I originally came to Colorado because I had a powerful dream where I saw myself here and felt at peace. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, ever since I was a young child, this dream inspired me to completely release other plans I had for my life to come to Denver, Colorado. I knew in following this path something greater would be revealed to me. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew if I continued to trust in Spirit my path would unfold. And it did.

I believe a major part of why I came to live in Colorado in 2011 is because it is considered to be the Heart of Turtle Island. Throughout my life, I have struggled to really embrace the depth of my emotions, because of my anxiety. I would find myself being overwhelmed by my emotions. The intensity of how my emotions would make me feel, often scared me. I sincerely believe Madre Tierra called me to this land so she could teach me how to truly honor the sacredness of my emotional self and embrace the support I needed from people in my life to do so. I believe Tonanztin was inviting me to transform the pain I experienced from my anxiety and depression, so I could learn to lead my life with joy.

When I lived in Santa Cruz, California, as a young child, I was very blessed to be surrounded by a vibrant community of people who constantly offered an outpouring of care and love. In this way, I was truly raised by a village. Later when I became more involved in social justice movements in Colorado, I began to remember the medicine of relationship. The medicine of relationship teaches us many invaluable lessons and fulfills our inherent desire to love and be cared for, and this is what my heart and spirit were constantly looking for — healing. I learned to be in well and right relationship with others, I first needed to turn inwards and deepen my relationship with myself. I learned to be with the darkest parts of myself and learn to offer myself compassion. I learned how to grieve and honor the painful, and at times traumatic, experiences I went through. I learned how to practice accountability and recognize the ways I needed to grow, so I would be a good relative to people, the animals, and this land.

I must honestly say that who I am today is an evolution. Every day I feel myself becoming more and more of who I have longed to be. I can greatly attribute who I am today to the persistence of others holding up a mirror to me that has allowed me to notice myself, to look into my own eyes and see my depth, to truly gaze upon my own sacredness and live into my power. 

This is why I created Celestial Alegría in June 2020. This space blossoms from my joyful purpose — to use my gifts to ignite joy through transformation as part of our collective healing. I believe we all are here for a sacred purpose and our joy often reveals what that is to us. The path to uncover our joy inherently moves us to transform. The process of transformation is never simple, but it is powerful and beautiful if we are open to it.