The Spiritual CEO: Infusing Consciousness Into the Workplace – An Interview with Cristina Valle-Parke

What if the quiet whispers in your heart — the ones you keep brushing aside — are actually the key to your awakening?

For Cristina Valle-Parke, that question became the spark that shaped her life’s unfolding. Raised between a mother’s Catholic devotion and a father’s quiet disbelief, Cristina journeyed far beyond religious traditions — stepping into a path of self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and deep inner healing. Along the way, she learned that true transformation isn’t about leaving life behind but finding the divine within every ordinary moment.

Today, Cristina opens up about the moments that reshaped her — from the mystical teachings of plant medicine to “baby journeys” into stillness, she continues to weave mindfulness into her life and business. Continue reading or listen in by subscribing for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or YouTube to discover how Cristina Valle-Parke’s story can shine new light on your own spiritual path.

I want to hear more about your own story of awakening to consciousness, mindfulness, and spirituality. I’ve had the chance to read your chapter in Awakened Hearts, and I’m excited for others to read about your experiences. Take us back to your childhood. Did you grow up with faith or spirituality as part of your life, or did that unfold later?

Cristina Valle-Parke: My mother raised us in a very traditional Catholic way—she obligated us to go to mass, and she instilled in us a God we were meant to fear. My father, on the other hand, was a justified non-believer. His parents were orphans, and he grew up facing a lot of sadness and injustices. Given what he went through, I understand why he believed there was no God.

For my mother, God was something external and distant. She followed the tradition most South Americans know: you must fear God, you must go to church, and that blonde, white child in the picture is the son of God—but you, as a child, are not. You don’t realize as a child how deeply that message shapes you. Over time, through the revelations and journeys we’ll talk about later, I came to understand how disconnected that teaching was from our real nature—that we are part of God.

I grew up going to church, feeling bored and forced, but when I was around 15, we moved to a different city, enrolled in a new school, and found God in a new way there. It was a joyful time for me and my sister. For a short while, we were so filled with the fervor of love for God that we even wanted to become nuns—but it was a very brief phase.

When did you begin to experience your own awakening or realization of oneness? Was there a catalyst or turning point?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Awakening happens on so many levels, and honestly, I don’t even know what level I’m at right now! Some people have access to mysteries, divine connections, or dimensions—I’m not sure how to classify the stages. But I will say this: there’s a difference between conceptually realizing that everything is one and actually understanding and living it.

There are different transitions and colors of awakening. There’s the moment when you begin to love everything—your neighbor, as Jesus said—and you start practicing that love. There’s the moment when you realize that even the calculator you hate is part of God. When you hate the calculator, you’re hating God. That’s another level of awakening I’ve experienced.

For me, it all began with personal responsibility. That’s where awakening starts. Tony Robbins played a big role in my process because he teaches that you are the creator of your life, and on top of that, you’ve enrolled everyone around you into the roles they’re playing. That’s awakening on steroids!

Today, I’m very happy with where I am. I take full responsibility for everything I have. I use the love that’s inside me—which isn’t just my love, but the love of God—to shower light on others. I try to live my life from the understanding that we are all one. Of course, we can’t fully live that way in this world because we have our own credit cards, mortgages, businesses—there’s separation here. But we do our best. Unless you choose to go live in a monastery, you try to live as one while honoring the realities of this planet.

Was there a particular point in life where you arrived at that understanding of oneness?

Cristina Valle-Parke: There’s the concept, and then later comes the true understanding and the shift in how you live. Dr. Joe Dispenza talks about the divine truth that we are all one. Imagine that, at some point, we were all united within God. We had everything—we were everything. We could have anything we wanted, right in that moment.

But then we asked, “Can I go and experience it from the outside? Can I see if there’s something different?” And so, we were born, asking God, “Can I go?” We said, “I’ll never forget that you exist, God. I will see you in everything.” And then here we are—we each have our own zip code, our own body, separate from our mother and everyone else, and we forget.

