“Remembering, Repairing, and Regenerating: Leadership Rooted in Right Relationship" with Karina Turtzo
- chri116
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
Summary:
This week on The UpLevel Podcast, join us for a soul-nourishing episode featuring transformational guide and bridge keeper Karina Turtzo, a woman walking the path of collective liberation through ancestral healing, indigenous wisdom, and regenerative leadership.
Karina shares how “right relationship” is a lived practice that begins with intention, respect, and deep listening. From decolonized leadership to sacred ceremony, this conversation is rich with teachings on how to reconnect with land, lineage, and one another in ways that are generative, not extractive.
In this episode, we'll explore:
Why honoring the land and its original stewards is foundational for real healing
The epidemic of loneliness & disconnection: how losing touch with ancestry and place feeds today’s “polycrisis”
What “right relationship” really means and why it calls us into rigorous practice, not perfection
How ancestral wisdom is alive in your DNA…waiting to be remembered
Decolonizing plant medicine & wellness spaces; moving beyond commodification toward authentic community care
Leadership reimagined: From extraction to reciprocity and from hierarchy to circles of trust
Order of Topics:
Listening to the Land and Right Relationship
Addressing Disconnection and Restoring Connection
Defining "Right Relationship"
Reconnecting with Ancestry and Original Instructions
Returning to Balance and Purpose
Accessing Ancestral Memory and Blueprint
Decolonized Curriculums and Centering Ancestral Healing
The Importance of Indigenous Elders and Authentic Transmission
Healing Through Lineage and Exploring One’s Origins
Community, Healing, and Moving Beyond Individualism
Social Contexts for Healing and Regenerative Culture
Guarding Integrity: Plant Medicines, Elders, and Safe Containers
The ARC: Alliance of Regenerative Culture and Accessibility in Healing
Shifting Away from Commodification and Towards New Models
Continuous Practice: Healing From Colonization
Solidarity as a Verb: Dismantling Internalized Systems
Discernment vs. Judgment: Regenerative Pathways
Leaving a Legacy: Building for Future Generations
Applying These Teachings in the Workplace
Leadership, Capacity, and Building Resilient Circles
Reciprocity, Giving, and the Infinity Loop
Sisterhood, Sacred Sessions, and Wisdom for Women
Culture of Care, Grief, and Moving Forward
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE EMBARKING ON A PLANT MEDICINE EXPERIENCE:
How long have you been working with medicine for your personal healing? And how long have you been holding group medicine work?
What is your personal relationship to (insert medicine here)? These days, people are serving medicines they don’t have personal relationships with - for example, someone works at a Ketamine clinic but says they are a Psychedelic practitioner and “can" serve you mushrooms.
Who are your teachers, past and present? People must have ongoing relationships with teachers, not just receive training and then go on their own
Who trained you? Did they give you explicit permission to serve medicine?
Can you share more about your initiation/training process before starting to serve medicine yourself?
What trauma training do you have? There is a difference between trauma-aware, trauma-informed, and trauma-trained.
If working with Indigenous technology/teachings and teachers, what is your relationship to that lineage, and how are you in right relationship? (Looking for a reciprocity initiative that gives back to the lineage)
Do you have teachers or peers willing to support you with a reference?
Where do you source your medicine? What is your relationship to the land where the medicine comes from?
What is the ratio of participants to facilitators/assistants in your circles?
What type of training do your assistants have?
What is your relationship to the land you are serving medicine on?
Please share your safety protocols with me - pre, during, and post ceremony
Do you have a medical doctor and a psychotherapist on your team?
Please share a challenging situation you experienced during a ceremony and how you handled it
Has anyone been harmed, harmed others, or harmed themselves in your care? If yes, elaborate
How do you define harm in the psychedelic/medicine space?
If you’re going to a center, ask to speak to one of the facilitators, not just the intake person - all the above questions can be applied to centers that are holding medicine.
How do you define integration? What integration plans do you offer, and are they part of the experience?
Action Items:
Acknowledge & Honor the Land
Research which Indigenous nations originally stewarded the land where you live or work.
Begin meetings or gatherings with a simple land acknowledgment.
Express gratitude for being on this land, and reflect on your relationship with place.
Reconnect With Nature
Spend intentional time outdoors: walk barefoot, listen to birds, notice plants and animals.
Unplug from digital devices regularly to simply “listen” to the natural world around you.
Cultivate Right Relationship
Practice integrity in all relationships (with yourself, others, and Earth).
Reflect: Are my actions harmonious? Am I giving as much as I take?
Explore Ancestral Wisdom
Ask elders in your family about traditions or healing practices.
Journal about what “ancestral memory” might mean for you, even if it feels distant at first.
Decolonize Your Healing Practices
Seek out teachings directly from lineage holders/elders when engaging with rituals or plant medicine.
Avoid commodifying sacred practices; approach them with respect and humility.
Prioritize Accessibility & Community Care
Support organizations that make healing accessible for marginalized communities.
Offer sliding scale pricing or scholarships if hosting events/workshops.
Practice Reciprocity Daily
Give more than you take—in relationships, workspaces, and community involvement.
Ask yourself each day: How am I contributing back?
Lead Differently at Work
Shift away from hierarchy toward collaborative circles of care and consensus-building.
Encourage vulnerability and authenticity among team members.
Create regular check-ins that focus not just on productivity but also on well-being.
Build Circles of Care & Mutual Aid
Start small: Gather friends/neighbors/colleagues for mutual support sessions (“care circles”).
Share resources generously within your networks; skill swaps count!
Stay Present With Grief & Complexity
Don’t bypass difficult emotions like grief over environmental loss or injustice; name them together in safe spaces.
Transform pain into action through communal ritual or activism.
About Karina:
Karina Turtzo is dedicated to the journey of collective liberation through the practice and remembrance of ancestral healing arts that center ceremonial practices and earth medicines. She designs and facilitates decolonized curriculums that intentionally entangle us with the Earth and help us awaken and activate to our genetic memory and wisdom. As a bridgekeeper and student of indigenous wisdom teachers, she serves her community as a certified holistic health, transformation, and integration guide and facilitator focusing on nurturing regenerative relationships and fostering culture shifts and systems change for a more harmonious world.
With a rich tapestry of cultural heritage that includes Taino, Afro-Caribbean, Spanish, French, and Ecuadorian lineages, Karina embodies a beautiful fusion of traditions and histories, celebrating the strength and resilience of her ancestors. She is the founder of the wellness platform Sovereign by Nature, non-profit The ARC and healing container for women The Sacred Session.
Karina creates applied spaces from a place of non-judgement, respect and compassion and care. She creates containers where the collective can shed, remember, integrate, and grow. She believes that through generative relating, devotion, and conscious action we can come into right relationship with ourselves, the collective and our great mother Earth.
Instagram Handles:
Websites:
How people can support: (donate to support healing for marginalized communities)
Solidarity Circle
The ARC - Nonprofit - Mutual Aid Circle
The Oracle Within (Psilocybin) Journey
Nourish Retreat
Women’s Work - The Inner Altar Pathway to Devotion Online Circle
Councilship - One on One Coaching
🎉 The UpLevel Podcast was listed as one of the Top 10 Best Coaching Culture Podcasts!!! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/coaching_culture_podcasts
🎉 It was also ranked #4 among the top 50 Best Workplace Mental Health Podcasts! https://podcast.feedspot.com/workplace_mental_health_podcasts
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