Letecia Layson - The Maternal Roots of The Gift

Kapwa
tacit knowledge
is a gift
i invite you to be still
i cannot know who i am being in the world without the other...
and when i am in relationship to you, i know my truest self...
 - by Letecia Layson
​
my Filipino Canadian Roots
and Babaylan journey

"Philippine indigenous communities recognize a woman (or man) as a Babaylan, someone who has the ability to mediate with the spirit world, has her own spirit guides, and is given gifts of healing, foretelling, and insight. She may also have knowledge of healing therapies such as hilot, arbularyo. She is a ritualist, a chanter, diviner. She has the gift of traveling to the spirit world or non-ordinary states of reality in order to mediate with the spirits. Babaylans are called by other names in the other languages of Philippine indigenous communities: Mombaki, Dawac, Balyan or Balian, Katalonan, Ma-Aram, Mangngallag, Mumbaki, Mambunong."

http://www.babaylan.net/

This began 11 years ago with Carlos Bulosan Theatre Company
in Toronto, Canada
i co-wrote 2 plays and performed with
Leon Aureus, Nadine Villasin, Christine Mangosing and Nicco Lorenzo Garcia
with
People Power
and
In the Shadows of Elephants

i kept this journey alive
with Moksha/Modo Yoga 
for 6 years
i've been creating collective collaborations
heated with infrared yoga journeys
with my Moksha/Modo/Flow/Yin/Yogassage classes
from Trinidad and Tobago, Vancouver, Toronto, Mississauga, Milton, Brampton
and now landing in Seattle vibes
Healing Times 
heArt warming
humbling
strengthening 
my Fire to yours
and
Fearlessly inked Resilient Mountain Eyes...
by the 96 year old
Shaman/Babaylan/
Mambabatok
Master Bamboo Hand Tap
Apo Whang Od.

​Maraming Salamat
Jr. Guerrero of Kathara Pilipino Indigenous Arts Collective Society in Vancouver, BC.
See you next year for the Babaylan Studies Conference 2016.
 Salamat for posting this on Facebook!

The Video Below is 
exactly 
what I needed to hear and listen to tonight.
Maraming Salamat
​Letecia Layson