Change happens each day.

Change shows up in our spirit, heart (emotions), mind, body, relationships, career, and community.

Many of us resist change because we are afraid of it and/or want to control what’s happening.

When we resist it, change often becomes more messy, overwhelming, chaotic, and/or stressful.

What would happen if you learned to befriend yourself and change when it shows up?

If you’re interested in gaining tips on how to navigate change, join me for the Thriving Mindfully Circle, a monthly 30-minute session, that will introduce you to the Thriving Mindfully approach, a heart-centered awareness and approach to being present, well, and the REAL YOU no matter what’s happening.

Click the button below to register for the dates that work best for you. Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom.

Each Thriving Mindfully Circle offers you a pay what you can option. All you gotta do is click the pay what you can button and select your own fee. No one will be turned away!

Join me on Saturday morning for a community meditation that offers space to remember our fathers, fathering folk, male ancestors, and inner father via Zoom. Click the button below to register.

Hey there!

The impact we make in our life, family, community, and career/business starts with how we love and care for ourselves.

During the early days of the global pandemic in 2020, I made a commitment and set an intention to press the reset button on how I love and care for myself in deeper ways.

My commitment and intention helped me lay the foundation to release my definition of success and embrace making an impact in my community and the world in small, medium, and big ways in 2022.

I talk about my personal journey of redefining success and realizing that making an impact is more important to me with Mindful Techie founder Meico Whitlock, my soul brothalove and accountability partner, on his Dear Mindful Changemaker Podcast. 

During the episode, I share how my purpose is to impact one person per day through various means, such as coaching, art, prayer, and reiki. I emphasize the importance of using my gifts, talents, skills, and intuition to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

Click the video below to listen to the episode.

UPCOMING EVENT THIS WEEK

Click the button to sign up for the Spring Reset.

NEWS: INTERVIEW WITH JOURNALIST MARIA BOYNTON

On May 12, 2024, journalist Maria Boynton, host of Atlanta Up Close on News – Talk 1380 WAOK-FM, invited Ananda Leeke to share what it means to mother yourself when you are grieving your mother.

Durng the interview, to Ananda discussed the peaceful transition of her mother Theresa B. Gartin Leeke and how she has used her Thriving Mindfully Academy’s five self-love languages to navigate her grief journey.

The interview highlights information Ananda shared in her article, “Mothering Yourself as You Grieve Your Mother” that was published on Black Health Matters website. Go here to read the article.

LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT THAT WAS POSTED ON THE THRIVING MINDFULLY PODCAST BELOW.

JUNE EVENT

Click the button to sign up for the Monthly Grief + You 2-Day Retreat on June 29-30.

Writing the article about grieving my mom Theresa’s physical absence on Mother Earth was very healing.

Click here to to read the article.

Many thanks to my soul sistalove Corynne Corbett, Editorial Director at Black Health Matters, for inviting me to share my grief journey.

Click the button below to register.

It’s May 3rd. Nine days away from Mother’s Day. The first Mother’s Day without the physical presence of my mother Theresa B. Gartin Leeke. Knowing this is about to happen has got me in my feelings. 

CONFESSION: I’ve been feeling waves of grief rising up in my heart and body around experiencing Mother’s Day without my mom Theresa on Mother Earth since Easter Sunday. 

On Easter, I decided to give myself more grace and space when these emotional waves of grief show up. I also decided to open my heart and seek out new ways of supporting myself. One of the new ways was signing up for grief doula and sound healer gina Breedlove’s Vibration of Grace weekend workshop at Kripalu Yoga Center (her book, The Vibration of Grace is awesome).

SIDE NOTE: I love that gina spells her name in lowercase letters like ntozake shange, one of my favorite African American woman creative sheroes and poets. 

gina’s powerful workshop and the community of people I spent time with at Kripalu last weekend helped me get in touch with, reflect on, and express hidden areas of grief with the power of my own voice in singing, chanting, and using affirmations along with rituals, meditation, journaling, reiki, yoga, dance, and mindful walking and movement. What a blessing!

Today, I received a divine download after moving my body with my Barre3 community that invited me to honor and embrace my mom Theresa’s ancestral spirit, love, and legacy by becoming my own mother and exploring how I can use mothering to deepen my self-love and self-care birthrights.

Resource

Listen to the latest episode of the Thriving Mindfully Podcast that discusses how grief can call us to mother ourselves.

Over the past 30 years, I have learned that death, loss, and grief are master classes in surrender.

This year, I have learned how important it is to have a safe and sacred community to share how I am feeling, practice self-care, and receive support in my death, loss, and grief journey.

I am sharing the lessons I am learning and holding space for anyone facing death, loss, and grief during the monthly GRIEF + YOU 2-DAY RETREATS this year.

IMPORTANT: I am offering a special discount for the May 4-5 and June 29-30 retreats: a sliding scale with three options – $85, $105, or $125.

Click the button to get more information and sign up.

Many thanks to my amazing Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority for featuring me on the latest episode of The Greater Women Podcast.

During the podcast episode, I discuss my Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority journey that started with being the daughter of Cultured Pearl Soror Theresa Leeke, great granddaughter of Soror Florida Jones Leeke (Grand Anti-Gramateus, 1927-29), and the great grand niece of Soror Lillian Jones Brown. I give a shout out to my dad John Leeke for being an SGRho Gent. I also share how joining Beta Tau Chapter at Morgan State University in 1983 changed my life.

