Tribe Neuro

Next time you do a face mask, do an underarm mask too! If your armpits breakout, get swollen, if you are sensitive to deodorants, if you are ready to transition to a natural deodorant (like Aurafresh by Rites of Passage Institute) after years of using chemical conventional deodorant--it is time for an Armpit Detox!!

You need:
1. Apple cider vinegar
2. Bentonite Clay
3. Water
4. Optional: Coconut oil

Do not use a metal spoon or bowl. I read that you should do the armpit mask everyday for 2 weeks, but I only did it everyday for 1 week. Leave the mask on your armpits for 10 minutes the 1st time, then increase the time everyday until you reach 25 minute.

During the armpit detox you cannot use any deodorant! Shits about to get real. That's why you need to do this in the winter during quarantine!

Do not go back to a synthetic toxic deodorant after an armpit detox. Use a natural deodorant like Aurafresh from passageinstitute.com

Have you ever tried this? Would you try it?

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Lapas are the ultimate loungewear. However, they are more than just loungewear. You can go from chillin to business meeting with a lapa. They can be casual comfort wear or be upscale wear of the finest cloth. Lapas also known as Izar (in Arabic) span across many cultures from Africa to Asia. Honestly, I think the kelt is a form of a lapa.

My early introductions to the lapa were the brothers in my Muslim community and through my travels to Senegal and Pakistan. I first started sewing lapas for my husband and sons because the ones from other countries are often not big or long enough and have less fabric variety and quality. Before we knew it, we were swamped with orders AlhumdilAllah!

The lapa is an easy way for Muslim/African men to ensure modesty while praying (as it is not appropriate for Muslim men to pray in anything above his knee or with his navel exposed). The lapa is also a Sunnah (tradition), which means the Prophet Muhammad (saw) wore it. My husband has his winter lapas (flannel) and his summer lapas (cotton, wax cotton, Ankara fabric). A lapa often takes the place of or is used like a man would use a robe in Western culture. It is the African man's robe.

Nothing makes a young man look more cultured and charming than sporting a lapa. Wearing a lapa demonstrates good habits, confidence in their culture/manhood, and body awareness.

Lapas can be useful for young boys who are potty-training and aren't ready to deal with the mechanics of pulling pants up and down or buttoning/zipping closures. We can design the lapa with elastic for this purpose.

Check out our lapa selection HERE. Lapas make great gifts, especially for Kwanza, Ramadan, Eid, birthdays, Father's Day, or just because. We have mens' lapas, boys' lapas. Lapa sets with a matching shirt. Our lapas have a draw string and pocket on the side. Send us your measurements and be ready for a quality custom designed lapa experience.

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Body Care Collection

10/30/2020

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Yo! Did u notice our logo is standing?! She been sitting in meditation mode, but we decided it was time for her to take a stand! To stand up for peace, justice, change, unity & also, it's or 10 year business anniversary. More about this in the next post!

We got something for every chakra! Which body care product would you like to try? Let us know and we'll send you a sample. We have been creating body care product for our family & the community for years. Now they are available for the public on our website. Some of these are old family recipes based off of recipes that were passed down. Some of them we created out of need.

For example, we needed a toothpaste without fluoride that was safe for our toddlers to use, safe for them to swallow. So we did some research and started making our Diamonds & Pearls Toothpaste. Before we knew it, we were all using it and friends were asking for it too.

As for the deodorant, I've always been a fan of the deodorant salt crystal, but this irritated Hakim's (my husband's) armpits. He has very sensitive pits. I bought many other natural deodorants for him and they all left his armpits swollen with a red rash. So, we had no choice but to do some research and create our own. And Guess what? It worked. I was holding my breath as he tried it. But no rash and he stayed fresh. Aurafresh Deodorant is gentle enough to use on many body parts. In fact, we also use it on our children.

Many of our friends called asking for a foot soak that could help with swollen ankles/feet. After 5 requests, we said sure, we can come up with something. And the Sole Glo Foot Tea was born.

