Let’s make one thing clear, we support Black women– period. Megan Thee Stallion has become the latest example of the mistreatment Black women often face when speaking up for themselves. Since July 2020, when reports first surfaced that Megan, born Megan Pete, was allegedly shot by singer/ rapper Tory Lanez, she has had to deal with the dual trauma of the initial shooting and the subsequent harassment by Lanez, his fans, powerful people in the music industry, and the overall effort to discredit her.
Gun violence is an issue that continues to disproportionately impact Black women. According to a 2022 study, “Black women are three times more likely to be fatally shot by an intimate partner compared to white women.” (Megan has denied having an intimate relationship with Lanez.) During a particularly fraught time in hip hop, when we’ve lost so many artists to gun violence, including the recent murder of rapper Takeoff, it’s difficult to witness the continued minimizing and victim blaming of Megan by her peers in the business.
xoNecole has compiled a timeline of the events that unfolded following Megan’s shooting, including members of the industry who have seemingly undermined her story.
Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez: A Timeline of Events
July 12, 2020
Reports surfaced that Megan had been shot by an unreported assailant while with Lanez, born Daystar Peterson, his bodyguard, and Megan’s friend at the time Kelsey Nicole when leaving a party at Kylie Jenner’s house.
July 16, 2020
Tory Lanez
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Page Six exclusively reported that Lanez had officially been named as a potential suspect in the shooting. “Tory fired the shots from within the vehicle while Megan was outside trying to leave,” a source told the outlet. “There is video and the police are investigating. This is a case of a man physically harming and abusing a woman.”
It was also reported around this time that Megan unfollowed the singer on Instagram.
July 22, 2020
Megan gets on Twitter to clap back at reality star Draya Michele who went on a podcast and suggested that Lanez and Megan “had some sort of Bobby and Whitney love that drove them down this type of road" and joked that “I want you to like me so much you shoot me in the foot too."
“Dumb bitch that shit ain’t fucking funny who tf jokes about getting shot by a nigga,” Megan tweeted.
Michele would later apologize saying that her attempt at a joke fell flat and that "I truly don’t glorify domestic violence... I was trying to say just love me deeply."
July 23, 2020
Podcaster Adam22 reports that sources told him that Megan and Lanez were in a sexual relationship and that there was a flirtation between Jenner and Lanez at the party. Their interaction reportedly caused Megan to become jealous and start “violating his ass” and “really shitting on him.”
That same day, rapper Cam’ron received backlash on social media after posting a transphobic comment about Megan saying, "Tory Lanez saw that dick and started shootn..IDC what no one say."July 28, 2020
Rapper 50 Cent issues an apology to Megan after posting a meme depicting the Grammy award-winner as the character Ricky from the film Boyz n the Hood as he’s being shot.
“👀Damn I didn’t think this shit was real,🤦♂️It sounded so crazy @theestallion i’m glad your [sic] feeling better and i hope you can accept my apology. I posted a meme that was floating around. I wouldn’t have done that if i knew you was really hurt sorry. 🤷🏽♂️," he wrote.
August 19, 2020
Megan posts a photo of her injured foot on Instagram in an attempt to quell rumors that she wasn’t shot.
August 21, 2020
Megan gets on IG live and confirms that Lanez allegedly shot her. “Since y’all hoes so worried ’bout it, yes, this nigga Tory shot me,” she said. “You shot me. And you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying and shit. Stop lying. Why lie? I don’t understand. I tried to keep the situation off the internet, but you dragging it.
She continued, “You really fucking dragging it. Motherfuckers talking about I hit this nigga. I never hit you. Motherfuckers like, ‘Oh she mad ’cause he was trying to fuck with Kylie.’ No, I wasn’t. Like, you dry shot me. Like, everybody in the car – there’s only four motherfuckers in the car: me, you, my homegirl, and your security. I get out the car, I’m done arguing. I don’t wanna argue no more. I get out, I’m walking away. This nigga, from outside the back seat of the car, start shooting me. You shot me!”
She also addressed rumors that the injury to her foot was actually caused by broken glass. “I ain’t get cut by no glass, but let me tell you why they’re saying that: the people in the neighborhood –there’s a witness – when the police came because the neighbors called the police – this did not happen at Kylie’s house.” She continued, “This happened damn near back at the house I was staying at. I was just trying to get home. We were five minutes away from my spot. The police come and I’m scared.”
