I woke up this day, disappointed, yes, because I really had anticipated a different outcome, but I was not dismayed. As a seasoned voter, I know, we, the people, are gonna make it, despite who the president of this country is. I knew another thing - that the candidate of my choice, Kamala Harris and her campaign, had done something remarkable, despite the election outcome. .She had reminded the U.S.A. of the importance of JOY and this impact is the behavior that's gonna carry us thru. The feeling of joy, has driven us for weeks, with a natural high because "joy" in our physicality actually changes our chemical output. Remember the song, "laugh and be happy?" Look at all of the studies that link laughter and oxygen, energy and vitality. PEW teaches the "many ways to breathe" to remind us, how easy it is to change our moods, find our joy, be more productive and heal ourselves, using joy created by breath. I read an article about how MAGA supporters' health have declined in many indicators, during this stressful campaign. I saw again how stress is the common denominator to some 60 or more common, disorders., like HBP, Heart, Stroke and Diabetes. So after so much divisive, ugly smears and, anger, in this campaign for so many weeks, with more difficult days ahead, we must breathe thru this time, to bolster our mind, calm our nerves, lower our stress level, cope with our mental health and keep joy alive which creates HOPE -- we are gonna make it thru no matter what it looks like no matter what the agenda of the day is......There is a Higher Power, so stay high, to stay connected on that "high level". Laugh and breathe along with me in the video below, to shake off any negatives you may be feeling right now. Find some hope and joy this day, because "PositivEnergyWorks" when we efficiently, ignite the power in the breath, think clearer and truly give thanks that we still have breath in our bodies to activate into constructive action. ." https://www.positivenergyworks.com/up-coming-events.html Consider breathing along with me often, on the PEW website "one minute" breath breaks" to keep your power strong, and teach others as we "breathe better, live better", to take concerted efforts to make this country work for us all. Anytime, 24/7, use our free to the public, "breathe along with me" space, especially, when you are feeling troubled about the direction of your life and the world, or maybe can't sleep or just need to "relax and breathe". https://www.positivenergyworks.com/breathe-alongbreath-basics.html www.positivenergyworks.com/breathe-alongbreath-basics.html PEW appreciates the opportunity to serve you in this space and your support to help this space stay available. with my deepest breath, Sekou Mama, Ayo Handy-Kendi, founder, Optimum LIfe Breathology, founder/director PositivEnergyWorks, founder/ Black Love Day, Certified Breathologist/wholistic practitioner 50+ years, founder, African American Holiday Association .. JOIN IN ON VETERANS DAY, 11/11 from 11 a.m. - 12 Noon, for a Discussion and Post election Communi-tea breathing with Mama Ayo and Sister Mēlani N. Douglass! https://events.humanitix.com/post-election-communi-tea-breathing-with-mama-ayo
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REMEMBERING MY OLDEST FRIEND AISHA AS SHE GOES ON HER FINAL JOURNEY by Sekou Ayo Handy-Kendi5/12/2024 With sincere Black Love and a heavy heart, I am posting this announcement, that.as a D C community we now must honor another native Washingtonian leader, long-time supporter of the African-American Holiday Association (AAHA), many other organizations; an activist for the homeless, a vocalist, photojournalist, and my sister from another mother - Darlene "Aisha" Dancy.-who left the body into Ancestry on May 6, 2024 She leaves behind her daughter, Sherita Owens who she adored, a large family, many friends and associates. Born on February 3, 1952, she was proud of her S.E beginnings, however, later found her "best life" by moving up-town, to N W, living in Adams Morgan and then Columbia Heights. In her apartment near Malcolm X Park, she quietly “went home”. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND LEGACY Aisha accomplished a lot in her lifetime, by founding the Friends of Howard Theater, Co-founded the D.C. Coalition for Housing Justice with Lester Cuffie, advocated for the under-served with establishing the D.C.Tenants Advocacy Office, provided leadership that lead to the D.C. Tenants Rights Law, created the Mayor Barry's Street Vendor's Commission, supported the African American Association's (AAHA) Youth Entrepreneur Program (YEP) for years, and much more. She was a published photojournalist for the Washington Afro, Proprietor of a business, “Dancy Products”, and a recognized Vocalist. Aisha was a "giver" who advocated for the homeless, the underserved and forgotten; her vending community; for artists, jazz musicians and WPFW Radio; and for jazz venues like HR57, Bus Boys & Poets, Jazz Night at Westminster Church and Moore’s Love & Peace.. Aisha was also a "real deal" friend, helping others so much that at times she denied herself. She was always willing to share resources “as information was power" she often quoted. And she would speak with strong passion to tell someone the "gospel truth" to right the right and forbid the wrong, but with that “big smile” of hers, she would then show just as much love and compassion, after her very “blunt” honesty”.. Aisha was an entrepreneur, using this gift often as a vendor, under the name Dancy Products.. She further, helped start the government indoor marketplace at the Labor Department that was replicated by many other D C government agencies, empowering countless vendors and their families. Aisha was featured in the Financial Times, selling buttons and tee shirts for Pres. Obama. Aisha was a "vendors" vendor, and her love for self-help and helping other vendors in their time of stress and need, was another way of "serving" . MY FRIENDSHIP WITH AISHA While we first meet at Sousa Junior High School in the ‘60’s, we re-met in the 70’s, helping Brother Adam sell straw hats on the National Mall Over the years, we would partner, to sell “glow lights”, buttons, tee-shirts and posters. 1982, when I started the African American Holiday Expo until 2005 when we stopped, and Aisha would help me set up the vendors, then set up her own booth .In 1989, I started the African American Holiday Association (AAHA) and for 5 years on Mother’s Day, she helped the AAHA YEP (Youth Entrepreneur Project) “sell flowers instead of drugs” eventually, we supported over 1500 D.C. youth. . As a friend and a volunteer she often sang at our AAHA expos, in D, C, Emancipation Day rallies, in our Million Women March programs and countless other programs. For over 50 years, we have hung together partied, protested, dealt with relationships and our children, did business, were confidants, healed each other and lived together during times of homelessness.. We loved each other as sisters, Many of our pictures together are in hard copy, and not on my phone, and wish that I could share these memories with you, but I.ve been tasked to write her obituary, and find the resources to help her on her final journey. Perhaps, by her 40 day Ascension, I will relocate these pictures and share them then.. The picture below I found on her facebook page. It was a picture she cherished. I was asked to serve as the Regional Coordinator for the D.M.V. for the 1997 Million Woman's March, and Aisha, I and many other powerful women, coordinated the LOC and spearheaded the movement in this area. Aisha was one of my 'captains" that kept it real. She was so there for me and was every vigilant in watching over this effort, to keep it righteous for all of "the sisters" who came together at our LOC headquarters on H Street. This picture is of us at one of the many MWM rallies we held at Plymouth Congregational Church. Seated from left to right: Darlene "Aisha" Dancy, Dr. Alese Gullatee, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing and myself, Ayo Handy-Kendi A memorable picture of some of D.C.'s most serious activist, from l to r: Darlene "Aisha" Dancy, Al Malik Farrakhan, his son Tarik, Joni Eisenbeg, Anise Jenkins, Elwood Yango Sawyer and Dr. Winston Kokayi Paterson. She could sing like an angel with her favorite cover, "On a Clear Day", or belt out a jazz rendition like "God Bless the Child". She was well known at venues for her vocals as well as for her wit, humor and political commentary ANNOUNCEMENT OF END OF LIFE SERVICES Aisha's home-going service occurred on Saturday, May 18 at the Universal Mortuary Service (UMS) at 411 Kennedy Street, N.W. The repast was held at Roots Activity Learning Center, #15 Kennedy Street, N.W. Final arrangements and Professional Service of Comfort have been entrusted to: Universal Mortuary Service (UMS) of 411 Kennedy Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. 