#21 A Hunger for Wholeness (Encore)

​This is a recording from the 2022 Community Conversation between with guest Iya Affo and SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo.

Iya Affo is a Culturalist and Historical Trauma consultant. She earned Western certification as a Trauma Specialist and is a descendant of a long line of traditional healers from Bénin, West Africa. Iya serves as an Executive Board Member for the Arizona ACEs Consortium, is an Adjunct Faculty member at the Arizona Trauma Institute, and is the founder of Heal Historical Trauma Culture & Indigenous Wellness Academy. She has visited more than 30 countries; living in Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Native American, and Yoruba communities, embracing aspects from each culture for personal evolution. She strives to transcend tolerance through cultivating love and respect in hopes of facilitating the decolonization and subsequent healing of indigenous people from all over the world. Iya advocates for the harmonization of Traditional Medicine and Western Medicine for true holistic healing.

Iya’s passion is to cultivate intergenerational healing by connecting intuitive ancestral practices with modern neurobiology. As we delve into leveraging our neurobiology to facilitate the healing process, we will also explore re-culturing and the creation of self-harmonizing communities.

Iya Affo’s Website

Topics

• 00:00 Introduction and Welcome
• 00:51 Introducing Iya Affo
• 02:31 Iya’s Personal Journey
• 05:57 Understanding Historical Trauma
• 10:14 Resilience and Cultural Connections
• 11:57 The Role of Names and Identity
• 16:25 Tools for Healing and Resilience
• 19:12 The Importance of Cultural Practices
• 24:35 Epigenetics and Generational Trauma
• 26:34 Storytelling and Historical Context
• 26:54 Ancestral Vigilance and Survival Instincts
• 29:05 Epigenetics and Generational Trauma
• 30:50 Impact of Historical Trauma on Modern Behavior
• 34:52 Challenges of Western Medicine in Indigenous Communities
• 43:51 Traditional Healing Practices and Neurological Regulation

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