Las Doctoras Podcast

In this new episode with Las Doctoras, we present to you, Dr. Alka Arora. 
This is another exciting episode with a great mentor of Dr. Cristina‘s. Alka Arora was the chair of Cristina‘s dissertation committee. Alka continues to be a great inspiration in Cristina‘s life. In particular, Alka inspires conversations at the intersection of activism and spirituality as well as the crossroads of integral feminist pedagogy and integral thinking with animal ethics.  This discussion includes naming systems of oppression - including patriarchy and colonialism - as we navigate mindfulness. Listen for key themes of blasphemy, integration, vulnerability, and validation.   
Alka Arora, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Women's Spirituality program at CIIS. She joined the faculty in 2001 and helped develop the MA program in Women, Gender, Spirituality, and Social Justice.

For over a decade, Dr. Arora has been developing the field of integral feminist education and feminist spiritual activism, working alongside sister scholars to offer a transdisciplinary and socially-engaged approach to the study of gender, spirituality, and religion. Her teaching and research emphasizes the interconnection between human and animal liberation, and she embraces a decolonial vegan ethic.

Alka offers coaching and consulting on feminist spirituality, holistic education, and leadership. 
To sign up for her monthly newsletter, The Alkami Report: https://www.alkaarora.com/contact

We first met Sara in person at a week long retreat in Joshua Tree. Her magnetic and inspiring energy made a huge impression on us. We are so excited to introduce her to our comunidad!! 

Sara is a therapist and founder of Prospect Therapy. Prospect Therapy is a queer + trans affirming therapy practice based in Long Beach, CA, with a focus on mental health for first-generation, immigrant, and bicultural communities. Our guiding principles are integrity, generosity and enthusiasm. We support these principles through transparent decision-making, promoting community visibility and access to care, and affirming all identities.

Sara also is a coach, a speaker, and so much more! We know you'll enjoy this episode so much!

Follow Sara at https://sarastanizai.com/. 

and https://www.prospecttherapy.com/.

@prospecttherapy

Cristina first met Atava Garcia Swiecicki in a Curanderismo course in Los Angeles in 2014. This pivotal time in Cristina's life, guided her into a dream that would inspire her to name her child "Jaguar," and the time with Atava and other healers continues to encourage Cristina in her own healing practices. Atava's The Curanderx Toolkit is now a key text in Cristina's classes! Truly, inviting Atava to come share with our listeners is such a special honor! Atava is guided by her dreams and her Mexican, Polish, and Hungarian ancestors. She received a BA in feminist studies from Stanford University and a master’s degree from the Indigenous Mind Program at Naropa University in Oakalnd. Atava has studied healing arts extensively for over thirty years and has been mentored by herbalists, curanderas, and traditional knowledge keepers. She works as a clinical herbalist and teacher. She is the founder of the Ancestral Apothecary School of Herbal, Folk, and Indigenous Medicine on Ohlone territory in Oakland, and she currently lives in unceded Tewa Pueblo territory in the Southwest. We trust this episode will inspire and encourage you! Atava's personal website is ancestralapothecary.com, and the website for her school is ancestralapothecaryschool.com.

Meet Nisha Mody! Nisha (she/her) is a Relational Healing & Life Coach, Speaker, and Writer. She loves to help changemakers who consider themselves helpers to help themselves so they can make an impact by working through burnout, perfectionism, and overgiving. Nisha speaks up and writes about disrupting norms and redefining success from being individualistic and inauthentic to being relational and congruent. This conversation had deep resonance with us. Changemakers, may Nisha bring you peace and joy and healing. Work with her at https://www.nishaland.com/work-with-me Follow her work at: www.nishaland.com @healinghypegirl

Join us as we speak about the CSU strike scheduled the first week of classes at our campuses.  We originally meant to record this live when the strike was in full force.

Then, things shifted. 

Yep, and even though the strike was over, we had things to say about it all.  In this episode, we break down the strike and the "tentative agreement."

This conversation is everything we needed. Come, meet Cinthya Silverstein if you have not already. Cinthya is a Mexican immigrant and visual activist whose work is deeply rooted in photography as a tool for the analysis of visual culture. Her work reflects a lived, intersectional experience that recognizes images as a social instrument that’s been used to reinforce race-making in the United States. In this convo, Cinthya helps us understand racism and the perspective of Jews of Color. Truly, there was a magic that brought together Renee and Cinthya. And, despite the circumstances, we are able to speak to how pivotal it is to be able to build community around our common values and explore vulnerable topics in brave space.

In this episode, we bring you the incomparable Pia Schiavo-Campo. Pia is a dear friend of ours. We were with Pia in a cohort of other amazing creatives led by @jumakae in 2022. And, we knew she had some magic to share. In this conversation, she gets real. Gratitude to Pia for helping us all truly articulate our priorities as we advocate to end the violence we are witnessing live on social media right now. We know you'll connect with Pia's energy. Head on over to @asplashofpia to discover more about this incredible guest.

Welcome back brujas, scholars, mujeristas y mas! In this episode, Las Doctoras give a life update and share briefly what they hope to bring to the podcast this season. Season 6!!! We can hardly believe we’ve made it this far and still love having conversations about new and old things.

In this conversation, Cristina and Renee give a quick update on life AND THEN....dive right into the vulnerable and powerful topic of cults and cult culture. Inspired by Renee's new podcast La Feminista Chismosa, which highlights and critiques pop culture, this episode looks at recent documentaries focused on, specifically, Christian cults. Our goal? Freedom from false narratives that offer safety and success. Join us as we come back to our selves (vs come to Jesus).