2009, Sister Kasey Martin, 202-256-8952. Sister Kasey has been instrumental during this time of Aisha's transition to Ancestry Like many community organizers, who give so much to others, Aisha, was not able to afford life insurance policies. As the "beloved community, that she took care of, NOW, I.m asking that we take care of her. Sister Kasey, has been a total blessing in working with us, giving us time to raise funds for Aisha "final journey home" wishes. Services are planned for Monday, May 27, 2024 Please spread the word of this GoFundMe appeal for Aisha. Known as Darlene "Aisha" Dancy, Isha, Ms. Dancy, Dancy, Dancin'Darlene, here she is with her only daughter, Sherita, who she adored. Sherita found her mom in her apartment, after being missing for several days, and truly needs your prayers to overcome her trauma and grief. FUNDRAISING APPEAL Sherita and Aisha's family have asked me to assist in raising funds to lift the burden of her unanticipated passing, and I assure you it will be properly allocated. Please donate any amount and instead of flowers, send funds, Thank you for those who have donated previously and for those who can assist now as your donations for Aisha's final burial expenses can be sent to our GO FUND ME appeal at the following link: https://gofund.me/c8617af7 No donation amount is too small as collectively, each donation will add up to meet our goal. Aisha's daughter Sherita, her fiancee Tammy Allen, her family, long-time friend and partner Lester, and myself, her sister-friend of 60+ years, appreciate any and all acknowledgements of support "I believe in compassion, unconditional LOVE, and the willingness to serve the less fortunate. May GOD Bless us all, and Peace on Earth with goodwill to all souls. And, I'm Against the next War and the pollution of Planet Earth!...Amongst, other things. Stay Strong! " DANCYnDC. Rest in peace and power Spiritual Warrior Queen. Aisha. May Allah be pleased with your efforts.. You will always be remembered because you did so much to make it better for so many, and have left this world a better place. .
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT For more info call me, Ayo Handy-Kendi @ 202 667 2577 or email: [email protected] My Dad, Morrie I. Thomas, Jr. I dedicate this month to your birthday and your service. My Dad, married to my Mom for over 65 years, and transitioned at age 65 from brain cancer, HBP and gout. As wars are waging in various parts of the world, it is fitting that we pause a moment and appreciate the soldiers who serve their country. I'd like to show this appreciation through the healing tool, I.ve been blessed to share with by offering several breathing experiences throughout the gratitude month of November. While, I know that Veterans' Day was 11/11, I just found out the history of it on that day and why it is always on November 11th, instead of on various days of the week, like other holidays. Many people don’t know this and it’s actually a pretty interesting history. The Allied powers signed a ceasefire with Germany, thereby ending World War I, at 11 AM…on 11/11/1918. Got this info from Dan Altmire @ Dan Altmire <[email protected]>. Email him to get the entire scoop. Jabare Art Originals, is featured here, entitled " The Black Presence in the Military" just one of this series. . Order through PositivEnergyWorks, coming soon in our Marketplace. However, for me, Veterans Day is always the day before my Father's birthday, November 12th, so for years, I have celebrated Veterans' Day on November, 12th. My Dad, Morrie I. Thomas Jr,, was a veteran of World War 2 and a veteran of the challenges that happened to many Black families, who struggled during the depression years. . It took me years to forgive my father from the mental and physical abuse he inflicted on me. But, once I learned his childhood back-ground story I understood. His family was part of the great migration from the south to the north, and once arriving to D.C. from Rocky Mountain, N.C. he worked in low-paying factory jobs due to the industrial revolution in this country. His father and mother married young, moved to D.C., and due to his father's violent behavior fueled by alcohol, I was told, his Mom could not take it. She left his father and the household while he and his brother and 2 sisters were quite young. The abusive father then became abusive to him and his siblings and the cycle of abuse seems to have started here, before my Dad was age 7. At age 17, my Dad married my Mom, Doris Antoinette Mitchell, and was shortly after their marriage, was carted off to France to fight in World War 2, leaving behind his pregnant wife. .When he returned home two years later, he met his son Melvin, and had to quickly take on the responsibilities of being a father, a breadwinner and a husband. Yet, he carried the pain of killing others, seeing blown up bodies and soldiers tortured. Further, he had to deal with disillusion because the VA (Veterans Administration) never treated his tremors or night mares from what he experienced. So this mentally, fragile man from his early beginnings, turned to drugs - alcohol- to push down the Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) trauma of the ravages of war. . My Brother, Melvin M. Thomas, a veteran of Vietnam, also, struggled when he returned home with PTSD, alcohol and disillusion with medical issues with the V.A. He did find comfort in his jazz music collection, photography, and ,was quite successful in his work as a printer at Howard University. We still live with the mystery, that he passed away by suicide. So, the war compounded my Dad's dysfunctional early family life. He played out his illness, in various ways in which he verbally abused my brother, and showed mental, physical, emotional and sexual abuse on me, as a young girl. I.m. so grateful for breath techniques that helped me overcome the 45 years of in-the-closet substance abuse and 2 years of addiction, that helped me to cope by pushing down an anger that I didn't know the source of.. And, I dealt with years of depression - the anger towards him, turned inside towards "my person' , again not knowing this pain started as early childhood abuse was subconsciously repressed. "I had to breathe thru it to get to that which I had repressed and blocked". Today, after 25 years of addiction free living, I breathe with myself and all others, knowing the power of the breath and the techniques I have been taught.. I.m. not depressed anymore, either and express joy. Transformational breathing opened up and healed the subconscious memory where the root of my trauma started and once healed, the PTSD resolved. And a most amazing thing also happened - I was able to forgive my Dad, with a lot of compassion of what he went through to become who he became. Although he was blessed to have gotten his GI benefits, bought several homes, and got a good job in the government, where he worked until he retired, there was still holes in his psyche, he drank and I believe he carried a number of his "demons", to his grave at age 65. In my Dad's honor and in support of those veterans, who did not get the promised jobs, homes, or security when they returned home from war; who are fighting for their benefits; who are struggling to get the medical and mental health care they deserve; who are homeless; and who are demoralized and disillusioned that while they fought for their country, their country is not fighting for the quality of their lives-- we lift you up and salute you. We keep you in our prayers and in our hearts. For my Dad, my brother Melvin, Damani Handy, my 1st husband and father of our sons, my brother-in-law Warren, Mr. Davies and Mr. Handy, my father's in law, and countless veteran friends, I say "thank-you" with just a small gift of service in return for your service. I was given funds to offer to the first 10 Veterans a token of our appreciation. You are