An Interview with Ana Barreto
What inspired you to write the book?
I was inspired to write "Women, Rice and Bean" by my mother's life. My mother is a wonderful human being. For years I had some resentment towards her. I believed that she could have been a better mother by protecting my siblings and me from my father's abuse, which they called parenting. My intent was to write a book about the lessons my mother never told me so women would learn what their mothers felt like my mother. When I went home to Brazil to care for her after she was hit by a car, I began to understand the lessons, but not the way I imagined it should be. Love and compassion are powerful life tools.
What do you expect readers to gain from reading your book?
I would love for the readers to learn how to pay attention to their lives and understand the wisdom of everyday life. I would be thrilled if daughters would clean the lenses through which they see their mothers and themselves. I would be grateful if the reader would start meditating and using some of the tools I give to connect with their spirit and live their heart's desires.
Why do women need to practice self-compassion?
Women need to practice self-compassion because we learned early on to always give to others, even from a place of depletion. At our core, we need to understand that when we are well and thriving, everyone around us will be thriving too because this is our nature.
Why do women tend to overdo things?
Early in childhood, we learned from our mothers, who learned from their mothers who learned from their mothers that we are not enough; Perhaps we learn that we are not pretty enough, smart enough, mothering enough, or worthy of more, etc. It's all so unconscious! Yet, we live these unconscious beliefs with our daily actions such as rushing all day long, running our bodies to the ground, not speaking out, not asking for help, etc.
What is the deal with meditation?
Meditation is the easiest way for women (and men) to find out the essence of who they really are. Through meditation, people become less reactive and have easy-flow lives. When we meditate, our mind stops thinking that we are in danger and all the universe's resources are available. Meditation is the difference between living in our hearts and living in someone else's distorted perceptions of us. Where would you rather be? Meditation has all the answers that Google doesn't know how to ask yet.
Why are our minds thinking that we are in danger?
Our minds don't know what is real or what is imaginary. When we think a thought, our mind reacts to it regardless of what we are experiencing. For example, when a zebra is being chased by a lion, at that moment, the zebra mobilizes every inch of its body energy to outrun the lion by creating stress. In humans, when we think we are in danger just by thought alone, our body reacts just like the zebra. It mobilizes every bit of energy in the body to protect us from danger. The problem is that when the zebra is able to outrun the lion, its body goes back to grazing. Humans, on the contrary, can't stop the energy mobilizing because we are always thinking a stressful thought. The mind doesn't know that we are making it worse than it is. So the body stops from operating normally and creates more stress hormone that leads to disease, lack of focus on what is important, and most importantly, connecting with our own spirit that is a guide of joy, health, love, etc.
Any final thoughts?
When I tell them that I wrote the book in Portuguese, people are surprised. It was via divine sources of inspiration. Then I re-wrote the book in English a third time because I learned the book was so disorganized. I meditate before I write. There are parts that I still cry when I read today. they are so beautiful and emotional. Some day I think… did I write this? I guess I get a bit impressed with myself.
Short Bio
Ana Barreto is a Brazilian-American teacher, author, and coach living in upstate New York. At eighteen years of age, she left her parents' traditional patriarchal home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and broke the established female roles of her upbringing. She moved to New York two years later and began her college education.
While attending Marymount College, at that time a women-only institution, Ana began to learn about women's rights and empowerment. Her passion for women's development and growth led her to study psychology, women in history, business, leadership, meditation, spirituality, and Eastern philosophies. She holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Business Administration.
In 2016, Ana published her first book, Women, Rice and Beans – Nine Wisdoms I Learned from My Mother When I Really Paid Attention. She hopes to inspire women who are overwhelmed in their lives to find daily wisdom and break the old patterns of thinking, believing, and being that don't honor their spirit.
In her second book, Self-Trust – A Healing Practice for Women Who Work Too Much, published in 2018, Ana shared sixteen healing practices to help women trust themselves and change old mindset patterns that don't serve humanity.
In There is a Higher Power Within ̶ 28 Meditation Prompts to Find Peace & Happiness Within, Ana shared an easy meditation practice for busy people, including daily reflection and gratitude prompts.
In 2022, Ana released The Nine Powers of Women. Ana guides the readers to awaken their Divine Feminine through the energy of the chakras.
Ana's purpose is to help women improve the quality of their lives. Her mission is to inspire, guide, and coach women through her books, classes, meditations, and inspirational material, helping them find their inner compass and live extraordinary lives.
When Ana isn't working or writing books, she enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, biking, kayaking, and spending time with her partner, Jim, her daughters Erica and Isabel, her stepdaughters Cindy, Janet, and Christine, and her friends.
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