What People Are Saying!

Ixchel taught me how to quiet my mind and get in touch with my body, for example, how to listen to my heart. Practices like these helped me calm my nervous system, helping me identify my wants and needs, and helping me better connect with people I love. For myself and many others, the body is often neglected and the mind is overactive, so these somatic practices help one to get in touch with themselves and feel more grounded. Ixchel is a very present and empathetic teacher I would absolutely recommend working with her! 

M.M.R.T. One-on-One Coaching Client

I've been grateful to work with Ixchel in many capacities. Across all our collaborations, she thoughtfully she blends wonder, intuition, and truth-telling in her work. I often time travel when we're together, and I love how the fantastical is in reach when we commune.

L.T.G. Small Group Culture Shift Participant

Ixchel Tonāntzin Xōchitlzihuatl has brightened my life both professionally and personally. We met in summer 2023 at the Opportunity Agenda's Creative Change.  She stood way out from the 100 art world leaders there. She took the retreat by storm by making theory and activism somatic by leading our group in dancing and singing by the Rio Grande, while others witnessed and learned with awe. 

I couldn’t be more honored to support her hemispheric-scale artwork that involves buying land back and facilitating inter-Indigenous conversations from the Andes to the Rockies. We are also working together on a global art project called “Intersectional Environmentalism.” And she is mentoring my nonbinary child’s growth via nontraditional therapy, which feels expansive and comforting for all three of us.

A.R.M Co-Collaborator

A conduit between root and star, Ixchel is a teacher, healer, and storyteller whose Olympic intellect alchemizes with sacred wisdoms acting as lightning and lighthouse in movements and communities both intimate and vast.

D.W.W., Small Group Culture Shift Participant

Working with Ixchel was an incredible experience for me, our team, and project participants. She kept us grounded in our bodies, goals, and our values each time we met. She constantly reminded us of the importance of equitable people oriented approaches and challenged anything that might make the work inaccessible to those engaging in the research. She understood the technical needs of the research project and prioritized that without compromising creativity or equity which can be a difficult balance to attain. Her process reflected her indigeneity and advances the decolonization of research practices while being welcoming and eye-opening. She recognized that it was important to not only gather data but to really connect with interviewees, ensure they were appropriately reflected in the outputs, and make any adjustments needed to be inclusive. 

Authenticity was critical to this work and Ixchel stays true to herself and her practice no matter what, and it flows so organically! She knew that it was also important to impact the audience, the people who would review and engage in this research, and was incredibly thoughtful about how to use her practice to make a mark on those who touched this work. The presentation of the data at a national conference was incredibly impactful for everyone in the room. I continually got people expressing gratitude for Ixchel's presentation and activity she did with the audience. It showed people, who may not engage with artists much, why it's important to include arts and culture in their work, the role they can play in research, and how to stay connected to their bodies in this difficult work. Including this type of work more broadly in community develop will only further magnify the power of those who might view themselves as powerless, reestablish the fullness of the ecosystem in communities, and energize community development practitioners to continue their work. It serves as a model for how to engage communities in an authentic and substantial way and gather information that can serve to change systems and structures to better include them in processes, address social and heal inequities, and heal.I hope to have the opportunity to work with Ixchel again!

D.M., Research Client

to protect client confidentiality all reviews uses pseudonyms