invited to email me at [email protected] and say, YES I want FREE ENTRY to the Zoom workshop entitled "Breathe Thru Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)" on Fri, November 17 @ 6 - 7:30 p.m. EST All who miss the Free entry, we ask that you pay what you can. (the discounted price for this BREATHE POSITIVE LOVE CIRCLE is regularly $33.00) Register closes by noon, Friday. Please, pre-register at: https://www.positivenergyworks.com/current-on-line-services-menu.html Email me also, so I can send you all of the details on how to prepare for this session of life-changing breathology/breathwork techniques to calm your nerves and relax your mind. If you have not gotten a response within 4 hours of your sending your email, please call me at 202-667-2577 to follow-up to ensure your email was received. And feel free to share this post. However the free entry offer is for 10 of our P.E.W. subscribers only. Remember, that "we" can breathe thru it to get through to the source of our pains. "If you are tired of the stress, tired of the pain, ready to heal, ready to change", please take this opportunity of healing and come breathe with me, Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou. With all of my Black Love, I affirm that I will hear from you this month Happy Birthday Daddy and Blessed Veterans Day to you and all who served. Cincinnati Black Veterans gather
Ayo's Covid Story - How I kicked Covid in 2023 Using Wholistic Remedies by Ayo Handy-Kendi11/2/2023 BLESSINGS AND GRAND RISING: I wanted to share this story right after I was rising from my COVID sick bed and quarantine. But, as usual, I jumped right back into my world, attempting to catch up from the 4 days of illness and the 10 days time that I quarantine myself. While I kept working on my business PositivEnergyWorks/AAHA at the computer, it was a mental shut-down, I allowed myself. I got very introspective about my life, my work, my desire to up-grade my home environment and my relationships with family and friends. So, here I am, more than a month later, writing this blog about my COVID experience while offering some advice for COVID prevention, not as a doctor, but as a breathologist/wholistic practitioner of 50+ years. Therefore, this is my disclaimer, that this blog is not medical advice, but my own opinions from my own studies and practices. Please use at your discretion and seek medical help as needed. MY COVID BACK STORY: I stayed, pretty much quarantined with my immune-compromised husband John, for almost 3 years of the 2019, Covid pandemic. I lived healthy and so did he, as Certified Breathologist, Sound Healers, and wholistic practitioners, doing our work from Zoom within our home. We never caught the virus. John made a decision to transition April 10, 2022 after 4 years of our wholistic treatments which overcame his "death diagnosis" of kidney failure, bladder cancer and prostrate enlargement. Instead all of these organs healed and rejuvenated through natural remedies that I administered and facilitated. Yet, John was tired and stopped eating and drinking and within weeks, he "crossed" over in a "good death" right in our homes, in my arms. By 2023, after a year of releasing my 22 years old marriage, I was just beginning to venture out more in the public to events and affairs, practicing "breathology/breathwork". HOW DID I CATCH COVID: On May 3, 2023, the date of my son in heaven's birthday, I facilitated a session in "breathology/breathwork" in Malcolm X park to a homeless man. He being very tall, and I.m. 5 feet, quite short, he looked upwards in my face, as he sat in my chair for the session. He became relaxed as most people do and began to talk very quickly. He spoke of how he had been hot and sick for about 2 weeks. Then, he described a fascinating story about his homelessness after being booted out of his native African country and his rich parents’ home, because of his gender preference for men. I listened so intensely to his story for about 15 minutes, and began to counsel him. During the whole time, I realized that I had forgotten to put my mask on. The very next day, I woke up with a sore throat, had a headache, body aches, felt tight constricted breathing, felt very lethargic and felt hot and sweaty, .I slept the entire day, waking up only to drink water and relieve myself. Over the years, I have rarely been sick, not even have had colds, so I figured it was COVID. By the 2nd day of much of the same symptoms, I gave myself a COVID home test and just as I speculated, it showed positive for COVID 19 . But, I didn’t care what the diagnosis was – I went into “ wholistic remedy action” taking what I have taken in the past when I have caught a “bug” or felt “out of balance”. . In 2019, pre-COVID days, standing among my great grand girls, to 2021 after COVID hit hard, masked and holding great-grandson,Raheem. Times really changed and we had to change with the times. WHAT DID I DO TO KNOCK OUT COVID; I took Moringa capsules and tea from Motherlands Gold Moringa, ordered through the Black Business Network. Moringa has 29 nutrients giving the body what it needs for optimum health. Instead of the daily recommended requirement, I tripled up, taking 9 – 12 capsules a day. and added ginger and lemon into the morning daily teas. I also took Chlophyl with Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) which boosted my strength. I drank Ms. Rebecca's ABC Aloe Vera, excellent for inflammation release and immunity building and much more; I rubbed Immune Boost 100% pure Essential Oil from Revive on my feet, and gave myself a reflexology treatment; I ate garlic and onions, in my green salads; . Also made a large pot of kale greens and made Fruit smoothies with natural juices that I juiced myself. If I could not have juiced, I would have used the most natural store bought juices. I added into my juices Moringa powder, spirulina, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea moss blended.well. .All of these nutrient rich foods and juices, made me have full bowel movements and kept up my strength;. I stayed properly hydrated all-day, sipping alkaline water and adding in the juices about 2’x a day; I knew the formula of how much water my body needs to be thoroughly hydrated. Plus, when you sweat out toxins, you have to replenish water; I took hydrotherapy baths with Epsom salt 2x’s a day. This helped the aches and pains. The water had to be pretty warm, Because I don’t have high blood pressure, and despite my being a “sage-ing baby boomer”, I made sure that the water was not too hot; I also sipped cool water while relaxing in the tub to keep the balance when I felt like I was gonna faint, since I was sweating out toxins so quickly; And as a Breathologist/Breathworker, I practiceed deep breathing using my diaphragm to increase my oxygen life-force on the cellular level for optimum healing, strengthening my immune system, supporting my lungs and detoxifying with every breath; Further, I used the “prone breath technique” which is deep breathing while laying on your stomach, which opens up the lungs. I used Pax Immune to fortify my immune system, renown for pushing viral issues out, quickly. To contact any of these vendors or suppliers, feel free to check out the P.E.W. website or give me a call. .HOW LONG WAS MY COVID IMBALANCE?: By the 3rd day of laying around my bedroom, I felt a little weak and my legs were wobbly. However, I felt that my room needed to be cleaned and I pushed myself to get up and started moving furniture around and actually rearranged the room. This “push” was exercise for me after laying around, It made me feel energized and productive. By Friday, the 6th day of my exposure to COVID, after giving myself many wholistic remedies, I was up and about. I felt strong enough to drive myself about 22 miles to my closes CVS pharmacy clinic to take their rapid response COVID lab test. It again confirmed positive for COVID 19. While still hard for me to believe, as I mentioned, I seldom have been ill in my 72 years -- I accepted the diagnosis and continued to rest and pace myself, for another .4 days. . I wore a mask around my house to protect my grandsons and great grandchild who live with me, isolating myself most of the time in my upstairs dwelling, But, I did go out to do a wholistic presentation with WPFW Radio, on that 7th day, based on the CVS physicians' belief that if I felt okey, go for it. I also