Black women are lit, and Shonda Rhimes and Debbie Allen just teamed up with Dove to produce a short film series to prove it. The talented duo recently announced the release of the second season of Real Beauty Productions, an initiative created by Dove in 2017 designed to redefine beauty standards to reflect real women.
Allen, a prominent actress, TV director, and dance instructor, is a perfect match for this project, given her accomplishments in diversifying markets where black women aren't highlighted. She said that she decided to hop aboard this project simply because it was necessary.
"I felt that this is an initiative that has a real purpose and real meaning, and it could make a difference in our community. This could help millions of young women step out of a dark space and into the light…They'll look at these stories we're telling and I'm sure they'll see a reflection of themselves."
2018 is the year of the Black Girl Renaissance, and stars like Shonda Rhimes and Debbie Allen are using their platforms to elevate all forms of feminine power. "An Hour With Her" encourages women across multiple generations to have open conversation about issues like self-esteem and beauty standards. Having this dialogue amongst one another will give us the opportunity to develop a theology where young women of color can develop their perceptions of beauty, and see that manifestation of beauty within themselves.
According to Dove, experts suggest that one hour of conversation about self-esteem and positive self-image has the power to change the way a woman sees her own beauty for a lifetime.
Allen told Blavity that her passion for the project came after reflecting on her own experience battling traditional European standards of beauty and learning to take pride in her own physical appearance. Allen said that her favorite part of Black Panther was when Okoye took her wig off because it revealed how beautiful and multifaceted that black women are, naturally.
"We as black women need to see ourselves, and we look so many different ways, and people have to stand there, look at themselves, and see a reflection of God. There is a reason why we don't all look the same. We don't need to look the same."
In the latest episode, actress Chelsea Harris, an ambassador for Dove's Self-Esteem Project opened up about how she was able to overcome bullying and appearance related negativity as a woman of color.
"For me, some of the different aspects of being African American became things that I just didn't feel good about. I used to wear makeup that was way too light for my skin, and I used to have these bright green contacts. Then I would wear a lot of long super straight hair extensions. It's just one of those things where I looked in the mirror and didn't even recognize myself."
She continued on to say how her collaboration with Dove Self-Esteem project 10 years ago allowed her to develop a new perspective about self-esteem.
"It was about defining my own beauty. And that's my measure of self-esteem now. How do I feel about myself when it's not based off of anybody else's standards. It's so important to define what beauty is for you."
Women of color are constantly held to a standard of beauty that is unrealistic and unattainable and we often drive ourselves to extreme measures to seem more aesthetically acceptable to a society infatuated with overtly outdated Western theology. But our melanin is poppin', and here to stay.
"An Hour With Her" is necessary to the current political landscape because if we don't identify our own standards of beauty, society will decide them for us.
To watch the latest episode from the second season, click here:
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Detoxes concentrate on drawing out bad toxins and energies and realigning us with our purpose. Usually, when my energy is low, or I experience constant uneasiness, I know I need to take steps to detox spiritually. Luckily, I remembered a Reiki healer who worked with a close friend years ago; therefore, I started there.
I checked in with Reiki Practitioner Tamara Angela (@loveandfaerymagic) for her top ten recommendations on how to spiritually detox. I appreciate Tamara’s advice because she uses Reiki as “maintenance, not crisis [management],” thus, helping me realize I can prevent “spiritual clutter” from progressing.
Reiki practitioner Tamara Angela
Photo courtesy of Tamara Angela
According to Tamara, "Reiki is a Japanese healing art. It [Reiki] comes with the understanding that we are all energy. And the way I describe it is Reiki covers you like your grandma’s prayer.” And we all know how vital our grandmother’s (or elders’) prayers are, especially growing up.
Ways To Spiritually Detox
Tamara explained that her nine steps all work together and detoxify your spirit and help you maintain the work you put into cleansing your spirit. We apply many of these steps to our daily routine, not realizing how crucial they are for our spiritual health. Each step ties into the other, and all are necessary.
When you do a spiritual detox it's important to remember, it’s a lifestyle. Start slowly to create the level of peace you want and build the stability you need. Tamara shares, “You can do all nine steps and still experience chaos. That is why it is important to have a baseline, a level of peace,” Tamara says. “You have to create a baseline of stability that you can revert back to. ‘I am used to this level of peace.’ Someone came along to disturb it, and now I have to fix it. Now, I can come back to these [steps] and remove that energy and know how to properly.”
