Author: Sylvie Rokab

Heading home from the Amazon jungle…
humbled by challenges
heart filled with joy
spirit nourished
insights still unfolding

And one question alive in me:
What is the medicine our modern world most urgently needs?

And you might wonder…
Why would I willingly spend three days traveling – through heat, bug bites, and discomfort – to visit one of the most remote Indigenous villages on Earth?

For me, the answer is layered.
A longing to learn ancestral knowledge.
A discontent with a culture that has forgotten how to belong.
A yearning for deeper kinship with Earth, self, others, and the unseen.

The forest called me, and I accepted an invitation to attend the Kairau Saite Music Festival. The festival was born from a prophecy received by the shaman Pajé Tata after a vision by the ocean: a mythic being, half woman and half jiboia (anaconda), with the face of the sun.

The message was clear – the songs of the Yawanawá were meant to be shared, so their culture could remain alive.

Over one hundred of us gathered at Mutum Village, deep in the Acre region of the Brazilian Amazon, for an immersion into music, prayer, and the living mysteries of the forest.

Not long after we arrived, the Yawanawá women offered to paint our faces and bodies, explaining it was a form of protection, a way of preparing us for the spiritual forces we were about to encounter.

There were sacred ceremonies, ancestral chants, and moments that brought me face to face with both fear and wonder.

But curiously…
the deepest medicine I received was not in the visions.
It was in the way people cared for one another.

The Yawanawá live in a way that many of us in modern culture have forgotten.
With warmth. Support. And interdependence.

The children care for each other – older ones naturally holding and tending to the younger ones.

The young leader Shauma, who hosted ten of us, shared:
“You are family to us. We now care for each other.”
And he meant it.

What we brought with us was no longer “mine.”
It became ours.

When my back went into spasm after days of planes, vans, and boats, my co-traveler, Miro, gave me his pain-relief patches.

When my eyes needed care, a young healer treated me with Sananga – a tree-derived eye medicine known for its intense burning sensation.

Our cooks even offered to wash our clothes by hand (washers and dryers in the Amazon only come as visions).

During ceremonies, when my inner demons would show their faces, devotional chants would soothe my heart. Those chants would gently give way to joyful rhythms. People would gather at the center and inevitably, my feet would begin tapping, eventually carrying me there too.

Someone would take my hand, and there we were, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder – immersed in a warm, pulsing field, healing one another through the simple joy of belonging.

I was held. And holding too.
Again and again.

And it brought me right back to my Brazilian roots: warm, loving, musical, joyful, supportive, and communal. “Saudade” (that bittersweet longing woven with love and joy) for the beating heart that shaped me.

And I was reminded:
Perhaps this is one of the deepest illnesses of our time: disconnection.
From Earth.
From one another.
From touch.
From trust.
From belonging.

In the forest, prayer becomes song.
Song becomes movement.
Movement becomes community.
And community becomes medicine.

A medicine of joy – a phrase I hear again and again from the Yawanawá: Só alegria!! (Only joy!!)

I came home asking:
What would it look like to remember this way of living?
To build communities rooted in care.
To live less guarded.
To trust one another more deeply.
To remember that healing does not happen alone.

Perhaps this is part of my path now:
to keep learning from these ancestral ways…
and to explore how their wisdom might help us restore the brilliance in ourselves, in our communities, and in our relationship with the living Earth.

If this reflection stirred something in you – a longing for deeper connection, joy, and belonging – I’d love to continue this exploration together.

And for those of you in Southern California, I’m gathering a small community on July 19th for an afternoon of movement, music, forest bathing, and togetherness.

I’m also inviting young women – between the ages of 18-25 – who feel a calling from Earth – to apply for Sacred Earth Rising – a program sponsored by Carol Blaney and John Sun in loving memory of their daughter, Isabel. There is no cost to participate.

With love,
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie Rokab
Earth-based mindfulness mentor, guide, and teacher

The word “leader“never quite felt like it fit me.

I’m a dreamer. An artist. An empath who loves bringing healing and joy to people and other beings. A foodie who blisses out over chocolate fondue. A guitar player singing devotion to Mother Gaia. A wanderer of the Imaginal Realms – in plain daylight!

Leader?

Maybe… in the realms of wonder, creativity, and sacred delight.

And yet – my mother often tells me that since I was four, I would climb on the kitchen table, waving my fingers, speaking passionately about social and environmental justice.

That hasn’t stopped.

The kitchen table just morphed into film festival podiums, city council meetings, and conversations in circles. And the tone softened – less grasping, more invitation. Less pushing, more heart.

For a long time, I resisted the idea of leadership.