went grocery shoping, keeping my distance and yes, I wore my mask to protect others. I realized what I had realized in the first COFID wave – that when you wear a mask, breathing is harder to do. So, I put a little, tiny drop of Reive’s organic peppermint oil into the far side of the mask which helped with the circulation within the mask. Had to be careful not to get it into my eyes. As I wore my mask, I did something else – I took it off, whenever I felt I was in a “safe zone” which was outside, away from people and close to nature. Certified Breathologist Elaine Williams breathing in our community Capitol Heights on World Breathing Day, April 11, 2021. Check out WBD, 2024. I AM BLESSED NOT TO BE HAVING LONG COVID SYMPTOMS I read that millions of people are reporting that they are experiencing “long COVID symptoms, so I.m. grateful that I.m. not. I believe, my wholistic remedies and practices, pushed out the virus quickly, instead of taking the conventional medicine, which would have suppressed the virus, within my system to cause havoc on it. I felt strong and well by day 10 of my exposure, and only noticed a thickness in my throat which disperses after drinking a hot cup of tea in the morning. I also have been gargling with apple cider vinegar with water, and this has aided that concern immediately. I continue to supplement my vegetarian diet with all of the same, wholistic remedies, I used to kick the Covid virus out of my system. To connect with Long-Covid support groups, we have been working with a few over the internet. WHAT DID I LEARN FROM MY COVID IMBALANCE: While things are going well for me, I must share with anyone who wants to hear me, what I have learned.. Upon telling a friend my Covid story, he said " only the Angels get COVID", While continuing to be a "good somarathon", now, I'm more conscientious of my own self-care while in the public and while helping others. I’m saying “NO” more often as a means of pacing myself and honoring that I can’t help anyone else, if I.m. not feeling my best. I.m. more “mindful” of my surroundings. If I notice a person sneezing, coughing, or nose running, I.m. moving away from that person. And I have avoided events that are jam-packed with people or that have little distance space between the people. Further, I.m. more determined to "live life to the fullest" desiring not to just live a long life, but a healthy long life until my last breath. Thank you for the opportunity to share.. Breathe Better, Live better, If you are struggling with COVID breathing issues, or any breath related issue, trauma, stress or emotional concerns - the first thing I.ve learned, is to look at how effective you are breathing. Let me help you "relearn how to breathe for better life, help, work and longevity".tm www. PositivEnergyWorks.com or call 202-667-2577.
It's hard to believe that it's been 6 months since I have spoken to the positive people on this list serve. I’ve had to grow, glow, shift from a deep depression, and then climb out and then next moment, repeat the same steps. It's been a ride, just like on a roller coaster, up and down, around and around. Today, I affirm that I.m. back AND I am not holding my breath. But thanks to the Creator, I.m. still breathing through my grief, and taking it one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time and this is how I.m. pushing through grief, to heal the feelings. ,I've read a lot about grief. As a degreed counselor, I.ve had to listen to many people share their grief with me. I.ve held their hands, hugged them while crying hysterically, and have stood at gravesites of sisters who have lost their sons, and breathed with them to calm them down to not jump into the grave out of grief. I.m also, not a personal stranger to grief. I've had to deal with the loss of several pets as a child; my 17 year old son, Rashid; my 1st husband, Damani; his parents who transitioned 1 month to 2 months respectively after him; his grandmother; my father; then my brothers Melvin and Maurice, both leaving from serious unexpected circumstances. After several years of care taking, my mother transitioned at age 92 and I heard her take her last breath at her home. My sisters and I organized her home-going celebration based on her wishes, and it was a true celebration of her life. She is not the only person, that I.ve shared the last breath with, and it is quite an honor to be an assistant in this process of "dying", just like it's amazing, to help birth a baby as they take their first "living" breath. I lost count of how many associates, that I knew, who crossed over from COVID. Then, in 2021-22, I experienced my Sistah-friend's daughter's transition, then my nephew, Michael, then John, my husband of 22 years. You would think that you get used to the fact, that we are all going to go down this road, someday. For some, sooner than others, but eventually this is our destiny. So, as I handled John's memorial services, then his ascension service, similar to taking care of my mother's final affairs, I noticed something about me. Here I was, handling all of the phone calls, unannounced visits, social media exchanges and blessings of support in every way - flowers, money, plants, sea-moss, and an amazing blessing in which my yard was totally transformed, yet, I found myself, taking care of the business of "putting away the dead", but NOT attending to me and my true feelings. I "numbed" them by holding my breath. I pulled out my "ole" happy pipe to smoke away the pain, as this addictive behavior, had been my coping support, off and on, for over 40 years. But in the last stressful, 2 years I had quit, again.. Now, my emotions were upside down, turned around and I was spinning like a top. My empathetic self felt overwhelmed and burnt-out. Then, several family members came at me for the "things" of our life, and the sense of disappointment and betrayal, was soooo painful, that it ripped at my soul. My person, said to me, "time to slow everything down and "just allow yourself to dwell in your feelings". But the final blow, that bought me to the door of deep depression, was that my son, got arrested and detained. Aw man, I said to myself, "what next?" I spoke to the emptiness of not having my husband, friend and partner around. I spoke to the disconnection that had been created in the family and got so angry as this hurt felt like I had been beaten up. When I couldn't believe what I was facing, my depression sunk in deeper and I turned on the t.v. As I sat in front of the t.v., staring at Netflix and Amazon Prime trailers, spending more than an hour, attempting to find a movie that would not make me think of how low I was feeling, it came to me that I was "disassociating" from my real feelings. I was getting into the movie version of other people's lives and problems, and not attending to mine. Disassociation, merely distracts our attention, and prolongs our getting to the bottom of our real concerns. But, I knew about this.....isn't this what I usually share with my clients? How often have I said to them, "what you resist, persists". So, I stopped resisting, my "blues"'. and instead accepted that I felt crappy and didn't desire to feel my usual joy. I looked at a whole lot of movies, that reminded me of all of my situations, my feelings and I just cried and cried, until I couldn't. And I let the phone messages go unanswered, as I decided that it was best not to work, so I simply breathed with ME. I faciliitated my own "transcendence breathwork" session on me, where I screamed, kicked, tore at my clothes, shook uncontrollably and breathed in a connected way for over 45 minutes. John and I had developed this practice, having watched the way Africans, Middle Easterners and Indigenous people more often than we in the West, allow their pain to show and release, in very dramatic, expressive ways. Boy, did I release some "stuff" in that session. Well, after a month and 1/2, as I kept focusing on my breathing and my crazy movies, I got tired of being "sick and tired". The clouds began to lift. I cleared the message unit. I pushed myself to work with several of my contracts. I got up, turned myself around and started anew. Turned the distractions off. Pulled out my "Breathe and Stop Smoking Naturally Pamphlet", and started the process of detoxing again. And I just breathed, and the breath shifted and elevated my Spirit to forgive all whom I felt had hurt me.