As soon as you’re born, you recognize the first God you see: your parents. They’re God to you. But over time, that sense fades. It’s part of life, part of growing.

Every human carries a code written in their heart that asks, “Is this all there is?” That question will come up again and again in life. For me, I had to answer it several times.

Many people never answer it—they escape into alcohol, overwork, extreme sports, lavish lifestyles, or serial relationships. But if you’re willing to face the question, it can guide you.

For me, it came up when I was 28. I’d been married for two years, and it was time to have a child. My husband wasn’t pressuring me, but I felt this inner voice: “Is this all there is? I don’t want to be trapped.” That was my truth—not because children aren’t beautiful, but because I felt there was something more I needed to do before I took on that responsibility. We ended up not having children, and we still deeply love each other and love our nieces and our families.

At 28, I decided to study acting—even though I already had a business with my husband, a plastic recycling company. I wanted to face my fears, like speaking on camera, which was intimidating enough, let alone doing it in English. But I put myself through it.

I had an incredible acting teacher—her eyes were filled with light. One day I asked her, “What do you recommend for dealing with the pain humans carry? The courage we need? The fear I feel being in this class?” She mentioned someone named Tony Robbins. I didn’t fully take it in that day, but the next morning, I saw Tony being interviewed on a TV show. I thought, “Ah, this must be the man she mentioned.” He was promoting a book, and that’s when I began exploring the world of self-development—seminars, books, you name it.

So that question—“Is this all there is?”—kept returning?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes, and not just for me. I talk to so many people—colleagues, peers—and they all encounter that question. Some escape through extreme sports or alcohol, but I was lucky: the question led me into self-development. And later, it led me even deeper.

Eventually, the only answer was God. That’s why we’re here in the first place.

Tony Robbins helped us build success. My husband and I doubled the business several times. We now run a large recycling company in the Inland Empire. But even with all that, the question remained: Is that all there is? And the answer was clear.

For me, the answer is God.

I’m not a preacher, and I’m not here to push anyone toward a specific religion or spiritual path. But the only true answer I’ve found is God. And I’m grateful that the question brought me there.

In your Awakened Hearts chapter, you describe a transformative trip you and your husband took to the Bahamas. What motivated you to visit the ashram there?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Honestly, all I wanted was to be home. I’ve created a sanctuary at home where I know when to meditate, I lead meditations with my team, I live peacefully, I enjoy the quiet, and I love listening to podcasts. I didn’t want to travel.

We have meditations at work—on Mondays at 8:30, Tuesdays at 7. I guide most of them. I also know groups that hold meditations regularly. So I felt deeply grounded in my routine. I wasn’t looking for a trip.

Cristina, just to clarify, are you saying that you lead meditations for your recycling company’s staff members?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes, that’s right.

And they have the opportunity to participate, or not? Are these all the staff members or just those in the office? How does it work?

Cristina Valle-Parke: There’s no obligation, but everyone joins in—and they’re paid for their time. It’s part of our Monday morning staff activities. We start with a meeting at 7:30 for the managers, and then at 8:30, we bring in the office team. Together, we do a meditation that I guide, stretching, sharing highlights for the week, and a bit of energizing fun—like we jump around, bringing that Tony Robbins “10-feet-tall” energy—and then we head into the workday.

We practice a hybrid meditation, similar to what Tony Robbins teaches, often using fire breath techniques. But I personalize it because I know who’s in the room and what they’re going through. When we move into gratitude, I guide them to connect deeply with what matters—whether it’s their spouse, their children, or their personal goals. When we shift into visioning, I ask them to imagine something they want to create, whether it’s a year, a month, or even a week from now.

That’s when the visions of the Bahamas first started showing up. Normally, when I guide them, I take them to familiar places—Lake Arrowhead nearby, or Santa Monica Beach—helping them imagine walking with their families, feeling empowered and confident. But this time, it was something else. I kept seeing turquoise waters, unlike anything I’d visualized before.

