Amber Wood is a sacred woman, holistic practitioner, Reiki master, meditation and breath work practitioner, herbalist, and the founder of Scales & Alchemy, which cultivates safe spaces of healing for women. Founded on the belief that every woman deserves to be seen, heard, healed, and whole, her services help guide women through holistic practices that support them in achieving balance — mind, body and spirit.
Wood shares how her path was chosen when she embarked on the Sacred Woman: Rites of Passage journey under Queen Afua. She learned to be comfortable in the discomfort of her healing, and realized who she was becoming was exactly who she was always meant to be.
What have you learned about yourself doing this work?
This work has taught me how to honor my own existence, shown me my power and encouraged me to stand in it — authentically. It made space for me to be everything I am, though not everyone will understand and I’m okay with that. I recognize it’s not for everyone to understand and that too, is okay. It opened me up, revealed areas within my heart that needed mending and guided me back to myself to lead others to do the same. It’s inward reflection that sheds light on who we are and being unafraid to move beyond where we are without judgment of self or others, for I am the reflection of the women I serve and they are reflections of me.
What does women’s empowerment mean to you?
Women’s empowerment means shining light on the power that already exists within and guiding others to give themselves permission to stand in their’s, so they utilize it to better serve themselves and others. Our society has attempted to strip us of our power; therefore, many women believe they lack. My mission’s to ensure women recognize the fullness of their power, but it begins when they recognize that everything they need is within. Through my company, I host retreats in Costa Rica alongside my best friend from college, Kema Ward, Unplugged CR Co-founder. Our first collective retreat series, “Agbara”, means Power in the Yoruba language. The Agbara Mission: empower women of color to heal, be seen, and support one another in their journeys.
What are your proudest achievements?
I’m most proud of who I am today! Between 2016-2020, I lost my wonderful father, 4 pregnancies, my health began to fail, I lost my job, my dog, and became so overwhelmed I didn’t know how I could survive it… but God. Thankfully, I never lost sight of who I was and held on with expectation that purpose would be born from my experiences, and it was. I’m also so eternally grateful for my beautiful husband, my amazing family, and phenomenal “sisters” who supported me through that time. I’m a stronger, more grounded version of myself for having experienced it all, and for that I’m grateful.
