The Proust Questionnaire is inspired by a list of thoughts and feelings-inspired questions by the 20th century French writer Marcel Proust. Here at Esalen we have created our own version to dig a little deeper and differently into our incredible faculty and staff.
Xochitl Ashe speaks of bringing people back to their power, her work with ceremony and plants, and the dangers of distorted humility: “The world needs us all to share our gifts,” she explains. Here, the beloved Medicine woman shares with us her desire for animal and plant communication, a serene vision of “perfect happiness,” and her wish to find an Indigenous superheroine who protects all nature. (If any comic book creators are reading this, you’ve found the perfect model and muse for that character right here!)
What is Esalen to you?
To me, there are two Esalens, and I love them both. There’s Esalen the land, which has been a sacred place to the ancestors of the Esselen Tribe and their descendants. It’s the place where the four waters meet: the ocean, the creek, the hot springs that come from the womb of the earth, and the waterfall. It’s the place where the Monarch butterflies come to rest and be born, to set a journey that unites all of the North Americas: Canada, US, and Mexico. It’s home to multiple native medicinal plants and its land is so fertile that it also grows vibrant food. It’s where the animals belong, and where they’re honored and respected. It’s where they show their love back to us by allowing us to see them (otters, whales, dolphins). It’s the land that we know was a pilgrimage site to come to heal and come to die for hundreds of years. It’s one of my spiritual homes.
The other Esalen is Esalen Institute, the leading center for human potential. It’s a school where I come to learn and I come to teach. I have become close with many of the staff and consider Esalen a place of deep community for me. It’s a place that attracts visionaries, innovators, and world changers. It’s a place that opens the doors of opportunities and connects you back to yourself.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
As a fifth-generation Medicine woman, I have served my community through teachings in one-on-one mentorships, workshops, and ceremonies both in the US and internationally for the last 27 years. At 16 years old, I became the first female of five generations of men to be initiated into the healing traditions of my Peruvian ancestral lineage, and I have dedicated my life to working with the sacred plant medicines, "Nti-si tho" "Santitos" or psilocybin mushrooms, since the time of my initiation.
In addition to my ancestral work, I am also a professionally trained herbalist and IFS Therapy Practitioner (Internal Family Systems) and I specialize in the ceremonial use of cacao alongside my psilocybin work. My gift to this world is using these tools in the healing of generational trauma and supporting others to thrive, create wealth, and have a positive impact on the world.
As the founder of Magical Medicine Journeys, an Indigenous women-owned retreat center that offers legal Mazatec psilocybin mushroom retreats in Mexico, my mission is to honor the traditional Indigenous knowledge and ceremony of sacred plant medicine and provide the most authentic and powerful life-changing experiences.
As an Esalen faculty member for the past three years, I am honored to bring this mission and my ancestral wisdom to the sacred land of Esalen to support our communities in connecting to themselves and the Earth.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
For me, “perfect happiness” is the feeling of not wanting or needing to be anywhere else than where I am. Perfect happiness is when I’m in the present moment, loving where I am and with who I am.
Greatest fear in your work?
My work teaches us that there’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s nothing to fear because we’re always supported by the earth and we’re never alone on our journey.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
There are so many names it would take this whole page. One of the people that comes to mind is my grandfather, who was also a medicine man. He was very left-brain and an engineer. At the same time, I love how he demonstrated his belief in spirit by supporting those lacking resources to heal. He didn’t believe in putting medicine people on a pedestal. He was very adamant throughout his life that our primary role as healers is simply to remind others that they can heal themselves.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
I’m grateful that my practices have helped me develop an unwavering support system in the Earth and for her ability to support me always.
What is your current state of mind?