“All this shit going on with the police. The police are shooting motherfuckers for anything. The police was literally killing Black people for no motherfucking reason. Soon as the police tell us all ‘Get out the motherfucking car,' the police is really aggressive,” she explained. “You think I’m bout to tell the police that we – niggas, us Black people – got a gun in the car?! You want me to tell them that we got a gun in the car so they can shoot all of us up? Nigga, I’m scared.”
August 25, 2020
Houston legend Bun B comes out in support of his fellow hometown resident. “I know Tory, I know his manager. I know all of ‘em. Fuck all that, though. If the man on drugs, get him some goddamn rehab. If the man got mental health issues, get him some therapy,” he said.
“But you not just gon’ sit here and shoot this girl, and we not say nothin’. This shit not real. Nobody’s talking about it because it’s a Black woman… put your hands on Lady Gaga and see how quick they lock your ass up.”
September 9, 2020
TMZ reports that texts allegedly coming from Lanez show that the singer apologized to Megan while she was in the hospital. "I know u prolly never gone talk to me again, but I genuinely want u to know I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart,” read the texts. He also blamed his actions on being “too drunk.”
September 25, 2020
Lanez releases his album Daystar where he finally addresses the allegations that he shot Megan. In his song “Money Over Fallouts,” he raps lyrics like, “How the fuck you get shot in your foot, don’t hit no bones or tendons?” and “If you got shot from behind how can you identify me?”
September 29, 2020
Billboard reports that Lanez’s team posed as members of Megan’s team to plant stories that made Megan look less credible including fake text messages. Lanez’s team denies the claims.
October 3, 2020
Megan performs on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest and she stops mid-performance to share a message about supporting Black women. "We need to protect our Black women and love our Black women, 'cause at the end of the day, we need our Black women,” she preached.
October 8, 2020
Lanez was officially charged with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, concealed firearm in a vehicle.
October 13, 2020
Megan writes an op-ed for The New York Times titled “Why I Speak Up for Black Women.” The article states: “I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place.
My initial silence about what happened was out of fear for myself and my friends. Even as a victim, I have been met with skepticism and judgment. The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what happened were, unfortunately, warranted.”
October 20, 2020
Lanez gets on IG live to discuss the aftermath of the shooting and says that he still considers Megan to be a friend even if she doesn’t but that “I know what happened, and what you’re saying, what the alleged things and the alleged accusations of my name is, are not true. It’s falsified information. It’s false information.”
Megan responded on Twitter saying: “This Nigga genuinely crazy.”
November 18, 2020
Lanez pleads not guilty to both charges.
November 20, 2020
Megan’s debut album Good News is released where she addresses the shooting in the intro song “Shots Fired” with lines like “Imagine niggas lyin' 'bout shootin' a real bitch (huh?) Just to save face for rapper niggas you chill with.”
November 26, 2020
Kelsey Nicole (L) and Megan Thee Stallion (R).
Screenshot from Megan Thee Stallion's "Realer" music video/ YouTube
The “Savage” artist’s former friend Kelsey Nicole, who was one of the passengers in the car the night of the shooting, released a diss track to Megan titled “Bussin Back” where she rapped “Never been a jealous friend and the people really know it/If you would'vе kept it silent then I would'vе been told it/ See I really thought I knew you, thought that you would keep it G/ If you wanna talk gangsta, bitch, I'm really from the street.”
The former besties fell out following the shooting.
December 9, 2020
Rapper Jack Harlow responds to criticism of keeping Lanez on the remix of his hit song “What’s Poppin’” during an interview with Power 106. "I don't think I'm God. I don't have no room to judge anybody,” he said. “I wasn't there when this and that happened, I don't know anything."
January 21, 2021
The Source falsely reported that Megan dropped the charges against Lanez. The Canadian-born rapper’s representative came out and disputed the claims. Megan took to Twitter and said “Y’all can’t tell when shit fake news?”
February 2, 2021
“Buss It” artist Erica Banks goes on IG live with Lanez, a move many people think was an attempt to antagonize Megan since Banks is signed to the same record label that she’s currently going through legal battles with since March 2020.
June 21, 2021
Megan got into a Twitter feud with rapper and frequent collaborator DaBaby after he worked with Lanez on a new song. “Support me in private and publicly do something different…these industry men are very strange. This situation ain’t no damn “beef” and I really wish people would stop down playing it like it’s some internet shit for likes and retweets,” she tweeted.
July 20, 2021
Lanez mentioned Megan in his freestyle on Hot 97 “Megan people trying to frame me for a shooting/But them boys ain’t clean enough.”
