DONATION APPRECIATED
P.E.W. WELLNESS
ARTICLE/VIDEO OF THE MONTH
WHY WE NEED BLACK LOVE NOW
BY AYO HANDY-kENDI, FOUNDER, bLACK LOVE DAY, - feb. 13
What would happen if around the Nation and the World, for 24 hours on Black Love Day, February 13, everyone in the Black community performed at least, 5 specific acts of love – towards the Creator, for Self, for Family, for the Community and for the Black Race, and at the same time, everyone in the White community put “love in action towards Blacks and dealt with their own attitudes about race?
This is what happens on Black Love Day Feb. 13, the 3rd nationally, observed African-American holiday (wholyday) of atonement, reconciliation, celebration and 24 hour demonstration of Black Love now celebrating its 28th year. To increase peace, stop violence, to encourage us to return to love to transform and heal all of our relationships.
in 2021, WE NEED BLACK LOVE MORE THAN BEFORE GLOBAL BLACK LOVE activities include a Virtual Conference and 28th Black Love Relationship Ceremony to focus on this year’s theme: ““"Healing the Wounds That Divide - Re-uniting Our Strengths Thru Black Love." Return to love to heal all of our relationships, this BLD and beyond. For info. go to www.AfricanAmericanHolidays.org
The goals of Black Love Day, Feb. 13th are 1). a spiritual alternative to the commercialized, Valentine’s day to unapologetically celebrate Blackness. 2) “for so-called” Black people to demonstrate for 24 hours, Black love through celebration, service, apology, forgiveness, and transform self-hatred through the power of self-love, self care and self-awareness; 3) “for so-called White people to put “love in action “ for a 24 hour demonstration of service, atonement and reconciliation towards Black people while inspecting their own racial attitudes, fears, privileges and behaviors; 4). to increase peace, stop violence and return to love to heal all of our relationships.
Handy-Kendi described” “In this new year 2021 and new age, we need the power of Black Love using the heart’s high vibrational energy stronger than the low energy of fear, hate, and separation. Yes, we’ve always had divides, but 2020 exposed a reckoning over hot issues like health equity, racial justice, economic equality, policing, politics, education, limited resources and just “living while black. Insane polarization, fighting, killing over survival ideologies sprawled into our streets and even into the Nations’ Capitol. The 28th Black Love Day will share hope, strengthen Black people’s resilience that Black Lives Matter especially with “unity in our diversity”. .As oppressed people, we have to heal our race-based trauma of White supremacy/ racism while healing our own “divides” of trust, colorism, tribalism, gang turfs, gender identities, ethnicity, colonialism and have/have not class differences. Love is a spiritual link that connects tolerance with compassion, so we don’t hurt another to love ourselves or hate because of differences. On Feb. 13, come together to breathe in love, reconcile and bond around solutions to become whole, powerful people again by healing all our relationships”. . Learn what to do www.AfricanAmericanHolidays.org and how to daily practice BLD’s Tenets: www.PositivEnergyWorks.com or call 202-667-2577###
BY AYO HANDY-kENDI, FOUNDER, bLACK LOVE DAY, - feb. 13
What would happen if around the Nation and the World, for 24 hours on Black Love Day, February 13, everyone in the Black community performed at least, 5 specific acts of love – towards the Creator, for Self, for Family, for the Community and for the Black Race, and at the same time, everyone in the White community put “love in action towards Blacks and dealt with their own attitudes about race?
This is what happens on Black Love Day Feb. 13, the 3rd nationally, observed African-American holiday (wholyday) of atonement, reconciliation, celebration and 24 hour demonstration of Black Love now celebrating its 28th year. To increase peace, stop violence, to encourage us to return to love to transform and heal all of our relationships.
in 2021, WE NEED BLACK LOVE MORE THAN BEFORE GLOBAL BLACK LOVE activities include a Virtual Conference and 28th Black Love Relationship Ceremony to focus on this year’s theme: ““"Healing the Wounds That Divide - Re-uniting Our Strengths Thru Black Love." Return to love to heal all of our relationships, this BLD and beyond. For info. go to www.AfricanAmericanHolidays.org
The goals of Black Love Day, Feb. 13th are 1). a spiritual alternative to the commercialized, Valentine’s day to unapologetically celebrate Blackness. 2) “for so-called” Black people to demonstrate for 24 hours, Black love through celebration, service, apology, forgiveness, and transform self-hatred through the power of self-love, self care and self-awareness; 3) “for so-called White people to put “love in action “ for a 24 hour demonstration of service, atonement and reconciliation towards Black people while inspecting their own racial attitudes, fears, privileges and behaviors; 4). to increase peace, stop violence and return to love to heal all of our relationships.
Handy-Kendi described” “In this new year 2021 and new age, we need the power of Black Love using the heart’s high vibrational energy stronger than the low energy of fear, hate, and separation. Yes, we’ve always had divides, but 2020 exposed a reckoning over hot issues like health equity, racial justice, economic equality, policing, politics, education, limited resources and just “living while black. Insane polarization, fighting, killing over survival ideologies sprawled into our streets and even into the Nations’ Capitol. The 28th Black Love Day will share hope, strengthen Black people’s resilience that Black Lives Matter especially with “unity in our diversity”. .As oppressed people, we have to heal our race-based trauma of White supremacy/ racism while healing our own “divides” of trust, colorism, tribalism, gang turfs, gender identities, ethnicity, colonialism and have/have not class differences. Love is a spiritual link that connects tolerance with compassion, so we don’t hurt another to love ourselves or hate because of differences. On Feb. 13, come together to breathe in love, reconcile and bond around solutions to become whole, powerful people again by healing all our relationships”. . Learn what to do www.AfricanAmericanHolidays.org and how to daily practice BLD’s Tenets: www.PositivEnergyWorks.com or call 202-667-2577###
- LeShelle A. Smith, founder, Minority Report
- 3 min read
- 3 min read
My favorite holiday falls on February 13th and that holiday is, drum roll pleeeeaaaase...
BLACK LOVE DAY
From the moment I discovered Black Love Day and met Ayo Handy-Kendi, the creator of the holiday, I have been applying the tenets to my life. This profound holiday focuses on 24 hours of love in action practicing Love for the Creator, Love for yourself, Love for your family, Love your community, Love for the Black Race.
Click here for a how-to guide for those interested in observing
Black Love Day today and every day!
Supporting Black-Owned Businesses is another way you can celebrate Black Love Day. Below you will see exactly "why you should" and "how you can".
Why You Should Support Black-Owned Businesses on Black Love DayThere are 365 days in a year and if buying Black is a lifestyle, then you are already ahead of the game. But, if you are behind the curve and you are not buying black regularly (at least on a weekly basis), then Black Love Day is the perfect day to replace a known name brand with a Black brand.
Choosing to spend your Black dollars with a Black-owned Business on Black Love Day is an effective way to practice all 5 of the tenets. It is truly a blessing to be a blessing and when you buy Black, you are in essence blessing a business with your support. You are helping to create jobs that contribute to the local economy, positively impacting your community. This is the time to be intentional about supporting Black businesses and other institutions like banks, HBCUs, non-profits, and community organizations.
How You Can Support Black-Owned Businesses on Black Love DayI'm going to start you off with the obvious - subscribe to my newsletter and YouTube channel! I never want you to miss an interview with a Black entrepreneur or an honest product review from a Black-owned Brand.
GOOGLE. Google "Black-owned", "Black businesses", or "Black businesses near me" and watch the information be delivered to you. PRO TIP: The more your use Google to search for "Black-owned Businesses", the more advertisements for Black-owned Businesses will begin to appear on social media and in more Google ads placed on the websites you visit most.
I always refer people to their local African American Chamber of Commerce. Most major cities have chambers for Black entrepreneurs to network with one another. On a national level, there is the National Black Chamber of Commerce and US Black Chambers, Inc. I follow both on social media as well as the one located in my hometown.
There are various apps, directories, and online marketplaces committed to providing you with access to thousands of Black-owned businesses providing both products and services. Here is a short list:
- African American Literature Book Club
- Black-Owned Brooklyn
- Black Nation
- EatOkra
- I Am Black Business
- Melanoid Exchange
- Official Black Wall Street
- Support Black Owned
- WeBuyBlack
- WhereU Came From
Create the change you want to see by practicing Group Economics rooted in love, Black Love this Black Love Day and every day. Tap the video below for an inspiring message from me to you for Black Love Day.
Need more resources like this to help you Buy Black? Sign up for the Daily Black Business Newsletter here so you never have to miss a blog post, interview, or an honest product review. Get Minority Report news and a few coupons delivered directly to your inbox!
COVID HAS MADE US REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE BREATH OF LIFE.
SO Here at P.E.W. we focused this month on "Gratitude.". .
As always there is a lot of "stuff" going on in the world. But, I care to dwell in the good feeling, of "PositivEnergy", that charged up attitude that focuses on being thankful for what I have,
compared to what I don't have. And being grateful for the blessings,
be they small or large. Now, it isn't easy to be grateful when so much around you looks so bleak.
We got some serious issues going on in the world and I don't even have to name them....
Yet, we have life itself. We have the opportunity to turn our low energy,
small bank accounts, challenged health and relationships, all around.
We are alive, or let's hope that we are truly alive
with full breath flowing abundantly in our bodies, minds and spirits.
So this month we breathe in "Gratitude" and we breathe away the blues...holiday blues,
Donald Trump blues....election blues...whatever could be making you blue, blues.....
And we breathe in life. Abundant life,
Grateful for life. Gratitude for all that life has given us and all that is yet to come.
This month, In deep Gratitude,
we appreciate the Veterans who served willingly.
We give thanks to Native Americans this month
for how their Ancestry is so much a part of ALL Americans.
We honor some dearly departed who played a great significance in my life and in many communities.
And on the day we call Thanksgiving, we share a simpler message.
Be in Gratitude for what you have and breathe away any lack or limitation for what you don't.
We will help you breathe and be in gratitude so that this principle of appreciation,
this attitude of gratitude, will shift your life and expand your "positivEnergy" with each breath..
Join the Breath Movement. to breathe in gratitude.
Ayo Handy-Kendiy, the Breath Sekou
SO Here at P.E.W. we focused this month on "Gratitude.". .
As always there is a lot of "stuff" going on in the world. But, I care to dwell in the good feeling, of "PositivEnergy", that charged up attitude that focuses on being thankful for what I have,
compared to what I don't have. And being grateful for the blessings,
be they small or large. Now, it isn't easy to be grateful when so much around you looks so bleak.
We got some serious issues going on in the world and I don't even have to name them....
Yet, we have life itself. We have the opportunity to turn our low energy,
small bank accounts, challenged health and relationships, all around.
We are alive, or let's hope that we are truly alive
with full breath flowing abundantly in our bodies, minds and spirits.
So this month we breathe in "Gratitude" and we breathe away the blues...holiday blues,
Donald Trump blues....election blues...whatever could be making you blue, blues.....
And we breathe in life. Abundant life,
Grateful for life. Gratitude for all that life has given us and all that is yet to come.
This month, In deep Gratitude,
we appreciate the Veterans who served willingly.
We give thanks to Native Americans this month
for how their Ancestry is so much a part of ALL Americans.
We honor some dearly departed who played a great significance in my life and in many communities.
And on the day we call Thanksgiving, we share a simpler message.
Be in Gratitude for what you have and breathe away any lack or limitation for what you don't.
We will help you breathe and be in gratitude so that this principle of appreciation,
this attitude of gratitude, will shift your life and expand your "positivEnergy" with each breath..
Join the Breath Movement. to breathe in gratitude.
Ayo Handy-Kendiy, the Breath Sekou
AS BIDEN SPEAKS HOPE AND POSSIBILITES, TRUMP FANS HATE WHILE A HEALING SOLUTION TO BREATHE THRU A DIVIDED NATION IS LAUNCHED
By Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi
For Immediate Release
Last weeks’ election in the U.S.A. proved what many already knew-- the United States of America is not united at all. President Elect Biden’s speech after the election results were called, enabled many to exhale their concerns of facing 4 more years of Trumps’ fanning division, hate, chaos and white supremacy/nationalism. Biden’s inspired calls for “unity” may encourage his supporters, but the reality is that inspiration will not erase the disgruntled Trump supporters who reflect this Nation’s past history and present reality of separation around the issues of racialization, diversity, gender, class, economics, religion, politics, ideology and superiority, etc..
“We see conditioned responses as well as unlogic among Americans, who were taught to believe in and behave towards their “groups” own self-interest in opposition of finding “common ground” for all to prosper and live their best life despite differences”, stated Ayo Handy-Kendi , a native Washingtonian, internationally reknown as the Breath Sekou, founder of Black Love Day, who has 50+ years of social justice organizing and breathology experience on the front-line with solutions for pro-peace and anti-violence. “Now, watching the election aftermath with calls for “unity”, Handy-Kendi, “instead knows that this is not enough to change hearts and minds of those who advocate “Trumpism” impeding reconciliation, harmony and unity in our diversity’”.
Instead, she is calling for 100 courageous people to “put love in action and take personal responsibility” to learn a new solution and practice, called BREATH CIRCLES TO HEAL THE DIVIDES”tm. On December 4, 5, 6, 2020 and January 15, 15, 17, 2021, her health service, PositivEnergyWorks, is promoting a 100 LEADERS LAUNCH with a 3 day intensive course to certify “Breath Circle Leaders”. She affirms that her redesigned, virtual 7 step wholistic, model of diversity training, de-escalation and relationship building, will transform and re-connect the antagonizing divisions in this country and the world.
In this course, you will learn how to:
Take personal responsibility to put love in action to reconcile hate with simple, transformative tools, wholistic approaches, breathology and breathwork;
Learn to unpack systemic racism and unconscious biases using the deep sub-conscious for shifts of the heart and mind; Connect the dots of these “divides” with many others, i.e. ageism;
Gain emotional strength and authenticity through release, truth and reconciliation work;
Transform behavior that deepens the “divides’ - anger, rage, fear to inner peace, tolerance and reconciliation; Release quilt, privilege, stereotypes for empathy, acceptance, common ground,
Become a committed activist or ally working the steps for critical self care to heal one-self of race based or inequality stress/trauma then commit to sharing THE CIRCLE process within families and communities for a domino mass impact of healing;
Handy-Kendi's BREATH CIRCLES TO HEAL THE DIVIDES, formerly called Breath Circles for Race, Diversity & Gender Healing, is her signature practice developed in 2004. It is part of her unique, solution-based system of breath techniques and transformative, wholistic practices, called Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B). O.L.B. includes her other signature techniques and practices, Transcendence Breathwork™; Relearn How to Breathe™, The Ritual of Reconciliation” and “It’s a Playshop” tm. She has breathed with millions over the media and certified over 165 persons in O.L.B in 7 states and exposing the practices in 8 countries.
While writing her 2004 Applied Breathology Book, she studied how breath techniques had unlocked her subconscious mind of the repressed memory of childhood emotional and sexual abuse . This finding enabled her to heal her adult depression and addictive behaviors. She realized that the key to healing racism, altering un-conscious biases, expanding limited beliefs and shrinking divisiveness, is to go to the root of our earliest teachings from pre-birth to age 7, where our sub-conscious is programmed towards intolerant attitudes and behaviors. She also studied how race or inequality-based trauma/stress held in the sub-conscious mind and cellular memory reactivates more trauma that can be passed on for generations. She has championed the principle that in order “to heal, you must feel, and that breath shifts us quickly.
Through THE CIRCLES, she intends on creating a paradigm shift in diversity work, advancing us beyond what has been the traditional dialogues and exercises, to thoroughly heal the deep wounds of racism and inequality, open the tourniquet of our unconscious biases and race-based trauma, allowing us tremendous growth in empathy, tolerance and acceptance of our differences.
At this critical time, as many organize for justice and peace proclaiming black lives matter, white supremacist and Trumpism supporters are organizing for separation of the races, to keep their privileged way of life, as they know it. As the world seems to be pulling apart during this 2020 year of reckonings”, Handy-Kendi feels hope that her call to love in action, 100 Leaders Launch, will enlist “foot soldiers” to her “Breath Movement” willing to breathe a new solution into unresolved, centuries old issues. Step up authentically into Breath Circles to Heal the Divides to help reconnect humanity with the one thing we have in common - the breath and use the "power of the breath" to transform our divisions into unified power.
For information on “THE CIRCLE”, course registrations, presentation/talk bookings or media interviews, contact: Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou. 202-667-2577,
MEDIA: TEXT: 202-424-8962. www.PositivEnergyWorks.com ###
A BREATH CIRCLE FOR RACE, DIVERSITY & GENDER HEALING https://youtu.be/utqdEtqqBnw
An Example of O.LB'sTranscendence Breathwork, foundational modality in Breath Circles to Heal the Divides https://youtu.be/6r8JNxzKhuY
By Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi
For Immediate Release
Last weeks’ election in the U.S.A. proved what many already knew-- the United States of America is not united at all. President Elect Biden’s speech after the election results were called, enabled many to exhale their concerns of facing 4 more years of Trumps’ fanning division, hate, chaos and white supremacy/nationalism. Biden’s inspired calls for “unity” may encourage his supporters, but the reality is that inspiration will not erase the disgruntled Trump supporters who reflect this Nation’s past history and present reality of separation around the issues of racialization, diversity, gender, class, economics, religion, politics, ideology and superiority, etc..
“We see conditioned responses as well as unlogic among Americans, who were taught to believe in and behave towards their “groups” own self-interest in opposition of finding “common ground” for all to prosper and live their best life despite differences”, stated Ayo Handy-Kendi , a native Washingtonian, internationally reknown as the Breath Sekou, founder of Black Love Day, who has 50+ years of social justice organizing and breathology experience on the front-line with solutions for pro-peace and anti-violence. “Now, watching the election aftermath with calls for “unity”, Handy-Kendi, “instead knows that this is not enough to change hearts and minds of those who advocate “Trumpism” impeding reconciliation, harmony and unity in our diversity’”.
Instead, she is calling for 100 courageous people to “put love in action and take personal responsibility” to learn a new solution and practice, called BREATH CIRCLES TO HEAL THE DIVIDES”tm. On December 4, 5, 6, 2020 and January 15, 15, 17, 2021, her health service, PositivEnergyWorks, is promoting a 100 LEADERS LAUNCH with a 3 day intensive course to certify “Breath Circle Leaders”. She affirms that her redesigned, virtual 7 step wholistic, model of diversity training, de-escalation and relationship building, will transform and re-connect the antagonizing divisions in this country and the world.
