Why “Conocimiento?”

The Conocmiento Coaching Framework, developed by Brenda Sendejo, amplifies the importance of self-care and soul-care for changemakers from historically marginalized groups serving their communities in these tumultuous times.

Conocimiento is the Spanish word for knowledge or skill. Here, we refer to self-discovery, soul inquiry, and self- and soul-care, inspired by the theory used by Gloria Anzaldúa.

Changemakers and transformational leaders in various sectors and fields are welcome, including but not limited to education, academia, birth, reproductive, and racial justice, non-profit, and social and spiritual entrepreneurship. The use of conocimiento is inspired by the work of Gloria Anzaldúa and her seven stages of conocimiento, a path towards integrating one’s truth into one's life in a way that is connected to the struggles of others on the planet, and the Earth itself.

Participants will explore stages such as nepantla, or the in-between stage, on our paths to conocimiento/towards new ways of being that more closely reflect our truth and attend to the well-being of our minds, bodies, and souls.

Conocimiento by Gloria Anzaldúa

“A form of spiritual inquiry, conocimiento is reached via creative acts-writing, art-making, dancing, healing, teaching, meditation, and spiritual activism – both mental and somatic (the body, too, is a form as well as a site of creativity). Through creative engagements, you embed your experiences in a larger frame of reference, connecting your personal struggles with those of other beings on the planet, with the struggles of the Earth itself." - Gloria Anzaldúa