This Arizona Curandera Changed the Way We Think About Our Wellness Routine
Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz is sharing her wisdom for holistic wellness in a new book, ‘Earth Medicines.’
Thomas J. Story
Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz cradles a piece of freshly cut aloe vera between her fingers, delicately holding the plant she’s plucked from outside her home. Its dirt-clad roots stretch outward, its green leaves upward, almost as if it’s reaching out to touch her, too.
The Phoenix-based curandera can often be found with plants in her pockets—aloe vera gel has a variety of uses beyond being a widely known salve for sunburnt skin. For Ruiz, it’s an ingredient that can be added to cucumber medicine water or a calendula mist for sensitive skin, even hair gel. In her practice of curanderismo, which is rooted in generations-old, traditional Mexican healing ways, Ruiz says, aloe vera placed near your front door is believed to spiritually protect the home.
Thomas J. Story
This is the type of wisdom in her new book, Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera. Flip through the pages and you’ll find an array of thoughtful remedies collected and crafted over decades as an indigenous foods activist and natural foods chef in the Sonoran Desert—“one of the most edible and medicinal landscapes of North America,” as Ruiz writes. Her practice has garnered a following in the region and beyond, from author and television host Padma Lakshmi to celebrated publications such as Food & Wine.
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The book is organized according to four elements—water, air, fire, and earth—and recipes range from “hydrating skin food,” such as cucumber salad, and nopales medicine water to facial mists, hair moisturizers, mouth rinses, and more.
Through it all, Ruiz shares stories and insight from her time in the desert, “living on this land and later working with this land,” as she writes, which has allowed her to “come full circle” not only professionally but also “as a person reclaiming their Indigenous roots.” Ruiz traces her own Mexican, Spanish, and Tewa lineage “far into Northern New Mexico” in the book, and her passion for plant medicine to her great-grandmother who crafted remedios in Old Town Albuquerque.
Thomas J. Story
“Holistic living, holistic wellness, that’s so trendy to talk about now. But all it is is Indigenous living,” Ruiz tells me. “It’s going to be plant medicine. It’s going to be food. It’s going to be breathing and being outside, walking and getting sunshine. All of those things are not new. But the book, I’m hoping, will help people recognize that we all come from somewhere. This is all in our DNA. We just need to remember.”
Here, we’re grateful to excerpt a few recipes from Earth Medicines—one from each element—to help you get started, or continue, on that journey.
Healing Recipes From a Curandera
Fire: Fierce Tigress Body Balm
“This hot and spicy topical balm is my version of the tried-and-true Chinese ointment called Tiger Balm, which started showing up in health food stores decades ago for joint pain relief, headaches, and then some,” Ruiz writes. “The basic principle behind the ointment is to help move qi and get the blood flowing to areas of pain so healing can take place. However, although it is recommended as a natural remedy, Tiger Balm does contain petroleum and paraffin. I love its scent and effectiveness, so I created my own version using beeswax, coconut oil, and plenty of essential oils that are beneficial for bringing fire and warmth to my areas of pain to get my blood flowing. This blend is made with a high dilution of warming essential oils, as it is only meant to be applied to an area of pain. So, even though it smells fierce, please do not slather this on like body butter or get it too close to your eyes.”
Earth: Sedona Bath Soak
“When I was a child, our family would drive to Sedona during Phoenix summers to escape the heat and spend the day at Oak Creek Canyon,” Ruiz writes. “I loved playing in the creek with my siblings, going fishing with my dad, and having lunch by the water. Now that I am an adult, I can see why Sedona is considered the New Age capital of the world. It is a spiritually captivating place that Native peoples inhabited and cherished long before it was said to be connected to the Earth’s chakra system. This bath soak recipe is designed to help relieve sore muscles and is delicately scented with juniper berry essential oil to mimic the twisted juniper trees found throughout the area. The carnelian gemstone added at the end infuses your bath soak, helping circulate vital energy to your center, just like Sedona itself.”
Water: Cucumber Aloe Vera Drink
You can purchase the aloe vera gel used in this refreshing beverage, but making your own is easy and satisfying.
Air: Gentle Strength Face Mask
“When I was first exploring natural body care and food, I had a favorite store I would visit in Tempe, Arizona, called Gentle Strength Co-op,” Ruiz writes. “It was more than a ‘health food’ store—it was a space for those in our community who shared similar ideas and goals to meet and support one another during a time when American diets were shifting and beauty standards were far from natural. It was where I learned about the macrobiotic diet and tried wheatgrass juice. The high oxygen content of chlorophyll in wheatgrass makes it superior in helping deliver more oxygen to our blood. Touted as a powerful detoxifier, when taken internally, wheatgrass offers over 100 elements that are essential for vital health! When applied to our skin, it can help with the effects of premature aging due to its potent antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.”