So that’s what led you to the Bahamas?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes! I was working at my computer, and I got an email about the Bahamas. I thought it was something related to India. At the time, I didn’t even recognize the word “ashram.” I thought, “Oh, maybe this is some Himalayan retreat invite,” and I ignored it. But then, during the next meditation, the vision came again—the Bahamas. I thought, “Really? I’m not going to the Bahamas.” But it kept coming back—three or four times. I took it as a whisper in my ear: “You need to go.”

So I revisited the email and discovered Matt and Joy Kahn. They had a lot of content online, so I binged their YouTube videos, connected with their teachings, and finally told my husband, “I think we need to go to the Bahamas.” He said, “Just go if you want; do whatever you feel called to.” He happened to be in Florida at the time.

Before committing, I went to Sedona with my niece to attend a two- or three-day seminar with Matt Kahn in person. It was incredible. Afterward, I returned home and said, “Yes, this is where we’re going.” We bought the tickets. And as a bonus, my sister was about to get married, so I told her, “This is your wedding gift. We’re all going to the Bahamas for this!”

That’s how we ended up at the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas. It was an incredible, amazing experience.

How many days were you there, and what did you experience? Tell us about it.

Cristina Valle-Parke: I planned it all carefully because my life is busy—even with meditation, there’s a lot going on day to day. I looked at the calendar and saw that Krishna Das was scheduled to be there, which was perfect. My husband’s birthday is around Valentine’s Day, so it all lined up beautifully.

I hadn’t even thought about Atlantis, but some believe the Bahamas are part of the ancient Atlantis civilization, and the energy there is powerful. When we arrived, the Swami leading the tour told us that a temple of Atlantis was under one of the rocks at the ashram. I thought, “Wow, I was guided here.”

I’m not going to claim I felt levitating energy or anything like that, but it was a beautiful, peaceful energy. The ashram itself is stunning—secluded on an island surrounded by fancy hotels, but tucked away in its own little oasis of greenery and small casitas. You get a 360-degree ocean view, watching the ships cruise by. It’s just incredible.

And on top of that, there was the meditation, the nourishing food, and the presence of Krishna Das. We were there, chanting with open hearts, setting the intention to become even better people—and yes, it delivered. Krishna Das, the intention we brought, and the energy of the place all combined beautifully. I share more of the healing that happened for me there in my chapter.

In the book, you describe what you call “baby journeys” without the use of plant medicine. How would you explain a baby journey? What were those experiences like for you?

Cristina Valle-Parke: That’s just a term I came up with. I remember telling my sister, “I had a baby journey last night.” To me, it means a spontaneous journey—not so spontaneous, really, because you have the intention to heal and become better.

When you sit in front of Krishna Das, with his powerful chanting, and you close your eyes, you go inward. That’s what I did. I closed my eyes and asked, “Show me whatever Krishna Das will reveal.” And I was there—seeing colors, fully immersed.

Later, we walked back to our hotel by the ocean under a silver moon. I remember thinking, “God, what else could I possibly ask for? I have it all.” We couldn’t stay at the ashram itself because it was full, so we stayed at a nearby hotel and commuted across the ocean daily to attend the classes.

That night, as I lay down to sleep, I closed my eyes, and revelations started coming to me as soon as I did. It was like a journey, just as if I were in a plant medicine ceremony, but shorter. I watched it unfold. I said, “Thank you, God, for showing me this.”

I was sitting in a meditative position, not formally meditating, but resting in peace—very different from how I used to be. Before, I often cried myself to sleep. I longed for more attention from my father, or I felt too tender and misunderstood, and I would cry.

But this time, I was peaceful. So I used the opportunity to do some NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) work on my inner child. I told her, “You’re here to dream. You’re going to dream for yourself and for others. You’re a dreamer and a creator. You exist in the mind of God, and that’s your job. You don’t have any other job on this planet. From now on, you’re going to dream yourself to sleep.”

