TEJ GAYTAN-LEGORRETA | MOTHER’S DAY FEATURE GODDESS
Goddesses Share Their Secrets…
What is success to you?
Success is being self-disciplined to make independent “good choices” and completing a task or an action. Moving forward one step at a time, and being resilient when we encounter obstacles or fail on the way, this are only opportunities to try again, to learn more, to stay in the question, what is it that I am not seeing? What else is possible? How does it get any better? Being determined and committed is essential, not giving up regardless of the circumstances.
Success is having freedom of spirit and an open heart, to enjoy life, our successes, our sorrows, and challenges. Success is to share the experiences and wealth of information we’ve acquired through our lives, and contribute to others wellbeing and happiness. It is in sharing ourselves, our light, our compassion, our tenderness, our love, and being vulnerable, that we are truly successful, happy and fulfilled.
What is magic for you?
Magic is the possibility of having the unexpected manifested in ways that we would not even imagine! It happens in an instant and is filled with awe, joy, and love. Magic is ever present in life, it fills the heart with gratitude and reverence, we only need to be open to the possibility and there it is all around us.
What is love for you?
Love is the nuclear power that can do it all!
Love is what makes our hearts beat, what makes us laugh in bliss
Love is embracing the whole, with love we overcome any differences
Love reminds us we are all united, we are all one
Love is happiness
What is your beauty /health practice?
My beauty/health practice is to soak in hot springs, alternating hot and a very cold plunge, it renews and cleanses the blood, it is so invigorating! I love it.
What makes your spirit glow?
My spirit glows in nature, watching a sunset or the vastness of the sea, hiking a mountain, embracing a tree, watching the clouds travel and wondering, where are they going? Playing classical music on the piano makes my spirit glow with joy! Chanting and playing devotional music from India, especially when sharing with an audience. Enjoying dear friends, enjoying my son.
How do you stay centered in the middle of chaos?
I breathe deeply, pray and chant while doing ”tapping” Energy Freedom Technique, and Energy Medicine to calm my nervous system and quiet my mind. I remain centered and have the clarity and assertiveness to act when needed.
What causes /organizations are you passionate about?
I am passionate about organizations that help orphaned children in the world like “The Unstoppable Foundation” that is a non-profit humanitarian organization bringing sustainable education to children and communities in developing countries.
If you could say one thing to the world what would you say?
Wake up every morning and greet the day with joy, gratitude, and love, you are alive and breathing! Choose to be aligned with the highest possible energy, choose to be your highest possible self, to have amazing magic and miracles manifest in your life. Know that you are powerful beyond measure, choose to be the answer to someone’s prayers, somebody will be the answer to yours. Take the first step and be light and give light, take the first step to be love and give love, magic and miracles will unfold.
What has been the greatest lesson as a mother you’ve learned?
To experience the magic of a tiny human being growing in my belly that came to be his own strong and powerful self, my son Nirmal. To have experienced the highest state of meditation right after he was born, in gratitude for his life and the opportunity and gift to be his mother in this lifetime. He is my son, though he does not belong to me, detachment from his physical presence and allowance of who he is and what he is about in this world has been a great lesson for me, as I witness him blooming powerfully and joyfully, being in charge of his life.
What advice would you give to a new mother?
Motherhood is one of the greatest gifts you can experience in your life as a woman, enjoy your child fully by being actively present in his/her life and development. Even though it is a big responsibility, it brings great moments of joy, magic, love, and fulfillment. Dedication and patience are also required during the challenging moments that may arise as your child grows up, getting sick, growing pains, etc. It is extremely important that you, as a mom, take care of yourself, pamper, and replenish regularly, doing what you love most. Take a bath, get a massage, soak in spring waters, listen to your favorite music, go to a movie, buy yourself flowers, go out with your partner or your girlfriends, etc. It is important to have a balance between family and yourself, keep replenishing so you share yourself from a space of peace, well being, and joy. All love and blessing to you beautiful new mom!
"Love has a hem to her garment that reaches to the very dust. It sweeps the stains from the streets and lanes, and because it can, it must".
As a teenager, I was given the gift of kundalini yoga by my mother and became a hatha and kundalini yoga teacher when I turned 19 years old. I attended university at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and received a degree in architecture. After completing university, I married and moved to Houston, Texas where I gave birth to a beautiful son named, Nirmal.
It is because of Nirmal that I discovered Montessori education. While serving as an assistant and spanish teacher in his Montessori classroom, I was inspired to pursue my AMI Primary Guide certification in the early 90’s and became a Montessori teacher. I have been a primary lead Montessori teacher for over 16 years and currently work at Journey Montessori, in Santa Fe, New Mexico where I lead the classroom for children ages 3 to 6.
When moving to New Mexico over 10 years ago, I quickly discovered the dry weather required a daily deep moisturizing skin regimen. After trying numerous moisturizers on the market and finding they were no match for the dry New Mexico desert, I was inspired to revive an old family recipe for a moisturizing rose cream. With the help of my mother’s insight and studying homeopathy and herbal pharmacy at the local community college, I perfected a rich moisturizing rose cream, Aurum Rosa, to provide a total skin relief solution for any climate. My rose cream is handmade by using all natural ingredients and is infused with the sound current of the mantra “Sopurkh” for blessings, grace, and love.
Finally, for more than 25 years, I have been active in the healing arts and have developed my own signature healing system, Transform to Shine, helping women in stress to live an empowered fulfilled life. Tools include Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), energy medicine, meditation, yoga, access bars, Reiki, sacred geometry, Feng Shui, numerology, and Sat Nam Rasayan. For more information regarding Transform to Shine or Aurum Rosa moisturizing skin cream, please visit my website at www.tejgaytan.com.
My personal mission is to be a contribution to young children, who are our future, and for women to thrive, be joyful, and to dwell in their power.