Amanda Ma
Amanda Ma (Ama) is a ceremonialist, integrative healing practitioner, and arts organizer whose work weaves ancestral reverence with contemporary community practice. A first-generation Filipina-American, she also carries Scottish and Polish ancestry, recognizing the layered and complex histories that shape her lineage.
She embodies a bridge between the lush jungles of her motherland and the ceremonial landscapes of South America, where it has been her deep honor to learn from and assist in ceremony with elders from the Matsés/Mayoruna, Shipibo-Conibo, A’i Cofán, and Huitoto tribes. Their generosity and her practice within North American tribal ceremonies continue to shape her path with humility and reverence. She is a Song Carrier of indigenous medicine chants, an Advanced Kambo Practitioner with the IAKP, and the Co-Founder of Mi Nidito.
A devoted student of Morning Altars founder Day Schildkret, Amanda is a Certified Teacher of his 7-step practice and brings the teachings of nature-based altar-making, impermanence, and sacred beauty into her work as she guides others to connect with their inner landscape mirrored by the outer landscape. She continues to study ceremonial song under the mentorship of Madi Sato of Praising Earth, deepening her path of elemental reverence, earth-based ceremony, and vocal devotion. Ama is also skilled in conflict mediation and Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT).
A multidisciplinary artist working with textiles, myth, and ritual, Amanda’s creative journey blossomed in her mid-20s when performance art opened the doors to her understanding of what art could be: a gateway to spirit, body, and healing. She has participated in artist residencies in Berlin, France, the UK, and Canada, and formerly co-directed Swarm, a healing and arts residency in Chicago dedicated to uplifting and hosting marginalized voices in retreat spaces across the Midwest.
Amanda’s professional work extends into the world of event design and cultural celebration. She began her career in event management in 2014 in Santa Barbara, California—supporting major concerts and productions such as the California Avocado Festival, FestForums, the Culver City Centennial Celebration, and performances by artists from Michael McDonald to the Mystic Braves. Since then, she has continued to blend beauty and logistics through her work in both intimate and large-scale gatherings, including her time producing luxury events and weddings with Cloth & Flame in Phoenix, Arizona.
Since 2019, Amanda has served as the Artistic Programs Manager at Art State Arizona (formerly Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance), where she oversees statewide arts programming at an executive level—curating exhibitions, co-managing public art projects, and directing regionally renowned festivals that support thousands of artists across rural and urban communities. Her work at the intersection of creativity and administration has made her a trusted voice in Arizona’s cultural ecosystem, bringing vision, integrity, and deep community engagement to every project.
She believes art is both an offering and a portal—a threshold into the liminal and sacred, where creative expression opens pathways to the unseen. This belief guides both her public work and her private practice.
In her free time, you’ll find her gathering seeds in the desert, channeling The Great British Bake Off in her kitchen, or cuddling with her 5-pound senior chiweenie, Vita.