So just to clarify, you were in this meditative state, reconnecting with the little girl inside you who once cried herself to sleep, and you began doing inner child healing work with her, right? What did you feel from that process, and what do you believe was the result?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes, exactly. Bashar says that when you heal something today, because everything is linear, your child self has already been healed. That powerful moment with Krishna Das belonged to a healed girl. What they showed me was the healed girl—not the one in pain.

So, I didn’t necessarily feel bliss or overwhelming emotion. What I felt was alignment. I found myself sitting with this healed version of myself, and I used the opportunity to reinforce and reprogram: “You’re a dreamer, a builder. That’s your job on this planet. Nothing else.”

It was such a blessing. I stayed there, by myself, while my husband slept, enjoying two or three hours of these unfolding insights. One after another, they came.

Each one gave me the chance to reframe old stories: “You didn’t actually feel unloved. That was a misunderstanding. You were always loved. You just wanted more love—because kids are like that. They want all the attention, all the love. They want to be the favorite, the center of everything.”

So I returned and told my inner child, “You were loved. Oh, and by the way, your mom loved you too—she just went to check on your sister, who you also love dearly.”

It was so beautiful to reconstruct all my memories with this healthy child that I now carry within me. As Bashar says, the past has already changed, because the present can’t match an unhealed, sad childhood.

One of the things you talk about in the book is how stillness plays a pivotal role in uncovering what you call “fumes.” You explain that we often focus first on the big traumas—the boulders—then maybe the sand. But then you say there are also fumes, which are less obvious. What are those fumes? How do we discover them? And what happens if we don’t?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes! Someone once said this—I wish I could credit them properly—but when it comes to trauma, there are rocks and pebbles. Many people say similar things, and I’ve learned from them along the way.

When you start healing yourself, you first identify the big rocks—the major events or misunderstandings shaping your life, often without your awareness. For example, I realized I hadn’t felt heard as a little girl. Or growing up in Ecuador, I felt unsafe because, as a girl, if you were beautiful, you were objectified—and I didn’t want that. It created confusion: I wanted to be beautiful but didn’t want to be seen that way.

Once you clear those big rocks, you uncover the pebbles. I noticed patterns like thinking, “My sister isn’t perfect,” or “My mom isn’t perfect.” We had a household where we often judged each other’s flaws. Eventually, I realized: if they’re not perfect, I’m not perfect either.

But after you work through all that, you start to sense there’s still something more. You need to be willing to hunt for it—like a detective, paying close attention to what makes you uncomfortable.

My husband and I were at the ashram after Krishna Das’s event, and most people had left. We had a room now, and we were preparing to fast before meditation at 8 p.m. As we waited, I told him, “Baby, something’s here.”

What was it?

Cristina Valle-Parke: I said, “I think I’m afraid. I’m afraid not to eat. I’m afraid I might die.”

And I wondered, why? I had never known hunger. I wasn’t super rich growing up, but we always had food. I asked my husband if he’d ever felt that way. He said yes—he had been truly hungry as a child.

Then it hit me: when I was little, I was very skinny. I wish I were that skinny today! But back then, my parents terrified me by constantly saying, “Think of the children in Ethiopia or Africa who don’t have food.”

On top of that, my father came from extreme poverty. His house had no cement floor—just dirt under their feet. His stories lived in me, unconsciously driving behaviors like wanting to eat more than necessary.

This kind of realization only comes through stillness. But because God is so good, I believe that whenever I ask, I’m given answers.

The next day, Matt and Joy spoke directly about stillness. I thought, “Wow, God, you’re just lining this up perfectly!”

They explained that adults avoid stillness—we distract ourselves with phones, social media, alcohol, and constant activity. Why? When we were children, the moments we were still were often when we were overpowered by an adult—whether through physical or emotional overwhelm. We froze.

So, as adults, when we try to be still, that discomfort rises to the surface. Only by being willing to listen can you hear the little whispers underneath: “What am I really reacting to?” That’s where you find the fumes—the nearly imperceptible layers beyond the rocks and pebbles.

You describe a story from the ashram involving smoothies. Tell us about that.