I’m learning about grief as one of my best friends just transitioned from her dance with cancer.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Being humble. I feel sometimes people don’t allow themselves to shine brightly or become the leaders they’re meant to be because they have a distorted vision of humbleness. To me, being truly humble is being in awe of the gifts we’re endowed with but not necessarily keeping ourselves small. If we walk a path of service with our hearts, we can remain humble in healthy ways without stepping into a space of arrogance. The world needs us all to share our gifts.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Integrity, generosity, and a sprinkle of magic.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Myself, my community, Pachamama, and her animals and plants.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
What brings me the most happiness is when people come back to their source, their power. When I can support them as they remember they are deeply loved by the earth. When they realize they’re never alone, they walk with their ancestors, and all the plants and animals are here to support them. What brings me the most happiness is when people realize that they are the medicine.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Animal communication and becoming even more fluent in plant communication.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Absolutely nothing.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Loving myself, loving what I do, and loving whom I do it with. Feeling blessed to have this life.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would come back as me remembering all of my past lives and having all of my past skills.
What would living at Esalen for a month be like for you?
I've lived in Esalen for three months at different times in my life and it was heaven on earth.
What is your most treasured possession?
The first thing that I thought of is my body, as it is my sacred temple in this lifetime. Then I considered all of the sacred objects in my altar, but truly, then I thought, “If there was a fire in my house, what would I grab?” And the answer was my cats. They’re not my possession, but they are my guardians, and I treasure their relationship and their stewardship.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
I take time off to be with myself and with nature. I find that being in water is best for me. Once a year, I go to places where I can swim in sweet waters like rivers and creeks. I also have my own mentors and a therapist I work with. After taking others into medicine ceremonies, I also hold ceremony for myself.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Working with plants and going deep with people.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m a great listener and bring a lot of fun and joy to the healing process.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
That I get to do what I love and we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we laugh and play a lot.
Who are your inspirations?
Too many to name. People who have had tremendous challenges in childhood and have overcome them and are now incredibly kind, generous, and sweet adults.
Who is your hero of fiction?
There’s yet to be an Indigenous female superhero that protects animals, plants, and mother earth and can communicate with the plants and animals. Let me know when there’s one and it'll be her.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Maria Sabina, one of the most powerful medicine women in Mexico, who introduced ceremonial use of mushrooms to the West.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Marisa Reyes, one of my best friends who recently passed away from cancer and taught me that life is meant to be lived at its fullest. Anyone who lives a life doing what they love and shares their gifts to the world.
What is your greatest regret?
I have none.
How would you like to die?
At an old age in my sleep surrounded by loving community and family.
What is your motto?
I have a few. “How can it get better than this?” A question I ask when life is really good so that life can show me how life can get even better. “This can only be an upgrade.” I lean on this in hard times because it helps me trust that whatever is happening is always for my best and highest good. We’re so afraid of the downgrade that we fail to realize adversity is here to prepare for what’s better. Also, “Everything here is to empower me.”
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Join Xochitl at Esalen for Altered States: Pathways to Expansion September 4–8, or Healing Waters and the Ecology of Motion, a 5Rhythms® and Indigenous Plant Medicine Workshop September 29 – October 1.
The Proust Questionnaire is inspired by a list of thoughts and feelings-inspired questions by the 20th century French writer Marcel Proust. Here at Esalen we have created our own version to dig a little deeper and differently into our incredible faculty and staff.
Xochitl Ashe speaks of bringing people back to their power, her work with ceremony and plants, and the dangers of distorted humility: “The world needs us all to share our gifts,” she explains. Here, the beloved Medicine woman shares with us her desire for animal and plant communication, a serene vision of “perfect happiness,” and her wish to find an Indigenous superheroine who protects all nature. (If any comic book creators are reading this, you’ve found the perfect model and muse for that character right here!)
What is Esalen to you?
To me, there are two Esalens, and I love them both. There’s Esalen the land, which has been a sacred place to the ancestors of the Esselen Tribe and their descendants. It’s the place where the four waters meet: the ocean, the creek, the hot springs that come from the womb of the earth, and the waterfall. It’s the place where the Monarch butterflies come to rest and be born, to set a journey that unites all of the North Americas: Canada, US, and Mexico. It’s home to multiple native medicinal plants and its land is so fertile that it also grows vibrant food. It’s where the animals belong, and where they’re honored and respected. It’s where they show their love back to us by allowing us to see them (otters, whales, dolphins). It’s the land that we know was a pilgrimage site to come to heal and come to die for hundreds of years. It’s one of my spiritual homes.
