meet laToya
At home near the sea and in the middle of a busy city.
In the arms of my partner and under the bosom of an old oak tree.
Creator of non-negotiable, sacred space everywhere I am.
Ever-focused on inhaling beauty into my heart and letting awe spill from me like water over a dam -
pouring out in the thrilling art of creation;
in a bellyache of laughter;
in a resonant melody on repeat for hours;
in the now, in the then, in the ever after.
These are the moments that take my breathe away, heal my soul, and bring me gratitude each and every day.
Remembrance of who I am has led me to confidently claim my work in the world. But it wasn't always that way for me. There are entire parts of my life that I don't remember, almost as though I wasn't even there. I am the soul I once silenced. I am the one who numbed her most tender parts because I thought the defibrillation, or awakening, my heart needed could only come from sources outside of me.
When I remembered that the passion, the connectedness, the feeling of being alive was always a result of ME - me showing up, me surrendering to my fullest capacity for 'feeling', me trusting that through inner guidance I could navigate the unknown mysteries of my heart - then...I decided I could also set myself free. I could also be the one whose truth I decided to liberate. I am the the one I chose to heal with love unconditional. These are the ritual practices I welcome as my lifelong guests and teachers.
For as long as I can remember, I have been a natural space holder for healing - even when I didn't know how to hold this space for myself. I have been on a quest to cultivate environments that empower us to live in health and freedom long before I recognized it. I spent a handful of years in the islands living close to nature, learning from medicine men and women about 'ital' eating and living; and about how to identify, harvest, and prepare herbs and roots as medicine. I have also practiced cardiology as a nurse and nurse practitioner since 2001. In 2016, I started an interior design practice - always looking beyond the 'pretty space' seen by the eye in order to amplify what's in the heart. This non-linear quest has ultimately led me here. To a place grounded in mind, body, spirit connection. To a belief that sacred space starts within. And a mission to bring Heaven to Earth, making our physical environments evolve to meet the frequency of truth in our souls.
doing before this
what i was
renovating homes
loving life with this guy
growing roses
practicing yoga
traveling home often
I imagine that creating feels for me how the first breath feels after emerging from being under water for a long time. Freeing.
creation
six
Husband. Home. Hearth.
My personal sanctuary is a constant delight to my soul.
MY sacred space
five
This started as a practice and evolved into a way of being. Gratitude changes the quality of my life and relationships daily.
gratitude
four
I was given the name 'tea daughter' when I was 19. Now at 41, tea is at my side more than ever.
tea
three
A drink, a bath, a shower, the rain, or the ocean. They all feel like a mothers love to me.
water
two
The ritual of creating space to nourish myself has been the single most important decision I've made in honoring my soul and my body.
REST
one
A Day In My Life of Ritual
Next: peek into my creative process
@sovereign.soul.medicine