About Maestra Grace Sesma

Roots & Heritage

Grace Alvarez Sesma is of Yaqui descent and Mexican heritage, with ancestral ties to Sonora and Baja California. Raised in a family where traditional remedies were part of everyday life, she grew up surrounded by the healing practices of her mother and tias (aunties). From abdominal sobadas to cure empacho, to remedies for mal de ojo and caída de mollera, Grace witnessed firsthand the power of ancestral medicine. Her early influences included a tia (auntie) who was a respected curandera and an uncle who was as a sobador and huesero (bonesetter). These experiences instilled in her a deep respect for Curanderismo —a sacred calling embraced with humility and dedication.

Embracing the Sacred Path

Although visited by a group of Native & Indigenous Grandmothers in dreams as a teenager and young adult, Grace didn't formally accept her calling until the mid‑1990s. Powerful visions urged her to return to her healing roots, leading her to train intensively with traditional healers in Baja California and the United States. These teachings deepened her commitment to Curanderismo and the spiritual medicine of her lineage.

A Journey of Resilience & Leadership

Grace’s life reflects resilience and service. Married at 16 and divorced by 19, she raised two daughters as a single mother while working multiple jobs. She later earned her GED and became administrator of a psychiatric partial hospitalization program. In 1991, she launched a consultancy focused on public relations and cultural competency.

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Her leadership was recognized nationally in 1993 when she was selected as a Fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a program in partnership with Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She went on to found MANA of Imperial Valley, empowering Latinas through leadership and advocacy. Grace’s contributions have earned her numerous honors, including:

• Three commendations from the California State Senate

• Legacy Award from MANA of Imperial Valley (2019)

• Stone of Hope Award from the Imperial Valley Martin Luther King Jr. Committee (2023)

Guided by Spirit

From her teens through her 30s, Grace was visited in dreams by a large group of Indigenous Grandmothers dressed in regalia from different Native nations. These spiritual guides urged her to prepare for a time when women would help restore balance between the feminine and masculine, and renew respect for Mother Earth. In 2006, she attended the International 13 Indigenous Grandmothers Council gathering in Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca —a powerful affirmation of her spiritual path.

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Bringing the Medicine to the Community

Encouraged by elders, Grace began teaching and sharing her medicine in the early 2000s. In 2006, Following traditional protocol, Grace sought and received permission from local Kwatsan elders to bring her medicine to their ancestral lands. She then joined Arizona Western College as an adjunct professor, offering courses on Native healing traditions of the U.S. and Mexico with the blessing of Kwatsan elders.

Her community work includes:

• Baby blessing ceremonies

• Opening prayers for gatherings and social justice events

• End‑of‑life guidance and funeral rituals

• Conflict transformation circles

• Trainings for medical and behavioral health organizations

• Mentorship for Chicano, Latine, and Indigenous mental health providers

Advocacy, Education & Cultural Preservation

Grace has been a strong voice for cultural preservation and justice. In 2013, she led a successful campaign to stop Disney from trademarking Día de Muertos. She also contributed to the 2019 SDSU Native Truth and Healing California Genocide Conference.

She is an active member of:

• Kumeyaay Original Peoples Alliance

• Kanap Kuahan (Tell the Truth) Coalition

• MANA de Imperial Valley

• House of the Moon (MMIW+ Advocacy Training Program)

• Consciousness & Healing Initiative’s Healing Practitioners Council

• Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine

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• Southern California University of Health Sciences (Associate Faculty)

• Trainer for SDSU Academy of Professional Excellence, TribalSTAR (Indian Child Welfare Act) and Cultural Responsiveness Services - California Child Welfare Training

Philosophy of Care

Grace advocates for respectful integration of traditional Indigenous healing with Western medicine. Working alongside physicians and care teams, she supports patients holistically—body, mind, emotions, relationships, and spirit—ensuring her sessions complement conventional treatment plans.

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Speaker, Educator & Author

Grace is a sought‑after presenter at universities, hospitals, conferences, and Indigenous gatherings worldwide. Highlights include:

• Pepperdine University, San Diego State University, CSU San Marcos

• Children’s Hospital Denver

• Taoism Conference, Taiwan 

• Keynote at the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology Conference (2022)

• Curriculum development for AIHM Integrative Health Residency Program (2022)

• Cultural Humility & Indigenous Medicine Training for County Behavioral Health (2023)

• Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine Conference (2024)

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Her written works include:

• Meditations for InterSpiritual Practice (2012)

• Voice of the Ancestors: Xicanx and Latinx Spiritual Expressions and Healing Practices

A Lifelong Commitment

Grace continues to deepen her understanding of healing, guided by humility, Spirit, and ancestral wisdom. Her work emphasizes cultural reclamation, intergenerational healing, and systemic change.  ​She travels extensively across the United States and internationally, offering workshops and presentations on Mexico’s healing traditions. Grace lives on the unceded land of the Kumeyaay Nation (San Diego, California) and actively supports the voices and rights of Yaqui (Yoeme) and Kumeyaay Peoples.

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Connect with Grace

For consultations, workshops, or speaking engagements, please contact Grace directly via email.