Indigenous Wisdom, Alchemy, and Human Potential with Tricia Eastman
Bio-cultural stewardship advocate Tricia Eastman works with indigenous groups like Colombia's Kogi people to bridge traditional practices with modern wellbeing and creative expression approaches.
The Physical Foundation
Research shows that physical experiences create lasting changes in muscle fascia and connective tissue. Eastman notes how the Kogi people of Colombia recognize this connection through their body-based practices that support mental clarity and overall wellbeing.
According to Eastman, "our issues are in our tissues. Talk therapy in the brain is not gonna get the issues out of the tissues." Your autonomic nervous system functions as your body's background operating system, and breathwork techniques can optimize this system by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Many wellness approaches focus solely on mental techniques while overlooking the body's role. As Eastman explains, even extensive meditation practice may have a limited impact "if unprocessed tension remains locked in your tissues."
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MAGICademy Podcast (00:00)
There's a control aspect to perfectionism and thinking that we have control in the first place. The fear, the ego, all of this stuff is like raw material that is to be transmuted into gold. You're slowly creating this work of art and maybe it never completely turns to gold. Maybe you are still left with a vessel with cracks and
different pieces put together, but it's still beautiful.
Tricia Eastman (00:30)
The core essence of the work that we do is called inner alchemy. And it's the understanding that,
The fear, the ego, all of this stuff is like raw material that is to be transmuted into gold.
MAGICademy Podcast (00:47)
Welcome to MAGICademy Podcast. Today with us is Tricia Eastman. She's a global thought leader, author, practitioner, researcher in the space of human consciousness She published a book exploring the cross-sections between human consciousness, plant medicine, human transcendence, as well as ancient
does that mean to be a human being this whole body and this whole being as the ultimate spiritual
Tricia Eastman (01:20)
So we may face something like you were asking in the question where we have the ego coming up or we have fear coming up or we're afraid of death or whatever it is. And that's when we take that part of ourselves and we start to do
the understanding, like going into the understanding of it, where did this come from? Where did this form getting into the roots of it? Is it even mine? Is it my ancestors? You know, because, you know, the ancestral trauma gets passed on from so many generations that you may not even know that this was from your great great grandfather, this pattern, this unconscious pattern. And so you go in,
and you do the work and you turn it to gold. And this is essentially the process of soul retrieval, retrieving the pieces of the soul. And I like to think of the soul as this landscape or this map in the psyche. And in my chapter, soul kintsugi, it really brings together the understanding of how the process comes together. And that is
the idea that this one action of this one part, it's like one of the broken pieces in a vessel. So when you think of Kintsugi, it's about taking something that's broken and making it beautiful by gluing it back together and through this like very beautiful, sacred creative process, painting the cracks with gold. ⁓
And so the painting the cracks with gold is the idea of the self love and the gratitude and not looking at things in this separate kind of myopic way, but like looking at the big picture zooming out. Yes, I have inner child issues. Yes, I have issues related to the wounding from my stepfather. Yes, I have some things around
self-esteem or whatever it is, but then you're working on these. They're this ongoing project that essentially is creating this vessel and that vessel holds your spiritual power.
MAGICademy Podcast (03:36)
So it's a kind of restoration of what we, who we are in the most essential, in the most fundamental level. So the alchemy is to put together or trying to elevate and expand what is broken into its most original.
Tricia Eastman (03:40)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
MAGICademy Podcast (04:05)
most essential state
Tricia Eastman (04:16)
I would say that it's about reclaiming your power. Because I don't know if we know, I mean, our original state is just pure love, right? So actually the whole vessel isn't a cracked vessel with gold. It's actually that it first starts off as all these cracked pieces and eventually it just becomes all gold.
MAGICademy Podcast (04:26)
Yeah.
So the more that we are fragmented and as we go through the process we'll turn into a goal. So the whole process is finding treasure hunts in a way.
Tricia Eastman (04:48)
Well, it's like you're slowly creating this work of art and maybe it never completely turns to gold. Maybe you are still left with a vessel with cracks and different pieces put together, but it's still beautiful. And imagine if you can find the beauty in this one is one of a kind. It's very special.