The other Esalen is Esalen Institute, the leading center for human potential. It’s a school where I come to learn and I come to teach. I have become close with many of the staff and consider Esalen a place of deep community for me. It’s a place that attracts visionaries, innovators, and world changers. It’s a place that opens the doors of opportunities and connects you back to yourself.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
As a fifth-generation Medicine woman, I have served my community through teachings in one-on-one mentorships, workshops, and ceremonies both in the US and internationally for the last 27 years. At 16 years old, I became the first female of five generations of men to be initiated into the healing traditions of my Peruvian ancestral lineage, and I have dedicated my life to working with the sacred plant medicines, "Nti-si tho" "Santitos" or psilocybin mushrooms, since the time of my initiation.
In addition to my ancestral work, I am also a professionally trained herbalist and IFS Therapy Practitioner (Internal Family Systems) and I specialize in the ceremonial use of cacao alongside my psilocybin work. My gift to this world is using these tools in the healing of generational trauma and supporting others to thrive, create wealth, and have a positive impact on the world.
As the founder of Magical Medicine Journeys, an Indigenous women-owned retreat center that offers legal Mazatec psilocybin mushroom retreats in Mexico, my mission is to honor the traditional Indigenous knowledge and ceremony of sacred plant medicine and provide the most authentic and powerful life-changing experiences.
As an Esalen faculty member for the past three years, I am honored to bring this mission and my ancestral wisdom to the sacred land of Esalen to support our communities in connecting to themselves and the Earth.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
For me, “perfect happiness” is the feeling of not wanting or needing to be anywhere else than where I am. Perfect happiness is when I’m in the present moment, loving where I am and with who I am.
Greatest fear in your work?
My work teaches us that there’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s nothing to fear because we’re always supported by the earth and we’re never alone on our journey.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
There are so many names it would take this whole page. One of the people that comes to mind is my grandfather, who was also a medicine man. He was very left-brain and an engineer. At the same time, I love how he demonstrated his belief in spirit by supporting those lacking resources to heal. He didn’t believe in putting medicine people on a pedestal. He was very adamant throughout his life that our primary role as healers is simply to remind others that they can heal themselves.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
I’m grateful that my practices have helped me develop an unwavering support system in the Earth and for her ability to support me always.
What is your current state of mind?
I’m learning about grief as one of my best friends just transitioned from her dance with cancer.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Being humble. I feel sometimes people don’t allow themselves to shine brightly or become the leaders they’re meant to be because they have a distorted vision of humbleness. To me, being truly humble is being in awe of the gifts we’re endowed with but not necessarily keeping ourselves small. If we walk a path of service with our hearts, we can remain humble in healthy ways without stepping into a space of arrogance. The world needs us all to share our gifts.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Integrity, generosity, and a sprinkle of magic.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Myself, my community, Pachamama, and her animals and plants.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
What brings me the most happiness is when people come back to their source, their power. When I can support them as they remember they are deeply loved by the earth. When they realize they’re never alone, they walk with their ancestors, and all the plants and animals are here to support them. What brings me the most happiness is when people realize that they are the medicine.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Animal communication and becoming even more fluent in plant communication.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Absolutely nothing.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Loving myself, loving what I do, and loving whom I do it with. Feeling blessed to have this life.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would come back as me remembering all of my past lives and having all of my past skills.
What would living at Esalen for a month be like for you?
I've lived in Esalen for three months at different times in my life and it was heaven on earth.
What is your most treasured possession?
The first thing that I thought of is my body, as it is my sacred temple in this lifetime. Then I considered all of the sacred objects in my altar, but truly, then I thought, “If there was a fire in my house, what would I grab?” And the answer was my cats. They’re not my possession, but they are my guardians, and I treasure their relationship and their stewardship.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
I take time off to be with myself and with nature. I find that being in water is best for me. Once a year, I go to places where I can swim in sweet waters like rivers and creeks. I also have my own mentors and a therapist I work with. After taking others into medicine ceremonies, I also hold ceremony for myself.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Working with plants and going deep with people.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m a great listener and bring a lot of fun and joy to the healing process.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
That I get to do what I love and we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we laugh and play a lot.