It felt rigid. Top-down. Structured to the point of clenched jaws and furrowed brows. A kind of discipline that felt disconnected from the aliveness I knew – and longed for.

But over time, something shifted.

Through mindfulness practice… through guiding others in nature… through time spent in deep listening – whether in spaces of ceremony with the Huni Kuin people… or in listening to Earth, Sun and what feels sacred…

I began to sense a different kind of leadership. Not just for myself, but for what might bring about healing – within, between us, and in the wider world.

Not power over – but power with.
Not control – but presence.
Not above – but alongside.
Not self-focused – but relational.

Leadership began to feel less like a role… and more like a way of being.

It can live in a caregiver tending to an elder.
In a social worker devoted to a community.
In a student speaking up for the Earth.
In an innovator shaping more life-giving ways forward.
In a musician uplifting spirits.
In someone choosing, again and again, to meet life with awareness and heart.

And maybe… this kind of leadership already lives in you.

What kind of leader are you when you’re most aligned with yourself?

What new way of serving feels like a quiet longing in you?

If you feel a pull to explore or deepen your own way of leading – from presence, from care, from what feels true to you – I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

You’re welcome to visit my Mentoring page, where you can also schedule a complimentary 20-minute call to explore whether this might feel like a good fit.

Warmly,
Sylvie

While tabling at an Earth Week event at a local college, I found myself in conversation with a young man about his life aspirations. A frown came across his face as he shared he was confused.

I asked him, “What would you love?”

He paused. “I don’t know.”

He went on to say his life is so filled with a constant stream of information that he doesn’t have time to ponder. As we spoke, I found myself mentioning the intensity of the times we’re in – how overwhelming it can feel. He nodded emphatically.

With his permission, I offered him a few gentle prompts:
“Would you consider spending a few quiet minutes each day with nature?
Could you keep asking yourself… ‘what would I love?’
What is your deepest longing… even in the midst of it all?
And could you hold these questions with kindness toward yourself?”

I also shared that he’s not alone – that people of all ages and walks of life, at one time or another, find themselves unsure of the path ahead. I added, “you have a lot of company.”

After this short exchange, something in him softened. The tension in his face gave way to a wide-eyed, curious expression… and then a smile.

As he thanked me with sincerity, I felt a sense of joy.

There is no telling what might emerge for this young man. But knowing that a small seed of reflection – or maybe possibility – has been planted in someone’s heart leaves me feeling nourished – gently aligned with my own purpose.

This is a glimpse of what I offer as a mentor.
Arriving in relational presence.
Listening deeply.
Asking questions that invite inner knowing.
Offering Earth-based mindfulness practices and guided experiences.
Holding it all with care, with attention, with heart.

When vision feels blurry, it can be unsettling.

A mentor can be like a wise companion – gently walking alongside you, as you discover your own True North, rooted in your values, your desires, and your longing to serve in the world.

If you feel called to rekindle a sense of purpose, I warmly welcome you to a complementary 20-minute call to explore whether mentoring might feel aligned for you. If you feel curious to learn more, you’re also welcome to explore my mentoring page.

With love,
Sylvie

Riding my bike today, California poppies bathed my eyes in color and freshness – revealing the essence of Spring shining through in these last few days of winter.

Still jet-lagged, I’m processing my pilgrimage to Egypt – the birthplace of my parents – and I feel deeply inspired by Hatshepsut’s story, a powerful embodiment of renewal.

In a world shaped by kings, she invited her people to imagine something radically different – a female ruler whose reign centered on peace, regeneration, and expansion, rather than conquest. Her leadership opened new routes of exchange, bringing healing herbs, incense, and abundance to ancient Egypt.

No domination. No wars. Rather, flourishing.

And as headlines once again speak of violence in the Middle East, Hatshepsut’s story stirs something tender and fierce in me: a longing for peace, connection, and regeneration – not as a fantasy, but as a lived practice.

When we come together with a shared vision and take small, steady steps, something new can emerge.

May the spirit of Spring – or Autumn for some of you – awaken in each of us a desire to create ripples of change – from doing what we love while rooting ourselves in wisdom and the sacred, whatever that means for any of us.

With love,
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie
Earth-based Mindfulness Mentor and Filmmaker  

As a Brazilian living in the US most of my life, I’ve long felt a calling to reconnect with my roots — especially with the Amazon and its native peoples. That calling became loud during a Buddhist ceremony, when I felt Mother Gaia in every cell of my body – conveying to me that the Amazon is the heart of the world. It’s wounded, but still beats strong. I must go meet it. 

After celebrating my mom’s 90th birthday in Rio, I travelled to the Huni Kuin peoples of the Pinuya village, where I was deeply honored to be welcomed into the home of Cacique Assis (the village Chief), his wife Rogéria, and their family.

