As we are approaching the end of a very interesting year, I felt it was time to share a little bit more about me, so we can feel closer and more connected.
So no, this time I’m not talking about embodiment, or trauma healing, or a cool event that I would invite you to join… this is simply some curiosities about the human on this side of the screen.
1. Well, if you have seen my office, you might have already guessed that I love reading. This is a family passion and I’ve been a reader from a very young age. My taste varies a lot, but for the past years I’ve been fascinated by non-fiction books that help me make sense of life and our shared humanity. Most of them are related to my professional trainings and the specific work I do, and nowadays titles on Somatic Trauma Healing and Embodiment are my focus. My library includes lots on Holistic Sexuality, Tao, Tantra and Embodiment, which makes me very proud!
2. Besides that, travelling is another huge passion. The pandemic really affected our ability to wander around and this was one of the hardest parts of those first 16 months for me. I’m glad that slowly it seems we can safely get back to flying around again.
You see, I’ve gone on some pretty awesome trips like: Easter Island, trekking to Machu Picchu, Cape town, Safari with the Maasai in Kenya, Family stay in Uganda, W Trek in the Chilean Patagonia (where I met my husband!), Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Hawaii. All that and my beloved Brazil in its beauty and vastness… so many amazing travels in my home country! I’ll be going back in December and can’t wait to experience the Brazilian summer again.
Now, this is something most folks have no clue about me.
3. You see, Samba is a passion and I used to be obsessed about “Sambas da Velha Guarda”, which are the most old school kind of music in the genre – think 1920 to 1960. I spent quite a lot of time learning great songs and stories from the Brazilian composers of the first half of the 20th century: Cartola, Dona Ivone Lara, Candeia, Ismael Silva, Velha Guarda da Portela, Imperio Serrano, and others, and I always have a good playlist on at home when cooking or doing house chores. I suggest you look those names up on Spotify, this is la creme de la creme of Brazilian old school samba!
4. Because of my love for music, I tried singing classes in 2017 for a whole year. I have to say it was painful not to be a great singer – but yeah, I’m not! At least I tried it.
This next one won’t be much of a surprise for those who have noticed how comfortable I am with the Spiritual and Energy world.
5. That is because I have always been fascinated about religion and spirituality. As a child, I attended Catholic church, sang at the choir in the Methodist church, was initiated by a Hindu Guru and worshiped Paramahansa Yogananda. A little older, in my late teens, I’d attend service at the Self-Realization Fellowship, chanting, meditating and just being in the magical energy space of that temple. My entire body remembers those blessed days! Later on, I became devoted to Candomble, which comes from the Yoruba culture, and I enjoyed so many magnificent ceremonies in honor of the African deities Orishas. I learned so much about Afro-Brazilian culture in those years, it was really potent!
My last dive into the world of religion was a 2-year Spiritism Mediumship training, which really helped me realize that I no longer needed to seek out what was so clearly available within. I now found the power of listening to my inner guru and my spiritual adventures have been really beautiful and empowering.
6. Much earlier than Breonna Taylor’s and George Floyd’s murder and the collective awakening of such a huge part of Western countries around racism, I was a fierce activist for Racial Democracy and part of a group of Social Organizers that was dedicated to this important task in a country like Brazil. I took part in this collective for 8-ish years and really saw the power of community work and social activism.
7. For 1 year I had a radio show in our community radio station, in which I’d comment on episodes of racism and violence against black folks in Brazil and attempted to address Black self-esteem. We also organized cultural gatherings, Carnival parades (Afoxe), multicultural artistic events (including afro dance), religious festivities (Candomble), and Racial Democracy workshops and classes. I left the community in 2014, due to personal conflicts with other members of the leadership. Those were intense years and I’m forever grateful for all that I learned and how much I matured in that time.
8. Finally, I love cooking! My female lineage always inspired me on this one, as I grew up around amazing cooks in the family. Now I usually take cooking classes anytime I’m travelling to a new country, as this helps me understand more about the culture, and also creates another layer of sensory memory of my trips.
My favorite dishes are Brazilian, obviously: acaraje, feijoada and moqueca. And I also love the flavors from different Asian cultures.
I hope that these curiosities about me helped you understand a bit more about my background and feel more connected. I certainly feel that sharing this brings us closer and will love to hear a curiosity about you too. You can comment below. And I’ll be pleased to read about you.
xoxo
Marina