I have to give my Great Aunt credit for the Glow Up Face Mask. She taught me that recipe when I was a teenager and its the one skincare regimen that I've consistently kept up. As much as I'm embarrassed to admit, I don't have a skin care routine, but I do a face/body mask every week and that is probably what has saved me. The Glow up Face Mask is not called a the glow up for nothing.

So all of our products have a story like this, and while we've been selling them for years, we just now added them to our online store and started marketing them. Literally, from our tribe to yours with love.

Below are some Rites of Passage Institute Bodycare Products. Keep watching because there is more to come!

About our deodorant:

About our toothpaste:

For Laughs:

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Beauty Break I

10/28/2020

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Actually, scroll down and click on the videos to hear our top beauty picks. What are your top beauty product picks? Plz comment below. We want to hear from you!

Empress Adenike of FLYA HERBS will be shedding light on the beauty world alongside Empress Mateenah & I. She's the earthy lightworker who will fix ur crown & ur acne.

F.L.Y.A. Herbs creates the ultimate cup of tea hot or iced. Indulge. See the creatress of F.L.Y.A. Herbs in the video below sharing her beauty wisdom.

Empress Mateenah of NSCRXPTION will b dropping jewels of beauty knowledge along w/Empress Adenike & I. Can't wait to see what she will share, for she is the go to for that luxurious artsy vibe ;)

Mateenah is a Beauty Enthusiasts, n she is also a painter. See her video below to learn her top beauty picks. Did I mention that she does eyebrow threading & nails?

Now, it's my turn! Here are my top 3 beauty picks. I have been using these 3 products for years. Believe it or not, I'm a product minimalist, so I love products that I can use for more than one thing. Enjoy!

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We Dig Crystals

10/27/2020

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We dig crystals--literally. You may know us for our crystal wrapping skills and crystal jewelry. However, our crystal jewelry starts at the earth. Well, it usually begins with us driving out to some remote cave where there is barely any sign of humankind. I don't know why, but it seems like we always end up going on the hottest day. We are always prepared though, with a cooler filled with water and food.

As a family we go crystal digging every year. We have ventured from Arkansas to along the East Coast. To say we are crystal enthusiast is an understatement. When you dig a crystal from the earth, it's usually covered in red dirt or trapped inside of a rock. It's not very beautiful. The real adventure starts once we get home and put these rocks through a series of baths to remove the grim. We love their raw beauty, but sometimes we put them through a tumbler and polish them. There' something about a crystal that you have dug from the earth with your own hands. This experience also teaches one about the conditions in which the crystals develop. When we are on a digging site it's so purifying, you can feel the healing energy. Trust me it is not glamourous though. It's not like going to the spa. It's more like camping. Many times there are no bathrooms. We are all day in the hot sun and we get covered in clay and all kinds of things.

Why do we do this? We have a long relationship with the earth, crystals, and healing. As wholistic healers we, Hakim (my husband) & I, use crystals for healing. Yes we make jewelry with them, but we also bath with them, put them in our garden, put them in our water, in our facial masks for body care, etc. One day while digging under the hot sun, my husband leaned over and whispered, "I didn't want to buy you a diamond, I wanted to give you all the crystals and make you a ring." And he has, he has made many beautiful crystal rings for me!! I can't explain the feeling of wearing something like that. It is more than a symbol of our love, more than a piece of him, but it embodies the wonders of our Creator and all of creation. It also helps to know that he didn't have to destroy the earth or children's lives to get it! Also, wearing the crystal rings benefit my health and spirituality. So, I have to say, "Thank you King for your love and care of not just me, but our family and all of the earth."

We share our love for crystals through our products and classes. Take our Virtual Crystals 101 Class. Shop our Crystal Jewelry and Body Care Products. See Yoni Eggs HERE. Take our Yoni Egg Class HERE. Ask about our upcoming Crystal Digging Tours & you can accompany us and dig your own crystals!!