In this course, you will learn how to:
Take personal responsibility to put love in action to reconcile hate with simple, transformative tools, wholistic approaches, breathology and breathwork;
Learn to unpack systemic racism and unconscious biases using the deep sub-conscious for shifts of the heart and mind; Connect the dots of these “divides” with many others, i.e. ageism;
Gain emotional strength and authenticity through release, truth and reconciliation work;
Transform behavior that deepens the “divides’ - anger, rage, fear to inner peace, tolerance and reconciliation; Release quilt, privilege, stereotypes for empathy, acceptance, common ground,
Become a committed activist or ally working the steps for critical self care to heal one-self of race based or inequality stress/trauma then commit to sharing THE CIRCLE process within families and communities for a domino mass impact of healing;
Handy-Kendi's BREATH CIRCLES TO HEAL THE DIVIDES, formerly called Breath Circles for Race, Diversity & Gender Healing, is her signature practice developed in 2004. It is part of her unique, solution-based system of breath techniques and transformative, wholistic practices, called Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B). O.L.B. includes her other signature techniques and practices, Transcendence Breathwork™; Relearn How to Breathe™, The Ritual of Reconciliation” and “It’s a Playshop” tm. She has breathed with millions over the media and certified over 165 persons in O.L.B in 7 states and exposing the practices in 8 countries.
While writing her 2004 Applied Breathology Book, she studied how breath techniques had unlocked her subconscious mind of the repressed memory of childhood emotional and sexual abuse . This finding enabled her to heal her adult depression and addictive behaviors. She realized that the key to healing racism, altering un-conscious biases, expanding limited beliefs and shrinking divisiveness, is to go to the root of our earliest teachings from pre-birth to age 7, where our sub-conscious is programmed towards intolerant attitudes and behaviors. She also studied how race or inequality-based trauma/stress held in the sub-conscious mind and cellular memory reactivates more trauma that can be passed on for generations. She has championed the principle that in order “to heal, you must feel, and that breath shifts us quickly.
Through THE CIRCLES, she intends on creating a paradigm shift in diversity work, advancing us beyond what has been the traditional dialogues and exercises, to thoroughly heal the deep wounds of racism and inequality, open the tourniquet of our unconscious biases and race-based trauma, allowing us tremendous growth in empathy, tolerance and acceptance of our differences.
At this critical time, as many organize for justice and peace proclaiming black lives matter, white supremacist and Trumpism supporters are organizing for separation of the races, to keep their privileged way of life, as they know it. As the world seems to be pulling apart during this 2020 year of reckonings”, Handy-Kendi feels hope that her call to love in action, 100 Leaders Launch, will enlist “foot soldiers” to her “Breath Movement” willing to breathe a new solution into unresolved, centuries old issues. Step up authentically into Breath Circles to Heal the Divides to help reconnect humanity with the one thing we have in common - the breath and use the "power of the breath" to transform our divisions into unified power.
For information on “THE CIRCLE”, course registrations, presentation/talk bookings or media interviews, contact: Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou. 202-667-2577,
MEDIA: TEXT: 202-424-8962. www.PositivEnergyWorks.com ###
A BREATH CIRCLE FOR RACE, DIVERSITY & GENDER HEALING https://youtu.be/utqdEtqqBnw
An Example of O.LB'sTranscendence Breathwork, foundational modality in Breath Circles to Heal the Divides https://youtu.be/6r8JNxzKhuY
Don't Hold Your Breath this Election or Afterwards - Transcendence Breathwork m Helps YOU Breathe Thru Stress/Trauma/Release
BREATHE ALONG WITH SEKOU AYO
BREATHE ALONG WITH SEKOU AYO
Connect Within
Relax and Breathe
BREATHE AND COPE THRU THE DIVIDES, THE ELECTION AND AFTERMATH
50 year+ Organizer and Breathologist , founder of Black Love Day Launches a Love in-Action Call for 100 Leaders to Breathe in a New Solution to Heal the Divides as White Supremacy Elevated as Domestic Terrorism and Election Chaos Threatened
by Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi For Immediate Release
As protests swirled again at the end of October after questionable deaths of 2 Black Men, hundreds are back in the streets demanding justice. But protests over the fatal death of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr.in Philadelphia and Karon Hylton, 20 in Washington, D.C. turned violent almost immediately. Granted, people are beyond anger, some taking out their frustrations by looting but burning, rioting and actual violence, may be the result of hate infiltrating peaceful protests turning them violent, according to the September Threat Assessment report of Homeland Security..
While Trump calls the peace protestors “thugs” he knows they are anarchist, anti – government and organized white supremacist groups, known by the FBI. This report further documented that Trumps’ 4 years of polarizing rhetoric and behavior had spiked white supremacist memberships by 55% and had stroked and emboldened nation-wide racial incidents involving the police. It concluded, white supremacy as the #1 U.S.A. “domestic violence threat”
With the Nov 3rd election here, there are calls for white supremacist actions that could rip this country apart, no matter who wins. People fear intimidation and race wars but are gearing up.
Ayo Handy-Kendi , a native Washingtonian, internationally reknown as the Breath Sekou and the founder of Black Love Day, has 50+ years of social justice organizing and breathology experience on the front-line with solutions for pro-peace and anti-violence. She saw the “reckoning of racism/white supremacy coming for years. So after the May protests, in the wake of the police state execution of George Floyd, she became re- inspired in seeing the outpouring of youth and diversity, and redesigned and relaunched an on-line, solution --BREATH CIRCLES FOR RACE, DIVERSITY AND GENDER HEALING™
Now, she is CALLING for 100 courageous people “put love in action to take the 3 day intensive course and certify as one of the first BREATH CIRCLE LEADERS;
Experience this 7-step practice and group model of diversity and de-escalation training
Take personal responsibility to put love in action to reconcile hate with simple, yet transformative tools and breathology;
Unpack systemic racism and unconscious biases using the deep sub-conscious for shifts of the heart and mind;
Move from anger, rage, pain to peace; quilt, shame, privilege to empathy, separation to tolerance; connection and peace;
Gain strength through release, truth and reconciliation;
Become a committed activist or ally working the steps for critical self care to heal themselves of race trauma.then share the steps within families and communities for a domino mass impact;
The 100 LEADERS LAUNCH” is scheduled for November 6-8 and December 4- 6, 2020. New courses are tentatively scheduled for the 3rd weekends of 2021.
Handy-Kendi's unique, solution-based system of breath techniques and transformative practices, called Optimum Life Breathology (O.L.B). includes her signature techniques, Transcendence Breathwork™ and Relearn How to Breathe™. She has breathed with millions over the media and certified over 165 persons in O.L.B..
While writing her 2004 Applied Breathology Book, she studied how breath techniques unlock the repressed memory of childhood emotional and sexual abuse. This finding enabled her to heal her adult depression and addictive behaviors. She later realized that the key to healing racism and altering un-conscious biases is the same process open and release our earliest stored programing of intolerant attitudes and behaviors taught to us, as well as heal the repressed race-based trauma/stress held in the sub-conscious mind and cellular memory which reactivates more trauma. She has since championed the principle that in order to heal, you must feel, and that the traditional dialogue method of diversity training only scratches the surface.
Through THE CIRCLES, she intends on creating a paradigm shift in diversity work, advancing us beyond what has been the traditional dialogues and exercises, to thoroughly heal the deep wounds of racism and inequality and race-based trauma, open the tourniquet of our unconscious biases allowing us tremendous growth in empathy, tolerance and acceptance of our differences.
At this critical time, as we organize for justice and peace proclaiming black lives matter, white supremacist are organizing for separation of the races, to keep their privileged way of life, as they know it. So, as the world seems to be pulling apart during this moment of reckonings around systemic racism, unconscious biases, privilege, inequality, police brutality, economic, gender, LGBT and immigrant rights,– now it’s time to reckon with white supremacy, also..
Handy-Kendi feels hope that her call to action, 100 Leaders Launch, will enlist “foot soldiers” to her “Breath Movement” willing to take personal responsibility to breathe a new solution into a centuries old issue – racism and inequality are a sickness we can cure... Step up authentically and step into Breath Circles for Race, Diversity and Gender Healing to not only protest the system but to change it.”. Help reconnect humanity with the one thing we have in common - the breath and use the "power of the breath" to transform our divisions into unified power.
For information on “THE CIRCLE”, course registrations, presentation/talk bookings or media interviews, contact: Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou. 202-667-2577,
MEDIA: TEXT: 202-424-8962. www.PositivEnergyWorks.com
A BREATH CIRCLE FOR RACE, DIVERSITY & GENDER HEALING
https://youtu.be/utqdEtqqBnw
Transcendence BreathworkTMfor YOU to BREATHE THRU ELECTION STRESS
https://youtu.be/OOjodfEkdBo
An Example of O.LB'sTranscendence Breathwor, foundational modality in Breath Circles for Race, Diversity & Gender Healing.
https://youtu.be/6r8JNxzKhuY
The PositivEnergy Center 1311 Opus Avenue Capitol Heights Md 20743 www.PositivEnergyWorks.com AyoMeansJoy@yahoo.com 202-667-2577
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: It's Voting Rights Month! From September 1st - October 6th, the anniversary of Fannie Lou Hamer's birthday, we're educating about voting rights and encouraging voter registration, early voting, poll worker recruitment, and ensuring everyone who's intending to vote by mail if they're not in a state that automatically mails you a ballot must request your ballot no later than September 22nd.
We will send out a special Transformer newsletter with ALL the videos, including workshops, from our week of August Voter Justice Week of Activities. This will include the August 3rd TeleTown Hall; the National Summit and all its workshops and the August 6th programming and march; the publicly available August 2020 Gen Z and Millennial Votes Matter Leadership Training videos; and, a lot more!
To see these videos before anyone else, subscribe to our YouTube channel or Follow us on Facebook:
Click here and subscribe to us on YouTube. Our channel is about to become a lot more active and we don't want you to miss a thing!Like the Transformative Justice Coalition on Facebook. Don't forget to put "See First" so you don't miss a thing! We post frequently!
Join the #VoterInfo #OurMarchToVote
VOTING RIGHTS MONTH
Twitter Town Hall Storm
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Friday, September 4th
We are back with weekly Twitter Storm Town Halls, every Friday at 3:00 PM!
Today we are educating about the importance of Voting Rights Month, September 1st - October 6th: What is it and how do you get involved?
For those not on social media, you can participate by forwarding this to your networks and by reading the information starting on page 2 and talking about it with 3 people.
To Retweet/Share or to see past social media events:
Click here for the Transformative Justice Coalition's Twitter ProfileClick Here for the Transformative Justice Coalition's Facebook Profile
Click Here for a Twitter Search of #VoterInfo sorted by latest tweets
Click Here for a Twitter Search of #OurMarchToVote sorted by latest tweets
To Tweet out the premade tweets and graphics yourself:
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Join the #VoterInfo #OurMarchToVote
VOTING RIGHTS MONTH
Twitter Town Hall Storm
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Friday, September 4th
We are back with weekly Twitter Storm Town Halls, every Friday at 3:00 PM!
Today we are educating about the importance of Voting Rights Month, September 1st - October 6th: What is it and how do you get involved?
For those not on social media, you can participate by forwarding this to your networks and by reading the information starting on page 2 and talking about it with 3 people.
To Retweet/Share or to see past social media events:
Click here for the Transformative Justice Coalition's Twitter ProfileClick Here for the Transformative Justice Coalition's Facebook Profile
Click Here for a Twitter Search of #VoterInfo sorted by latest tweets
Click Here for a Twitter Search of #OurMarchToVote sorted by latest tweets
To Tweet out the premade tweets and graphics yourself:
The resources available by clicking the button below are for your social media teams, or for individuals who would like to send out the tweets themselves, including instructions on how to participate from any social media platform.
If you find it difficult to follow along on by clicking the green button below, please search #VoterInfo and #OurMarchToNov on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and Retweet and share those posts. You can also post to any platform.
Access the event materials by and get more information on this event by clicking here and downloading the document or opening it in Google Doc. Join Us this Friday, September 4th from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT.
Click here to see our upcoming events and voter resources
Click Here to Donate and Join us in supporting the work of the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC)!
A 50 year+ Organizer and Breathologist Launches New Virtual Diversity Training Model to Heal the Divides As FBI Elevates White Supremacy As Domestic Terrorism
COVID has undressed “white supremacy” as another issue in this country and the world, that needs a “reckoning” just like the hot button issues of race, police brutality, economic justice, LGBT, women and immigrant rights which pushed countless to protests this Spring, despite a pandemic. “Watching the mix of protestors was inspiring considering the rise in polarization and divisions” stated Ayo Handy-Kendi, reknown as the “Breath Sekou (master teacher), founder of Black Love Day and Optimum Life Breathology™ (O.L.B.) who has practiced breathology and served as a wholistic practitioner, organizer and social justice advocate for over 50+ years.
So, she was not shocked to see the September issued Threat Assessment report by U.S.A Homeland Security that documented that “white supremacist” had infiltrated those peaceful protests, turning them violent. This report also indicated that Donald Trumps’ 4 years of polarizing rhetoric and behavior has motivated a 55% spike in white supremacist memberships and has stroked and emboldened, hateful nation-wide violence, elevating “white supremacy” as a “domestic violence threat” by the F.B.I
Always on the front-line with solutions for pro-peace and anti-violence, Handy-Kendi has also monitored the rise of hate. In August, she launched a new solution to “heal the divides”. To stop the divisions, increase peace and stop violence, especially as white supremacist have threatened to start race wars after the outcome of the U.S.A. presidential election, she is calling on 100 courageous people to join her in learning a new practice and model of diversity training called, BREATH CIRCLES FOR RACE, DIVERSITY AND GENDER HEALING™. Limited spots are available for her “100 LEADERS LAUNCH” scheduled for November 6-8 and December 4-6, 2020. Registration is open with 2021 dates being added.
Informally called THE CIRCLES, Handy-Kendi, first created this training as a workshop in 1995 then re-invented it in 2020, as a virtual, 3-day intensive, leadership development training course. It is shared as a 7 step group process, similar to the N.A./AA models of healing drug and alcohol addictions, with participants encouraged to take personal responsibility to use and customize their CIRCLES for critical self care work for themselves, their families and their communities.
The course offers her wholistic, unique approach to healing the polarizing "divides" around race, diversity and gender using Handy-Kendi's solution-based system of breathing techniques and transformative practices, called O.L.B., which includes her signature techniques, Transcendence Breathwork™ and “Relearn How to Breathe™”. Since 2004, she has trained and certified over 165 Breathologists, giving them the tools to impact everyday life, wellness, growth/development, stress/disease management, trauma/emotional release and conflict resolution. She has further, breathed with millions on the internet, radio, t.v, in print, on stage, in workshops, in private practice and as the author/producer of several breathology books, dvd’s and cd’s.Handy-Kendi affirms that her research lead her to highly effective breath techniques which unlocked the repressed memory of childhood emotional and sexual abuse, which helped heal her adult depression and addictive behavior. Applying her findings, she realized that the key to healing racism and altering un-conscious biases, is to open up and release our earliest stored programing and repressed race-based trauma/stress held in the sub-conscious, cellular memory because “we must breathe to feel to heal”. Through THE CIRCLES, she intends on creating a paradigm shift in diversity work, advancing us beyond the traditional dialogues and exercises, to thoroughly heal the deep wounds of inequality, unpack the toxic waste of race-based trauma, and open the tourniquet for our unconscious biases to shift from their earliest programming into new levels of growth and acceptance of our differences..
Trumps presidential debate shout-out to the “Proud Boys to stand-by” was revealing of his own “white supremacy” incitements, as the world seems to be pulling apart during these reckonings. You can be a “foot soldier” in our 100 Leaders Launch for Breath Circles for Race, Diversity and Gender Healing, to help reconnect us with the one thing we have in common - the breath. Be one of the first to use the "power of the breath" to transform our divisions into unified power.
For information on “THE CIRCLE”, course registrations, presentation/talk bookings or media interviews, contact: Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou. 202-667-2577, www.PositivEnergyWorks.com
The PositivEnergy Center 1311 Opus Avenue Capitol Heights Md. 20743
www.PositivEnergyWorks.com AyoMeansJoy@yahoo.com 202-667-2577
COVID has undressed “white supremacy” as another issue in this country and the world, that needs a “reckoning” just like the hot button issues of race, police brutality, economic justice, LGBT, women and immigrant rights which pushed countless to protests this Spring, despite a pandemic. “Watching the mix of protestors was inspiring considering the rise in polarization and divisions” stated Ayo Handy-Kendi, reknown as the “Breath Sekou (master teacher), founder of Black Love Day and Optimum Life Breathology™ (O.L.B.) who has practiced breathology and served as a wholistic practitioner, organizer and social justice advocate for over 50+ years.
So, she was not shocked to see the September issued Threat Assessment report by U.S.A Homeland Security that documented that “white supremacist” had infiltrated those peaceful protests, turning them violent. This report also indicated that Donald Trumps’ 4 years of polarizing rhetoric and behavior has motivated a 55% spike in white supremacist memberships and has stroked and emboldened, hateful nation-wide violence, elevating “white supremacy” as a “domestic violence threat” by the F.B.I
Always on the front-line with solutions for pro-peace and anti-violence, Handy-Kendi has also monitored the rise of hate. In August, she launched a new solution to “heal the divides”. To stop the divisions, increase peace and stop violence, especially as white supremacist have threatened to start race wars after the outcome of the U.S.A. presidential election, she is calling on 100 courageous people to join her in learning a new practice and model of diversity training called, BREATH CIRCLES FOR RACE, DIVERSITY AND GENDER HEALING™. Limited spots are available for her “100 LEADERS LAUNCH” scheduled for November 6-8 and December 4-6, 2020. Registration is open with 2021 dates being added.
Informally called THE CIRCLES, Handy-Kendi, first created this training as a workshop in 1995 then re-invented it in 2020, as a virtual, 3-day intensive, leadership development training course. It is shared as a 7 step group process, similar to the N.A./AA models of healing drug and alcohol addictions, with participants encouraged to take personal responsibility to use and customize their CIRCLES for critical self care work for themselves, their families and their communities.
