Healing with Naada
Every so often we believe that a good dose of energetic healing can work magic. Get to know intuitive Naada Guerra, who's extensive skill set allows her to tap into the subconscious and make transformative shifts for her clients. Naada Guerra has an incredible ability to bring personal vision to the greater whole. Integrating mind, body and soul, she catalyzes shifts within the collective consciousness. This work as an energetic healer allows her to remove subconscious blocks and facilitate transformation to create more goodness within many aspects of your life.
Her commitment to be of service to humanity’s awakening has taken her across the globe, studying with the Shamans of the Amazon, with Paiute and Lakota Elders and exploring sound healing and Sanskrit Mantra from the traditions of India. She is constantly learning and incorporating new philosophies from multiple cultures into her work. She has an incredible singing voice, of which she uses in her sessions to lull you into a blissful state of zen.
Naada has a B.A. in Consciousness and Human Evolution from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU, studied Yogic Philosophy at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and is trained in Vipassana meditation in the lineage of S.N. Goenka. In addition, Naada is a graduate of the Swedish Institute of Massage Therapy and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She has been assisting leaders in embodying excellence and aligning with their highest truth and happiness for the past 10 years. Her intellect and dedicated studies combined with her innate intuition make for an incredibly balanced, rare ability.
We visited Naada at her glowy, ocean-side studio to experience the healing for ourselves and it was incredibly profound. She starts by asking you to set an intention and talk about what changes you want to make, and what you're ready to let go of. After speaking with her, she lies you down on a table. The mood is set with beautiful mantras playing. As she starts reading your energy, she will tell you what comes up, always asking permission to clear things that may be obstacles. You'll actually FEEL her clearing, its kind of crazy! After the experience you will need some time to relax, unwind and reflect.
HOW THEY GLOW QUESTIONNAIRE
NAME: Naada Guerra
NICKNAME: Aman Shakti
PROFESSION: Energetic Healer / Shamaness / Master of Ceremonies
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? NYC represent represent ; )
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Hollywood, CA
WHEN YOU’RE EATING HEALTHY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL…
BREAKFAST: Jing City from Erewhon Tonic Bar
LUNCH: Fresh squeezed juice, smoothie or raw treat from LifeFood Organic on Cahuenga Blvd
DINNER: My fave salad (recipe below)
SNACK: Popcorn or toasted seaweed snacks
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO EAT HEALTHY? Crossroads, Sage, Gracias Madre, M cafe (for lunch or quick snack)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE? SUSHI!!!!! My mother says she started craving sushi soon after she became pregnant with me. Thank goodness I grew up across the street from a sushi restaurant. I’ve been eating it as long as I can remember. Sushi night was something I’ve looked forward to since age 3!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO INDULGE? Now that I live in LA - Sugarfish 100% I support this restaurant because they have very good quality AND maintain conscious standards of sustainability when choosing where to purchase their fish. They DO NOT serve Bluefin tuna, a species that is close to being fished to near extinction in the wild.
Whatever you choose to eat PLEASE make yourself aware of how and what you eat is effecting the environment and animals of this planet. DO NOT buy any products that have PALM OIL our rain forests are being devastated by this horrible product!
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST MEAL ON EARTH? If you haven’t caught on yet… SUSHI!!!!
WHAT IS THE BEST DISH YOU COOK/ YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE? I don’t prepare my meals at home that often. When I do I whip something up pretty quickly and my favorite at the moment is salad with what I call ‘Yummy Japanese’ dressing. I loved the salad dressing at my favorite sushi restaurant in NYC growing up, Japonica, so I figured out how to recreate it.
I start with a base of): Olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon and soy sauce (mix to your liking). Then depending on my mood I might add a teaspoon of Vegenaise to make it creamier or sesame seeds for flavor. Sometimes I shred some raw ginger into the mix. A combo of any or all of these is phenomenal in my book.
For the salad, I LOVE butter lettuce but any will do. Usually I keep it simple and add chopped scallions and some wakame seaweed that I’ve pre-soaked in hot water and allowed to cool before I toss it in with everything else. I love seaweed.
WHERE DO YOU GROCERY SHOP? Farmers Markets, Whole Foods, Erewhon, Japanese Markets in Little Tokyo
TOP 3 ITEMS YOU ALWAYS HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN?
