Held by Jessica

happi filam month 🤎 & i think i’ve processed this retreat somewhat enough to finally post my dump about it 🌼

having the opportunity to learn from apu adman was truly an honor, and gaining knowledge from darcie and zanny was als special

i learned so much about hilot, healing, our pilipinx culture, ancestors, and also from my fellow hilot siblings and tanglaw. learning everyone’s stories and experiences, what brought us together, what has shaped us as individuals.

i was also able to reconnect with my late papa, who’s 3rd year death anni just passed. throughout the retreat, he made sure that i knew he was there for me, supporting me from the other side. and that was so comforting, comforting to know he’s there rooting for this path

“hilot binabaylan” the title holds weight, so i still don’t feel like i’m doing enough to hold it all on my own even after such a transformational retreat. there’s a lot of history and skill behind the ancestors who came before me and i want to make sure i respect that in my practices and offerings.

all that to say, this retreat was really the start of something new and healing for me. since then, (this was in april) i’ve been able to incorporate the indigenous healing methods of my pilipinx culture into my practices, share what it means and how it’s helpful and supportive in the long run, reignite why i’m part of this wellness life, sparked a new career bath in birth portals as a future doula, gained more clarity in my photography offerings, and learned so much more about myself as a healer, photographer, entrepreneur, and just as a human

reclaiming the way that our ancestors would heal themselves and others has such a powerful ring to it, doesn’t it?

speaking of, swipe all the way to see the show i’m performing in 👀👀👀

i’ve been reflecting on how and why i gravitate to photographs

i saw a quote the other day saying something along the lines of:

“people don’t realize how precious photos are until they become the only things left behind by a person, a place, or a moment in time that you can never get back”

these photos of my besties bringing a new life into this world are so vulnerable and beautiful.

i was there to support them as a friend, a loved one but was also given the opportunity to capture these moments that will forever be remembered even though we cannot actually go back to it irl

but the photos allow them to revisit the feeling, the moment, the memories

and this particular experience made me realize why i gravitate towards photographs and how i relate it to holding space for others

photographs are memories of moments where people are vulnerable enough to be seen, whether it’s a birthday, a birth, a graduation, a wedding, a elopement, etc.

the space i can curate for people in photography sessions is the same way i do in my energy and body work sessions

all of it, at the end of the day, is healing 🌼

sept 4 will be a day i’ll never forget as i was able to experience a birth portal with my besties & their families

my body is definitely processing everything that happened in those 48 hours but i couldn’t feel more blessed to have been part of it

with all that is going on in our world—wars, conflict, the islands and hurricanes + storms

this moment, this experience gave me a little more hope for humankind & i’m just grateful 🐣

words can mean so much when it comes to our healing processes, and these are just some that have either brought my clients some relief, released trauma and emotions in their bodies, or simply remind them something they’ve always known

what is an affirmation you have for yourself? where do you feel that in your body? ✨🫂

this is what uwi is all about: trusting your intuition, slowing down enough to listen and communicate with your body.

where in your body do you feel you need to listen?

comment “UWI” & i’ll connect with you to dive deeper in simple practices to help you understand your body with more patience ✨