In this deeply personal and grounding episode of Balkan Sis Podcast, I sit down with Dunja, founder of Earth Magic Medicine, to explore lineage, loss, identity, motherhood, and what it truly means to become ourselves after everything we’ve lived through. Born in Sisak then moving to Vukovar and shaped by displacement, migration, and survival, Dunja shares her story from early childhood through life as a refugee, adapting to Australia, becoming a mother, navigating grief, and ultimately finding her calling in healing and ancestral work. This conversation is honest, reflective, and deeply human. We talk about trauma held in the body, the wisdom passed down through women, reconnecting with roots, and why so many of us feel called back to lineage and ritual later in life. This episode is also dedicated in loving memory of Emilia, Dunja’s daughter, whose life was cut short after only a few weeks. Her presence and spirit are gently honoured throughout this conversation. • Dunja’s early life and childhood • Growing up with displacement and migration • Adapting to life in Australia and identity shifts • Marriage, motherhood, and what resurfaces after birth • Loss, grief, and transformation • The birth of Earth Magic Medicine • Ancestral wisdom passed through women • Lineage, ritual, and cultural remembrance • Healing the nervous system through breath and embodiment • Why this work is often misunderstood • The importance of village, family, and community • What healing actually looks like in real life This episode includes a bonus healing meditation for your soul, lovingly shared by Dunja as a gift to the Balkan Sis community. A gentle space to ground, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. Dunja is a healer, breathwork and meditation guide, and the founder of Earth Magic Medicine. Her work supports women through: • One-on-one sessions (online worldwide and in person) • Group healing spaces and women’s circles • Breathwork and meditation journeys • Retreats in Byron Bay and Bali • Hosting The Magic of Your Lineage podcast Her work is rooted in ancestral wisdom, embodiment, and creating safe spaces for deep healing. 🌿 Website https://www.earthmagicmedicine.com.au 🌿 All links and offerings https://linktr.ee/earth_magic_medicine 🌿 Podcast The Magic of Your Lineage 📍 Instagram @balkansispodcast 📍 TikTok @ivanastrbacalfonso 📍 Facebook Ivana Strbac Alfonso 📍 YouTube Ivana Strbac Alfonso Thank you, Dunja, for your openness, your story, and the way you hold space. And thank you to our listeners for being here, listening with open hearts, and walking this journey with us. Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.
