The Expert Edit features interviews with specialists about the products they swear by in their chosen field. For the latest installment, we spoke to reiki healer, writer, and author Zayda Rivera about her go-to spiritual tools for wellness rituals and practices.
When freelance writer, Reiki healer, and author Zayda Rivera was only 9 years old, she experienced her first spiritual awakening. “As I explain in my book, at times on our spiritual path, that awakened light gets dark to the point that it may seem to be gone,” she tells Popsugar. “But it isn’t. It reawakens again.”
In fact, Rivera has experienced multiple reawakenings – including in her early 20s, when she moved to Hawaii after giving birth to her first child, and then again after giving birth to her twins. “Each time, my light gets brighter because I’ve learned more about myself and how to navigate this life in the best ways possible,” she says.
Her own spiritual journey is what inspired her book, “
Image Source: Amy Cianfrone/Running Press Kids; Illustrations by Jennifer Dahbura
The book is also intentional about not only educating readers on what it means to be a bruja, but also debunking a lot of the myths associated with that term.
“Today, bruja is a word used as an empowering term for many while still holding taboos from the past,” she explains. “Being bruja means you are co-creating your life with a higher power – a guiding light. It’s a light that exists within you and an energy and frequency we can flow with to help support our human journey.”
While she wants all her readers to tap into their inner bruja, Rivera also urges them to be cautious about where they receive spiritual guidance and advice, given the abundance of false information on social media platforms – particularly TikTok. She has an entire section in the book called “Posers Versus Longtime Students of the Craft,” where she breaks this all down.
“This section was vital because anyone with a smartphone can be a healer these days. It’s important to understand where their knowledge was acquired. I often follow healers who come from a lineage of healers, or those who have paired higher education degrees with a deep spiritual practice under the guidance of elders,” she says. “If you like someone on social media who posts about spirituality, being a bruja, and more, go the next step in researching them. Do they have a website? Do they have testimonials from others they’ve worked with? Who were their teachers? Most importantly, trust your intuition.”
What keeps Rivera grounded as a spiritual worker juggling a writing career and motherhood is carving out time each day – even just a few minutes – for her own rituals and practices. Most of her spiritual tools come from ethical, Latine-owned small businesses she trusts and loves to support. Ahead, she shares her must-have spiritual and wellness essentials, from her favorite candle to a spray she uses to cleanse her space and protect her energy.
Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.