July 25, 2021
Tory Lanez (L) and DaBaby (R) performing at Rolling Loud in Miami.
Jason Koerner/Getty Images
DaBaby brings out Lanez during his Rolling Loud performance, a move that was a violation of Megan’s protective order that required the “Jerry Sprunger” singer to stay 100 ft away from her. Lanez’s bail amount increased after the violation.
August 13, 2021
Prosecutors have filed a motion to hold Lanez in contempt for violating the restraining order that was issued in his ongoing criminal case.
December 15, 2021
A judge upholds Lanez’s charges after an LAPD officer testified that he shouted “Dance, bitch!” before allegedly shooting the “Pressurelicious” artist.
February 22, 2022
Megan posts screenshots of alleged text messages on social media from what appears to be Lanez apologizing to her after the shooting; a move that was in response to him seemingly subtweeting her by writing "u can't buy and tweet your way out of this one ..not today."
March 21, 2022
Popular hip-hop blogger DJ Akademics tweeted and deleted a claim that Lanez’s DNA was not found on the weapon in the case. Megan responded on her Instagram stories saying “court ain’t even started so why yall ready to start lying.”
April 4, 2022
Lanez is arrested for violating a protective order after tweeting about Megan back in February. He was released on a $350,000 bond.
April 24, 2022
Megan appeared on CBS This Morningspeaking with Gayle King about the shooting and the events following it.
April 26, 2022
50 Cent took to Instagram to cast doubt on Megan after she said that she wasn’t in a sexual relationship with the “Luv” singer. “Now that I don’t believe, she had to think about her answer. SMH all this shit is crazy,” 50 said.
June 15, 2022
In her Rolling Stone cover, Megan addresses the shooting saying that she wants Lanez to “go under the jail,” and that “I thought everyone in the car was my friend, [and] the whole time that’s not how they thought of me.”
August 24, 2022
Lanez's lawyer drops him as a client, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The lawyer had been defending Lanez against assault allegations made by Love and Hip-Hop: Miami cast member Prince.
October 31, 2022
A judge in Los Angeles ruled that Lanez had to be placed on house arrest until the trial after Lanez was found in violation of his parole due to allegedly assaulting August Alsina in September.
November 4, 2022
On his collab album Her Loss with 21 Savage, Drake raps in the song “Circo Loco,” “This bitch lie 'bout gettin shots but she still a stallion/ She don't even get the joke but she still smilin'” a line that many people think is in reference to Megan.
The H-town rapper responded to the lyric by tweeting, “I know I’m very popular but y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name lol Niggas nor hoes EVER address me or @ me WITH a fact or receipts. I AM CLOUT BITCH keep sucking my pussy.”
November 5, 2022
Rapper Lil Yachty — who co-wrote “Circo Loco” — said on Instagram live that the line was not a reference to Megan, but to girls who get butt injections.
November 11, 2022
An open letter signed by representative Maxine Waters, Me Too founder Tarana Burke, host Marc Lamont Hill, and other community figures was released in support of Megan saying in part “You are believed, loved, and supported.”
The trial against Lanez for assault and weapons charges begins Monday, November 28, 2022.
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When we talk via Zoom in late August, Lindsay, 38, has just returned from a lunch date with a friend, the type of midday social outing she’d never had time for previously. In a week, she’ll be heading to Europe for an Eat, Pray, Love trip. It’s the first time she’s had time to go to Europe in five years.
“You ask me what I have time to do? Take care of me,” she says, beaming.
In the past six years, Lindsay has made a lot of changes. After becoming the first Black woman to lead ABC’s Bachelorette dating series in 2017, she fell in love with Bryan Abasolo, the man she chose on the show, and married him. Enamored with the world of entertainment but also accustomed to the stability that being an attorney provided her, she returned to practicing law in her native Dallas, Texas, while pursuing media opportunities on the side.
For a time, Lindsay would fly herself to Connecticut to co-host ESPN’s Football Frenzy radio show. The role was perfect for the Dallas Cowboys fan and sports fanatic who majored in sports management and once dreamed of becoming an agent. In 2019, when she finally felt she’d saved enough money and made enough connections, she made the leap and left the legal profession behind, determined to bet on her entertainment dreams.
