Waukesha County resident Johnny Martinez’s life has been anything but conventional. A US Marine veteran and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, Johnny once thrived on rage and anger, which were his closest companions throughout his tumultuous youth in Wisconsin.
Raised by a single mother and struggling with his own demons, his journey through the Marine Corps and beyond was marked by deep personal challenges. But out of this darkness, Johnny found a path to healing, spirituality, and ultimately, the creation of The Warrior Healer Podcast.
In our conversation, Johnny opens up about his transformation and the inspirations that led him to start a podcast dedicated to spirituality and personal development.
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The Man Behind the Mic
Lake Country Tribune: Can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to start The Warrior Healer Podcast?
Johnny Martinez: From a very young age the only thing I knew was rage and anger, they became my best friends. Growing up in Wisconsin to a single mother of two children, never meeting my father and having no direction, I came to be a terror of a child.
As I grew older I became addicted to different substances and alcohol. My addictions carried me into and through my Marine Corps service from 2013-2017. Sometime later, a marriage, a child, a divorce and many more life complications past and I found myself living in a constant state of being suicidal and depressed. I sought out help, therapy, counseling, plant medicine ceremonies and more over the span of 2.5 years now. I have traveled the country and world seeking the best teachers and guides available to me. So I can live a life full of love and gratitude for all that has happened to me.
I found myself healing and growing past all of this and more. Things I never knew affected my daily living. Coming out of that headspace I sat with the thought that “I bet SO many people feel that way and never find a space to grow or pursue better living” and So the podcast became a reality just days after an ayahuasca ceremony that guided me into this space.
The podcast allows others the opportunity to release their old patterns keeping them “stuck” and healing wounds of self love. Giving power and grace back to the individual and realizing you’re not alone in your hardest battles.
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LCT: How has your experience as a US Marine and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor influenced your approach to spirituality and personal development?
JM: Much like the Military and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Spirituality is a meaningful inward journey. It’s a quest for self understanding, connection and meaning, an evolution of the soul. So all of them come back to the same source, personal development and growth for a better life.
The correlations between BJJ and the healing space of spirituality are vast! Being comfortable being uncomfortable, connection, community, a safe space, dissecting the internals of your character.
Many things in this world can do that for you, but I believe BJJ in particular has and will continue to play one of the larger roles in my healing journey.
LCT: What has been the most rewarding aspect of hosting The Warrior Healer Podcast?
JM: The most rewarding aspect of hosting the WHP has been and will continue to be the medicinal benefits of authentic and genuine conversations with strangers. Coming to hear stories of resilience, divorce, homelessness, addiction, prison stays, injury and even death amongst hundreds of other topics.
We get to hear how different individuals have navigated their hardest times and came out on the other side to speak about it. The encouragement for women and more particularly men, to come on and show a depth of vulnerability and openness while recording with a stranger takes strength that I find brave and courageous.
I thank all my guests for taking the time to share with the audience and myself. I believe in my core that your stories will live on and will continue to give back to the community for the greater good.
LCT: Can you tell us about a particularly memorable guest or episode that had a significant impact on you?
JM: Every single guest that has been on the podcast has made a memorable impact on me. I have gratitude for each and every person that has taken the time to sit down and share their journeys.
Very early on in the podcast pathI heard a woman once say “the greatest gift someone can share with you is their story” and that’s what this is. An energetic gift exchange. Out of the currently 70 episodes there are a handful that really meant a lot to me for different reasons, they are.
#52 The Warriors Healing Journey w/ Johnny Martinez – This is my personal episode, navigating my path and sharing with the listeners all that surfaces throughout. This episode marked the one year release as well as a major stepping stone on my path. Listen to hear the uncoverings in real time.
#59 Discussing anger and rage w/ Greg Anderson – Greg, as you’ll come to hear, is the motivation behind the inception of the podcast. He pushed me to do so and speak up when I didn’t believe I even had a voice. I speak more to this through many episodes but being a friend, the rock in my corner when I needed one and now getting to share this experience with him means a lot to me.
Speaking about anger and rage, the things that have caused me so much turmoil and many others as well. In this episode you get to hear how I have found resolve in my old ways as I share helpful modalities and stories that got me there.
#61 We hold the answers within w/ Tyler Stanaway – I sat down for a few episodes with Tyler, #22, #61 & #66. The first time sparked a friendship I’ve never seen the depths of before. Well over the past 2 years we have grown close and enjoyed this path together on occasions. In this episode you hear about some of these journeys.