MAGICademy Podcast (05:11)
Yeah, I think that also ties into what we perceive today as perfectionism. And I personally suffer a lot with perfectionism. I think the original intention is to be as perfect. But I think that comes with the cost in terms of how do you define perfect? There's really no perfect perfect. If we truly enjoy the moment, then every moment is the
Tricia Eastman (05:16)
Mm-hmm.
Me too.
Hmm.
Mm-hmm.
MAGICademy Podcast (05:37)
perfect moment and what does indigenous wisdom teach us about the idea of perfectionism and the idea of our egos needs to be perfect?
Tricia Eastman (05:39)
Mm-hmm.
I mean, I think there's a control aspect to perfectionism and thinking that we have control in the first place. I think that when you think about what
Perfectionism might be from a spiritual idea. The Kogi always refine their prayers and they always aim to make a better prayer. Does that mean that they always make a perfect prayer? No, but it's a spiritual practice and I think of it as an art.
Like prayer is an art, making an altar, making a ceremony is an art. And the ritual act of these things done in a specific way invokes an energy in its authenticity, when it's done in its authenticity and in its sincerity that creates
a potency and an effect. So the refinement is how can I plug in at the highest depth to this web of life? How can I dance this dance? How can I sing this song? How can I pray this prayer? How can I make this medicine with such a pure heart that
It's received by the divine and it creates a channel from the divine. The divine is
pure. The divine is perfect. It's sublime. It's bliss. It's like the different realms. You have the Nirvana, Satori, all of these different aspects of perfection of mystical states. But
The reason they're perfect is because they're heavily guarded.
And they're guarded for sincerity, truth, love, and gratitude. And they will always be preserved. They will always exist. so perfection for one to be a conduit, essentially to bring heaven on earth or however you want to articulate that, to bring this here is a virtue.
and a virtue from the sense of not putting something on a pedestal better than another, but it's like a weaving. It's like weaving and integrating and balancing. And the true gift of understanding all or many, I wouldn't say I understand everything, but to be exposed to many different traditional practices.
MAGICademy Podcast (08:37)
you
Tricia Eastman (08:43)
And myself coming from an indigenous bloodline on my mother's side of the family, Shika, Tricke, Mixtec, and just a little bit of Mayan. But having exposure to those ceremonies, having exposure to deep teachings and being in initiatic ceremonies that you're not allowed to even talk about.
these give you an understanding of what that truly means. You know, you understand from an experience that every single tradition is essentially meant to bring balance. Because the only doorway that will bring you into these realms is the
doorway of non-duality. It's like when you merge the two opposites, yeah, and that's what the heart is. The heart is the place of the center and it's in the center. It's like the void, you know, it's the zero point that is the bardo, the birth canal into accessing and then, you know,
MAGICademy Podcast (09:31)
the midway.
Tricia Eastman (09:49)
It's not like once you have access and you're like, I've been hanging out in Nirvana land and I want to go to Satori land. It's goalless. No one is trying to say, like a video game or spiritual points. It's more like the more balance I create when my soul is ready.
it will receive higher levels of initiation. When I'm ready.
MAGICademy Podcast (10:15)
So it's all about a lot of inner work. And then once the inner work is divinely progressing, the universe will match you with the experiences that will help you to unlock your next level of
Tricia Eastman (10:18)
Mm-hmm.
MAGICademy Podcast (10:43)
I so.
Tricia Eastman (10:44)
Yeah.
And there's no like real, I hate the word levels because it makes you think that it's like hierarchical because if you really think about like the four directions, where is the direction?
MAGICademy Podcast (10:52)
linear. ⁓
you
⁓
Tricia Eastman (10:58)
North,
south, east, west, but really like on a cosmic level, where is everything?
There's no hierarchy, it's all the same. It's all playing a specific role, it's all equal. And that's why the idea of finding the equanimity, finding the equanimous being is essential.
MAGICademy Podcast (11:17)
Beautiful. equanimity. that's the place we're trying to be. And then equanimity is relevant to the moment because everything that we have that's real is only this moment. So if our intention and our conscious work within ourselves is to find that equanimity in every moment that we exist, then I think we're doing a good job per se.
Tricia Eastman (11:43)
Most traditional knowledge is not written in books and it is secret teachings and you have to be initiated to receive those teachings and at different levels of initiation.
