Give Yourself the Gift of Self-Vulnerability This Holiday Season!

Hey there!

What gifts are you giving yourself this holiday season?

I am giving myself the gift of several self-vulnerability dates where I carve out time to meditate, reflect, journal, write poetry, and create art (drawings and collages) about the ups, downs, and in-betweens of this year.

This morning, I reflected on my 61st birthday which is fast approaching (December 18th). My reflections took me back to my first trip to Negril, Jamaica with my Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Soror Karla Ray Thompson in December 1992. That trip was really special because I turned 28 on the beach and surrendered to my first Saturn Return (astrology lovers like myself can appreciate this experience).

That trip offered me sacred and safe space to embrace and express self-vulnerability. That experience of telling myself the TRUTH about what I felt, thought, believed, and what was and was not happening in my world was MESSY, SCARY, MAGICAL, OVERWHELMING, and LIBERATING all at the same time. It helped me speak to my heart, listen to myself without judgment, and come home to myself. It marked the beginning of a major shift in how I showed up in my life, relationships, and career. It also laid the foundation for my Thriving Mindfully heart-centered approach to being, living, and serving humanity with my gifts.

Click on the video and listen to the “Thriving Mindfully Theme,” one of the nine spoken word poems on my newly released debut album entitled Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter.

Click the button below to get more information about my album. Buy and download it from Bandcamp, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms except Amazon and Spotify.

It’s been 33 years since that trip and my heart remains filled with deep gratitude for the gift of self-vulnerability that I continue to give myself and my Thriving Mindfully approach to being, living, and serving humanity with my gifts.

Do you want to learn how to give yourself the gift of self-vulnerability?

Need my coaching support?

GO HERE to sign up to join me for Thriving Mindfully Sundays on December 14th and January 4th from 3:00 p.m. EST to 4:00 p.m. EST via Zoom

I look forward to seeing you at one or both of the Thriving Mindfully Sunday sessions.

Enjoy your holiday season!

Blessings,

Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke

P.S. SELF-VULNERABILITY TIPS

Navigating Vulnerability & Grief During the Holiday Season (Check-In Resources)

How are you doing now that the holiday season has begun?

After my mother Theresa made her transition on July 9, 2023, the months of November and December became filled with tons of memories and reminders that she was no longer physically present on Mother Earth.

These months have become some of the most emotionally vulnerable times of the year for me because they are filled with a mix of emotions ranging from gratitude to grief. I am grateful for having my mother for 58 years of my life. I am grateful I feel her love, hear her wisdom, and experience her presence and protection as my loving + wise + well ancestor each day. I also grieve her physical absence and miss sharing the holidays with her.

Navigating my vulnerability and grief each year can be messy, hard, and scary, especially when I try to avoid feeling or hide from my emotions. Over the past three holiday seasons, I have learned to cope by embracing and practicing self-vulnerability.

For me, self-vulnerability is an INVITATION to open your heart to yourself.

Self-Vulnerability is also a CHOICE you can make to tell yourself the TRUTH about your emotions, thoughts, grief, beliefs, fears, doubts, weaknesses, imperfections, experiences, and relationships instead of hiding from them.

Self-Vulnerability is also healing and liberating because it creates space for you to embrace your birthrights of self-awareness, self-love, self-kindness, self-compassion, self-forgiveness, and self-acceptance.

RESOURCE #1

If you are feeling vulnerable and/or experiencing grief during the holidays, I invite you to use my holiday check-in list of questions to get in touch with yourself below.

RESOURCE #2

Listen to my new spoken word song, “G.R.I.E.F.” that is included on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter (released on November 20). Go here to get more information about, buy, and download the album

RESOURCE #3

If you need more support, sign up to join me for Thriving Mindfully Sundays on December 14 and January 4 from 3 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST via Zoom. Get more information and RSVP here.

RESOURCE #4: NEW SPOKEN WORD ALBUM

Go here to get more information and listen to and buy Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter album on Bandcamp, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms except for Amazon Music and Spotify.

If you missed the virtual listening party that was held on the New Moon in Scorpio on November 20th, watch the recording.

“The Big V” — VULNERABILITY

Hey there,

This month has me walking down memory lane, giving thanks for, and reflecting on my yoga journey which began 30 years ago with an African American yoga teacher from Detroit who taught the class on a cruise down the Nile that was a part of an African American culture and history tour to Kemet (Egypt) led by author and scholar Anthony Browder.

Twenty years ago, I started my yoga teacher training with Flow Yoga Center in Washington, D.C. and began learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine and the power of acupuncture. I also booked my first acupuncture appointment and began incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine wisdom and rituals of each season into my life.