1. Turn off your phone notifications and alerts.
Those notifications keep you tethered to constantly looking out for things (i.e. a text from that one person you should have kept blocked), thus, making it harder to calm your spirits. “Instead, choose a time in the day when you’re checking notifications,” Tamara recommended.
2. Get proper rest.
We experience different levels of sleep, and getting proper rest allows your body to reset. Raise your hand if your off day consists of running multiple errands. Often, we do not rest on our off days; “something” comes up. That “something” can be as simple as your favorite reality show.
Feel seen yet? I surely did. Sitting down and binge-watching a TV show does not allow your mind to rest effectively. For proper rest, Tamara suggested that classical and jazz music or white noise is okay, but nothing with lyrics.
3. Clear and calm your nervous system
When you are constantly experiencing things, sometimes you need to calm your mind down. For example, when something goes wrong with the Wi-Fi, we reset the modem. We should do the same when it comes to our bodies. Unfortunately, we tend to not think like that regarding our body and nervous system. “We are in a constant sensory experience," Tamara explained.
"You have six senses. That is how you experience the world. So, when you are constantly experiencing things, sometimes you need to calm down. Sometimes you need to remove something. Sometimes you need to be aware of how much you have taken in or have the capacity to take in.”
According to Apollo Neuro, an overactive sympathetic nervous system can cause issues like muscle tension, jitters, insomnia, etc. It can also lead to hyper-vigilance, the tendency to detect danger, even in its absence. By contrast, excessive tiredness, depression, and an overactive gag reflex can signal parasympathetic dominance. Fortunately, steps eight and nine emphasize easing an overactive nervous system.
4. Enjoy the company of good friends with laughter
“Laughter is a way to express emotion; it’s a great release. You are not in an inadequate space when you’re there [with friends].” As we know, laughter is good for the soul; it releases endorphins and helps you release things.
5. Purge your living space/get rid of clutter
Also known as “spring cleaning.” Constant mess or clutter is draining, and cleaning removes that negative energy. A great example Tamara uses is opening a window as it “can let out negative, stagnant energy. Many people do not realize that this practice is hoodoo-based.”
6. Unplug
Completely unplug or pick a day or time, and unplug. One way to do this is by turning off your phone. You cannot scroll through social media, talk on the phone, etc. Tamara recommended starting with 15 minutes and progressing from there.
7. Set boundaries
My personal favorite as I’ve gotten older. From a former people-pleaser, this is not an easy task. A lot of the pleasing we wrap ourselves up in is one of the main reasons we are spiritually drained. Setting boundaries is healthy; do things are your terms.
8. Do some Reiki
“Reiki energy balancing allows you to center yourself and clear that [negative] energy,” Tamara said. She further explained that it's like a church mother “laying hands on you.” Reiki is an energy healing technique that promotes relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety through gentle touch. Reiki practitioners use their hands to deliver energy to your body, improving the flow and balance of your energy to support healing.
Reiki practitioners are a conduit between you and the universal life force energy source. The energy flows through the practitioner’s hands to you. However, your Reiki healer does not always have to touch you for Reiki to work physically. “You can receive Reiki healing from long distances, like on the phone,” Tamara said. Instead, clients experience the energy through heat, cold, tingling, or pulsing sensations.
There are many benefits to Reiki. Reiki can:
- Promote relaxation, stress reduction, and symptom relief to improve overall health and well-being.
- Bring on a meditative state.
- Foster tissue and bone healing after injury or surgery.
- Stimulate your body’s immune system.
- Promote natural self-healing.
- Relieve pain and tension.
9. Breath/breathwork
“Breathwork is extremely helpful in moving any stagnant energy,” and that is why Tamara gives the people she works with a two-minute meditation that consists of breathwork. One breathwork exercise is placing your hand on your heart and feeling the movement of your heartbeat. Doing this technique for two minutes will recenter you and can be performed anywhere – office cubicle, home, etc. Even a deep belly breath, hold, then release is a great way to release stuck emotions.
“The process of inhaling brings in what we need, and that full exhale is letting go of what we do not [need],” Tamara said.
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Feature image by Johnce/ Getty Images
Originally published on April 13, 2023