Warmth of family, making me feel at home in Pinuya village. Gratidão! 🙏🏼

Sunrise from Cacique Assis’ family patio

The room they offered me held sacred beauty

Having sat with two of the Huni Kuin people in California – Biruany and Bixku – I already had a sense that my time in Pinuya would be powerful. But what I found there was way beyond what I had imagined…

Their prayers and chants were profoundly resonant, carrying the voices of their ancestors across millennia. Their ceremonies were rich with colorful artistry, exquisite music, and devotion to forces of the forest by people of all ages. And they shared a deep sense of trust, belonging, mutual support, and healing with all of us present.

Holding each other isn’t just cool… it’s the way

Ancient chants with a modern twist

Some of the rituals felt scary and challenged every bit of my Western logic. I wasn’t exactly excited about the idea of having my skin burnt or my eyes sting… I admit I prefer the kind of healing that comes wrapped in rose petals. So one night I went to bed thinking, “No thank you, I’ll sit this one out.”

Majés’ helpers prepping medicinal plants

That night I had a vivid dream. My Majé (medicine woman) Biruany appeared beside me, resting her hand on my shoulder and showering me with affection – encouraging me to take heart and join the ritual. In the dream, I agreed and in the next scene, I rescued a man from drowning. He thanked me for saving his life.

I woke up at 3am wide-eyed, knowing I received the clearest call to do the ritual.  At dawn, I joined in. And sure enough, in my most intense moments, Biruany appeared and had my back, joined by another Majé, Samē, and their helpers who carried me through the hardest part of the experience.

Once the ritual was over, I felt grounded and energized, and with a deeper bond with my Majés – powerful, caring, and devoted healers – and all others in the forest, human and beyond.

Sometimes trust is saying yes, even when every part of you wants to say no.

What inspired me most was not only the beauty, the community, and the healing of the ceremonies, but the deeper truth behind it all: gratitude, joy, music, community, and communion with the Sacred are the medicines we need in these times of personal and collective madness.

The Jibóia (anaconda) dance

Kids holding strong at dawn after a night of ceremony

“We shake but we don’t fall”

And just as I had to trust the medicine through fear, the Huni Kuin continue to trust life itself — even though they were forced off their ancestral lands and relocated to a small territory now hemmed in by cattle ranches – the scars of colonization and ongoing exploitation.

Much of the Amazon forest is being illegally burnt for cattle ranching – beef from these supply chains have been linked to US grocery chains like Walmart, Costco, and Kroger

Yet, like the forest, they continue interbeing: healing, restoring, and teaching us what resilience looks like, all the while staying on constant alert. Their warriors surrounded us during ceremonies and kept vigil at night, radios crackling in the dark – protecting their village and us visitors from threats all too real, from those who still seek to erase them.

As their sign in the forest says “We shake but we don’t fall.”

I feel immense gratitude to the Huni Kuin people – for their courage and for opening their homes and lives with such generosity of heart, despite their struggles. Their caring humbled me and already fills me with “saudade“, that sweet longing that wears a smile of joy.

Little Kari pierces hearts, offering her chocolate to anyone who comes her way

My deepest prayer: May we and our civilization root ourselves in the ancient knowledge of Indigenous peoples like the Huni Kuin. And may we protect, support, and empower their leadership in the world.

Next time you reach for your journal, I invite you to ponder…
– What qualities of being spark your sense of resilience?
– In what ways are you welcoming the forces of Nature, ancestral wisdom, and the Sacred into your life?
– How do you (or would like to) share the medicine you receive with your more-than-human community?

I am myself in deep contemplation about how to weave the wisdom from the Amazon into the medicine that “Yuxibu” (Great Spirit) wants me to share. More to come…

Thank you for journeying with me through this sharing. Though I may not see you, I feel you, I honor you, and I send sacred blessings your way.

With love, joy, and devotion,
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie Rokab
Guide for sacred connection with Earth and her wisdom keepers

Blessings of fire, protection, and more-than-human community under the stars

Early this summer, a back injury brought me to my knees — leaving me yearning for lessons that might bring me relief and insights. I had already penciled in attending Aniwa, an Indigenous Leaders’ gathering in Mendocino, CA, but with the pain I was in, traveling felt about as enticing as walking the Camino de Santiago with Legos in my boots.

Then a precious being named Melissa stepped in — offering rides and support. She felt like a sign from Great Mystery: Go. And so I went.