Did you know that in Chinese medicine, the autumn season is associated with the lungs and slowing down, reflecting, refueling, focusing on the mind and soul, and release thoughts, beliefs, behavior, emotions, expectations, experiences, stories, and relationships that no longer serve you?

As I’ve slowed down and reflected in my journal and conversations, I have noted what causes me to experience “The Big V” better known as VULNERABILITY and how my responses create stagnation, struggle, and suffering. I’ve also decided to seek and use healthier ways to respond to VULNERABILITY.

So far, my journey down the yellow brick road of VULNERABILITY has taught me that it can be messy, frustrating, uncomfortable AF, and painful. It shows up when I fall back into having to know and control everything; perfectionism caused by my inner critic’s need to pressure me to achieve based on unrealistic expectations (ESPECIALLY LEARNING NEW THINGS ON THE TENNIS COURTS THAT DON’T COME EASY — WATCH VIDEO BELOW); unworthiness born out of comparison, self-criticism, and self-judgment; and the fears of what will happen to the United States in the coming months and years, not having enough financially, and how aging will impact my body.

I am also learning that VULNERABILITY is an invitation to come home to myself and a CHOICE I get to make that can either create stagnation, struggle, and suffering OR softness, strength, and stability. I am choosing softness, strength, and stability!

Watch the video below to learn more about VULNERABILITY as an invitation to come home to yourself.

REFLECTIONS FOR YOU

I’d love to hear your responses to the questions below. Share in the comment section below.

What’s causing you to experience VULNERABILITY in your life, relationships, or career?

How are you responding to your VULNERABILITY?

RESOURCE #1: MUSIC

The energy of this week’s Super Full Moon in Aries is my heart-centered reminder to find and express courage in facing my vulnerabilities by slowing down and coming home to my REAL self with loving kindness, compassion, nonjudgment, patience, and forgiveness. I call that heart-centered awareness, THRIVING MINDFULLY! 

Click on the video below to listen to my “Thriving Mindfully” theme song and learn more about heart-centered awareness (album release on November 20th). Garnet Jackson (Garnet Jay), music producer and founder of the London-based Footprint Productions, produced the album!

RESOURCE #2: WATCH VIDEO RECORDING OF THRIVE@WORK WEBINAR & LEARN HOW TO EMRBACE THRIVING MINDFULLY AS AN IMPERFECTIONIST.

NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY EVENTS

Join me for Thriving Mindfully Sundays on November 30, December 14, and January 4 from 3 p.m. ET to 4 p.m. ET.

Thriving Mindfully Sundays is a series of three virtual community gatherings that will offer you safe space and coaching support to tap into your VULNERABILITY, a lifeline to heart-centered awareness. I call that heart-centered awareness Thriving Mindfully.

During Thriving Mindfully Sundays, you will have an opportunity to:

-Identify and explore what’s making you vulnerable (examples: perfectionism, comparison, unworthiness, self-criticism, self-judgment, unrealistic expectations, aging, grief, health or financial issues, societal or political events, fears, or life/career/relationship changes)

-Learn how to use the five Thriving Mindfully core commitments to embrace your vulnerability and face whatever has caused you to experience stagnation, struggle, and suffering.

-Develop your Thriving Mindfully strategy and plan to soften, strengthen, and stabilize yourself as you step into your next chapter of living.

GET MORE INFORMATION: https://anandaleeke.com/events

LET’S WORK TOGETHER!

Need one-on-one support navigating change in your life, relationships, and career?

I currently have space for YOU as a Thriving Mindfully coaching or human design client.

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 session.

Does your organization or community need a keynote speaker, coach, and/or trainer?

Click here to learn about my mindful living, mindful technology, and mindful creativity services.

FINAL THOUGHTS

May you and your family be safe, peaceful, happy, and free from inner and outer harm.

Love, Ease, Grace, Wisdom, Joy, Health, Abundance, and Quantum Alignment,

Ananda

The Power of Being in Community

Hey there!

My Saturday morning began with a tennis class filled with other DC residents who share an interest in growing as an intermediate tennis player with the support of a team of coaches who volunteer with D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. Each week that I show up to class, I learn, practice, and give and receive mutual support from a tennis community of coaches and fellow students. Being a part of this community motivates me to continue showing up to the tennis courts with a beginner’s mind and a willingness to learn, grow, and ask for help, especially when I get frustrated with my progress or and struggle with my inner critic.

Watch the video below to learn about another experience I had being in community with my neighbors on Saturday morning and afternoon.

THE POWER OF BEING IN COMMUNITY

Being in community with others positively impacts your well-being because it:

1) Lays the foundation for a shared connection through beliefs, interests, goals, and experiences.

