Warrior Goddess Revolution

For over 30 years, Carmen Dominguez has been sitting in the space where psychotherapy meets ancient wisdom — first as a young therapist during the HIV/AIDS crisis, where she watched people stripped of every mask discover their essence underneath, and now as Chief Clinical Advisor at Integrative Life Network, weaving neuroscience together with Toltec traditions and somatic practice.In this conversation, Carmen and HeatherAsh dig into what Carmen calls the myth of power: the idea that we're wired from birth to chase safety, connection, and belonging, and that this wiring quietly hijacks our sense of worth. Carmen explains how our gifts — the things we're naturally good at — get recruited into that chase, until we mistake the gift itself for our value. She shares how she unlearned this in her own life, and how she now helps clients (from artists to Harvard students to people in addiction recovery) get into right relationship with their gifts instead of using them to prove they're enough.They also talk about the nervous system: why turning inward can feel like crossing a river with slippery rocks, why awareness itself is medicine, and why something as simple as noticing one second of calm is how real change gets built.Episode HighlightsCarmen's childhood under the trees during her family's move from Cuba, and how that became the seed of her life's workHer early years as a therapist during the HIV/AIDS crisis, learning from clients who had nothing left to hide behindNaming the myth of power: how the search for safety, connection, and belonging gets twisted into chasing statusThe Harvard client who linked his worth to his intelligence — and what it looked like to untangle thatWhy "the gift is something we value, not our value" is the turning point of the whole conversationThe river metaphor for turning inward, and why it gets harder before it gets easierShaking the body with intention versus venting anger without it — and why that distinction mattersBuilding nervous system capacity one nanosecond at a time, like adding weight at the gymAbout CarmenCarmen is a seasoned psychotherapist and consultant with over 30 years of experience, currently serving as the Chief Clinical Advisor at Integrative Life Network. Drawing from a diverse spectrum of therapeutic methodologies, she bridges ancient wisdom with modern psychology and neuroscience, incorporating holistic medicine, yoga therapy, and expressive therapies into her practice. She values evidence-based treatment models while aiming to deepen understanding and enhance support for individuals on their journey of self-discovery and authentic alignment. Carmen’s practice is informed by relational cultural theory, the principles of social justice, polyvagal theory, and somatic and systemic approaches. Additionally, she has trained in Family Therapy at the esteemed Cambridge Family Institute. Carmen has also served as an adjunct professor at Lesley University for 22 years, contributing to the education of future therapists. She co-facilitates spiritual journeys to Teotihuacan alongside best-selling author Gini Gentry, known for "Dreaming Down Heaven: The 12 Keystones.”. All of Carmen’s work is driven by a deep passion for nurturing transformational healing, emphasizing that this process is fundamentally relational. She believes that we are all wired for safety, connection, and belonging, and guides individuals to reconnect with their inherent wisdom and return to authenticity.

During this bite-size interview with Warrior Goddesses, Mel and Sarina, we explore how these two humans met at a Warrior Goddess event, fell in love over months of courting, and then learned how to navigate a whole new river of Life together.This is Part 1 of a series we'll be doing on how they co-parent, partner intimately, and jump naked into the River of Life together. We talk about the wild way they handle challenging decisions when they're both decision-fatigued, the willingness to show up in conflict resolution together, and the wise ways of being in community together and feel wholeheartedly supported.

During this episode, my long-time friend and ministerial apprentice Hope Ruiz regales us with the story of how our lives collided, stepping into a group of 40 Warrior Goddesses from around the world in Teotihuacan, and how we started dismantling systems of oppression within ourselves and our communities.We share about how the loner identity cracked through her work in Warrior Goddess and how she came to feel held within a community where we celebrate people exactly where they are and where they are going.Hope is a lifelong writer and spiritual seeker. She is also an intentional mother, a passionate teacher, and an eternal student. You can learn more about Hope here: www.esperanzarenace.com

