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Hello and happy Monday!
As a Black woman, I am excited to take advantage of Black History Month. It makes me think about the cultural aspect of self-care and how, in many ways, traditional healing spaces and rituals can be different for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
Well-being is often centered on whiteThis is why those who identify as BIPOC often struggle to find their place in the trendy and dominant practices that are recommended to us.
I was having a conversation with my mother and she mentioned wanting to cleanse her house with a sage stick, also known as smudging, which is what she did at home when she lived in Panama. It reminded me how ancient this practice is, but it has become so common in the wellness community that I wonder if people truly understand its roots in Native American and Indigenous culture.
It got me thinking about how our ancestors ritualized their self-care routines and how it must feel for BIPOC, especially Indigenous people, to have their sacred practices sold back to them with no connection to their origin and often grouped into white welfare. practices.
Delve into your heritage and research the traditional ways your ancestors used things like essential oils, sage sticks, herbal healing, prayer, and even astrology. A great resource to get started is to listen to this podcast from Therapy for Black Girls on healing through astrology.
For those who are white, I encourage you to take this time to decolonize self-care practices and reflect on these three questions:
- In what ways have I noticed that wellness is white-centric, and how can I use my privilege to change that?
- Who are the healers, teachers, and mental health professionals I learn from? Notice their race, are they usually white women? Or are you learning from a diverse pool of individuals?
- In what ways can I continue to support members of the Black community, not only this month, but throughout the year?
I look forward to returning next week to discuss the topic of intergenerational trauma and how these ancient practices heal not only for us, but also for our lineage.
With love,
Minaa