And so even a lot of the channel teachings are corrupt teachings and they might get you to like a certain level of consciousness, but then there's something off. And so it keeps you from going past a certain level of consciousness, but then you get stuck just like a religion, like Christianity, you get stuck in this dogma and you're part of it. It's like a cult.
And you spiritually decay because if you're not actually growing from your own direct knowledge, you're getting secondhand teachings from a book, not from your own direct knowledge and your own direct experience. Yeah, then you start to, you know.
have some entropy. You can still have spiritual growth, can still have healing from these things, but they can only take you so far. Just like you'll never go for a bike ride in the way that you could without training wheels.
and you can be like riding around and be like, yeah, I'm riding a bike, but you really never feel one with the bike and get in that flow state of really being connected to it without the training wheels. And you fall over a few times, but then you actually learn how to ride a bike.
MAGICademy Podcast (13:14)
So how do we graduate from this initial dependency to something and to actually becoming one of something coming from our own authenticity, our own experience and our own reflections rather than something that we learned from other places? Which we have the habit to do, like there's a big disconnection between us and our inner voices. We tend to outsource our
Tricia Eastman (13:24)
Hmm.
Yeah.
MAGICademy Podcast (13:41)
power to the outside, we seek others to lead us, we seek others to teach us what to do, we seek others to tell us who we are, so there's a lot of outsourcing and dependence that's happening that's crazy.
Tricia Eastman (13:55)
Yeah.
And the big question is why, the why I think is because in the fundamental development of the egoic template, if the child is not seen by their mother and dad and affirmed, like you are beautiful, you are amazing, you are valid.
you are loved, then you seek that outside. It's almost like a free radical steals a healthy electron and creates an instability, but you have to give that to yourself. And so the first step is give yourself the love, the validation, everything that you're seeking outside of yourself and reclaim your power.
And in every moment, keep an eye where you're giving your power away. Where are you giving your power away? Where are you allowing something outside of yourself? Like, where are you being a victim? Where are you allowing something to have authority over you? Domination or whatever it is. I mean, yes, we live in a system that is very corrupted.
However, we all have the freedom and the spiritual freedom. And so there really shouldn't be any situation that we can't transcend through our own healing of our anger, our grief, which helps us to get out of the victim consciousness and integrate the emotions that are stored in our body. And then to...
stop seeking outside of ourselves to reclaim our power. And I think
really the other core aspect is presence because we can't receive anything unless we're in presence. And so a lot of people are afraid of really truly being present because I mean, think about it. If you're sitting and you're just like, I'm waiting for God to give me the message. I want the direct teaching.
You know? And then you're like, but what if I'm not good enough? Maybe God doesn't want to give me the or what if I heard a story? I didn't see the white man with the beard and the robe come and the guy over there did. And that must mean that I'm not spiritual enough or I'm not worthy. And these are all just like.
MAGICademy Podcast (16:12)
No, no, no, no,
I've been waiting for so long. I haven't heard anything yet. my goodness.
Tricia Eastman (16:37)
our childhood templates that are getting templated into our spiritual experience. So none of that's true. I'm not good enough. I'm not smart enough. None of that plays in the spirit world. I mean, if anything, you're talking to yourself.
MAGICademy Podcast (16:53)
And we are all present. If we are in a moment, we are a gift.
Tricia Eastman (16:57)
Yes, we're all present with our presence. So
the beauty of reclaiming our power, really like healing those wounds through the process of inner alchemy. We step forward and then we just become the vessel and we are the creative vessel of this beautiful web of life that is perfect in every way. The perfection exists.
through the reception of that energy when we are the vessel, we are perfect in that moment because we're able to act in our authenticity and that is the true perfection of everything.
MAGICademy Podcast (17:33)
So the authenticity actually comes from our ability to be open, to experience, be open to whatever that surface is in the moment. And that's where the authenticity comes. And I think sometimes the ego closes the door. It's like,
Tricia Eastman (17:47)
The ego just gets in the way. It's like, hey,
I'm not good enough over here. ⁓ I'm afraid very badly trained dog essentially, or badly trained pet, you know, like not housebroken, not no manners, jumps on everybody. You got to train it.