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes! They sold smoothies only from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the ashram, and it was a big deal. The monks joked about them; everyone talked about the smoothies.

The day before we were set to leave, I told my husband, “Let’s buy smoothies for the people here—the volunteers doing karma yoga, giving their time to be part of this experience. Let’s buy a bunch of tickets and gift them.”

So, at 7 or 8 a.m., we got ready to hand out the tickets.

Suddenly, I felt something—like a small, subtle discomfort. I thought, “Why do I feel uncomfortable giving gifts?” I had to pause and listen carefully.

And when I reflected, I realized: as a child, I loved making gifts—like knitting a little sock or crafting something handmade to offer. But sometimes, the adults were busy and couldn’t give me their attention at that moment.

I had interpreted that as, “What I’m giving isn’t good enough.”

So, I told my inner child, “I’ve got you, girl. I see you, and I understand you now.”

These are the fumes—those nearly invisible, subtle patterns we carry that shape how we feel and act. They’re so delicate, they’re almost weightless. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss them.

But once you uncover them, they’re no longer part of you. You’ve outgrown them. You can love people more freely.

You mentioned earlier the use of plant medicine to take these kinds of deep journeys, which really helps us experience that kind of stillness, right?

Cristina Valle-Parke: Yes, absolutely.

How has plant medicine played a role in your own path of healing?

Cristina Valle-Parke: I would say that Tony Robbins and Dr. Joe Dispenza can only take you so far—and they’re both incredible. I totally recommend them. Start there!

Tony Robbins builds champions—people like Vanessa Williams, Conor McGregor. He reprograms your mind, helps you reframe challenges, strengthens your relationships, even prevents divorces. He helped my husband and me double our business multiple times.

Dr. Joe Dispenza takes you into the mystical. He teaches you to rewire your neural pathways. I had an incredible, vivid, 40-minute lucid experience at my first Dr. Joe event. I saw Egypt; I saw the phoenix rising. For me, Metatron was always there.

But they can only take you so far.

They can’t access your cellular memory, your seven subtle bodies, or your ancestral patterns. Plant medicine offers that.

Plant medicine gives you something like a life review without having to die. If you believe in reincarnation and eternal life, you know you’re never really gone—you simply take on a new body. Between lifetimes, you meet with your soul counselors, review what you did well, and what still needs forgiveness.

Plant medicine lets you access that kind of insight here and now.

You set an intention, and it shows you exactly what you need to see: where you’re out of alignment, where you’re judging others when it’s really a reflection of yourself.

For example, anything I saw as “wrong” in my sister was actually my own pain, which she was generous enough to carry for me because the burden would have been too heavy for me alone.

After your first plant medicine journey, you often want to shout it from the rooftops: “You have to do this! You have to experience this healing!”

My husband and I laugh about it—we call it “vomiting” on people. Our friends will say, “You’re still vomiting!” Danny Morel, for example, says that after his ayahuasca journey, he wanted to rent a helicopter and drop ayahuasca into everyone’s mouth because it was that profound.

Everything I love about myself today—how much I admire myself, how happy I am to be me, how excited I am about what’s coming—is because of plant medicine.

It’s not just about healing trauma; it’s about meeting God.

I met God. I recognized when the beings were coming. I knew when it was God, when it was Christ consciousness, and when it was the very fabric of God itself.

He even showed me the calculator! When you hate the calculator, you’re hating God—because if everything is God, even the calculator is God. And, of course, your neighbor is God, too.

Science says that 80% of our DNA is considered “junk” DNA. But plant medicine gives you access to that dormant potential—waking up unused DNA, rewiring your nervous system, reshaping neural pathways, and creating energetic entanglements you simply can’t access without it.

Do you and your husband help others experience this, or do you just do it for yourselves?

Cristina Valle-Parke: We do it with friends and family—always safely and legally. We don’t do it with just anyone, except when we feel specifically called, like when a name keeps coming into our awareness. But mostly, our plant medicine ceremonies are for our soul family.