The course offers her wholistic, unique approach to healing the polarizing "divides" around race, diversity and gender using Handy-Kendi's solution-based system of breathing techniques and transformative practices, called O.L.B., which includes her signature techniques, Transcendence Breathwork™ and “Relearn How to Breathe™”. Since 2004, she has trained and certified over 165 Breathologists, giving them the tools to impact everyday life, wellness, growth/development, stress/disease management, trauma/emotional release and conflict resolution. She has further, breathed with millions on the internet, radio, t.v, in print, on stage, in workshops, in private practice and as the author/producer of several breathology books, dvd’s and cd’s.Handy-Kendi affirms that her research lead her to highly effective breath techniques which unlocked the repressed memory of childhood emotional and sexual abuse, which helped heal her adult depression and addictive behavior. Applying her findings, she realized that the key to healing racism and altering un-conscious biases, is to open up and release our earliest stored programing and repressed race-based trauma/stress held in the sub-conscious, cellular memory because “we must breathe to feel to heal”. Through THE CIRCLES, she intends on creating a paradigm shift in diversity work, advancing us beyond the traditional dialogues and exercises, to thoroughly heal the deep wounds of inequality, unpack the toxic waste of race-based trauma, and open the tourniquet for our unconscious biases to shift from their earliest programming into new levels of growth and acceptance of our differences..
Trumps presidential debate shout-out to the “Proud Boys to stand-by” was revealing of his own “white supremacy” incitements, as the world seems to be pulling apart during these reckonings. You can be a “foot soldier” in our 100 Leaders Launch for Breath Circles for Race, Diversity and Gender Healing, to help reconnect us with the one thing we have in common - the breath. Be one of the first to use the "power of the breath" to transform our divisions into unified power.
For information on “THE CIRCLE”, course registrations, presentation/talk bookings or media interviews, contact: Rashida Thomas, publicist for Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou. 202-667-2577, www.PositivEnergyWorks.com
The PositivEnergy Center 1311 Opus Avenue Capitol Heights Md. 20743
www.PositivEnergyWorks.com AyoMeansJoy@yahoo.com 202-667-2577
Garvey’s Whirlwind; Watts’ and Ferguson’s Fire: Signs and Obligations of Our Times By Dr. Maulana KarengaAugust 21, 2020Dr. Maulana Karenga, Marcus Garvey Share You Are Here: Home » Commentaries/Opinions » Dr. Maulana Karenga » Garvey’s Whirlwind; Watts’ and Ferguson’s Fire: Signs and Obligations of Our Times
By Dr. Maulana Karenga --
Part 1: In our awesome and exacting history in this country, the month of August is a time of remembering and recommitment to prophesies, promises and practices of whirlwind and fire. Indeed, it is good to remember and reflect deeply on the fact that, as a people, we were born, baptized and built up in the transformative waters, whirlwinds and fires of righteous and relentless struggle for liberation and inclusive good in the world. It has been a historic, heavy and ceaseless striving to free ourselves, be ourselves and create conditions for us and all to live lives of dignity, decency, development and flourishing. And now in this time of the pandemic COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic and pathology of oppression, of police violence and vicious systemic racism, we find ourselves pushed against another wall and defiantly pushing back in countless ways. Indeed, even when we do not realize it, we are the whirlwind and fire, the ongoing source and instructive symbol of critical transformative struggles in this country and the world.
It is our honored ancestor, the Hon. Marcus Garvey, founder of the largest and most far-reaching movement in our history as African people in this country, who gave us the sign and obligations of the whirlwind. And it is the Watts Revolt, the Ferguson Revolt and all the revolts in our history which preceded them that gave us the sign and obligation of fire. Garvey had said he would fight for African redemption and liberation until his death and afterwards return “in the whirlwind and storm” with other ancestors to continue the struggle and win the unfinished fight for freedom. And thus, the message and meaning of embracing and becoming the whirlwind is key to our understanding and honoring Garvey’s legacy.
Likewise, the revolts in Watts and Ferguson and all our revolts from the Holocaust of enslavement onward were pushed forward by the symbol and unmistakable message and meaning of fire, the fires of freedom and resistance. And thus, I want us to understand these images and meanings of whirlwind and fire as transformative forces. I want us to see the whirlwind as a stirring and rising of our people, a strong and sweeping wind against the evil, unjust and oppressive and as the thunderous roar and force of our people lifting themselves up in righteous anger and self-assertion in the interests of African liberation, human good and the well-being of the world. And I want us to perceive fire as a cleansing force, a testing and tempering force. Also, as Malcolm taught, we are to see fire as a symbol and sign of revolutionary change. Revolution, he said, is like a forest fire, burning and removing the dead wood and rot and allowing new growth and possibilities to emerge.
Moreover, I want to argue that Garvey’s return depends on us and that we are and must be the whirlwind of return as he prophesized and promised. And we are the fires of revolt and resistance, not only of Watts and Ferguson, but of and for all our ancestors who prophesied and promised freedom, if we dare to struggle and dare to win. In this way, they return in us, those freedom warriors who taught us dignity-affirming, life-enhancing and liberating ways to live our lives, do our work and wage our struggles.
Again, rightly understanding ourselves, we are the whirlwind and cleansing fire of our ancestors. When the Yoruba ancestors named their children babatunde, father has returned, and iyatunde, mother has returned; it was a sign that they saw and felt their father’s and mother’s return in their child. And it could be the grandparents or great grandparents going further back in history, in a word, our ancestors who they believed were returning.
Today at this and all other critical junctions in our history of struggle, we are called on to be babatunde and iyatunde – our forefathers and foremothers – in a word, our ancestors returned. And in this month of the Hon. Marcus Garvey, we must invite him back in the sacred ceremony the Zulus call ukubuyisa, bringing our ancestors back home. It is a sacred ceremony of remembrance and rejoicing, of raising up one among us who lifted up the light that lasts, our spiritual and moral principles, and taught us dignity-affirming, life-enhancing and world transforming and preserving ways to walk, live and relate in the world.
In a real and meaningful sense, we are all babatunde and iyatunde at our best, embodying the best of our forefathers and foremothers, doing so in thought, emotion, speech and practice of good in and for the world. This is the meaning of the Kemetic Maatian declaration which reaffirms our remembering and honoring them and committing ourselves to carry on their legacy. It says that they will always be for us “a glorious spirit in heaven and a continuing power on earth. They shall be counted and honored among the ancestors. Their name shall endure as a monument. And what they’ve done on earth shall never perish or pass away.”
Garvey taught us we must know and honor our history. It is, he taught, “too important to be left in alien hands.” Furthermore, he taught “history is the landmark by which we are directed in the true course of life.” Indeed, he taught that our history tells us of our potential based on our past achievements and assertions of excellence in the world. For he said, “What humans have done, humans can do.”
In addition, Garvey tells us we must also study, analyze and know the conditions of our lives in order to change them. He tells us we are living in the most dangerous and difficult times ever, for we live in a world, not only of domination, deprivation and degradation, but also a world of deep and pervasive deception. He says, “We are face to face with (conditions) in a civilization that is competing with itself for its own destruction, a civilization that cannot last because it has no spiritual foundation; a civilization that is vicious, crafty, dishonest, immoral, irreligious and corrupt.” Indeed, then as now, it is a world system dominated by racists, colonialists, imperialists and genocidists whose gods are weapons, power and profit.
Garvey believed this world system of greed, viciousness and violence against us, others and the earth itself, will fall and forfeit its future on the altar of self-destructive practices. But he believed also its timely end will be achieved by our righteous, relentless and victorious struggle against the hypocrisy and hellish character of the system. And thus, as whirlwind and fire, we cannot let it stand, cannot immorally concede, compromise and simply seek a comfortable place in oppression. Indeed, he says, “We who are endeavoring to get freedom must be radical,” for the conditions of our oppression and the requirements to end it demand nothing less.
Moreover, Garvey understood that our sacred mission of liberating Africa and Africans everywhere was a world-encompassing task, which is authentically pan-Africanist and vitally human. For he knew that Africa and Africans can’t be truly free in an unfree world. That is why he said, “The whole world is my province until Africa is free.” In a word, then as our foremother, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune would teach, “Our task is to remake the world. It is nothing less than this.” Indeed, it is the ultimate solution to both African and human liberation.
By Dr. Maulana Karenga --
Part 1: In our awesome and exacting history in this country, the month of August is a time of remembering and recommitment to prophesies, promises and practices of whirlwind and fire. Indeed, it is good to remember and reflect deeply on the fact that, as a people, we were born, baptized and built up in the transformative waters, whirlwinds and fires of righteous and relentless struggle for liberation and inclusive good in the world. It has been a historic, heavy and ceaseless striving to free ourselves, be ourselves and create conditions for us and all to live lives of dignity, decency, development and flourishing. And now in this time of the pandemic COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic and pathology of oppression, of police violence and vicious systemic racism, we find ourselves pushed against another wall and defiantly pushing back in countless ways. Indeed, even when we do not realize it, we are the whirlwind and fire, the ongoing source and instructive symbol of critical transformative struggles in this country and the world.
It is our honored ancestor, the Hon. Marcus Garvey, founder of the largest and most far-reaching movement in our history as African people in this country, who gave us the sign and obligations of the whirlwind. And it is the Watts Revolt, the Ferguson Revolt and all the revolts in our history which preceded them that gave us the sign and obligation of fire. Garvey had said he would fight for African redemption and liberation until his death and afterwards return “in the whirlwind and storm” with other ancestors to continue the struggle and win the unfinished fight for freedom. And thus, the message and meaning of embracing and becoming the whirlwind is key to our understanding and honoring Garvey’s legacy.
Likewise, the revolts in Watts and Ferguson and all our revolts from the Holocaust of enslavement onward were pushed forward by the symbol and unmistakable message and meaning of fire, the fires of freedom and resistance. And thus, I want us to understand these images and meanings of whirlwind and fire as transformative forces. I want us to see the whirlwind as a stirring and rising of our people, a strong and sweeping wind against the evil, unjust and oppressive and as the thunderous roar and force of our people lifting themselves up in righteous anger and self-assertion in the interests of African liberation, human good and the well-being of the world. And I want us to perceive fire as a cleansing force, a testing and tempering force. Also, as Malcolm taught, we are to see fire as a symbol and sign of revolutionary change. Revolution, he said, is like a forest fire, burning and removing the dead wood and rot and allowing new growth and possibilities to emerge.
Moreover, I want to argue that Garvey’s return depends on us and that we are and must be the whirlwind of return as he prophesized and promised. And we are the fires of revolt and resistance, not only of Watts and Ferguson, but of and for all our ancestors who prophesied and promised freedom, if we dare to struggle and dare to win. In this way, they return in us, those freedom warriors who taught us dignity-affirming, life-enhancing and liberating ways to live our lives, do our work and wage our struggles.
Again, rightly understanding ourselves, we are the whirlwind and cleansing fire of our ancestors. When the Yoruba ancestors named their children babatunde, father has returned, and iyatunde, mother has returned; it was a sign that they saw and felt their father’s and mother’s return in their child. And it could be the grandparents or great grandparents going further back in history, in a word, our ancestors who they believed were returning.
Today at this and all other critical junctions in our history of struggle, we are called on to be babatunde and iyatunde – our forefathers and foremothers – in a word, our ancestors returned. And in this month of the Hon. Marcus Garvey, we must invite him back in the sacred ceremony the Zulus call ukubuyisa, bringing our ancestors back home. It is a sacred ceremony of remembrance and rejoicing, of raising up one among us who lifted up the light that lasts, our spiritual and moral principles, and taught us dignity-affirming, life-enhancing and world transforming and preserving ways to walk, live and relate in the world.
In a real and meaningful sense, we are all babatunde and iyatunde at our best, embodying the best of our forefathers and foremothers, doing so in thought, emotion, speech and practice of good in and for the world. This is the meaning of the Kemetic Maatian declaration which reaffirms our remembering and honoring them and committing ourselves to carry on their legacy. It says that they will always be for us “a glorious spirit in heaven and a continuing power on earth. They shall be counted and honored among the ancestors. Their name shall endure as a monument. And what they’ve done on earth shall never perish or pass away.”
Garvey taught us we must know and honor our history. It is, he taught, “too important to be left in alien hands.” Furthermore, he taught “history is the landmark by which we are directed in the true course of life.” Indeed, he taught that our history tells us of our potential based on our past achievements and assertions of excellence in the world. For he said, “What humans have done, humans can do.”
In addition, Garvey tells us we must also study, analyze and know the conditions of our lives in order to change them. He tells us we are living in the most dangerous and difficult times ever, for we live in a world, not only of domination, deprivation and degradation, but also a world of deep and pervasive deception. He says, “We are face to face with (conditions) in a civilization that is competing with itself for its own destruction, a civilization that cannot last because it has no spiritual foundation; a civilization that is vicious, crafty, dishonest, immoral, irreligious and corrupt.” Indeed, then as now, it is a world system dominated by racists, colonialists, imperialists and genocidists whose gods are weapons, power and profit.
Garvey believed this world system of greed, viciousness and violence against us, others and the earth itself, will fall and forfeit its future on the altar of self-destructive practices. But he believed also its timely end will be achieved by our righteous, relentless and victorious struggle against the hypocrisy and hellish character of the system. And thus, as whirlwind and fire, we cannot let it stand, cannot immorally concede, compromise and simply seek a comfortable place in oppression. Indeed, he says, “We who are endeavoring to get freedom must be radical,” for the conditions of our oppression and the requirements to end it demand nothing less.
Moreover, Garvey understood that our sacred mission of liberating Africa and Africans everywhere was a world-encompassing task, which is authentically pan-Africanist and vitally human. For he knew that Africa and Africans can’t be truly free in an unfree world. That is why he said, “The whole world is my province until Africa is free.” In a word, then as our foremother, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune would teach, “Our task is to remake the world. It is nothing less than this.” Indeed, it is the ultimate solution to both African and human liberation.
WHY WE MUST BREATHE THRU RACISM AND PREJUDICE
By Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou, CB, CTF, CLYT/CLYL
I want to add another piece to the puzzle of racism's pain. What is happening in this country is not just what people feel now, but a pain deeper than an old scar that has never healed. Trauma is that deep pain. It lodges in the amigalya of our brain. It rears in our sub-conscious memory. It embraces a collective awareness across years and years, perhaps centuries. It comes to the surface of our conscious minds, in the way that we love ourselves, relate to each other, respect our communities and pursue our dreams with purpose.
Trauma - long-held in the memory banks of our mind, makes us physically stressed, then sick and depressed. We hold our breath from the traumatic fear and pain limiting our breath, our very life-force of critical oxygen. We suffer more than 60 or more stress-related cellular malfunctions.
Trauma is the symptom of racism, prejudice and inequality. And they all are part of a deeper system that divides the halves from the half-nots. This division goes across color lines and regional boundaries.
I work with a modality called Breathology and I.m. the founder of Optimum Life Breathology- the art and science of breath awareness, breath mechanics, and effective breath techniques that impact Spirit, Mind and Body. It helped me heal from my long-held trauma of childhood verbal, emotional and sexual abuse. I have studied the breath now for over 40 years and have facilitated this tool to help millions on radio, t.v., print and on stage. I have also worked as a community organizer and social service professional for close to that same number of years
The "Breath" changed my "lens" as a survivor of abuse, then addiction, domestic violence, the violent death of my teen-age son, and ill-health related, early deaths of my first husband -a veteran of Vietnam, his mother and father - all within a month apart from each other and ultimately homelessness from my home being stolen from greedy real-estate grabbers during probate proceedings.
From such experiences, I walk my talk as I truly know stress, trauma and systematic inequality. We have to clear the cellular memory of such trauma, so that the subconscious mind does not sabotage our conscious mind that initiates our surface actions.
Without such clearing, we speak and act one way, but we pull ourselves in a different direction, similiar to putting on brakes at the same time of accelerating a car. We get stuck going no-where. It's beyond frustrating.
I share this explanation to you, as I am reaching out to people of high awareness who desire change to ask them to help me institutionalize my training of other Breathologist so that we can help support a critical mass of people with this life-changing system. I have been blessed to certify over 100 Breathologists in 7 states, and this summer intend to increase this number triple fold.
We can not dialogue away our issues with structural racism, as they run deep and wholistic. We can, however, use the tool of the breath to change our very molecular, cellular structure to clean it up, purge it through and maintain this detoxed transformed mind now clearer to absorb new hope, peace, self-love and self-determination. This is my vision for a "breath movement" and a new world.
By Ayo Handy-Kendi, the Breath Sekou, CB, CTF, CLYT/CLYL
I want to add another piece to the puzzle of racism's pain. What is happening in this country is not just what people feel now, but a pain deeper than an old scar that has never healed. Trauma is that deep pain. It lodges in the amigalya of our brain. It rears in our sub-conscious memory. It embraces a collective awareness across years and years, perhaps centuries. It comes to the surface of our conscious minds, in the way that we love ourselves, relate to each other, respect our communities and pursue our dreams with purpose.
Trauma - long-held in the memory banks of our mind, makes us physically stressed, then sick and depressed. We hold our breath from the traumatic fear and pain limiting our breath, our very life-force of critical oxygen. We suffer more than 60 or more stress-related cellular malfunctions.
Trauma is the symptom of racism, prejudice and inequality. And they all are part of a deeper system that divides the halves from the half-nots. This division goes across color lines and regional boundaries.
I work with a modality called Breathology and I.m. the founder of Optimum Life Breathology- the art and science of breath awareness, breath mechanics, and effective breath techniques that impact Spirit, Mind and Body. It helped me heal from my long-held trauma of childhood verbal, emotional and sexual abuse. I have studied the breath now for over 40 years and have facilitated this tool to help millions on radio, t.v., print and on stage. I have also worked as a community organizer and social service professional for close to that same number of years
The "Breath" changed my "lens" as a survivor of abuse, then addiction, domestic violence, the violent death of my teen-age son, and ill-health related, early deaths of my first husband -a veteran of Vietnam, his mother and father - all within a month apart from each other and ultimately homelessness from my home being stolen from greedy real-estate grabbers during probate proceedings.