MAGICademy Podcast (18:07)
what do you think would be one thing that everybody can practice in this beautiful present moment to help us live in this non-duality space?
of pure love.
Tricia Eastman (18:21)
remembering to breathe because our breath is the journey. When you go into the sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight, your breathing is different. Your heart rate variability changes. When you consciously breathe,
Let's say it's eight seconds in or 10 seconds, and hopefully you don't have to count, but eventually it becomes rhythmic, like music. But when you breathe in that flow, what happens is it automatically takes you out of fight or flight, puts you back into a parasympathetic, and regulates your heartbeat.
resets the vagus nerve. And so a lot of the things that we're fighting against and when we're not conscious enough, it's just our vagus nerve. And I would say the other thing that, I mean, that's the simple thing, but I would say there is not enough credit given in the spiritual space or the consciousness space to somatic therapy.
I do two hours of roll thing every week, which is deep myofascial body work. Our issues are in our tissues. Talk therapy in the brain is not gonna get the issues out of the tissues. They go into your jaw, the body workers, you know how much stuff we hold in our jaw, how much we hold in our ears.
how much we hold in the psoas muscle, which is like down here at the pelvic floor, that is like a muscle that actually allows our soul to inhabit our body. If you have sexual trauma, your pelvic floor is all tight. That affects your root chakra, that affects your ability to be present, your ability to manifest wealth, your ability to feel good in your body.
You know, even the feet, I mean, it's really simple. We can massage our own feet. Not everyone can, you know, find a somatic therapist or maybe even has the resources. But I would say like, save your money on your Starbucks latte and get really good deep release bodywork. Not this like frou frou, like rub oils into the skin
and you know, all that kind of stuff.
My background before I was in this world of medicine, which I've done for about 12 years now, was in the spa and wellness space. And I started when I was 21. And I've studied herbalism even before that. But really the body is our karma. Our karma is in our body.
And the only way to be free is to heal your karma.
MAGICademy Podcast (21:14)
When you say the fascia work, somatic work, I've heard about like deep tissue massaging or gua sha from Chinese culture. Is that something like that or totally different?
Tricia Eastman (21:20)
Mm-hmm.
So gua sha is more related to like the skin and the lymph and also blockages in that layer. Although sometimes in specific areas it can get into the joints and the idea is to stimulate the blood to pull the toxins out to help them to release from the body. Swedish massage is a little bit more intense.
But when I'm talking about like Rolfing or Heller work, we're talking about going deep into the layer of fascia, which is what connects the bones together. And it's like the base layer underneath the muscle. And so that's literally where all of our deepest trauma.
lives and where all of our holding patterns, so if you're always on a computer and you hold your shoulders like this, all of those patterns are in the fascia, but there's also like mindsets and attitudes and emotions connected to every single way that we hold our body and there's even like if you research
You know, like Lewis Hayes done a lot of work around this, but there's many different, I mean, you can now just use chat GPT. My dad was in a car accident and he...
broke the number 12, I think it's like a C12 in the spine. It was like a fracture. And that was all about like not being seen and appreciated in the world. And I was like, wow, that actually makes sense because yeah, he was given up when he was a baby by his mother and his basically...
identical twin grandma, because it would technically be his great aunt adopted him. So he stayed in the family, but he could never get over this like feeling of being given away. And, you know, when you're in the crib as a baby, those are the most influential moments that affect the rest of your life. So anyway, so all this stuff that just like that incident there is in our body, it's in our hips, it's in our feet, it's in our
MAGICademy Podcast (23:23)
This is the end.
Thank you.
Tricia Eastman (23:37)
muscles, it's in our knees, it's behind our knees, it's behind our ears, it's like under these little nooks and crannies in the jaw, it's in our hands, especially if you're a healer, you pick up energy from people like people who do energy work, you get this area stripped right here, it will be painful because it's just like all kinds of stuff and then also like being on the computer, being on the cell phone.
all of those things. So, yeah. And it usually is not like the feel good massage. It's definitely relaxing. It definitely is cathartic. And you structurally change. Like I can say that I've structurally changed, although I've historically had really bad posture my whole life and I try to work on it. But yeah.
MAGICademy Podcast (24:25)
you.
did you enjoy creating so much that time disappeared for you when you were a kid?