Who are your inspirations?
Too many to name. People who have had tremendous challenges in childhood and have overcome them and are now incredibly kind, generous, and sweet adults.
Who is your hero of fiction?
There’s yet to be an Indigenous female superhero that protects animals, plants, and mother earth and can communicate with the plants and animals. Let me know when there’s one and it'll be her.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Maria Sabina, one of the most powerful medicine women in Mexico, who introduced ceremonial use of mushrooms to the West.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Marisa Reyes, one of my best friends who recently passed away from cancer and taught me that life is meant to be lived at its fullest. Anyone who lives a life doing what they love and shares their gifts to the world.
What is your greatest regret?
I have none.
How would you like to die?
At an old age in my sleep surrounded by loving community and family.
What is your motto?
I have a few. “How can it get better than this?” A question I ask when life is really good so that life can show me how life can get even better. “This can only be an upgrade.” I lean on this in hard times because it helps me trust that whatever is happening is always for my best and highest good. We’re so afraid of the downgrade that we fail to realize adversity is here to prepare for what’s better. Also, “Everything here is to empower me.”
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Join Xochitl at Esalen for Altered States: Pathways to Expansion September 4–8, or Healing Waters and the Ecology of Motion, a 5Rhythms® and Indigenous Plant Medicine Workshop September 29 – October 1.
The Proust Questionnaire is inspired by a list of thoughts and feelings-inspired questions by the 20th century French writer Marcel Proust. Here at Esalen we have created our own version to dig a little deeper and differently into our incredible faculty and staff.
Xochitl Ashe speaks of bringing people back to their power, her work with ceremony and plants, and the dangers of distorted humility: “The world needs us all to share our gifts,” she explains. Here, the beloved Medicine woman shares with us her desire for animal and plant communication, a serene vision of “perfect happiness,” and her wish to find an Indigenous superheroine who protects all nature. (If any comic book creators are reading this, you’ve found the perfect model and muse for that character right here!)
What is Esalen to you?
To me, there are two Esalens, and I love them both. There’s Esalen the land, which has been a sacred place to the ancestors of the Esselen Tribe and their descendants. It’s the place where the four waters meet: the ocean, the creek, the hot springs that come from the womb of the earth, and the waterfall. It’s the place where the Monarch butterflies come to rest and be born, to set a journey that unites all of the North Americas: Canada, US, and Mexico. It’s home to multiple native medicinal plants and its land is so fertile that it also grows vibrant food. It’s where the animals belong, and where they’re honored and respected. It’s where they show their love back to us by allowing us to see them (otters, whales, dolphins). It’s the land that we know was a pilgrimage site to come to heal and come to die for hundreds of years. It’s one of my spiritual homes.
The other Esalen is Esalen Institute, the leading center for human potential. It’s a school where I come to learn and I come to teach. I have become close with many of the staff and consider Esalen a place of deep community for me. It’s a place that attracts visionaries, innovators, and world changers. It’s a place that opens the doors of opportunities and connects you back to yourself.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
As a fifth-generation Medicine woman, I have served my community through teachings in one-on-one mentorships, workshops, and ceremonies both in the US and internationally for the last 27 years. At 16 years old, I became the first female of five generations of men to be initiated into the healing traditions of my Peruvian ancestral lineage, and I have dedicated my life to working with the sacred plant medicines, "Nti-si tho" "Santitos" or psilocybin mushrooms, since the time of my initiation.
In addition to my ancestral work, I am also a professionally trained herbalist and IFS Therapy Practitioner (Internal Family Systems) and I specialize in the ceremonial use of cacao alongside my psilocybin work. My gift to this world is using these tools in the healing of generational trauma and supporting others to thrive, create wealth, and have a positive impact on the world.
As the founder of Magical Medicine Journeys, an Indigenous women-owned retreat center that offers legal Mazatec psilocybin mushroom retreats in Mexico, my mission is to honor the traditional Indigenous knowledge and ceremony of sacred plant medicine and provide the most authentic and powerful life-changing experiences.