1. NUMBER UNO: FRESH SPRING WATER or reverse osmosis alkaline water from a reliable source. I do my best to avoid fluoride as it has been shown to accumulate in the pineal gland. In every spiritual teaching I have encountered in my studies the pineal gland is of the utmost importance. It is located right behind where we might envision our “third eye” to be. Philosopher Rene Descartes referred to it as ‘the seat of the soul’. I don’t trust or want in my body what is in the water we drink these days, so I make sure to have the best quality spring water straight from nature or highly filtered water always available in my kitchen. I also choose not to support using plastic bottles so making sure I keep my water supply - I use glass 5 gallon jugs - it is of utmost importance in keeping me in alignment with honoring my body and the earth.
2. NUMERO DOS: GHEE! I love butter and there is nothing better to cook with then ghee! Plus in Ayurveda teaches that: “The ingestion of Ghee is like offering the finest of fuels into the fires of digestion-Agni. Ghee builds the aura, makes all the organs soft, builds up the internal juices of the body-Rasa, which are destroyed by aging and increases the most refined element of digestion - Ojas, the underlying basis of all immunity and the “essence of all bodily tissues”. Maya Tiwari calls Ghee the “single most ojas producing food on earth”. Ghee is known to increase intelligence - Dhi, refine the intellect - Buddhi and improve the memory - Smrti.” (http://www.amritaveda.com/learning/articles/ghee.asp)
3. NUMERO TRES: RAW MILK. I’m a dairy freak. However, I also cannot bare to support the horrible treatment of dairy cows or the treatment of their milk before we consume it. So I drink raw milk, sometimes sheep or goats milk as well. Though I grew up in NYC I was blessed to spend my weekends in upstate New York right next to a dairy farm where we got fresh milk. I remember devouring the cream off the top of the reusable container we would bring it home in. Like heaven! I’ve never had a cavity and I only experienced my first broken bone 2 years ago when I got hit in the face with a tree branch while riding on a bus moving 50 mph and I’m not sure anyone could have come out of that unbroken. I really feel a HUGE aspect of my extreme health and strength and brain capacity is due to growing up in my earlier years with raw milk. The cholesterol and vitamin D both found naturally in raw milk are crucial in the development of the brain and central nervous system. Pasteurized milk’s high temperatures destroys it’s natural vitamin D and then it is artificially reinserted back in after the pasteurization process.
WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS REGIMEN? (how often & what you do) At least 5 days a week I start my day with Kundalini Yoga. I prefer to go to class because I feel my practice deepens when I do it with community. I go to classes with Tej (info at ninetreasuresyoga.com) or at Indigo Lab on Wednesday and Sundays with Taranjot.
I also love to run stairs to keep my buttocks rotund. Mostly, to stay in shape I go out dancing or I play deep bass electronic music in my head phones and run around town pretending to be a ninja. Which means jumping up and down on things, doing splits and kicks, finding trees to do pull-ups on and pretending that if I don’t do sit ups the bad guys will win.
WHAT IS YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE? (products, facials, etc) Super simple: rinse with cold water and at the moment I’m using Soothsayer Serum from Living Libations. I exfoliate once or twice a week with Bioelements Kerafole and I do my best to do an infrared sauna at Cedarhouse once a week or soak in the natural hot springs at Beverly Hot Springs.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MAKEUP/NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS? Living Libations.
IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 PRODUCTS WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU? Seriously, I am a product LAMO - I’d call my friend Megan and ask her what she’s bringing. Otherwise I’d probably just go empty handed and rub avocados from the trees on my face when I got there.
WHAT PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY/HEALTH/FITNESS/SPIRITUAL GURUS DO YOU SWEAR BY? Deepak, Carolin Myss, Yogi Bhajan
TOP 3 FAVORITE SONGS? I have about 10,000 favorite songs, so here are three amazing pieces of music that move my soul so much they make me cry almost every time I listen to them.
1. Amel Larrieux - Make Me Whole
2. Micheal Jackson - Man In The Mirror
3. Johann Pachelbel - Canon in D
4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Aria (Queen of night) from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
Ok. That’s 4 not 3. Oops.
MOST-WATCHED MOVIE? The Matrix
MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK? I only get ONE!? Can I bring three books to the desert island instead of three products?
To clarify, these are three books that changed my mental paradigm at the time they entered my life. They are NOT my 3 favorite books though I love them all. They all totally switched my mental mode and life when I read them.
1. Walking Between the Worlds: The Science of Compassion by Gregg Braden
2. Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss
3. The Self-Aware Universe by Amit Goswami
4. A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber
Ok that was 4 again. You caught me.