From such experiences, I walk my talk as I truly know stress, trauma and systematic inequality. We have to clear the cellular memory of such trauma, so that the subconscious mind does not sabotage our conscious mind that initiates our surface actions.
Without such clearing, we speak and act one way, but we pull ourselves in a different direction, similiar to putting on brakes at the same time of accelerating a car. We get stuck going no-where. It's beyond frustrating.
I share this explanation to you, as I am reaching out to people of high awareness who desire change to ask them to help me institutionalize my training of other Breathologist so that we can help support a critical mass of people with this life-changing system. I have been blessed to certify over 100 Breathologists in 7 states, and this summer intend to increase this number triple fold.
We can not dialogue away our issues with structural racism, as they run deep and wholistic. We can, however, use the tool of the breath to change our very molecular, cellular structure to clean it up, purge it through and maintain this detoxed transformed mind now clearer to absorb new hope, peace, self-love and self-determination. This is my vision for a "breath movement" and a new world.
Press Contact: Monique McDougal
1-301-244-9072
MediaRelations@BlackTherapyCentral.com
The Black Community Gets a new, Innovative Online Platform:
A Beacon to Support Black Unity, Healing, and Solutions
Dr. Mawiyah Kambon
Therapists
Now there is an innovative new platform where Black people get to engage in culturally-rooted, interactive activities, self-guided healing programs, expert-led webinars, and insightful quizzes. BlackTherapyCentral.com (BTC) is a digital platform bringing a novel approach to mental wellness in Black communities. It is the only online therapy platform that is African-centered and designed for the Black experience. On BTC users and African-centered Black therapists and wellness professionals can connect in a variety of ways through programs in-person sessions, or secure virtual consultations.
BTC is at the forefront of a new awakening in Black mental health, leading millions of Black people to embrace therapy and its role in overall wellness. "We carry within us generations of our people, our ancestors.... Other people's therapy is not for us but, African-centered therapy encourages that spirit-Self within you, to guide you personally and us collectively," stated Dr. Mawiyah Kambon, BlackTherapyCentral.com co-founder.
Black therapists and wellness professionals from around the U.S. launched BTC in October 2019. The African-centered mental health service quickly engaged thousands beginning in April. BTC promotes wellness through free membership access to stress relief programs, an active directory of vetted, licensed therapists, and engages the global Black community through a dynamic brand of healing support. BTC galvanized global healing solutions when its therapists recently sprang into action to host the Global Black Community Online Townhall Meeting: Unity, Healing and Solutions for COVID-19 and Beyond. The successful event had 1900+ participants and panelists from 37 countries addressing issues about health, economics, politics, and more.
"We are in this fight, but it is not just a physical one to stay healthy from COVID-19...psychological warfare is part of this," said BTC advisor and member, Dr. Jamila Codrington, NY-based, licensed psychologist. "We want to be able to reclaim our self-determination." As a solution, BTC immediately rolled out the 10-Day Healing Journey. This free online program is a multi-sensory Black healing experience created with unique culturally themed affirmations, offline activities, guided meditations, curated visuals, and music selections.
As a result, hundreds have shared the overwhelmingly positive impact the Journey has had on their lives. "I didn't know Black therapy is so different. This has been so good, I got my whole family involved, parents, siblings, children, everybody," shared Journey participant, Damon from New York. With the program's progressive approach, it is hard to believe there used to be a stigma attached to getting therapy.
July is Black Mental Health Awareness Month. Because that fact is little-known, BTC is springing to action again to spread the word. BTC will ramp up to provide support against the onslaught of global challenges affecting Black people.
"The ongoing global racism and genocide against the Black community has traumatized us whether we consciously feel it or not... We created Black Therapy Central to call our people together to heal ourselves and ultimately heal the world," stated Dr. Kambon.
BTC welcomes new therapists to get involved and join the platform to connect with people seeking therapy. Individuals who want to engage can also visit: www.blacktherapycentral.com
###
Black Therapy Central (BTC) is an online platform that provides a variety of Black culturally-rooted interactive activities, webinars, self-guided healing programs, and quizzes. A group of Afrikan-centered psychologists launched it because they believe that Black people deserve safe spaces to heal from collective trauma and damaging personal experiences. Visit: blacktherapycentral.com
1-301-244-9072
MediaRelations@BlackTherapyCentral.com
The Black Community Gets a new, Innovative Online Platform:
A Beacon to Support Black Unity, Healing, and Solutions
Dr. Mawiyah Kambon
Therapists
Now there is an innovative new platform where Black people get to engage in culturally-rooted, interactive activities, self-guided healing programs, expert-led webinars, and insightful quizzes. BlackTherapyCentral.com (BTC) is a digital platform bringing a novel approach to mental wellness in Black communities. It is the only online therapy platform that is African-centered and designed for the Black experience. On BTC users and African-centered Black therapists and wellness professionals can connect in a variety of ways through programs in-person sessions, or secure virtual consultations.
BTC is at the forefront of a new awakening in Black mental health, leading millions of Black people to embrace therapy and its role in overall wellness. "We carry within us generations of our people, our ancestors.... Other people's therapy is not for us but, African-centered therapy encourages that spirit-Self within you, to guide you personally and us collectively," stated Dr. Mawiyah Kambon, BlackTherapyCentral.com co-founder.
Black therapists and wellness professionals from around the U.S. launched BTC in October 2019. The African-centered mental health service quickly engaged thousands beginning in April. BTC promotes wellness through free membership access to stress relief programs, an active directory of vetted, licensed therapists, and engages the global Black community through a dynamic brand of healing support. BTC galvanized global healing solutions when its therapists recently sprang into action to host the Global Black Community Online Townhall Meeting: Unity, Healing and Solutions for COVID-19 and Beyond. The successful event had 1900+ participants and panelists from 37 countries addressing issues about health, economics, politics, and more.
"We are in this fight, but it is not just a physical one to stay healthy from COVID-19...psychological warfare is part of this," said BTC advisor and member, Dr. Jamila Codrington, NY-based, licensed psychologist. "We want to be able to reclaim our self-determination." As a solution, BTC immediately rolled out the 10-Day Healing Journey. This free online program is a multi-sensory Black healing experience created with unique culturally themed affirmations, offline activities, guided meditations, curated visuals, and music selections.
As a result, hundreds have shared the overwhelmingly positive impact the Journey has had on their lives. "I didn't know Black therapy is so different. This has been so good, I got my whole family involved, parents, siblings, children, everybody," shared Journey participant, Damon from New York. With the program's progressive approach, it is hard to believe there used to be a stigma attached to getting therapy.
July is Black Mental Health Awareness Month. Because that fact is little-known, BTC is springing to action again to spread the word. BTC will ramp up to provide support against the onslaught of global challenges affecting Black people.
"The ongoing global racism and genocide against the Black community has traumatized us whether we consciously feel it or not... We created Black Therapy Central to call our people together to heal ourselves and ultimately heal the world," stated Dr. Kambon.
BTC welcomes new therapists to get involved and join the platform to connect with people seeking therapy. Individuals who want to engage can also visit: www.blacktherapycentral.com
###
Black Therapy Central (BTC) is an online platform that provides a variety of Black culturally-rooted interactive activities, webinars, self-guided healing programs, and quizzes. A group of Afrikan-centered psychologists launched it because they believe that Black people deserve safe spaces to heal from collective trauma and damaging personal experiences. Visit: blacktherapycentral.com
GET THE ENTIRE BACK STORY ON FREDERICK DOUGLAS' MOST TIMELY SPEECH. READ THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ IT BEFORE. THIS 1852 SPEECH SOUNDS LIKE TODAY.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/what-american-slave-your-4th-july-frederick-douglass-1852-speech-ncna888736
ENTIRE SPEECH
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/what-slave-fourth-july-frederick-douglass/
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OF DAY 5 OF THIS SPEECH
BY AfroEconomics with JB Bryan
https://www.facebook.com/AfroEconomics/videos/297000071436259/?v=297000071436259
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/what-american-slave-your-4th-july-frederick-douglass-1852-speech-ncna888736
ENTIRE SPEECH
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/what-slave-fourth-july-frederick-douglass/
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OF DAY 5 OF THIS SPEECH
BY AfroEconomics with JB Bryan
https://www.facebook.com/AfroEconomics/videos/297000071436259/?v=297000071436259
Racism Causes Life-Threatening Conditions for Black Men Every Day
Shervin Assari
The National Interest, June 2, 2020, 12:00 AM EDT
High-profile police shootings and deaths of black men in custody – or even while out jogging – bring cries of racism across the country. The May 25 death of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis and the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020 by a white father and son have resulted in outrage and protests in cities across the U.S.
But, as a public health researcher who studies the effects of racism on the health of black men, I have found that the life-and-death effects of racism in the U.S. go far beyond police shootings. I also have found that, while racism harms many groups of people, black men are paying the highest cost.
As a result of racism, and associated poverty and injustice, life expectancy at birth of black men is 71.9 years, far bellow white women (81.2), black women (78.5), and white men (76.4). These are mainly because of black men’s higher risk of dying from several types of cancer, stroke, HIV, and homicide.“ Despite overall declining numbers of homicide in the U.S., homicide remains the number one cause of death for black males 10 to 24.
My research and that of many others strongly links these deaths and poor physical and mental health outcomes in general to racism. For black men in the U.S., racism is a daily experience that harms their health and leads to chronic disease and poor health. About 66% of blacks report high levels of day-to-day racial discrimination.
One example is being turned down for a job (as opposed to being treated differently on the job. On average, each black youth faces one major discriminatory experience each year. Discrimination is a major risk factor for health problems across the board, as shown by reviews.
There are also blocked opportunities for black men and other types of discrimination that are less frequent but very consequential, also called major discriminatory events. Combined, these discriminatory experiences make living harder and shorter for black men than for other race by gender groups. While discrimination is known to be a risk factor for premature death, heart disease, depression, and suicide, we know black men experience discrimination more than other groups, including black women.
As an associate professor of family medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, a historically black medical school, I study how racism affects racial and ethnic minority people, particularly black men. My studies have shown that discrimination and racism are root causes of depression, anxiety, substance use and suicide, as well as poor physical health.
Education does not save black men
In a recent study, I found that sense of mastery, which refers to people’s ability to take control of their life, could reduce psychological distress for black women. For black men, however, high levels of mastery were not enough to reduce psychological distress.
In another study, I compared black men and black women for the effect of their educational attainment on their depressive symptoms and psychological distress. I analyzed data of 3,570 black adults (2,299 females and 1,271 males) and found that education protects black men less than it protects black women from depressive symptoms and psychological distress. That means black men are at risk of depressive symptoms and psychological distress at all levels of educational attainment. That is, their success is not enough to reduce their depression and distress.
As all these studies have used nationally representative data. Thus, the results are generalizable to the U.S. people. They all show a pattern called diminished returns of economic and non-economic resources for black men. Although they are also seen for other race by gender groups, they are most pronounced for black men. As a result of these diminished returns, black men who have high levels of aspirations and motivation to get to the top of society still get sick, feel unhealthy and die early.
In other words, as long as U.S. unfairly treats black men, their very same resource would fail to protect them, so they show systemically poor outcomes, regardless of their status in the society.
Again, these are not limited to, but worst for, black men.
Racism in health care
Even the U.S. health care system treats black men worse than black women. This includes receiving a lower quality of health care compared to whites, and even black women. Such discrimination deteriorates their ability to manage their disease, so they develop worse outcomes and get sicker.
One of my papers shows that white men have a specific role in this. My work shows that anti-black bias is highest in white men than white women. This is very concerning because white men have the highest level of power in law, politics, police and many other institutions in the U.S. These all mean that odds are not in favor of black men.
Recent shootings of black men, either by police, or others, also shows that black men are specifically targeted by white men, the group which also is in charge of law and order. These all are examples of how social structures and biases cause poor health among black men.
Money doesn’t improve health for black men
Several of my studies have documented high risk of depression in black men and boys of high socioeconomic status. These studies shows higher, instead of lower, risk of depression as a result of socioeconomic mobility in the US.
One explanation for this is that they pay a very high price for their ticket to the top of the society. This journey also opens their eyes to the real inequalities that exist in the U.S. society.
In another study among black boys, high income increased the risk of depression, suggesting that high-income black boys are more, not less, depressed than low-income black boys. In yet another study of mine, 25 years’ follow-up of American adults showed that high education actually increases depressive symptoms of black men over time. I did not see this pattern in white men, white women or even black women.
In another study, I found that white men gain most life expectancy from their employment. The gain was smaller but still considerable for white women and black women. Black men, however, died earlier, regardless of their employment.
Thus, in today’s U.S., racism is a root cause of poor health of black men. Given the societal structure, personal assets and ambitions such as advanced education, income and employment do not insulate black men from the racism of the American society they live in. In fact, these assets increase the likelihood of black men to be discriminated.
Many studies have shown that racism, discrimination, prejudice and related environmental stressors have a more prominent role in causing anxiety, depression, substance use, and poor physical health of black men than black women.
Questions we should ask ourselves as a society
I end up this conversation with a few questions for my fellow Americans. How on earth can social mobility make the lives of white Americans easier, but not for black men? Why should social status increase rather than decrease black men’s exposure and vulnerability to discrimination? Why, for whites, does discrimination vanish if people attain high levels of success, but for black men, discrimination increases as they move up the social ladder? Why does success increase discriminatory experiences of black men?
Racism, however, is bad for everyone’s health, not just black men. It is just bad in a different way. Everyone dies sooner in a racist community. This is partially because societal inequalities increase people’ vulnerablities, even the most privileged ones, as a I explained in another piece.
[Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.]
Shervin Assari is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Image: Reuters
Read the original article. The Daily Beast
Shervin Assari
The National Interest, June 2, 2020, 12:00 AM EDT
High-profile police shootings and deaths of black men in custody – or even while out jogging – bring cries of racism across the country. The May 25 death of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis and the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020 by a white father and son have resulted in outrage and protests in cities across the U.S.
But, as a public health researcher who studies the effects of racism on the health of black men, I have found that the life-and-death effects of racism in the U.S. go far beyond police shootings. I also have found that, while racism harms many groups of people, black men are paying the highest cost.
As a result of racism, and associated poverty and injustice, life expectancy at birth of black men is 71.9 years, far bellow white women (81.2), black women (78.5), and white men (76.4). These are mainly because of black men’s higher risk of dying from several types of cancer, stroke, HIV, and homicide.“ Despite overall declining numbers of homicide in the U.S., homicide remains the number one cause of death for black males 10 to 24.
My research and that of many others strongly links these deaths and poor physical and mental health outcomes in general to racism. For black men in the U.S., racism is a daily experience that harms their health and leads to chronic disease and poor health. About 66% of blacks report high levels of day-to-day racial discrimination.
One example is being turned down for a job (as opposed to being treated differently on the job. On average, each black youth faces one major discriminatory experience each year. Discrimination is a major risk factor for health problems across the board, as shown by reviews.
There are also blocked opportunities for black men and other types of discrimination that are less frequent but very consequential, also called major discriminatory events. Combined, these discriminatory experiences make living harder and shorter for black men than for other race by gender groups. While discrimination is known to be a risk factor for premature death, heart disease, depression, and suicide, we know black men experience discrimination more than other groups, including black women.
As an associate professor of family medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, a historically black medical school, I study how racism affects racial and ethnic minority people, particularly black men. My studies have shown that discrimination and racism are root causes of depression, anxiety, substance use and suicide, as well as poor physical health.
Education does not save black men
In a recent study, I found that sense of mastery, which refers to people’s ability to take control of their life, could reduce psychological distress for black women. For black men, however, high levels of mastery were not enough to reduce psychological distress.
In another study, I compared black men and black women for the effect of their educational attainment on their depressive symptoms and psychological distress. I analyzed data of 3,570 black adults (2,299 females and 1,271 males) and found that education protects black men less than it protects black women from depressive symptoms and psychological distress. That means black men are at risk of depressive symptoms and psychological distress at all levels of educational attainment. That is, their success is not enough to reduce their depression and distress.
As all these studies have used nationally representative data. Thus, the results are generalizable to the U.S. people. They all show a pattern called diminished returns of economic and non-economic resources for black men. Although they are also seen for other race by gender groups, they are most pronounced for black men. As a result of these diminished returns, black men who have high levels of aspirations and motivation to get to the top of society still get sick, feel unhealthy and die early.
In other words, as long as U.S. unfairly treats black men, their very same resource would fail to protect them, so they show systemically poor outcomes, regardless of their status in the society.
Again, these are not limited to, but worst for, black men.
Racism in health care
Even the U.S. health care system treats black men worse than black women. This includes receiving a lower quality of health care compared to whites, and even black women. Such discrimination deteriorates their ability to manage their disease, so they develop worse outcomes and get sicker.
One of my papers shows that white men have a specific role in this. My work shows that anti-black bias is highest in white men than white women. This is very concerning because white men have the highest level of power in law, politics, police and many other institutions in the U.S. These all mean that odds are not in favor of black men.
Recent shootings of black men, either by police, or others, also shows that black men are specifically targeted by white men, the group which also is in charge of law and order. These all are examples of how social structures and biases cause poor health among black men.
Money doesn’t improve health for black men
Several of my studies have documented high risk of depression in black men and boys of high socioeconomic status. These studies shows higher, instead of lower, risk of depression as a result of socioeconomic mobility in the US.
One explanation for this is that they pay a very high price for their ticket to the top of the society. This journey also opens their eyes to the real inequalities that exist in the U.S. society.
In another study among black boys, high income increased the risk of depression, suggesting that high-income black boys are more, not less, depressed than low-income black boys. In yet another study of mine, 25 years’ follow-up of American adults showed that high education actually increases depressive symptoms of black men over time. I did not see this pattern in white men, white women or even black women.
In another study, I found that white men gain most life expectancy from their employment. The gain was smaller but still considerable for white women and black women. Black men, however, died earlier, regardless of their employment.
Thus, in today’s U.S., racism is a root cause of poor health of black men. Given the societal structure, personal assets and ambitions such as advanced education, income and employment do not insulate black men from the racism of the American society they live in. In fact, these assets increase the likelihood of black men to be discriminated.
Many studies have shown that racism, discrimination, prejudice and related environmental stressors have a more prominent role in causing anxiety, depression, substance use, and poor physical health of black men than black women.
