S2E30: Restoring Our Balance With Sacred Earth With Amanda Vazquez

Amanda Vazquez, a psychospiritual coach, and soon-to-be licensed therapist, takes us on her journey of healing ancestral trauma, building a relationship with the earth, and the wisdom she learned from sitting in plant ceremonies.

Guest Bio:
I’m Amanda Vazquez and I am a Psychospiritual Coach, founder of Sacred Earth Wellness, and a student of the indigenous medicine path. I have a Master’s in Psychology and Spirituality from Columbia University and I am currently a master’s candidate for Relational Therapy at the University of South Florida. I help people heal their minds, body, and spirit through ancient wisdom and holistic psychology.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/iamsacredearth/

Apply To Feminine Rising Coaching Program:
https://linktr.ee/iamsacredearth

Maryann Samreth 0:00

Welcome to mental breakthrough, a mental health podcast about owning our most vulnerable stories. As a reminder, we are all human. I'm MaryAnn Samreth, trauma training coach, founder of sincerely Miss Mary and your host. This season I bring in healers, coaches, therapists and writers in the mental health and thought leadership space to share their stories of overcoming their shadows, to get to a place where the light shines again. These are trauma survivors, mental health advocates, spiritual guides, coaches, and first and foremost, human beings, reminding us to be softer and kinder to ourselves, so we can then meet others with the same compassion. The power and sharing our truths with the world gives permission for others to feel safe experiencing theirs. As a disclaimer, this podcast is not a replacement for trauma informed therapy. But as always, you can find mental health resources on my website at www that sincerely, Miss mary.com?

Amanda Vazquez 1:09

Do you guys hear that the sweet sounds of New York City that is where I am right now went from Portugal to DC to New York City where I lived for nine years. So today's episode, well, first of all, I just want to talk about the state of the world. It is a mess. The energy of the world is very heavy, surreal, chaotic, and just heartbreaking that this is where our humanity is. So I want to remind you to please take care of yourself. During this time, set boundaries wet yourself. If you feel your nervous system getting activated. With everything and the news and social media, please step away from it and take a break and just be aware of what's happening in your body. Be aware of what you're feeling. If you're feeling drained and heavy, take a break, take a breather, it's okay, because everything that's going on right now is not normal. So we're not going to have a normal week, we're not gonna feel productive, we're gonna be slower, we're gonna have to take time out of our day just to breathe for five minutes, and reconnect with ourselves. And that's okay. Give yourself that permission because we are still in a pandemic. And there's a war happening right now. And it's a lot biologically for our nervous system to handle. So please be mindful of what's happening in your body and give yourself permission to rest. So today's guest is Amanda Vasquez. She is one of my dear friends. She is a psycho spiritual coach, founder of secret Earth wellness, and is on her way to be a licensed therapist. And this is important because she is getting educated in plant medicine in indigenous practices. She understands generational trauma, she understands trauma in the body. This is very important because this is where the mental health space is going hordes, we are decolonizing mental health, we are aware that American psychology well I guess Western psychology heavily relies on diagnosing people instead of getting to the root of the problem, commas in the body. So there's that movement happening right now. And unfortunately, therapists are not required to be taught trauma informed. So there's a lot of therapists out there that are diagnosing people left and right giving them prescription and not tackling to the root of the problem. However, there are a lot of therapists that are also doing the work to get extra education about trauma, somatic healing modalities, so they can provide the right care for their clients. And this is something that I'm seeing happening more and more. And I'm in rooms with the therapist with people who have PhDs, people that are doctors who are in these somatic trauma informed programs with me doing that work to integrate that into their practice. So there is hope book because that's movement that I'm you know, I'm seeing that I'm a part of, and there are just more people stepping into positions of leadership to move mental health care to a place where people can get the right care and the right access. So that's my spiel for now for decolonizing mental health. And just how important this episode is for you to you know, just have that hope for a better future. So Amanda shares her journey about how she got into this work. It's really really cool. There's so much synergy there's so much

Ooh, New York. There's just so much it just to hear how her ancestors have stood by her side drought her life. It's it's very powerful. You know, there's a lot that that we don't notice that's happening around us that if we just listen, we realize that we are never alone in moments of darkness, that we are truly being guided by a force outside of ourselves that That is a force from our ancestry or from the earth or from nature, there is a force guiding us to a path that is more aligned with us. And one final thing is support Ukraine. There will also be a link to donate to the Ukraine Army. I've done a lot of research on the best places to donate and this one was verified. So I will put that in the show notes. I hope you enjoyed the episode and please take care of yourself.

Maryann Samreth 5:50

Hi, everyone, welcome to Mental breakthrough podcast. Today's guest we have Amanda Vasquez. She is a psycho spiritual coach, founder of sacred Earth wellness, and a student of the indigenous medicine path. She's She also has a master's in psychology and spirituality from Columbia, Columbia University. And she is currently a master's candidate for relational therapy at the University of South Florida. She helps people heal their mind, body and spirit through ancient wisdom and holistic psychology. You do it all. So excited to have you on my podcast today. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your experience. I'm just so excited to have you and me and Amanda men met in a business group coaching program. And yeah, we've just been very, very aligned with the, you know, the work that we're both doing. And she's, you know, her work is amazing. And I'm excited to introduce to all of you guys, how are you doing today, Amanda?

Amanda Vazquez 6:48

I'm super excited to be here. And I'm so so excited to just share and connect a little bit more.

Maryann Samreth 6:54

Yeah, definitely. So I would love to hear your story of how you became the person. You are today the healer, the psycho spiritual coach, the soon to be a licensed therapist, what got you into this work? And what were some of the mental breakthroughs you've had on your journey to becoming who you are today?

Amanda Vazquez 7:15

Yes. The first mental breakthrough that I had, was surrounding my professional path. So I got an undergraduate degree in marketing. And towards the end of my last semester in school, I was really fixated on finding the job, that great corporate job that I was supposed to get and be at for 30 years and do all the things. And I really tried so hard i i applied to so many different places. And I didn't get interviews back from any of the places I had done all the things and undergrad had the internships and my best to network. And nothing ever really resonated with me. And obviously with any of the other companies that I would speak to because nobody would contact me back. So I only got one job opportunity when I was coming out of undergrad. And it was to work in the hospitality setting in Miami. So I headed back to Miami, which is where I grew up. And I was only at that job for eight weeks. And that's really all I needed to know that that was so not my path. It was not something that resonated with me at all. And the break down slash breakthrough came when after, again, those eight weeks of being there, I was miserable, I would leave work in the morning. I mean, I would leave to go to work in the morning, the sun would be rising and then I'd be driving home the sun was setting or it was going down. So by the time I got home, like an hour and a half being in traffic commuting, I didn't really have any time to go outside to be in nature in the ways that I wanted to. It was basically like eat sleep, work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep work, and I hated it so much. And I found myself in the bathroom on the floor crying inside of the hotel, I was working and I call my friend and I told her I am so done. I'm so done with this, this is not for me, I am miserable here. And that's all it took was like it was like, you know, I wasn't really into spirituality or anything like that at that point. But that was definitely like the breaking point where I could hear like my spirit calling through and saying like, this is not for you, like you're forcing yourself to be here. This is not for you. And that's when things started shifting. I

Maryann Samreth 9:25

mean that is really powerful that like you listen to your intuition, but what like gave you the ability to listen to your intuition. Whereas like most of us, you know, the voice of society is so loud to stay and stick through something especially a job after college you know, we're taught to just stick it through and just like be okay what what kind of like the misery that society like places on us like what gave you the courage to like just say no, this isn't for me or is that something that you've always kind of had in you?

