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1.1k PICKS  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.  Oluremi Adebayo 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. 333 PICKS  Spike Lee: She's Gotta Have It 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. 823 PICKS  written by Nadine Olu
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. 2.1k PICKS  written by Women Of Color Healing Retreats
There is no battle against the common understanding that black people originated in Africa. Black people, in their most natural essence, lived in nature. Women’s bodies were viewed as holy-- women didn’t feel pressured to cover their naked breasts, because this was an acceptable sign of nurture and life. This was the understanding of nature before colonization was imposed upon black people, which created a society where a woman’s body was seen as something strictly sexual. Black people walked barefoot, and ate nutritious fruit from their surroundings. Tribes practiced tribal dances and spoke their own languages.They heard hymns from the trees and bathed in rivers: they were at one with nature, the ultimate healer of life. 1.1k PICKS  written by Erika L Harper LPC
Strong Black Woman Syndrome (SBWS) is not a technical term but right away most of us are aware of the description. Over time it has morphed into an extremely damaging stereotype but it was originally created by us to protect ourselves from the horrors afflicted upon Black African families during American slavery. Many women today suffer from this syndrome due to our ancestors unknowingly and devastatingly passing down their trauma genetically into us. The trope of the strong Black woman is the reason why Black women have always been viewed as physically stronger, less prone to pain and more verbally aggressive compared to our white counterparts despite there being no evidence to support these claims. It is for these reasons that Strong Black Woman Syndrome is the perfect shield for masking persistent depressive disorder. Why We Need A Sacred Space For Black Girls10/10/2019 623 PICKS  Graceson Todd written by Michele Alcime
It is important to find communities for black women and girls while we are on our personal development journey because the ultimate purpose of personal growth is to ripple through the collective and raise consciousness. We have all heard some version of the saying, “the more we take care of ourselves, the more we take care of each other.” It is more than just another feel good theory. It is proven that taking care of ourselves (whatever that means to you) influence our patience with our kids, understanding of our partners, and loyalty to ourselves. 225 PICKS  Ezekixl Akinnewu written by C. Nzingha Smith, M.S., RYT 200
I read an article this week where the writer mentioned being asked the question, “What would you do if you were unconditionally loved and supported?” Her answer was “Everything!” This prompted me to spend some time this week sitting with this question and paying attention to the answers. I decided I wanted to mix my faith and my words and begin manifesting this reality for myself and for a better, uncompromising future that allows me to grow into the “me” I truly want to be. Healthy and whole, peaceful, thriving, financially secure, and loved without condition. 2.4k PICKS  written by Women Of Color Healing Retreats
Healing is an ongoing lifetime journey; the healing of Black people is especially necessary. As we know, Black people have endured traumatic circumstances due to slavery. Perhaps you are a person who believes slavery has had no affect on the Black psyche. To gain more education and perspective about the intergenerational impact of slavery, one must look at racism through facts. Racism isn't solely based on feelings, opinions or emotions. It is a system based on factual history of the past, present and can statistically predict the future. To understand systemic oppression, one must remove their personal opinions and view it through facts. 480 PICKS  Joey Rosado 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. |