, I think she's really been there to help me in my coming out process and helping me make sense of my sexuality. I have to give my family credit because I think they really come from the stance of understanding that when you become an adult, you decide who you want to spend your time with. How have you healed your core wounds? Presence. Taking the time to reconnect with my family is a big one. Another was becoming more present in my body and moving and stretching and just doing something, because I think it's so true that trauma is stored in your body. How has your upbringing influenced your work as a clinical psychologist? I always tend to kind of go back to figure out those childhood roots and understand those and to kind of do that inner child work cause that's what's needed. And I think the one thing I got right was understanding that caregivers are the foundation to the rest of relationships for the rest of your life. Learn more about Michael: Check out his favorite resource, Latinx Parenting: https://latinxparenting.org/ Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikial013/

In this episode, I welcome Cindy Luquin (she/they), who is a Certified Bilingual Sexual Health Expert and Founder of Howl at the Womb, here to school people with the language and tools to have healthy conversations about sex(uality), pleasure and gender.  Main Topics Discussed:  *The most common misconceptions around bisexuality  *How bisexuality relates to gender  *The difference between “bisexuality” and “pansexuality”  *How to best support the bisexual people in your life  Tell me about what led to your coming out.  Cindy: I came out publicly at the end of last year. I came out to my husband early 2021. I came out to myself a year prior, which made it much easier to come out to everyone else afterwards. It was emotional for me because I grew up in a religious home and was told that homosexuality is sinful. I was conditioned to suppress my feelings when I felt attracted to girls. I've finally come to a place where I feel comfortable in embracing that this is my identity. This is bigger than myself now, because I want to show more young queer people that it's okay to be who you are without shame. As for some of my relatives who aren't able to accept it, I can have empathy for them, but I just have to confine myself to what they believe gender identity and sexuality is.  There are a lot of misconceptions about bisexuality. Which have you personally had to deal with?  Cindy: Some think that I'm confused. Women would say, “You've never been with a woman, so how do you really know?” There's also this assumption that bisexual people are sexually promiscuous, that they have no ability to be faithful (aka stay in a monogamous relationship). There's also the belief that our bisexuality is only a transition stage to being gay or lesbian.   What has changed in your life since you came out?  Cindy: I feel so much happier, like a weight was lifted off of me. And I'm someone who was diagnosed with depression and PTSD as a result of growing up in a DV (domestic violence) household. Research shows that bisexual people tend to deal with more mental health issues. I had to unlearn a lot of the shame I grew up with. How did coming out impact your marriage? Cindy: There's this idea that it doesn't matter if I came out or not because I'm already married. But I'm an individual. Marriage requires honesty and vulnerability. Why wouldn't I share the real version of myself to someone who is supportive of me? I'm blessed that he was accepting and supportive, which is so rare.  What's your opinion on the word “queer”?  Cindy: It depends. Just because we've accepted that word to describe ourselves doesn't mean every bisexual person does. Assumptions are a lack of consent. Just as many young Mexicans who grew up in the United States love to call themselves chicano but older generations don't because the word was used as a derogatory slur in their time, the same is true with the word “queer”.   How have your friendships fared, both before and after you came out?  Cindy: I've always been a part of the queer community, and before, I had that fear that if I was too close with a lesbian friend, that they would think I liked them. And because of my internalized biphobia, anyone who expressed that toward me felt uncomfortable when they got too friendly. Now that I've come out and I'm a fully grown 36-year-old adult, I realized that it's all totally normal.  Learn more about Cindy:  Visit her website: https://www.howlatthewomb.com/  Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howlatthewomb/