Working as an on-air correspondent for Extra was one of Lindsay’s first big roles as a full-time media personality. In this job, she interviewed celebrities such as Halle Bailey and Anthony Anderson. She also notably conducted the controversial interview with Bachelor host Chris Harrison that subsequently led to his departure from the franchise. After Harrison told Lindsay he felt people needed to have “grace” for a contestant who had attended an “Old South” party, Lindsay publicly announced her plans to distance herself from the series.
Today, she cites changes in Extra’s leadership and her responsibilities as the reason for her recent departure after three years. “I just didn’t fit within the new regime,” she reveals to xoNecole.
Lindsay is currently focusing her energy work-wise on her two podcasts with The Ringer Podcast Network, the Higher Learningshow with Van Lathan, and Morally Corrupt. Despite the extremely different subjects – Higher Learning touches on race and politics while Morally Corrupt finds Lindsay commenting on her favorite Bravo reality shows – she gushes when speaking about both, calling podcasting “the most liberating thing you can do.”
On Higher Learning, she’s challenged by her co-host, Lathan, to think in new ways. She’s regularly in conversation with prominent figures such as Tracee Ellis Ross and Billy Porter.
Lindsay, a “Bravoholic” whose favorite Real Housewives franchise is Potomac and whose favorite Housewife is Nene Leakes, is no less passionate about Morally Corrupt, even if the subject matter is much lighter. “I’ve always loved reality TV because it was such an escape from my real world. Part of me admired people who could put themselves out there in a way that I believed I never could, until I went on reality TV,” Lindsay says.
Courtesy of Rachel Lindsay
The podcast host says she never intended to find love when she went on The Bachelor, and she was surprised when she was asked to lead season 13 of The Bachelorette. Going from viewer to reality TV star quickly opened her eyes to the demands of being a public figure. After receiving initial criticism from viewers about choosing and marrying Bryan Abasolo, she realized she wanted to become more protective of certain aspects of her personal life.
“I quickly learned that we had to protect what we had, and stop trying to prove it to other people and convince people to know what we knew to be true,” she says. “I wish I could share more of my relationship. But the moment you do that, you have to continue to provide more and you have to continue to answer.”
In many ways, Lindsay benefited from being on a show like The Bachelorette, where the contestants are confined to a limited environment over a temporary amount of time. She says she doesn’t think she could ever be on a reality show where she’s expected to reveal all aspects of her life constantly. In fact, she says if she ever had pregnancy news or updates about her relationship with Abasolo, she wouldn’t make a big public announcement.
Since walking away from The Bachelor franchise, the former Bachelor Happy Hour host says she’s been approached to participate in recent seasons, specifically this year’s season with Black lead, Charity Lawson. Lindsay says she ultimately declined to participate. “I just started thinking I can have a relationship with Charity – whose number I do have and I have talked to – outside of the show. I don’t need to come on television to put that out there for other people,” she says.
Reflecting on her life today, Lindsay is trying to learn the benefits of being still. She’s not planning to do any on-air correspondent work for the time being, and she’s not planning to release another book, the followup to the collection of essays Miss Me with That or the fictional Real Love.
As her 40th birthday approaches in a couple of years, she’s been thinking a lot about the popular quote, “You are, right now, as young as you'll ever be again” from the FX drama Fleishman Is in Trouble. If she does start on a new creative project, it might delve into this notion, she says. “I think I could do something in that space about adulthood and getting older and maybe questioning things in life because I think we all do it,” she tells xoNecole.
Lindsay is not rushing the process, though. For now, she’s remembering to rest and renew.
“We'll see what comes out of this state that I'm in.”
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Featured image courtesy of Rachel Lindsay
But first — when you think of an emotional connection, what immediately comes to your mind? If it’s something along the lines of a bond between you and someone (or something) else, that’s a great mindset to have as you go through this particular piece. Because while it might not be a topic that is explored often, the more of a conscious (emotional) bond (connection) that you intentionally choose to cultivate between you and your vagina (and vulva) — the wiser decisions you will make concerning “her,” the more care you will put into nurturing her and meeting her specific needs, and the healthier she will be long-term.
So, are you ready to learn ten effective ways that can help you create this kind of relationship with your own lotus flower? Please read on and see.
1. Learn/Unlearn/Relearn About Your Vagina
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There’s a line from a Walt Whitman quote that I basically apply to virtually every area of my life: “Re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul.” When it comes to your vagina, think about what you were told in school, by your parents, on television, via your friends — how did those things shape how you see your vagina now? If there are areas where you have a negative perspective or even places where you’re drawing a blank, the beauty of being an adult is you don’t have to be at the mercy of other people’s insights and opinions (now).
