How are you welcoming the Spring season into your life?
I am welcoming the Spring season into my life by celebrating the new Astrological new year, Spring Equinox, and the Aries season that began on March 19th at 11:09 PM ET.
My celebration includes setting an intention to continue my Thriving Mindfully with death, loss, and grief by taking a deep dive into self-nurturing (self-care) rooted in my Akan ancestral wisdom that lives in the Adinkra symbols. The wisdom is a part of my ancestral medicine.
FYI The Akan are the largest ethnic group of present-day Ghana, and the Ivory Coast located in West Africa. My paternal loving + wise + well ancestors are the Akan people in Ghana.
FYI Adinkra symbols are deep truths reflecting proverbs, concepts, and wisdom in a visual form that appear in cloth, clothing, artwork, architecture, furniture, and more.
I picked six Adinkra symbols to guide my self-nurturing through the Spring season. I used them to create affirmations that support my intention. See below.
What intentions do you want to set for the Spring season, new astrological new year, or second quarter of 2024?
What’s one action step you can take to jumpstart your intention setting?
I am also diving deep into some of the traditional Chinese Medicine, astrology, and other spiritual and self-care practices I have used in previous years.
I thought you might like to know more about them.
Read on…
In Chinese Medicine, the Spring season corresponds to the wood element and yang energy. Spring represents the beginning of new astrological year (Aries season) and a time of birth and new beginnings.
The wood element represents a transition from a yin season to yang season, death to growth, and cold to warmth. It is a time of expansion growth, development, and moving forward unapologetically.
Yang energy is masculine, hot, active, and connected to the activity of doing. The wood element is an invitation to cultivate vitality, creativity, and emotional resilience.
Wood is associated with the emotion of ANGER. ANGER can be a helpful and harmful emotion. As a harmful emotion, anger can cause you to become reactive or full of rage in challenging situations. You can learn to be skillful in how you work with anger. As a helpful emotion, anger can drive you to make necessary changes in your life. Wood is also connected to forgiveness.
Wood is associated with the color green. Nurture your wood connection by wearing different shades of green. Use them to decorate your home and office. Spending time near trees with green leaves, plants, and flowers. Eat green vegetables and fruits. Drink green juices, tea, or smoothies.
The wood element is associated with the Anahata (heart and fourth) chakra in the heart center of the body. It is located in your heart center. In Sanskrit, anahata means unstruck, unhurt, or unbeaten. It is associated with unconditional love, compassion, acceptance, and gratitude. It is connected to the colors pink and green. Use rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, green aventurine malachite, and green jade gemstones. The seed mantra is YAM.
The wood element is associated with the Ajna (third-eye and sixth) chakra located in between the eyebrows. In Sanskrit, ajna means command center, perceive, and beyond wisdom. It is associated with intuition, wisdom, insight, and concentration. It is connected to the color indigo blue. Use lapis lazuli, soldalite, iolite, azurite, and kyanite gemstones. The seed mantra is OM.
The wood element in the body shows up in the liver and gallbladder.
The liver (yin) is in charge of the smooth flow of your life force energy (qi, chi, or prana), blood, and emotions in the body. The liver controls the tendons. It stores blood during periods of rest and releases it to the tendons in times of activity. You can maintain your tendons with stretching exercises. The liver is connected to proper eye function. Use eye yoga to support this area.
The gallbladder (yang) stores and excretes bile. It governs your planning, decision making, and the courage to take action and see your decisions. It is connected to your stability, boundaries of self, passion for life, inspiration, action, The gallbladder is connected to the connective tissue in the body. Use stretching exercises (yoga) to take care of your connective tissue.
Aries is a Fire sign (March 19-April 19) that offers energetic support for passion, willpower, initiative, and taking brave and new action. It is governed by Mars, the planet of energy, action, and desire. Aries season offers you energetic support in your role as a leader and abilities to initiate, tap into your willpower, and be aggressive and spontaenous.
Aries governs the head.
The head is connected to the sahasrara (crown, violet and gold) chakra. Tap into the crown chakra for being the highest version of yourself. Chant SOHAM to connect to the crown chakra’s seed mantra. Nurture your crown chakra with amethyst, moonstone, clear quartz, and selenite crystals.
Aries’ fire energy is conected to your manipura (solar plexus; yellow) chakra which governs your willpower, persistence, and self-confidence. Chant the the seed mantra RAM to connect with the solar plexus chakra. Nurture your solar plexus chakra with citrine, pyrite, yellow or bumble bee jasper, mookite, or tiger’s eye crystals.
Journaling & Meditative Music
I invite you take a moment to explore the journaling prompts below. Listen to the meditative music in the solar plexus chakra video. May they help begin to nurture yourself in the ways you need.
-How can you nurture yourself during the Spring season?
-What type of support do you need to nurture yourself during the Spring season?