Amanda Vazquez 9:59

I think a little bit of bowls. So there are a couple factors that played into making it very easy for me to say I'm out of here. Like I didn't even do two weeks. I just quit. That's awesome. Yeah, I think one of them was the fact that I had moved back in with my parents when I finished undergrad. So mentally, I knew I had their financial support. So that was one factor that made it really easy for me to be like, I don't have to be here. This isn't a necessity. This is something that I'm doing because I think I'm supposed to be here. And I think it has to be doing this. But is this something that my life is depending on in terms of paying rent or paying bills? No, I was so young, I was 21. So you know, that was like a huge factor, I think and variable and giving me the space that I needed to be able to retract and, and just let myself get lost for a little bit. And I also think, like I said, a combination of both. When I think of all the jobs I've ever had before, like when I was an undergrad once I was over it, and I knew that it was time for me to go, I just somehow intuitively knew, like, if I felt burnt out, or if I felt like, you know, the people here don't appreciate me, or if I felt like I was out of alignment with anybody there, then, you know, just in general, like, I didn't vibe with the people, I would just leave. I was like, Yeah, two weeks, and I would just find another job and I was over it. Yeah,

Maryann Samreth 11:19

no, I think that's really cool that you're able to just listen to your intuition and follow through. Because like, I mean, for myself, like when I was, you know, knowing that things weren't for me, I just kept sticking through it. And it led me down to a you know, really dark path. And with you like it makes sense that like you were able to follow your intuition, and it led you down your spiritual path and your spiritual journey. Can you talk about that?

Amanda Vazquez 11:43

Yes. So that day that I quit working at the hotel, there was a post on Instagram from somebody that I knew. And they had put out like a hiring position basically at a place that was much closer to my house. And I was vegan at the time. And the place was like a conscious hair salon that also had a vegan Juice Bar in it. And they were looking for somebody to manage the juice bar. So that was a huge step down in my mind from everything I had gone to school for. And it just, it didn't make any sense to me in terms of if it resonated with my persona, because the persona that I had created was like business corporate oriented, gonna make all the money. And believe it or not the job be the same thing. But it's still you know, it didn't necessarily have like a clear path. Like I couldn't move up in that job. I wasn't going to get promoted. It was just like a fixed position. But I knew that it was just something to land on, because I couldn't picture myself having nothing to land on. Right. And I so I quit my job. And then I Yeah, the next day, I think it was I went I interviewed and the lady hired me on the spot. Yeah, so. So that was kind of like a breath of fresh air. For me, I didn't have to drive as far it was a place where I had more room for creativity, she wanted me to like really organize the way things were working there. So it did give me the space. And it was there that I started to be able to explore what I wanted to do a little bit more not in terms of the workspace, but because I had the freedom to come home much earlier. I didn't have to wake up as early. So with all that extra space that got freed up, I got more time to start digging in.

Maryann Samreth 13:25

Yeah, definitely. I mean, within that time where you were able to just be or you know, explore like within yourself, what was, you know, kind of like it helped you move, you know, even closer into, you know, spirituality and you know, because after that you went you went to Colombia for a psycho this like psycho spiritual program there. Yes. So psychology and spirituality, and how did you get into that?

Unknown Speaker 13:50

So while I was working at the juice bar, I mean, like I said, I was vegan at the time. So my food was actually like a big gateway into a deeper connection with the earth. And that started back when I was an undergrad. It was like me starting to eat more vegetables, eat more fruits and like make my own food and leave all the process junk behind. So that was like the first seed I think of consciousness was starting to question where's my food coming from? Where, you know, what are these animals experiencing in terms of the way things go down in the US just becoming more conscious about what I'm consuming, and also how it affects my body, the relationship I have with the food. I was also very exercise oriented when I was an undergrad. But once I moved on to work at this vegan place and my time freed up, I met somebody who was a Reiki practitioner and I was going through a lot of like, not only professional stuff, but personal stuff within my relationship at the time. And my mom was like, Oh my gosh, I don't know why I just have such a good feeling about this girl you should go to her and and just get a session with her and I had no idea what Reiki was I didn't get up online or anything. And I went to her and I had just a very deeply profound Experience and after that the doors kind of just kept opening up. Yeah, so yeah. What was that?

Maryann Samreth 15:05

I mean, I'm curious about Reiki because I don't really know what that is like what was that experience like cuz I know it has to do with like your energy and things like moving in and out of your body.

Amanda Vazquez 15:15

Yeah, so Ricky's interesting basically the practitioner is becoming a channel for what is referred to me as maybe as like universal lifeforce energy prana Qi Qi. So they're tapping into this really powerful energy, they're becoming a vessel for it, and then they're sharing it with the client. And they're basically bringing balance and harmony to the client's Qi to their lifeforce energy. And it works with the chakra system, it works on the physical body as well. But you know, the chakras are these energetic centers in the body. And they basically can experience a lot of disturbances as we go through life, whether it's emotional, physical, mental, or anything like that can create a strain in these different chakras. And so we work with Reiki to bring the chakra systems into balance to promote more harmony and well being on all three levels, mind body and spirit. So to receive from her was powerful, because not only was I having like my whole third eye activated, because I was having like, all these visions coming through of my family of like, my childhood, I was crying, I was laughing, I saw so many colors, which are associated with the chakra is being activated. And you know, it was just so healing for my body. It was just very healing.

Maryann Samreth 16:37

Yeah. Would you say? Like having that experience kind of made you? Was that kind of like a changing point for you like you never you just kind of move forward looking at life a different way in the world a different way?

Amanda Vazquez 16:48

Absolutely. I didn't think that something like that was possible. I was right. How could this happen? And at the same time, though, some part of me like deep within intuitively knew that like that we had access to this as humans, like it almost felt like okay, this is crazy. I can't believe this is real. And then some other party was like, of course, this is real, like we're like,

Maryann Samreth 17:11

right? No, it's so fascinating. So when you're going through your program at Columbia, like that, this kind of connects the dots for kind of like your life experience, because like you would have been doing the work to access, you know, your spirituality and your intuition and your ancestry, like what was the experience of like learning about, you know, something new, but also kind of integrating it back to things about your life? Yeah.

Amanda Vazquez 17:35

So fast forward. From the Reiki, I jump into yoga, I do a yoga teacher training, I jumped into mindfulness based stress, stress reduction, I go through that eight week program, I moved to New York. I moved to New York on a whim, out of some pretty interesting circumstances. And then from there, I really was searching and searching and searching, I knew I wanted to work in mental health, but I was looking for something that had the spiritual component to it, given how I had just like fallen in love with all these eastern practices. And I found this program at Columbia. And I applied, you know, really hoping for the best my undergrad degree. I mean, my GPA was whatever, but I was like, You know what, like, this program sounds like it's for me, I'm gonna apply. So I get in. And I go through the program and the program to answer your question was really found, like, at least, what I decided to specialize in more than anything was in social emotional learning, mindfulness, and some different variations of psychology, mostly, I was very interested in Union psychology. So just grounding down in the program and receiving the language that I needed to be able to communicate what it is that I was experiencing, and what clients were experiencing with these kinds of practices, I think is what the program gave me more than anything, was the language and also like the sense of community of okay, there are really conscious people out there who are also extremely academically driven. Yeah. And who have the capacity to really bring these concepts forward in a very western world. Yeah,

Maryann Samreth 19:18

I mean, that bridges the gap, right from like, indigenous medicine, and also Western medicine because Western medicine gets it. I mean, there's, it's not doing really well right now. And I think, you know, being able to bring in, you know, what you're learning with indigenous medicine and plant medicine, and integrate it with Western culture. Western medicine is the way to, you know, just create awareness and like our country basically like what's, what's happening right now. It's like decolonizing, mental health and you're learning all the things, all these little bridges to connect everything together and like bring it to your clients when you are a licensed therapist. Can you talk about you know, studying plant maps Medicine and indigenous medicine and how you're going to integrate that into, you know, Western psychology.

