Sylvia Bringas

08/01/2022

This November, I have the honor of co-hosting a Huachuma retreat in the Sacred Valley, Peru, with Empathic Practice

Peru holds an extraordinary place in my heart.
In 2014 my life changed in unimaginable ways. I was at a crossroads and didn’t know what I wanted. I felt defeated in many ways.

While living in Peru, I found parts of myself that I’d longed for. A sense of purpose, yes, but I also cultivated an unshakable devotion to myself and all the unique gifts I bring to this lifetime. Though the road is ever bending with unforeseeable obstacles, I’ve never lost that blessing of love.

Nine years later, I’ll be back,
and I invite you to join me.

We will be immersed and held in the Sacred Valley for ceremonies, at a stunning retreat center—taking time to slow down and rejuvenate. After, we will travel by 360 train to Aguascalientes, where we will ride up to one of the world's seven wonders, Machu Picchu. Together we will pay our respects and walk the same stone paths as the Incas, remembering all the beauty this life has to offer us.

For more information
https://www.thewayinretreat.com/products/huachuma-journey-in-peru, or dm me for a discovery call to see if this is right for you!

I look forward to seeing you in Peru

Xoxo

10/25/2021

Why We Can't Ignore Our Dreams

"Most if not all religions consider dreaming a gateway for divine revelation. What psychological journey must our ancestors have taken to justify such fantastical beliefs?

Can we reconcile them with a materialist worldview? And if so, why would it matter? To answer these questions, we must understand the biological functions of sleep, reconstitute the evolution of dreaming, and survey the significance of dreaming from prehistory to history.

In the end, this investigation suggests that dreams are more important now than ever."

It is vital to understand what dreams for the common good are, and to relearn the art of sharing them.

09/23/2021

⁣ Mis abuelos were born in Cuban and immigrated to Manhattan around the '60s. My dad was born and raised in NYC, Washington Heights, and joined the military as a young man. When stationed in Italy, he met my mother, and this is how I came to be. 🇨🇺🇪🇸🇮🇹⠀
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Though not many people know I am Hispanic, I am proud of my ancestry and culture. Anyone who has enjoyed spending time with us knows we are exuberant, love to dance, creative, hardworking, firey, charming, resilient, affectionate, and open-hearted. ⠀
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In honor of Hispanic heritage month, I wanted to share a story that significantly influenced my life as a Hispanic woman. ⠀
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Years ago, when I was at my tio’s wedding, I spoke to a woman who had a small black mark on her forehead. When I mentioned it to her, she shared that it was a scar. ⠀
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Before she immigrated to America, she fled Cuba, but it was dangerous, and to escape Cuba without being caught, people had to plan in secret. She said that the government covertly infiltrated these groups, leading to certain death for anyone trying to leave. So to flee successfully, they made a small cut in their foreheads and filled them with ash. This scar was the secret code that they would hide under their hair. This scar represented their freedom. ⠀
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I know this story was a bit heavy, but it reminds me of the power and presence my ancestry holds and what they overcame to be here in America and thriving today. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
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Many people think of Hispanic women as spicy 🌶 and fierce 💋, which is true, 😉 but we also possess incredible strength, and I love that. ⠀
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Happy Hispanic Heritage month! ⠀
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06/29/2021

I am excited to share with you that I have created some illustrated journals, and they're available on Amazon now!

You can find them by searching Sylvia Bringas on Amazon.com (available in many other countries, too!)

I look forward to you opening up a package that is filled with my labor of love!