Questions we should ask ourselves as a society
I end up this conversation with a few questions for my fellow Americans. How on earth can social mobility make the lives of white Americans easier, but not for black men? Why should social status increase rather than decrease black men’s exposure and vulnerability to discrimination? Why, for whites, does discrimination vanish if people attain high levels of success, but for black men, discrimination increases as they move up the social ladder? Why does success increase discriminatory experiences of black men?
Racism, however, is bad for everyone’s health, not just black men. It is just bad in a different way. Everyone dies sooner in a racist community. This is partially because societal inequalities increase people’ vulnerablities, even the most privileged ones, as a I explained in another piece.
[Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.]
Shervin Assari is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Image: Reuters
Read the original article. The Daily Beast
How to Recover From Covid-19 at HomeRest and fluids are essential, but not always enough. Here are some more things you can do to feel better.
Credit...Mjrodafotografia/Getty Images
By Maggie Astor
My husband and I got sick from the coronavirus in late March. We had so-called mild cases, meaning only that we weren’t hospitalized: In fact, we were sicker than we had ever been. Because we could breathe fine, we knew we weren’t supposed to go to the hospital. But what were we supposed to do?
The standard advice — rest, fluids and fever reducers — was and is essential, but at times it felt inadequate to the severity of the illness.
As we recovered, I spoke with many friends, colleagues and internet strangers going through similar ordeals. Here is some collective wisdom on how to manage noncritical cases of Covid-19.
When to get help
First, of course, you need to be confident that your illness can be managed at home. Most cases of Covid-19 can be. But if you develop any symptoms on this list, including trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, an inability to wake or stay awake and/or bluish lips or face, seek emergency care.
Some people will have relatively mild symptoms at first and then become more seriously ill. These patients are likely to develop shortness of breath four to eight days after their first symptoms, and “that’s really where people should start paying attention,” said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an internist at the Cambridge Health Alliance who was co-author of an article about the progression of Covid-19 symptoms.
If the shortness of breath worsens from day to day, Dr. Cohen said, that’s a sign to call your doctor. Less commonly, patients with low oxygen levels may experience dizziness or lightheadedness instead of shortness of breath, so keep an eye out for that too.
Otherwise, read on.
What you’ll need
If you’re reading this while healthy, buy basic supplies now, including a thermometer, acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and rehydration drinks like Pedialyte.
A pulse oximeter can sometimes be helpful, both in flagging severe illness and in reassuring you of the opposite, my colleague Dana Goldstein says: If you feel short of breath but your oxygen level is normal, you may be able to avoid the hospital. (You should still contact your doctor.)
If you’re sick and don’t have supplies, see if a friend can pick them up for you, or if a grocery store or bodega will deliver. (Tip well!) Either way, avoid contact: Whether it’s a friend or a delivery person, have the bag left outside your door, and don’t open the door until the delivery person is gone.
Prescriptions can help
Over-the-counter drugs may not be enough. In particular, the coughing and nausea caused by Covid-19 can be severe enough to warrant prescription medication.
For my husband and me, benzonatate (for the cough) and promethazine (for the nausea) were lifesavers. Some colleagues were prescribed codeine-based cough medicine or Zofran. If you feel you might need them, ask your doctor about medications sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until you’re doubled over coughing or can’t keep anything down.
If you don’t have a primary care doctor, some urgent care clinics offer virtual appointments, and some pharmacies offer prescription delivery.
Ease your breathing
Dry air can exacerbate some symptoms such as coughing and chest tightness. If you have a humidifier, use it. If not, a hot shower works.
Several readers reported that they felt better when they lay on their stomach. A woman in Britain whose partner was sick for several weeks told me that a particular breathing exercise helped him:
You take a deep breath, hold it for 5 seconds and release. Do that 5 times, then on the 6th time on the release, cough hard. Do that cycle twice, then lie on your front and take slightly deeper breaths for 10 minutes. Try to do it a couple of times a day. SEE BOX BREATH INFO in article by Dr. Philippa Wheble below.
In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe an albuterol inhaler to reduce your cough and ease your breathing.
Monitor your symptoms
As soon as you get sick, start a detailed log. Every time you take your temperature — do it several times a day, at consistent times — log it. Every time you take a pill, log it. Every time you eat or drink, log it. If one symptom resolves or a new one develops, log it.
As my colleague Eliza Shapiro noted in a Twitter thread worth reading in full, this creates a detailed record to take along if you end up needing medical attention. It also helps you stay on top of your care.
Can I take more cough medicine yet? How long have I had this fever? Is it a little lower than it was yesterday? You won’t be able to keep these things straight while shivering in bed, but a spreadsheet can.
Mental health matters
Having Covid-19 is intensely stressful. It’s not unusual to feel depressed or anxious, or to have panic attacks. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about your mental health — it’s just as important as your physical health.
Derek Norman, a news assistant at The Times, says that in the worst moments of his illness, when he felt short of breath and panicky, he would sit upright, focus on breathing steadily and picture a vivid memory.
I’d close my eyes and picture the exact details of a scene I had once experienced, and I’d completely immerse myself in that memory. Something like sitting at an outdoor cafe in Morocco. I’d try to recall the sounds of street life and the dry desert air on my skin, or the smell of the spices, hookah and exhaust swirling in the air. Very, very specific details that I look back fondly on. I’d continue to slowly breathe through it.
Tim Herrera, our Smarter Living editor, emphasized fresh air. That can be hard to come by safely when you’re contagious, but even if you live in a crowded area with no private outdoor space, it can help to open a window.
It’s also OK to not be OK. You don’t have to handle this “well,” whatever that means. You just have to get through each day. So go ahead and cry, binge Netflix, do a jigsaw puzzle, reread the entire “Animorphs” series — whatever gets you through the day.
Don’t expect a linear recoverySome people have mild symptoms for the first few days and then suddenly get sicker. Some have fevers that go up and down repeatedly. Some are sick for two weeks straight, then have a few symptom-free days, then relapse. Some have lingering symptoms for months.
This is both maddening and very common. Give yourself as much time to rest as your job and financial situation will allow. For me and for several colleagues, that meant nearly three weeks of sick time.
Since tweeting about my experience last month, I’ve received many emails from people in the “this will never end” phase. I share the same screenshot with all of them: a text I sent to a friend on April 5.
“Why do I even bother giving good news when it’s only going to last a few hours?” I wrote. “I’m just so tired of this. I don’t know how to keep dealing with it.” Every day, more people will hit that wall — and every day, more people will find their way past it. They will feel alone, but they won’t be.
Sarah Maslin Nir contributed reporting.
Maggie Astor is a political reporter based in New York. Previously, she was a general assignment reporter and a copy editor for The Times and a reporter for The Record in New Jersey. @MaggieAstor
A version of this article appears in print on May 29, 2020, Section A, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: How to Get Through Covid-19 at Home. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Credit...Mjrodafotografia/Getty Images
By Maggie Astor
- May 27, 2020
My husband and I got sick from the coronavirus in late March. We had so-called mild cases, meaning only that we weren’t hospitalized: In fact, we were sicker than we had ever been. Because we could breathe fine, we knew we weren’t supposed to go to the hospital. But what were we supposed to do?
The standard advice — rest, fluids and fever reducers — was and is essential, but at times it felt inadequate to the severity of the illness.
As we recovered, I spoke with many friends, colleagues and internet strangers going through similar ordeals. Here is some collective wisdom on how to manage noncritical cases of Covid-19.
When to get help
First, of course, you need to be confident that your illness can be managed at home. Most cases of Covid-19 can be. But if you develop any symptoms on this list, including trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, an inability to wake or stay awake and/or bluish lips or face, seek emergency care.
Some people will have relatively mild symptoms at first and then become more seriously ill. These patients are likely to develop shortness of breath four to eight days after their first symptoms, and “that’s really where people should start paying attention,” said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and an internist at the Cambridge Health Alliance who was co-author of an article about the progression of Covid-19 symptoms.
If the shortness of breath worsens from day to day, Dr. Cohen said, that’s a sign to call your doctor. Less commonly, patients with low oxygen levels may experience dizziness or lightheadedness instead of shortness of breath, so keep an eye out for that too.
Otherwise, read on.
What you’ll need
If you’re reading this while healthy, buy basic supplies now, including a thermometer, acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and rehydration drinks like Pedialyte.
A pulse oximeter can sometimes be helpful, both in flagging severe illness and in reassuring you of the opposite, my colleague Dana Goldstein says: If you feel short of breath but your oxygen level is normal, you may be able to avoid the hospital. (You should still contact your doctor.)
If you’re sick and don’t have supplies, see if a friend can pick them up for you, or if a grocery store or bodega will deliver. (Tip well!) Either way, avoid contact: Whether it’s a friend or a delivery person, have the bag left outside your door, and don’t open the door until the delivery person is gone.
Prescriptions can help
Over-the-counter drugs may not be enough. In particular, the coughing and nausea caused by Covid-19 can be severe enough to warrant prescription medication.
For my husband and me, benzonatate (for the cough) and promethazine (for the nausea) were lifesavers. Some colleagues were prescribed codeine-based cough medicine or Zofran. If you feel you might need them, ask your doctor about medications sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until you’re doubled over coughing or can’t keep anything down.
If you don’t have a primary care doctor, some urgent care clinics offer virtual appointments, and some pharmacies offer prescription delivery.
Ease your breathing
Dry air can exacerbate some symptoms such as coughing and chest tightness. If you have a humidifier, use it. If not, a hot shower works.
Several readers reported that they felt better when they lay on their stomach. A woman in Britain whose partner was sick for several weeks told me that a particular breathing exercise helped him:
You take a deep breath, hold it for 5 seconds and release. Do that 5 times, then on the 6th time on the release, cough hard. Do that cycle twice, then lie on your front and take slightly deeper breaths for 10 minutes. Try to do it a couple of times a day. SEE BOX BREATH INFO in article by Dr. Philippa Wheble below.
In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe an albuterol inhaler to reduce your cough and ease your breathing.
Monitor your symptoms
As soon as you get sick, start a detailed log. Every time you take your temperature — do it several times a day, at consistent times — log it. Every time you take a pill, log it. Every time you eat or drink, log it. If one symptom resolves or a new one develops, log it.
As my colleague Eliza Shapiro noted in a Twitter thread worth reading in full, this creates a detailed record to take along if you end up needing medical attention. It also helps you stay on top of your care.
Can I take more cough medicine yet? How long have I had this fever? Is it a little lower than it was yesterday? You won’t be able to keep these things straight while shivering in bed, but a spreadsheet can.
Mental health matters
Having Covid-19 is intensely stressful. It’s not unusual to feel depressed or anxious, or to have panic attacks. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about your mental health — it’s just as important as your physical health.
Derek Norman, a news assistant at The Times, says that in the worst moments of his illness, when he felt short of breath and panicky, he would sit upright, focus on breathing steadily and picture a vivid memory.
I’d close my eyes and picture the exact details of a scene I had once experienced, and I’d completely immerse myself in that memory. Something like sitting at an outdoor cafe in Morocco. I’d try to recall the sounds of street life and the dry desert air on my skin, or the smell of the spices, hookah and exhaust swirling in the air. Very, very specific details that I look back fondly on. I’d continue to slowly breathe through it.
Tim Herrera, our Smarter Living editor, emphasized fresh air. That can be hard to come by safely when you’re contagious, but even if you live in a crowded area with no private outdoor space, it can help to open a window.
It’s also OK to not be OK. You don’t have to handle this “well,” whatever that means. You just have to get through each day. So go ahead and cry, binge Netflix, do a jigsaw puzzle, reread the entire “Animorphs” series — whatever gets you through the day.
Don’t expect a linear recoverySome people have mild symptoms for the first few days and then suddenly get sicker. Some have fevers that go up and down repeatedly. Some are sick for two weeks straight, then have a few symptom-free days, then relapse. Some have lingering symptoms for months.
This is both maddening and very common. Give yourself as much time to rest as your job and financial situation will allow. For me and for several colleagues, that meant nearly three weeks of sick time.
Since tweeting about my experience last month, I’ve received many emails from people in the “this will never end” phase. I share the same screenshot with all of them: a text I sent to a friend on April 5.
“Why do I even bother giving good news when it’s only going to last a few hours?” I wrote. “I’m just so tired of this. I don’t know how to keep dealing with it.” Every day, more people will hit that wall — and every day, more people will find their way past it. They will feel alone, but they won’t be.
Sarah Maslin Nir contributed reporting.
Maggie Astor is a political reporter based in New York. Previously, she was a general assignment reporter and a copy editor for The Times and a reporter for The Record in New Jersey. @MaggieAstor
A version of this article appears in print on May 29, 2020, Section A, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: How to Get Through Covid-19 at Home. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
In Mental Health Month, “Mental Health and Breathing with COVID Bonus
by Dr. Philippa Wheble
This letter came from IBF.
“I had been scanning the internet for possible answers to this question and waiting for Pippa to recover from her Covid experience to ask her. Then she kindly sent me a very useful Utube video she had made for World Breathing Day on 11th April about anxiety and depression and the benefits of breathwork. And, 39 minutes into the video, I found just what I was looking for: a first hand explanation of Covid 19 from Pippa’s experience both of having the virus and from her perspective both as a medical practitioner and a TBr trainer. (Transformational Breath, a conscious-connected breath practice)
I urge you to listen to this for yourself (see below for the link). Here are a few key points that Pippa makes. Thank you so much for sharing this Pippa. Its unique perspective is so very important at this time!
The major challenge of the Covid 19 virus is that while the patient is able to breathe deeply, it is the oxygen exchange in the lungs that is impaired; covid 19 breathlessness is caused by the body’s inability to get oxygen out of the lungs into the blood and into the tissues where it’s needed.
Pippa does not recommend TBr or any conscious connected breathing technique either during the illness or the recovery period (7-21 days) because of the need to maintain CO2 levels to enable as much oxygen as possible to get to the tissues
For breathlessness caused by Covid 19, Pippa recommends a breathing practice through the nose that promotes a slow, full and balanced breathing pattern (Pippa herself used box or hong sau breathing to a rhythm of four breaths in and four breaths out with a pause of four breaths between them)
Breathing through our noses in any shared or public space is very important, to enable the air to be filtered and moistened – breathing through our mouths can result in a dry mouth which can allow the covid 19 virus to invade the throat and lungs
Pippa recommends the importance of a healing routine in the recovery stages ( she suggests meditation, gentle exercise, goal setting, diet, social support, laughter, maintaining social contacts; as she says ‘investing in our personal resilience is crucial at this time’.
Breathworkers should only work on line, never face to face, at this time
Social distancing saves lives.
Utube video: Breathwork and anxiety (with corona virus bonus) COVID info from 30 seconds – 48.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyaXVkuGoa0&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR20Di8rOLvfXYeKGn-R5bJBUxWe3xClLBEM1r-jm-OJUV0FD6LfOjPZEy4
Remember to watch the beginning part of the video about anxiety and depression too, which is especially prevalent in these uncertain times - and look out for the section near the end about the benefits of breathwork
Copyright: Dr. Philippa Wheble, Article by Andria Falk
by Dr. Philippa Wheble
This letter came from IBF.
“I had been scanning the internet for possible answers to this question and waiting for Pippa to recover from her Covid experience to ask her. Then she kindly sent me a very useful Utube video she had made for World Breathing Day on 11th April about anxiety and depression and the benefits of breathwork. And, 39 minutes into the video, I found just what I was looking for: a first hand explanation of Covid 19 from Pippa’s experience both of having the virus and from her perspective both as a medical practitioner and a TBr trainer. (Transformational Breath, a conscious-connected breath practice)
I urge you to listen to this for yourself (see below for the link). Here are a few key points that Pippa makes. Thank you so much for sharing this Pippa. Its unique perspective is so very important at this time!
The major challenge of the Covid 19 virus is that while the patient is able to breathe deeply, it is the oxygen exchange in the lungs that is impaired; covid 19 breathlessness is caused by the body’s inability to get oxygen out of the lungs into the blood and into the tissues where it’s needed.
Pippa does not recommend TBr or any conscious connected breathing technique either during the illness or the recovery period (7-21 days) because of the need to maintain CO2 levels to enable as much oxygen as possible to get to the tissues
For breathlessness caused by Covid 19, Pippa recommends a breathing practice through the nose that promotes a slow, full and balanced breathing pattern (Pippa herself used box or hong sau breathing to a rhythm of four breaths in and four breaths out with a pause of four breaths between them)
Breathing through our noses in any shared or public space is very important, to enable the air to be filtered and moistened – breathing through our mouths can result in a dry mouth which can allow the covid 19 virus to invade the throat and lungs
Pippa recommends the importance of a healing routine in the recovery stages ( she suggests meditation, gentle exercise, goal setting, diet, social support, laughter, maintaining social contacts; as she says ‘investing in our personal resilience is crucial at this time’.
Breathworkers should only work on line, never face to face, at this time
Social distancing saves lives.
Utube video: Breathwork and anxiety (with corona virus bonus) COVID info from 30 seconds – 48.24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyaXVkuGoa0&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR20Di8rOLvfXYeKGn-R5bJBUxWe3xClLBEM1r-jm-OJUV0FD6LfOjPZEy4
Remember to watch the beginning part of the video about anxiety and depression too, which is especially prevalent in these uncertain times - and look out for the section near the end about the benefits of breathwork
Copyright: Dr. Philippa Wheble, Article by Andria Falk
Sekou Ayo's Trailer on "Cleansing Breath " added to CDC preventions .
fOR FULL REPLAY OF BREATHSHOPS ON-LINE MARCH 11 LIVE
click here: BreathShops On-Line
How a free, extremely low-risk ER procedure is saving lives from coronavirus
Abby Haglage
May 1, 2020, 5:56 PM EDT
Doctors have begun using a technique called "proning," or shifting patients on their stomach, to prevent serious illness from the coronavirus. Here, a patient with COVID-19 in an Italian hospital. (Photo: Marco Mantovani/Getty Images)
More than 1 million people have recovered from the coronavirus, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University, a marker of success that can be traced to various factors. Ventilators, experimental drug treatments and a better understanding of the virus all have surely helped saved many lives.
But there’s an even simpler solution that’s quietly being implemented in emergency rooms across the globe, one that doctors say could be saving countless lives: proning.