-What 1-3 steps you can take this month to get started on your Spring season nurturing?
Death, Loss, and Grief Resources
Are you struggling with death, loss, and grief right now?
Click on the video below to listen to the latest episode of the Thriving Mindfully Podcast that discusses how I am learning to understand, deal with, and nurture myself while experiencing grief in my body.
Grief + You 2-Day Retreat Series
Do you need more support with your death, loss, and grief journey?
Join me for the 2024 Grief + You 2-Day Retreat Series on April 13-14, May 4-5, June 29-30, July 27-28, August 24-25, September 28-29, October 26-27, November 16-17, and December 14-15 at 2-3:30 PM ET via Zoom.
If you need more support with a personal retreat, join me for the Come Home to Yourself Retreat on December 20th or December 27th at 2-4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Use the links below to purchase tickets. Feel free to get holiday gift tickets for colleagues, family, and friends.
Happy Second Year Anniversary Thriving Mindfully Meetup Group!
I am deeply grateful for everyone who has attended the Mindful Monday Meditation classes since April 16, 2018, at Qi Kratom CBD Tea. It’s been a blessing to share meditation, mindfulness, self-care practices, gentle yoga, silence, hugs, and delicious tea with you. Building community with you is powerful!
In case you didn’t know, our powerful community was launched as a Meetup Group during Stress Awareness Month and on Stress Awareness Day to support folx who wanted to practice meditation and mindfulness in community, felt stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious about issues in their life, career, and business.
I have learned so much from everyone. Your presence has been a gift that continues to bless me even now that we are living in a new normal with new opportunities to embrace loving kindness for ourselves and others virtually. My prayer and intention for our third year is to continue to open my heart and serve our diverse community with your support.
REFLECTION AND SHARING
Check out the photo slideshows below and leave a comment that expresses how the community has helped you. Feel free to share your favorite moments like my poetry and favorite meditation cues, Martin’s poetry and amazing baked treats, Sincere’s sound baths, the guest teachers Angel and Corey, my favorite sayings, or the fabulous tea blends that Qi Kratom CBD Tea served.
PHOTO SLIDESHOW #1
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PHOTO SLIDESHOW #2
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WHAT’S NEXT
We will continue to meet on the first Monday of each month via our new virtual platform on Zoom. Check the Meetup Group page here for the dates in May and June.
Right now, I am leading Mindful Monday Meditation and Sound Bath, a donation-based series, on Zoom from 7-8 p.m. ET in April and May. Sign up here. Invite your family, friends, and colleagues to join you. The first May session will serve as our monthly Meetup Group.
SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks to ee, Kai Kai, Gigi, Sincere, Naima, and Vince of Qi Kratom CBD Tea for hosting our group, providing tea, and being a vital part of our community. You have been an amazing community partner.
Many thanks to Angel Dungee, Corey Castle, ee, and Sincere for leading the classes when I was away.
Deep bow of gratitude to Martin Parker for your support, poetry sharing, and tasty baked goods.
Together, we have successfully laid the foundation for an awesome and diverse mindfulness community that supports folx in and who visit the DC area. I look forward to serving our community together in our coming year!
FINAL WORDS WITH NEW RESOURCES
Have you heard about the Thriving Mindfully Academy, an online learning platform that provides personal and professional development education, coaching, training, and resources in the areas below.
Mindfulness 101
Mindful Self-Care
Mindful Creativity
Mindful at Work
Mindful Communication
Mindful Relationships
Mindful Leadership
Mindful Technology
In March, I decided to to offer a soft launch of the Thriving Mindfully Academy to support and help people just like YOU and mission-driven companies, organizations, and communities navigate the COVID-19 emergency. Go here to learn more about it. Feel free to share it with your family, friends, and colleagues.
May we all continue to take great care of ourselves with loving kindness and embrace Thriving Mindfully in everything we think, feel, say, and do!
During this week’s Wellness Wednesday Meditation Class on Facebook Live, I shared a quote from the “phenomenal woman,” Dr. Maya Angelou, one of my favorite sheroes, about home.
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
I used Dr. Angelou’s quote to introduce a mindful reflection on how we are nourishing our physical home and the homes we inhabit in our body, mind with our thoughts, emotions with our heart, and soul with our spirit.
I also shared an excerpt from my poem, “Home” that is published in my book, That Which Awakens Me (available on Amazon).
Guess what I have for you? A mindful reflection and/or journaling exercise that will help you explore your relationship with your home.
Check out the questions below. You may want to share the questions with your loved ones to spark a discussion.
When you hear the word ‘home’ what comes to mind?
How does your current home nurture and support you?
Do you feel at home in your body, mind, heart, and/or spirit? Why or why not?
What can you do in the next 30-90 days to support yourself in feeling at home in your body, mind, heart and/or spirit?