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Pink Moon BellyDance

10/26/2020

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Pink Moon BellyDance is all about dancing for wellness--dancing for all ages, for all bodies, linking the African culture/history of bellydance. I would describe myself as a wholistic bellydance instructor. Because bellydance was not introduced to me as a performance art, but as a casual social activity the women in my community would do at tea parties/weddings for healing/worship, or celebration.

When I teach bellydance, I teach language, vocabulary, history--I tell stories, we sing songs. I also promote sisterhood, so we may end class with a brunch, attend community bellydance events together, party at Afro Soca Love, have a yoni steam circle, hafla, Full Moon Ceremony, etc. I work to create space for us to bond, but also for self-reflection and empowerment. There's a real comraderie among the Pink Moon BellyDance students and families and once you are part of the Shimmy Sisterhood it's an everlasting connection. Pink Moon BellyDance Students come to class with a journal. We start every class with a reflection, vocabulary, and dance notation. Register for bellydane class HERE.

Pink Moon Bellydance is active throughout the NC Triangle Community. We bring that bellydance flair to birthday parties, ladies' night out, festivals, schools, child care centers, bridal showers, blessingways (blessing the pregnant mother before she goes into labor), Queen Mother Ceremony (honoring the mother after birth), Rites of Passage Programs, storytime in libraries and on rooftops, and more. Click HERE to book me.

I've also created a Pink Portal, to continue and support bellydance education beyond the classroom. The Pink Portal is a private student-instructor Bellydance Blog consisting of everything we cover in class plus supporting material. This includes video, pictures, inspiration, fitness/health information, and more. Students can communicate with each other and with me (the instructor). You gain access once you begin Pink Moon Bellydance Classes.

Below is a sneak peek into The Pink Portal, which may be available by subscription soon.

Below is our Belly Yoga event which is a fusion of yoga and bellydance. I usually coteach this event with a yoga instructor such as Ingrid Saddler-Walker (E-RYT 200/500) of Wytha Balance Yoga Studio.

Below is a Youth BellyDance Birthday Bash!!

Below is our Annual Dancing Fire Circle, which also provides a casual healing spiritual "performance" space for dancers/
for everyone.

Below is a picture of my King & I:

You know u r in line with the divine feminine when you know the value & place of the divine masculine. He is the gardener, the King, the mage. He carries the ability to take inner knowing out into the world and put it into practice, without mincing, muttering, or apologizing.

Thanks Hakim Ziyad-Bey for guarding, maintaining, and protecting our sacred space, our belly dance sanctuary for Pink Moon Belly Dance. Thank you for encouraging my passion as a belly dancer and making sure I can continue to share it with other women.

Our daughter playing in the BellyDance Studio. She came up with the name Pink Moon BellyDance and she is my partner. She joins me for many classes, performances, & events.

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Belly Henna

10/25/2020

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Celebrating the Mother with Henna is part of the Queen Mother Ceremony. So much attention is on the new baby that the mother can get lost in the sauce. It is important to have traditions in place that nourish/connect everyone and keep things in balance. After giving birth the mother can feel tired, empty, lost, and self-care can be lacking. Henna addresses all of these issues. It lifts the mother's spirit and allows her to feel supported and beautiful.

Creating henna designs on the baby bump is an experience. Everything from deciding on a design with the mother, discussing pregnancy & birth, watching the baby shift beneath her skin as I lie down lines of henna, & seeing the final result of the henna stain which highlights her beautifully unique belly.

Belly Prenatal Henna is a great way to treat yourself and also makes a great gift to a mother (especially for photoshoots).

What are you waiting for? Book Shemora Sheikh for your belly henna HERE!

*All of the designs pictured are by Henna Artist Shemora Sheikh of Rites of Passage Institute. Notice how dark and rich the henna design stain. Our henna is gentle, fresh, and safe.

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What's Your Yoni Egg Style?

9/7/2018

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When you purchase a
yoni egg from Rites of Passage Institute, it's more than just receiving a yoni egg in the mail. Not only are our yoni eggs genuine lab tested, but we only carry non-toxic eggs. So we take all the guess work out of it and you can rest assure you are receiving a safe and quality yoni egg.