2) Offers you an opportunity to give and receive mutual support that can often show ups as spiritual, emotional, social, or professional support.

3) Gives you a sense of belonging and feeling valued, accepted and understood.

4) Provides a safe space that allows you to show up as you are, give and receive loving kindness and compassion, and build trust with other community members.

5) Creates accountability, encouragement, and growth.

SEPTEMBER SELF-CARE EVENT

Join me for the final session of Thriving Mindfully Mondays on September 29th at 7:30 p.m. During the session, we will discuss and create your autumn well-being toolkit.

OCTOBER EVENTS

My dad Dr. John F. Leeke and I will be speaking about his journey as a digital senior citizen activist that is mentioned in our book, American Change Agent: A Life & Legacy of Seeking Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion during the Blogger Week Content Creator UnConference on October 4th at the Silver Spring Civic Center. Join us for a day full of creators, entrepreneurs, and storytellers coming together to learn, share, and build.

Calling everyone in the Wilmington, Delaware area! My dad and I are headed to the Episcopal Church of Saint Andrew and Matthew in Wilmington for a book talk for our book, American Change Agent: A Life & Legacy of Seeking Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion on October 26th at 12:15 p.m. During the book talk, we will share our Roberts’ family connection to Wilmington, Leeke family’s Underground Railroad experience, stories from my dad’s life that highlight his work in diversity, equality, and inclusion, and so much more.

Finding ways to honor & nurture yourself during Spring

Hey there! 

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.

Click the sign up button below to register.

Digital Wellness Month Reflection: Slow Down + Practice Digital Wellness During Mercury Retrograde in May

Astrological retrogrades are all about self-discovery and lessons learned. They invite us to deeply connect with, reflect, and know ourselves from the inside out. They also give us an opportunity to dive deep inside of ourselves and explore how each planet in retrograde and the signs they are transiting impact us.

Mercury Retrograde is one of my favorite astrological retrogrades. It is connected to the fast-moving planet Mercury. Mercury’s energy impacts communication, technology, and travel. For me, Mercury Retrograde is an invitation to slow down, become present, and practice my birthright of mindfulness in how I think, communicate, and connect with myself and others. It happens three or four times each year. When it arrives, it hangs around for approximately three weeks.

A few years ago, I renamed my personal Mercury Retrograde to Mercury Upgrade because I began to appreciate its energy and the lessons I learned that opened my heart up to be more present, well, and the REAL ME. In short, Mercury Upgrade helps me embrace Thriving Mindfully in my life, relationships, and career.

During the early days of the global pandemic in 2020, I began observing and embracing Mercury’s shadow period which happens two weeks before and two weeks after the actual retrograde. I consider the pre and post-shadow periods as my VIP Mini Mercury Upgrades. That means I get approximately 7 whole weeks 3 to 4 times a year to practice mindful self-care as I review and recommit to thinking, communicating, connecting, and using technology in mindful, intentional, and healthy ways.

Last night, I led my Thriving Mindfully Academy’s monthly mindful self-care class that incorporated the May theme of “Strengthen Yourself,” Digital Wellness Month, and Mercury Upgrade (my name for Mercury Retrograde that starts May 10 and ends June 3) into breathing exercises, gentle movement, affirmations, mantra chanting, meditation, and mindful reflection and journaling.

The class gave the Thriving Mindfully Academy members an opportunity to check-in with themselves about:

■how they are using technology

■their struggles with technology (digital distraction, digital overload, social media comparison, digital time overdosing, and tension and tightness in the body)

■stress caused by their use of technology

■one step they can take to practice digital wellness during May and Mercury Retrograde

At the end of the class, I encouraged Thriving Mindfully Academy members to use our self-led Digital Wellness Month Challenge as invitation to take better care of themselves. I also shared my recent reflection on the number of years I have had 24/7/365 access to technology at home. It started in 1996. That means it’s been 26 years. I didn’t realize I needed to practice digital wellness until I experienced digital overload and burnout after publishing my self-love and yoga-inspired novel, Love’s Troubadours. My coach Yael Flusberg brought it to my attention during one of our conversations in 2008. That was a light bulb moment that shined light on making digital wellness a priority.

I am using Digital Wellness Month and Mercury Retrograde to release and forgive my social media comparison habits about my journey as an entrepreneur that have wreaked havoc on my nervous system. It’s a process (fo’ sure)! My mindful self-care practices of deep breathing, meditation, affirmations, tapping, reiki, and yoga are helping me take better care of my nervous system. I am also easing up on the amount of time I spend online and downsizing my social media with indefinite tech breaks on Facebook and Twitter.