Amanda Vazquez 20:06

Yes. So while I was in the program at Columbia, I happen to come across all these amazing plant medicines. And I started sitting in these different ceremonies receiving from these plants. And I really started to realize the healing power and potential that these plants have to help me specifically personally, like really dive into the unconscious realms, and basically observe what was in the shadows and to see myself in those depths and the profundity and a lot of people associate the shadow with things that are bad. You know, like, all these bad traits of mine, all these bad things are in the shadows, it's scary, and they don't always have to be bad things, you know, and I always say that, because it could be things that are maybe inherently good that society perceived as being bad. And so we pushed it down, and we hit it, so that we could keep curating this person, you know, that is accepted by society. And so with these plant medicines, you can dive into those voids that we were we've pushed things down, and we pull them back up, and we integrate them. And that's how we've come into a space of feeling more whole. Like, we're like this giant puzzle, you know. And so I think that the work that I do personally, right now with the plants really influences how I my understanding of the psyche, my understanding of the unconscious, my understanding of the subconscious, and also my understanding of how the way that humans treat the earth. So if they throw water into the river, if they throw trash out, I'm sorry, if we throw trash into the rivers, if they throw trash out from from their cars, you know, if they kill a lizard, because they feel like it, like the way that they interact with the elements, the way they interact with the natural world is a strong reflection of the way that they treat themselves. And, you know, because there is what the plants have really taught me, there's no separation between our skin between our bones between our breath between our blood, and the earth, the earth has the elements and we have the elements within us, everything is interconnected. So that really influences the way that I see our capacity to heal and the level that the microscopic levels that we can get down to to change our perception of ourselves and reality because, you know, if I am working with somebody who thinks it's okay to throw, let's say, leave their trash there by by the ocean, right? I think that it's a telltale sign of how they're okay with mistreating the Earth, which means they're okay with mistreating their bodies. Oh, wow. Right. And that's profound. Because it's yeah, it's a small little change that they could make that could really help them change the relationship within themselves and the world around them. Right?

Maryann Samreth 22:58

How can like, we connect to the Earth more because even myself, like I don't really pay attention. No, I mean, that besides like, you know, global warming, like, I'm not always connecting with the earth it and I guess maybe that means I'm not connecting with myself, I don't know. But like, how do we connect more with the earth and like ecology and because it's relating to spirituality, right and ourselves?

Amanda Vazquez 23:22

Absolutely. So there are a lot of basic ways that we can connect. And it really comes down to being present and being aware, which is where that mindfulness component comes in. And so it could be as simple as when you go outside and you're walking on the sidewalk, look around, notice the grass, notice the trees, notice the birds singing, notice the sun shining, the warmth on your skin, like those are basic, basic mindfulness practices of just that present moment awareness. And then there are deeper levels, you know, like I, it could be deeper levels that are still very basic, buy yourself flowers, right? Buy yourself flowers, especially if you might not consider yourself to be somebody who's like outdoorsy, buy yourself flowers, connect with the flowers, recognize that those flowers are an extension of you, you know, and I'm trying to think of, you know, maybe something that's goes even deeper than that. But something that comes to mind is this one's very deep. So, you know, people love to go and like jacuzzis, people love to go into pools in the ocean. And I think people don't realize that, you know, when you're in the womb, like you're, you're in this womb full of water and yeah, you know, you're it's full of fluids, really. And so you're being held, you're being nurtured, you're being nourished, and water is really there are masculine and feminine waters, but water in general is just a very like feminine principle of fluidity. And so people for example, if they go into the ocean, just recognizing like you're being held right now, like you're really being held by the mother, like you're being held by the ear, and then they call The Earth Mother Earth, but you know, you're really being held by her. When you're in a Jacuzzi. You're in like a mini womb, which is why I think people don't realize, yeah, oh, my God, I'm gonna be thinking about that every time I go. So, you know, that's like a deeper level of healing that people receive, but we really do have a deep connection to water. And that's one of that's really one of the reasons why. So if there's tears, there's levels to this,

Maryann Samreth 25:26

this thought process. Yeah, I mean, that makes a lot of sense, because I think there's like studies showing that the ocean has healing elements for people with PTSD. And I've definitely experienced being around large bodies of water and feeling so much peace because also like, the Hertz wave blanks of the, I don't know, like, what the proper words are for, but like the the ocean sounds like that, you know, has a level of healing elements for like your brainwaves. So there is a lot of like healing elements with nature. And I know like, the obvious one, which I know like my, my listeners are curious about is like sitting with plant medicine and doing you know, I WASC and peyote and shrooms and can you talk about that experience?

Amanda Vazquez 26:12

Yeah, so I've sat with Ayahuasca, peyote, San Pedro and Los Ninos, which are a type of mushroom and I sit mostly with peyote, San Pedro and ayahuasca, and these plants are super, super powerful plants. I mean, when I tell you that they changed my life, they really have in such profound ways. And they all offer very different healing is the best way to put it. So which one is it? Would you specifically want to hear more about?

I guess I was the one that I'm most familiar with. Okay. Yeah,

so with Ayahuasca typically, the way that it's done is that there is a tea that's brewed. And a very, very small amount is offered to each person that's in the ceremony, very small amount, maybe like, I don't even like three, four ounces. And like, yes, like a shot exactly. It's very small amount. And that can be enough for you to have a full like four to six hour journey. And for other people, maybe you know, in the middle of the night, the medicine man or woman might offer like a second serving, and it could just be one more drop that you you need to really go deeper or it could be a full serving, it really depends where you're at in the journey and how familiar and comfortable you are with the medicine but it's it's an extremely powerful plant because it has DMT in it. And so that's what makes it very different from the peyote and from the San Pedro and mushrooms is the DMT quality

DMT

I don't know. Okay, yeah, I don't know the abbreviation for it. Yeah, I'm not like super deep into the science of any of this, to be honest with you, but definitely more into the psychology of it, but which I know that has science in it, but whatever.

Maryann Samreth 28:01

Okay, you're, you're started, you're still in your studies and plant medicine.

Amanda Vazquez 28:05

Yeah, yeah. But what I can tell you is that the DMT is what really allows that visual component to be present with Ayahuasca, like the DMT is what opens the gateway for the deeply visual experiences that people have. And so, in most Ayahuasca ceremonies, you are lying down, you're in your own space, you're on your own yoga mat or in a sleeping bag. And, you know, nobody is talking other than the medicine person and they're not, you know, they're not teaching you they're not giving a sermon style speech or anything like that, if there's anything that they're doing or singing, it's because there are specific songs which are called E cuddles and these e kettles are basically I guess the best way to put the put it is they carry a vibration and that vibration is calling in the spirit of the plant and the spirit of Ayahuasca is an anaconda giant, giant Anaconda. And, you know, if people don't know Ayahuasca comes from the Amazon in Peru, and it can be found, you know, it's a vine. It can be found there in the jungles. And it's just unfortunately, as a lot of extraction happening in Peru, you have a lot of people going down there, they have problems with people cutting down the vine, and they don't cut it properly. So the way that they cut it means that the vine will never grow back again. Oh, they're literally like depleting the supply of is the best way to put it of the the Ayahuasca so that's a huge problem extraction, but anyway, it really takes you into the body, it really takes you into the body. It takes you deep, deep, deep, deep, deep into the shadows, like so deep and it can reveal childhood memories to you that are the reasons for a lot of your subconscious patterns. It can reveal complexes to you that you've developed or that you inherited from your parents from your bloodline. And it really just has a way of walking you through through things that you've maybe tucked away or repressed because of how painful they are, so that you can release the fear you have of the experience by reliving it, if that makes sense. If I relive it, and I see that I'm fine after I relived it, then I can I can let it go. And the reliving part, I think comes mostly for memories that have been intentionally forgotten. You know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't necessarily say that, you know, like, if you're consciously aware that you were robbed that you would relive that experience. I think it I mean, it's possible, you never know what Yeah, but yeah, more more. So for some, like, you know, if there's like an infant that experienced sexual abuse, they like science claims, like, you can't create memories from that young, you can't remember, I, I will totally call BS on that. Like, there are so many people who go in, and they will literally get taken through the experience of being one or two or six months old, experiencing the sexual abuse and then realizing how that has affected them throughout their life. So Wow, super powerful. Yeah.

