Karla Ruiz grew up watching her grandmother Sarita — a Mexican immigrant, healer, and spiritual force in San Diego — pull people from all over the world into her living room. She didn't fully understand what she was witnessing. Now, 15 years into working with the Ruiz family and stepping into her own voice as a teacher, she's starting to.

In this conversation, HeatherAsh and Karla talk about what the Toltec teachings actually look like from the inside, why women keep circling back to the same shame, perfectionism, and people-pleasing no matter how much work they've done, and what it really takes to break the spell. Karla brings something to this conversation that's hard to describe but easy to feel — a steadiness, a gentleness, a refusal to rush toward answers that aren't ready yet.

They also get into what it looks like to run a full life without losing yourself in it, how to be present with your kids when the world is feeding you fear, and why awareness is only half the equation if you're not willing to give yourself grace for the other half.

Episode Highlights:

1. How Karla spent 15 years behind the scenes with the Ruiz family before she felt the pull to teach — and what finally shifted
2. The Smoky Mirror women's program: what women actually come in carrying, and what changes by the end
3. Why shame, people-pleasing, and perfectionism are all the same wound showing up in different clothes
4. The practice of looking at your emotions as information rather than evidence of something wrong with you
5. How Karla manages a full life — motherhood, partnership, business — without the myth of doing it all
6. What to model for your kids when the collective fear is loud: presence over perfection

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Karla and the Smoky Mirror program: https://www.karlaruiz.love/
• Learn more about the Ruiz family and Toltec teachings: https://www.miguelruiz.com/
• Follow Karla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlaruiz/

About Karla Ruiz

Karla Ruiz is a teacher and facilitator of Toltec Wisdom. She guides people to see clearly, releasing limiting beliefs and creating a life rooted in truth and love. Her work brings the teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz, including The Four Agreements, in a way that feels modern, practical, and easy to apply with a focus on awareness, selfrust, and authentic expression.