The Biz Bruja Podcast

The Power of Ancestral Healing and the Orishas in Business with Cynthia Santiago-Borbon

In this episode of the Biz Bruja Podcast, host Vanessa Codorniu interviews Cynthia Santiago-Borbon, a healer, licensed psychotherapist, and priestess of Obatala. Cynthia shares her journey of ancestral reclamation and how her ancestors have shaped her work in mental health and well-being. She discusses the importance of healing from societal conditioning and trauma, and how connecting with her ancestors helped her heal and embrace her true self. Cynthia also explains how the Orishas, the deities of the West African Yoruba tradition, show up in her business and provide guidance and support.

 

Some takeaways:

• Connecting with our ancestors can help us heal from societal conditioning and trauma.
• The Orishas, deities of the Yoruba tradition, can guide and support us in our personal and professional lives.
• Praying to our ancestors and the Orishas can provide guidance and clarity in our journey.
• It is important to approach the Orishas and other spiritual traditions with respect and honor.

BIO: 

Cynthia Santiago-Borbon is a healer, licensed psychotherapist, transformational coach, spirituality teacher, empath, and priestess of Obatala. With over two decades of expertise in the mental health and well-being space, Cynthia has supported thousands of clients in liberating themselves from societal conditioning and intergenerational trauma. She provides various services, including private coaching, group coaching, workshops, and retreats.

To learn more about Cynthia Santiago-Borbon and her work, visit her website at Website: https://www.cynthiasantiagoborbon.com

 

 

Timestamp	Summary
0:00:01	Introduction to the podcast and the guest, Cynthia Santiago-Borbon
0:03:21	How Cynthia's ancestors shaped her and her sacred work
0:07:31	Patterns Cynthia needed to break ancestrally
0:11:42	Importance of accepting oneself and embracing beauty
0:12:33	Gifts Cynthia leaned into with her ancestors and lineage
0:13:18	Cynthia's realization of her gift to help others heal and empower themselves
0:14:50	Cynthia's decision to start her own business
0:18:03	Cynthia's introduction to the Orishas and her spiritual awakening
0:20:22	The importance of reciprocity and honoring the Orishas
0:23:21	The Orishas' connection to nature and how they can support us
0:25:18	How the Orishas show up in our business
0:26:08	Cynthia's guidance from Obatala for the next phase of her business
0:26:52	Cynthia feels guided by the Orisha in her business.
0:28:00	Oshun, the Orisha of creativity and community.
0:29:08	Getting guidance from Orisha readings for business decisions.
0:31:14	Trusting guides, angels, and ancestors in business ventures.
0:31:46	How to connect with the Orisha tradition.
0:34:30	Praying to ancestors and connecting with nature.
0:36:03	Oya, the Orisha of transformation and change.
0:37:47	Respecting and honoring deities from other cultures.
0:38:31	Practicing reciprocity with deities and traditions.
0:38:52	Importance of not appropriating and taking without giving back.
0:39:19	Cynthia Santiago-Borbon's contact information
0:40:08	Vanessa Codorniu's appreciation for Cynthia
0:40:43	Sacred Pause Retreat in November
0:41:12	Gratitude to ancestors and Orishas
0:41:21	Farewell to listeners

 

#reclaimingintuition #embracingdiversity #healing #healingjourney #ancestralpatterns #business #authenticity #psychicmediumprofessional #clinicalhypnotist #energyhealer #spirituality #yoruba #orishas #ancestors #cynthiasantiagoborbon #ancestrallyrootedbusiness #soulbusinessmentor #bizbrujapodcast #bruja

Super Full Moon in Aries: Embracing Courage and Self-Leadership w/Meditation

"We are always starting, always in the middle, always ending. We are the representation of the life cycle." - Vanessa Codorniu

Vanessa Codorniu, a fourth-generation psychic medium discusses the significance of the new moon and the full moon in our lives. The new moon allows us to release and start fresh, while the full moon gives us an opportunity to view what we have seeded and reach a point of culmination. The current full moon in Aries, during the Libra season, invites us to balance ourselves and look at our own goals. Vanessa emphasizes the importance of accountability and self-leadership in our lives, as well as the need to confront old wounds and find the strength to heal and move forward. Towards the end of the episode we are led into a Full Moon in Aries Meditation to connect with our inner child and inner warrior.

