Plática –A Heart to Heart Conversation With a Curandera
Plática –A Heart to Heart Conversation With a Curandera
By Lisa Martinez
In Curanderismo- (the folk healing and ceremonial practices of the indigenous people of the Americas), we begin with “plática,” the confidential heart to heart conversation held between the curanderx and their client. Plática is done before every private session, ceremony or ritual. It is the time you spend sharing what is “on your heart” and why you have brought yourself to be seen by a curanderx. My intention here, is to have “plática” with community about the importance of seeing and interacting with world through our heart and learning to come into a state of alignment with our thoughts and emotions. It’s this alignment that has the potential to create positive influences of change and healing in ourselves and others.
Whether we currently identify as healers, diviners or magical practitioners of any tradition -or if we provide any type of service to community- it is usually safe to say the work first began with ourselves. Perhaps, something in our life shifted in a positive direction as a result of an experience with a healer or magical practitioner or, maybe we found ourselves returning to our roots and embracing the medicine that has always lived within us. As a result of our experience, many of us became inspired to guide or support others. We came out on the other side and we want others to have the same opportunity. Our personal “war” stories and healing experiences are the very thing that provide us the foundation to do this important work. As I was taught by my beloved elder, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes -the battle wounds turned scars are where the gifts reside. It’s what gives us the genuine ability to relate and see through a lens of experience. During our darkest days we pushed forward sometimes slowly, but always breathing the sacred wind of life onto the glowing embers. As a result, we become illuminated with light from fires we worked hard to create. Our hearts ignite and our practices and interactions with others change. Our personal practices and work serving community is not “textbook”, but instead contains our own rhythms and songs of influential energy allowing us to shine light on the path to change or healing for others.
In curanderismo and many other traditions we are often reminded; what we think and how we feel influences our reality. This lesson is as old as time out of mind! We are taught to align our thoughts and feelings when we do manifestation work. We envision ourselves obtaining, achieving or experiencing something we desire and align our emotions so that we feel “as if” our desire has already occurred. This alignment is powerful, and many can speak to its effectiveness. Modern science supports this. It has measurably proven to us that our thoughts are electric, and our emotions are magnetic. When the two align we have an electro-magnetic effect. Science calls the alignment or harmonization of our thoughts and emotions “cardiac coherence”. There are several biofeedback software applications that can provide you with visual tools to help you achieve this state of coherence-they are quite mind blowing to witness. But now we ask, “what does this have to do how we interact with others in this world”?
Everything.
When we are in a state of “cardiac coherence,” when our thoughts and emotions are in alignment that electro-magnetic wave also has the power to influence the electro-magnetic alignment of others. Same is true when we are out of alignment. We can all recall a time our thoughts and emotions were chaotic and suddenly everything around us started to go sideways. Our environment seemingly became a field of landmines, even if we never spoke a word to anyone about our current state. We might have found it difficult to be at ease doing mundane tasks, we lacked patience with family and friends and our practices supporting others in community became a source of even more frustration because we felt like everyone else was “so irritable, angry or unavailable.” The effect of these chaotic ripples continues, going outwards into the world.
What would happen if we all took the time to look within and ask ourselves, “What’s on my heart? How are the ripples of my electro-magnetic waves influencing my environment and those in it?” What if our thoughts and emotions are aligned with positive intentions? If we honestly take inventory of how far we’ve come and elevate the milestones and accomplishments, there is an opportunity to take personal experiences next level and consciously align them to the thoughts and emotions of being whole, complete, worthy, prosperous and more. When we are in this state of coherence, the ripples continue going outwards in the world…but this time the effects are different.
We can’t change our past, but we can influence our present and our future. WE have the power to influence others every single day. This isn’t about being polite and saying, “please and thank you.” This is about genuine, conscious and intentional alignment practiced daily. I will say it again- practiced. We will not do this perfectly. We aren’t supposed to. But, when we can and when we are present with another soul who is having their own life journey, our electromagnetic alignment-the energetic ripples, can and will create shifts in their heart and mind. This is one of the most important teachings I pass on to my students.
Quetzalcoatl – is the winged serpent god of the Mesoamerican pantheon. On his breastplate he wears a star shaped shell ornament-the crosscut of a conch shell like those used in ceremony to open the roads of the four sacred directions. It’s the symbol of the wind (Ehecatl)-the sacred breath of life (the very breath we ourselves blew upon the embers of our healing process) and the planet Venus- the morning star who witnesses the birth of the sun every day and a reminder of the fraternal love that we must manifest daily for humanity. Quetzalcoatl wore this breastplate over his heart as a symbol of his deep love for humanity. He teaches us “through love, all things can heal.” This can only be done when we expect nothing in return.
All we need to do, is align our thoughts and our emotions.
My hope for you is that you have all you need and more. That you be surrounded by people who honor you and that you recognize the moments of alignment and embody them as gifts to be shared.
Lisa
Connect with Lisa on instagram @itzpapalotl74 , or in person through her classes at Ritualcravt School.
