Yesterday, while I was walking home from a morning wellness session I led during my client National Collaborative for Health Equity’s conference, I thought of you and a few mindfulness tips you can use in your daily life.
Watch the video below to get the tips. Drop me a line and let me know which ones you are using.
If you’re in DC and interested in meeting up with me this weekend to dive deeper into mindfulness and self-care, check out the special invitation below.
Today, Theresa B. Leeke, my mother and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority (SGRho) soror, is celebrating her 64th Sigmaversary.
THAT’S RIGHT! It’s time to celebrate the Cultured Pearl!
Join me in celebrating my mom’s 64 years of “Greater Service, Greater Progress” … 64 years of being in a sorority of “Greater Women, Greater World.”
When my mom joined Alpha Chapter at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1959, she made a lifelong commitment sisterhood, scholarship, and service.
The SGRho sorors who nurtured, taught, and mentored her as a young woman inspired and shaped her as a person, a leader, and an educator.
They showed her how to plant Sigma seeds of sisterhood, scholarship, and service in sorors who came after her.
As a young wife and mother of three children with one on the way, she planted Sigma seeds in the women who became charter members of Gamma Psi Sigma, a tri-city chapter for Saginaw, Flint, and Bay City, Michigan (now based in Saginaw) that she helped start in 1967.
During my lifetime, I have witnessed firsthand my mom’s ability to serve and lead with humility. I have watched her show up in her life as an educator, a musician, a mother of four, and a wife to an entrepreneur as well as work in her local chapter, Phi Sigma.
She has served as a Phi Sigma Chapter member; undergraduate advisor to Epsilon Lambda Chapter at Bowie State University and Alpha Phi Chapter at Howard University; chartering undergraduate advisor to Eta Beta Chapter at the University of Maryland, College Park; committee chairwoman; and Basileus (president serving three times).
Throughout her 64 years of service, she has remained passionate and dedicated to membership development and training, community service in the Washington, DC area, and regional and national activities.
My mother has willingly spent her energy and time as a SGRho life member and Cultured Pearl mentoring and investing in Sigma women (including me). She does it out of a deep love for her Sigma Sorors. She does it because she wants us to thrive in our unique SGRho way. She gives back because so many gave to her.
I am grateful to have my mom as a mother. She has loved me like no other and continues to teach me what it means to be a fulfilled, creative, and healthy Black woman and SGRho soror.
My favorite SGRho memories with her include the day she pinned me during my Beta Tau Chapter induction ceremony in 1983; traveling with her to my first Boule as a soror in 1984; watching her get pinned as a Cultured Pearl in 2010; witnessing her receive Butler University’s special recognition of her service as a Cultured Pearl and an educator during the Centennial Founders’ Day weekend in 2022 (see first photo at the top of the post); and attending the Centennial Boule with her and my dad in Indianapolis in 2022 (photo above).
LISTEN TO MY MOM SHARE HER SGRHO WISDOM
Last April, my mom and I launched A Cultured Pearl’s Legacy Podcast on Spotify to celebrate and share her SGRho wisdom during our sorority’s centennial year. Each of the nine episodes has a plethora of golden nuggets about sisterhood, leadership, working as a team, membership recruitment and development, and community service. The episodes also include her reflections about the relationships she had with SGRho founders, Soror Hattie Redford and Soror Dorothy Whiteside. A few of the episodes give you a glimpse into what it was like for her to attend SGRho’s 50th, 75th, and 100th anniversary celebrations. The ninth and final episode of the 2022 season features a roundtable discussion with two of her favorite Cultured Pearls, Soror Sandre Mitchell, a former SGRho Boule Chaplain, and Shirley Smith, a former N.E. Region Syntaktes.
After I went walking this morning with my fellow artist Tonya Butler-Truesdale (aka Adejoke), we stopped at Au Lait Cafe for a hot beverage. I got the macha latte with oat milk, which is AWESOME.
While we were at Au Lait Cafe, I started working on the base of my Oshun-inspired African mermaid wire sculpture. This process reminded me how art transforms itself when I surrender.