In this episode, I welcome Cynthia Perez, a first generation Chicana therapist based in Los Angeles, CA. Cynthia is a mother of 3, an author, and a clinical supervisor for LCSWs in a clinic setting. In 2021, After realizing she had workplace burnout, Cynthia left healthcare to start her private practice, Rooted in Reflection, LLC. Cynthia created 4 virtual groups in the Covid-19 Pandemic to address the real time need for collective healing. From Storytelling Workshops, Shame Resiliency Trainings, to a 10-hour workshop on Reparenting, Cynthia has been honored to create spaces that she has only dreamed of holding and people showing up every week! Main Topics Discussed: Changing the name of shame How tending to the needs of your inner child leads to non-violent parenting Developing maturity by honoring your inner teen How gender constructs get in the way of your parenting potential What are you up to nowadays? Cynthia: I left my full-time healthcare job, which broke such a mold for me. I started my own business, where I work part-time. Now, I can't stop dreaming. I can't go back to it anymore. It's all systems. It's more of the same. So, I have a happy problem. I want to incorporate CRT into my work now to offer historical information on communities of color but applying it to mental health, so we can see ourselves in the historical context and how that looks now in our generational problems. So, I'm now in that gap. What do you love about what you do? Cynthia: If you asked me that last year, I wouldn't know what to say. I really thought I was going to give up mental health. It sounds so cliché, but I had to reach an epiphany to find what I really love to do. I had to discover my calling and deliver it to the people that want to receive it that are on this journey, too, and do it in a way that honors them. I love that I can now be my authentic self, and I love having honest, meaningful conversations. I get to do that in the spaces that I create. When I met you, we were both participants of the Latinx Parenting series. At that point, where were you on your journey? Cynthia: I always caught myself yelling at my kids and was having a tough time overcoming that impulse. I loved being with the community because it was such a beautiful place to bring up my feelings. I was actually triggered when I saw you with my mom, not because I had anything against you, but because I thought I could never bring my own mom to that class. I thought she would make me feel worse if I asked. I grew up in a violent home; so, this was an opportunity to look at my inner child. What was it like for you to implement that work into your family life? Cynthia: It's been really hard. When I was there, it was so powerful and palpable; and now that I'm back home, I have to give myself a grace period because it's so tempting to go back to the way it was before. I also had to honor my inner teen to teach myself to slow down and scale back those big adult expectations. As we know, gender is not a binary, and we can embody all of these energies—the masculine and the feminine—as we grow as parents. Cynthia: Gender constructs has been another big one for me. Gender constructs oppress everybody. We don't even realize the depths of it. This was a subconscious breakthrough I had to have. I had to stop caring about what people think, focus on my inner child, and embrace that I'm probably gender-fluid. I needed to give myself the freedom to choose. Learn more about Cynthia: Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellmama_lb/

Happy New Year!! It's 2022 and I'm taking a look back at the last year and sharing in this episode how COVID-19 amongst other foundational changes in my life have impacted my mental health and my capacity for holding space for others. I share what has led to my departure from my role as Co-Founder of the community space La Fuente: Birth, Postpartum, y Más and all the lingering emotions that has come with that decision. I also dive deeper into how these experiences have challenged me to practice what I preach in regards to self-love and self-compassion, especially in one of my darkest moments. How do you embody your highest self when you are struggling with your own mindbodyspirit wellness? If you or someone you know is in need of affordable mental health services, please check out Open Path Collective and Better Help.

In this episode of The Embodiment Project, Danellia speaks with Carolina Adame, fellow homeschooling mom, educator, extremely talented photographer, and Educational Facilitator for homeschooling families. We discussed how we Build Connection Through Homeschooling and shared tips for how to cultivate meaningful connection while we are with our children whether we homeschool or not. Listen all the way to the end or skip to the end for a visualization offered to us by Carolina! Are you interested in participating in the next Live Embodiment Session? Email me at hi@danelliaarechiga.com or join my newsletter to receive exclusive love letters from me and to keep up with upcoming events. Keep up with me! @themultidimensionalmami www.danelliaarechiga.com

This episode is dedicated to Ronnie Aragon Jr. and Lucille Lopez. Our theme this month is REBIRTH. In this episode Danellia chats with her mother Corrine as they explore their origin stories, upbringing, ways that they have gone through their own rebirths, and how their childhood impact their own parenting journeys. This episode is #intergenerationalhealing in action! Medicine for the soul!  Listen through to the end of the episode for a sneak peak of our unreleased song Mother written by Danellia and her daughter Corrie and performed by The Corner House.  Let's Connect! Connect with Danellia at www.DanelliaArechiga.com or on IG @themultidimensionalmami Learn more about Danellia's book, GLOW UP!: Voice Journaling for Self-Compassion Follow the podcast IG @theembodimentproject.podcast Follow The Corner House on IG @thecornerhouselb and find us on Spotify, Apple Music and anywhere else you stream for more music! Resources: Adult Children of Alcoholics Compassionate Friends