I’ve confirmed this through readings with Mary and other gifted readers. The people we’re working with came from the same soul group; we’re all here on Earth to help each other wake up.

One of the risks for wanderers—those souls who come to help Earth—is that they can get stuck again in karmic cycles. You might take on a very difficult situation to help expand your heart, but if you get caught in it, you’ll need to go through multiple lifetimes to untangle it. So the people we practice with are deeply aligned.

Through all of this—breathwork, Tony Robbins, Dr. Joe Dispenza, plant medicine, sound baths—my husband has developed powerful intuitive and empathic abilities. He’s very tuned in now. He’ll start talking with someone, but I remind him, “Ask permission first!” You can’t just tap into people’s energy without consent.

And through this, we’ve helped with several healings, including four cases of cancer among friends, family, and most recently, a neighbor.

We also own a Harmonic Egg. I know Gail has been on your podcast. We currently have one in our garage and another in our home in Florida. We haven’t even opened a center or charged for sessions yet, but we’ve been blessed to help people who need it.

This neighbor had stomach cancer. His wife, who’s also an energy healer, arranged for him to come. But, as Jesus said, “No one is a prophet in their own village,” so she couldn’t fully help her husband.

My husband sat with him for an hour, just talking, connecting, helping him open up. Then he put him into the Harmonic Egg.

When he came out, my husband said, “I feel disappointment in your stomach.” The wife nodded, “Oh yes, he’s the king of disappointment—disappointed in his daughter, his son, his business, everything.”

Disappointment and other low-frequency emotions can make us sick.

So I always tell people: be open, be willing to try, and trust. Whether it’s the egg, a sound bath, breathwork, or plant medicine, if you’re open, the energy from the healer or shaman transfers to you, and healing can happen.

This gentleman went to the Mayo Clinic a week later. After releasing his disappointment, they found no trace of cancer. He’d been preparing for stomach surgery, and suddenly—zero cancer.

When you’re willing to look at yourself, take responsibility, manage your emotions, and forgive, you can be healed. It’s simple.

I’m sure you’ve seen this in your studio, with your breathwork and healing work—you’ve seen it over and over again.

That’s amazing, Cristina. I’m curious—how do you integrate mindfulness, spirituality, and consciousness with your very successful role as a business owner? Many people feel called to leave their jobs entirely to focus on helping others. How do you see those two paths working together?

Cristina Valle-Parke: I used to feel that way too—that I wanted to leave the job and just connect with people, help others.

But I realized it’s a process.

You dedicate your nights, weekends, and even your waking hours at work to serving and loving. You look for ways to give back to your collaborators, to grow together, to honor the loyalty they show your company.

Eventually, I realized: I love being here.

I love sitting at my desk at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. I love meditating, yes—but I also love doing the work, showing up fully, and honoring God in every moment of my waking day.

We have to work with the mind, because it often creates a picture of extremes. Many people we work with go through this too. I tell them, “I know what you’re thinking—you want to leave everything and only do this work. But first, you need to master yourself where you are. Create self-mastery with the opportunities you already have.”

There’s no place you need to be.

One of my journeys showed me this so clearly—it was almost funny. There’s no place to go. But as human beings, we need to forget that sometimes so we can keep living, working, cooking, and taking our kids to school.

We have to keep remembering and forgetting so we can live our purpose here on Earth, honoring God moment by moment.

Beautiful, Cristina. For people who want to connect with you and follow your journey, what’s the best place to reach out?

Cristina Valle-Parke: For now, it’s just my Instagram. I don’t have any formal offerings yet, but you can see my life there—my evolution, my mistakes, my shifts in thinking.

At one point, God and Jesus felt almost radioactive for me, but now I’m back to truly knowing who they are. You can follow along with all of that on my Instagram: I believe it’s @CValleParke.

Cristina, thank you for sharing your story in the Awakened Hearts book and here today. It’s been wonderful to connect with you.

Cristina Valle-Parke: Thank you so much for the opportunity, David. Thank you. Have a beautiful day.