What happens to all your energy? And why does it feel like death? Someone commented this on a video I posted on Tiktok: “Before and during I am fine but after it feels like death.” This person was referring to how they feel after their menstrual cycle, but most people living in survival (aka […]
That look, I had seen it before: a startled deer, trying to decide whether to stay still or run. Body tense and big wide eyes asking; Is this dangerous? Am I safe? I zigzagged my way through rows of students on their backs. Even under the dim lights, I could tell they were all relaxed, all […]
I’m just going to throw you right into this. Imagine for a moment that you’re hanging off a cliff. Your feet, dangling in the air, rocks crumbling under your fingertips, your grip so tight your knuckles are turning white. Looking down, all you can see is darkness. Then, you turn your head and see that […]
An analogy to help you see how this society misunderstands our instincts. And how it affects you. In my yard, there are a lot of lizards. Every morning I sit with my coffee and watch them jump from one rock to another. Then they stop and do these little push-ups. Don’t ask me why but […]
From not fitting in, hiding identity, and domestic violence; to new beginnings. Last week I turned 33. Do you ever look at older pictures of yourself and wish you could talk to your younger self? When I look at pictures of myself as a child, she feels like a daughter. I want to crouch down […]
Whenever I think of my abuelita, I think of her soft healing hands. Her whispers to the plants like she was sharing secrets with them. Her knowledge and cure to everything from a stomach ache to a heartache. My relationship with our plant relatives started early. And as much as I wish I could say […]
My shoes clung to the floor as I walked through the bar. Every day I would come here, blaming it on the 2–4–1 happy hour and a sweet deal on tacos. But in reality, it was a way to escape. To numb and forget. I’d seen it before in my family, using alcohol […]
These past few months I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about births and periods. Not because my “clock is ticking” — but because of how similar it is to how we heal. Have you ever thought about that? How the way we heal from trauma and stress-related illnesses (both physical and emotional), actually even […]
I remember being a teenager first learning how to drive. So nervous and scared to even breathe or blink. My eyes locked on a small section of the road right in front of the car. Hands gripping onto the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles were turning white. “Pay attention to what’s […]
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.
Chaltü may, thank you.