Living Through the Different Seasons of Healing

In this next episode, we hear from Yuri Orozco, a Colombian woman, dog enthusiast, scuba diver, and student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Yuri talks about what it was like to grow up as the daughter of an incarcerated father, going in and out of prisons, and struggling to build a connection with him. Yuri reflects on what it was like to read books like the “New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, and how it led to the start of her healing journey as she began to understand the impact of mass incarceration on her relationship with her dad. She discusses how healing became important, not only for her internal emotional balance but because she was able to realize that it would impact her romantic relationships, familial connections, and even her job as a Spanish court interpreter. 

Yuri shares how focusing on her healing allowed her to be intentional about the way she handled the different emotional “seasons” of her life. Allowing her to be able to take on difficult moments when she could and acknowledging the time when she needed to take a step back. She recommends reading books like “Unfuck Your Brain” by Faith G. Harper and “Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety” by Daniel Smith. Yuri also has the following suggestions for people who want to engage in their healing journey:

1) Surround yourself with people you trust, have like minded-goals, and aren’t always involved in drama. And to distance yourself from friends or family who are not supportive or loving. 

2) Take time to be with nature. Go to the beach, camping, be outdoors, and get as much sun as you can.

3) Practice meditation and breathing techniques to calm down during a stressful moment and rely on those tools in times of stress and crisis. 

Be sure to connect with Yuri via:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yuriorozconyc/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yuri.orozco 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuri-orozco-49978211a/