How much time do you spend online?

Is your tech use causing stress?

Click here to join me for today’s Digital Wellness Month meditation at 5:30-5:45 PM ET

If you’re ready to get my coaching support in a safe community as a Thriving Mindfully Academy member, click the button below. Email me at ananda@anandaleeke.com if you have questions.

How to Handle Stress Caused by Uncertainty & the Unknown in 2022

2020 and 2021 were hard years for many of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic, personal and family health issues, the death of loved ones, racial injustice, remote work and learning, economic challenges, divisive politics, and more.

Perhaps you struggled with the basic decisions required to navigate daily life because each day was filled with new levels of uncertainty and the fear of the unknown.

The uncertainty and the fear of unknown may have created a revolving door of choices that changed how you handled your daily routines.

Keeping up with these choices and changes may have created or increased your stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and/or physical and mental health issues.

What’s more, you may still face these issues in 2022.

How has it all impacted your life, relationships, and career?

How are you planning to navigate 2022?

Mindful self-care is one of the best ways you can nurture yourself as you navigate 2022.

So what does mindful self-care mean?

Let’s start with understanding mindfulness. Mindfulness is your birthright. That’s right. You were born with it.

Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of what’s happening inside and outside of yourself in the present moment.

Self-care is the act of nurturing your spirit, heart, mind, body, breath, and life in uplifting ways.

Like mindfulness, self-care is also your birthright that helps you outsmart stress when you experience pressure or a situation that exceeds your ability to cope.

Mindful self-care happens when you CHOOSE to pay attention to what’s happening inside and outside yourself in ways that nurture and uplift you.

CHOICE is the key word in your ability to practice mindful self-care.

Every year gives you a choice in how you show up in your life, relationships, and career. You get to exercise these choices monthly, weekly, and daily. Within each day, you get to choose how you show up.

Check out the amount of times you get to exercise your power of choice each year.

-12 months

-52 weeks

-365 days

-8,760 hours

-525,600 minutes

-31,536,000 seconds

That’s a lot of choices, right?

I invite you to use your power of choice to practice my signature mindful self-care exercise called H.U.G. today.

Before you get started, here are a few things you should know.

My self-hugging journey started during the first weeks of the pandemic in March 2020. When I realized I would not be able to see or hug my loved ones in person, I started to panic. Stress and anxiety from the fear of the unknown set in. My eating and sleeping patterns were disrupted. I spent way too much time online. My news consumption was at an all-time high. Every aspect of my well-being was suffering. In addition, my clients were also struggling in similar ways. When I checked in with them, I learned we all shared a common concern: unable to give and receive hugs.

In an effort to nurture myself and support them, I did some research on hugging. I learned that going without hugging for long periods can impact your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. I also learned hugging helps to boost serotonin, the happiness hormone that is produced and spread by neurons in the brain. Feeling more happiness strengthens your well-being.

All of this information inspired me to experiment with self-hugging. That experiment strengthened my well-being and led me to become a self-hug advocate.

Check out the benefits of self-hugging.

Hugging yourself is FREE and takes less than one minute. A self-hug is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

When you hug yourself, your body releases the hormone, oxytocin, the “love hormone.” Oxytocin helps reduce stress and tension by lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the body. It also lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate, and improves moods.

Hugging yourself for 20 seconds or more is a serotonin booster. Serotonin is known as the “feel good” hormone that is produced and spread by neurons in the brain. It helps you feel happy, calm, and confident.

What is H.U.G. and Are You Ready to Choose It?

Over the past two years, I have used my self-hugging journey to develop H.U.G., a one-minute mindful self-care practice that has helped my clients and Thriving Mindfully Academy members nurture themselves and navigate stress no matter what’s happening in the world.

H.U.G. is an acronym for

-Handle

-Uncertainty & the Unknown with

-Grace, Grounding & Gratitude

Now it’s time for you to H.U.G. yourself!

There are many ways to hug yourself. Feel free to use my Thriving Mindfully Academy’s self-hugging tips below.

1) Open your heart and claim your birthright of mindful self-care. Why? Because you have GRACE. That means you don’t have do anything to receive it. You get it just because you are you. When you claim your mindful self-care birthright and allow yourself space to experience GRACE, you are also giving yourself a dose of self-compassion and self-kindness.

2) Take a moment to slow down and breathe deeply. Try 1-3 deep breaths. As you breathe, notice how your breath and body feel. Guess what? You are practicing mindful self-care and living in the present moment. That’s GROUNDING.

3) Give yourself a hug for 20 seconds or more. Breathe deeply as you notice what’s happening in your body during your hug. Feel free to gently rock back and forth while hugging yourself.