Tricia Eastman (24:41)
Mmm.
I love playing jokes on people. Me and my sister, Theresa, we would play jokes on people all the time. We would like do these like mad libs and we would just put the funniest words in and we'd like read them and we'd be like laughing and giggling and then we'd get in trouble because it would be like
you know, midnight, and my parents would be like, what are you guys doing? You're supposed to be sleeping. And we'd like put our little night lights on and we put like blankets and we'd play gambling where we do like go fish. Cause we didn't really know how to gamble. And then we would have to put like high stakes items. Like, like, you know, I put like a shirt that she really liked that she'd always borrow from me. And you know, like she would put one that like,
I liked of hers. And then like one person would win and then we'd be like, Hey, that's not fair. You know, you try to win it back and you like didn't want to lose it. So I'd say that's probably like my favorite thing was like having fun and goofing off.
MAGICademy Podcast (25:38)
You
And what do think overall is your magic that allows you and enables you to do the work that you do now? Helping people working on the consciousness and bringing in indigenous wisdom to modern chaotic life.
Tricia Eastman (26:02)
probably my joy. I always have a lightness and a joy and a brightness to me. And I feel like an old soul and a young soul at the same time, meaning that I'll never lose my youthfulness. And even my voice is more bright. And you know, it's like everything about me is, is that. And so I would say that my magic is that
I had to like move through a lot of really heavy, hard stuff. I was like really bullied as a child. I had to transmute a lot of family karma from my dad's side as well as my mom's side that was like really heavy stuff. And I never became depressive about it. I've rarely been depressed in my entire life.
So I would say that like I was given a lot of light and life force energy that helped me to not be weighed down by all the things that I had to move through. So I think that's my superpower. Although sometimes it has been really hard, but I would say that's my superpower.
MAGICademy Podcast (27:05)
I feel like it's such a pleasure, an honor, a beautiful moment to witness you as you are and transcending and graduating from all these experiences and also learning and integrating these ancient wisdoms within you that not makes you heavy but makes you light. And I think the true beauty and then the true
Tricia Eastman (27:05)
Thank you.
MAGICademy Podcast (27:31)
love is light like literally and like ⁓ metaphysically as well and i think that's that's what i think that's maybe i can't speak for everyone but this coming from my perspective i feel like that's something i'm working on as well i'm to embody and to resonate with this light
Tricia Eastman (27:38)
Hmm.
MAGICademy Podcast (27:55)
⁓ loving energy that that's according to my thinking my current understanding is what a kid would carry with him or her when they first arrive on this planet earth through the help of their mother and father and I think that's maybe subconsciously where everyone is trying to to be in the moment and it just
Tricia Eastman (28:04)
Mm.
MAGICademy Podcast (28:17)
Not easy, but it's doable if possible.
Tricia Eastman (28:20)
Yeah, thank you. And you have a lightness and a joy to you too. And I think that's beautiful that you can give that to the world because it's so needed in these times, you know. And yeah, I mean, I'm just so grateful to be here to serve in such a
crazy chaotic time on the planet and yeah it's such a gift.
MAGICademy Podcast (28:47)
Yeah, and appreciate this moment that we're able to connect through the help of modern technologies. And I hope that our conversation will reach people who really need to listen to it around the world and bring a sense of levity, a sense of light and a sense of love to their present moment and make everyone realize that.
Tricia Eastman (28:54)
Mm-hmm.
MAGICademy Podcast (29:12)
No matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter what skin you wear, no matter what food you eat, no matter what family you have, no matter what job titles you have, no matter what stage of life you are, we are all a gift. We are all present. We are all beautiful in our own unique way.
Tricia Eastman (29:31)
Hmm. Yes.
MAGICademy Podcast (29:32)
Thank you, Tricia
Tricia Eastman (29:34)
Thank you.
Developing Internal Resources
Many approaches to wellbeing encourage reliance on external teachers, systems, and frameworks. Eastman observes that this pattern can limit the development of genuine internal resources and self-trust.
She describes how indigenous cultures emphasize direct experience over secondhand knowledge: "A Kogi apprentice doesn't simply read about consciousness—they develop it through years of structured practice, then get tested to verify their capabilities."