Since, I started "rising", like the phoenix from the ashes, I've been able to envision new breathshops and new directions for PositivEnergyWorks. Check out the Up-Coming Events section https://www.positivenergyworks.com/up-coming-events.html of our website to see the wonderful activities that I.ve come back to involve myself in. I thank all of you who have been here for me and mine. I love you so. Your support and patience, will never be forgotten. Thanks to the Most High and the breath of life, we are given......I'M BACK. www.PositivEnergyWorks.com "Good Day" is the greeting John taught me and this became "our" daily acknowledgement for a new day. He also would greet me with "Happy Black Love Day", so I.m. using both these greetings, as I speak to you, while remembering him. Some of you may already know of John's transition on Sunday, April 10, while for others, this may be the first time that you have heard. This is perhaps, one of the hardest announcement that I have had to make. I.m. so apologetic to announce it via email, but his passing was not expected, and it has taken me this amount of time to process it, and plan a ceremony fitting for the extraordinary person that he "is". John practiced his spiritual walk in many ways and he was truly a non-traditional person, whose unique life was filled with creativity, and never dull. I.m. so grateful that we had 22 years of marriage, partnership and community-building together. Many of you have been a part of our life in some special way. John and I have been on a healing journey, since 2018, and I believe, in the week of April 5- 10, 2022, he made a conscious decision to go "home" by stopping many of the healing protocols we had been successfully using. "He did it his way", and passed away suddenly, at our home. It has been hard to process, however, I.m. grateful that he is now an Ancestor, free of ill-health and the many aspects that healing, brings into your life. Doctors, hospitals, lab tests, surgery and discomfort, were extremely difficult for him, as he had not had to deal with these things, most of his very healthy life. John was quite a private person, so now, he is free. Knowing, so many people, it has been overwhelming to individually reach out to everyone, which is what I attempted to do, at first. I affirm that you will understand, why eventually, I had to email the announcement and then go to social media.
Processing the passing of a loved one is not easy. You end up dealing with other people's emotions, who are still grieving, so it.s challenging to get to your own grief as you share your story. There has also been an outpouring of support, and while grateful, it's just a lot of energy that you have to absorb. Thank Allah, for the breath, as I.m. truly breathing through this time, and it has helped me sooooo much. I again thank everyone, for their kind words and sincere gestures. I.ve heard the statement over and over, "sorry for your loss", so I.ve replied, "John is not lost, really he is quite present in Spirit now, and my newest Ancestor". I.m. grateful that he is free of his "worn" body and my Angel in life, is now my Angel on high. One day at a time, we are ascending higher. Always sending you our Black Love. Ase It's 23 days into the new year, 2022, and I.m. so grateful that I made it through 2021, especially the end of the year. Always a challenge, the end of the year with it's holiday messages of "be merry" and "get and give the perfect gift", don't elevate me, but make me depressed. I admit this to you, my community and stand authentically, to say, "thank God, I made it through another year-end holiday season, intact, because I followed my feelings and accepted my low feelings and just allowed them. I didn't push away the feelings of being depressed, but instead just flowed with the flow of them...the ups and downs; the missing my grands due to the quarantine; and celebrated only when I really felt up to it. That meant missing my beloved Kwanzaa events, which I rarely do, but in 2021, I didn't even put up my Kwanzaa rituals table. Nope, just didn't feel like it. So, come New Year's day, when I didn't get not one call from my son or grands, in our customary "Happy New Year's greeting", I instead did my own tradition. At 12 midnight, while my husband slept, I was on my knees, thanking the Creator for making a way out of no way in 2021. Thanking the Creator for keeping me safe and healthy. Giving praise for just the many blessings that I DO HAVE. And I cried for those who lost loved ones and I thought of how much I missed my Mom, who loved to sit and watch the fireworks to mark the start of the new year. I turned on the t.v. and watched the firework displays from around the world and felt good, like WE were watching them, as we had done many a year. Then, I put on a pot of Black-eyed peas, a Black people's end of year tradition, but don't know why, but did it with the affirmation, that "this will bless my household and bring us great luck in the new year. By 2:00 a.m. I was asleep. Well, this was my end of year and the beginning of my new year. New Year's Day, I sat around and had a "movie marathon", I call it. I didn't again tune into the Zoom, last day Kwanzaa event that I love and customarily do. I honored that I just didn't feel like it. I also usually write my resolutions for the year. Instead, I read an article that spoke about the low value that we give to these resolutions to ourselves. The article suggested we come up with a word that would be our affirmation or our mantra for our new year. I reflected in meditation and breathed slowly, and the word came up in my consciousness - EXPANSION. I started chanting, "in 2022, it's time to EXPAND YOU". This affirmation made such sense to me and I vibrated with anticipation. You see, I.ve been in a COVID self-quarantine lock-down since March, 2019.. I.ve missed my grand-children's birthday parties and events, friends gatherings, and special events. When I do go out, I mask up and do social distancing seriously, to go grocery shopping or go to the bank. In December, I actually allowed myself to go get medical examines and actually ventured out to the funerals of my favorite, Aunt Audrey, and Cousin Langston. I’m not alone in my self-quarantine. I found out that many other unvaccinated people, have found this to be the way to cope with these COVID times we live in. I'm not trying to get vaccinated with what is being offered, and I.m. not getting infected by hanging out in crowds, small or large, therefore, I stay at home, build my immune system and take my Pax Immune for protection when I go out. . I'.m. not advocating for no one but myself, but I.ve been fine with this, don't have any feelings of COVID burn-out and actually have gotten a lot done. The cold, snowy weather in the D.M.V. has made it quite comfortable to "cocoon" in, but something started stirring within me. But, when Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday rolled around mid-January, and I was still having movie marathons- Dr. King and Sydney Poitier movies - I knew, it was time to shake myself back from all of this isolation. How am I gonna expand, if I don't get moving?. And so I picked myself up, and dusted myself off, and started all over again, with the refrain - EXPANSION. How can I expand in a time of isolation? What do I need to do to be a better expanded me? How can I EXPAND to the heights I truly am inspired to go?