We close out the first season with a very special interview with Akilah S. Richards. Akilah is founder of Raising Free People Network and host of Fare of the Free Child podcast. Her work utilizes audio and written mediums to amplify the ways that unschooling in particular, is serving as healing grounds and liberation work for Black, Indigenous/Native, and People of Color communities. She is also the author of the book Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work which examines the ways that her relationships to blackness, decolonization, and healing work all combine to form relationships and enable community-healing strategies rooted in an unschooling practice. In this episode, Akilah shares how her experience as a mother has helped her reframe her own experiences and how she creates more healthy, consent-based, intergenerational relationships. Danellia and Akilah also talk about how they rethink discipline and learning.  Connect with Akilah online at raisingfreepeople.com or on Instagram @fareofthefreechild To purchase her latest book, Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work, click here. 

When you think about activism, is homeschooling something that comes to mind? Listen in on Danellia's conversation with Marlha Sanchez, mother, community organizer, and founder of Unidos Homeschool Cooperative, in Santa Ana, CA. In this episode, Marlha shares how Unidos has grown from a couple of families in Santa Ana into a worldwide community of folks who are doing their part to change the world by teaching their children the real history of the US and to break down barriers caused by all the oppressive  -isms in the world.  Danellia and Marlha also talk about: -Bringing into awareness a shift of consciousness in their families and communities around education.  -The importance of finding a community as a home/un/deschooler and how a community can even be online or virtual.  -How the homeschooling community they are part of gives them and their children a glimpse at what a sustainable and safe educational space can look and feel like and how you can too.  Connect with Marlha! Online at www.unidoshomeschoolcooperative.com On Instagram @unidoshomeschoolcooperative Donate to Unidos Homeschool Cooperative Resources:  Protect Puvungna

We're back! After a short hiatus The Embodiment Project is back with a very special episode. In this episode, Danellia speaks with her comadres Dr. Renee Lemus and Dr. Cristina Rose—hosts Las Doctoras Podcast. Dr. Cristina Rose is mother, artist, and full time lecturer in Women's Studies at CSU, Dominguez Hills. She received her PhD from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and a VONA (Voices of Our Nation's Arts) sister and has publications of pieces such as “Sacred Heart of Mango” and “mumbling of prayers (at the basilica of la virgen)” in spaces as distinguishable as Regeneración Tlacuilolli, Label Me Latina/o, and Verses Typhoon Yolanda. Dr. Renee Lemus—the academic bruja—has a PhD in Ethnic Studies and works as a college professor at Cal State Los Angeles and in the Los Angeles Community College District. She is also a certified yoga instructor specializing in prenatal yoga, and yoga for bodies of all shapes and sizes. On their podcast, they create spaces for important conversations about the oppressive social dynamics that impact our world. Grounded in a connection to ancestral wisdom, they discuss ways to heal from the wounds of generational trauma. In this episode, we'll discuss decolonizing education and the challenges of creating a space free from Westernized societal hierarchies. Plus, we'll examine the emotional toll that comes along with dismantling the hierarchy.  Learn more about Dr. Renee Lemus and Dr. Cristina Rose's work at https://lasdoctoras.net/ Enjoying this podcast and want to support it's production? Buy me a coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/danellia

