Yoni Steaming?!! Vajacial?! Steam What?! Who? How?!! Yes, show your “girl” some love. It’s ok. The rhetoric about ladyparts being nasty and dirty has died with your great aunt’s missile bras and taken us deeper into our roots. By embracing our bodies, we are also dusting off ancient traditions that we lost through oppression, colonialism, slavery, witch hunts, and or westernization. Mannn, listen! You know it must be good if it survived all of that!! Today, I’m going to attempt to demystify the yoni steam (a ritual that is finally gaining popularity in the western world) by letting you be part of my yoni steaming session (in the video below). Yoni/Vaginal Steaming/Smoking is just a small part to a bigger picture. Yoni Steaming is a self-care regimen that helps detox the womb/yoni/vagina and maintains vaginal health. I witnessed yoni steaming/smoking from the African Muslim women in my community growing up. I didn’t really get invited to participate until after marriage. At that point, I learned how to incorporate it as a monthly regimen and the rest is history. Yoni steaming is “Me” time, self-care, and has its sensual pleasures too. When I say it’s a small part to a bigger picture, I mean it’s a break off from the Hammam (i.e. Turkish Bath) culture and from the womanhood rites of passage rituals throughout Africa, Asia, & Arabia (pretty much the indigenous world). To learn more watch the video below, visit our shop (where you can purchase yoni steam herbal blends, yoni steaming chairs/stools, etc), attend a Rites of Passage Institute Workshop, or book a yoni steaming session with us! Oh, and I am drinking tea in this video, but I promise I’m not putting anybody in the sunken place 😉
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Day #3 Burn You ever start doing something your mom used to do then realize all the benefits later? Well that is how burning started for me. My parents burned incense all the time. I distinctly remember the Frankincense & Myrrh wafting around my head. The 70's it was afros, lots of love and herbs burning in the air. 🤣 Some of the benefits of burning I didn't realize until much later. One of the biggest benefits I have found is the fact that certain herbs like sage for one can actually kill microbes and bacteria in the air. That means energy can be raised, reset and fixed on the highest and best good for all. I close my eyes and imagine my ancestors throwing whole trees on large alters to cleanse the community and bring in good energy. How do you burn? What do you use it for in your life? Upon arrival in the Bull city Durham, NC we met a sister spirit who has a wonderful company that produces sage sticks. I was elated because one of the first things we do before moving into any new space is pray and cleanse the air with smudging sage. I was able to get the herbs I needed and get some "Try me Sticks" the smokable herb sticks. The benefits for Sage listed on I am Freedom's Drum's website is long, "white sage is a smokable herb that can be used to improve mood, promote feelings of relaxation, and also boosts memory." check them out here. #HealChill #HealChill2017 www.passageinstitute.com P.S. Check out the Moorish Trading Group on fb a buy and sell group for one of a kind items and collectables. P.P.S. Post your video, picture or comment in the Heal & Chill FB event page or here. Remember, you have to register to be eligible to win prizes in the challenge If you miss a day you can still post for the missed day. (Until the last day of the challenge 12/1/17). Water For Life Aside from the breath of life we witnessed with each other yesterday, arguably the next most important item on the planet is water.
While some bodies can last up to three weeks without food, without water the consensus is three days. Although some say eight to ten is possible, bottom line is we need water for basic survival. The body often tells you what it needs. Feeling irritable, cracked lips, tired and having a headache are all signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Especially in children, their behavior changes dramatically When we notice our children's play escalating, to catch it before it gets out of hand we tell them to get some water as a mood stabilizer it works wonders. During summer months the reminder is more apparent but with heating systems drying us out and the change in pressure pulling moisture out of the air in the winter we consume way less water in colder climates. Our amazing bodies work to do the job they were set to do for us at birth and if we notice the subtle messages we can have positive influence with ourselves by keeping our cells hydrated. P.S. Did you know that we digest everything that we touch and put in our mouths? Yes even water is broken down to the smallest compounds and reconstituted. Small enough to go through cilia in the digestive system. So overloading your system with too much water too fast can put a strain on an already taxing job of filtering the many components of water. So I have a question? Are you thirsty? #HealChill #HealChill2017 moorishrites.com See something you like? Do you have other interesting topics you want us to expound on? Let us know in the comments or by messaging us here. Did you know breathing eliminates more toxins than pooping? Breathing gives you more energy, focus, peace, and straightens your teeth. You can't beat it. Remember to breathe in your nose and out your mouth or nose. No mouth-breathing because it's not cute and healthy is the new sexy, so yeah. Avoid these common breathing mistakes:
And check out Desmond Green at www.ibreathconsciously.com. He will be offering a breathing class in Raleigh, NC soon.