BONUS QUESTIONS: If you want go deeper, spend time exploring these questions.
Who will serve as your accountability partner and support you in taking the actions steps in the next 30-90 days?
How will you celebrate your small, medium, and big wins from the action steps in the next 30-90 days?
Meditation and Mindfulness 101 Session Videos
This week, Meico Whitlock, Founder/CEO of Mindful Techie, and I have led a series of Meditation and Mindfulness 101 sessions during the Plugged In Nonprofit Tech and Transformation, a free digital conference hosted by Keela. see the videos below. Feel free to watch them with your loved ones at home. We hope they will support your mindful self-care practice.
Wanna join me for the March 26th class? Sign up here.
March 24th class led by Meico
March 25th class led by your truly
Do You Need Help?
Does your company or organization need help in navigating the new normal of working from home?
Do you and your colleagues and clients need training and coaching support to learn how to mindfully work from home, manage stress with mindful self-care practices, use mindful creativity and communication practices to be more effective, and use technology mindfully to be more productive?
If you answered YES or MAYBE to one or both of these questions, contact me to see how we can work together: ananda@anandaleeke.com.
I look forward to hearing from you in the coming days and weeks.
PS: I am happy to support you and your team with online coaching and trainings. It’s something I’ve been doing for years!
Thriving Mindfully Academy
I decided to offer a soft launch of the Thriving Mindfully Academy to support and help people just like YOU and mission-driven companies, organizations, and communities navigate the COVID-19 emergency.
The Thriving Mindfully Academy is an online learning platform that provides professional development education, coaching, training, and resources in the following areas:
Mindfulness 101
Mindful Self-Care
Mindful Creativity
Mindful at Work
Mindful Communication
Mindful Relationships
Mindful Leadership
Mindful Technology
April is Stress Awareness Month. Outsmart stress in your life, career, and business during my Wellness Wednesday Meditation classes on April 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and April 29th from 7-7:15 AM ET via: Facebook.com/AnandaLeeke64.
If you miss the class, I will post the replay on my social media channels.
Mindful Self-Care Weekly Themes
Watch my video to learn how you can bring more mindful self-care into your life, career, and business with the Thriving Mindfully Weekly Recipe of Themes (for each day of the week; includes tips).
Check out the Thriving Mindfully Podcast episodes below. Go here to listen to the over 100 Thriving Mindfully Podcast episodes on mindfulness, meditation, self-care, and wellness. Share them with your family, friends, and colleagues.
Watch my video (above) to learn how I’m using the coronavirus (kora-virus is what I call it by accident; read the description on YouTube to find out what kora refers to) as a personal development growth and service opportunity to support you with the soft launch of the Thriving Mindfully Academy next week (mindfulness exercise is included at the end). Look out for more news about the launch of the Thriving Mindfully Academy and online events next week.
Have you thought about how you want to live your life in 2020 and beyond? Do you need support in planning out your year? Looking for accountability? I’d love to work with you! Check out my one-on-one coaching below.
ONE-ON-ONE COACHING: I love coaching and supporting people just like you who are committed to exploring mindfulness, meditation, and mindful self-care in their lives. My coaching areas include:
Mindfulness 101
Mindful Self-Care (can incorporate meditation, gentle yoga, reiki, crystal therapy, journaling, chakra healing, and rituals from world cultures, eight phases of the moon, astrology, and goddesses)
Mindful Creativity
Mindful at Work
Mindful Communication
Mindful Leadership
Mindful Technology
Interested in exploring how we might work together to manifest your heart’s desires for your life, career, and/or business this year?
Fill out my client intake survey and then let’s set up a free 20-minute consultation call.
Click here to complete the survey. I will follow up with an email once you complete it.
I offer an hourly rate and three-month and six-month packages.
On March 16th, my Thriving Mindfully Show launches on Eaton Radio with a discussion on Warrior Women Who Practice Mindfulness at 12 noon ET. The three amazing guests are Iris Rivera, Shamanic Practitioner, Life Coach, and Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and founder of Intentional Healing; Satyani McPherson, Mindfulness Trainer and founder of Kozmique Light Meditations; and Emily Rasowsky, yoga teacher and founder of The Release. Watch the show from 12 noon to 1 p.m. ET on Eaton Workshop’s Facebook Live.
Thriving Mindfully Online Workshop: Be Mindful at Work (via Zoom) on Tuesday, November 13 from 8-9:30PM ET (Note the time zone; $25) – Register online.
Thriving Mindfully Online Workshop: Open Your Heart to Mindful Creativity (via Zoom) on Thursday, November 15 from 8-9:30PM ET (Note the time zone; $25) – Register online.
Thriving Mindfully Online Workshop: Transform Your Failures with Mindfulness (via Zoom) on Sunday, November 25 from 7-8:30PM ET (Note the time zone; $25) – Register online.