In this episode, Danellia speaks with her comadre Leslie Priscilla from @latinxparenting. Leslie Priscilla Arreola-Hillenbrand is a first generation non-Black Xicana with Rarámuri lineage. She is a mother to three biracial children and a certified Parent Coach with over 13 years of experience. Leslie shares her medicine by offering coaching, workshops, support and advocacy for Latinx/Chicanx families locally, nationally and internationally via Latinx Parenting. Leslie's vision is of a movement rooted in children's rights, social and racial justice, the individual and collective practice of nonviolence and reparenting, intergenerational and ancestral healing, cultural sustenance, and the active decolonization of oppressive practices in our families towards liberation. Danellia and Leslie talk about how crisis schooling (coined by Akilah S. Richards of Fare of the Free Child) is forcing many parents to reevaluate their parenting and their education choices for their children. They discuss how they, themselves have been extremely triggered by their own children during the pandemic more than ever before and how to work through those triggers. Learn more about Leslie's work with Latinx Parenting at www.latinxparenting.org Enjoying this podcast and want to support it's production? Buy me a coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/danellia To find the friend's mentioned in this podcast click below: Karissa M Raya Marlha Sanchez Crystal Domi Selisa Loeza

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains a detailed recollection of a death experience. Listen at your own capacity. Take care of your heart. My mom, Corrine is back with another episode on this month's theme, grief and loss. As someone who was exposed to death at an early age, Mom shares her experience finding her son (my older brother) Ronnie, dead on her birthday nearly 6 years ago.  She retraces the days leading up to her first born son's sudden death and the impact that loss has had on her life. She also shares her experience as a bereaved parent who has found support and comfort in community with others who are also bereaved parents and family members through an organization called The Compassionate Friends. Mom shares her experience as a newly bereaved parent and how her grief has fueled her inspiration to hold space for other bereaved parents throughout the years.  Listen and let us know what you takeaway from this emotional episode.  Register here for Danellia's FREE Self-Love Webinar on January 24th, 2021 at 11 AM PST.   Resources: Compassionate Friends Music: Homeless Soul by Fleurs Douces Enjoying this podcast? By the creator a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Danellia

It's January 2021!  As much as we want to celebrate a new year, many of us are still grieving 2020 and beyond.  This month's theme is grief and loss.  In this episode, Danellia speaks with Paulina Isabel Almarosa, LCSW of @latinxgrief. Paulina is a bilingual, Licensed Clinical Social  Worker (LCSW) in the state of California. She was born in Morelos,  Mexico and immigrated to the U.S at a young age. Paulina lived a  significant period of her life in the U.S. undocumented. She holds a Master's degree in Social Welfare from UCLA and has  over 10 years of experience in the mental health field. Paulina is the  founder of Latinx Grief, a space dedicated to grief awareness &  education via storytelling, music & art. Paulina is an avid writer, a  mother and creative. Danellia and Paulina break down a few details about grief including what grief is, how different people experience different types of grief, how we can be there for people experiencing grief, and so much more.   Connect with Paulina!   On IG @latinxgrief   Resources It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine Send your questions,  requests, and concerns to hi@danelliaarechiga.com  Music: Closure (What I Want) by Snake City  The World Is A Smaller Place Now by Craft Case  Enjoying this podcast? By the creator a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Danellia

Have you ever been to a strip club?  Watched porn? If so, you have benefitted from the work of sex workers.  In this episode Danellia sits with Angel aka La Muxer Diosa. Angel, also known as La Muxer Diosa is an aerialist, yoga guide, hard femme, poet, Queer, neurodivergent Latinx artist. She is devoted student of the plants, professional tease, content creator, crochet artist and porn actress.  Danellia asks Angel how we can support sex workers in an ethical way. From strip clubs to cam rooms how can we be ethical consumers of sex work and still prioritize our own pleasure? How is sex work changing the conversation around what sex can look like versus what we see in mainstream porn? Where does consent come into play within sex work? Racial fetishization, censorship, exploitive systems? These are just a few questions that were answered in this compelling episode.  Connect with La Muxer Diosa! Online at  https://solo.to/lamuxerdiosa For show notes and resources, please visit www.danelliaarechiga.com/podcast Music:  777 (Instrumental Version) by Nbhd Nick Homeless Soul (Instrumental Version) by Fleurs Doces