04/26/2021

How honest is your healing? ⠀
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Life can be heavy sometimes.⠀
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We tell pretty lies because the discomfort of change outweighs the pain of staying the same.⠀
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The support tools I use, embodiment practices, physical training, and meditation, help me navigate these challenging emotions,⠀
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🌀but I'm not immune to it, we all suffer. 🌀⠀
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Today, I remember the uncomfortable teachings of a life dehydrated, that bone-dry feeling when we try to resist transformation for too long. ⠀
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Because I am thirsty asf. ⠀
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So, you can find me savoring the juice of life. ⠀
Even when it’s bitter... ⠀
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⚕️I’ll steep it in tea and call it good medicine.⚕️⠀
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Choosing to live a full life is to take the good with the bad. 🙏😉⠀
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And I'm all in.⠀
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How honest is your healing?⠀
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I write a lot about our human potential; I feel this truth in my living wholeness. ⠀
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But contrary to popular belief, this isn't because I am bypassing or ignorant to the reality of life. ⠀
A positive affirmations, “love is the only truth.” kind of woman. ⠀
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🕊️Instead, I invite myself to feel— I don't limit my emotions only to experience spaciousness, pleasure, and joy. I also notice feelings of grief and sensations of stress in my body. ⠀
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My healing isn't always honest, but I make it a practice to come back to myself when I've strayed too far. Not only so I can appreciate the fluidity and beauty in you, but also in myself. Through radical self-acceptance, we come alive.
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04/06/2021

"The Deep Liberation Process invites us to discover how we can divest our energy and liberate our imagination

This is not a solo job. It is both personal and collective, but one we can only do together.

If we learn to do that—to embrace and celebrate diversity, both human and nonhuman—then we will share in the manifestation of a more just and joyful future together. If we don’t, we are abandoning why we are here completely."

The Deep Liberation Process invites us to discover how we can divest our energy and liberate our imagination from the oppressive systems and broken culture we inhabit. This is not a solo job. It is both personal and collective, but one we can only do together. If we learn to do that—to embrace and...

03/01/2021

The path to self-actualization ⠀
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Being open to what life has to offer is my aspiration. This yearning and curiosity brought me to Peru in '14, which created a measurable shift in my life. Three weeks with a one-way ticket turned into an unforgettable year. ⠀
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I didn't go searching for meaning in life. Yet, along the way, it kind of found me. ⠀
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This isn't to say that I have got it all figured out or that you have to go on some quest to "find yourself." Or even that, while discovering my passion, I am somehow immune to woes in life. ⠀
Instead, what led me to this greater self-potential was the willingness to choose myself. ⠀
And for me, one way I "choose" myself looks like, ⠀
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Continuing to let go of people's thoughts and opinions of how I should be, act, or do with my time. ⠀
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This is my life, however short or long it may be, and I don't want to spend my days living someone else's. Movies, media, friends, and family; our world tries to measure our worthiness by what others are doing, what we look like, and you know all the rest. ⠀
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By practicing letting go of the views of others, we make space for ourselves. We cut through the noise so we can clearly feel and question what our own desires are. ⠀
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Our desires lead us to our passions.⠀
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Understanding what our desires are without the opinions of others obscuring us not only feels empowering asf, but it will undoubtedly point to in the direction of your purpose. ⠀
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Self-actualization is potential fully realized.⠀
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Have I fully obtained this? Short answer. ⠀
No,⠀...not yet. ⠀
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But you better believe, I will try, because I choose to. ⠀
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If you're curious about finding your purpose, let me know! ⠀
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02/24/2021

⁣As the season transitions, so do I⠀
Change is painful sometimes. ⠀
Does it wound a rose to bloom⠀
Or is it painful because we're clutching to old paradigms?⠀
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As the rain passes and the sun rises, so do I ⠀
Change is joyful sometimes ⠀
Like coming in from the cold, ⠀
As if warmth offered a blessing, ⠀
a gift to behold⠀
Is joy created in the present moment, ⠀
like looking through a doorway; lucent. ⠀
Not breaking but entering a fluid movement. ⠀
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So, I’ll be here, ⠀
In the midst of change. ⠀
“No way out, but through,” they say ⠀
As the winds of change kiss my lips⠀
I’ll surrender; I'll dance to the music of grief and bliss⠀
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xoxo⠀
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02/18/2021