Maryann Samreth 31:07

Is it? Because it's because like, your body remembers everything, even when you're a child? Is it accessing the trauma that's in your body? And that's what's happening? And it's creating, like that visualization for you? And so you're, like, aware of it?

Amanda Vazquez 31:19

Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, like, the body, there's above the body keeps score. Yeah, it really does, you know, and everything is energy. And so for me, you know, I had a really powerful experience like that, where I was, I was being shown a memory from when I was an infant. And it was showing me that that that pain and that suffering, and the traumatic experience was stored in my right ovary. And so the medicine was and you know, I've every time I would menstrie, I would feel my right ovary throbbing and throbbing. And I always thought, like, Oh, this is just because, you know, like, I'm PMS anger and my period. No, it was like, my body was telling me like, this trauma is stored right here in this ovary, and I couldn't conscious I didn't, I was never going to college, I don't think I would have ever access that unless it would have been shown to me in a dream, which is where you know, the unconscious, things get pulled out, or through some kind of like hypnosis, or, you know, plant medicine really, like that's what I'm telling you. It's just like, it's mind blowing. It's my I mean,

Maryann Samreth 32:19

I My mind is blown right now. Like, that's like, I have no words. Like, that's crazy. I mean, so many of us, like have chronic illness or chronic, I don't know, like the proper terminology. And we don't we're not aware that it's probably like traumas stuck in our bodies, because it's so deep in there. And we've been taught in Western society to just suppress it. And I'm just like, My mind is blown, because like, how else would you have access that part of yourself or even know that was happening without plant medicine?

Amanda Vazquez 32:51

Exactly. And I think that that goes, you know, it really speaks to how powerful these plans are, and what they can really do for us. And what they do is liberate they liberate us in a very profound way, because there's a quote, I can't quote it exactly, but it's by Carl Jung, and he talks about how you know, if you don't dive into the unconscious, if you don't do that inner work, and even the subconscious, you know, you'll live your whole life being guided and directed by these unconscious subconscious patterns. And you'll call it all fate. But in reality, it's all these unconscious things that are hidden, that are driving and really leading the way, you know, leading the way. Yeah, so that's scary, because that

Maryann Samreth 33:33

is scary. It's like we're not in control. But our subconscious and shadow self always is driving.

Amanda Vazquez 33:40

Yeah, and these fans, like, confirm so much of his work, which is the interesting part because he was considered totally wild for his time. You know, like Freud was more respected in that timeframe. I just seen as like this crazy mystic with a fascination for shamanism, but his work is really like prevalent and relevant to plant medicines and how we can work with them today.

Maryann Samreth 34:04

Right? Yeah. And I mean, what is your experience now that you're, you know, you're going to be a license therapist at and how do you plan on integrating, you know, your knowledge with plant medicine and indigenous practices with Western psychology and being able to do it where you're not breaking rules? Because I know, there's lots of rules with

Amanda Vazquez 34:26

your therapist. Yeah, this is a great question. I am not 100% sure how I would integrate that in a legal way because these plants are illegal in the United States. They all know. Yeah, the only way they're legal is if it's being offered through a Native American church. And even that has like a lot, a lot of legalities surrounding that, like there's just so many problems in this country with psychedelics, and it's for so many reasons, like they obviously, like they obviously don't want people to wake up because people woke up and realized Like our capacity to heal ourselves our capacity to, to tap into this ancient wisdom that we have within us like we wouldn't need to rely on all the things that they've convinced us that we need to survive in this world. But so, you know, right now, I think the way that I would integrate it, to be honest with you is I would definitely offer like integrative work. So if people go out there and they have psychedelic experiences, and you know, I would be more interested in working with people who are sitting specifically within the ceremonial context, there's a big difference from sitting in ceremony with, and I wouldn't even call them psychedelics in the ceremonial setting, if I had to use like a scientific word, I would say entheogens. Or like an anthropological word, I would say entheogens, which is like, you know, medicines of the gods, like these plants that we consume, to have a spiritual experience, I would want to definitely work with people that are coming from a ceremonial context. And I would just help them integrate whatever it is that they were experiencing in that space into into their reality, because some of it can be overwhelming, some of it could be confusing. Sometimes messages come through that are almost like a trickster energy, like they're, they're coming through to almost test you to help you expand your awareness. But if you can't recognize that you might attach yourself to that message, when in reality, like it's trying to steer you to go in another direction.

Maryann Samreth 36:29

Right? Yeah, I mean, I mean, I'm just, we could have a whole nother episode just about, like plant medicine and indigenous practices. But that is so fascinating, fascinating. And I'm sure as you you know, continue, you know, this program, you're gonna figure out a way to integrate everything, and in a way that's ethical and legal. And it's, I mean, I love that you have that psycho spirituality education going into this program, because that just kind of gives me hope for where the future is. Because right now decolonizing, mental health is so big, like, we're all aware of how just how Western psychology is just hindering us to be whole again, and I don't know if you can answer this, but what is what is your take on like EMDR and somatic experiencing, because it seems like those two things, they do kind of access your shadow, and but it's, it's a Western practice.

Amanda Vazquez 37:25

So within the program that I'm that I'm in now, I mean, I do see a lot of overlap, I definitely see a lot of overlap between this holistic approach to psychology in terms of tapping into the body to receive knowledge, tapping into the body to bring more healing and integration into whatever it is that we're experiencing, that's holding us back from feeling whole. So you know, I always say like that there are many truths, and that there are so many things that are put here on this earth, by whomever, by whatever, I don't know, I'm here, you know, all these different tools, all these different techniques exist. And I think that it's because there isn't just one thing that's for the entire human race, like we're all gonna resonate with so many different healing modalities and techniques that will feel aligned for us and for a lot of people won't feel aligned, and so on and so forth. So you know, if it exists, and it's helping people heal, then why not go for it, and a lot of people are going to definitely feel more comfortable, because their minds are conditioned, or for whatever the reason, I'm gonna go condition. I'm gonna go condition but you know, because they're so conditioned to be more trusting of a Western setting in an office sitting in a chair with somebody who has a degree a certification like that is as Western as it gets. Yeah, person went to school, they have the good credentials, I'm going to trust them in my life. And there's nothing wrong with that, right? Because I'm in school, and that will be me. Mm hmm. So I think that if it works to the person and it takes them deep, and that's what matters, that the healing is happening.