So, take some time to learn new things about your vagina, to replace some teachings that were ridiculous at best, or freshen up on some things that you’ve forgotten. You know, a part of the reason why I write on the vagina a lot on this platform is for these very reasons — because it’s hard to love what you don’t know and understand. Right?
(By the way, you can read up on some articles on the topic via our platform right here.)
2. Create Mantras for Your Vagina
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Basically, a mantra is something that you say over and over again during a meditative practice. An author on the topic once explained it this way: “A mantra can be thought of as a seed for energizing an intention” — and I think that’s a beautiful way to look at it.
Although you may have never thought about having “intentions for your vagina” before, when you think about the fact that it is a physical component of extreme pleasure and profound intimacy, why not have mantras for it? Simple things like, “I will bring my vagina the absolute best” or “I will not betray my vagina by pretending I am fulfilled when I am not” can rewire everything about how you approach relationships, sensuality, and sexuality.
So, if you are indeed a meditator (and if you aren’t, why not use this as an opportunity to at least try to become one), why not throw in 1-3 mantras that have some sort of a vaginal theme to them? You never know what that kind of “seed” could ultimately do for your “secret garden” (cue Quincy Jones ‘n them; the real ones know).
3. Set Aside Time for Sexual Meditation
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Speaking of mantras for your vagina and how they can improve your sex life, something else that you might want to consider is setting aside time for what is known as sexual meditation. If it sounds a bit intimidating, it’s really just about learning how to be more mindful when it comes to sexual intimacy. And since mindfulness is about getting into a state (mind, body, and spirit) that will cause you to be in the moment, focus on your breathing and while learning how to fully accept yourself — it makes all the sense in the world that sexual mindfulness would be good for you, your vagina and ultimately your sex life.
One way that you can do that is by doing something known as orgasmic meditation (check out “What Exactly Is 'Orgasmic Meditation'?”). Another method is vaginal mapping. We’ll get into that next.
4. Do Some Vaginal Mapping
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The more counseling that I do, the more amazed I am that so many wives (who are also mothers) have never really looked at their vagina before. I mean, even during labor, they preferred to look elsewhere. Listen, I’m not gonna preach too much but if you’re also someone who would rather “take a pass,” at least consider doing vaginal self-exams (check out “Why You Should Give Yourself A ‘Vaginal Self-Exam’”); just like your breasts need you to check up on them, your vagina does too. Don’t just wait until your annual visit to your gynecologist to make sure that everything is A-OK down below.
For those of you who may want to learn how to take things up a notch from a self-exam, get into what is known as vaginal mapping. Long story short, it’s all about exploring your vagina in a way that will help you to feel more comfortable with it, addressing some emotional or sexual issues you might be suppressing, and developing some sexual self-confidence as well. There are many people who have done vaginal mapping before and found it as a powerful way to find holistic healing on a myriad of levels. Anyway, if you want to learn a bit more about vaginal mapping and how it might personally benefit you, check out “Why 'Vaginal Mapping' Needs To Be Part Of Your Healing Journey.”
5. Purchase Items for Your Vagina and Vulva
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Me? I like to take my vagina and vulva shopping. What I mean by that is, every six weeks or so, I will tiptoe out into cyberspace to see what kind of products exist just for my va-jay-jay. As a result, I’ve found a vaginal wash that I really like, an oil for my pubic hair that makes it all feel uber soft, and a trimmer that doesn’t nick me. Oh, and don’t even get me started on panty shopping — between drawers and lip gloss, I know that I have a low-key addiction.
Real talk, there are a lot of items out in the world that are specifically designed for your vagina and vulva (including pubic hair dye if you want to cover up your grays like this brand here and this one here). So, why not cultivate some bonding time with “her” by setting aside a few coins to treat your own vagina to a few new things every once in a while (meaning, once a season…at least)?
6. Give Your Vagina and Vulva a “Pamper Day” (Monthly)
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Pampering is about extending an extreme level of indulgence, kindness, and care to someone or something. Do you do that for your vagina? For instance, when was the last time that your vagina (and vulva) had its own pampering day? This can include DIY’ing a vaginal wash for your time in the tub, making a rosewater solution to soothe an irritated vulva, giving your vulva a bit of a massage or hell, or even taking a longer nap so that your vagina (and the rest of you) can destress?
