Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Martinez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicole. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was 16 years old, I had a high fever that lasted many days. During this time, I had a vision of a white-haired woman with a dark, wrinkled face, and kind eyes chanting and dancing around me with an eagle-feather fan. I woke from my fever and forgot about this event. As the years passed, I heard about a powerful place to go to experience spiritual transformation called a sweat lodge. I was 21 at the time and drove out to Poway to meet Happy Bear, my first Spiritual teacher.
The first time I crawled inside the sweat down on my hands and knees, entering grandmother’s womb, I felt like I had returned home after many long years. It was as if my life had been missing this puzzle piece and finally, everything fit together. I learned how to live in “the hoop,” or sacred circle of life. I learned “The Way.” I learned how everything is connected, the trees can communicate through a network of mycelia under the earth. I learned how when harvesting a plant for medicine that you get down on the earth at the plant’s level and ask permission before taking and that you always leave an offering behind as a way to say thank you. I learned how to look a person in the eye, hear their story with an open heart and to be there for them when they need it most. In those years as a part of The One Heart Community, I grew into who I one day wanted to be. I had to experience a mountain of personal pain with the birth of my son and the relationship I had with his father. He was oppressive, manipulative, abusive, controlling and all the while I didn’t know what I wanted. I was 25 when I knew I wanted to be a teacher but I had so much life experience to go before this would happen. I began my education towards this end but took an extreme detour onto the path of healing. I began to study nutrition, herbal medicine, energetic medicine, and energy healing.
I spent 7 years as a manager of a vitamin department at Boney’s Bayside Market in Coronado. I met wonderfully inspiring women and human beings and learned herbal healing from people like Ric Scalzo (owner of Gaia Herbs) and Rosemary Gladstar (Traditional Medicinal tea founder.) I learned from women who were making a difference in the community through sharing stories about their pain and triumphs by volunteering at Shakti Rising. Through all this, I was still waiting to meet the teacher who would take me beyond all of this to the next level. This is when I met my Apache teacher who taught me Drum Washing which is the indigenous method of using a drum to align a person’s energetic body back to the vibration of the earth. I had been working with Reiki, Tibetan bowls, flower essence and meditation but this was the one thing I found that worked. I had been apprenticing with my teacher for three years until one day I had a split with him. his methods were old school, male, and oppressive.
I had learned enough of this way from my son’s father and was ready to go it alone. I began to work with people who were on their death beds as a way to help their souls cross harmoniously to the other side. They were scared and needed reassurance. I would offer up prayers to their angels and Creator. I would drum over them and sweep them off with feathers. Tears would flow from both of us and after it was done the peace that came was a beautiful blessing to all of us. I learned in these moments the only things that truly matter human connections, trusting your instincts and following the path that is right for you. My path had led me right back to that day when I was 16 and had a terrible fever. I was the woman with the feathers healing myself. I have now been practicing Drum Washing for 8 years and have taught 6 other people the method. I have created a blend of healing flower essences called Rainbow Unicorn Spray. I am a Waldorf teacher with a Master’s degree and the Athletic Director at my school. I have a wonderfully loving husband and two beautiful children. All blessings come through “The Way.” Never take more than you need, always ask permission, give back more than you took, say thank you.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
Women are natural communicators and work well in groups. We can easily rally and support one another. Women are kind, sympathetic listeners and can work harder than most men. Women can be successful in any business as long as their strengths can be utilized.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://robinriver.wixsite.com/desertsageandrose
- Phone: 619-655-9916
- Email: breakawayion000@hotmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainbowunicornspray/
Image Credit:
Nicole Martinez Fine Art
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