Maryann Samreth 39:01

Yeah, no, I think that's so important. And I'm also like, when I started going to therapy, I did CBT. And I also did hypnotherapy and CUDA Leaney. So like, I think that's important to just acknowledge that everyone has their own healing journey that they can create for themselves as they move forward. Because there's no one size, there's no one size fits all modality, there's no formula, it's you exploring your own healing journey. And, you know, it's, I feel like right now, like, we're at being educated and aware of all the different things out there that we can create it for ourselves. So I think that's really cool that, you know, it's a good point to make that like, it's what works for you, and you could do everything or, you know, just one thing, everything works.

Amanda Vazquez 39:44

Absolutely. And I think that that's really like the most important thing to recognize. And at the same time, like since we're talking about plant medicines and whatnot, you know, for some people, it might not be the best option and I refer to that like there's still not a lot of research on this, but for example, like some who's experiencing manic episodes, people who tend to I'm going to use again, like maybe, like who are in the ether people who are really in the ether already, like very flighty. Sometimes that's not the best option, because those states of consciousness are so elevated, so, so, so, so elevated, that it might unground a person even more, you know. And so that's why I think the integration part is so important. Because not to say that, well, with the mania, that's very different, because I have not sure like, how safe that is, because I've heard that it could trigger the person like a month down the line to go to basically go through another manic episode. I see. Yeah. And it's because you know, there's so much happening in the brain when we drink when we drink Ayahuasca so much happening in the body. So that is, like, definitely like a precaution. But in terms of, you know, people who are just like ungrounded, it's very different. 3d. Yeah, but that doesn't mean that they don't need integration afterwards. And that's the most important part, I think, is How capable are people of grounding down after they have these experiences? And do they have the right tools? Do they have the right Western modalities to, because that's where the West comes in, like, and I know, the indigenous work is in the West, and it is native to the land. But when I say Western, you know, I mean, like, very research, like theoretical, yeah, things, but that's where the Western stuff comes in. Like, I mean, I went to, I think it was like six Ayahuasca ceremonies and, you know, digging in digging in, I had my yoga and meditation have my journaling. I did like this group, like personal development program, and it still wasn't enough to anchor me down and help me really integrate what it is that was being shown to me. And that's when I started going to therapy.

Maryann Samreth 41:47

Yeah, no, I think that's, that's also like a good point to bring up because like, because, I mean, like, I personally have complex PTSD, and I'm doing em all the things EMDR. And what I've realized, and this is probably for you, too, is that this is a lifelong process, like you have the healing journey, healing trauma, or whatever it is you want to call healing, your anxiety, depression, it's a lifelong process, and like, there's nothing to cure, there's nothing to fix. It's just building our toolbox, our like, ever evolving toolbox to continue to be able to, like, I guess, integrate ourselves back into society. I mean, that's why you call it like, integrated, you know, integrating this work is because we want to be able to live our lives and be feel like, you know, we can be whole within society. And it's, it's just this ever evolving thing. There's, like no added to this healing journey.

Amanda Vazquez 42:36

Absolutely. And I totally agree with that. And, you know, since we're on this topic, also added how there is this this, I guess, the best way to put it is this concern that people have of like, can you get addicted? I mean, I don't know. But like, I don't know how I know, what I'm trying to say is I don't know how anybody could be addicted to facing their shadows, like, who wants to face you know, this is not like, this is not like an acid trip. It's not this is like, you know, at least in the United States, like you won't hear people call it like a trip or you won't hear people, at least people that are like in deep in this world call it like saying they're getting high, like this is a journey. This is a six hour healing journey. And it's not something that I think should be abused or overused, because I think it can lead to more fragmentation and that has to be honored. That definitely has to be honored. Because like you said, like, there is no cure, there is no end goal, like the Messiah Complex. I was like, I'm gonna be hyper enlightened, and I won't have to do anything anymore. I think everyone experiences like toxic toxic. Yeah, like, No, this is forever, which means a you're either gonna drink Ayahuasca forever or be you're gonna use it, you're gonna work with it intermittently throughout your life, you know? And it's, it's really so unique for each individual.

Maryann Samreth 43:59

Yeah, I think that's definitely important to highlight and, and that we're allowed to take breaks too, because I think like, like, for me, I branched out on my healing journey. And then my therapist was like, you know, you're gonna be healing forever. You can take some time off. And I was like, really? I could do that. Like, I had no idea. Like, I could take a break from healing that I had to constantly be doing it. But yeah, it's like, we're allowed to take our time and do whatever we we feel is right. In our own journey, whether it's plant medicine or therapy or hypnotherapy or whatever, like we're able to, you know, we're always allowed to choose and create that for ourselves and do it, you know, like healing is a marathon. It's not a race.

Amanda Vazquez 44:39

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. And, you know, I think that there's a lot of fear that people have towards even taking the next step to begin their healing journey. So you have the people that don't want to do it at all and then you have the people that get in it and then like you said, they burn out because it's like, it almost becomes like it almost feels like healing is my purpose, right and you Hey, yeah, yeah, healing is not my purpose. living my life and enjoying it is my purpose. You know. So I think that first and on one end of the spectrum, it's like, I think for people to recognize that they have to take the first step on their healing journey is that they have to realize that if they don't look within to some extent, you know, it doesn't, there's levels to this. But if they don't take that first step, then those patterns, the beliefs that we hold, we're really just going to stay stuck in this in this loop. And we're inhibiting our own growth. And that creates a lot of illness and it creates a lot of distress because we some part of us is designed to evolve mentally, originally, you know, for the better, even though our physical body is aging, like, our spirit wants to evolve as we age. And so I think if people don't take that into account, it creates a lot of depression, and it creates a lot of sadness, it's at such a deep level that it's almost hard to, to consciously grasp, like how, you know, I have all the things I have the great job, I have the house, I have all the things that like America really idolizes? And why am I not feeling connected to anything, and it's because there's no connection to what a person really loves, there's no joy, the passion has kind of dissipated, there's no connection to the outside world. And so it's really just taking that first step of starting to ask the bigger questions, what am I here for, you know, what is this human journey all about? And how can I create a life that I feel is worth living? And that I'm excited about that feels meaningful? You know, it's

Maryann Samreth 46:38

really asking that question, right. And that sounds like such a beautiful way to just speak to this journey. And I think what people are afraid to do is that to be able to get there, you have to access the shadow self, but it's dark and scary. But also like, the way you describe it, like, like, where it gets you to is like warm and fuzzy and like you are whole again, and you know, accessing our shadow self, it's also you know, like, accessing, like, the parts of our ancestors, right, the shadow work of, of, you know, what traumas they passed on to us. And I know, like, one of the things that, like, stood out to me, like probably, like, one of our first conversations we talked about was like you saying, like, We are the voice of our ancestors. And that happens when we are conscious to, you know, the things that have, you know, just just are conscious and more self aware. Can you talk a little bit about like generational trauma and ancestral healing, and how when we start to heal, we also heal our line edge? Yeah.

Amanda Vazquez 47:35

100%. So that's like one of my favorite topics. So you know, a lot of the things that we do, the ways that we act, and our belief system is learned, right, growing up from our systems, the way that our parents or whomever raises us, and then a lot of it is also inherited, like it's literally in our DNA. And you see us in good and bad ways, like you might see a family like, you know, full of musicians. And, you know, somebody might argue like, oh, well, that's because, you know, their parent is musician, they watched the parent play guitar, so they wanted to do it. But then you also have those kids that are born and like, they're six months old, and they're already like trying to drum and stuff. So and they've never seen the parent play. So, you know, a lot of this stuff is is inherited. And so when we work on ourselves, we are basically changing the game like we are totally changing the game. Because we're making new moves in the game, we're saying, I'm not going to repeat this pattern anymore. I'm not going to repeat this cycle, the cycle and me and that's why in this work, you'll hear like, oh, cycle breakers are breaking the cycle of what we've learned what we've inherited. And I think that, you know, that's extremely important, because especially for people that have children, you're not going to pass these cycles on to them. And what that does, and not only if you have children, just, you know, think about how differently you are in the world and how you treat the people around you, when you break the cycle. Your relationships improve tenfold, because you're no longer blaming your partner, because they're not paying attention to you realize, like, oh, I need self love, and I need to go take a walk. Yeah, instead of yelling at them and creating this toxic pattern. And so, you know, what that does is it creates just a more enlightened humanity. Like, that's the best way to put it, we're more enlightened, we're more compassionate, we're more aware. And we're no longer going to be triggered by everything around us. Because we're going to realize what causes us to feel triggered in the first place. And that's like, that's magic. It's like if we know our triggers, and we know how to work with ourselves, then we're not going to be constantly reacting to the things around us. And we also recognize that everything that comes up is an opportunity for us to grow and an opportunity for us to heal.

