written by Erika L Harper LPC

​It is no secret when it comes to the way the United States views Black women. It’s a point of view that at times seems at odds with the many important contributions that Black women have made here in the U.S. and pan-Africa. All over the world Black women are at the forefront of major movements across both gender and racial lines. In the U.S., entrepreneurship has increased far faster over the years for Black women than with any other racial group. The same goes with Black women and education. We also are and have historically been immensely disruptive to the status quo in American politics with our votes providing upsets for a multitude of election outcomes. ​

written by Black Women Healing Retreats

Black people may not be able to control the outcome of every issue in a racist society, but we can control certain parts of it — such as the food we choose to eat. Food is spiritual and political, which is why it is vital to be conscious about the food we put into our bodies.⁣
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We can also look at it from a systemic perspective, by asking questions like “why are there so many fast food, seafood, highly chemical foods in marginalized communities, and wherever black people are?”

written by Black Women Healing Retreats

By nature, Black women are beautiful and resilient. Thus, it is necessary that Black people treat themselves accordingly. Most Black people grow up learning to cope rather than acquiring the tools to heal and take care of themselves. Learning to cope too often means learning survival mechanisms which breed dysfunctional codependency on external sources.  Truth is, all the care that Black people need lies within. 

written by Tamara Peterson

​I met him on Twitter. He was extremely charming, well dressed, well traveled and well spoken. He had a lot going for him: a thriving career, a beautiful home, and the ability to enjoy vacations in other countries. He was very down to Earth. Meeting through a social media app is normal these days, so it wasn’t a big deal when we did. The first time we hung out, he took me to the Brooklyn Bridge, and we walked side by side, sharing our experiences and thoughts. We had an instant connection. After weeks of dating, we quickly decided that we wanted to enter a relationship. Our relationship was filled with beautiful dates, and amazing road trips. We would enjoy amazing cuisine while traveling together, visiting the different states. He treated me like I was a queen.

written by Black Women Healing Retreats

Black women are underrepresented in yoga. When we look at yoga publications and settings, there is an undeniable gap that has been created. Diversity and inclusion is not a complicated problem; there are decisions that are intentionally made which exclude Black women from being represented. For example, if there is a yoga magazine and there are 12 magazines published per year, then for each month there should be someone on the cover of a different nationality or culture. However, if the cover of the magazine predominantly showcases white people or constantly excludes Black women and people of various complexions, body types and backgrounds, things become problematic. Yoga, in terms of diversity and inclusion, has been poorly represented by yoga studios and yoga publications. The dangers of this is that if Black women do not see themselves being represented in the practice, little Black girls will grow up to believe that something incredibly healing and transformational, like yoga, is not for them. The reality is that the lack of inclusion of Black women stems from capitalism. ​

written by Leandra Williams

​Angry, irritated, aggressive, loud… we’ve all heard these words before. However, these terms hit differently when describing the “behavior or actions” of a Black Woman. Historically, we as Black Women have been conditioned not to display any type of hostility or irritation towards anyone (other than our Black Men of course); or we risk being labeled as “The Angry Black Woman”. Even in 2019, when there’s been a pivotal shift in the way we love and view ourselves; I notice one aspect of ourselves that we haven’t given ourselves permission to do, which is to be free in our feelings, and yes… that means being rightfully angry sometimes. Today we’ve been able to bathe in our success, our different shades of skin color, admire Black Love, and education.  ​