This is brought to you by the 20-Day Heal & Chill Challenge in celebration of the Heal & Chill Women's Wellness Event December 2. Check for updates on FB! If you want to be part of the 20 Day Heal & Chill Challenge, but you are not on FB, sign up and post below about your experience in implementing today's challenge. Have a ZEN Holiday!
3. Henna can be confused as Cannabis.
4. Henna originated in Africa. Henna or Hennu (the Ancient Egyptian word for Henna) originated in Egypt. It’s an arid desert shrub. Through the DNA and scientific study of 11th dynasty mummies such as Hierakonpolis and Ramses II, researchers found that Egyptians have been using henna since 3400 BCE (6, 000 years ago). Formulas for extracting henna oil etc have been found on papyrus. Egyptians used henna as an essential oil for healing and perfume, preservative in mummy wrappings, hair dye, sun block, coolant for the body, and body art. Learn the Secret to My Henna, Click the Video Below:
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for entertainment purposes.
*Marie Anakee Miczak. Henna's Secret History As a belly dancer, the bengkung belly binding has been a lifesaver. I’ve had 3 children, and after each child I’ve had to retrain my abdomen muscles. After my 3rd child I couldn’t figure out why it was so difficult to strengthen and isolate my abdomen muscles, especially when I’ve been doing it all of my life. It didn’t help when my sister came to visit and asked if I was pregnant again. Although I had lost all my pregnancy weight, I still had a pooch. I didn’t really mind having it, I welcome all curves, but it didn’t make sense to me because I was so fit. Then I discovered that I had Diastasis Recti. After watching some surgeries on Youtube, surgery was out of the question. Thankfully an amazing sister friend introduced me to the art of belly binding with the bengkung wrap. It has put me back on the road to bellydancing and boosted my confidence. Every time I put it on I feel this overwhelming relief; everything becomes easier (ie lifting). This may sound weird but I feel mentally sharper and happier, strong and supported. It’s also a closeness that my husband and I share, sometimes I have him bind me. The only drawback for me is I can’t eat as much when wearing it, you have less room for food so you fill up faster. In my case I don’t want to lose any weight, so I actually take it off to eat, then put it back on. However, I can imagine this being a benefit for others. I consider bellybinding as part of my self-care regimen. Now, I aim to bring belly binding back as a tradition, especially a rites of passage tradition to mark the rites of passage into motherhood. Belly binding was once part of a entire ceremony (ceremonial bath, massage, henna and tea time) to honor a woman and welcome her into motherhood. These traditions build bonds that protect women and strengthen sisterhood. They make us strong so we can go out and perform our roles in the world. See Belly Binding details in my SHOP
family structure which encourages Cooperation and much more. As Victoria says in her video below, Families Run the World, so use her services as a way to maintain harmony in your family and expand your power as a family! In addition, she gives you tips on starting an online business, finance strategies that she's used to help budget for business success, pros & cons of starting a business, marketing, and so much more. So be sure to visit her website and subscribe to her youtube channel. Contact her for your 45 minute discovery session today. Schedule your 45 minute sessions here: http://tinyurl.com/zdn4x3u In her Youtube video below she discusses how Families Run the World: Recently, a post popped up in my newsfeed on Facebook. My friend had shared a post of a European American woman saying, “Black women look like men--there's nothing feminine about them.” Instantly I was thrust into a place in my past. I was 7 years old. Across the street lived an Euro-American girl (around 7 years of age as well) with long blond hair and rotten teeth named Anna. She often came across the street to play with us. Our house was an epicenter. I had 3 sisters close to my age, plus 2 African American girlfriends who lived next door, and a Cuban-American girlfriend the next house down, and lots of other neighborhood children with whom I played and roamed the neighborhood. Constantly busy in our play, a pack of us children, my big sister in charge, would roam down to the pond, pick fruit, pound rocks to powder, practice dance routines etc.
While playing house Anna always cast herself as the wife or mother and she would try to get one of us (or any melanated girl) to play the husband/man or baby. She would say things like, “because your hair is shorter, you play the man.” Or when dressing up in finery, she would suggest that I hold my lips in. When she didn’t get her way, she would resort to pulling or throwing dirt in our hair, but we easily got the best of her.