Building authentic wellbeing, according to Eastman, requires "reclaiming your power" and developing your own capacity for discernment rather than constantly seeking external validation.
Environmental Integration
Humans evolved in natural environments, yet most spend over 90% of their time indoors. This disconnection from natural systems creates what researchers call "nature deficit disorder"—a cluster of attention, mood, and cognitive issues linked to environmental isolation.
Studies show that even brief exposure to natural environments reduces cortisol levels, improves focus, and enhances creative problem-solving. Indigenous cultures understood this connection intuitively, viewing individual health as inseparable from environmental health.
Your nervous system requires natural inputs to calibrate properly. Without them, you're essentially running outdated software on modern hardware.
Building Resilience
Life presents challenges that can either fragment or strengthen us. Eastman describes this process through the lens of "inner alchemy"—developing the capacity to process experiences constructively rather than avoiding difficulty.
She draws on the Japanese practice of kintsugi to illustrate this principle: "It's about taking something broken and making it beautiful by gluing it back together... painting the cracks with gold." Similarly, challenging experiences can become sources of wisdom when approached with the right framework.
This involves what Eastman calls building tolerance for discomfort while developing practical skills for emotional regulation and creative problem-solving.
Daily Practices for Wellbeing
Effective practices are simple but consistent:
Breathing techniques: Several minutes of conscious breathing daily support nervous system balance and build capacity for handling challenges.
Body awareness: Regular checking for physical tension helps identify and release accumulated stress before it becomes chronic.
Present-moment attention: Developing the ability to stay grounded in immediate experience enhances focus and reduces mental loops.
Environmental connection: Regular time in natural settings supports physiological and psychological restoration.
Practical Implementation
Begin with physical foundations: address sleep, nutrition, and basic stress management before exploring more complex practices. Build internal resources by developing your own capacity for decision-making and self-assessment.
Cultivate environmental connection through regular nature exposure and sustainable living practices. Maintain consistency through daily awareness practices rather than sporadic intensive efforts.
Individual wellbeing contributes to collective health. Your personal practices ripple outward, affecting your community and environment in ways that extend beyond immediate awareness.
The Bigger Picture
This integrated approach challenges the fragmented view of human development that dominates Western culture. Instead of treating mind, body, and environment as separate systems, it recognizes their fundamental interdependence.
The goal isn't perfection or transcendence—it's developing the capacity to show up fully for life as it actually is. This means building genuine resilience rather than defensive strategies, and creating sustainable practices rather than quick fixes.
The most profound transformations often happen not through dramatic interventions, but through consistent attention to the fundamentals of human functioning. The question isn't whether you need development—it's whether you're willing to approach it systematically rather than haphazardly.
⭐ Connect with Tricia
Tricia Eastman, a lineage-honoring medicine woman and founder of nonprofit Ancestral Heart, bridges worlds rooted in her mestiza ancestry with profound insights from a decade of Bwiti initiations and training. A renowned speaker, artist, and writer, Eastman has been privileged to engage with audiences at Stanford University’s d.school and the World Economic Forum and on GAIA TV’s Psychedelica. Eastman has curated transformative retreats worldwide with plant medicines as well as facilitated the psychospiritual program with Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT at Crossroads Treatment Center in Mexico. Her wellness retreat center, Hu Azores, is scheduled to open in 2026/7.
Seeding Consciousness Book: https://www.amazon.com/Seeding-Consciousness-Ancestral-Psychedelic-Initiation/dp/1591435331
Tricia’s MAGIC
Her magic is maintaining joy and lightness despite processing heavy, difficult experiences. She describes having "a lightness and a joy and a brightness" that allows her to transmute family karma and challenging circumstances without becoming weighed down by depression. She attributes this to being given abundant life force energy that prevents her from being crushed by the darkness she's had to move through, calling it her "superpower."
Credits & Revisions:
Guest Alignment Reviewer: Tricia Eastman
Story Writer/Editor: Dr. Jiani Wu
AI Partner: Perplexity, Claude
Initial Publication: Aug 29 2025
Disclaimer:
AI technologies are harnessed to create initial content derived from genuine conversations. Human re-creation & review are used to ensure accuracy, relevance & quality.