It can’t be said enough that a lot of us confuse self-maintenance with pampering — so, when it comes to your vagina, think about something that you can do for it that goes above and beyond…and then, instead of second-guessing, just go ahead and do it!
7. Feed Your Vagina Well
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Your diet affects everything about you — your vagina is absolutely no exception. For instance, because I have a fungal sensitivity, I’ve had to cut down on dairy (I never really do milk, but I do dig ice cream and cheese) because…did you know that dairy (and sugar) can jack up your pH levels and make you more susceptible to vaginal yeast infections? Yup. Bottom line here is it’s hard for your vagina to trust you if you’re not feeding it right, and yes, there are foods that work for your vagina (check out “The Foods Your Vagina's Been Craving”) and foods that work directly against it (check out “Here’s What Your Vagina Wishes You Would Eat LESS Of”).
There are plenty of articles (like this one here and this one here) to support the fact that your diet directly impacts your mental and emotional health for better or for worse. It’s hard to be emotionally sound when it comes to any part of you if you’re not consuming what will ultimately benefit you — head to toe. So, get — and keep — that diet right.
8. Forgive Your Vagina
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Have you ever low-key been upset with your vagina and/or vulva before? Hell, I have. When I had a yeast infection that demanded antibiotics. When my vulva (the outer part of my vagina) is irritated, and I can’t seem to get to the root of why. Back in the day, when I was sexually active, and I felt like I let how my vagina felt about someone’s penis trump what my brain was telling me about the person’s character. I could go on and on.
And just like any other time when we hold unforgivingness in our being, those moments caused me to feel disconnected from my vagina (and vulva) — sometimes without me even realizing it. I wouldn’t be as gentle with her. I wouldn’t mind skipping a wax appointment or two. I would ignore her when she was sending me signs that I wasn’t feeding her correctly or that a body wash or brand of detergent was literally rubbing her the wrong way. I wouldn’t sex journal my way into some clarity and peace about my past sexual decisions.
A great “starter definition” of forgiveness is one that I share often. It’s by author Gary Zukav: “Forgiveness is accepting that the past can’t change.” If you know that you don’t feel as good about your vagina as you should, take some time out to do some writing on why. And if you discover that you’re harboring some negativity towards it on some level, get intentional about forgiving it — and yourself. Not only does forgiveness help to improve the quality of your health, but it also boosts your self-esteem and makes your life better overall.
As a bonus, forgiveness reduces stress — and the less stressed out you are, the more you decrease your chances of experiencing various types of vaginal infections.
9. Thank Your Vagina
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I don’t know about y’all, but me and my vagina have shared some good times. There have also been moments when I know that my diet and sleep patterns have been off of the chain, and the good bacteria up in there kept the bad bacteria from taking over. Not to mention that my periods have been pretty kind to me over the years. Yeah, my vagina also deserves a “thank you” — and so does yours. And here’s the thing about expressing gratitude: it literally helps you to feel more positive so that you can have healthier emotions and, ultimately, healthier relationships.
Being thankful also helps you to not take things for granted — and since vaginas help to make great sex possible, help to birth babies, and play a role in our cycles staying on track…when’s the last time you gave it a heartfelt thank-you for holding you down?
10. Don’t Stress Your Vagina Out
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Stress isn’t good for any part of your being. Mentally, it can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, and/or depressed, being unable to make clear decisions, having a low libido, being sleep deprived, and not being productive throughout the day. Physically, it can create muscle tension, put on pounds, increase your chances of having heart disease (and a heart attack), give you digestive issues, and impair your memory. Emotionally, you can find yourself being frustrated, easily distracted and not being able to relax. And your vagina? Well, I wrote an entire article on what can happen when it’s had it up to here (check out “Ever Wonder If Your Vagina Is Stressed TF Out?”).
As we close this out, nothing can thrive and flourish in the way that it was designed to if it’s stressed out all of the time — and sis, if you’re having lots of vaginal infections, if you’re struggling to stay lubricated during sex, if your menstrual cramps are more intense than usual, all of this could be due to the fact that you and your vagina are not as in sync as you both should be, due to the fact that stress is all up in the way. So yes, get more rest. Drink more water (and herbal teas). Treat yourself to a new pair of panties. And give this article another once-over.
Because take it from me: when you are proactive about giving your vagina the time, attention, and praise that it not only needs but deserves, it can’t help but cause your entire being to feel better. How could it not when your vagina is such an essential part of you? One that is definitely worthy of feeling deeply connected to the deepest parts of your being…at all times.
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