This episode may leave you questioning everything you know (or think you know) about monogamy and polyamory. Romantic relationships are hard! Can you imagine having more than one at the same time? If you're polyamorous, you can! In this episode Danellia speaks with her friend and mentor Jhoselyn Thomas of La Vida Divine about her journey with polyamory otherwise know as ethical non-monogamy which is when someone chooses to be in an open, romantic relationship with more than one person at the same time. Danellia and Jhoselyn explore the common misconceptions about ethical non-monogamy and debunk a lot of the myths they've heard about it. Jhoselyn is a Licensed Registered Nurse with over 16 years of experience, a Secret Sexuality guide, Sexual Health Advocate, and Certified Tantra Practitioner. She is a Shaman in training with the indigenous Shuar culture of her native land of Ecuador, a plant medicine retreat facilitator, and intuitive healer. She has worked with clients of all ages, genders, and background sin both Spanish and English. She finds joy in sharing her medical and holistic knowledge about health, healing, and leading an emotionally balanced life. Connect with Jhoselyn! Online at www.lavidadivine.com On Instagram @lavidadivine Or join her Facebook group: La Vida Divine Resources: Sex at Dawn by Cacilda Jethá and Christopher Ryan Music Credit: Farra by Lu-Ni Qiero Ser by Lu-Ni

What does a sex positive cultura look like to you? Listen in on my conversation with Cindy Luquin. She is a Certified Sex Educator, Scholar Activist, Reiki Practitioner and Speaker. As a first generation Salvadoran-Guatemalan, daughter of immigrants, she has survived domestic violence, and battled depression. She marries the concepts of reproductive rights and social justice with her work in reproductive education and reproductive justice. In this episode Cindy shares about how she's cultivating a sex positive cultura that normalizes healthy conversations about sex, that understands the racist and oppressive history of modern day gynecology, and that prioritizes the sexual health and wellbeing of every person, especially BIPOC who are often left out of those conversations. Connect with Cindy! Online at www.howlatthewomb.com On Instagram @howlatthewomb Resources: This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa Music Credit: It Takes Two to Tango by DJ DENZ The Rooster Perreo by Lu-Ni

*Trigger Warning*: This episode contains mentions of childhood sexual abuse, sexual trauma, and suicide What was your first conversation about sex like? Was it with your parents? Do you wish you had a sex positive Auntie you could've spoken to instead?  In this first episode from our monthly theme on SEXUALITY, we get to hear from Jayda Shuavarnnasri aka your Sex Positive Asian Auntie. Jayda is a Sexual Wellness Educator who helps folks liberate themselves from the unhealthy narratives that we've internalized about sex and relationships.  Listen in on our conversation about how Jayda helps people of color unravel the threads of curiosity, encourages them to explore those toxic narratives, and help them be open to new narratives.  Connect with Jayda!  Online at www.jaydakissed.com On IG at @jaydakissed  Featured Songs "Feeling Good" performed by Nina Simone "Let's Talk About Sex" performed by Salt-N-Pepa  "Vibin' Out" by FKJ & ((( O )))

Have you been reborn in this lifetime? In this episode, Danellia talks about the theme of the month, REBIRTH and what it means to her. She shares how she has experienced rebirth at different times in her life which led her into her work helping people of color return home to themselves through vocal empowerment, birth education, and intergenerational healing. Danellia also welcomes her daughter Corrie onto the podcast to share more about their relationship. Learn more about Danellia's Signature Voice Journaling Practice here. Let us know how you're enjoying the podcast by rating and leaving a review in iTunes or apple Podcasts and don't forget to follow Danellia on IG at @themultidimensionalmami and the podcast @theembodimentproject.podcast.

Have you ever wondered what happens when a doula is doula'd by another doula? It's pure magic! In this episode Danellia sips on some mezcal with her comadre, co-creator, and doula Karissa Raya from @olivelavida. Karissa and Danellia discuss their relationship, Danellia's surrogacy birth, and the ceremony of it all. From playing the delay game with hospital staff to spiritual connections in past lives and transcending time and space while pushing, Danellia and Karissa get into details of the birth that reflect the depths of the birth experience and how doulas can help protect the sacredness of birth even in a hospital birth situation. Read Danellia's Surrogacy Birth Story referenced in this episode Connect with Karissa! Online at www.olivelavida.com On IG @olivelavida and @karissamraya

In this episode Danellia introduces herself briefly and talks about why she has created this podcast and what it will be about.