As we talked about the copper wire I was using, Tonya told me about the Yoruba goddess Oya’s connection to it. Mama Oya rules over the wind, lightning, storms, death, and rebirth. She is also associated with the wise woman called the Crone.
My spirit, heart, and sacral center/chakra felt a shift in the sculpture’s energy. So, I surrendered to the creative flow.
I know the creative flow is one of the ways Spirit and my loving, wise, and well ancestors guide my artwork and writing.
I have learned over the years to welcome and TRUST their presence and wisdom.
My hands started bending the mermaid’s tail. When my hands were satisfied, I stared at the sculpture. She had become Mama Oya.
The sculpture reminded me of my recent connection to Oya, who is known as Iansa in Brasil.
During my recent trip to Salvador da Bahia, Brasil with AfroBuenaventura Transformative Travel, I was blessed to visit a Candomble house dedicated to Iansa and receive a reading from a Candomble iyalorixa (priestess) who is guided by Iansa (Oya). Those experiences were my first personal connection to Oya/Iansa.
As I look at where I am in my spiritual and life journey as a 58 year old who has entered her second Saturn Return and the early stages of wise womanhood or elderhood, I can see why Iansa/Oya has shown up in my creativity. For me, her energy is all about death and rebirth in my life. The death represents the end of a 30-year cycle that started during my first Saturn Return. The rebirth energy is all about who I am becoming at 58.
Well, I still have some work to do on Mama Oya’s wire sculpture. Stay tuned for more artist updates!
Join Tonya and I for a Women’s History Month conversation about our creative journey and work as African American artists and entrepreneurs with Zawadi African Arts Gallery founder Irene Whalen, our soul sistalove and mentor, on March 25th at 3-6 PM at Zawadi African Arts Gallery, 1524 U Street, NW in DC.
We will have our work available for sale: Tonya’s amazing cards and my ancestral wire sculptures and three powerful books: Love’s Troubadours, a self-love and yoga-inspired novel; That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir; and Digital Sisterhood, a mindful technology memoir.
Check out the conversation I had with my soul sistalove and fellow artist Tonya “Adejoke” Butler-Truesdale’s about our creative expression and journey in our 50s.
DC EVENT
Join Tonya and I for a Women’s History Month conversation about our creative journey and work as African American artists and entrepreneurs with Zawadi Arts founder Irene Whalen, on March 25, 2023, at 3-6 PM at Zawadi, 1524 U Street, NW in DC.
We will have our work available for sale: Tonya’s amazing cards and my ancestral wire sculptures and three powerful books: Love’s Troubadours, a self-love and yoga-inspired novel; That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir; and Digital Sisterhood, a mindful technology memoir.
Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke is a self-taught mixed media artist, poet, author, coach, Human Design Doula, yoga + meditation teacher, reiki + sound healing practitioner, and digital wellness educator. Ananda turned to the healing arts for emotional support when her career as a lawyer, an investment banker, and a digital communications professional stressed her out, caused burnout, and did not produce the level of success she expected. During her healing journey, she used journaling, poetry, and art-making to bring calm and ease to her spirit, heart, mind, and body. Ananda has written three mindfulness books: Love’s Troubadours, a self-love and yoga-inspired novel; That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir; and Digital Sisterhood, a mindful technology memoir. Her books are available on Amazon: https://anandaleeke.com/books and https://www.amazon.com/author/anandaleeke. To learn more about Ananda, visit https://anandaleeke.com/art and follow @blackwombmoonartist on Instagram.
