Camila is a healing artist that lives in Brazil that shares herself through her music, different types of body and energy work, and delicious and healthy home cooked meals. We did a previous interview together for Earth Mamma and when I heard about the monkeys and avocado trees in her backyard I had to ask to see more.
Here she shares some snaps of her idyllic life in Rio de Janeiro.
Where do you live?
I live in Rio de Janeiro, paradise. I live in a private villa in Santa Teresa in the forest, it’s a bohemian neighborhood.
How did you end up there?
I have always wanted to live in the forest and by the mountains and ocean. With many prayers, I manifested it into my life. I needed the balance. The big city is not for me.
What’s your favorite thing about living there?
I’m an early riser, I love going to for a hike, dip into the waterfalls and hangout at the beach. We end with samba dancing and forró.
What’s a typical morning like for you?
I will start with a healthy breakfast and soon after practice yoga or go to the gym. If I can get away from work that is.
What do you love most about Brazil?
Brazil is enriched with beauty. Nature here is bigger than us. The mixed culture and various personality comes together with traditional structure. Such as food, music and nature.
This was taken really high up in the mountains of Teresópolis. It’s at the peak of the mountain, and there is a whole functioning city in there. That’s where we usually hike to go to the waterfalls. There are hundreds and hundreds of them. We were giving thanks that day, because it was around the time of Oxum, the goddess of water. She loves the reflection of the water and is all gold, so when you bathe yourself in her herbs, its all yellow roses. So we dressed in yellow roses and brought more into the waterfalls for blessings. Its a tradition of Umbunda.
Smoothie I made with collard green, spirulina and passionfruit. On the corner of my house there’s a man that sells coconut water fresh from the coconut every morning for 50 cents, so I drink it every day on the street. At home I try to stick to smoothies and use whatever I can find that’s green.
My cat. Her name is Grauna, the black toothless kitty. She is 15 and is a little jungle beast. She lives in the forest and is the coolest cat on the planet.
This is just me loving cooking. I am the momma cook for the family in the house. I will create different plates and then feed everybody. I predominately have a plant based diet.
This it at carnival, baby. We were getting dressed up to go play. I was a fairy princess, I had a little ballerina dress and a white mask, and we went out and danced at carnival. There’s different groups of samba, on the streets, you have about over 20-30 live bands for free with over 10,000 people, 24 hours a day. Everybody gets to participate, the whole economy gets shut down. It’s the most peaceful time in Brazil, with little violence. Kids are dressed up, grandparents, everyone. I can’t wait until next February.
Walking through Parque la Ge and was fascinated with the height and the time it must have taken for these palm trees to have grown that size. The connection I felt with them was that was that trees protect you, they are so alive and have so much energy, they are like creatures. I love trees in general. They are the elders of the planet, they are the ones that nurture us.
Walking in a huge garden next to Jardin Botanico, around the corner from my house, at Parque la Ge. I was meditating that morning and was feeling really happy and calm, and I ended up going to the washroom and a butterfly just landed on my head.
Before the butterfly landed on my head, I was walking through the garden and I saw these two tiny little butterflies and found them so fascinating, so I snapped a photo. To me they say the affirmation that I’m on the right path. I saw one today in fact too. They always very much mean you are going in the right direction.
Entrance of Parque la Ge. It’s an old old house; a king lived there and bought it for his mistress.
With my dear friend Junior. We were crossing the street after a really beautiful dinner and we saw these fruits and said let’s capture them. We were so fascinated with the textures and colors and stood in the middle of traffic when we snapped it.
Projecting myself on the stage before a show in Ipanema. Its like an alter for a meditation, preparing me before I go on.
With Bruno, my friend who plays with me while I’m killing the mic. I sang mainly alternative English and Portuguese music. This was on a warm evening, the energy was very sultry and comfortable.
Another day in Parque la Ge at an indigenous festival. I asked them for a photo because I am of Native Indian decent; my grandfather was a cacique, a leader of a tribe. I bought the necklace made from acai seeds.
All traditional jewelry from the Amazon, they came directly from natives.
I love graffiti. Brazil is full of it. I live with artists, three are guys that tattoo, and a well known graffiti artist here, so I love art on everything. There is very good taste on the streets here, it’s all very creative.
Dois Irmao. Two Brothers in Ipanema. I love going there. The energy that it brings you is amazing. Each and every person is actually enjoying the ocean and taking time to meditate and pray before entering it. It’s very spiritual and ritual. It’s a place where I go to meditate and clear off energy. There is no mass production, here it is rustic, with people just playing soccer or kicking back.
Also at Ipanema. We have an expression here, “Vai descarregar a alma na água, a água salgado dar uma renovação no Espírito,” that means to go into the ocean to recharge and get rid of negative energy, because that is what the ocean is for. We know through having a strong spiritual culture that salt water helps us to clear our aura. Brazilians have that side of them very strong.
Japanese pumpkin roasted first and then stewed down with sweet potatoes, onion, roasted garlic, coconut cream, rosemary and paprika.
With a really good friend at an Argentinian tapestry having a bottle of wine together in the rain during the middle of the storm. We had rivers forming outside when you looked out the window. You couldn’t walk outside, the water was pretty much up to your knees. That’s what a tropical rain storm looks like, the ocean extended up to the road. And here we were in the middle of the storm, with two glasses of wine and jazz.
One of my smoothies concoctions that I love to make. Brazilian yam with a little bit of coconut milk, water, maca, cacao cocount oil, flax seed oil, and honey. In Brazil, you can only imagine the honey we have, its insane.