Breathing more; Moving more; Cleaning up more of my clutter; More quality time with myself in self-reflection; More quality time with the people I love, on the phone or zooming; Walking my dogs and training them; Saying "no" to the things I really don't want to do and being intentional in my own planning towards the things that inspire me; Expanding my self-care as my self-love, accepting that I must take care of me, before caring for anyone else. Really taking all those vitamins and fixing new menus, trying out never tasted foods. Going to bed and taking a day-time nap to feel refreshed when I awaken at 4 a.m. Putting on nice clothes just to lift my Spirit. Expanding my creativity; Working smarter, not harder for more creative time; Expanding my efforts by creating a team. Completing some projects that are calling me to complete them and expanding into some ventures that have been "down-loaded" into my consciousness. As we come into February, 2022, I.m. "waking up" to EXPAND. As the song says, "this girl is on fire". Come expand with me, if you too are ready in 2022 to Expand YOU. "".".My Mom in the last months of her life, hanging with me at the opening of the African American Museum in D.C. and her last public picture at the D.C. Senior P agent.
It would be many days of concern as we saw our Mom turn from a healthy senior with no serious health issues, to a shadow of herself, as she literally willed herself to die. She actually begged God to take her home. And, she was so ready....had written all of her obituary, had paid for most of her expenses, and helped me and my two sisters plan her "great home-going EVENT" she called it. She was 92 at her passing, and her contributions in making a better world, was a glowing testament of a life worth-lived. Her home-going was exceptional, just as she planned, with an entire community coming out to say, "thank you Ms. Thomas for a life-well-lived.".. One of her biggest contributions was her involvement as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society and October was “a very important” time for her. My Mom, at age 17 and at age 91. My Mom, became afflicted with breast cancer, in 1965, the year before I graduated from middle school and I became part of her “care-taking team.”. MY Dad found her lump, and he often bragged about this. Despite it being a small tumor, it resulted in surgical removal of her left breast (radical mastectomy) and all the lymph nodes under her armpit. After undergoing 45 radiation and chemotherapy treatments, my Mom realized her deep desire to help other women who faced the same challenges. She joined the “Reach To Recovery Program” of the American Cancer Society, visiting in hospitals and homes of countless, women, supporting , praying and motivating them right after their breast cancer surgeries. Eventually she became a spokesperson, featured on radio, television, and in public advertisements on behalf of the Society, encouraging women that “there is life after cancer”. For her consistent volunteerism, she was awarded the American Cancer Society’s most prestigious recognition, The Bartlett Award, named for one of their pioneers. Although 7 years after her breast removal, she developed cancer in her hips, and again managed radiation but also incorporated a new paradigm shift in her personal treatment. She said that I had motivated her to use more natural approaches. So, she stopped smoking, became vegan, attended yoga classes, started breathing with me, and did lots of walking, stretching and danced. Mom acclaimed, in later years, that she had survived cancer for over 49 years by living a wholistic life-style of increased breathing for greater relaxation, moving, and limited medicines. While, I was drawn to a wholistic lifestyle as early as 1970 at age 19, due in part to wanting to be a good example for my Mom’s health, I remember as a young child that I was destined to pursue this lifestyle. I was pushed into eating meat, yet was very sensitive to the fate of animals being killed for us to eat them. I remember being terrified, watching a restaurant cook boil some crabs, while they were alive, and feeling the crabs' pain. I was really into nature, plants, talked to trees, and dis-liked violence of all kinds despite my being a tom-girl who loved to physically, tackle down my older brothers on the football field. Quite an introvert, shy, a reader, a writer of poetry, observant, and super sensitive, I felt the inter-relationships of everything, especially people and their emotions. This empathic nature was recognized by my Mom early on, who was quite similar in nature, and she became my best friend and role model.. From this empathic framework as a helper and a care-taker, I wanted to know how my calm, always in control, small-framed, Mom, attracted cancer in the first place, why did it come back and what this imbalance of cancer, was really about? I questioned the tension that I felt in my family, despite moments of love and laughter, and I really noticed tension in my body and holding my breath, whenever I was around my Dad. I remember being quite young when began to notice that he would drink something that made his behavior change, and next he would be asleep at the dinner table. I would wake him up and help him into bed. I thought that my Dad was just overly, tired when he fell asleep at the table. As my Mom was getting back on her feet from her first cancer, she started working again in the day, while my Dad worked evening shifts, both federal. government workers. With their work schedule, I was given the responsibility of helping my younger sisters, 12 and 10 years younger than myself, having to miss many after-school extra-curricular activities.. I grew into adolescence, care-taking my Dad, and in some ways my Mom, too.. As the middle-child, it seemed like I was always the “peace-maker”.. I was “wired” to be a helper and by age 15, I declared I wanted to be a social worker. But, there was an undercurrent that was not peaceful and I started feeling the tension in my family, more and more. My Dad, sitting alone at the dinner table having his "drink", seemed “different" after a while, going from being a joking, caring person to a person who would tease me harshly, saying unkind things about my crooked teeth comparing me to the cartoon character “Mickey Mouse”.. He made negative statements about my curly, frizzy hair, my dark-brown skin color, my thin frame, like my Mom's and as I grew breast, sexual remarks about my body. He would give us "pocket change" he called it, then demand it back. .He was nice-nasty, and you never knew what to expect from him. I often clung to my Mom, who would tell him to leave me alone, but then he would turn on her with unkind words. I believe, because my Mom had so much grace about her, with a quiet presence, she could quietly and firmly put you in place, which is often how I remember, she handled my Dad during these increased rants. You seldom heard her raise her voice, nor even show anger. One day, I saw him standing over her on the stairs to their bedroom, screaming in a nasty rage, and she actually took her cigarette out of her mouth, and without a word, put it to his arm and burned him, backing him off. My Dad, quite handsome in his uniform in World II, as a young kid of 17, When I look back at my Mom, her manner of dealing with my Dad, must have created a strained peace that went on for years, and that this internalized stress, anger and frustration, eventually became the emotional root of the imbalance from which the serious illness of cancer came from. My Mom survived, ironically, with the help of my Dad, who also was nice-nasty with her, nurturing and loving one moment, then verbally abusive the next. As I matured, Dad became more verbally abusive and sexual in his language towards me and my girlfriends. However, one day, he made sexual remarks about me, to a male friend, breaking into our phone call. When I confronted him, he physically slammed me into a wooden dresser, then began to beat me, until my brothers stopped him. Totally fed up with pain, I decided to run away from home, to get away from my Dad, leaving out to New York with no plan or connections, which meant, I came right back home after my weekend retreat. I was age 17. By age 19, I ran away again, this time to Okinawa, to marry my high school sweetheart who had joined the Air Force to get out of his toxic home environment and here, we were introduced to smoking marijuana, dropping pills, drinking and using substances for recreation.. Returning home after 9 months, I pursued my dream of working with people, and went to college to become a human services professional and my husband, Damani, went to work in the federal government at a job, he didn't like. By the 3rd year of our marriage, I realized that I was re-creating the relationship I had grown up with, watching my Dad and Mom. As