Stay tuned for news about a special online event I am co-hosting and my mindfulness workshops (online and in DC) in December!
Get ready for the autumn season with my meditation classes and mindful movement and creativity workshops in September. See the dates, descriptions, and links below.
And remember to share my offerings with your family, friends, colleagues, and online network. Invite them to come with you. I look forward to seeing you all soon!
The #MindfulMonday Meditation is offered every Monday (except Labor Day and the last two Mondays in December). During the class, you will practice mindfulness meditation and learn mindful at work practices on September 10th, 17th, and 24th from 6:15-7:30 p.m. Bring a family member, friend or colleague!
Click here for more information about the #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group and classes. Don’t worry if you are not a member of the #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group. You can still attend the class. Drop by and meditate with us! Register on Eventbrite for Wellness Wednesday Meditation on September 12th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Femme Fatale DC, 4620 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Washington, DC. Bring a friend, family member or colleague!
I am super excited about leading the Mindful Movement Workshop in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Unity World Day of Prayer at my church, Unity of Washington, DC on September 13th from 4-5 p.m. at 1225 R Street, NW in DC. Visit Unity’s website for more information.
When’s the last time you allowed yourself the space to dream, imagine, and create? Come explore how to open your heart to your own creativity through the power of mindfulness at the Open Your Heart to Mindful Creativity Workshop on September 16th from 1-3 p.m. at Femme Fatale DC, 4620 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Washington, DC.
During the workshop, I will help you explore your inner archetypes (or personalities) and the role they play in your creativity through deep breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, and discussion. The takeaways include ways to tap into your intuition, imagination, and nurturing energy as growth opportunities during the autumn season.
Meditation is the practice of resting your mind and focusing your awareness on what’s happening inside of yourself – what’s happening in your spirit, heart, mind, and body. In meditation, you can use your breath to help focus your attention and cultivate stillness by observing and coming back to it when your mind is distracted by thoughts.
Meditation can help you become friends with your mind when you offer yourself compassion and nonjudgment. It can also help you increase your self-awareness, relax, improve concentration, reduce stress, strengthen your emotional and physical well-being, and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Join me on May 17th at 7 p.m. ET on WHUR 96.3 FM for a conversation about meditation on The Daily Drum with Harold Fisher, my Morgan State University classmate, and Sherrell Moore-Tucker of Faith & Flow Yoga. You can listen online here.
Check out the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge, events, and books below.
If you want to create more mindful moments in your life, join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge. It is a self-directed challenge. That means you do it at your own pace. Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There at 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources. They are divided into three sections: mindful living, creativity, and technology. Follow the steps below to access the podcasts. You can follow them in numerical order or pick and choose the ones that resonate the most with you. Use what works and leave the rest behind. Read my blog for more details and links to the challenge. Enjoy your #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day journey!
EVENTS
Join me for “Breathe & Meditate,” a free Facebook Live series, on May 20th and 27th from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. EST: http://www.facebook.com/anandaleeke64. Each morning I will guide you through three short meditations and offer tips on how to create mindful living moments in your daily life.
If you live or visit the DC area in May, consider joining me for two #ThrivingMindfully Meetup Group meditation events on May 19 and May 21. Go here for more details.
BOOKS
Looking for mindfulness-inspired books to read? Click here to learn about and buy my three books on Amazon: yoga-inspired novel Love’s Troubadours, mindful creativity memoir That Which Awakens Me, and mindful technology memoir Digital Sisterhood.
There’s still time for you to join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge during National Meditation Month. Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There are 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources about mindful living, creativity, and technology.
Step 2: Select the podcast episode for Day #1, #2, #3 etc. and listen to it. You can also choose to listen to a podcast that resonates with you. Make the challenge your own. Take what you need and leave the rest behind.
Step 3: Practice the breathing, meditation, and reflections exercise(s) throughout your day and/or week.
Part 1 (Day #1-#15 podcasts) focuses on breathing in the present moment to experience mindful living. See the podcast topics and links below. Happy Listening!
My online offerings and events are offered as a gift. If they have blessed you, I invite you to show gratitude by supporting my work with a donation on PayPal or with the Cash app: http://www.paypal.me/anandaleeke or http://cash.me/$AnandaLeeke. Thank you for your generosity. It is deeply appreciated!
If you want to create more mindful moments in your life, join the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge. It is a self-directed challenge. That means you do it at your own pace. Here’s how the #ThrivingMindfully 31-Day Challenge works. There at 31 #ThrivingMindfully podcast episodes that include guided meditations, breathing exercises, short talks, tips, and resources. They are divided into three sections: mindful living, creativity, and technology. Follow the steps below to access the podcasts. You can follow them in numerical order or pick and choose the ones that resonate the most with you. Use what works and leave the rest behind. 
Ananda Leeke 