The Black Family: “ Representation, Identity, and Diversity.”
Wellness is more than yoga classes, face masks, and drinking green juices. It's creating sacred rituals and traditions catered to the betterment and greatest good of oneself, one's family, and one's society. This has been the case for most black families, including my own. I am a first generation born American to Jamaican parents where family has always come first. My grandmother, whom I like to call my "elder educator" , migrated to this country in the 1960s and became an indispensable source of knowledge and supply in sharing ancestral wisdom. I have been so blessed to adopt the shared knowledge yet, my story is hardly unique as this is the case for most black families, especially immigrants.
Our elders both ancestral and living are raised to the highest of highs and hold a very powerful position within the black community. They unselfishly serve as being the lifeline to our legacy and possess the knowledge and wisdom of a world we have not yet experienced. And, in many cases, carry us through this life journey by teaching us the importance of our heritage, tradition, self-worth, and unity to ensure we never forget where we come from. Gratefully, I have been supremely blessed to witness where I come from having traveled to Jamaica on numerous occasions, visiting St. Catherine, the countryside where my lineage lies. It's the place where three prominent wellness traditions were created that were passed down to me that changed my life and that I vow to pass down to my child.
1) Honoring Nature
St. Catherine, Jamaica where my family hails is considered the country, "the bush" as we like to call it. My grandmother was raised on farmland amongst chickens, goats, roosters, cows, and more. The most beautiful of plants and a variety of fruits were always available. What she taught me about honoring nature is invaluable as this tradition was the catalyst for my career choice in becoming a holistic esthetician. Despite growing up in inner-city Philadelphia, she always embedded in my brain that "nature is the ultimate healer, and when you nurture it, it will always be there to honor you back". Plants and herbs were always in full stock at her home, aloe vera being one of her favorites as is mine. She's the source of why I still keep fresh herbs and plants in my home and what I vow to continue doing when my child is born. Honoring nature is the ultimate form of wellness as we naturally have an innate connection to the nature around us and within us. We are not separate from it as nature is our medicine, the air in our lungs, and our lifeline. When we honor it, it honors us.I journal everyday, preferably in the morning and make a gratitude list as I feel it sets the precedence for the day. If I feel overwhelmed throughout my day, I also journal. Keeping a journal can help identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety itself, in that current moment. Once you identify, you can curate a plan to resolve and reduce your stress.
2) Honor Your Beauty, From Within
Beauty stems far beyond the generic surface level trends we see in mainstream media. Honoring the beautiful being that is within you is the purest form of wellness, which is how I was raised and a purposeful act I practice daily. For me, it's living holistically which is more than just taking herbal tinctures and creating DIY skincare. It involves living in balance with my mind, body, and spirit. This act will look different to others, but, for me, a family tradition has always been to honor your true self, no matter how it might look to others. You have to live with yourself every single day of your life, therefore you possess the power to a firm foundation of self-love that will radiate your true beauty from within. So, how do I honor my beauty from within? I honor my mind with weekly therapy to ensure I am valuing my emotional well-being and taking stock of my conscious thoughts, feelings and needs internally in order to be the best version of myself. I honor my body by eating high vibrational foods that keep me and my unborn child's overall health supreme. I meditate and move my body as much as I can to honor the beauty of having mindful moments that breeds clarity. True beauty begins from within your heart. It blooms like a flower and transforms into an elegant energy that's undeniably infectious. It's equally alluring and life-changing and It appears when you are your authentic self — without reservation.
2) Honoring Unity
My most treasured memory growing up was going to my grandmother's house every weekend to reunite with my entire family for a traditional Sunday dinner, a sacred tradition amongst Black families across the globe. This tradition dates back to slavery where enslaved Africans would pretend they were free on Sunday’s unencumbered with the merciless realities of being held imprisoned. It’s become a valued ritual coupled with a storied history still in use today. For me, Sunday was a holy and reverent day set aside to worship the Lord, gather for a traditional Jamaican meal with family, and rest. Although I am no longer a regular churchgoer that considers myself to be more spiritual than religious, this tradition taught me the importance of community, unity, and has kept a lovely connection to my roots. I still make Sunday dinner a ritual in my home today as it was growing up that I vow to keep when my child arrives, however, grounding and worship look differently. I worship on Sunday's with meditation, a yoga flow, taking stock of my emotions, and reaching out to my loved ones whom I've been unable to see due to the pandemic. Most of us have been unable to connect with our loved ones in person due to the global health crisis, especially our elders. So, I’ve been quite intentional with reaching out virtually and scheduling moments of calm connection with my loved ones as that has made me feel connected to this tradition in some way. A phone call, a facetime session or simply leaving a voicemail for those who are unavailable has brought me so much joy and peace knowing the connection is there as unity has been the core foundation of our survival throughout.