A curandera is a healer who uses healing practices from Spanish, inigenous and African traditions. The curanderismo can sometimes mean a folk healer, but as Elena Avila explains, we heal ourselves by a mix of all medicines. Curanderas heal both physical ailments and emotional diseases, and helps intellectually and psychologically.The curandera uses many different spiritual and medical techniques to work toward the cleaning of one's energy. Avila's book, Woman Who Glows in the Dark, explains the life and healing of a curandera.