Proning, a technique that involves having patients lie on their stomach, is actually more complex than it sounds, requiring six people to pull off safely. A well-known method in intensive care units, it’s long been used to improve the breathing of those suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Now being used in many ERs, it’s proving to be a low-risk, highly effective way to improve the breathing of COVID-19 patients early on — and prevent many from having to be put on ventilators.
Related: The COVID-19 Breathing Technique Taking Over the UK
According to one resident at an emergency room in Chicago (who requested anonymity because of his job), his team is now “proning as much as possible” with COVID-19 patients. While it may seem puzzling that simply being on your stomach could improve oxygen flow, the resident explains why it’s highly effective.
“When we’re laying on our backs, our diaphragm is pushed up by our abdominal organs and our lungs don’t expand as much as they could, especially the back part of our lungs,” he tells Yahoo Life. “When we prone patients ... you're allowing the diaphragm to sink low, because the abdominal organs are kind of falling with gravity, which allows the lungs to expand further and allows the back part of the lungs, which are normally being compressed when you're on your back to expand more, to allow for ventilation. So you're basically opening up more of the lungs to participate in gas exchange.”
The rise of this technique in New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, can be traced to Dr. Nicholas Caputo, associate chief of the ER department at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx, one of the hardest-hit hospitals in the nation. Caputo says that when COVID-19 patients first began flooding the hospital’s critical care units in early March, proning was not part of the protocol.
“The sort of paradigm at the time was to intubate early,” Caputo tells Yahoo Life. This made sense for patients who were clearly experiencing respiratory distress. The problem was, many patients arriving to the ER weren’t clearly in distress — they were experiencing what’s referred to as “silent hypoxics,” or breathing trouble with no symptoms. This means that despite appearing normal, their oxygen saturation level, or the amount of oxygen in the blood (normally between 95 and 100) has fallen sharply.
“These people would be on their cellphones, or just having a conversation, [seemingly fine but] with oxygen saturation in the 70s, 60s or even 50s. ... These patients were getting intubated because everybody didn't know how to approach them,” says Caputo. “So nurses were freaking out, doctors were puzzled and it was chaos.”
Given the high mortality rate of those put on ventilators, Caputo and his team began thinking of other options to prevent having to take that step. Inspired by a study conducted in Italy in late January in which physicians there showed positive results from proning COVID-19 patients, they began to try it. “We thought maybe that would help, so we started proning in the emergency department pretty early on.”
Within minutes of turning patients with low oxygen saturation on their stomachs, they saw oxygen saturation levels jump back into the normal range. “Patients who were coming in with oxygen stats in the 70s ... once we proned them, after about a few minutes, they'd be up in the low 90s,” says Caputo. “That sort of brought the temperature down in the room, we could kind of take a step back and breathe.”
The Proning Team in action on critical care saving lives. Another example of great teamwork and staff working above and beyond. @BHR_hospitals #nhs
Caputo immediately began tracking the progress, publishing the first clinical report of the progress on April 22. The report showed that proning improved the oxygen saturation levels among 50 individuals with COVID-19 — some of whom had oxygen saturation levels as low as 69. After five minutes of proning, the mean oxygen saturation level was 94.
The technique soon spread in New York, Caputo says, which he believes is one of the reasons that the seriousness of infections has decreased. “I’ve heard from physicians around the world, they've been trying this and they've been having pretty good success with improving oxygenation and holding off on intubating patients,” he says. “And I think the numbers within New York City back that up. Late March, early April, we were intubating several hundred patients a day; then we started doing this and it caught on in the rest of the city, that number dropped to a few dozen a day.”
Caputo is careful to note that the technique is not perfect. Not everyone in his clinical review responded the same way. But overall, he hopes it is something that emergency rooms continue to adopt nationwide. “It’s not a panacea, it’s not a cure-all,” he says. “But it’s a way to buy time for some patients, and other patients, it’s a way to prevent intubation — cause we know this: If you get intubated, your odds of having a poor outcome in terms of mortality is around 50 percent.”
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
ARE PEOPLE BEING PUT ON VENTILATORS TOO SOON? CAN VENTILATORS CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE LUNGS? Ventilators pump oxygen under pressure directly into the lungs via a tube inserted down the throat.
Pushing pressurised oxygen into the organs can cause them to become extremely inflamed.
They become irritated which triggers an aggressive immune response, resulting in the inflammation.
Very high levels of oxygen is also harmful because it increases free radical formation, leading to damaged membranes, proteins, and cell structures in the lungs.
Doctors normally circumvent this by making sure to keep pressure levels low and only administer as much oxygen is necessary to keep the organs supplied.
But, in patients who already have severely damaged and inflamed lungs, they can worsen the problem.
Inflammation can cause fluid from nearby blood vessels to leak into the tiny air sacs in the lungs, making breathing and getting oxygen to organs increasingly difficult.
see link below for more info
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8204459/Are-doctors-HARMING-coronavirus-patients-putting-ventilators-early.html
Pushing pressurised oxygen into the organs can cause them to become extremely inflamed.
They become irritated which triggers an aggressive immune response, resulting in the inflammation.
Very high levels of oxygen is also harmful because it increases free radical formation, leading to damaged membranes, proteins, and cell structures in the lungs.
Doctors normally circumvent this by making sure to keep pressure levels low and only administer as much oxygen is necessary to keep the organs supplied.
But, in patients who already have severely damaged and inflamed lungs, they can worsen the problem.
Inflammation can cause fluid from nearby blood vessels to leak into the tiny air sacs in the lungs, making breathing and getting oxygen to organs increasingly difficult.
see link below for more info
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8204459/Are-doctors-HARMING-coronavirus-patients-putting-ventilators-early.html
Laughing Tips For Beginners
4 Scientific Reasons to Laugh More
Everyone enjoys a good laugh. But, did you know that it is actually good for you? A little laughter on a regular basis can go a long way towards improving your life. Here are 4 scientifically backed reasons to lighten up and squeeze out a few giggles more often.
Boost emotional health. Laughter releases the feel-good hormones dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These little guys work to improve your moods, enhance your experiences, and even reduce stress and pain. Nothing salvages a bad day like the feeling of hearty laughter. Even better, it’s contagious — so your laughter can help brighten up your friends’ days as well as your own!
Appear more attractive. Catching someone’s eye may be as simple as offering their jokes a light chuckle. That’s right, laughing can actually make you more attractive to others. According to research, women tend to prefer a man with a sense of humor, while men prefer women who laugh at their wit. Laughter is also important in general social situations, as it promotes person-to-person bonding. Undeniably, a wild smile is the most becoming accessory for any face.
Reduce stress. Laughter truly is the best medicine. If you can view your problems through the colorful lens of humor, you’ll be a much happier person. The simple act of chortling is responsible for lowering stress hormones and soothing tension throughout the body. Since chronic stress can be detrimental to your health, laughing also hugely benefits your immune system. It’s a preventative medicine for almost every ailment!
Improve respiratory health. Laughing flushes your lungs with fresh air, increases heart rate, and helps you to breathe more deeply. It helps to stretch the lungs and reinvigorate your entire body. Laughter is a welcome splash of cool, rejuvenating water for your respiratory system.
Laughter is thought to be older than language. Even animals do it. It is one of the most natural and beneficial things you can do for your body and mind. So go ahead, hang out with old friends, watch your favorite sitcoms on Netflix, or dance around to funny songs! Laughter spices up life and is one of your best defenses against the February blues.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/4-scientific-reasons-to-laugh-more.html#ixzz3RJHgRr7R
- Make a choice to laugh and make a decision to be playful and to have fun.
- Make it easy – do not try hard. Show up every day.
- Laughing helps you breathe more.
- Leave your “serious mind” behind and bring a happy face with you.
- Do not over-think….you will have 23+ hours to think more
- Allow it – laughter is inside of us. It is our true nature.
- Smile
- Relax and let go
- Take yourself lightly – laugh at yourself.
- Challenge your thoughts and beliefs: If you think: “I do not know how to laugh”, “I need to have a reason”, “I have to feel good” etc.
- Do not multi-task.
- Open your mouth wide, keep your chin up, stick your tongue out.
- Experiment with position – sit, jump & shake, lie down on your back, laugh with closed eyes.
- Experiment with different laughs – high pitch laugh, low pitch laugh.
- Echo someone’s laughter.
- SILLY is OK… it is perfectly OK and freeing to make funny sounds, funny noises, singing, talking in Gibberish and laughing out loud….children do it all the time.
- Enjoy the present moment and opportunity to laugh with others.
- If you still do not feel like laughing- laugh gently anyway.
- Trust the playful child inside of you – she/he will take you all the way to your blissful playground.
- Come back for more and bring your friends and family members —“Laughter is the best medicine”.
- Laughter is the shortest distance between people
- Laughter is an instant vacation.
- Spread Smiles and Laughter wherever you go.
- Live life laughing! Follow your bliss! Share all that you are! Be the change you want to see in the world!
4 Scientific Reasons to Laugh More
Everyone enjoys a good laugh. But, did you know that it is actually good for you? A little laughter on a regular basis can go a long way towards improving your life. Here are 4 scientifically backed reasons to lighten up and squeeze out a few giggles more often.
Boost emotional health. Laughter releases the feel-good hormones dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These little guys work to improve your moods, enhance your experiences, and even reduce stress and pain. Nothing salvages a bad day like the feeling of hearty laughter. Even better, it’s contagious — so your laughter can help brighten up your friends’ days as well as your own!
Appear more attractive. Catching someone’s eye may be as simple as offering their jokes a light chuckle. That’s right, laughing can actually make you more attractive to others. According to research, women tend to prefer a man with a sense of humor, while men prefer women who laugh at their wit. Laughter is also important in general social situations, as it promotes person-to-person bonding. Undeniably, a wild smile is the most becoming accessory for any face.
Reduce stress. Laughter truly is the best medicine. If you can view your problems through the colorful lens of humor, you’ll be a much happier person. The simple act of chortling is responsible for lowering stress hormones and soothing tension throughout the body. Since chronic stress can be detrimental to your health, laughing also hugely benefits your immune system. It’s a preventative medicine for almost every ailment!
Improve respiratory health. Laughing flushes your lungs with fresh air, increases heart rate, and helps you to breathe more deeply. It helps to stretch the lungs and reinvigorate your entire body. Laughter is a welcome splash of cool, rejuvenating water for your respiratory system.
Laughter is thought to be older than language. Even animals do it. It is one of the most natural and beneficial things you can do for your body and mind. So go ahead, hang out with old friends, watch your favorite sitcoms on Netflix, or dance around to funny songs! Laughter spices up life and is one of your best defenses against the February blues.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/4-scientific-reasons-to-laugh-more.html#ixzz3RJHgRr7R
Vitamin C and an Interview with Dr. Andrew Saul, Premiere Authority on the Use of Vitamin C
By Citizens For Health Coronavirus Suzanne Jenkins April 1, 2020
Hello, Everyone,
Dr. Andrew Saul – the premier authority on the use of Vitamin C, gives you the information you need as well as letting those in your sphere of influence know that Vitamin C is being used to fight COVID-19 in OTHER countries.
Our government and media disseminate “false news and dis-information” when they declare we individuals can NOT strengthen our immune systems. It is just NOT part of conventional medicine’s standard-of-care which has laws to protect its limitations since it is the ONLY form of medicine that can “diagnose, cure, and mitigate disease.” Add to that scenario censorship and information blackouts regarding Vitamin C and other nutritional supports – including anti-inflammatory diets and targeted supplements that support one’s immune reserves and reduce one’s susceptibility to pathogens including viruses.
The word is getting out anyway. Information blackouts (censorship) haven’t stopped people from buying up all of the Vitamin C available locally and online.
There is a very long history of Vitamin C and its success in treating viruses. The Chinese and other countries are currently using Vitamin C against COVID-19. It is easier for countries to use BOTH the best of ancient wisdom and western medicine because they don’t have politicians bought by lobbyists and media supported with Big Pharma advertising. There are vested interests with serious money who are NOT putting public health before profits and power.
Dr. Saul said that the studies on Vitamin C show that Vitamin C as Sodium Ascorbate is used intravenously and that Ascorbic Acid is used orally.
He doesn’t mention it in this interview but he aborted his own viral pneumonia in 3 hours using 2,000mg of Vitamin C ORALLY every 6 minutes. That is worth remembering if you or a member of your family develops pneumonia.
I watched my Father die with pneumonia in a hospital setting. I watched a friend die from pneumonia in a hospital setting. Both were denied Vitamin C.
If you are on hospital turf, you follow their rules or try to get legal intervention in time before death becomes a reality.
Please listen to Dr. Saul’s interview and pass it on.
For those planning to wait for a vaccine to save them, the wait may take awhile and like everything else, THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES.
Be Healthy, Suzanne Jenkins
HEALTH ASSIST
Disclaimer: Only MD’s by law can make medical claims. Therefore, these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The contents of this post are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician (preferably a physician practicing functional medicine) or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
CFHCitizens for healthcoronavirusSuzanne Jenkinsvitamin c
Citizens For Health / About Author
By Citizens For Health Coronavirus Suzanne Jenkins April 1, 2020
Hello, Everyone,
Dr. Andrew Saul – the premier authority on the use of Vitamin C, gives you the information you need as well as letting those in your sphere of influence know that Vitamin C is being used to fight COVID-19 in OTHER countries.
Our government and media disseminate “false news and dis-information” when they declare we individuals can NOT strengthen our immune systems. It is just NOT part of conventional medicine’s standard-of-care which has laws to protect its limitations since it is the ONLY form of medicine that can “diagnose, cure, and mitigate disease.” Add to that scenario censorship and information blackouts regarding Vitamin C and other nutritional supports – including anti-inflammatory diets and targeted supplements that support one’s immune reserves and reduce one’s susceptibility to pathogens including viruses.
The word is getting out anyway. Information blackouts (censorship) haven’t stopped people from buying up all of the Vitamin C available locally and online.
There is a very long history of Vitamin C and its success in treating viruses. The Chinese and other countries are currently using Vitamin C against COVID-19. It is easier for countries to use BOTH the best of ancient wisdom and western medicine because they don’t have politicians bought by lobbyists and media supported with Big Pharma advertising. There are vested interests with serious money who are NOT putting public health before profits and power.
Dr. Saul said that the studies on Vitamin C show that Vitamin C as Sodium Ascorbate is used intravenously and that Ascorbic Acid is used orally.
He doesn’t mention it in this interview but he aborted his own viral pneumonia in 3 hours using 2,000mg of Vitamin C ORALLY every 6 minutes. That is worth remembering if you or a member of your family develops pneumonia.
I watched my Father die with pneumonia in a hospital setting. I watched a friend die from pneumonia in a hospital setting. Both were denied Vitamin C.
If you are on hospital turf, you follow their rules or try to get legal intervention in time before death becomes a reality.
Please listen to Dr. Saul’s interview and pass it on.
For those planning to wait for a vaccine to save them, the wait may take awhile and like everything else, THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES.
Be Healthy, Suzanne Jenkins
HEALTH ASSIST
Disclaimer: Only MD’s by law can make medical claims. Therefore, these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The contents of this post are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician (preferably a physician practicing functional medicine) or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
CFHCitizens for healthcoronavirusSuzanne Jenkinsvitamin c
Citizens For Health / About Author
A Time for Reflection and Discernment
by Jennifer Ayana Harrison
Greetings, I trust this message finds you, your family and friends safe and well.
As all of you are aware, the Coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly caused an unwelcoming interruption in our daily lives. Created worry and overwhelming fear. An unexpected change that will naturally require a new lifestyle afterwards. One which will promptly demand each of us to inevitably assume greater control over the way we typically manage our everyday lives. More importantly, the way we are accustomed to interacting with each other, as well as the things we give too much attention and/or importance will alter significantly.
Needless to say, either way we have a choice for real healing to take place, we must be willing to embrace change from the conscious awareness of intentionally seeking to better understand ourselves, in relationship with All Humanity. Look at what we have in common.
We can instantly change our beliefs and perceptions of what’s really going in the world by honoring the preservation of all people realizing we are not alone. We are all One with the Creator and our Humanity is inextricably linked to Mother Earth, home to all of us. This revelation should provide some understanding of our human and spiritual connection knowing we are not exempt in our struggle to survive threatening viruses such as this one.
For me, this is an urgent call and reminder that self-care, careful management of our overall health and emotional well-being is paramount. As some of you are aware for several years I have advocated "Real Healthcare Begins with Self-Care." The more knowledge we gain individually pertaining not only to health prevention and maintenance, but how miraculously our internal systems operate in defending itself against attacks like these. It is truly a Wonder!
We must look closely at what we can do to control our emotions and support and strengthen the immune system. Do your homework. Be proactive, engage yourself; explore and learn as much as you can about the mind-body-spirit connection in healing. Seek the internet to find meaningful (well informed) information that will guide you through this process of self-realization.
Be Alert, be Safe and Cautious doing this time, but above all have Faith and remain optimistic. Do not be controlled or consumed with Daily News, which can be misrepresented through media- manipulation.
Find time to be still; prayer and meditation will help significantly if your are earnest in your pursuit to find Spiritual Comfort. Reduce the amount of cell phone and wifi usage during the day. Instead read, laugh, dance/exercise and sing. Be thankful for all that you do have.
In the meantime, take good care of yourself and love ones. Reach out to help others when you can. Remain hopeful this situation will soon pass.
I am currently offering personal coaching sessions at a reduced rate of 50% off my regular rate of $90 per hour to $45. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to give me a call 410-466-5047.
Be well. Be Blessed. With Gratitude and Appreciation, Ayana
BUY NOW
Ayana Wellness Spa and Educational Resources
Email: Ayana.wellnessspa@gmail.com
Ayanawellnessspa.com
Phone 410-466-5047
ALLOWING OURSELVES TO GRIEVE
by Susan Hough
Every day when I wake up, I take a moment to welcome myself back from the dream world. I was taught this from Sobonfu Somé, and it helps me kick-start my day in a positive way. This morning, I was aware of my feelings of grief. My own isolation and fears started to come through. Then I paused and realized I needed a place to talk and speak of my grief.