As an Esalen faculty member for the past three years, I am honored to bring this mission and my ancestral wisdom to the sacred land of Esalen to support our communities in connecting to themselves and the Earth.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
For me, “perfect happiness” is the feeling of not wanting or needing to be anywhere else than where I am. Perfect happiness is when I’m in the present moment, loving where I am and with who I am.
Greatest fear in your work?
My work teaches us that there’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s nothing to fear because we’re always supported by the earth and we’re never alone on our journey.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
There are so many names it would take this whole page. One of the people that comes to mind is my grandfather, who was also a medicine man. He was very left-brain and an engineer. At the same time, I love how he demonstrated his belief in spirit by supporting those lacking resources to heal. He didn’t believe in putting medicine people on a pedestal. He was very adamant throughout his life that our primary role as healers is simply to remind others that they can heal themselves.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
I’m grateful that my practices have helped me develop an unwavering support system in the Earth and for her ability to support me always.
What is your current state of mind?
I’m learning about grief as one of my best friends just transitioned from her dance with cancer.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Being humble. I feel sometimes people don’t allow themselves to shine brightly or become the leaders they’re meant to be because they have a distorted vision of humbleness. To me, being truly humble is being in awe of the gifts we’re endowed with but not necessarily keeping ourselves small. If we walk a path of service with our hearts, we can remain humble in healthy ways without stepping into a space of arrogance. The world needs us all to share our gifts.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Integrity, generosity, and a sprinkle of magic.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Myself, my community, Pachamama, and her animals and plants.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
What brings me the most happiness is when people come back to their source, their power. When I can support them as they remember they are deeply loved by the earth. When they realize they’re never alone, they walk with their ancestors, and all the plants and animals are here to support them. What brings me the most happiness is when people realize that they are the medicine.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Animal communication and becoming even more fluent in plant communication.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Absolutely nothing.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Loving myself, loving what I do, and loving whom I do it with. Feeling blessed to have this life.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would come back as me remembering all of my past lives and having all of my past skills.
What would living at Esalen for a month be like for you?
I've lived in Esalen for three months at different times in my life and it was heaven on earth.
What is your most treasured possession?
The first thing that I thought of is my body, as it is my sacred temple in this lifetime. Then I considered all of the sacred objects in my altar, but truly, then I thought, “If there was a fire in my house, what would I grab?” And the answer was my cats. They’re not my possession, but they are my guardians, and I treasure their relationship and their stewardship.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
I take time off to be with myself and with nature. I find that being in water is best for me. Once a year, I go to places where I can swim in sweet waters like rivers and creeks. I also have my own mentors and a therapist I work with. After taking others into medicine ceremonies, I also hold ceremony for myself.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Working with plants and going deep with people.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m a great listener and bring a lot of fun and joy to the healing process.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
That I get to do what I love and we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we laugh and play a lot.
Who are your inspirations?
Too many to name. People who have had tremendous challenges in childhood and have overcome them and are now incredibly kind, generous, and sweet adults.
Who is your hero of fiction?
There’s yet to be an Indigenous female superhero that protects animals, plants, and mother earth and can communicate with the plants and animals. Let me know when there’s one and it'll be her.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Maria Sabina, one of the most powerful medicine women in Mexico, who introduced ceremonial use of mushrooms to the West.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Marisa Reyes, one of my best friends who recently passed away from cancer and taught me that life is meant to be lived at its fullest. Anyone who lives a life doing what they love and shares their gifts to the world.
What is your greatest regret?
I have none.
How would you like to die?
At an old age in my sleep surrounded by loving community and family.
What is your motto?
I have a few. “How can it get better than this?” A question I ask when life is really good so that life can show me how life can get even better. “This can only be an upgrade.” I lean on this in hard times because it helps me trust that whatever is happening is always for my best and highest good. We’re so afraid of the downgrade that we fail to realize adversity is here to prepare for what’s better. Also, “Everything here is to empower me.”
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Join Xochitl at Esalen for Altered States: Pathways to Expansion September 4–8, or Healing Waters and the Ecology of Motion, a 5Rhythms® and Indigenous Plant Medicine Workshop September 29 – October 1.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org