The best part is receiving a yoni egg from us is a whole interactive experience! First, you become part of a yoni egg women's wellness community. The Yoni Egg Life Blog is a great resource for any questions you have and see what other people are saying. Plus it's fun. We don't just sell the yoni egg--we offer consultations.

Wellness is a serious journey, but we like to laugh and have fun with it too! We laugh and create together in workshops like the

Yoniverse: Womb Wellness Workshop
(in which yoni eggs are discussed).
The Yoniverse will be October 20,
Saturday, in Durham, NC.

Our latest yoni egg activity is the "What Is Your Yoni Egg Style" Quiz.
Take it now:

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A Splash of Color

8/17/2018

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My Custom J. Roysterhills Bag!

Belly Binding

They say when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I met Jean's clothing line at Ngozi (downtown Durham), long before I met her. I fell in love immediately and it wasn't long before her pieces become a staple in my wardrobe. For example, my custom-made purse (picured above) by her is like a part of my identity, it tells a story of who I am and what I'm passionate about and where I came from. All hand stamped and dyed her creations (purses, clothes, jackets, shirts, etc) have afro-bohemian, urban, tribal, classic style. But meeting Master Dyer Jean Roysterhills herself was the ultimate gift from the Creator!

Not only has taking Jean's Dyenamics classes brought more color to what I offer my belly binding clients, but it is teaching me indigenous history and ancient techniques. You can't get this knowledge out of a book. It's the whole hands on process. So if you see me with purple-stained fingertips, you know why. Dying fabric is like adult coloring on a whole nother level: it's meditative, therapeutic, and the final product is always a beautiful surprise that you can wear! Instructor Jean is definitely a gem in Durham, NC. If you have the opportunity to partake in her classes or to have any of her creations graze your skin, snatch it!

Below the bengkung belly wrap is pictured. They are usually plain white, but the colors are so much fun!

Pictured Below: Shirts by J. Roysterhills

J. Roysterhills Shirt

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Do You Dare to Yoni?

8/4/2018

1 Comment

During one of those goofy moments that sistafriends have, my girl was like,"Are you yoni-ing? Everyone is doing it?" Then I said, "Yeah, I get my yoni on!" We laughed and that is how I came up w/this flowchart. It's all in fun and jest, so it's supposed to be light and fun. I know Yoni is not a verb, but guess what-it is now! Have fun following the flow and see where u end up. Be sure to read the descriptions below the flowchart for a breakdown.

Wombman:
Queen Sistar! You are one with your yoni and enjoying the creative healing energy! You feel naked wo ur glittering menagerie of yoni eggs and crystals. U love flowers, especially in ur spiritual bath or yoni pot. See you & ur tribe at the next henna party or belly dance class!!

U Outchea Twerking:
even if it's only in the mirror. There’s a sacred wombman in u waiting to break out!! You ready, but somethings holding you back. Maybe it’s your schedule or a little out of ur comfort zone. you are on the brink of your feminine awakening & it’s about to be transformational., take time to get to know you, check your inner voice, do you have positive body image, confront any shame that you were taught as a girl, overcome any abuse or betrayals, keep a journal. Release, release, release and see u at the Yoniverse Workshop. I recommend watching the Rites of Passage Institute’s YouTube Channel & any of the Rites of Passage Institute’s 1-on1 sessions
( moontracking class, henna, belly binding, health assessment)

Kings:
Look, Man, I know ur not a woman, but you can still benefit from tapping into ur feminine side. Remember we need to find balance with the feminine and masculine. NO, you don’t need to be in bellydance class, but encourage and support the women in your life while they are on their journey. Everyone comes from a yoni! Get bae a yoni steam chair. You both will benefit ;)

Darth Vader of the Yoniverse:
The vagina is just an organ for urinating and if you touch it, it might fall off. Enjoy your life of sugar, douche, & tight underwear.Oh, and don’t forget body-shaming & judgement r handy in case any humans w/ vajayjays try to build w/ you.