 

Takeaways:

• The new moon allows us to release and start over, while the full moon shows us the culmination of what we have seeded.
• The full moon in Aries during the Libra season invites us to balance ourselves and look at our own goals.
• It is important to be accountable and practice self-leadership in our lives.
• The current full moon in Aries along with Chiron in Aries brings an energy of profound healing and urges us to confront old wounds and find the strength to heal and move forward.
• A deep experience in listening to our intuitive knowing and begin to release through the Full Moon in Aries Meditation.

An invitation to join the Bruja Rising, monthly membership community:

If you are a student of the School of the Healing Artes it is $21.99 a month and if you are not a student, $29.99 for two monthly events! The New moon Gathering and the Full Moon Bruja Oracle Office Hour!

Message me if you would like more information: Muzeworks@gmail.com 

 

Timestamp	Summary
0:00:01	Introduction to the Biz Bruja Podcast
0:00:40	Vanessa Codorniu's background and expertise
0:02:28	Explanation of the significance of the new moon and full moon
0:03:33	Purpose of the full moon and its role in integration
0:04:03	Sun in Libra and its focus on balance and beauty
0:05:13	Full moon in Aries and its emphasis on self-care and leadership
0:06:24	Importance of finding balance between giving and self-care
0:08:28	Healing energy associated with Chiron and the full moon
0:09:42	Encouragement to embrace passions and take bold actions
0:10:56	Importance of being accountable and facing truths
0:12:21	Soulful healers and guides acknowledging their role in life dramas
0:13:39	Embracing the mindset of a beginner and being compassionate
0:15:14	Encouragement to initiate something new and let go of judgment
0:16:47	Embracing the lens of the new and being open to change
0:19:53	Appreciating what has been achieved while embracing cycles
0:20:50	Connecting with the inner child and exploring desires
0:22:10	Asking the inner child what they are sick of
0:22:51	Asking the inner child what they want to do more of
0:23:24	Imagining the inner child getting what it wants
0:23:46	Connecting with the warrior inner self and embracing leadership
0:23:46	Inner warrior archetype and self-reflection
0:24:23	Questions for the inner warrior and self-exploration
0:26:14	Releasing energy and healing through breath and movement
0:27:39	Celebrating moments of self-expression and initiation
0:28:29	Seeking inner wisdom and receiving guidance
0:29:06	Gratitude and closing remarks for the super full moon
0:30:19	Invitation to join the private community
0:31:23	Benefits of joining the community
0:32:15	Final remarks and sign-off

Acharya Shunya: Embracing Divine Feminine Power and Building a Spiritual Business

Hola mi gente! I had the great pleasure of interviewing Acharya, who is a force of nature for my Ancestrally Rooted Business Summit! For this New Moon in Virgo, I felt called to share this interview!

Acharya Shunya, a spiritual teacher and author, shares her journey of embracing her ancestral wisdom and transforming ancestral patterns to become a powerful woman and spiritual businesswoman. She emphasizes the importance of valuing oneself, setting boundaries, and integrating spirituality and business. Shunya encourages individuals to tap into their unique gifts and connect with divine consciousness to create a thriving spiritual business.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace your unique gifts and value yourself as a conduit of divine feminine electricity.
• Set clear boundaries and expectations in your spiritual business to maintain balance and avoid over-giving.
• Integrate spirituality and business by aligning your values and ethics with your business practices.
• Connect with divine consciousness through meditation and prayer to receive guidance and support in your spiritual business.

BIO:

Acharya Shunya is a truth teller who facilitates authenticity, self-remembrance, and divine feminine pathways to awakening. She is the president of Awakened Self Foundation and the founder of Vedica Global Inc. in California. Shunya is the author of bestselling books "Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom" and "Sovereign Self."

