Through pride, process, and personal conviction, your wellness journey will unfold like an unpredictable storm. While most depict the shift as an enchanting moment of enlightenment, the reality is, the work is real; it’s rough and it’s raw.
It’s necessary, though.
Wouldn’t we all love to magically leap through the struggle? To wake up at the end of it all, skeletons swept away and living in perfect harmony like a refurbished rerun of “Touched By An Angel”.
It’d be nice to erase the pains and pressures of the past in a blink of an eye, but that would rob us of some of the glory. Pressure does form diamonds, after all.
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“Wellness” is a ubiquitous term that carries infinite meanings. Wellness welcomes a new experience for everyone that decides to brave its unknowns. As a Black woman, embarking on the rites of passage now popularized as a “wellness journey” is indiscriminately nonnegotiable.
Being here right now warrants congratulations. BLK + GRN wants you to understand the magnitude of your decision. From this moment on, a transformative journey awaits.
Whether you’re making this move to renew your mind, body, or soul – or all of the above – there are a few changes you need to make to better adapt to such a lucid lifestyle change.
Follow us as we walk you through the first of three commandments that will help you adjust to the experience.
Step One: Change Your Beliefs
How old are you right now?
That’s how many years you’ve spent building the beliefs that have sustained your every action.
Your thoughts. Your fears. Your expectations. Everything you think you know about the world around you has been fortified by decades of truths, half-truths, and paralyzing falsities that weave your present understanding.
Beginning a new wellness journey is like tugging a loose thread in the fabric of your existence. As a Black woman, this could play out many different ways.
Society’s stigmas and stereotypes have a way of seeping into our subconscious, planting poisonous seeds designed to attack our confidence, our courage, and our capabilities.
Now, it’s time to spark a radical change.
Let us forewarn you that 'change' is not always the easiest process to endure. There'll be some part of you that wishes to hold on to what's familiar. You'll question yourself more times than you ever have in your life. Facing off with your old ways may cause be a headache at first but don't worry, we have a
remedy for that.
Changing your beliefs opens your heart and mind to receive; another concept that can be foreign to Black women. Accustomed to depleting our reserves, we selflessly give to furnish a nurturing supply to the rest of the world. Very rarely do Black women understand that
we have the right to say ‘no’.
This means our own healing usually takes the back burner.
According to the National Institute of Health, before pursuing the journey to wellness with full steam, most people walk through four stages:
- Contemplation
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance
Where do you fall on the spectrum?
Contemplation usually means you’re straddling the fence, weighing the pros and cons and considering your options.
This is where you discover the motivation you need to take the leap; where you evaluate the challenges that may arise. You must feel the fear and do it anyway – despite the tinges of doubt echoing at the back of your mind.
Then, you begin to
prepare. You start craving a taste of action and making plans. It’s important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to wellness. As you gather your research and collect supplies, let your intuition take the lead.
This journey must be seasoned to suit your tastes. What works for one guru may not be as satisfying when you try it. Don’t give up on your decision to live better, if things don’t work out on the first round. Treat this journey like a buffet, take what you want and leave the rest behind.
Next,
action will awaken something that was slumbering in your soul.
You’ll realize that meditation doesn’t disrupt your schedule as much as you thought. You’ll notice that yoga is more enlightening than you ever could’ve imagined. You’ll finally see that you can eat healthy without surviving on ice and wheatgrass.
Smudge sticks will flow from your fingertips like a positive-vibe-wielding appendage. And, one day, you'll just wake up feeling different. It'll be more than your newfound affection for the smell of sage. It'll be peace - a
new peace - a peace you've been craving.
Action will also test your will. There’ll be times when you don’t want to hit the gym, times when you don’t feel like reciting your
affirmations – those are the times when you’ll need to remember why you started this journey in the first place.
When you finally reach the ‘
maintenance’ stage, battles may start flanking you in legions. Sometimes, your fight will result in a fairy tale ending; one when you slowly back away from the ice cream sundae and opt for the fruit salad. Other days won’t be as victorious.
And that’s ok.
You can always pick yourself up and start over again.
Look out for Part 2 of the three-part series to learn about the next wellness commandment.
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