Get Ur Yoni On at
Rites of Passage Institute
with
Yoni Steam Chairs, Yoni Steam, Yoni Eggs, BellyDance Classes, Henna, Health Assessments & More!

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Armpit Detox

During the armpit detox you cannot use any deodorant! Shits about to get real. That's why you need to do this in the winter during quarantine!

Do not go back to a synthetic toxic deodorant after an armpit detox. Use a natural deodorant like Aurafresh from passageinstitute.com

Have you ever tried this? Would you try it?

Lapas: Men's Loungewear

Body Care Collection

Below are some Rites of Passage Institute Bodycare Products. Keep watching because there is more to come!

About our deodorant:

For Laughs:

Beauty Break I

Actually, scroll down and click on the videos to hear our top beauty picks. What are your top beauty product picks? Plz comment below. We want to hear from you!

We Dig Crystals

Pink Moon BellyDance

Below is a sneak peek into The Pink Portal, which may be available by subscription soon.

Below is our Belly Yoga event which is a fusion of yoga and bellydance. I usually coteach this event with a yoga instructor such as Ingrid Saddler-Walker (E-RYT 200/500) of Wytha Balance Yoga Studio.

Below is a Youth BellyDance Birthday Bash!!

Below is our Annual Dancing Fire Circle, which also provides a casual healing spiritual "performance" space for dancers/
for everyone.

Our daughter playing in the BellyDance Studio. She came up with the name Pink Moon BellyDance and she is my partner. She joins me for many classes, performances, & events.

Belly Henna

What's Your Yoni Egg Style?

A Splash of Color

Below the bengkung belly wrap is pictured. They are usually plain white, but the colors are so much fun!

Pictured Below: Shirts by J. Roysterhills

Do You Dare to Yoni?

Get Ur Yoni On at
Rites of Passage Institute
with
Yoni Steam Chairs, Yoni Steam, Yoni Eggs, BellyDance Classes, Henna, Health Assessments & More!

Hakim & Shemora

Archives

Categories

During the armpit detox you cannot use any deodorant! Shits about to get real. That's why you need to do this in the winter during quarantine!

Do not go back to a synthetic toxic deodorant after an armpit detox. Use a natural deodorant like Aurafresh from passageinstitute.com

Have you ever tried this? Would you try it?

Below are some Rites of Passage Institute Bodycare Products. Keep watching because there is more to come!

About our deodorant:

For Laughs:

Actually, scroll down and click on the videos to hear our top beauty picks. What are your top beauty product picks? Plz comment below. We want to hear from you!

Below is a sneak peek into The Pink Portal, which may be available by subscription soon.

Below is our Belly Yoga event which is a fusion of yoga and bellydance. I usually coteach this event with a yoga instructor such as Ingrid Saddler-Walker (E-RYT 200/500) of Wytha Balance Yoga Studio.

Below is a Youth BellyDance Birthday Bash!!

Below is our Annual Dancing Fire Circle, which also provides a casual healing spiritual "performance" space for dancers/​for everyone.

Our daughter playing in the BellyDance Studio. She came up with the name Pink Moon BellyDance and she is my partner. She joins me for many classes, performances, & events.

Below the bengkung belly wrap is pictured. They are usually plain white, but the colors are so much fun!

Pictured Below: Shirts by J. Roysterhills

Get Ur Yoni On at Rites of Passage InstitutewithYoni Steam Chairs, Yoni Steam, Yoni Eggs, BellyDance Classes, Henna, Health Assessments & More!

Hakim & Shemora

Archives

Categories

Below is our Annual Dancing Fire Circle, which also provides a casual healing spiritual "performance" space for dancers/
for everyone.

Get Ur Yoni On at
Rites of Passage Institute
with
Yoni Steam Chairs, Yoni Steam, Yoni Eggs, BellyDance Classes, Henna, Health Assessments & More!