pnw+ s Ugt+
panaw sa ugat journey to roots
research guide on ancestral heritage
Are you of migrant diaspora &/or mixed origins, and feel called to connect to ancestral heritage, but don't know where to start?
Do you wish to dig deeper to your ancestral roots, but feel blocked by boundaries of access, like language or information?
Are you ready to engage & integrate with the places, lands, waters, spirits, communities, politics & practices of your family's origins?
Are you preparing a return trip to ancestral lands but don't know how to start planning?
You deserve a lifetime where you can integrate all parts of you, in a journey of ancestral re-discovery & embodied wholeness.
The worlds needs more of us connected to our sources of power.
invite a soul guide to support your journey to roots
Guided Research on Ancestral Heritage
For folks of migrant diaspora, I offer guided research to connect with ancestral heritage.

 Through cultural studies (texts, maps, academic papers, media, art) & embodied integration (movement meditation, journal exercises, relational inquiry), we explore your ancestral origin story & expand your sense of self in global community.
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I offer a free 30-minute virtual consultation & three 2-hour feedback sessions, spaced out every 3 weeks. Together, we will trace your familial lines, last names, communities, environments, media, politics, and spiritual ecologies. Each session deepens insight & invite questions for ourselves, family and communal relations. Our goal is to provide cultural information & reflective tools to guide your journey to ancestral roots.
Three 2-hour Feedback Sessions Include:
Research Report
Each session comes with a minimum 3-page document sharing cultural research from the themes mentioned above
Embodied Meditation
At different points, we integrate information using meditation, both sitting or in movement, depending on your practice
Journaling Exercises
Throughout but mostly at the end of our session, we develop & respond to co-created writing prompts for further reflection
Relational Inquiry
To end each session, we list inventory of questions intended for family &/or the lands/waters to deepen connection to roots
about your guide
Hi, my name is Khokhoi
I am a plant / body / cultural heartworker & movement-based media artist with ancestral origins from fisherfolk communities of Bantayan island, Visayan Sea, Philippines.
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For the past 6 years, I have been living between the Visayas islands of Philippines & Lenape / Canarsie / Munsee island of Mannahatta (New York City), as a healer-creator (founder of Kalami Spirit Arts) & community organizer (co-conjurer of Baba Bisaya) for migrant & returning diaspora.
On the academic side, I hold a BA in Anthropology from Barnard College of Columbia University (where the study of ‘culture’ comes from) and an MA in Media Studies from the New School of Public Engagement. My interests as a researcher is in the intersection of local culture, arts & media shifting in global ecologies.
As a student of Earth, I have traveled across 30+ countries, hitchhiked thousands of miles, communed with many lands and plants, all the while, committed to embodied studies in Yoga, Butoh, Kalari, Hilot, Freediving. At the end of my 20’s traveler chapter, I returned home to my ancestral roots.
I am passionate about supporting migrant diaspora to connect with ancestral heritage, not only for one’s own wholeness of well-being, but to support global reciprocity and relational exchanges that challenge colonial disconnection.
Book a free 30-minute virtual consultation to discuss your current knowledge of origin heritage(s), what your goals are for a more embodied relationship to ancestral roots, and how my personalized cultural research can realistically support your reconnection process.
Commit to the learning journey of reconnecting to roots with 3 sessions (2-hours each) that explore your ancestral genealogy, geography, geology, precolonial society, history, contemporary arts, media and culture through research, meditation, and writing. Ground in your past & present future!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I start this decolonial journey to ancestral roots? Folks in migrant diaspora are systematically disconnected to their roots due to histories of colonial displacement. While nationalism and national identity help shape our self-understanding (especially in multi-cultural, settler-colonial states like US, Canada, Australia), our ancestral origins run deeper than national borders or colonial histories. Starting the journey to connect to ancestral heritage will expand your sense of self and confidently ground you in your roots as you move through the world.
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What regions do you specialize in? I specialize in ancestral origins from the islands known today as the Philippines. However, with travel and education experience across world cultures, I feel equipped to engage with migrant diaspora from postcolonial territories, including the Caribbean, Mexico, India, SWANA regions, Asia and elsewhere.
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What if I don't know much about my origins? All the more reason to commit to the journey with curiosity and openness! Book a free consultation to learn more about what's possible to uncover in your origin story.
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What if I need language support? I speak English (fluent), Sugbuanun or Cebuano (intermediate), Bantayanon (intermediate), French (intermediate), Spanish (beginner), Hiligaynon (beginner), Tagalog (beginner). If you require additional translation services for communication with relatives, we can discuss additional fees for arranging translation support.
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Are you going to talk to my ancestors? I label my work "soul guide" and not "life coach" or "medium"; this is not a new age offering where I 'speak to your ancestors' or 'akashic records' in order to receive information about your ancestral origins. I will share tools like ancestral altars or channeling, but it's up to you to commit to spiritual practice.