Zapotec Post-Earthquake Reconstruction | Oaxaca MX

Life has gifted us the opportunity to come together as women and reflect on menstruation and menopause. We believe every stage of life deserves to be lived with dignity and without pain.

Cinthia guided a workshop that helped us reconnect with powerful ancestral knowledge, reminding us that our territory is medicine and within it, we can find everything our bodies need. To our delight, twice as many women showed up as had originally registered, a clear sign of how deeply this topic resonates and how necessary it is to bring it into collective conversation.

We spoke about shame and guilt, emotions that many of us have long associated with menstruation. We talked about pain. We listened to many stories: honest, brave, and deeply resonant.

As part of this gathering, we went on a walk through the village to identify and collect medicinal plants growing in the hills and along the roads. We found so much plants that had been forgotten, no longer used, but still remembered by local healers and grandmothers. Together, we confirmed the healing magic of these plants, passed down through generations.

Our compañera Mirna knew countless remedies; compañera Ángela brought flor de mayo (guiechachi – zapoteco) and guava leaves from her garden. We spoke about cordoncillo and lengua de vaca, used by traditional healers to ease headaches.

We then prepared the medicines. We started with floral waters, extracting essential oils with alcohol. These sweet-scented blends reminded us why flowers bloom so brightly in the Istmo de Tehuantepec With guiechachi, jasmine, and flor de Japón, we created a refreshing mist, traditionally used for heaviness and headaches.

We also made mother tinctures for challenges related to menstruation and menopause. Each of us brought different symptoms into the space: menstrual cramps, high cholesterol and triglycerides, hormonal imbalances, low libido, urinary infections, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and digestive issues.

Finally, we learned how to make herbal oils using ingredients like rosa de castilla, pericón, avocado oil, and haragán oil. The richness of this experience was overwhelming. We felt full: of knowledge, of healing, and of the joy of finding a remedy for each pain, a medicine for each sister.

We were also blessed by the presence of Luna, a Colombian singer-songwriter whose healing songs embraced and uplifted our collective experience.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping us breathe life into collective and local health. We are reclaiming our agency to heal with the plants of our land. There is still a long road ahead, but we know this land of women healers will soon awaken the medicine of the plants here in Mixtequilla.