There, amidst Indigenous leaders from around the globe—all carrying the transgenerational scars of colonization, land theft, boarding schools, violence, and genocide—one message was crystal clear:

Even with (and because of) all the pain we experience at personal, collective, and global levels, we have to practice living in gratitude, joy, music, presence, community, and connection—with each other, our ancestors, the beings of the Earth, and the Sacred. Rooted in that empowered devotion, we draw the strength to join forces—transforming ourselves, uplifting our communities, and helping the world re-member its wholeness.

Being from Brazil, I felt especially drawn to connect with tribal leaders from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Amidst their heart‑opening, exhilarating songs — in both their native and colonized language, I kept hearing the words in Portuguese: gratidão e alegria (gratitude and joy).

I also had the honor of partaking in Sacred Indigenous medicine ceremonies that were profoundly healing — for me and many others — touching body, heart, mind, and spirit, and strengthening our sense of deep belonging together. They even inspired me to pick up a guitar again after a 38-year hiatus (my fingers hate me for it).

Their knowledge, devotional music, prayers, and bonds of community not only helped heal me—they rekindled my spirit’s longing to stand in deeper allyship with Indigenous Peoples, help carry their wisdom forward, and share Earth‑based medicine, heart-centered practices, and Sacred connection with my beloved community — you included.

Honored to have been with Pajés (Shamans) Biruani and Bixku of the Huni Kuin Nation from the Amazonian Acre region.

Here with recently married Raine (Asháninka Peoples) and Txuku (Puyanaua Peoples) also from Acre. At the Aniwa Gathering, they shared their love, wisdom, and soul-stirring music.

May the light of these pajés and wisdom-keepers keep blessing our beautiful and wounded world – and may we be vessels for their knowledge, healing, and Sacred union with all of life.

With love,
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie Rokab
Earth-based Mindfulness Guide and Filmmaker

As an Angelena, the past two weeks have been profoundly distressing. I’ve watched the firestorms overtake our city – evacuation bags by the door – and heard several beloved friends share that their homes went up in flames.

It’s been heartbreaking, yet in this tragedy, I’ve witnessed the incredible depth of compassion and support from both our community and around the world. As the fires continue, so does the need for care, and there are precious opportunities to help relieve suffering. At the end of this email, you’ll find ways to help.

Practices to Self-Regulate

Whether the fires consumed your home, touched your heart through stories of devastation, or mirrored another painful challenge in your life, here are a few simple practices to help regulate your nervous system, and bring a sense of calm and equanimity:

– Shake it out: If there is pent up trauma, try shaking your body as wild animals do after escaping predators. Shaking is a natural system of self-regulation for many species, including ours.

– Ground yourself: Visit a park, beach, or natural space and walk barefoot on grass, sand, or water. Notice the sensations under your feet as you connect with the earth.

– Connect with beings: Notice if a rooted being calls to you (a plant or tree). If you sense a connection, ask permission to be with it and invite your heart to soften. If grief, anger, or sadness arises, share it with the being and with Mother Earth. Observe the reciprocity of care that might emerge.

– Embrace loving touch: Reach out to the loving beings in your life – human or pet – and offer or ask for a hug. Few things are more healing than a loving embrace or safe touch.

– Find community: Join a spiritual or heartful nature community for deep sharing / deep listening (see opportunities listed below).

The Lessons Of Fire

The fires of our lives – whether literal or symbolic – can be profound teachers. They remind us that everything in the physical realm arises and vanishes – homes, jobs, people, even civilizations.

While experiencing loss can be deeply painful, it also reveals the sacredness of this moment, this breath, this caring heartbeat, and opens the curtains to the mystery that holds all existence.

When we bring attention to the here and now, the movement of clouds and the last rays of sun warming our skin invite the body to sigh, the heart to soften, and the mind to trust that new beginnings arise from the ashes.

Opportunities to Heal and Empower

My beloved team and I have created opportunities for you to heal, resource, empower, and join loving community while anchoring ancient and sacred practices – backed by neuroscience. Full scholarships are available for fire survivors, BIPOC, and financial hardship folks.

I hope you’ll join us to bring intention, wisdom, ease, joy, and purpose into 2025 and beyond.

With love,
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie Rokab
Nature-Mindfulness Mentor / Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker

Whatever celebrations you find yourself joining this time of year—Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Yaldā, Dongzhi, New Year’s Day, etc. —chances are the frenzy of preparations, gifting, and cultural expectations might feel intense, maybe even overwhelming.