During this dynamic conversation with Diane Dempster, we talk all things coaching, spending time as a closeted Methodist, finding her way to woo, co-parenting with someone with different religious beliefs, and how to navigate the intersections of neurodiversity in these overwhelming times.We explore what it means to raise "complex kids" right now and learn to shift your perspective over and over again while being at choice in every moment from a balanced Warrior Goddess place.Meet DianeDiane Dempster, MHSA, CPC, PCC is a professional coach, speaker, author, and educator with 20 years of corporate leadership experience. Diane is the co-Founder of ImpactParents.com, a coaching & training organization for parenting neurodiverse kids, and co-host of the Parenting with Impact Podcast. Through her work with ImpactParents, she teaches a relationship-first - neurodiversity informed - coach approach to parents and professionals, blending behavior management with change management, so that concerned adults can empower kids, teens & young adults to become independent and successful. An experienced leader, spiritual wanderer, change agent and all-around life-sherpa, Diane helps clients create deep, inside-out, sustainable change.www.ImpactParents.com

In this episode of Warrior Goddess Revolution, HeatherAsh Amara talks with movement teacher and community-builder Kyle Fincham about what it means to break rules, embrace uncertainty, and live with wild willingness. Together they explore creativity, play, and the courage it takes to step outside the lines in order to find freedom, authenticity, and joy. If you’ve ever felt confined by expectations or curious about how to bring more aliveness into your daily life, this conversation will inspire you to spark your own wild, willing way of being.Meet KyleMisfit. Tinkerer. Infinite Player. Kyle Fincham is the creator of Infinite Play, a movement workshop that explores playfulness by reconnecting us with our creative, adaptive, and cooperative potential. Infinite Play workshops are accessible to all misfits, wildlings, and nonconformists. Kyle also hosts Behind the Movement, a weekly podcast where he speaks with movement makers of all types about their stories, thoughts, and philosophies. He also regularly writes articles expressing his ideas and wonderings for his blog. Kyle aims to share and explore this passion for playfulness through all areas of his life, teaching, and art. Kyle is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is deeply influenced by both Tom Weksler and the Fighting Monkey Practice, and was a student of Ido Portal from 2015-2020. Kyle reads often and travels near and far to attend workshops and seminars, expanding his experience of different movement tools, approaches, and philosophies.  Warrior Goddess Revolution Podcast music and production by Kevin Braheny Fortune

During this lively discussion of two old friends who found their way back to each other, I speak with Oceana about elderhood, initiations, and the gifts of aging with pleasure, presence, play, and excitement. Oceana shares about the intersection of sensuality, liberation, elderhood, and ecowomanism.Meet OceanaOceana Sawyer is an ecowomanism activist, liberation and elderhood advocate, and overall wise woman. She has decades of experience working with death and dying, intentional community, and sensuality.Oceana is crossing the terrain of grief out in the borderlands of one world ending and a new emerging. She can be found wandering around at the crossroads of grieving, sensuality, deep ecology, deep time, spirituality, and liberation.https://oceana.substack.com/

A special conversation on exploring our bodies, playing with spaciousness and edges, and celebrating all bodies. Erica and Ash met through the Forrest Yoga community where they fell in love with each other as changemakers dedicated to getting more free. During this intimate conversation, they play with how we can reclaim our bodies, face our fears courageously, and saying YES to what we need--not what the world thinks we need or should be.Meet EricaErica Mather, MA, E-RYT, began teaching yoga at age 17 and now studies pedagogy through education, learning, and leadership. She created the Adore Your Body System, which addresses body-image challenges, and the Yoga Clinic, a place where students, teachers, and health professionals can learn about empowered self-care. Erica is a Forrest Yoga Guardian, personally selected by Ana Forrest to become one of a handful of senior teachers in the Forrest Yoga tribe. She teaches at PURE Yoga in New York City, and maintains a full schedule of Yoga Clinic clients and Yoga Clinic teacher trainings.https://www.instagram.com/erica_mather/https://kripalu.org/resources/kripalu-perspectives-learning-adore-your-body-erica-mather

During this intimate conversation, Marita Esteva and HeatherAsh share their creation stories of how they became the creative imagineers and magical land stewards they are today. They share their experiences of negotiation, holiness, destruction, collaboration, and creation. Come into this conversation with the elements, working with Warrior energy, and how to deepen in your relationship with the dynamic world we all live in that often goes by unnoticed.Marita, One Who Catches Lightning, is a formally trained fine artist and filmmaker, a singer-songwriter who has released multiple albums, a published poet, a motivational speaker, metaphysical healer with training in multiple modalities, a guide and mentor to people of all ages and backgrounds, a teacher with years of unique original curriculum, and of course always a student, learner and seeker. Learn more about Marita’s journey and work here.