Website: Acharya Shunya 

Check out the Ancestrally Rooted Business Summit 

To explore sessions and retreats with Vanessa go to: theBizBruja.com

5th annual Spring Equinox Retreat: The Sacred Path of Joy & presence March 15-March 17, 2023  Duncannon, PA  explore HERE 

 

Timestamp	Summary
0:00:01	Introduction to the podcast and the guest, Acharya Shunya
0:02:40	Shunya discusses how her ancestors have shaped her and her work
0:04:25	Shunya talks about transforming and healing ancestral patterns
0:07:40	The importance of establishing boundaries and becoming a "roaring goddess"
0:10:12	Shunya shares the gifts she has received from her lineage
0:13:00	Shunya discusses her personal journey of overcoming darkness and finding her light
0:15:12	The transition from being a wise person to a spiritual business person
0:15:48	Introduction to the goddess Lakshmi and the balance between spirituality and materialism
0:18:11	Becoming a spiritual businesswoman and incorporating ethics and philanthropy
0:19:22	Embracing the goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Durga for empowerment
0:19:58	Advice for starting a spiritual business and valuing oneself
0:21:43	Setting boundaries and clarity in spiritual business exchanges
0:23:44	Connecting with divine consciousness in spiritual business
0:24:16	Where to find Shunya and her books
0:25:25	Learning from universal archetypes and accessing teachings and workshops
0:26:23	Thanking Shunya for her inspiration and shining our own light

Reclaiming Our Bruja-ness: Embracing Decolonized Spirituality at Any Age

Hola mi Gente! I felt called to record another episode on the fly LOL on the Moon in Gemini! I just took a request from IG from Heiddi and just recorded an episode that I hope you enjoy!

* Please note that on the podcast I said the Spanish Inquisition started 1300s but its official start is listed as  1478. Heretics were targeted since 1022 in France. Even though the clergy and judges in the Middle Ages were skeptical of accusations of witchcraft, the period 1300–30 can be seen as the beginning of witch trials.* 

In this episode of the Biz Bruja Podcast, Vanessa Codorniu discusses what it's like to be a "baby Bruja" in your forties and how to release fear. She explains the concept of Brujeria and its connection to Latin American and Caribbean cultures. Vanessa shares her personal journey of growing up in a South American home that embraced mystical practices and how she reclaimed the term "Bruja" as a way to honor her ancestral lineage.

She emphasizes the importance of balancing spirituality with practicality and entrepreneurship. Vanessa also provides guidance for those who are just starting to explore their spirituality later in life, encouraging them to embrace their age and wisdom, define their own path, and trust their intuition.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Reclaiming your Bruja-ness in your forties allows you to bring your life experiences and wisdom into your magical practice.
• Understanding that our spirituality and psychic abilities will not keep us from loss, death, illness, betrayal and the usual human experiences.
• Embrace your age and wisdom, as they enrich your magical practice.
• Explore different types of Brujeria and find the path that resonates with you.
• Trust your intuition and connect with nature to draw inspiration and guidance.
• Prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy balance in your life.
• Build a supportive community of like-minded individuals to share experiences and knowledge.
• Affirmations to begin transforming energetic patterns that are no longer needed at this time, reinforcing new beliefs.

For more information follow me on IG @thebizbruja

or go to my website to explore offerings:  www.TheBizBruja.com

 

