Pa’lante: The Power of Pressing Forward with Elvis Rivera

Pa’lante: The Power of Pressing Forward with Elvis Rivera

In this episode of Movement Es Medicina, host SuperMarkRock engages in a heartfelt conversation with Elvis Rivera, a first-generation immigrant from Guatemala, author, and community leader. They explore Elvis's journey through mental health challenges, the transformative power of running, and the importance of professional support. Elvis shares insights from his new book, Pa’lante: The Long Way Forward, which emphasizes resilience and the immigrant experience, encouraging listeners to keep moving forward despite life's challenges. In this conversation, Elvis Rivera shares his journey of resilience, emphasizing the importance of moving forward despite challenges. He reflects on the lessons learned from his mother and the significance of community support. Elvis offers advice for those starting their own journeys, encouraging them to embrace their unique paths. He discusses the power of togetherness and how uplifting others fuels personal wellness. The conversation also touches on recognizing one's worth, contemplating mortality, and understanding the deeper 'why' behind our actions.

Transforming Treatment: Dr. Ayana Jordan on Community, Culture, & Addiction Care

Super Mark Rock welcomes Dr. Ayana Jordan, Professor of Psychiatry at New York University, to discuss her work advancing equitable addiction treatment for historically excluded communities through the Jordan Wellness Collaborative, community-based programs, and the REACH training initiative. Dr. Jordan shares how being raised in Pittsburgh and shaped by the South Bronx informed her commitment to culturally responsive care, including integrating family, language, and identity into treatment. She explains how her own mental health challenges pushed her to bring care beyond traditional clinics into trusted settings like churches, where culturally informed, community-engaged approaches improved participation and outcomes. They explore how movement, music, and community connection support recovery, and Jordan offers resources for finding culturally aligned mental health and addiction care.

Reclaiming Wellness: Elena Beltran Valdez on Art, Advocacy, and Health

In this episode of Movement Es Medicina: A SuperMarkRock Podcast, Dr. Mark A. Lopez welcomes educator and Arizona artist Elena Beltran Valdez to discuss her identity, creative practice, and evolving wellness journey. Elena shares growing up in Surprise, Arizona, with a strong belief in education, becoming a self-taught artist influenced by Mesoamerican/Mayan iconography, and finding joy and mental wellness through hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind work (@NEN_Art_AZ). She reflects on being a Division I ASU track thrower, then struggling to maintain health without the structure of organized sports, navigating “food noise,” and learning to prioritize herself without guilt. Elena also details advocating for herself medically, ultimately being diagnosed with diabetes and Hashimoto’s disease, adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, and improving her health, emphasizing the importance of seeking specialized care.

Joy, Strides, and Strength: Judith Rawls on Balancing Self, Wellness, and Family

On the Movement Es Medicina: A Super Mark Rock podcast, Dr. Mark A. Lopez welcomes guest Judith Rawls, Esq., an intellectual property attorney focused on patent preparation and prosecution, and a proud Hampton University and University of Michigan Law School alum. Judith reflects that her wellness journey became more intentional when she became a lawyer, using running to manage stress, clear her mind, and reduce physical tension. She discusses prioritizing “me time”, modeling movement for her daughter, and her “why” for health—shaped by a colleague’s early heart-attack death and her desire to live long for her family.

From Wellness to Wisdom: Dr. Amilcar Guzman's Journey of Dance, Community, & Advocacy

Host SuperMarkRock welcomes Dr. Amilcar Guzman, who shares his journey as a first-generation Dominican and lifelong learner committed to centering underrepresented voices in education. They discuss wellness as more than fitness, including therapy, men’s support groups, spirituality, rest, meditation, and dance. Amilcar reflects on early experiences with weight stigma, the cultural barriers Latino men face in seeking mental health support, and the importance of dance (bachata, merengue, salsa) as movement and cultural connection.