FAVORITE SHOPS/BOUTIQUES? Espionage on Beverly That’s the only place I can think of right now. I’m not really a shopper.
COOLEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED? Morocco is magical. I spent a few nights camping in the Sahara Desert under the full moon. There is nothing else like it.
FAVORITE HOTELS? The Grand Budapest Hotel
WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? A plane ticket to go anywhere I wanted in the world.
MOST PROFOUND HEALING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE EVER HAD? LIFE: I have been on this path for so long and have been touched so deeply by Great Mystery in the form of so many different teachers, healers, plant medicines, books, artworks, dances, ceremonies, and spirits that I can go on infinitely. I’ve spoken with Thunder and been kissed by Lightning. I’ve trembled in Truth from the slightest whisper of God surging through me on the wave of a song played at the perfect moment. The Universe is always holding me, talking to me, teaching me and growing me. Everything is a miracle and that is profound when we see it.
WHO ARE YOUR MOST TRUSTED HEALERS? Jude Unegbu - African Shaman and incredible human being who I am currently blessed to be studying with. Gianna De La Torre - Acupuncturist and Intuitive and also my best friend and business partner. Shaman Durek - powerful Spiritual Leader and my soul brother. Noah Alvarez - The Spirit Psychic and a huge guide on my path. Clarissa Dolphin - My go to tarot reader.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD TO FACE AND WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM IT? Ha ha.. perfect pun situation here.. the biggest learning experience I had to face was breaking my face. I shattered my left eye socket in Oct 2013. It literally changed the way I see the world. When my eye finally healed from my first surgery to reconstruct the bone with Titanium, I had complete double vision. Because my left eye had very restricted movement, it always looked in a different direction from my right, eye causing me to see two different scenes simultaneously overlapping each other. When both my eyes were open it was as if I was looking through a kaleidoscope. It is incredibly disorienting and changes your whole life when you no longer see the same world you used to see.
What did I learn? I learned that I was a hard ass. I learned that I had always taken care of myself and was not very willing to let others care for me. I had 4 surgeries, two of them required surgery on both eyes and I was bandaged for 24 hours, unable to see at all. I was forced to become dependent on other people to care for me. It was really difficult. I did not realize how hardened I had become by my early life circumstances until this experience. I realized I really didn’t trust very many people.
Through my injury I was taught to actually receive from others and to be ok with being helpless. I also didn’t realize how many people’s lives I had touched. So many people showed up to support me during the past two years that I am still teary eyed when I think about it. I would never have known how loved I was if this hadn’t happened to me. I wasn’t able to receive all the love and appreciation others had for me with my tough New Yorker shell. Nothing was ever good enough for me before this happened. I was never good enough. I couldn’t receive others compliments because I wasn’t up to my own standards so I just stomped around on others compliments like a big clumsy rhino. Breaking my face broke my hard shell and the love poured in. I was finally able to see myself through the eyes of others and stop being so hard on myself.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. HA HA! Well… if you want me to be real… my perfect day is going to brunch and having amazing food and overflowing mimosas with my friends before going to an all day dance party with my favorite DJ’s and amazing creative people. Then coming home smoking a spliff and writing raps in my living room like I’m a Superstar! However, I don’t smoke marijuana anymore and I barely drink alcohol as well so perhaps the reason this seems like the perfect day is because sometimes I really miss the old days! Being committed to spiritual service is a gift unto itself, however, it does require immense discipline and sacrifice.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE GLOW TIP/SECRET?? You want me to give away my most valuable secret just like that!!! BE A GOOD PERSON and you will shine. Like Spike Lee said… "Do The Right Thing." The best way to glow is to be a vessel of God/The Divine in every thought, word and action.
FAVORITE QUOTE? “Make the money, don’t let the money make you Change the game, don’t let the game change you I forever remain faithful, All my people STAY TRUE!” - Macklemore Who knew Macklemore would make it into my top quotes!!?
I also really love this one “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Peter Drucker
WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR? Everything. It’s important to be grateful for everything. Right now I’m especially grateful for people who are putting in the hard work to heal themselves, each other and our planet. There are some extraordinary people out there doing some seriously hard work to make the world better. I give gratitude and blessings to these people every day and to those who came before us to make life as good as we have it here in America as women. We are so blessed and I am SO GRATEFUL.
WHAT MAKES YOU GLOW? Seeing people do nice things for each other, hearing stories of people making the world a better place, supporting people in living their best lives, dancing, performing, teaching, sharing and good music.