What People Are Saying | Voices of Transformation
Your facilitation has truly brought me life, thank you.
I am still processing the amazing experience you led us through on Saturday during your session. I’ve even struggled to share my experience with my closest folks because it feels like using words to capture such a transcendent experience takes away from the moment. That was one of the most life affirming moments I’ve had in a very long time. And I really needed it.
Altagracia used an activity for us to get to know ourselves and each other. It was a Mourning/Morning activity that helped me hold space for grief and hope in the same moment and to connect deeply with my peers. This shared activity, to me, embodies the honor of witnessing both the sometimes unspoken grief or hardship we carry and also recognizes the hopes and dreams of our colleagues.
I am feeling so grateful for all of you and the energy and space that we’ve shared. Altagracia love your BGE and could not imagine this garden without you tending to it. I feel so cared for by y’all and it’s funny how even though we don’t see each other in person or that often I feel such comfort and safety with this group. Thank you all for what you’ve been able to give to this space.
I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for the excellent, thoughtful session you put together for our staff retreat yesterday. It was so well done, and I think it was a great way to start bringing this work to all staff.
Amazing facilitation. Really unpacked and held space for all of us.
The workshops created a wonderful space for communication to happen. I was blown away with Altagracia’s ability to step in and out of a challenging conversation. Altagracia balanced pushing and supporting in a way that kept leaders accountable but not too uncomfortable that they couldn’t participate.
This space is surreal. Thank you y’all this is more than I ever imagined I would witness on Zoom.
I really, deeply appreciate your words during today’s meeting. For so many reasons, they mean an extra lot to me right now. Thank you for inspiring me to go outside of my comfort zone and for encouraging me to explore that more. It does feel good and in integrity with my truth, even when it’s scary. Your time with us has been incredibly powerful and inspiring for me in general.
Feeling gratitude for this garden full of camaradas who I always want to be with me any time I feel or experience hope about what’s possible in our collective lives. Want you to be part of any and all blooming in my life! Want that loving garden-ness to be ubiquitous, especially for all of our young people.
This was extremely useful for my current work! There were so many community/ancestral practices NAMED that have sat unnamed for so long or erased through colonialism that I needed to rename for my classroom, my community, and myself.
Having this community has made such a positive impact on my life. Especially in ways that I could not have imagined. I feel connected to nature and my ancestors in such powerful ways. I never feel alone or isolated. I feel powerful and I’m much more in tune with my intuition. Hope, joy, and power are words that I use often as a result of this community. I am now creating the life that I’ve always dreamed of, yet felt was out of reach.
I am still processing the amazing experience Altagracia led us through on Saturday. I’ve even struggled to share my experience with my closest folks because it feels like using words to capture such a transcendent experience takes away from the moment. That was one of the most life affirming moments I’ve had in a very long time. And I really needed it.
Altagracia, thank you. You brought just what I feel is needed at this point for this group. Your warmth and intuitive understanding of what is needed when and with whom is inspiring. Thank you.
A feeling that I’m not alone-not in my teaching, not in my life, not even in my big personality. Altagracia is the closest thing that I’ve ever seen to my own Self. Except, she harnesses her Big Goddess Energy, while I don’t fully recognize mine.
In this moment: resignation – acceptance – transformation; making peace with and coming to terms with embarking on a journey for myself and the people I choose to pour my heart/spirit into, even if that means I must let other people go or cannot take them with me on that journey. love, courage, beauty, faith, life, memories… I believe I remember
I deeply appreciate the brave space you created that fostered vulnerable sharing and leaning into necessary tension. The conversations have been profoundly soul-nourishing. I admire your approach and commitment to this work.
Thank you Altagracia!! You are amazing, and I am so grateful you are with our organization on this journey at this important time.
The space you held for us was life giving, affirming, and rejuvenating and we deeply appreciated what transpired in the moment. We also are inspired by your ‘time abundance’ approach and have been reflecting on how we can reframe our relationship with time, so thank you for the example and inspiration!
This was the best DEI experienced I have ever had – you kept us engaged.
STRATEGIC plans usually feel really lofty but through this process you’ve made it feel really tangible and obtainable.
My garden experience have been to co-cultivate a place to grow collective rest, so that we can go back to the collective resistance against the harm.
I wanted to start off by saying thank you to you both for creating spaces in ITOC where I felt heard, understood, validated and uplifted. It was such an amazing experience listening to the work everyone is partaking in and envisioning what transformative education could look like. Your workshops truly showed me how we can incorporate the idea of healing into the classroom, and community to some capacity.
Thank you for holding the space and allowing people to flow in and out as possible. I’m holding the idea of tending to myself as a garden. Centering nurturing with water, light, and tenderness. I’m grateful for the reminder of the power to interrupt harmful constructs that rob me of my time and ultimately my life. I’m grateful for strangers opening up to be vulnerable, celebrate each other, and offer words of encouragement in moments (months) of chaos. I’m grateful for my container and appreciated the time to connect with self- physically, spiritually, lovingly.
I’m feeling amazing after Freedom Readers. I always feel good after. It’s a really beautiful + affirming space. Also, this text + these activities couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time in my life. So super grateful to just be present + take it all in. Thankful that the Universe has used Alta to facilitate this space of healing and armor for all of us. A lighthouse indeed.
I SO appreciated Altagracia explicitly stating, ‘just because you say it doesn’t mean it’s happening’ AND calling out leadership defensiveness and how it makes people shut down.
I’ve never heard DEI talked about in this way. It usually sounds like a vitamin that you take but you explained it so well and humanized the work.
But I wanted to say that I’ve loved being in this space with you. You’re so brilliant and relatable at the same time. I’ve learned a lot through reflection and hearing other folks’ perspectives. Thank you for letting me come and grow with you!
I wanted to communicate just how much I appreciate our time together back in ITOC this summer; I feel I’ve grown so much just from that one session in practicing compassion (both for myself and others) and healing.
I started this collective wanting wellness for myself, but not having any idea how to even start. I have learned so many different tools! I have a better idea of what brings me joy and wellness. It’s nurtured different parts of me that have been dormant. I am looking forward to continuing these practices and hopefully creating those spaces for others.
This workshop had a wow factor – you have the knowledge and wisdom to create safe working environments.
I really, deeply appreciate Altagracia’s words during today’s workshop. For so many reasons, they mean an extra lot to me right now. Thank you for inspiring me to go outside of my comfort zone and for encouraging me to explore that more. It does feel good and in integrity with my truth, even when it’s scary. Your time with us has been incredibly powerful and inspiring for me in general, and I’ll never quite find the best words to thank you.
Altagracia, I wanted to communicate just how much I appreciate our time together this summer; I feel I’ve grown so much just from that one session in practicing compassion (both for myself and others) and healing.
I entered that Zoom session with curiosity and left wanting more. Everything resonated so much. Again, thank you and looking forward to what’s coming next. I’ll be embracing it wholeheartedly.
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