As the past two weeks have gone by, I have realized it is my connection to Spirit and Community that is keeping me strong. I don’t know about you, but I am aware of all the grief that is coming up. The death of so many people and the fear of more deaths, the isolation, loss of jobs -everything is heightened. The distance we have between one another is palpable. Sobonfu called this compounded grief and collective grief. Even other layers of grief can be reignited because of the heaviness of now. Your grief from former abuse and everything else that has happened along your journey is held in our bodies, and ancestral grief/past grief can be reignited. Maybe you were bullied and felt isolated as a child, and now this isolation is making you feel even worse. This is a time we aren’t able to gather together to cry and release grief as we should.
As a culture, we are told we are weak when we express ourselves and cry. We are told to suck it up. I remember the first time Sobonfu told me I needed a grief ritual. I thought I don’t need a grief ritual your crazy, but over time I knew and trusted she was right. I hadn’t lost my parents yet. She said, “Oh, Susan, you have a lot of grief, and so does everyone else." Shortly after that, I organized my first grief ritual in 2004 for her. I began to understand the value of grief rituals and how much they allow me to let go so I can move forward.
In this time of grief, this is unchartered territory for all. Never in our lifetime have we been so isolated. We must take the time to feel these feelings even more than we have before. We must lean into each other and hold the space for one another to let go of this grief, this isolation, so we can awaken and open to the healings that will support us in moving forward into this new paradigm.
Take time to feel it, but don’t do it alone! Call your friends, get on zoom, create a space. Don’t think anyone's grief is unfounded (more or less significant). Don’t compare your grief to others; it is grief, and we all deserve a place to let it go—no hierarchy in this. The time is now to do it differently. This is the opportunity of getting real with yourself and finding your village that can hold you in your authentic self and allow the space to be you in all of what that may look like.
I am blessed to have a community, and if you feel called, you can connect with us. The Zoom ID is 193732734. Monday-Saturday @5pm Pacific (excluding Thursday) and on an extra zoom call each Wednesday at 1pm Pacific.
by Susan Hough
Every day when I wake up, I take a moment to welcome myself back from the dream world. I was taught this from Sobonfu Somé, and it helps me kick-start my day in a positive way. This morning, I was aware of my feelings of grief. My own isolation and fears started to come through. Then I paused and realized I needed a place to talk and speak of my grief.
As the past two weeks have gone by, I have realized it is my connection to Spirit and Community that is keeping me strong. I don’t know about you, but I am aware of all the grief that is coming up. The death of so many people and the fear of more deaths, the isolation, loss of jobs -everything is heightened. The distance we have between one another is palpable. Sobonfu called this compounded grief and collective grief. Even other layers of grief can be reignited because of the heaviness of now. Your grief from former abuse and everything else that has happened along your journey is held in our bodies, and ancestral grief/past grief can be reignited. Maybe you were bullied and felt isolated as a child, and now this isolation is making you feel even worse. This is a time we aren’t able to gather together to cry and release grief as we should.
As a culture, we are told we are weak when we express ourselves and cry. We are told to suck it up. I remember the first time Sobonfu told me I needed a grief ritual. I thought I don’t need a grief ritual your crazy, but over time I knew and trusted she was right. I hadn’t lost my parents yet. She said, “Oh, Susan, you have a lot of grief, and so does everyone else." Shortly after that, I organized my first grief ritual in 2004 for her. I began to understand the value of grief rituals and how much they allow me to let go so I can move forward.
In this time of grief, this is unchartered territory for all. Never in our lifetime have we been so isolated. We must take the time to feel these feelings even more than we have before. We must lean into each other and hold the space for one another to let go of this grief, this isolation, so we can awaken and open to the healings that will support us in moving forward into this new paradigm.
Take time to feel it, but don’t do it alone! Call your friends, get on zoom, create a space. Don’t think anyone's grief is unfounded (more or less significant). Don’t compare your grief to others; it is grief, and we all deserve a place to let it go—no hierarchy in this. The time is now to do it differently. This is the opportunity of getting real with yourself and finding your village that can hold you in your authentic self and allow the space to be you in all of what that may look like.
I am blessed to have a community, and if you feel called, you can connect with us. The Zoom ID is 193732734. Monday-Saturday @5pm Pacific (excluding Thursday) and on an extra zoom call each Wednesday at 1pm Pacific.
Black women of the suffrage movement (National Endowment for the Humanities via National Women's History Museum)
Pestilences Among Obstacles Endured By Black Women of Suffrage Movement
Stacy M. BrownWomen's Suffrage Movement Pestilences Among Obstacles Endured By Black Women of Suffrage Movement
By Stacy M. Brown
EXCERPT FROM THE WASHINGTON INFORMER. Please Subscribe to D.C.'s Premiere Local Newspaper
This is part of an ongoing Washington Informer series about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and an initiative that includes Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes that will use the lens of history, the fabric of art and culture and the venue of the public square to shine a light into dark places, equipping all with a compass to chart the way forward. The initiative lives in the institutional home of the Washington Informer Charities.
The coronavirus pandemic comes on the heels of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment that gave women in America the right to vote — fitting, since the women’s suffrage movement began by having to not only overcome opposition but pestilences.
One such disease was the typhus epidemic that hit the U.S. hard. That disease claimed 20,000 lives between 1847 and 1852.
By 1920, suffragists had to also deal with the Encephalitis lethargica pandemic, which killed 1.5 million people worldwide, and just two years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Spanish flu wreaked havoc on the world, causing an estimated 100 million deaths between 1918 and 1920.
For suffragists, pestilences were just another obstacle, particularly for Black women. Women such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Maria W. Stewart, Henrietta Purvis, Harriet Forten Purvis, Sarah Redmond and Mary Ann Shadd Cary endured racism, sexism and, like the rest of the world, the onslaught of deadly viruses.
Yet they remained committed to fighting for women’s rights, and during the antebellum period, each was actively involved in advocating for women’s rights and suffrage.
According to an essay written by Sharon Harley for the National Park Service, following the 1848 women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, prominent free Black women abolitionists and suffragists attended, spoke, and assumed leadership positions at multiple women’s rights gatherings throughout the 1850s and 1860s.
In 1851, former slave Sojourner Truth delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech at the national women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio. Sarah Remond and her brother Charles won wide acclaim for their pro-woman suffrage speeches at the 1858 National Woman’s Rights Convention in New York City.
“Like white suffragists, African American women linked suffrage to a multitude of political and economic issues to further their cause and engaged in multiple strategies to secure women’s political and voting rights within and outside the organized suffrage movement,” Harley wrote. “At the same time, they combatted anti-Black discrimination in the southern United States and within the predominantly white national woman suffrage organizations.”
As preparations to observe the ratification of the 19th century likely will stall because of the coronavirus, many may note the various pestilences, disease and other obstacles that faced all in the original suffrage movement.
“Historians are relatively silent about the relationship between state-level women’s suffrage laws and local hygiene campaigns,” Grant Miller wrote for the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.Check out the new feature
on our website!
Please visit our Black Experience Channel at:
http://washingtoninformer.com/news/black-experience
Like The Washington Informer on Facebook!
SIGNS OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTION
Tune Into Kpfk to hear Dr Kokayi talk about the
Corona Virus Immune Support
Recommendations for botanical's, which have a track record for supporting the body’s ability to survive viral attacks.
Supplements that can be purchased online
- Oxymatrine`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
- Resveratrol
- Andrographis complex
- Baicalin
- Berberine
- N Acetyl Cysteine 1200mg - 1800mg/day
- Selenium 50 - 100ug/day
- Elderberry
- Glucosamine 3000mg
- Lipoic Acid 1200 - 1800mg
- Genisteine (soy isoflavone)
Chinese herbs with documented effectiveness against previous strains of corona virus - Chinese herbal formulations that are patient specific
- Shi Wei
- Chai Hu
- Xuan Shen
- Huang Hua Huo
- Wu Yao
- Ban Lan Gen
- Yu Xiang Cao
Supplements only Available in Office - Only sold by practicing physicians
- Immunopad - multiple antiviral botanical compounds 4/day
- Bitter win - source for oxymatrine 2/day
- Copterlin - scutellaria and berberine 2/day
For those with chronic respiratory issues - NAC 1200mg/day as a base
Contact
(718) 622 - 2042
kokayiohm@outlook.com
Please Tune Into Kpfk to hear Dr Kokayi talk about the Corona Virus . READ Dr. Kokayi's very thorough understanding of what the Corono Virus is, How to Protect Yourself, and What to Expect. "CORONA VIRUS 2020 AND BEYOND" . Very scientific and practice understanding to keep us educated, aware and unafraid.
DOWNLOAD BELOW;
kokayiohm.com
. HOW COVID-19 CAN BE SPREAD
Presention Concepts from Dr. Kamau Kokayi
James Robb, Pathologist
Presention Concepts from Dr. Kamau Kokayi
James Robb, Pathologist
| corona_virus_2020_and_beyond_1_.01.pdf |
CORONA VIRUS INFORMATION FROM PATHOLOGIST JAMES ROBB
The below “Dear Colleague” email came to me yesterday…maybe you got it too as it’s gone viral in the last week or so
It’s from a pathologist/molecular virologist, James Robb, MD FCAP, who has been studying the corona virus since the 70s. I verified that he is a real person and in deed wrote the letter for his family and friends but then it got shared via social media, causing it to go viral.
Here’s more about him:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Robb_(pathologist)
And verification from “Snopes” that he did write it and his comment on zinc as a possible prophylactic measure:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/zinc-lozenges-coronavirus/
Regardless of his warnings and guidance, there is still no need for hysteria; instead just calm, prudent, diligent protective action, like we would do during any flu season. He gives some good advice below.
Here’s his letter:
Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.
The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas. Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.
I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email.
Good luck to all of us! James Robb, MD FCAP
It’s from a pathologist/molecular virologist, James Robb, MD FCAP, who has been studying the corona virus since the 70s. I verified that he is a real person and in deed wrote the letter for his family and friends but then it got shared via social media, causing it to go viral.
Here’s more about him:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Robb_(pathologist)
And verification from “Snopes” that he did write it and his comment on zinc as a possible prophylactic measure:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/zinc-lozenges-coronavirus/
Regardless of his warnings and guidance, there is still no need for hysteria; instead just calm, prudent, diligent protective action, like we would do during any flu season. He gives some good advice below.
Here’s his letter:
Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources.
The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.
Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves:
1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip - do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home's entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can't immediately wash your hands.
7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:
1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas. Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average - everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you - it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth - it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.
4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges. These lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY "cold-like" symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.
I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic. You are welcome to share this email.
Good luck to all of us! James Robb, MD FCAP
Ayo and John, pouring Libations and drumming at the beginning of the Black History in Motion program for the 3rd year in the 6th year history of this Prince Georges County Parks and Recreation annual event.
Black Love: A Complementary and
Species-Compelling Need
Dr. Maulana Karenga
This is a reminder and reinforcement for Black Lover’s Day this month and each day all year round. It is not an exaggeration to state that there is no issue of greater importance, urgency or enduring impact in terms of the foundation, functioning and future of us as a community and a people than the quality of male/female relationships. Indeed, this speaks not only to the health and wholeness of our people, but also of each member of the community and to how we imagine and either forge or forfeit a good future for our children. So, the issue of quality relationships between men and women and boys and girls is not just about coupling, cuddling and masterful moves. Nor is it about sexual seduction and consumer things about which they think they will die if they don’t get. And it is not just about the increase in desperate and hope-to-die claims that they will never love, be hurt or hassled, trust or try to build a relationship again. Indeed, the intensity of the denial only demonstrates how deep and enduring the need to love and be loved is.
Surely, then, it is about something deeper, more ancient and indispensable, something our ancient sacred texts tell us is inherent in the conception, creation and functioning of the world - the complementary and species-compelling need for male and female love, presence and cooperative practice in the world. For the Husia and Odu Ifa speak to the need we have not only for each other in spiritual, natural and social ways, but also the need of our togetherness to create and sustain the good in family, society and the world. And it is within this ancient and ongoing African understanding that we must conceive, build, sustain and make flourish our relationships and teach our children likewise by the most careful instruction and self-conscious example.
There are so many things that block the road toward realization of the togetherness in love we long and live for. There is racism that degrades and devalues, sexism that teaches submission and domination, and materialism that makes things and money the measure and meaning of everything. There is also unemployment and vulgar individualism, Eurocentric drama, drugs and unrealizable dreams, the prison system and broken promises, the media and the mean and merciless streets and a long history of Holocaust, horror and other forms of oppression at the hands of our oppressor. So, the wonder is not that we have problems, but that so many of us have survived and solved them and went on to build rock-strong, stable and loving relations worthy of the highest praise and promise. Indeed, the point is not that we have problems - for that’s only human; the issue is how we solve them in the most gentle, loving and effective ways.
Love is the heartbeat and hope of any real, reciprocal and enduring relationship, and we must understand it not simply as an emotion, but also as a practice. For at its best, love is ultimate appreciation, attentiveness and consideration that expresses itself in the mutual investment in each other’s happiness, well-being and development. It is ultimately a reciprocal, deeply rewarding and awesome giving of ourselves and receiving the same from another as a sacred exchange.
Here it is important to make a distinction between pleasure and happiness. For pleasure is satisfaction of the senses, but happiness is satisfaction of the heart and mind. Pleasure is a time and space limited satisfaction of desires by external events and experiences, but happiness is an enduring inner satisfaction. And love, as mutual giving, engenders such an enduring inner satisfaction, enhances our sense of well-being and enriches our development as persons and human beings.
At the heart of the practice of love is active commitment to an Afrocentric value system which teaches and reinforces our essential identity as bearers of divinity and dignity, and requires us to approach and treat each other and our relationships as sacred and worthy of the highest respect, care and consideration. Since the Sixties, I’ve taught that the Nguzo Saba is that African-centered value system and that we can use it to build our relationships and community and enrich our lives.
The first principle is Umoja (Unity) which stresses the good and need of togetherness in the most principled and purposeful ways. It teaches us to remove all thoughts, emotions, speech and conduct which undermine our togetherness and pull us apart. At one with each other, we will see ourselves in each other and sense our divinity, reaffirm our dignity and develop an identity meriting a high respect and place among men and women.
Kujichagulia (Self-determination) teaches the right and responsibility to choose, to choose who we will be and it requires that each of us be allowed and encouraged to be who we are in the most positive and progressive sense without crass criticism, hindrance or negative questioning, but always within the framework of the requirements of togetherness and common ground. And it teaches us that the ground of our choosing must always be from within the context of our own culture and its highest values. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) teaches us active working, building and struggling together to clear space for our love to grow, to transform ourselves so that we feel and fit right and rightfully together and to take collective responsibility for the good and bad, right and wrong, the beautiful and ugly that strengthen or undermine our relationships.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) teaches us the principle and practice of shared work and shared wealth, that we not make money the measure and central meaning of all things and to reject debilitating disputes and disagreements about it. And it requires us to avoid materialism and consumerism of the dominant society, value each other more and those qualities that reflect strength of character and depth of commitment.
The principle of Nia (Purpose) teaches us that we must live purposeful lives, share goals, aid each other in realizing our different yet interrelated goals and work toward things that strengthen each of us. At the heart of this practice must be the goal of building a friendship defined by our thinking good of each other, wanting and working for the good of each other, doing good to and for each other, and sharing good with each other as a fundamental principle and practice of love and life.
Kuumba (Creativity) urges us to pursue the positive, avoid the negative, to constantly reaffirm the dignity and worth of each other, and our need for each other and to avoid all conversation and acts that degrade and violate the sacredness of each person and the relationship itself. And it means that we, as the ancestors taught in the Husia, must strive always to quickly and eagerly to raise up what is in ruins, repair what is damaged, rejoin what is severed, replenish what is depleted, set right what is wrong, strengthen what is weakened, and make flourish what is insecure and undeveloped in our relationships.
Finally, Imani (Faith) urges us to trust and believe in the good, and in our capacity to create it and share it. It encourages us to produce a new paradigm and practice of Black love and live it as a conscious need and undeniable necessity of life. And this means bringing into being a new man and woman who truly live for and through each other and pass on this lesson and legacy to future generations.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org.
02/10/20
FOLLOW US
International African Arts Festival | PO Box 47-1730, Brooklyn, NY 11247
Species-Compelling Need
Dr. Maulana Karenga
This is a reminder and reinforcement for Black Lover’s Day this month and each day all year round. It is not an exaggeration to state that there is no issue of greater importance, urgency or enduring impact in terms of the foundation, functioning and future of us as a community and a people than the quality of male/female relationships. Indeed, this speaks not only to the health and wholeness of our people, but also of each member of the community and to how we imagine and either forge or forfeit a good future for our children. So, the issue of quality relationships between men and women and boys and girls is not just about coupling, cuddling and masterful moves. Nor is it about sexual seduction and consumer things about which they think they will die if they don’t get. And it is not just about the increase in desperate and hope-to-die claims that they will never love, be hurt or hassled, trust or try to build a relationship again. Indeed, the intensity of the denial only demonstrates how deep and enduring the need to love and be loved is.
Surely, then, it is about something deeper, more ancient and indispensable, something our ancient sacred texts tell us is inherent in the conception, creation and functioning of the world - the complementary and species-compelling need for male and female love, presence and cooperative practice in the world. For the Husia and Odu Ifa speak to the need we have not only for each other in spiritual, natural and social ways, but also the need of our togetherness to create and sustain the good in family, society and the world. And it is within this ancient and ongoing African understanding that we must conceive, build, sustain and make flourish our relationships and teach our children likewise by the most careful instruction and self-conscious example.
There are so many things that block the road toward realization of the togetherness in love we long and live for. There is racism that degrades and devalues, sexism that teaches submission and domination, and materialism that makes things and money the measure and meaning of everything. There is also unemployment and vulgar individualism, Eurocentric drama, drugs and unrealizable dreams, the prison system and broken promises, the media and the mean and merciless streets and a long history of Holocaust, horror and other forms of oppression at the hands of our oppressor. So, the wonder is not that we have problems, but that so many of us have survived and solved them and went on to build rock-strong, stable and loving relations worthy of the highest praise and promise. Indeed, the point is not that we have problems - for that’s only human; the issue is how we solve them in the most gentle, loving and effective ways.
Love is the heartbeat and hope of any real, reciprocal and enduring relationship, and we must understand it not simply as an emotion, but also as a practice. For at its best, love is ultimate appreciation, attentiveness and consideration that expresses itself in the mutual investment in each other’s happiness, well-being and development. It is ultimately a reciprocal, deeply rewarding and awesome giving of ourselves and receiving the same from another as a sacred exchange.