Summary
0:00:01	Introduction to the podcast and host's background
0:00:40	Host's experience as a psychic and healer
0:01:29	Host's desire to have a conversation and seek topics from listeners
0:02:05	Moon entering Gemini and the significance of communication
0:03:19	Reclaiming the term "Bruja" and its connection to Latin American and Caribbean cultures
0:06:03	Different beliefs and practices within Brujeria
0:07:15	Enforced religious beliefs and the combination of indigenous practices with Catholicism
0:08:53	Personal approach to Brujeria and its role in daily life
0:09:55	Understanding the limits of Brujeria and respecting individual paths
0:11:24	Variation of Brujeria and its inclusion of African spirituality
0:12:59	Brujeria is more than candlework, it's ancestral and reclaimable.
0:14:04	Reclaiming your bruja may involve some grief and mourning while healing ancestral patterns.
0:16:37	Being a Bruja requires accountability and not harming others.
0:18:50	Reclaiming Bruja-ness in your 40s brings wisdom and experience.
0:21:22	Have patience and self-acceptance as you learn and grow.
0:22:19	Define your own unique path in Brujeria.
0:23:39	Explore different types of Brujeria that resonate with you.
0:24:48	Seek guidance, read books, join forums, enroll in courses
0:26:01	Embrace ritual, meditation, study moon phases, create sacred space
0:26:55	Maintain balance, integrate practice into daily life, build community
0:28:02	Embrace age and wisdom, respect diversity, trust intuition
0:30:05	Track intuition, act with integrity, celebrate milestones
0:33:01	Release fear, dismantle programming, embrace own power
0:34:10	Everyone has gifts, celebrate all forms of magic
0:35:56	Understand history of colonization, inquisition, and fear
0:37:41	Workshop to release fear about being a Bruja or Brujo
0:38:21	Ancestral lineage and fear of power created by colonizers
0:39:12	The impact of colonization on spiritual practices
0:40:24	Reclaiming power and ancestral beliefs
0:41:01	Breaking free from colonization and embracing intuition
0:41:39	Understanding the history of oppression and curiosities
0:42:10	The burning times and the control of women's sexuality
0:43:19	Energetic practices and the stamping out of goddesses
0:44:33	Greed, patriarchy, and the shift in societal structures
0:45:44	Healing ourselves and living in sacred community
0:47:00	Ancestral trauma and the vilification of healers

 

Morgan Garza: Embracing Witchcraft and Stepping into Authenticity

So excited to share my conversation with Morgan Garza! I've seen her online magazine and when she reached out so I could teach on her Saged App, I got a huge YASSS! 

Morgan Garza, a modern-day witch and healer, shares her journey of embracing her witchy nature and stepping into her power. She discusses her early connection to crystals and rocks, her intuitive abilities, and her exploration of spirituality. Morgan also opens up about surviving a terrorist attack in India and how it served as a catalyst for her spiritual journey. She talks about the importance of honoring one's intuition and practical power, and how she guides others to do the same through her work as a mentor and coach.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace your own intuition and practical power to serve the world powerfully.
• Don't be afraid to step into your authentic self and be a beacon for others.
• Give yourself permission to pursue what lights your soul up and follow your passions.

BIO: Morgan Garza is an author, teacher, witch, and community leader. She is the CMO and head witch of Saged, where she weaves together spirituality and business. Morgan is also the leader of the Way of the Witch, a seasonal coven, and the host of the Saged live ritual boxes. She is the author of the book "Soul Magic: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Mystics."

Follow Morgan:

Website: Morgan Garza

 SAGED APP 

IG: SAGED

 

Timestamp	Summary
0:00:01	Introduction to the podcast and guest Morgan Garza
0:03:12	Morgan's early connection to spirituality and intuition
0:05:30	Morgan's experience with religion and Catholicism
0:06:06	Morgan's family's reaction to her spiritual work
0:09:43	Morgan's family's support and acceptance of her work
0:10:29	Some family members' negative reactions to Morgan's work
0:11:19	Morgan's perspective on her family's opinions
0:11:56	Vanessa's view on her partner's beliefs
0:12:27	Morgan's husband's acceptance and curiosity about her work
0:12:59	The importance of acceptance and respect in relationships
0:13:36	Importance of respecting different beliefs and finding common ground
0:14:38	Story about encountering a fox in nature
0:15:43	Differences in perspectives and awakening experiences in relationships
0:17:01	Negative experiences with spiritual men
0:17:59	The importance of finding someone who supports and understands
0:18:46	Embracing different beliefs and finding balance in a relationship
0:20:10	The value of the divine masculine in a relationship
0:21:06	Preference for stable and grounded partners
0:21:44	Finding peace in relationships and the importance of home
0:22:51	Recognizing the signs of a healthy and fulfilling relationship
0:24:48	Introduction to astrology signs
0:25:25	Decision to become more public about being a witch
0:26:36	Starting first company, Spirit Guides magazine
0:27:43	Giving others permission to be themselves
0:29:30	Writing the book with a tight deadline
0:31:03	Dealing with health issues and planning to write another book
0:32:13	Discussing fibroids and storing emotions in the body
0:33:21	Bringing awareness to women's health issues
0:34:15	The impact of societal factors on health
0:35:27	Personal experience with fibroids and medical advice
0:37:02	Discovering Chinese medicine as a solution for health issues
0:38:00	The importance of looking at the whole system for health
0:38:50	Working with functional medicine and exploring natural remedies
0:39:56	Society's promotion of satisfaction over health
0:40:43	The impact of lifestyle and environment on health
0:41:22	The accumulation of choices and the need for patience
0:42:18	The importance of honoring the body and working with holistic healers
0:43:02	The connection between speaking one's truth and health
0:44:33	Healing ancestral patterns of passivity and finding balance
0:47:01	Embracing ancestral gifts of healing, community, and writing
0:49:42	Introduction to Morgangarza.com
0:50:03	Giving oneself permission to pursue passions
0:50:37	Morgan making it rain with permission slips
0:50:41	Closing remarks and invitation to follow Morgan

