Paying Homage to the Lineage

“The uterus is a woman’s core, if it is out of balance, her whole life is out of balance—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.”

— Don Elijio Panti

The style of bodywork I practice comes from a beautiful lineage of healers that I celebrate, honor and share widely. Washington’s local branch of Abdominal Therapy educator is Amy Colo, who I studied with in 2022. At the heart of the Abdominal Therapy Collective is Dr. Rosita Arvigo who I had the pleasure of learning from in Belize in 2024.

Rosita studied for 40 years with traditional healers, Don Elijio Panti and Miss Hortense, in Central America combining what she learned with extensive anatomical study and her Naprapathic practices. (Sharing the fundamental philosophy with chiropractic, Naprapathy focuses on soft tissue manipulation and stretching rather than bony adjustment.) I highly recommend reading her book Sastun telling the story of Rosita’s apprenticeship with a the Maya healer Don Elijio Panti.

Don Elijio Panti was one of the last great h’men (shaman) of the Mayan oral tradition that had been past h’men to h’men for over five thousand years. He passed away at the age of 103 in 1996 and was written about in the New York Times.

Respecting the pledge Rosita made to Don Elijio to take care of his people, I invite you to consider donating to the Ix Chel Tropical Research Foundation in Belize, Central America. This nonprofit organization sponsors the Belizean Bush Medicine Camp for children, school garden projects at local Belize primary schools, Ethnobotany in The Classroom programs, Useful Plants of Belize Exhibits, as well as community outreach programs to teach herbalism and bodywork to disenfranchised people around the world.

  • Don Elijio Panti

    Late Maya H’Men (Doctor-Priest) of Belize

  • Miss Hortense

    Midwife, Healer, Herbalist, and Storyteller of Belize

  • Rostia Arvigo

    Founder of ATC, apprentice to Don Elijio & Miss Hortense

  • Amy Colo

    Midwife, LMT, ATC founding member