drugs and drinking became the “third party” in our relationship, I had a health scare, as my breast thickened, and test showed that I too was at risk for breast cancer. I was truly into wholistic health now, and at the same time, was incongruent with self-abusive behavior with drugs and alcohol. I spoke to Mom to probe deeper into her early childhood, in order to discover how the seeds of her emotions had played into her journey with cancer, to better understand my body. She shared that while born and raised in Washington, D.C., her grandparents had struggled to leave the South, Rocky Mountain, N.C. so her Mom dealt with serious poverty during the “Great Depression” of the ‘30’s. She had one brother, Gilbert Mitchell, who was 8 years older than her. Because her Dad, left his wife, son and my Mom when she was only a year old, her brother ended up serving as her father figure. I believe, he must have been a good guy, who loved jazz, dressing dapper, who worked as a porter at the Supreme Court. It is from him that my Mom gained a positive perspective about men and parenting skills.. Sad, I don't know his first name, but this is My Mom's father, Mr. Mitchell. Years later, her Dad came back to the family, just as mysteriously as he left. At the end of the week of his return, he passed out while walking with my Mom, and died that evening. Mommy shared with me, that she did forgive her Dad after he died, for abandoning her Mom and she often spoke about how forgiveness had taught her one of her most valuable lessons in her life, yet she also talked about the resentment she felt, in that she did not really know her father. and that she knew her Mom struggled. On February 14, 1943, Doris became the wife of Morrie Ignatius Thomas, Jr., my Dad. He was a neighborhood, determined young man, who saw my Mom walking down the street and went home to his mother, and told her, that he had met his future wife. Mom shared that he pursued her assertively, with a determined, "you are the one" attitude. They married on Valentine’s Day, after a whirlwind 3 months courtship and they remained together for over 53-years, until his death. From their union, five children were born and two did not come to term. I was the 3rd born of this family. World War II interrupted their new marriage, and when my Dad returned from his post in Europe, my Mom had, like her Mom, served as Mom and Dad to their first born, who was 3 years old by the time our Dad came back stateside. Dad returned home an alcoholic, traumatized from the death, destruction and racism he faced in the war. Doris and Morrie were uniquely different, yet, they worked together despite their differences and many challenges, providing a loving, fun, creative and always exciting family life. So while my Dad, reminded me of "Papa was a Rolling Stone", who worked diligently at his government job for over 30 years, he partied just as hard. My Mom always reminded me of the song, "I'm Every Woman" because she was so vibrantly interested in so many things and pursuits. Since their interests were so at conflict, my Dad had the good sense to NOT curtail his Doris, who was not to be contained, like women often were at that time in the 30's- 50's. My amazing Mom would eventually achiever her dreams to be an actress, a writer and publisher of her poetry and plays; organized and directed a local theater company at age 65 that won national awards for over 25 years; danced, sang, modeled, went to Africa at age 84; and got an honorary PHD in Theater Arts. Not only was her volunteerism noted, but she won many other recognitions, along with being the comforter of so many.. Her bestowed African name "Mother Hajari Kendi, "queen mother of us all". was one such honor to her Spirit. My Mom was a role-model for many-a Diva, a Queen and a counselor as a great friend As Dad would be coming home from the after-hours club, Mom would be heading out to church, as it became clear they weren't "spiritually yoked".. She started out at a Baptist church, but left in turmoil and became a member of her catholic church in Southeast, Washington, D.C, the working-class side of the city. For 50-years, she served as a member of the solidarity and the choir. She loved her church home, but also would attend other spiritual and religious services always willing to seek “God” in many mansions". I loved that she went to a Buddhist Temple, a Mosque and services at the Nation of Islam, with me, as my spirituality expanded. My father, would only pray when encouraged over a meal, and never went to any religious services, but he would help many and this perhaps was his spiritual work.. More often than not, my Mom went her way and my Dad his, but we saw more of their unified actions as they worked through their many ups and downs, including her serious health challenge with breast cancer, than his illnesses, as he succumbed at age 62, to brain and prostrate cancer, HBP, obesity, gout and alcoholism. She had weathered his extra-marital affairs, too, and seemed not surprised when a 13 year-old, showed up at his funeral stating she was his daughter. Seems my Dad had been seriously, abused as a child by his parents, and hurt people tend to hurt people, so my Mom, quietly put up with a lot of abuse from him, to keep our family together.. We were together on the outside but not whole on the inside. Pictures on the wall of Mom's home of her and Dad 1996 At age 26, a lot of my family’s history and emotional dysfunction came crashing down on me. I held my breath a lot, felt numb, disconnected from my body, and felt angry a lot and wasn’t clear about what I was angry about. I was serving as a counselor, during, social justice work and cultural activism and actually thought I was “pissed” about all of the racism, inequality, poverty and human rights abuses that I was confronting. I started having a health crisis with an intrauterine device infecting my fallopian tubes and the walls of my breast thickened. I was scared that I was getting breast cancer, and went to the hospital for the required tests. Then, I took myself into therapy to gain greater insight into why was I so unhappy in my home, with my husband, Damani, a man, similar to my Dad. He was a good man, who was also emotionally abusive because he would shut down, not talk for weeks to punish me, creating distance as he physically became absent in our relationship, With both of us dependent on substance abuse, I found myself seriously depressed... I was also having issues with allowing myself to be sexual with him, despite having 2 sons. The therapist asked me, “did I think that I had been raped or sexually abused as a child”, to which I emphatically said “Oh no way”.but did tell him that my Dad made sexual and nasty remarks about me. As we talked, he helped me see how my substance abuse was an attempt to cope with anger and diagnosed that the mental health issue of depression, comes from anger that you turn on yourself. After that session, when Damani would "disconnect", I became angrier and the drinking and drugging increased. After 9 years, I left this marriage. Changing my mind-set, my habits, and the suppressed anger that I felt from emotional abuse, I believe helped stop the thickening walls in my breast, I did not incur cancer and I took more self-care time. But, I continued to attract other disconnected, relationships, very much like the pattern I saw in my Mom and Dad and each time, I would attract a major illness. My gall bladder enlarged, almost burst and had to be removed with relationship No.2 that lasted close to 8 years; Then a small tumor was found in my breast, with my 3rd relationship, to a man, I married from another state, not knowing him well and whose troubled past haunted our lives for over 6 years during the “crack-cocaine” epidemic in D.C. By now, I.m really into wholistic health, and have gained several certificates in various forms of “breathwork”. I realize now the correlation between emotions and health, so I do a deep dive into breathing, meditation, watched my anger, and worked with my diet. The tumor goes away, once I address how traumatized I felt chasing this man down, in “crack houses”, and being physically and verbally abused in the streets of our home-town. Then, my son Rashid was killed at age 17 (another story), and 2 years later, my Dad laid dying with brain cancer. Again, I.m. depressed, angry beyond rage, and can barely breathe. The walls of my breast begin to thicken again, and I.m. told that I should consider some type of invasive treatment for the issue. Instead, I take a course, in 1996, in a different, breathing method, called conscious –connected breathing, and get certified as a Transformational Facilitator. This training uncovered and released all the stuck, suppressed emotional anger and subconscious memory of trauma stored within. After 3 sessions, in which I kicked, screamed and fought off something, the 