Reclaiming Identity and Healing Trauma: A Conversation with Erica Priscilla Sandoval

Hola mi gente! So excited to share this conversation with you all! 

In this episode of the Biz Bruja podcast, host Vanessa Codorniu  interviews Erica Priscilla Sandoval, an accomplished mental health practitioner and healer. Erica shares her journey of reclaiming her identity and embracing her roots, including her decision to reclaim her birth name, Erica Priscilla. She discusses her upbringing in Ecuador and her move to the United States, where she discovered her passion for helping others. Erica also talks about her experience in social work and the challenges she faced as a single mother while pursuing her education. She shares how she overcame financial trauma and scarcity mentality to build her own successful private practice. Erica then delves into her recent training in Ketamine Assisted Therapy and the profound impact it has had on her own healing journey and her work with clients. She emphasizes the importance of self-love, intuition, and compassion in her healing practice.

​Some of our main takeaways: 

- Reclaiming one's identity and embracing roots is a powerful journey of self-discovery and healing.

- Pursuing education as a single mother is challenging but empowering, and it is never too late to go back to school.

- Overcoming financial trauma and scarcity mentality is crucial for personal and professional growth.

- Ketamine Assisted Therapy can be a breakthrough approach to healing trauma and depression, leading to profound transformations.

- Love, self-forgiveness, and intuition are powerful tools for personal and collective healing.

 

Bio:

Erica Priscilla Sandoval is an award-winning mental health practitioner, speaker, spiritual healer, podcaster, advocate, and four-time published author. She is the founder and CEO of Sandoval Psychotherapy Consultation, known as Sandoval Co Lab, where she oversees a team of social workers and leads diversity, equity, and inclusion work for various organizations. Erica is also trained in Ketamine Assisted Therapy and has been trained by renowned experts in the field.

Website: Latinx SocialWork

Website: Erica Priscilla

IG:  LatinxSocialWork

 

TIMESTAMPS:

Summary
0:00:01	Introduction to the podcast and the guest, Erica Priscilla Sandoval
0:03:41	Erica Priscilla's journey of reclaiming her name and identity
0:08:33	Erica Priscilla's background and how she became a social worker
0:10:05	The pivotal moment that led Erica Priscilla to pursue social work
[0:11:54]	Social work as a calling, breaking intergenerational trauma cycles
[0:14:05]	Going back to school as an older student, empowering journey
[0:18:18]	Overcoming shame and embracing imperfection
[0:20:37]	Transitioning from hospital work to private practice
[0:21:53]	Applying and getting accepted to NYU social work program
[0:22:28]	Balancing work, internship, and school, guilt and support
[0:23:14]	Emotional graduation, first in family to achieve educational milestones
[0:23:48]	Trauma of being laid off from nonprofit job
[0:24:19]	Overcoming fears and passing clinical license test
[0:25:25]	Walking into her purpose as a social worker
[0:26:39]	Importance of therapy and self-care for healers
[0:29:51]	Exploring Ketamine training and its impact
[0:31:39]	Ketamine training as a breakthrough approach
[0:34:30]	Seeing shifts in clients through Ketamine Assisted therapy
[0:36:25]	Tapping into subconscious healing beyond talk therapy
[0:36:35]	Embracing a holistic approach to healing
[0:36:35]	Breaking through ancestral patterns to be an entrepreneur
0:37:09	Fear of scarcity mentality and financial trauma in lineage
0:39:15	Breaking cycles and shifting mindset from scarcity to abundance
0:40:18	Different relationships with money among siblings
0:41:09	Ancestral gift of love and compassion as superpower
0:43:31	Tapping into intuition and self-love
0:44:32	Where to find Erica Priscilla for collaboration and retreats
0:45:43	Gratitude and closing remarks