The episode features my insights on mindfulness, self-care, and digital wellness. A mindfulness exercise and self-care tips are included.

Click the button to listen to the 16-minute episode.

A virtual community celebration was held to celebrate the 65th Sigmaversary of my mother, loving + wise + well ancestor, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Soror Theresa B. Gartin Leeke on April 22, 2024.Watch the video below.

My mom Theresa joined Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.’s Alpha Chapter at Butler University on April 26, 1959.

Click the button to learn more about my mom Theresa’s love, life, and legacy as an African American woman who wore many hats as a wife, mother, aunt, sister, friend, educator, nonprofit and sorority leader, and musician.

Tune into A Cultured Pearl’s Legacy Podcast (9 episodes) and listen to my mom Theresa share her journey as a life member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, reflections on the Centennial celebration, lessons learned, and wisdom as an African American woman who wore many hats as a wife, mother, educator, nonprofit leader, and musician. Click the button to listen.

If you’re looking for a way to honor my mom Theresa’s life and legacy, click the link to make a donation to Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s SPEAR Foundation, one of her favorite charities.

Stress happens when we experience pressure or a situation that exceeds our ability to cope. Stress wears and tears on our spirit, heart, mind, body, relationships, and career.

What’s been stressing you out since 2024 began?

GRIEF stresses me out.

Since it’s Stress Awareness Month and Stress Awareness Day (April 16), I thought you might like to try some of my favorite stress relief tips.

WATCH THE VIDEO below for more information.

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If you need support with navigating stress, join me for the Spring Reset on April 16, April 30, and May 16 at 7:30-9 PM ET via Zoom.

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW TO REGISTER FOR THE DATE THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.

Hey there!

Spring is calling me to take ACTION.

What ACTION are you being called to take?

I am being called to be a better steward of my body temple, thoughts around what is possible, home, finances, mindful communication, and business servces.

Part of me is ready. Part of me is not. I’ve been dancing back and forth between these two parts.

Guess what?

The dance has been messy, stressful, and filled with waves of GRIEF followed by GRACE, GRATITUDE, and a few GROWTH opportunities.

The waves of GRIEF showed up when I learned about two family members who made their transitions in March. It popped up again on Easter Sunday when I really felt the physical absence of my mom Theresa on Mother Earth.

The GRACE came when I allowed myself to experience the full range of emotions brought on by the GRIEF.

The GRATITUDE came when I decided to press the RESET button on how I nurture myself. I SLOWED down and asked myself what I truly need right now. I also used the five Thriving Mindfully self-love languages to determine what I needed each day.

TAKE A BREATH AND PAUSE HERE FOR A MOMENT.

If you are interested in learning more about the Thriving Mindfully self-love languages I have used to practice mindful self-care, listen to Thriving Mindfully Podcast S5 EP16: Nurturing Yourself with 5 Self-Love Languages.

CLICK TTHE BUTTON TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE.

TAKE ANOTHER DEEP BREATH AND EXHALE. NOW YOU CAN KEEP READING!

Some days were filled with moving my body with yoga, Barre3, dancing, walking, or tennis. Most days I turned to journaling and writing poetry. Other days I shared my thoughts with my therapist and circle of sacred family and friends.

On the ninth month anniversary of my mom Theresa’s peaceful transition to ancestorhood (which was April 9), I used a combination of self-love languages to nurture myself. They led me to meditation, prayer, yin yoga, affirmatons, reiki, wearing my mom’s lipstick and jewelry, listening to some of her favorite music, and reading a poem about her and sharing it on social media (see video below). All of it helped me honor, navigate, express, and release the energy and emotion of GRIEF in my body.

WATCH VIDEO CELEBRATING 9TH MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF MY MOM THERESA’S PEACEFUL TRANSITION

APRIL GRIEF + YOU 2-DAY RETREAT

Join me for the Grief + You 2-day Retreat on April 13 and 21 at 2-3:30 PM ET via Zoom.

CLICK THE BUTTON TO REGISTER.

SPRING RESET BUTTON

If you’re stressed out and/or struggling to take ACTION, watch the video below and find out what I had to say about the power of pressing my Spring reset button daily.

NEED MORE SUPPORT WITH NAVIGATING STRESS, OVERCOMING STRUGGLES, OR TAKING ACTION THIS SPRING?

Join me for the Spring Reset on April 16th or 30th from 7:30-9 PM ET via Zoom. Click the button to sign up.

I’d love to hear what you are doing to take care of yourself. I’d also like to know how I can support you better. Send an email or a direct message on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube.

May your life, relationships, and career be filled with love, ease, joy, awareness, acceptance, and abundance!

Love, Ease, Grace, Joy, Peace, Wisdom, Creativity, and Abundance

Ananda

PS: I currently have space for YOU as a Thriving Mindfully coaching or human design client for the spring season.

• Click here to learn more about my 1:1 Thriving Mindfully as the REAL YOU coaching program and schedule a free 30-minute call to discuss how we can work together.
• Go here to learn more about my human design readings and coaching sessions.