Advertise on podcast: Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with poet, cultural worker, and organizer aja monet for a deeply personal conversation about art, healing, and what it will take to create a world free from violence. Drawing from her poetry, activism, and the lessons passed down by the women who raised her, aja reflects on how creative expression can become medicine and why ending violence requires us to examine not only the systems around us, but the ways they live within us. Together, Mike and aja explore the power of love and tenderness, what men can learn from the women in our lives, and why building a more just and peaceful world requires the courage to listen, change, and become more fully human. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with educator, surfer, filmmaker, and founder of Native Like Water Marc Chavez for a conversation about water, grief, and ancestral connection. Through his work and Indigenous surf film Haagua, Marc reflects on how the ocean can become a place of healing, remembrance, and reconnection with those who came before us. Together, Mike and Marc explore what water can teach us about letting go without forgetting, how reconnecting with culture can move communities from surviving to thriving, and why healing is intimately connected to nature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with author, spiritual teacher, and creator of The Mayan Oracle Deck Christine Olivia Hernandez for a deeply personal conversation about ancestry, grief, and remembering who we are. From losing her Guatemalan father and feeling disconnected from her roots to finding her way back through ancestral practices, Christine reflects on how grief can transform our relationship with those who came before us. Together, Mike and Christine explore the wisdom our ancestors leave behind, our relationship with nature and sacred time, and how remembering where we come from can help us reconnect with who we truly are. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with comedian, actor, and creator Frankie Quiñones for a deeply personal conversation about laughter, trauma, and the courage to tell the truth. From finding refuge in comedy to speaking openly about childhood sexual abuse, addiction, and therapy, Frankie reflects on what it took to stop running from his pain and finally ask for help. Together, Mike and Frankie explore the silence so many men carry, how vulnerability becomes a form of strength, and why telling the truth about what happened to us can help heal generational cycles and give others permission to heal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Carmen Perez-Jordan, Chicana feminist and longtime movement leader, for a deeply personal conversation about friendship, grief, and liberation. From their shared roots in Oxnard to decades of organizing together, Carmen reflects on transforming the loss of her sister into purpose and the responsibility of carrying forward the lessons of our elders. Together, Mike and Carmen explore what feminism asks of men, the personal sacrifices of living on the frontlines of history, and why liberation must be practiced not only in our movements, but in how we love, heal, and show up for one another. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Ken Salazar, former U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Interior, and U.S. Ambassador to México, for a timely conversation about immigration, identity, and who gets to belong in America. Drawing from his family’s centuries-long history in the American Southwest and his memoir Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America, Ken reflects on how history continues to shape our understanding of borders, belonging, and one another. Together, Mike and Ken explore the fear and grief underlying our divisions, how men can redefine leadership and strength, and why building a more inclusive world begins with recognizing our shared future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Mónica Ramírez, founder of Justice for Migrant Women, for an important conversation about gender justice, patriarchy, and redefining power. Recorded live at the five-year anniversary of the Raizado Festival in Aspen, Mónica reflects on decades of fighting alongside migrant women, immigrant families, and survivors of gender-based violence, and what that work has taught her about how patriarchy harms all of us. Together, Mike and Mónica explore how men can help end sexual and gender-based violence, what it means to move from power over others to power with others, and why building a more loving future requires all of us to examine what we've inherited. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with legendary artist Chaz Bojórquez, widely recognized as the Godfather of West Coast Graffiti, for a powerful conversation about art, identity, and remembering who we are. Recorded inside the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City during the historic Aztlán, túnel del tiempo exhibition, Chaz reflects on bringing Chicano art home, the healing power of creative expression, and the responsibility of preserving our stories for future generations. Together, Mike and Chaz explore how art becomes memory, how fathers and culture shape identity, and why reclaiming our narratives is an act of healing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with comedian, author, and actress Aida Rodriguez for a deeply personal conversation about identity, fatherhood, and finding our way home to ourselves. From growing up without her father to searching for him decades later, Aida reflects on the complicated journey toward forgiveness and what it took to realize that her worth was never dependent on someone else choosing her. This heartfelt episode is a reminder that healing begins when we stop searching for validation and realize that we have always been enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Def Sound, Black Afro-Caribbean conceptual word artist, producer, poet, and educator for a thought-provoking conversation about identity, freedom, and the courage to become fully ourselves. Together, they explore the stories we inherit about race, gender, masculinity, and belonging, and what becomes possible when we stop performing versions of ourselves created to meet society’s rigid definitions of manhood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Leslie Priscilla, educator, founder of Latinx Parenting, and author of Chancla, for a deeply personal conversation about parenting, generational healing, and becoming the safe adult we once needed. Together, they explore how our own childhood experiences shape the way we parent, why healing begins with reparenting ourselves, and how repair, not perfection, is the foundation for raising emotionally healthy children. From healing cycles of fear and shame to honoring culture while telling difficult truths, Leslie shares a compassionate vision for raising the next generation with connection, dignity, and love.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Douglas Miles, acclaimed Apache artist, photographer, activist, and founder of Apache Skateboards, for a powerful conversation about art, storytelling, and reclaiming the narratives that shape our lives. Recorded live from the We The People exhibition in South Los Angeles, Douglas reflects on the importance of Indigenous communities telling their own stories, the healing power of creative expression, and the responsibility of passing culture from one generation to the next. Together, Mike and Douglas explore how art can become activism, how fathers help shape identity, and why preserving our stories is essential to building a more honest and inclusive future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Rocio Navarro for a deeply personal conversation about water, healing, and the ancient wisdom of letting go. Recorded beside the ocean, Rocio shares how water has been used across cultures as a source of ceremony, renewal, and connection, and how it can help us reconnect with our bodies and release what we’ve been carrying. Drawing from Mike’s own experience participating in a water ceremony led by Rocio, together they explore what water can teach us about grief, surrender, trust, and transformation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with acclaimed chef Eduardo “Lalo” García, the visionary behind Máximo in México City, for an important conversation about food, resilience, and the possibility of beginning again. From being deported from the United States to becoming one of Latin America’s most celebrated chefs, Lalo shares how hardship, determination, and a deep connection to food transformed his life. Together, Mike and Lalo explore how food can become medicine, how feeding others can be an act of love and service, and why our past does not have to define our future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Carlos Avendaño Mendoza, founder of Pécora 1909 and the coffee grower behind every cup of Tepito Coffee, for a deeply personal conversation about the land, legacy, and living with purpose. From humble beginnings in Veracruz to becoming one of México's most respected coffee growers, Carlos shares how his father, his family, and the land taught him that patience, humility, and care are the true ingredients of a meaningful life. Together, Mike and Carlos explore how coffee connects generations, cultures, and communities, why the land is one of our greatest teachers, and how the love between fathers and sons can help heal generational cycles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.