Self-Love: A journey of mind, body and spirit with, Johanna Benavides, Founder of Luna Serenity

Excited to share a beautiful guide and healer, a client that I’ve gotten to know in the process of months, someone that truly walks their talk, please welcome- Johanna Benavides!

 

• Johanna shares her journey from her first real job in anti-sex-trafficking where she was exposed to self-care and yoga through work wellness programs.

 

•  How Johanna experienced self-doubt and going in her head during the first yoga classes and how that led her to understand that her body needed healing.

 

• How she started chasing that shavasana (final resting pose in yoga)  feeling of releasing stress and leaning into physical practice.

 

• Connecting with her spiritual self through the physical practice of yoga and meditation.

 

• Being pregnant during the pandemic and how she managed stress, fear and anxiety.

 

• Getting past the fear of asking for help, the stigma of therapy and the myth that we’re supposed to “do it all on our own.” 

 

• Johanna shares insights on how to get support for yourself if you feel that you’re family may not be supportive. 

 

• The importance of not settling when looking for a therapist.

 

• The energy of “aguantar” or “putting up” with things that translates into people pleasing.

 

• How Johanna’s dreams guided her to cacao and to many realizations.

 

• Her first retreat in 2022 allowed her to connect with self-love and the land of Mexico in deeper ways.

 

• Johanna’s deep connection to her grandmother and her dreams.

 

• How as Latinx and BIPOC are still holding back from owning their intuitive knowledge and other soul gifts.

 

• Johanna shares what people would be experiencing on her Luna Goddess retreat- leaning into rest, relaxation, sound healing, yoga, community and empowerment photoshoots and on her  Self-Love Retreat we explore all the ways in which we can love ourselves and receive pleasure in our lives.

 

• The addition of belly dance with Jannelle Cortes and the joy in connecting with our bodies.

 

• Capturing the magic of what happens on the Self-Love retreat in an 8 week course that Johanna is creating! 

 

• The importance of Mother Nature and connecting to earth.

 

• The ancestral patterns that needed healing around visibility and being afraid to be seen. Checking off the boxes of: What do my parents need me to be? 

 

• Learning and putting it into action and how that has helped Johanna grow. 
• Breaking the  martyr pattern, releasing guilt and shame around nourishing ourselves!

• Leaning into gifts through hypnosis healing and connecting with Ancestors and then receiving validation through a family photo! 

 

Syay tuned and follow Johanna! She has a free event coming up 8/27! It's an event that will introduce you to her work and you'll be the FIRST to hear about her 8 week course! 

For more information visit www.Lunaserenity.com or connect with Johanna on Instagram @lunaserenityyoga.

Johanna Olivas

500 RYT//RPYT

Reiki Master & Sound Healing Practitioner

LunaSerenity.com

IG: @lunaserenityyoga

 

BIO: Johanna Benavides

 

Johanna offers a range of services with the intent of helping you find your way back to self love. Her goal is to help you reconnect with yourself through yoga, vibrational sound therapy, and different energy healing modalities.

All of Johanna's yoga and energy healing work touches on the physical, vibrational and emotional aspects of yourself.  The physical practice is a chance to explore connection to yourself, the vibrational level is a way for you to connect to your emotions and move energy in the body and the emotional level allows you to explore growth. All sessions with Johanna are a way to come home to yourself.

Johanna is a first generation daughter of parents from Ecuador and Nicaragua. As a mother of two, her path to self discovery was set in motion more than 13 years ago. Her practices have formed the foundation of reconnecting and reclaiming her ancestral roots.