I’d like to share with you a few gentle reminders that help me navigate this season with more ease and joy:

• Coming back to your “why.” What is at the heart of your celebration? If it’s about family, community, or shared joy, let that core value guide you. The pressures of obligations often fade when we focus on love, connection, and togetherness.
• Freeing your mind from the noise. Ads may tell you joy comes from what you buy, but true joy often emerges from the simplest gifts—music that stirs the heart, a shared laugh over a game, dancing wildly in your living room, or stories by candlelight.
• Finding your ground, wherever you are. If you’re stuck in traffic or swept up in holiday madness, take a moment to feel your fingers on the wheel, notice the places where your body meets your seat, and—if it’s safe—gaze at the clouds, trees, or distant mountains… allowing a simple mindful presence to bring you home.
• Realigning with your True North. Pause to ask yourself: What tugs at my heart the most? Reconnecting to your deeper reason for being can soften the stress and widen your perspective, helping you move through this season with more spaciousness.

As 2024 draws to a close, there’s a natural pull toward new beginnings. I invite you to explore some of our offerings that can help you step into the new year with a revitalized sense of purpose, vibrant health, and nature-mindfulness practices that deepen your belonging to yourself, the Earth, and all existence.

Wishing you Nature. And Love.
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie Rokab
Nature-Mindfulness Mentor / Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker

After the distressing news of the recent turn in the US political arena, I encouraged you to take time to tend to your wounds. I hope you’ve found moments to recover, reflect, and nourish yourself.

For me, healing began at a silent retreat in the awe-inspiring Big Bear Retreat Center, CA. There, I was held by the majesty of towering pines, the playful aerial dance of birds, and the beauty of snow transforming the landscape. I marveled at the snow tracks of coyotes, rabbits, and even a bear—each step a reminder of life’s quiet resilience. Time slowed during walking meditations, and in those moments of stillness, I felt a profound connection to the aliveness and magic of the Real World.

That retreat also rekindled my sense of purpose — to help awaken my beloved community (you) to the nature of reality, the sacredness of the Earth, and your latent potential to transform your world.

Today, I feel called to encourage you to anchor your own purpose more deeply, as the world needs us all to stay calm, connected, and empowered for the challenging times ahead.

We are being called to resist the forces of hatred and division, the unraveling of life systems, and the cynicism that whispers our efforts don’t matter. And if you’re like many people (including “moi”), you may find that nothing is more empowering than aligning with the dream of the Earth for your life.

How do you plan to meet these times?

• Can you feel Earth’s dream revealed in the impulses of your body?
• What is your deepest yearning to be of service?
• What makes you come alive?

Perhaps your purpose lies in helping a child discover their innate goodness, caring for someone taking their last breaths, or working in a clinic, school, agency, or forest farm while seeking deep meaning, life regeneration, and loving awareness in every moment. Or perhaps you’re an artist creating works that awaken the hearts of others in a world thirsty for connection and spaciousness.

Whatever your calling, these times are ripe for you to align with Earth’s dream for you, find your True North, and join like-hearted community to anchor compassion and build unity.

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose”
-Robert Byrne

Wishing you Nature. And Love.
💕🙏🏼🦋
Sylvie Rokab
Nature-Mindfulness Mentor / Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker

Dear friends,

While I make no assumptions about your political inclinations, if you’re like me, you might be feeling a heaviness in your heart right now, given the results of the presidential elections here in the US. If that’s not the case for you, please feel free to skip this message.

If sadness, shock, disbelief, anger, and/or fear have been present for you – please remember that all those are natural emotions when we’re faced with a profound turn of events – impacting our personal, social, and planetary lives.

I feel your pain deeply, and my heart goes out to you. Words don’t do justice… yet I hope these few can offer some comfort.

What helps me most – and might be helpful for you too – is feeling my connection with my body, including my larger body – the Earth – through breath, physical sensations, and Gaia’s gravitational embrace.

If you can, you might want to visit a natural place… touch a tree, inhale the fragrance of herbs or flowers, and lay your body on the ground – remembering that you’re being held by a planet that has turned on its axis for eons – a time immensely larger than a single political administration.

This is not to deny the gravity of our times. Not at all. I’ll just say it…. this sucks. It hurts to the bone to witness a power structure that promises to unravel democracy, human rights, and the very life support systems of our planet.

This might not be the right time to jump into action, mobilize, or find great strength. There will be a time for that. But for right now… Just as our physical body needs rest when recovering from illness, our spirit too needs gentle care to heal its existential wounds.

The Earth offers healing balms – from hot baths and herbal teas to bird song and moist soil to dig our hands into. If you’re indoors, you might let yourself break a few norms: play with your food, smell it, savor it, and lick every finger with abandon. If you’re lucky enough to have a child or a partner, sharing this simple delight might rekindle a small spark of aliveness in your spirit.

May this time be one of profound healing, connection, and restoration.

With heartfelt love,
Sylvie