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LCT: How do you balance your physical training and competitive goals with your spiritual practices?
I believe everything is based on an energy exchange and a natural balance. When things are out of balance you begin to feel the repercussions manifest in this world. Different injuries, sickness etc. For the better part of 20 years I trained my physical body at a high level with no consideration of my mental health or my spirituality and beliefs. Now that I am an aware being I allow myself the moments in time to notice what my body is craving, as opposed to what I may be trying to force.
Giving into the intuitive senses of the body, listening to what it needs, maybe its rest. Oftentimes it still results in a run, hike or bjj but the balance comes when you decide that it’s OKAY to sit down and rest a day. To stretch and recover as opposed to more destruction of muscle tissues and fibers.
Go read the “Alchemist” or practice QiGong down by the water. The balance must manifest or it will slowly crumble your foundation over time.
LCT: What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning their journey into spirituality and personal growth?
JM: Start from the beginning, with the elimination of distractions to sit with self. Begin a daily journal. Do not beat yourself when you miss a prompt or an entry, just be aware and work to do what feels better for yourself. I also like to encourage people starting this journey to attend a sound healing experience. I believe sound is a universal language and it’s not something that you can avoid.
Meditation may “Not work” for some and so to negate that excuse , there is nothing easier than going to lay down on a mat and have people inject healing and loving frequencies into your chakra centers and balancing out the body’s energy systems through music.
I also like to remind everyone to Understand that this path of healing and growth is far from linear. To expect the rollercoaster of life to always introduce old/new traumas back into your world to continue your evolution as a sentient soul on this planet.
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LCT: Can you share a personal story or experience that profoundly shaped your spiritual path?
JM: The most profound experience that shaped my spiritual path and even gave way to the inception of this path was a divorce in 2022. A result of me attending my first plant medicine ceremony as a last ditch effort to help our failing relationship and now marriage.
Coming home from that experience we filed for divorce a week later and I continued my path towards spirituality and awareness of self. I sat with myself for the next year navigating all the wrong I’ve done. My mental health, growing increasingly more concerning.
Spending that time facing the man I had created in the mirror was one of the hardest realizations I had to come to. Noticing all my deficiencies and faults that I brought forth. Going back and understanding who Johnny was and is. Why he does what he did, how to not allow that to continue etc.
LCT: What are some common misconceptions about spirituality that you’ve encountered, and how do you address them on your podcast?
JM: Some of the misconceptions we often address on the podcast are, “I can’t focus enough to Meditate?” There are many forms of meditation but Simply put I suggest that meditation is the practice of sitting in awareness. That means feeling into all of your senses, feelings and emotions but not hyper focusing on any one thing. If you have a thought, you must choose to not interact or feed into it. Say thank you, I hear you, and we can talk later. Then remain in the presence and awareness of whatever space you are occupying.
That you’re alone on this path – Many people including myself have and will feel this way. It’s a natural order to suppress oneself and start to isolate. Depression pulls you into the sludge so quickly you don’t want to or physically cannot ask for help. Listen to the podcast, it’s for you.
That anyone holds the answers to your problems – You have every answer you need within you already. You question an action or a behavior that you don’t love because you are already aware. Being aware is the first step, knowing that you have the answers is the second. When you come to this understanding you will start to encourage self growth and discovery. Looking at life from the lens of a conscious observer as opposed to staying so consumed that it feels like everything is out to get you or collapsing in on you.
And finally, one I feel called to share is, That trauma happens to you – Trauma is not the event that happened to you, It is the emotional response you are having from said incident or series of events causing emotional turmoil. The individual takes on a trauma, looking at soldiers returning from a war torn country. Some enjoyed the stay and appreciated parts of it, some didn’t care and felt no particular way and others came back with severe PTSD, etc. Go back and rework some of your traumas, for your reactions are never the same.
Healing Starts With You
Johnny Martinez’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and the power of personal growth. From a life driven by anger and addiction to becoming a spiritual guide and mentor, his journey is a testament to the idea that healing is possible, even in the darkest of times.
Through The Warrior Healer Podcast, Johnny not only continues to explore his own path but also provides a platform for others to share their stories and find their own paths to self-discovery and fulfillment. As Johnny reminds us, the road to healing is far from linear, but with each step, we move closer to understanding ourselves and the world around us.
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