Tonya Butler-Truesdale, Esq. (aka Adejoke) is the founder of Adejoke Speaks, an emerging “Art for All” ministry. Adejoke is also a single mother, daughter, ordained minister, Isese onifa, and a municipal government attorney. She is a curator of all things in nature that are colorful and fragrant. Her love for botanical life and color inspired and charged her to expand her son’s personal care product business to include one-of-a-kind, artisan greeting cards, and jewelry. Her mission is founded upon the belief that thoughtfully crafted paper sentiments and gifts heal both the giver and the recipient. Her goal is to provide sensual, tactile experiences accessible to all income levels. Her choice of color and composition is driven by the aesthetic celebration of elements incompatible with mass production yet rich with spiritual, scientific, mathematical, and historical symbols steeped in the personification of marginalized cultures (think: masculine themes in pink, women surrounded by numbers, African graphics in muted color schemes). A belief that toxic thought patterns can be erased by beauty and kindness buttresses each theme and choice in her work. Your purchases also support her goal to celebrate esteemed community elders with elaborate care packages in recognition of their work and sacrifices for marginalized communities. Adejoke Speaks can be found at her favorite retailers, and comments may be left at https://www.silkysoftsmoothsheabutter.com or GoTonyaGo@gmail.com.
Join me and my soul sistalove Tonya Butler-Truesdale for a Women’s History Month conversation about our creative journey and work as African American artists and entrepreneurs with Zawadi African Arts Gallery founder Irene Whalen, our soul sistalove and mentor, on March 25th at 3-6 PM at Zawadi, 1524 U Street, NW in DC.
We will have our work available for sale: Tonya’s amazing cards and my ancestral wire sculptures and three powerful books: Love’s Troubadours, a self-love and yoga-inspired novel; That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir; and Digital Sisterhood, a mindful technology memoir.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke is a self-taught mixed media artist, poet, author, coach, Human Design Doula, yoga + meditation teacher, reiki + sound healing practitioner, and digital wellness educator. Ananda turned to the healing arts for emotional support when her career as a lawyer, an investment banker, and a digital communications professional stressed her out, caused burnout, and did not produce the level of success she expected. During her healing journey, she used journaling, poetry, and art-making to bring calm and ease to her spirit, heart, mind, and body. Ananda has written three mindfulness books: Love’s Troubadours, a self-love and yoga-inspired novel; That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir; and Digital Sisterhood, a mindful technology memoir. Her books are available on Amazon: https://anandaleeke.com/books and https://www.amazon.com/author/anandaleeke. To learn more about Ananda, visit https://anandaleeke.com/art and follow @blackwombmoonartist on Instagram.
Tonya Butler-Truesdale, Esq. (aka Adejoke) is the founder of Adejoke Speaks, an emerging “Art for All” ministry. Adejoke is also a single mother, daughter, ordained minister, Isese onifa, and a municipal government attorney. She is a curator of all things in nature that are colorful and fragrant. Her love for botanical life and color inspired and charged her to expand her son’s personal care product business to include one-of-a-kind, artisan greeting cards, and jewelry. Her mission is founded upon the belief that thoughtfully crafted paper sentiments and gifts heal both the giver and the recipient. Her goal is to provide sensual, tactile experiences accessible to all income levels. Her choice of color and composition is driven by the aesthetic celebration of elements incompatible with mass production yet rich with spiritual, scientific, mathematical, and historical symbols steeped in the personification of marginalized cultures (think: masculine themes in pink, women surrounded by numbers, African graphics in muted color schemes). A belief that toxic thought patterns can be erased by beauty and kindness buttresses each theme and choice in her work. Your purchases also support her goal to celebrate esteemed community elders with elaborate care packages in recognition of their work and sacrifices for marginalized communities. Adejoke Speaks can be found at her favorite retailers, and comments may be left at https://www.silkysoftsmoothsheabutter.com or GoTonyaGo@gmail.com.
I woke up this morning with a lot of thoughts about what I need to do, how to do it, and when to do it. My inner critic Broomie was starting to raise holy HELL. Her mind drama almost took over my morning and planted seeds of pressure to jump into my day without grounding myself. To move into a day of busyness and stress.