Maryann Samreth 49:48

Yeah. Wow. And so like when we are you know, healing our lion edge and were, you know, accessing our, I guess our our ancestry like are they with us when we start to heal Like, are they you know, on this journey with us? Are they guiding us in some way? Or sometimes like, are they guiding us to healing when we are in the shadow? Are they there with us?

Amanda Vazquez 50:09

Yeah. So, you know, a huge part of me fully believes in reincarnation like 100%. So, so some part of me is like, okay, like, you know, this person that was in my family, like, let's say, it's like my grandfather, he passed on. And I believe that he has reincarnated now into another body, and he's off living some other life, right. But at the same time, I can feel his presence, I can feel him, I can see him in my dreams. I've had such you know, extremely, like sentient experiences, where it's like, I know that this person is here. And, you know, somebody might say, this is wishful thinking, you know, it's your mind projecting this experience. But like the synchronistic events that occur that let me know, like, No, this person is really like their spirit, their energy, something of them is here, really, like gives me that feeling that, you know, all my ancestors are behind me to a certain extent, like they're all behind me, they are nudging me, they are waiting and cheering me on, to do all the things that they couldn't do, because they didn't have the time, the money, the resources, the awareness, so on and so forth. And so to speak to the point you made in the beginning of the question, which was, you know, stating, like we are the voice of our ancestors, we are, we are the voice because if we're the ones with the awareness, we're the ones with the financial capacity, to heal, to look within and to self actualize in ways that they were not able to, they didn't have the awareness. Like, how could I not utilize my voice? And how could I not take advantage of this privilege that I have to become expansive? Right, so I get to free myself, I get to liberate them and, and like really just, it's almost like, I could see it in my mind. Like, I have this whole lineage behind me. You know? And like, the more that I just like, free myself, the more expansive I see everybody behind me getting and everybody that will come after me if I choose to have children. So it's just like, I could see it just like this expansive energy of awakening and liberation.

Maryann Samreth 52:13

Yeah, no, that's so beautiful. And I I just got goosebumps when you said that you're connected with your grandpa, because I'm this I'm also I feel like I'm connected with my grandpa, as well. I've never met him, he passed away before I was born. Do you have any like examples or a story where you like, had a moment where you're like grandpa is with me?

Amanda Vazquez 52:31

Yeah. So Oh, I love this story. Okay, so the first week of my program at Columbia, they had us do these really interesting journeys. And basically, the journey was just us going to a museum that called Our knees are called our attention, for example. And the second we would leave the house, we would say, okay, my journey to the museum, my journey, just in general starts now. And so they told us, like, start paying attention from the second you say that to the second you finish going to the museum, you come home, like you're going to call when the journey closes, and pay attention to start to what starts popping up into your awareness. And so when I started doing that, like, you know, I was creating this container, basically, to become receptive and perceptive. And I started noticing like that, it was like the universe is speaking to me through some t shirt through like a sign on a bus, and just kind of like leaving me breadcrumbs to what it is that this, you know, my bigger journey was all about. And so I remember they started talking a little bit about symbols. Again, these people were very connected to like Union psychology, and how the symbols are extremely powerful. And I remember when I first moved to New York, so like, maybe it was already like a year before I start this program. I kept saying like this little Finch all around the city, I would see like a fan on the street sign a Finch at the park. And my grandfather raised birds, like so many birds, he raised so many birds. And so I remember thinking like, Hmm, like, he passed when I was seven. So I didn't have a deep relationship with him. But I remember thinking like, Oh, my God, this bird, like it reminds me my grandpa. And so in the program, you know, fast forward like a year later, I'm I had I lived on the first floor of an apartment building on you know, on 83rd And second, so I faced I faced 83rd street and I had this big window and I kept hearing like this tapping like to just I was like, what is that? And I look at the window when I wake up and there's just bird banging on the window, like boom, boom, boom, boom was like hitting the window with the beak. And I was like, What? What? And my boyfriend's like, Oh, my God, what? So that was like the first day and then you know, I believe all of this was happening because I started paying attention and the second you start paying attention, the universe is like, hey, this this person is paying attention like they're open to receiving let's, let's start talking. That's how this dance had this conversation. And so I swear to God, the next day in the morning, at the same time, the bird was like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, tapping on the window. I was like, what? And that week was really like the opening container for my whole program. And they were really encouraging us to just become connected. And they said, like, oh, an animal might present itself to you or specific. And so the bird was really like making itself present to me. And I actually ended up getting a touch actually already had the tattoo, what am I saying? I already had a lot to have the Finch, because when I was in York, I got a fin shot, too. So you know, it's just like, why is it crazy? Yeah. So I do believe that like, to certain extent, his energy, his his spirit was playing a big role. And to this day in guiding me for sure,

Maryann Samreth 55:51

for sure, right. And probably even before that, because he was probably, you know, making you like, all those jobs not work out for you, because you're supposed to be on this path. Like, we're gonna, you know, make her leave the vegan place. So she can go to New York and bitches.

Amanda Vazquez 56:09

Yeah, yeah. You know, and it's, the possibilities are infinite when when we begin to tap in, you know, so in terms of what you're saying anything is possible. Yeah, I

remember like asking, like, hey, like, how do we connect with like, how do we know we're connecting with our ancestors? And you said, like, just by thinking about them?

Yeah. Yeah, that's something I think people forget is. And, you know, well, people forget that, that they have like bloodline that goes beyond their parents, beyond the grandparents beyond the great grandparents, like, I mean, we're talking ancestors from like, 1000s, right? That we're living in very different times, with a very different connection to the elements, like they're, they're in survival mode, they have, you know, that it's their agriculture, like they're just trying to survive. So they had to formulate a very profound connection with the earth with the elements with the animals to be able to thrive and, and eventually become us. So they had a deeper wisdom, a deeper knowing that we've really lost touch with because we've evolved so much. And you know, we have our houses and we have these commodities, but we don't have that same connection to the natural world at all.

