Exploring Ancestral Traditions and Spirituality

How might we connect more deeply with the Divine via dance? What can water teach us about the flow of life? And what happens when we combine the two? On the latest episode I explore this rich topic with Venezuelan contemporary dance performer, choreographer, and teacher Juliana Mendonca. Juliana is an innovative bodyworker influenced by Latin Traditional Dances, Butoh, Contact Improvisation and Physical Theater. In particular, water has represented a very important element for her to understand herself, and Juliana has dedicated many years to creating projects and performances inspired by the element of water. These include the music and dance company Raíz de Agua, La Naciente, Drop & Drought, Sono Somatic and most recently, Liquidanza – a relaxation and dance practice based in the water.

In this episode we discuss:

• Juliana's early, formative experiences with nature, and why they made a deeper impression on her than her experiences within the Catholic church
• Juliana's journey through formal dance training and into more experimental, flowing forms of dance, such as the Japanese Butoh dance method
• Her relationship with water, including what it's taught her, and how she understands it as holding feminine energy that can benefit us all
• How we can all deepen our awareness and understanding of the sacred nature of water

Show Notes 

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• I'm so excited to announce the launch of the Home to Her Academy, a school dedicated to seekers of Sacred Feminine wisdom! To learn more and register for my upcoming class, "Home to Herstory, Home to Your Story," please visit www.hometoheracademy.com. And while you're there, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date with upcoming classes.
• My book, “Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine,” is available from Womancraft Publishing! To learn more, read endorsements and purchase, please visit  https://womancraftpublishing.com/product/home-to-her/. It is also available for sale via Amazon, Bookshop.org, and you can order it from your favorite local bookstore, too.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review! For the podcast, reviews on iTunes are extremely helpful, and for the book, reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are equally helpful. Thank you for supporting my work!
• You can watch this and other podcast episodes at the Home to Her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• Got feedback about this episode or others you've heard? Please reach out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hometoher/ ), Facebook  (https://www.facebook.com/hometoher)
• You can learn more about Juliana and her work at her website, www.liquidanza.com.
• The Venezuelan Goddess Juliana mentioned is named Yara. I couldn't find many good sources about her written in English, unfortunately. 
• Juliana referenced Butoh Dance and the Naguchi Taiso method as part of her own dance journey. This article provides more information: https://zenembodiment.com/2019/06/08/body-as-bones-in-a-leather-bag-of-water-exploring-noguchi-taiso/
• Juliana also mentioned Watsu therapy. You can learn more here: https://www.healthline.com/health/watsu

For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.

To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher 

To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com 

And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated! 

Mentioned in this episode:

The Call of the Fire: A 6 Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

The Call of the Fire is an intimate, 6-month group coaching program designed to help you experience your true power at a deeper level than you’ve ever known before. While patriarchal systems of domination have taught us that power is about control, hierarchy and the hoarding of resources, through The Call of the Fire you’ll learn that there’s a different, older, more time-tested way to understand and employ power. Once we know this, there’s no turning back. Rooted in the rich, yet largely hidden herstorical and mythological record of the ancient feminine, The Call of the Fire will introduce you to the secret roots of female power we all have encoded deep within us. And via group coaching, experiential exercises and more, help you access these roots to live your fullest, most unfettered life. The program begins with a 5-day, 4-night kick-off retreat on the Big Island of Hawaii October 15-19, 2025. For the following six months, we'll meet twice monthly via Zoom to explore 6 specific aspects of female power; practice accessing and embodying this power in your own life; and drop into deep community with your fellow sister seekers. You’ll also have access to tons of additional learning resources and the opportunity to meet 1:1 with me to clarify your goals and work on specific areas you may need support on. Learn more at www.hometoher.com!