Here’s what happened when I decided to acknowledge Broomie’s holy HELL or mind drama as an invitation to be S.O.F.T. with myself. I gave myself space to practice deep breathing. My deep breathing sent a message to my body to calm down and begin to uproot the pressure seeds. It also opened me up to give myself a hug which activated “self-love and self-care” superpowers of oxytocin, the love hormone, and seratonin, the feel go hormone. Together, they reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, when you hug yourself for 20 seconds or more.
My deep breathing and self-hug are two of my favorite self-love and self-care practices I use to create softness. Most times, they lead me to practice meditation, restorative and yin yoga, and reiki. All of these practices GROUND me.
When I get grounded, I am able to embody and express THRIVING MINDFULLY, a heart-centered approach to being present, well, and the REAL ME.
When I embody THRIVING MINDFULLY, I am able to receive and tap into the wisdom of Creator and my loving + wise + well ancestors. I call this blessing a DIVINE DOWNLOAD.
Today, the divine download I received was the phrase and understanding of INTENTIONAL SOFTNESS. INTENTIONAL SOFTNESS describes the process I experienced this morning.
Watch the video Bbelow to hear more about INTENTIONAL SOFTNESS
FYI: INTENTIONAL SOFTNESS is the choice you GET to make to SLOW down and OFFER yourself FREEDOM TODAY.
Your FREEDOM is being S.O.F.T. with yourself by practicing self-love and self-care.
Your S.O.F.T. practice can start with VERY SMALL STEPS: 1 thing that can be done in 1-minute or less that nurtures your spirit, heart, mind, and body in an uplifting way. Examples include taking 1-3 deep breaths, a hug for 20 seconds, meditation, moving your body gently, journaling, saying an affirmation, taking a nap, sleeping in, wearing your favorite colors, and drinking water or another beverage slowly.
INTENTIONAL SOFTNESS VIDEO
EXPLORE YOUR INTENTIONAL SOFTNESS DURING SPRING VIRTUAL RETREAT
If you’re interested, click the button to learn more and join me on April 18th or 22nd.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed how you live, communicate, learn, work, shop, play, and do business in the world. So much has happened. So much continues to happen.
One of the best ways you can move through these changes is to remind yourself that YOU MATTER.
You are worthy.
Do you know you are the most important person in your life?
YES YOU ARE!
You deserve to make yourself a PRIORITY!
One way you can make yourself a priority is with a retreat. A retreat helps you carve out time and space and take responsibility for yourself. When you take responsibility for yourself, you begin to see your full self.
A retreat gives you an opportunity to take responsibility for identifying your vulnerabilities, challenges, wins, and losses.
A retreat can also help you set intentions and create shifts in how you choose to show up in your life, relationships, career, and business.
Join Ananda Leeke, Thriving Mindfully Coach, author, artist, and Human Design Doula, for the Thriving Mindfully Academy’s Spring Virtual Retreat.
The Spring Virtual Retreat will be offered on April 18th at 7-8:30 PM ET and April 22nd from 2-3:30 PM ET.
If you’re interested, click the button below to register for the S.O.F.T. AF Sunday on March 26th at 2-3 PM at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW, in DC.
When is the last time you slowed down and gave yourself space to receive GRACE?
I gave myself GRACE all weekend long.
Why?
Because I deserved it. And so do you. Check out my latest video to learn more about my weekend GRACE adevntures. May what I share inspire you to receive GRACE today and every day.
When I SLOW down and give myself space to receive GRACE, I TRUST myself more. The more I strengthen my TRUST musicle, the more I listen to and follow the wisdom and guidance of Creator and my loving, wise, and well ancestors. Doing so helps me dive deeper into my seasonal self-care practices.
Check out the conversation I had with Laura Pusey, a transformative grief therapist and author, about trusting and nurturing yourself in your life and career with Mother Nature’s seasonal self-care on the Thriving Mindfully Podcast’s S6 EP2. Click the button below to listen to the podcast episode.
ONE LAST THING Click the button for your special invitation to my in-person DC event called SOFT AF SUNDAYS on January 22, Febrary 26, and March 26 at 2-3 p.m. at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW. Get your ticket here.
Ananda Leeke 