4th session revealed that I had been fighting off my Dad. I reclaimed the image of him coming into my bedroom after his evening work shift to touch my breasts, fondle me with hugs and kisses and put me on his private area to "ride" him up and down. The trauma of this behavior, for an 8 year old, who silently dealt with these sexual acts, until I was almost age 13 was too much for my young mind to handle, so my mind blocked them out on the conscious level to be stored as stuck energy on the sub-conscious level. Yet, the trauma laid frozen in my neural pathways, showing up as numbness, anger, guilt and shame turned upon myself which lead to depression. I only felt stimulated and alive as I coped by drinking and drugging and I learned that energy never dies.. Sekou Ayo breathing away "stuck energy" in the heart and gut area. This discovery at age 40 something, was life-changing for me, as I felt liberated, restored and transformed from years of held trauma, and I made a commitment to myself to keep up my own personal sessions. Thank God I discovered, conscious connected breathing, along with other breathing techniques, cathartic movements, release work, journaling and disconnecting from the negative energies around me, as all of these modalities sustained me to cope effectively with a succession of adversities within a 6 years span.. My first husband, Damani, who when we divorced, became one of my best friends., died at age 50, after a long illness connected with his years of substance abuse. Then his mom, my mother-in-law and his dad, my father-in-law passed one month apart from each other. Because the deaths were so close together, there was no time to change legal paperwork, which cause mass confusion which eventually lead to the eviction from their house and eventual homelessness twice. Then, I dealt with incarceration of my second son; and the deaths of many of his friends. I would later have to breathe through the untimely deaths of both my brothers and the divorce from my 2nd husband. By then, I was working and breathing with hundreds of thousands around the world on radio, t.v., in print and in private practice, using my own system of breath techniques, called Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B.) which included conscious –connected breathing. At this writing, I.have been addiction free now for over 25 years and in this time, have weathered the ups and downs of my 4th marriage with my addiction-free, husband John. I;.ve had no more breast concerns and no major health issues. My other best friends, my sibblings, Donna, Maurice, Melvin, Maria and me .I have also been able to forgive my Dad, who I don’t demonize, but had to be truthful to myself and to my community, that his emotional pain caused serious damage to me, and my family. I found out, that he also inappropriately touched and made sexual advances to other members of our family and to some of my friends. I started speaking on radio about my personal journey as I studied more about trauma and breathed more, gaining greater insights. In the last years of my Mom’s life, I shared that I had been verbally, mentally and sexually abused by my Dad, her husband, just so I could be authentic and truthful to her during a family gathering. Somehow, the issues of sexual abuse and domestic violence was raised as the root concern of her breast cancer, my scares with breast cancer and my mental health concerns with chronic stress, depression and addiction. Instead of "stuffing" it down and hiding it, this time, I shared the painful story.. My Mom’s eyes teared up, as she admitted that she often suspected that her husband had done “terrible things” to me, and to others, and she often questioned had she done enough to protect us, as she realized that 4 of her 5 children had, had difficulties with some sort of self-abuse with drugs and alcohol, along with relationship dysfunctions. She apologized for not doing all that she could, and described that in those days, within African American communities, there were many “hidden secrets” of sexual abuse; emotional, physical and mental acts of domestic violence; as well as all levels of child molestation. My Mom thanked me for going public with this issue and encouraged me to continue, even if it meant exposing our Dad’s reputation. In her name, I continue to share my story and hers, so that the truth may set us all free, not only during the October month of Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness month, but as often as I.m. able to speak up for survivors, the voiceless and those who are seeking remedies for the emotional link to their health concerns. Every October, I thank my Mom, for giving me permission to share freely, as we are still saving lives, helping many become more than survivors, but “thrivers”.. Here is an article on the emotional link to breast cancer that I found very helpful, and felt that it should be shared http://www.naturalhealthjourneys.org/2018/02/24/breast-cancer-emotional-health/ Breathology has taken us to 8 countries and 7 U.S.A. states. We have "breathed" with millions over the media changing lives, as people change how they breathe. As I have continued to help millions on radio, t.v., in print and on stage as a Breathologist and Breathwork facilitator, presenter, and workshop leader, I have been so blessed to share my story of the connection between our breathing and our emotions, health; addictions, domestic violence, conflict resolution de-escalation and cultural, intergenerational, collective trauma. I share here, my personal story, to say, I.m. so thankful to the Creator for blessing me with a solution and a tool to open up suppressed emotional energy blocks before they become illnesses. Through my wholistic service, PositivEnergyWorks, we offer on-line courses, certifications, on-line presentations and telehealth in Transcendence Breathwork and my signature O.L.B. system to also advance our healing with 60 or more, stress-related, oxygen deprivation, mental health disorders. We encourage you to breathe better to live better as “the simplest thing we can do to make the most critical impact on our Spirits, Minds and Bodies". I share from experience and training, that "you must feel it to heal it". By simply changing our breathing to change our out-comes, we eliminate long-held, unconscious painful cellular memories that are emotionally and physically toxic. Using breathing as a self-care, tool is free, always available and accessible 24/7, so now, in the times we live in, we encourage you to Breathe Better to Live Better because there is “power in the breath”. Come breathe with us, to regain your power and PositivEnergy to become more than a “survivor” advancing as a “thriver”. ATTEND her signature training course, WOMEN BREATH AWAY TRAUMA, REAWAKEN TO SELF-LOVE on October 16, 2021. Contact 202-667-2577 or visit: www.PositivEnergyWorks.com. Ayo Handy-Kendi is an internationally renown, Certified Breathologist, Laughter Yoga Teacher/Leader with 50+ years of wholistic health, counseling and social justice experience; CEO/founder of PositivEnergyWorks, Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B) and Black Love Day, Feb. 13. She is an author, speaker, workshop leader, cultural/spiritual facilitator and storyteller. She is a Wife, friend, partner, sound-healer/composer with John Davies 3 of Earth Love Tune-Up Crew (ELTUC) and Mother and Grandmother to 22 grands and 10 great-grands. She and John were born in D.C., currently living in Capitol Heights, Maryland with their 4 dogs. She is a survivor who is a “thriver”, who has breathed through childhood emotional abuse and sexual trauma; the death of her teen-aged son; the multiple deaths of many family members; homelessness; domestic violence; addictions and depression. |
Ayo Handy-Kendi is reknown as the Breath Sekou, which means in the Guinea language "a master teacher". She has worked with breath techniques for over 50 years and loves teaching "the power of the breath". She has created a system called Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B.) which teaches 12 common breath techniques with 4 breath practices. As a Wholistic Practitioner she incorporates sound healing, laughter yoga, Reiki, healing touch, movement, behavior modification and stress management and oxygen concepts, such as water hydrotherapy, Aroma-therapy, nutrition, into her trainings.She is creating a "breath movement" to wake people up to their joy and positivenergy with the belief that when you breathe better, you live better. She is also known as Mama Ayo, when sharing cultural presentations or performing as a storyteller, actor, author or speaker. She is the founder of Black Love Day, Feb. 13, the Ritual of Reconciliation, founder/director, African American Holiday Association (AAHA) and founder/CEO, PositivEnergyWorks.
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