FELICIA COCOTZIN RUIZ is a curandera, author, indigenous foods activist, and natural foods chef in Phoenix, Arizona whose work is deeply rooted in the healing properties of all earth medicines. Her business name came to be after friends lovingly called her "the kitchen curandera", as she was often creating healing foods and remedies in her tiny adobe kitchen.
Her work has been featured in Food & Wine, Spirituality & Health, and on Padma Lakshmi's Taste The Nation, among many other platforms. Felicia lives with her husband in Phoenix, Arizona where she works with the sun, the moon, and the elements, offering medicine workshops and one-on-one healing sessions for her community.
What does it mean to be a curandera?
Depending on each culture, each community, and even within each family, I imagine the word itself carries many meanings. However, for me, being a curandera means that I am upholding a sacred part of my lineage and its understanding on how we can heal one another with our hands, with plants, with our energy, and so much more. There is no one-size-fits-all curandera. We all share our gifts and learnings in
different ways.
What are your favorite rituals to support postpartum?
I love sharing the ritual of holding space for one another. The act of birth itself is a ritual and yet it has become sterile, not in a medical sense, but more as a procedure detached from what is about to happen––a new being is making its way into the world. By holding space for the person who just provided that passage, we can nurture their healing.
Why is the postpartum period so important?
In my culture we call the postpartum period la cuarentena, and if possible, it lasts 40 days. Seeing women and families reclaim this tradition makes my heart happy because it is not only healing for the new mother, but for everyone involved. I believe we are all tribal by nature, yet we have been programmed to do things without community and to heal quickly. Honoring a new mother during their cuarentena is one small and profound way to reclaim birth.
What are you listening to in the kitchen these days?
I've always enjoyed music from around the world as well as different styles of music. I am constantly adding new songs to my playlists. At the moment I am loving Valerie June. I recently met her in Mexico where we were both sharing our gifts during a music festival. Her voice, energy, and words were pure magic. She sang a song called Astral Plane and now I am a Valerie June fan.
What are some of the practices that are grounding you currently?
The practice of contemplation. I love being alone with my words, my thoughts, my art supplies, or my books before 9AM. If I don't carve out time each morning, I feel as though my whole day is off. And although this next part may not be as current as my alone time, I do feel more "grounded" when my space smells good. Right now I am loving tangerine, cardamom, and the tiniest bit of ylang-ylang in my diffuser to create a grounding space.
Do you have an evening ritual?
I have always understood that sleep is vitally important to my own wellbeing, so my ritual has been the same my whole adult life. Perhaps only the actual time has changed. So an hour or so before I plan to go to sleep, I take a shower to energetically and physically wash off my day. I then massage my face with my oil blend (I actually share the recipe in my book), taking my time and really allowing myself that moment. I have committed to this nightly facial treatment since attending massage school in 1994 and believe this practice has been a huge factor in how my skin looks and feels now. Many people apply oils, however I massage them into my face. Also, I also cannot fall asleep unless I spray my pillow with a spritz of lavender. I even take my spritzer bottle with me when I travel.
How can we support our hair in postpartum?
Definitely from the inside out. I always suggest to people (who include meat in their diet) to have someone prepare bone broth for them or prepare it themselves before giving birth and then freezing it. Your body goes through a huge adjustment after giving birth and I remind people to have compassion for themselves, to listen to their bodies, and to nourish themselves the best way that they can. People can also include certain herbal teas such as horsetail and nettle for extra nourishment and hydration.
Slow Cooked Wild Rice Cardamom Porridge by Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz
Native wild rice is rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc–while fragrant ground cardamom supports milk production. This recipe makes a rather big batch to eat throughout the week. Feel free to cut the recipe in half.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups wild rice (soaked a couple of hours or overnight to help with digestibility)
3 cups spring or filtered water
1 cup full fat milk, or full fat coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Honey or maple syrup for serving
Optional toppings: blueberries, chia seeds, mango
Directions:
- Place wild rice, water, coconut milk or dairy milk, sea salt and cardamom in a slow cooker. Turn heat on low and allow rice to cook for about three hours, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is creamy.
- Add maple syrup to taste. Serve warm.