We loved the way our braids swung in the wind and clicked when we jumped double-dutch. Second, our elders always admired us, commenting how we resembled this or that elder, or how so-and-so got the family lips, eyes, or hair. These were features to be coveted. AlhumdilAllah, we had healthy self-esteem and power in numbers. Anna, was Smeagol (Gollum). You felt sorry for her. One day, we were playing and my mother, who had already been upset about Anna throwing dirt in our hair, overheard Anna growling about our hair being nappy, short, and ugly. We had been arguing when I felt my mother’s shadow and looked up. My sisters and I fell silent, but you could hear Anna going on and on. I saw my mother’s face; her eyes were fierce and her mouth twisted. Mom folded her arms across her chest. I just knew she was about to send Anna home, and have a talk with her mother. “Come on Anna, let me braid your hair,” my mother snapped motioning us into the house. “Ma’am?!” responded Anna. We were all shocked. What did doing Anna’s hair have to do with this? Why would Mom invite her in when Anna was so mean and nasty? “You want me to braid your hair?” Asked my mother.
Occasionally, my mother would braid Anna’s hair, and she became good friends with Anna’s mother. After that day, Anna never called us names or talked bad about our features. We became good friends. Since then I have met many Anna’s in school, the workplace, and social media. So to the “white” woman (or anyone feeling inferior) who wants to talk about melanated women being masculine, ugly, loud, etc, I say with the wisdom of my mother, “Sure, I can show you how to be a Queen! I'm not less of a woman because of the crown I wear, and neither are you." Photos:
http://trendymods.com/kids-accessories/kids-hairstyles-for-girls-with-beads.php http://curlsclub.deviantart.com/art/Dont-touch-my-hair-436454688 Having a child on the spectrum is challenging enough without human services breathing down your neck. But, did you know that parents of children with autism (or any disability really) are more likely to be accused of child abuse than parents of typically developing children. I know, this is so unfair.
When my son was 5, he was attacked by a dog while playing in our backyard. We rushed him to the emergency room. They said it would be an hour wait before they could see him, so we rushed him to another hospital. They saw us right away, but we had no idea what a storm we were in for. Although we were trapped in that room for 6 hours (which is difficult for a traumatized child with autism) the only treatment my son received was a dab of wet gauze on his wounds. I was so immersed in helping my son cope, it didn’t raise my suspicions when the doctor said, “I don’t think these are dog bites!” “What do you think they are then?” I wasn’t being smart, I was seriously asking. But she never answered. I was confused by her questioning. My son had the dogs white fur on him. He kept repeating over and over through tears that the dog bit him. I didn’t know where she was going with her comments. When they finally let us go, we were just happy to finally get home. The next day as I was heading out to take my son to the pediatrician for a follow up visit, there was knock at our door. My husband and I looked at each other; we weren’t expecting anyone. Social services had arrived to investigate. Investigate what? The next couple of days would be humiliating and challenging. They were investigating child abuse. How did we get here? Little did I know that parents are more likely to be accused of child abuse with a child who has autism because children on the spectrum:
As for my family, how did we fair in the end? Although the ER called human services on us, in the end they said they had no record of ever seeing my son. Of course, we had our paperwork ready and a strong support network. Here's a similar article for further reading: Improving Emergency Care for Children with Autism So I was reading this story about Rumi, when he was in the market, the pounding sounds of all the tools become so overwhelming for him, that he began to whirl... and that's when whirling dervishes (Sema Ceremony) began. Now, what if Rumi got a sensory overload and started stimming (whirling) as a way to cope? Now, for Sufis Sema/Whirling is a way to reach ecstasy (wadj). Whirling is a way to become one with God, the universe, nature...So if children on the spectrum spin as a way to cope, whose to say that is not their way of connecting with the world, universe, God...we may all purchase weighted robes and whirl with my son! Our family sees autism through many lenses and one of those is spiritual. This is easy to do because of the indigenous traditions we as a family follow. But this is very difficult to explain in a society that sees autism strictly as something to fix. Our son was injured by vaccination. While this is a crime against humanity, it has not stopped me from appreciating my son. That injury has given him challenges and gifts. For example my son repeats phrases a lot and he tries to make me repeat after him a lot (which is really annoying), but he has the ability to hyperfocus on things (which can also be very annoying). If you want to know about turtles, he can tell you everything about turtles! This is why I don't call him disabled. I focus on his abilities. He is capable of a lot more than he is not capable of. And for what he is not capable of, well, everyone has challenges! And we work hard to overcome those challenges everyday, but we also work hard to protect and encourage his gifts.
Here is an article and a few snippets from it that discusses mental illness & spiritually: Rethinking Mental Illness: Are We Drugging Our Prophets and Healers?http://www.vironika.org/drugging-prophets-healers/ In his (the Shaman's) village, the symptoms we commit people for, Dr. Somé’s village recognizes as marks of a healer. They honour, respect, and nourish the very same patterns that we condemn, isolate, and drug. We’re weeding out our geniuses. We’re killing off our prophets. We’re drugging our messiahs. |
Hakim & ShemoraHealing thru Art Archives
December 2022
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