4) After you hug yourself, reflect on what you are grateful for. It will lead you to GRATITUDE.

Need more help?

Click on the buttons below to sign up for my FREE webinar on January 19th and January 26th at 8-8:45 PM ET and January 23rd at 4-4:45 PM ET. The same information will be shared in each webinar.

Invite 5 family members and friends to join you. See you in the webinar!

READY TO GO DEEPER IN YOUR WELLNESS AND PERSONAL GROWTH JOURNEY?

Click on the button below to learn how I can help you as a Thriving Mindfully Academy member this year.

Get your monthly subscription by January 31st. Membership doors close on January 31st.

Wellness Wednesday Treat: Opt Into Self-Care with Me on Black Doctor’s Facebook Live Tonight at 6 PM ET

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

Tonight, head over to Black Doctor’s Facebook Live at 6 p.m. ET for The Doctor Is In conversation on opting into self-care for 2021. I am talking with Dr. Monique Gary and Ricki Fairley of TOUCH The Black Breast Cancer Alliance. Go here to watch tonight’s Black Doctor’s Facebook Live.

Need more help opting into self-care? Sign up for the Thriving Mindfully Academy’s Come Home to Yourself Retreat on December 20th (option #1) or December 27th (option #2).

REGISTRATION LINKS:

December 20th, 2-4:30 PM ET

December 27th, 2-4:30 PM ET


During the Come Home to Yourself Retreat, you will:

-Practice mindful self-care with deep breathing, meditation, affirmations, and gentle chair yoga

-Reflect on and journal about who you have been and the lessons you learned in 2020

-Identify who or what’s been getting in your way in 2020Release and practice forgiveness

-Explore who you want to be and how you want to show up in 2021

-Set intentions and identify the resources, action steps, and accountability support you need to manifest the person you want to be in 2021

-Create a self-celebration plan to appreciate your small, medium, and big wins in 2021


A Zoom video link will be emailed to you once you register for the online retreat.

Thriving Mindfully on the Way to Fantabulous 56 and 2021

Birthdays are some of my favorite celebrations. I love mine so much that I celebrate it monthly. I use my monthly birthday to slow down, reflect on, and celebrate my small. medium, and big wins. This year, I used many of my monthly birthdays as a personal retreat due to my emotional struggles with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on my life, career, and business.

During my personal retreats, I looked at my full self in a mirror and came face-to-face with my vulnerabilities, challenges, wins, and losses. As a result, I gained new insights, brainstormed innovative solutions, participated in women’s healing circles, read inspirational books and magazines, and spent more time walking in nature. I also decided to change my pescatarian diet to a vegan diet, get more sleep, seek support from a therapist, join a virtual meditation community, deepen my study and practice of digital wellness, and move my body with more dance, Barre 3, yoga, walking, and bike riding. All of these efforts helped me set intentions and create shifts in how I choose to show up in my life, relationships, and career. They prepared me to walk into my fantabulous 56th year later this month and 2021 with a new mantra and intention: SOAR.

The best thing about a personal retreat is you get to choose how long it will last and what you will focus on. Over the past several years, I have used several formats for my personal retreats. Here are several examples.

  • A week: one to three hours per day starting on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday)
  • A three-day weekend: several hours per day beginning on Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday
  • A full-day: two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and one hour in the evening
  • A half-day: two or three hours

What changes occurred in your life and career this year?

Have you embraced or resisted the changes?

Do you need a personal retreat before 2020 ends?

Do you need help getting started on your personal retreat?

Join me for the Thriving Mindfully Academy’s Come Home to Yourself Retreat on December 20th or December 27th from 2-4:30 p.m. ET via Zoom.

The Come Home to Yourself Retreat will be offered twice. You can choose to attend the virtual retreat on December 20th or December 27th. Consider giving the Come Home to Yourself Retreat as a holiday gift to your loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Register here for the December 20th retreat. Go here for the December 27th retreat.

During the virtual retreat, you will:

  • Practice mindful self-care with deep breathing, meditation, affirmations, and gentle chair yoga
  • Reflect on and journal about who you have been and the lessons you learned in 2020
  • Identify who or what’s been getting in your way in 2020
  • Release and practice forgiveness
  • Explore who you want to be and how you want to show up in 2021
  • Set intentions and identify the resources, action steps, and accountability support you need to manifest the person you want to be in 2021
  • Create a self-celebration plan to appreciate your small, medium, and big wins in 2021

A Zoom video link will be emailed to you once you register for the online retreat.

Register for the December 20th retreat here.

Register for the December 27th retreat here.