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Want an honor to meet Alice Walker!
Photo by Jenee Darden |
What a blessing to not only attend a daylong meditation
retreat for Black women, have writer Alice Walker as the main speaker. Yes, the
Alice Walker who wrote
The Color Purple. What a
blessing! I wish I could’ve flown in my girlfriends from around the world to
attend. The retreat took place at the East Bay Meditation Center in downtown
Oakland.
About 80+ sistas of the diaspora gathered for the Wisdom
Rising Daylong Retreat for Women of African Descent. The Black Girl Magic and
energy in there was beautiful. I came with my notebook, heart and mind open. I
especially wanted to attend as I’m embracing womanism. Walker introduced
the term in her book In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens. With all the chaos
going on in the country I needed to be in a space with my sistas, who
understand me and I understand them. It felt like I escaped the world for eight
hours.
Here are some of my favorite words of wisdom from Mother
Alice Walker that day:
“We’re always beginning.” And she went on to say if we
understand that, the setbacks won’t feel so hard.
“Wisdom is not colonized”
“We[Black people] have been led to doubt we have a great
mind.”
“Live and really be alive…if you want to feel like Bessie
Smith and shake your shimmy.”
“Black women are great thinkers.”
On letting go of abusive relatives she said, “ You don’t
need to be with anybody who doesn’t see you.”
“Protect your mind like you would an infant.”
I could write more but those were some of my favorite. Or
maybe I’ll share more in a podcast. Hmmm…
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East Bay Meditation Center Founder Spring Washam and
Alice Walker |
Later that day I experienced one of the most moving
spiritual experiences when singer
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Gina Breedlove's sound healing was such
a blessing! |
Gina Breedlove touched us with her
sound healing.
This sista’s gift blessed me tremendously. She broke down the power of
our voices and humming. I remember going to church and hearing the women hum.
Black church women humming is rich with soul and emotion. Gina experienced this
too growing up in Florida. She noticed the women would hum. Then those hums turned
into wails. Humming was their therapy. I thought about how my grandmothers
hummed. Gina asked us to hum and touch our throats simultaneously to “feel the
vibration of ourselves.” The humming in that retreat space literally sounded
Heavenly to me. I don’t use that description lightly.
It took my spirit higher and brought forth tears. We sang uplifting words to ourselves and sent loving energy to each other. I can’t put into words what this experience was like. It was extremely moving and beautiful.
Here a words of wisdom from Gina Breedlove:
“The sound of your voice gives you dominion over your
thoughts.”
“What is the song you sing to yourself?”
She suggested we sing our names to ourselves. It’s a way of
re-connecting to one’s self.
“When we speak we are piercing the air with that vibration.”
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We created an altar with things sacred to us. I brought
a journal a friend gave me with a copy of my favorite
painting by Brenda Joysmith "Barefoot Dreams."
Photo by Jenee Darden |
One of my favorite quotes was from a sista whose name I
didn’t get. I remember she had on a white t-shirt with a Rumi quote on the
back. If anyone knows her name, please let me know. She’s a therapist.
She said, “As a Black woman, you don’t have the right to
your back on yourself.” She encouraged us to take care of ourselves, don’t be
ashamed to feel our emotions and express them. In light of this month being
Mental Health Awareness Month, that message was right on time.
Thank you to the East Bay Meditation Center and Spring
Washam for this memorable day. What a blessing!
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Jenee's sacred item for the altar is a journal with
Brenda Joysmith's Barefoot Dreams on the front.
Photo by Jenee Darden |
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