Johanna is 500 Hour Registered Yoga teacher with specializations in Prenatal and Fertility Yoga, has completed Meditation Teacher trainings, is a Certified Usui Reiki Master, Crystalline Consciousness Technique Practitioner and has completed several Sound Healing Trainings over the years. 

For more information visit www.Lunaserenity.com or connect with Johanna on Instagram @lunaserenityyoga.

Dancer, Dreamer and Wanderer: Jannelle Cortes Founder of GrooveTrips and GrooveFit

Dancer, Dreamer and a Wanderer: Jannelle Cortes Founder of GrooveTrips and GrooveFit

I can barely sit still as I listen to this episode! BEYOND excited to share someone that I personally know and love very much!  Please welcome, a multi-passionate, multi-talented entrepreneur, dancer, creative and leader, Jannelle Cortes. I’ve known this creative powerhouse since 2005, have studied various styles of dance with her and have traveled with her to Egypt and the Dominican Republic!

We met in 2005, when I was manifesting the best belly dance teacher at New York Sports Club in NYC and we (all the shimmy sisters) followed her everywhere, borough to borough just to dance with her! We’ve traveled from borough to borough and country to country as she expanded GrooveFit to GrooveTrips guiding people to trips such as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Egypt and more! Many of us, including yours truly, were in her Middle Eastern cardio dance workout video, “ The Belly Dance Workout for Every Body!” She's a passionate, generous and beautiful being whose soul has guided to so many spaces, places and countries to support community, create community and share the magic of dance, culture and connection. 

 

• Early beginnings, from Baile del Perrito to Ballet, she shares “Ballet was my Yoga.”

 

• Dance was not something anyone thought she would pursue full-time and she entered her Fordham University Masters program.

 

• Grad school/Corporate World to Full-time dancer and teacher: The moment she realized that The Universe was opening a door to living a life with more passion.

 

• Her first belly dance class with Amira Mor filled her with joy and admiration, “I don’t know that I have ever felt that kind of exuberance and joy.”

 

• The term, “crazy belly dancer” and what it means- I went through that as a student!

 

• How Jannelle began taking belly dance students to Turkey, Egypt and Morocco so her students could learn from the land and the people where the music and dance was born.

 

• Jannelle shares how creating space for folks to express themselves makes her joyful because she recognizes it may be the only place where we can be other aspects of ourselves.

 

• “It provided all types of women, all ages, all bodies to come into class and be celebrated, Jannelle on her dance class teaching.

 

• Teaching dance class for Eddie Palmieri at the Savannah Hotel

 

• “When you’re born with something, you have to feed it. It’s you, this is a part of you,” Jannelle Cortes

 

• Supporting local artists and small businesses when she travels and why it’s important.

 

• How Cuba gave her the opportunity to meet organizations and people and feel called to give back through each trip. 

 

• Exploring her identity as a Dominican woman who comes from an island that has been impacted by colonization, oppression and colorism. How do I heal myself and help others heal? How have my people come about? 

 

• Her experience of coming home to Ghana and a sense of completion.

 

• Ancestral patterns and ancestral gifts that Jannelle has tapped into.

 

• Shout out to Ivonne Velasquez and to my Mom and Johanna Olivas and Vanessa Villaverde- same message, “ It is our responsibility to seek happiness for ourselves.”

 

• Jannelle closes with some advice for creative entrepreneurs:

There is no blueprint for entrepreneurship, most Latinx didn’t grow up talking about money so much of the business acumen we have, we’ve had to earn and learn.

You’re allowed to recreate yourself, over and over and over again.”

BIO:

 

Jannelle Cortes is a choreographer, travel professional, and entrepreneur that grew up in the Maryland area and now resides in New York City and Havana, Cuba. She is the Founder of  the Groovefit Dance Company and Groove Trips LLC, both intergenerational companies that  promote community, accessibility, and sustainability.  

Find Jannelle Cortes for updated info on her upcoming trips and masterminds: https://groove-trips.com/

Follow on IG: GROOVETRIPS