⁣An instrument has the power to drive us crazy and also lull us to peace. ⠀
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When played without learning how to use it, it can sound like a relentless crash of notes with nowhere to go. Insufferable, annoying, and disruptive. ⠀
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When performed with skill, it can effortlessly bring us into trance, inspiration, peace, and expressions of great depths within us. ⠀
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Your mind is also in an instrument. ⠀
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Not to be redundant, but we are all too familiar with the feeling of how our minds wander. Sometimes, it leads us to old memories or fantasies of what we should have said to others. ⠀
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We experience anxiety, or maybe the feelings are so uncomfortable we avoid them altogether, disconnecting from our emotions, our bodies, and our spirit. ⠀
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Meditation is a tool that helps us learn how to use the instrument that is our mind. ⠀
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I've had countless clients, friends, strangers, and family members telling me that meditation is difficult and say something like...⠀
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"I can't even sit still for 5 minutes, let alone not think."⠀
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The truth is, there are thousands of forms of meditation—walking meditations, guided meditations, and so much more. ⠀
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Find what works for you, and stick with it.⠀
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Learning how to play an instrument or any new thing takes dedication, discipline, and a lot of patience. ⠀
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"I don't have the time."⠀
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I know this ALL too well. ⠀
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I am a full-time student taking online classes, and I have a full-time job. I am currently working with to build a new integration program, taking a Trauma + Somatics course, seeing massage + spiritual work clients, AND a mama to a lovable four-year-old boy. ⠀
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I am sharing this with you to say that I'd be lying to you if I told you any of this s**t is easy. ⠀
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Because it is not...⠀
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Taking responsibility for yourself and your well-being isn't easy. ⠀
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I realized a long time ago that no one was coming to 'save' me. And that if I wanted to live a life vitally alive. ⠀
I had to choose myself, and I had to strive for it. ⠀
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Again and again. ⠀
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So, for me, mediation looks like literally rolling out of bed, finding my place on the mediation bolster, and spending 15 minutes here, every morning. ⠀
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Even if my son comes in and wants to sit on my lap, I still devote that time to my mediation. ⠀
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My mediation practice also looks like painting or taking a walk—washing dishes, etc. ⠀
So, start slowly, stay dedicated, and have a lot of grace and patience with yourself. ⠀

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Free your Mind, Change your life.

02/06/2021

⁣At the opening of The Wizard Of Oz, Dorothy's world was absent of color, which reflected my life in 2012. ⠀
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The stagnation I felt in life began to shift, and one day I decided to make a massive shift and moved to Peru. ⠀
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I accepted the call, my hero's journey. ⠀
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We all tell ourselves stories. Sometimes these narratives can be limiting, even if we create 'positive' stories about ourselves when we lock ourselves inside boxes. ⠀
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We separate ourselves from other potentials, potentials that may be better for us than our perceived ones. ⠀
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Opening ourselves up to being unbiased not only makes us better people and critical thinkers, but it also is the threshold guardian that we need to meet to get to self-fulfillment. ⠀
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Anyone who has experienced the challenge of swimming against the current will know that the path of becoming, stepping into purpose doesn't come without pain. ⠀
And the process wasn't without ambiguity and chaos. As unpleasant as this was, I dedicated myself to choose myself, to alchemize this pain into pleasure, into joy. ⠀
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And I did it for myself, for my future. ⠀
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✨ I freed myself. ✨ ⠀
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My call to adventure isn't over, and In some way, this is the excitement that life has to offer us. I am always discovering new depths and new ways of being. ⠀
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The difference now is that I see my world in color. ⠀
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If you're interested in traversing the depths of your personal stories, DM me! ⠀
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📸 : gracias a mis maestros por todos! ⠀
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prompts

02/06/2021

"Take a deep breath. Hug a friend. Reach for the ceiling and stretch your limbs. Each of these simple acts bestows a sense of calm and comfort. And each works its soothing magic in part by activating a complicated system of nerves that connects the brain to the heart, the gut, the immune system, and many of the organs. That system is known collectively as the vagus nerve."

Medium

The mysterious nerve network that quiets pain and stress — and may defeat disease

02/05/2021

"People with trauma histories already know pain very well. Trauma recovery is first about helping people improve their quality of life, right now—to feel less physical and emotional suffering—so that our nervous systems can start to regulate.

Leaning into pain can send people outside their window of tolerance even further and create deeper neural pathways around the trauma."

This threat response, which may have been a way of surviving in our past, can leave us in a state of learned helplessness today. Many trauma survivors need to