Meet Andrea Mercedes Garcia

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Mercedes Garcia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea Mercedes , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My grandparents, Papa Rudy and Granny were my saving grace. On Olanda street in Paramount I could be my true self. I went through all of my teen years post the sexual abuse feeling a deep sense of worthlessness. I watched my grandmother give us every ounce of love she had left in her despite all the hardships life had already given her. She taught me to be resilient to keep riding the waves of life. ” Un día a la vez, Dios mío Es lo que pido de ti Dame la fuerza para vivir Un día a la vez” by Los Tigres de Norte playing on mi quierida Viejas radio. Give me the strength to live one day at a time. I spent many years battling depression and I took it one day at a time. One day I will pay my grandparents back for loving me. In all the ways I continue to keep going with their love supporting my resiliency. My grandfather has already transitioned out of this timeline but his love remains. Love may not keep the lights or heat on but it sure does keep the warmth inside of you going. All the times I was dim, my grandparents consistently reignited the flame with their love. It taught me how to find the strength to keep going. My grandmother’s prayers will protect me long after her spirit transitions, I am sure of this. Their resiliency taught me to be resilient. Their love taught me how to keep going. Their prayers protected me. Their love never failed me and in turn I never fail myself. Even when I fall I will rise as long as I have a chance to open my eyes. As long as I am breathing, I keep going. Now for my babies even more then before. I have little eyes watching me. I have to keep going.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
AMG Healing was born after multiple tower moments in my life. When I began my spiritual healing journey it was in an effort to reclaim my roots and work through my childhood trauma. When I had a near death experience after giving birth to my youngest son, I began a conscious journey of trauma healing. I felt as if I was raising little me, my inner niña all over again, I still do. I have in past lives been a medicine woman and healer and I come from a lineage of indigenous roots with strong candle work. The more I spoke to others about my journey, particularly mamas, I realized how many others could benefit from what I learned along the way. I have always loved to help people. I believe it is directly connected to the lack of empathy I had as a child. I want to be the person and guidance I needed when I began my journey to others. I decided to get certified in Reiki as another form of energy cleansing. I consider myself a vessel, an assitant because all of us have the ability to heal ourselves. I am simply an alchemist that has turned her pain into beauty and wish to help others do the same. I am currently offering limpias, energy clearing, reiki cleanses, tarot, 1-1 placticas, and birth charts readings, including health Astrology charts. I am offering workshops of healing circles periodically as well.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

If I had to do the difficult moments all over again, I would have adjusted my attitude towards them. When I began my journey I did not have the tools to even process the trauma and I surely did not know how to ride the waves. One piece of advice would be to ride the wave. The hard moments always ends and the good moments don’t last. Stay present and live in gratitude.
My second impactful area of knowledge would be allowing myself to tap into my spirituality sin pena, without shame. I remember feeling deep shame while I began to branch away from the traditional religion I was raised and reclaim my spiritual roots. I had a wise woman tell me that my journey was exactly that, mine, and it was up to me to decide how my story is told. To stand in my validity unapologetically and honor myself always.
My last consejo would be to remember that even the teacher can always be the student. I allow myself to read, learn, and embrace the knowledge of others in any capacity I can. Remembering this not only keeps me humble but gives me room to grow and strive to be better.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Our late and great ancestor Bell Hooks book All About Love has been one of the most meaningful pieces of literature ever written. My eyes were filled with tears the with every page I read. I remember feeling seen, heard, and validated with the similarities to her experiences and mine. There are so many gems in this book but one nugget that lives rent free in my head is, “Do not expect to receive the love from someone else you do not give to yourself…The light of love is always in us, no matter how cold the flame. It is always present, waiting for the spark to ignite, waiting for the heart to awaken”. This is such a beautiful way to acknowledge self love and how we can always find the love within.
Another favorite would be where Ms. Hooks talked about love being a choice and not something we have to do. The quote is,” Will also implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love…When we understand love as the will to nurture our own and another’s spiritual growth, it becomes clear that we cannot claim to love if we are hurtful and abusive. Love and abuse cannot coexist.”
Her definition of love alone is so amazing!
I highly recommend this book to everyone!

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