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. 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?”
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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 Jada Walton
In 2018, I started seeing a therapist and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. First, just know that therapy never gave me any miracle breakthrough moment like in the movies, that’s not real. It did provide numerous moments of clarity, good advice, and self-reflection. It also helped me better understand myself and why I do certain things (trauma that comes from years of being a giver and having too much pride to ask for help). Most importantly, it provided me with validation, reassuring me that I wasn't "crazy" when things got too intense for me to comprehend. written by Leandra Williams
What if I told you that a simple 10-minute exercise a day could ease and even eliminate anxiety, insomnia, stress, and depression—amongst other conditions-- from your life? It’s an exercise method that you've probably of heard countless times, yet you may have never actually sat down to try it out. I’m talking about the transformative philosophy of meditation. Although most of us have only seen meditation demonstrated in movies, and in historically white spaces, it’s important for Black Women to know that meditation has no color, and no restrictions to those who can benefit from this ancient practice. Meditation has been used for thousands of years, and was developed in Taoist China, and Buddhist India with African origins. 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 Erika L Harper LPC
In an effort to empower and incite interpersonal confidence within women who are pregnant or may one day become pregnant this is how yoga was essential for reminding me about my power. In 2018, the year I was pregnant, I made a concerted effort to deepen my yoga practice. I found that first trimester left me too exhausted to practice yoga the way that I normally would, so I took the opportunity to more seriously lean on my asana (yoga poses) and meditation practice. What I love the most about yoga is that if you’re consistent you will glean increasingly more and more from your practice. I didn’t set out to prove to anyone about the benefits of maintaining a robust yoga practice throughout pregnancy. I also held no expectations about just what I’d be able to achieve at the various states of my pregnancy. My goal was simply to do what I could every day to make sure that I maintained my physical level and to connect spiritually with the child growing inside of me. Still a little part of me, although yoga isn’t a sport, the athlete in me, wanted to test drive my changing body to see what was possible. 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: C. Nzingha Smith, M.S., RYT 200
Journaling, meditation, talk therapy, your Sunday brunch date with your favorite girls, positive affirmations, and listening to uplifting podcasts are all wonderful ways to aid you on your healing journey. However, there comes a time when talk and all the mental focus might not be enough. You might feel like I did, where you are all talked out and feel like there is something else needed to really go deeper. 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. Over the years, we have had a fantastic time providing a setting where black women can heal and practice self-love in a community with like-minded women. We're still fangirling over all of our 2019 retreats being sold out, and we're filled with gratitude to provide this unique sanctuary. We're also grateful to have a commercial for AOL (In the Know). We are continuously honored to have reached millions of people over the years. Black Women Healing Retreats is the first wellness and healing retreat for African American women and black women across the diaspora. We are here to support black women, as we are black women and want nothing but the best for our community. We are honored to have a commercial for AOL.
We give thanks for the wisdom and spirit of our ancestors. |