About Christina
I am proudly rooted in the rich tapestry of Creole heritage woven from West African, Caddo, Chitimacha, and French ancestry. Growing up within this mosaic of cultures has gifted me a profound appreciation for the interconnectedness of traditions and the strength found in diversity.
As a child I was completely immersed in contemporary suburban society. Outside of returning to the land of my ancestors for family reunions, I did not know much about my lineage and for very good reason. My maternal great grandmother had moved her family to California and used concerted effort to hide traditional practices and language from her children in order to “pass as white” and “hide in plain site” in an attempt to escape discrimination, hate and oppression. Many of my ancestral teachings and language were sent dormant, taken to the grave with my ancestors for survival’s sake.
As a teenager I spent over 2 months, hiking many miles a day in the Tonto National Forest in what is now Arizona State, with only a sleeping bag and a few tools, immersed in nature and learning stories and teachings from a Yaki elder. It was at the end of this journey that I had my first experience with connection. I was hiking to the top of a hill, and having just arrived over the ridge I witnessed the most beautiful fiery red sunset I had ever seen. In that moment I heard a loud ringing in my ears and I suddenly felt a deep peace and connection to everything around me. In that moment I knew there was something more and I set to embark on a journey to understand the experiences I had.
As a young adult, I began searching for an explanation of what I had experienced, and something I could wholeheartedly believe in—a guiding light amidst personal struggles. Seeking healing and meaning, I embarked on a journey of exploration to find the source of that healing so that I could heal myself and help others. It was during this pivotal time that healing connection continued to enter my life. I had endured bouts of depression, anxiety, and emotional traumas, compounded by the upheaval of becoming a young mother at 17, forced to survive independently.
During this transformative period, I underwent my first soul retrieval—a profound experience that resolved numerous lingering symptoms. Contradictory to my scientific understanding of the nature and cure of mental and physical illness, my symptoms were completely relieved in less than an hour. I walked out of my healing practictioner’s office completely free of anxiety, depression, and fear, feeling a restored sense of peace, love and a wholeness which I had not experienced for a very long time. This marked the beginning of a profound journey of self discovery, delving deeper into healing traditions and wisdom and my own lineage. During this period, I was also blessed to become a part of sacred ceremony, and I finally knew that I had found my spiritual home. Through the decades to come and through communing with nature, the sacred medicine brought me healing, understanding, love and compassion beyond my wildest imaginings.
In 2012, going through one of the darkest times in my life, synchronicity prevailed and I was fortunate to meet the love of my life. Through his understanding and the healing he received in his own life through divine intervention, he shared with me profound understandings and techniques of healing with nature which I hold dear to my heart and employ today as I continue on my healing journey.
Later in my adult years, I was fortunate to be able to return to the land of my ancestors and to find out more about where I came from. In my research, I found I am a descendant of a lineage of powerful medicin. Among them, Marie Thérèse Coincoin, an inspiring figure from my homeland of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was granted her freedom from slavery because of her gifts. Renowned as a healer, she accomplished what even the greatest medical minds of her time could not, curing her mistress of an illness that confounded experts. This discovery only served to validate what I had felt deep inside since I was a young child.
Fueled by this ancestral legacy, I have probed deep into the study of connection and healing for over fifteen years. I have studied and practiced the ancient teachings of Yoga through a somatic, trauma-informed lens under the instruction of Sarahjoy Marsh and the Daya Foundation. I have immersed myself in the study of ancient texts, including the Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bible, the Apocryphal texts and the Tibetan book of the Dead. Under the tutelage of esteemed mentors Michelle McKinney and Betsy Bergstrom, I have learned spirit-based mystery traditions and healing that are rooted in Nordic, Tibetan, and South American Indigenous traditions. To date, I am a certified trauma informed yoga instructor and have been trained in meditation, breathwork, and energy healing including power animal retrieval, soul retrieval, mediumship, compassionate depossession, and curse unraveling. I have dedicated my life to spiritual studies and inquiry and have been most impacted by the works of Yogananda, Jesus, Rumi, Hafiz, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Black Elk, Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Napolean Hill, Alan Watts, Carl Jung, Wayne Dyer, Maharaji, Ram Dass, Paolo Coelho, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz, Pema Chodron, Bob Marley, Vine Deloria Jr, Sandra Ingerman, and more recently Jose Silva, Gabor Mate, and Tara Brach.
My story intertwines with the resilience, wisdom, and enduring spirit of my ancestors. It’s a narrative of triumph over adversity, a commitment to healing, and a celebration of the return of ancient wisdom and connection to Nature and our own Inner Healers. I firmly believe that we all hold the power to heal ourselves, and through that, heal our communities and dream a new dream of the world where the ancient prophecies are realized and we can live together in peace, equity and harmony with ourselves and all Divine Creation, creating Heaven on Earth.