I wanted to cry. Between two rows of corn, I stood like a starfish with a stalk in each hand, pressing my feet down into the ground. I didn’t know what else to do. T was away on a trip, and I felt alone, defeated, and overwhelmed. After standing like that for a few minutes […]
Most of us never plan what we would bring if we only had a few minutes to leave our home. Or where to go if it wasn’t safe to stay in the same town or city. But when the detective asked me over the phone if I could leave the city, “until he calms down,” I knew […]
Last week, my partner and I were on the train that runs along the Hudson River (its real name, Mahicantuck “the river that flows two ways”) to Grand Central terminal. It’s a ride that takes 1.53 hrs, and we held hands the whole time. Except for when I stole his book and he took it […]
Whenever my sister or I started a new cycle, our grandmother would wrap us in blankets, make us tea with medicines she’d picked, and tell our youngest uncles –– who always enjoyed teasing and messing with us –– to leave us alone. “Don’t bother her,” she would say. Or them if we were going through […]
I’m a bit concerned that so many people think they’re meant to live with trauma for the rest of their lives. Although… concerned might not be the right word. What do you think? Troubling? Terrifying? Normal? Like this person commenting on social media: “thanks to therapy I’ve learned how to live with my trauma.” Live with […]
If you’ve ever been sick, you know the feeling. The exhaustion that sweeps in when your body is trying to fight something. For a few days, maybe even a week, you wake up feeling like you’ve been up all night. And no matter how much you sleep, you want more. More sleep, you can feel […]
You and me, we are mostly made out of water and energy. With water that runs through our bodies like rivers. Shapes and curves like valleys and mountains. Roots spreading inside of us. Roots moving. The ability to create life. Sustain life. The need for relationships. Tell me how we are different from Nag Mapu, […]
It’s six years ago, during an early morning rush hour of people dropping off their kids at school, going to work, or just going places. The result is the kind of traffic that moves forward an inch per minute. It doesn’t bother me, every day is the same in LA. So instead of testing how […]
As a young child, I didn’t need to watch the news to learn about the weather. My mom was my weather channel. “I feel pressure,” she would say, placing a hand on her head and legs to show where she felt it. That meant a thunderstorm was coming. On Wallmapu, our territory, storms can turn bad […]
Hello, my name is Mandy Martini –– Kvyen (Moon) Chihuailaf (Mist spreading over a lake).
I'm a Mapuche writer and teacher, founder of SLG- an online school and community that has helped members in over 40 countries heal from the effects of stress and trauma using Indigenous knowledge and wisdom.
My goal is to help you live a life you can't wait to wake up to every morning.
Your support helps me help my family and our community in terms of contributing to legal fees, shelters for survivors of violence, rebuilding efforts, and food scarcity.
ChaltĂĽ may, thank you.