009: The Magic of Music and Forgiveness with Amikaeyla Gaston

Higher Energy

Today, on Higher Energy, we are joined by special guest Amikaeyla Gaston, a Cultural Arts Ambassador for the State Department and a highly sought-after performer and public speaker who travels worldwide doing expansive work with political refugees, war survivors, and jeopardized populations.

Amikaeyla is a force for change, proclaimed as one of the “purest contemporary voices” by National Public Radio (NPR). She is also the Founder and Executive Director for The International Cultural Arts and Healing Sciences Institute (ICAHSI), a contemporary interdisciplinary cultural arts and educational institute working in collaboration and in partnership with government, health, and non-profit environmental and social justice organizations.

Ami unlocked her self-expression and healing in an intensive care burn unit after a near-fatal hate crime. Lying in excruciating pain and anguish after being told her legs would have to be amputated and that she would never walk again, she discovered that she could not only overcome fear, but also become fearless through the healing power of music.

Working in the Behavioral Health arena for over the past 25 years, Ami brings together artists and healers of all forms and from all specialties to promote healing and wellness through the arts & activism. She is often called by the United Nations and embassies worldwide into difficult scenarios to offer intercultural literacy and deep restorative justice work in support of transformative and peaceful solutions.

Ami joins us today to discuss healing, forgiveness, and using the superpower of song to help individuals overcome and turn their fear and pain into power and fuel for self-exploration. She shares how we can create a healing environment to learn and grow in with those around us, have heartfelt conversations regarding health, healing, culture, and race, and cultivate a more sustainable world filled with greater tolerance and compassionate understanding.

Visit https://podcast.energypsych.org/ to learn more!