Maryann Samreth 57:12

Right, right. That is so fascinating. This may be an intense question for you. But I think a lot of people might be curious is like, when we are doing this healing work ourselves, and we are lean healing our line edge and also healing the line edge, you know, that comes after us? How does it affect the people around us now that are like our parents or sisters or siblings, our you know, our current line edge? Now? How does that when we feel like we're alone on this journey? Like, does it spread out? Does it you know, is our healing like contagious? Like? Or is it kind of just, we're just on our own journey and just happens before us and happens after us? And

Amanda Vazquez 57:50

yeah, so I have two perspectives on that, or Yeah, like two foundations on that. So one foundation, the program I'm in right now is on relational theory. And so basically, it's not a happens and causes B. So it's not a cause and effect theory that that this kind of therapy is rooted in it's, it's a bi directional process, or a circular causality process. So a call a influences B, B influences a influences B, so it's a circle. So if I take action, if I do something naturally, the people around me or influence, for better for worse, and then that creates an influence back on me. And I love that theory, because that's the way the world works. Like, that's what karma is, you take action, you make a step, you make a move, and you know, let's say you want to do this business program, you invest money in it, that wasn't A causes B, like, it's not like, Oh, you just gave them money. And that was it. No, you gave them money for the program, they get to expand financially, and now you get to receive wisdom from them, that allows you to expand and so on and so forth. So there's a circular causality and action. And then from the other, like, foundational concept, I guess, is this idea of interconnectedness for sure, like, you know, at the spiritual level, like, I mean, if you think of like our atoms ourselves, like then sharees, like, give you think of all the plants, all the animals, like we're all helping each other, exist and thrive on this planet to a certain extent. And, you know, I say, to a certain extent, because some people are not, not, I know. Yeah. But generally speaking, you know, like, we're all very interconnected at the energetic level. So, I do think that it is contagious. I think energetically, it is contagious. And I think that, you know, we are so connected at the energetic level that when I do something to change myself, the people around me are going to reap the benefits of that in some way, shape, or form, some way shape or form. And it depends how they're going to respond. You know, some like, you know, I've had instances in my family where like when I really started to dive deeper into the plant medicine because this is like the actual path that I walk, there was a lot of resistance from my partner from my parents, you know, we don't know who you are anymore, you've changed all that kind of those kinds of narratives. And at the same time, I also see how they have really grown because I continuously put them in a place to be more expansive with their consciousness, because they're seeing me expand. So naturally, they're expanding as a result, they're meeting me to a certain extent, as I keep on growing.

Maryann Samreth 1:00:29

Yeah, no, that's so fascinating. I think that, you know, makes this journey less lonely or less scary is knowing that like, like, it'll energy energetically expand the people around us, we just don't know what that's going to look like, or like how that's going to happen, or when that's going to happen, but it does, you know, happen,

Amanda Vazquez 1:00:50

it does. And I think that, you know, every step that we take is just to see, like, we're just planting a seed. And at the end of the day, I always tell people like, okay, that's beautiful, that you want your mom to heal, that's beautiful that you want your dad to heal, but you're not doing this for them specifically, like they're not the primary, like beneficiary of this process is you. And as a result, it's a ripple effect. Yeah, because it's so important. And I think that people a lot of times do that, and maybe they're deflecting from their own inner work, if they're focusing on their families, you know, and that's not what this is about, it's really just look within have no expectations, and just watch the magic happen

Maryann Samreth 1:01:30

right now, I think that's so important is that we really just have to do our work ourselves and focus on ourselves. And it's, it's hard to do when you're in, you know, I mean, for my culture, it's very, you know, it's collectivism, and so we put others before ourselves, and I think when you're healing, you do have to put yourself first. And by putting yourself first, it's also helping others, like people are getting, you know, getting like that the, I don't want to, I don't know, benefits, right word for it, but like they're feeling that too.

Amanda Vazquez 1:01:58

Absolutely. And I think that that's super important, too, in terms of like, decolonizing, mental health and decolonizing, this whole world of healing in general is recognizing that people do have so many different ways of living in the world, and, and interacting with each other and within their family systems. And so, you know, with the healing process, like to a certain extent, that whole idea of like, look within focus on you, it definitely is like a very individualized idea of like, I'm going to put myself like individualistic approach, like I put myself first, you know, and I come from a collectivist background, too. But I just can't process how anybody can spiritually evolve, you know, in to the extent that we can at the individual level, if they're exerting all their energy into the external first, make sense? Like, how can we grow if we don't have any energy to put into our relationship with ourselves if we're expending all our energy to everybody around us?

Maryann Samreth 1:02:56

Right, right. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I think, I mean, your experience, like what sitting with plant medicine, like that is healing. And I think it's interesting, because, yeah, you have, like, this cultural background of being, you know, having collective collectivism in your culture, and also learning about indigenous medicine, where you're go on your own individual spiritual journey when you're sitting with plants. And so that's like this paradox and trying to find that, that balance and just play so much, like do that. But that is interesting.

Amanda Vazquez 1:03:28

Yes, absolutely. And I think that, you know, the most important part, though, with the decolonization process is, you know, really recognizing how the majority of cultures so like they're so Okay, so the individualistic concept, that very western idea of like, we're going to put ourselves first, I do believe that that should be honored, like, affirm myself, at least, like 100% True. And then what I would criticize about, you know, like Western approaches is that there is no spiritual component to it at the level that there needs to be for people who come from other cultures that are outside of the US, you know, like spirit guides, the ancestors, like if you look at different places in Africa, like they're all about their ancestors, the people in the Caribbean are all about, you know, the saints. And then we all have like, these different aspects of spirituality and even religious components that could help us on our healing journey. So I don't know, you know, how open people are like in terms of therapists to, to work with people who, who believe in that and who want to utilize that as a healing framework, but it's necessary because it's like, just allowing people to connect to that and honoring that and respecting that they believe in that gives them strength, it's there. At the end day, you don't want that person to be dependent on you, as a therapist, you want them to have their own system that helps them thrive. So I definitely think that's a huge part of it. Right?

Maryann Samreth 1:04:50

Yeah. Yeah. And you're a part of that movement too. Like when you know, it's because people aren't aware of the spirituality, the indigenous practices, and now that you are combining All of it like it's spreading awareness about, you know, this combination of everything. So yeah, we could talk so much about this. But I do want to talk about the power of being a woman because I know you're such a huge advocate for the divine feminine. Do you want to talk about, you know, how you see kind of like, I guess in the past, like, since 2020, like the there's a paradigm shift, for sure. And you see, like, the rise of entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs, woman, just tap well, not just entrepreneurs, but just like women in general, tapping into their feminine energy, no longer validating themselves with external forces. And we're starting to see our worth it. And we're starting to create our own roles. And know, you know, just silencing the noise of society and the world telling us how to be and how to behave. And we're just tapping into the power of our sentiment and energy.

Amanda Vazquez 1:05:56

I love this so much, because I really do see that it's like you did mention the entrepreneurial space. And you also mentioned just in general, and I see somebody Instagram specifically, like, I just see so many women tapping in whether it's in the entrepreneurial setting, or whether it's just done like reconnecting to this essence of the strength that they have within that is so deeply rooted in, like the feminine energy of being empowered of really owning their bodies of owning their guests or talents. And, and not letting like you said, like, society's pressures define how they behave, how they present themselves, like, I just see so many women liberating themselves from these collective contracts that are really deeply rooted in our consciousness from the second we're born, we are exposed to all of us. And, you know, I think that and we come from that consciousness to it's like, 1000s of years of that consciousness. And that goes, you know, deep into the generational work to like, we're inheriting like all these experiences, even that are stored in the body that have been lived by grandma's great grandma's rape assault. So, you know, I see so many women, especially doing the healing work that are doing, they're going within and they're recognizing, like, this belief isn't mine, this belief came to me it came from my parents throw that out the window. So they're just like taking off all these layers of conditioning. And what they're getting at is to like, the core of their essence of being able to be fully rooted in, in that feminine essence of receiving of nurturing of strength of radiance, and no longer letting like this patriarchal idea that we have to be perfect, or that we're only perfect if we fit the conditions that man has created for us. And it's just like, it lights my heart up. Because, yeah, it's so powerful. Like, you're literally seeing like the rise of like the matriarch again. Yeah. And it's just like, holy shit.

Wait, you said, you said again, like it? Like, are you do you mean, like, back in the day, like, we ruled the world.

