Reclaiming Right Relationship Through Ancestral Healing and Remembering Who We Are with Dr. Daniel Foor
- chri116
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
Summary:
This week on The UpLevel Podcast, we welcome Dr. Daniel Foor, a psychologist, an experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. From ancestral lineage healing and animism to decolonial leadership and ethical business, this dialogue bridges spirituality, psychology, and justice in profoundly human ways, guiding people into right relationship with their ancestors, the land, and the unseen world.
Daniel invites us to rethink what power, belonging, and leadership look like, moving beyond hierarchy and domination toward connection, reciprocity, and care.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why “human supremacy” may be limiting your worldview and how animism opens new doors for connection that honors all beings as persons worthy of respect
How ancestral lineage healing can resolve deep-seated personal and systemic trauma
Shifting from achievement-based leadership to relational power grounded in care and community
Understanding the impact of colonization, capitalism, and disconnection and how reweaving ancestral ties can restore balance
Practical wisdom for leaders: building ethical organizations that prioritize service over profit
A powerful redefinition of success: why becoming a “regular person” might be the ultimate KPI for growth
Why humility, not grandeur, is the true revolution in healing and leadership
Order of Topics:
Ancestral Lineage Healing and Its Connection to Right Relationship
The Impact of Colonization and Disconnection
Dehumanization, Supremacy, and Systemic Harm
Daniel’s Exploration with Spirituality
Guidance for Leaders and Organizations
Navigating Capitalistic Systems as Individuals
The KPI of Becoming a Regular-Sized Person
Pathways to Restoration and Connection
Final Reflections and Words of Encouragement
Action Items:
Expand Your Definition of “Right Relationship”
Include Non-Human Persons: Recognize animals, plants, landforms, ancestors, and unseen beings as legitimate persons.
Challenge Human Supremacy: Notice where you unconsciously treat only humans as worthy of relationship; actively shift this perspective.
Engage in Ancestral Lineage Healing
Connect with Wise Ancestors: Seek guidance from older ancestral guides
Address Intergenerational Trauma: Reflect on inherited patterns, personal struggles may have roots in your lineage.
Explore Resources: Consider workshops or courses like those at https://ancestralmedicine.org
Practice Animism Daily
See Kin Everywhere: Treat pets, houseplants, local trees—even mountains—as sentient kin rather than mere resources.
Notice Empathy Beyond Humans: Pay attention to feelings toward non-human beings and deepen these relationships intentionally.
Resist Systemic Dehumanization
Educate Yourself About Injustice: Learn how depersonification enables genocide and ecological harm (e.g., study ongoing crises such as Palestine).
Intervene Where Possible: Speak up against dehumanizing language/practices—in organizations or communities—and advocate for inclusive policies.
Redefine Leadership & Power
Serve Your Community First: Measure leadership by care and usefulness to others—not personal status or dominance.
Foster Generosity & Relationality: Build trust through service; prioritize collective well-being over self-promotion.
Transform Business Practices Ethically
For leaders/organizations:
Listen deeply to marginalized/global south voices.
Study ethical models beyond capitalism (e.g., democratic socialism).
Prioritize relationships over profit when possible.
Regularly reflect on privilege and unconscious biases shaping business culture.
For employees/managers within harmful systems:
Set clear boundaries (“red lines”) you won’t cross ethically.
Align actions incrementally with life-centered values—even if change is small at first.
Stay pragmatic but hold a long-term vision for systemic transformation.
Embrace Being “Regular-Sized”
Let go of striving for spiritual exceptionalism or excessive humility/shame—aim instead to be an integrated participant among many.
Growth = Service + Humility + Responsible Engagement
Build Collective Support Networks
Rely on community, ancestors, and the wider web of life, don’t try to heal alone!
Achievement is sustainable when rooted in trust and shared effort not isolation or lone striving.
Access Practical Tools & Learning Opportunities
About Daniel:
Daniel is a doctor of psychology, an experienced ritualist, and the author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. He is an initiate in the Òrìṣà tradition of Yoruba-speaking West Africa and has learned from teachers of Mahayana Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and the older ways of his English and German ancestors. Daniel is passionate about training aspiring leaders and change makers in the intersections of cultural healing, animist ethics, and applied ritual arts. He lives with his wife and two daughters near Granada, Spain, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Website: http://ancestralmedicine.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielfoor/
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About UpLevel Productions: Founded by Christie Mann, MA, CPCC, PCC, and Rachel Baldi, CPCC, PCC, UpLevel creates, produces, and delivers Transformative Experiences, Workshops, Training, Events + Media that develop leaders who make our world a healthier, more alive, and connected place to be. As Associate CTI Faculty Partners, UpLevel is licensed to sell, produce, and deliver Co-Active coach training and leadership development programs around the world to support the transformational growth of individuals and culture inside the workplace and organization. www.uplevelproductions.com Instagram @uplevelproductions Facebook & LinkedIn @uplevelproductionscompany
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