So like, if you go away, we back like, you know, there were goddesses that were revered. The woman, the woman in like, the indigenous world, the matriarch had a lot of power had a lot of leadership roles, that women were the ones who were deeply attuned to the cycles of the moon. So they were deeply attuned to the process of agriculture. So yeah, women had power, they had strength, then, you know, with time and with things changing for all these different reasons, that power be really started getting stripped away, right, when women are gaining it back for sure.

Maryann Samreth 1:08:36

Yeah, yeah. I mean, do you? Is it happening now? Like, are we is this truly happening, like we are coming back with a paradigm is shifting, like, where do you see us? You know, like, in the future, like, where do you see like, what's gonna happen? I know, that's like a loaded. We didn't talk. We didn't talk about you being psychic. But for now, like we could talk about it.

Amanda Vazquez 1:08:59

I mean, you know, I think, well, one, the psychic component is deeply a part of that feminine energy, that capacity to have vision, just vision in general, to have vision for your life, to have vision, to live in this cyclical flow with the cycles and the seasons of nature of your own cycles with your menstruation, like just reclaiming all of that no longer seeing like our blood shed as a burden, no longer being ashamed of bleeding. All those things like no longer having this aversion to being feminine is, is really what I see. And so I think, because so many women are tapping in because of technology, like we're really connected across the world right now. And we have so much access to indigenous wisdom to ancient wisdom from the east, like we're really just tapping in and we're remembering like these ancient truths that we do carry this power. So you know what I like what I know and what I feel in my heart is that we're just as women keep healing themselves, the earth continues to heal, right. And so that reciprocal thing is really important because the Earth has been, you know, stripped of its resources, basically, the Earth has been raped, like, that's the best way to put it. The Earth is constantly being extracted from people don't take care of the planet, people don't honor or respect anything around them. And that is the same exact thing that has been done to women throughout this entire time. So there's no separation, again, between the Earth between humans, like everything is a mirror. And so the more we heal ourselves as women, the more we heal our wounds, or we reclaim, the more we heal the earth. So all that means is that the feminine is just going to keep rising to bring balance to the the super high level of, of masking like patriarchal energy that we have, you know, it's not about eliminating the patriarch isn't about writing masculinity, it's about bringing balance, so that we can experience a greater sense of wholeness, not only at the internal level, but at the collective level.

Maryann Samreth 1:10:53

Right, that is so powerful. And I noticed that, like you said, that more women are receiving because that is feminine energy, right receiving. And, like, I guess I'll like on an individual experience, like, what like, women are, I guess, like, I can't speak for everyone, but like, I have always been on a defense, you know, I've always been fighting, I've always been defending myself. And now that like, I am in a place where I'm no longer fighting, I guess what people who don't belong to me, I am just receiving, you know, the love, and you know, validating myself and and just like the right energy from like, the right people are like the Earth, but like, like, the feminine energy is all about receiving and like, how do you see people just, you know, being able to access it and find you, like, put their defenses down, but like meaning in a way that like, they're not fighting to feel like they're worthy? Because they know that they are, if that question makes sense.

Amanda Vazquez 1:11:55

Yes, yes. Yes, yes. So I think that one, Russ plays a vital role in becoming receptive. So I think if we're always on the go, then we're always in that very deep masculine action oriented energy. There's no space, we're never creating space to receive to wind down to connect, right. And so I think that that goes hand in hand with always fighting, like always fighting for place always fighting for, you know, and that's, that's like a byproduct of, I've never been given the space in the first place, right. But if we can create that space for ourselves, right, not wait on anybody else to give it to us, we create that space, that space has always been there for us to create for ourselves, then that's when we dive into the rest of tivity. And the whole universe will really just continuously rearrange itself to pour into you because you're being receptive. And that's the point the the things like we're so consumed with being productive and our self worth being tied to our productivity, that it makes it extremely challenging for us to even validate the fact that we deserve to rest we deserve to receive the love, we deserve to receive money, and we don't have to fight we don't have to burn ourselves out. And that, you know, that is very much a product of being in an extremely industrialized, capitalistic, materialistic driven society to and it has its pros and cons, obviously. But, you know, the burnout is just it's overwhelming. And as women like we're recognizing we don't need to do that. Yeah, yes. Like we can. Yes,

Maryann Samreth 1:13:28

yes, yes, yes. Yes, definitely. I love that. And also like this, the feminine energy men have that too. So there's been listening like, you also can access your feminine energy and take a nap like you don't have to be. Sure. So I have two final questions for you. What do you wish the world has more of? Besides feminine energy?

Amanda Vazquez 1:13:54

Honestly, like the first word that came to mind was just love. Like I really just wish people would show themselves more love. I think love is always the answer. It really is is like hippie bullshit as it sounds, it's like the ultimate best answer. There is.

Maryann Samreth 1:14:06

No, I mean, it's the best answer. It's no simple. It's the hardest thing to do for ourselves. It's to love ourselves. It's easier to love others than it is to love ourselves the way we love others. So yeah, that's a great one. And my final question for you is what advice do you have anyone on their healing journey?

Amanda Vazquez 1:14:23

Oh wow, let's see. Okay. My advice is recognize how important it is for you to do the inner work and at the same time, don't become consumed by it. Don't become consumed. Like I said, there's no angle. There's no angle and at the same time, it's so important to look within it's so important to be bold to be courageous because there's more pain and suffering when we choose ignorance and I don't mean ignorance in like a mean way. I mean it in the very Eastern way like that. Total like blissful Oblivion, there's a lot more suffering being experienced in that space at the subconscious level and in the physical level than there is when we choose to dive in and really start exploring.

Yeah, thank you so much. That was That was beautiful. How can my listeners follow you? How can they work with you?

Yeah, so they can simply just follow me on Instagram. It's I am sacred Earth and if they want to connect with me, they can connect with me through there. I offer one on one sessions that are both coaching sessions, then also shamanic Reiki sessions. And then I also do one month coaching program, that is called Transform. And it's a really, really interesting and of course, transformative program that works with meditation and Reiki and a whole lot of self exploration to bring people basically the healing that they need to take the next step and jump into the next chapter in their life. Amazing.

Maryann Samreth 1:16:06

I highly, highly recommend working with Amanda, thank you so much for coming on the show. We this was just a powerful episode. I can't wait. I can't wait for everyone to listen. Yes, thank

Amanda Vazquez 1:16:16

you so much for having me. It's been such a good and amazing way to connect and to share. I hope people can really relate and find some drops of wisdom in here.

Definitely. Thank you so much.

Maryann Samreth 1:16:39

We all have a story to tell and I want to thank you for listening to Amanda's journey. If you're interested in working with Amanda. She has a new coaching program called feminine rising. It's a three month program designed to connect you to the wisdom and mystery of the feminine energy. Applications are now open and she starts on May 1 2022. There are nine spots left. You can also follow me on Instagram at I am sacred Earth. I will add all of these links into my show notes. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of mental breakthrough podcast please leave me a review and subscribe on Apple podcast and Spotify. I'm MaryAnn smectic. trauma training coach and founder of sincerely Miss Mary. You could follow me on Instagram at sincerely Miss Mary or over on Tik Tok where I'm more unfiltered and probably more fun if you're interested in working with me for my work coaching DM me memoir on Instagram and I'll send you a new one on 190 minute intensive session offering this is only available to those listening to this episode before I open it to the public with everything happening in the world right now. Please take care of yourself. Take care of your body to care for your mind and reach out to the earth connected to the earth connect to the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the grass, it's always there for you. It's always there to ground you down to the present moment. And to remind you to just breathe

Transcribed by https://otter.ai