Here it is important to make a distinction between pleasure and happiness. For pleasure is satisfaction of the senses, but happiness is satisfaction of the heart and mind. Pleasure is a time and space limited satisfaction of desires by external events and experiences, but happiness is an enduring inner satisfaction. And love, as mutual giving, engenders such an enduring inner satisfaction, enhances our sense of well-being and enriches our development as persons and human beings.
At the heart of the practice of love is active commitment to an Afrocentric value system which teaches and reinforces our essential identity as bearers of divinity and dignity, and requires us to approach and treat each other and our relationships as sacred and worthy of the highest respect, care and consideration. Since the Sixties, I’ve taught that the Nguzo Saba is that African-centered value system and that we can use it to build our relationships and community and enrich our lives.
The first principle is Umoja (Unity) which stresses the good and need of togetherness in the most principled and purposeful ways. It teaches us to remove all thoughts, emotions, speech and conduct which undermine our togetherness and pull us apart. At one with each other, we will see ourselves in each other and sense our divinity, reaffirm our dignity and develop an identity meriting a high respect and place among men and women.
Kujichagulia (Self-determination) teaches the right and responsibility to choose, to choose who we will be and it requires that each of us be allowed and encouraged to be who we are in the most positive and progressive sense without crass criticism, hindrance or negative questioning, but always within the framework of the requirements of togetherness and common ground. And it teaches us that the ground of our choosing must always be from within the context of our own culture and its highest values. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) teaches us active working, building and struggling together to clear space for our love to grow, to transform ourselves so that we feel and fit right and rightfully together and to take collective responsibility for the good and bad, right and wrong, the beautiful and ugly that strengthen or undermine our relationships.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) teaches us the principle and practice of shared work and shared wealth, that we not make money the measure and central meaning of all things and to reject debilitating disputes and disagreements about it. And it requires us to avoid materialism and consumerism of the dominant society, value each other more and those qualities that reflect strength of character and depth of commitment.
The principle of Nia (Purpose) teaches us that we must live purposeful lives, share goals, aid each other in realizing our different yet interrelated goals and work toward things that strengthen each of us. At the heart of this practice must be the goal of building a friendship defined by our thinking good of each other, wanting and working for the good of each other, doing good to and for each other, and sharing good with each other as a fundamental principle and practice of love and life.
Kuumba (Creativity) urges us to pursue the positive, avoid the negative, to constantly reaffirm the dignity and worth of each other, and our need for each other and to avoid all conversation and acts that degrade and violate the sacredness of each person and the relationship itself. And it means that we, as the ancestors taught in the Husia, must strive always to quickly and eagerly to raise up what is in ruins, repair what is damaged, rejoin what is severed, replenish what is depleted, set right what is wrong, strengthen what is weakened, and make flourish what is insecure and undeveloped in our relationships.
Finally, Imani (Faith) urges us to trust and believe in the good, and in our capacity to create it and share it. It encourages us to produce a new paradigm and practice of Black love and live it as a conscious need and undeniable necessity of life. And this means bringing into being a new man and woman who truly live for and through each other and pass on this lesson and legacy to future generations.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org.
02/10/20
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International African Arts Festival | PO Box 47-1730, Brooklyn, NY 11247
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT PEOPLE AND
RELATIONSHIPS . . . .
Anonymous
I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy
a relationship is at first, the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.
I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be
done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.
I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when
you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and
what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've
celebrated.
I've learned that some members of your family may not always be there for you. It may
seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you better… And love you
and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.
I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in
a while and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to
learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your
grief.
I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it still doesn't mean they do.
I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I.ve learned that no matter how you try to protect your children
they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I.ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours,
or even seconds, by people who don.t even know you.
I.ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I.ve learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I.ve learned that the people you care about the most in life are taken from you too
soon…..always part in love, you might not get another chance.
RELATIONSHIPS . . . .
Anonymous
I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy
a relationship is at first, the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.
I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be
done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.
I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when
you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and
what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've
celebrated.
I've learned that some members of your family may not always be there for you. It may
seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you better… And love you
and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.
I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in
a while and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to
learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your
grief.
I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it still doesn't mean they do.
I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I.ve learned that no matter how you try to protect your children
they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I.ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours,
or even seconds, by people who don.t even know you.
I.ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I.ve learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I.ve learned that the people you care about the most in life are taken from you too
soon…..always part in love, you might not get another chance.
The Japanese Skill Copied by the World -Mindfulness has become trendy around the world in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries.
Even moss is appreciated by the mindful Japanese. Credit: Andrew Whitehead/Alamy.
As the sleek shinkansen bullet train glided noiselessly into the station, I watched a strange ritual begin. During the brief stop, the conductor in the last carriage began talking to himself. He proceeded to perform a series of tasks, commenting aloud on each one and vigorously gesticulating at various bits of the train all the while.
So what was he up to? You could say he’s practicing mindfulness. The Japanese call it shisa kanko (literally ‘checking and calling’), an error-prevention drill that railway employees here have been using for more than 100 years. Conductors point at the things they need to check and then name them out loud as they do them, a dialogue with themselves to ensure nothing gets overlooked.
Japanese train conductors practice shisa kanko, pointing at what they need to check and then naming it out loud. Credit: Trevor Mogg/Alamy.
And it seems to work. A 1994 study by Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute, cited in The Japan Times, showed that when asked to perform a simple task workers typically make 2.38 mistakes per 100 actions. When using shisa kanko, this number reduced to just 0.38 – a massive 85 percent drop.
Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness.
This may seem a long way from mindfulness, which in recent years has become synonymous with what the Japanese call zazen – meditating cross-legged on a cushion. But according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, mindfulness is “not really about sitting in the full lotus… pretending you’re a statue in the British Museum. Simply put, mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness.”
And this present-moment awareness has been deeply ingrained into the Japanese psyche for centuries. You don’t hear people talk about it, but it manifests itself in myriad ways.
In tea ceremony, participants take time to notice the design of the cup. Credit: Lonely Planet/Getty.
Tea ceremony, haiku and cherry-blossom viewing, for instance, all share a heightened appreciation of the moment. In tea ceremony, participants take time to notice the design of the cup before drinking and appreciate the decoration of the tea room, which reflects the foliage and blooms of the month. But beyond that, the ceremony celebrates the fact that this moment with this person in this place will never happen again.
This moment with this person in this place will never happen again.
Haiku poetry, a Japanese literary tradition dating back to the 17th Century, elevated this celebration of the present moment to a world-renowned art form. Haiku poets attempt to capture the moment’s essence in just 17 syllables, using evocative images from nature to convey a Zen-like sense of sudden enlightenment. The most famous one is Matsuo Basho’s frog haiku, which translated from Japanese reads:
An old pond
a frog jumps
the sound of water
And nowhere is this celebration of the moment more evident than in cherry-blossom viewing, which sweeps the nation like a fever every spring. Why such excitement? Precisely because the blossoms are so fleeting, lasting only a week or so. “Transience forms the Japanese sense of beauty,” said Zen priest and garden designer Shunmyo Masuno.
Transience is celebrated in dozens of lesser-known practices too, such as moon viewing. You can’t help but admire a country that sets aside a special evening in September for contemplating the full moon. Or that holds lavish festivals to give thanks for the work done by inanimate objects, including everything from old kitchen knives to calligraphy brushes and even used sewing needles.
Transience forms the Japanese sense of beauty.
And there are the growing ranks of Moss Girls. Inspired in part by Hisako Fujii’s best-selling book, Mosses, My Dear Friends, moss-viewing has become increasingly trendy, especially with young women, who go on guided tours to Japan’s lush moss-carpeted forests. This goes way beyond just stopping to smell the roses: Moss Girls get down on hands and knees with a loupe to contemplate the lovely growths.
Nowhere is this celebration of the moment more evident than in cherry-blossom viewing. Credit: Angeles Marin Cabello.
And while to the less mindful among us moss may seem insignificantly small, no Zen garden is complete without its moss-covered rock or stone lanterns. It’s the living embodiment of wabi-sabi – the spirit of humble, rustic impermanence that defines Japanese aesthetics.
But there’s more to Japanese mindfulness than gazing at bugs and blooms. Countless practical applications govern virtually every aspect of daily life, all designed to help you ‘be in the now’. At school, days begin and end with a short ceremony, where greetings are exchanged and the day’s events are announced. Before and after each class, students and teacher stand, bow and thank each other. And before starting the lesson, students are asked to close their eyes to focus their concentration.
Similarly, construction workers engage in collective stretches to limber up for the day’s work. In the office, a colleague will tell you 'Otsukaresama', (literally ‘you’re tired’), as a way of saying thanks for the work you’ve done. At meetings, hand someone your meishi (business card) and they'll examine it carefully and make a comment, never dreaming of just sticking it in their pocket.
These practices are a way of what Kabat-Zinn calls ‘purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment’s thought to’. They help keep you conscious of where you are and what you are doing throughout the day, rather than stumbling from one hour to the next on autopilot, focused only on going-home time.
Zen gardens embody wabi-sabi, the spirit of humble, rustic impermanence. Credit: Angeles Marin Cabello.
Like so much of Japanese culture, the roots of all these customs lie in Zen. “Mindfulness has been part of the Buddhist tradition for centuries,” said Takafumi Kawakami, priest at Kyoto’s Shunko-in temple. In the Kamakura Era (1185-1333), Zen became popular among the samurai class and had a formative influence on the arts, including tea ceremony, flower-arranging and landscape gardening. In the Edo Era (1603-1868), a time of peace, Zen found its way into the education of common people.
For its practitioners, Zen is an attitude that permeates every action: bathing, cooking, cleaning, working. “Every activity and behaviour in daily life is a practice [of Zen],” said Eriko Kuwagaki of Shinshoji Temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.
A delightful old Zen story, collected in Paul Reps’ 1957 anthology of Zen texts, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, illustrates this point. After studying to be a Zen teacher for many years, Teno went to visit Nan-in, an old Zen master. It was raining heavily and, as is customary, Teno left his clogs and umbrella in the entrance before entering Nan-in’s house.
Every activity and behaviour in daily life is a practice [of Zen].
After greeting each other, Nan-in asked Teno: “Did you leave your umbrella to the left or right of your clogs?” Unable to answer, Teno realised he was still a long way from attaining Zen, and went away to study for six more years.
For its practitioners, Zen is an attitude that permeates every action. Credit: Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens.
Most of us might not want to take things quite so far. Nevertheless, Nan-in’s question remains relevant, as more and more researchers are discovering that present-moment awareness not only boosts stress resilience and well-being, but also lowers levels of anxiety and depression.
Leah Weiss, a senior teacher at Stanford University’s Compassion Cultivation Program, is one of a growing number of experts who advocate ‘mindfulness in action’. This is something to be practiced throughout the day, rather than just for 10 minutes’ meditation. Weiss described it as “becoming mindfully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings even while you’re engaged in some other activity.”
So how can we put a little more mindfulness into our lives? Start with something simple, like a bit of pointing and calling before you leave home in the morning. Lights off? Check. Windows closed? Check. Money? Check. Phone? Check. You’ll never forget your keys again.
Then maybe you’ll have time to stop and notice the moss.
Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified moss as lichen. We regret the error.
Advertisement
More from BBC 7,174 Saves 2,202 Saves
- Steve John Powell
Even moss is appreciated by the mindful Japanese. Credit: Andrew Whitehead/Alamy.
As the sleek shinkansen bullet train glided noiselessly into the station, I watched a strange ritual begin. During the brief stop, the conductor in the last carriage began talking to himself. He proceeded to perform a series of tasks, commenting aloud on each one and vigorously gesticulating at various bits of the train all the while.
So what was he up to? You could say he’s practicing mindfulness. The Japanese call it shisa kanko (literally ‘checking and calling’), an error-prevention drill that railway employees here have been using for more than 100 years. Conductors point at the things they need to check and then name them out loud as they do them, a dialogue with themselves to ensure nothing gets overlooked.
Japanese train conductors practice shisa kanko, pointing at what they need to check and then naming it out loud. Credit: Trevor Mogg/Alamy.
And it seems to work. A 1994 study by Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute, cited in The Japan Times, showed that when asked to perform a simple task workers typically make 2.38 mistakes per 100 actions. When using shisa kanko, this number reduced to just 0.38 – a massive 85 percent drop.
Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness.
This may seem a long way from mindfulness, which in recent years has become synonymous with what the Japanese call zazen – meditating cross-legged on a cushion. But according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, mindfulness is “not really about sitting in the full lotus… pretending you’re a statue in the British Museum. Simply put, mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness.”
And this present-moment awareness has been deeply ingrained into the Japanese psyche for centuries. You don’t hear people talk about it, but it manifests itself in myriad ways.
In tea ceremony, participants take time to notice the design of the cup. Credit: Lonely Planet/Getty.
Tea ceremony, haiku and cherry-blossom viewing, for instance, all share a heightened appreciation of the moment. In tea ceremony, participants take time to notice the design of the cup before drinking and appreciate the decoration of the tea room, which reflects the foliage and blooms of the month. But beyond that, the ceremony celebrates the fact that this moment with this person in this place will never happen again.
This moment with this person in this place will never happen again.
Haiku poetry, a Japanese literary tradition dating back to the 17th Century, elevated this celebration of the present moment to a world-renowned art form. Haiku poets attempt to capture the moment’s essence in just 17 syllables, using evocative images from nature to convey a Zen-like sense of sudden enlightenment. The most famous one is Matsuo Basho’s frog haiku, which translated from Japanese reads:
An old pond
a frog jumps
the sound of water
And nowhere is this celebration of the moment more evident than in cherry-blossom viewing, which sweeps the nation like a fever every spring. Why such excitement? Precisely because the blossoms are so fleeting, lasting only a week or so. “Transience forms the Japanese sense of beauty,” said Zen priest and garden designer Shunmyo Masuno.
Transience is celebrated in dozens of lesser-known practices too, such as moon viewing. You can’t help but admire a country that sets aside a special evening in September for contemplating the full moon. Or that holds lavish festivals to give thanks for the work done by inanimate objects, including everything from old kitchen knives to calligraphy brushes and even used sewing needles.
Transience forms the Japanese sense of beauty.
And there are the growing ranks of Moss Girls. Inspired in part by Hisako Fujii’s best-selling book, Mosses, My Dear Friends, moss-viewing has become increasingly trendy, especially with young women, who go on guided tours to Japan’s lush moss-carpeted forests. This goes way beyond just stopping to smell the roses: Moss Girls get down on hands and knees with a loupe to contemplate the lovely growths.
Nowhere is this celebration of the moment more evident than in cherry-blossom viewing. Credit: Angeles Marin Cabello.
And while to the less mindful among us moss may seem insignificantly small, no Zen garden is complete without its moss-covered rock or stone lanterns. It’s the living embodiment of wabi-sabi – the spirit of humble, rustic impermanence that defines Japanese aesthetics.
But there’s more to Japanese mindfulness than gazing at bugs and blooms. Countless practical applications govern virtually every aspect of daily life, all designed to help you ‘be in the now’. At school, days begin and end with a short ceremony, where greetings are exchanged and the day’s events are announced. Before and after each class, students and teacher stand, bow and thank each other. And before starting the lesson, students are asked to close their eyes to focus their concentration.
Similarly, construction workers engage in collective stretches to limber up for the day’s work. In the office, a colleague will tell you 'Otsukaresama', (literally ‘you’re tired’), as a way of saying thanks for the work you’ve done. At meetings, hand someone your meishi (business card) and they'll examine it carefully and make a comment, never dreaming of just sticking it in their pocket.
These practices are a way of what Kabat-Zinn calls ‘purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment’s thought to’. They help keep you conscious of where you are and what you are doing throughout the day, rather than stumbling from one hour to the next on autopilot, focused only on going-home time.
Zen gardens embody wabi-sabi, the spirit of humble, rustic impermanence. Credit: Angeles Marin Cabello.
Like so much of Japanese culture, the roots of all these customs lie in Zen. “Mindfulness has been part of the Buddhist tradition for centuries,” said Takafumi Kawakami, priest at Kyoto’s Shunko-in temple. In the Kamakura Era (1185-1333), Zen became popular among the samurai class and had a formative influence on the arts, including tea ceremony, flower-arranging and landscape gardening. In the Edo Era (1603-1868), a time of peace, Zen found its way into the education of common people.
For its practitioners, Zen is an attitude that permeates every action: bathing, cooking, cleaning, working. “Every activity and behaviour in daily life is a practice [of Zen],” said Eriko Kuwagaki of Shinshoji Temple in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.
A delightful old Zen story, collected in Paul Reps’ 1957 anthology of Zen texts, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, illustrates this point. After studying to be a Zen teacher for many years, Teno went to visit Nan-in, an old Zen master. It was raining heavily and, as is customary, Teno left his clogs and umbrella in the entrance before entering Nan-in’s house.
Every activity and behaviour in daily life is a practice [of Zen].
After greeting each other, Nan-in asked Teno: “Did you leave your umbrella to the left or right of your clogs?” Unable to answer, Teno realised he was still a long way from attaining Zen, and went away to study for six more years.
For its practitioners, Zen is an attitude that permeates every action. Credit: Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens.
Most of us might not want to take things quite so far. Nevertheless, Nan-in’s question remains relevant, as more and more researchers are discovering that present-moment awareness not only boosts stress resilience and well-being, but also lowers levels of anxiety and depression.
Leah Weiss, a senior teacher at Stanford University’s Compassion Cultivation Program, is one of a growing number of experts who advocate ‘mindfulness in action’. This is something to be practiced throughout the day, rather than just for 10 minutes’ meditation. Weiss described it as “becoming mindfully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings even while you’re engaged in some other activity.”
So how can we put a little more mindfulness into our lives? Start with something simple, like a bit of pointing and calling before you leave home in the morning. Lights off? Check. Windows closed? Check. Money? Check. Phone? Check. You’ll never forget your keys again.
Then maybe you’ll have time to stop and notice the moss.
Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified moss as lichen. We regret the error.
Advertisement
More from BBC 7,174 Saves 2,202 Saves
Coping with Post-Holiday Blues
by Madisyn Taylor from the Daily OM
The holiday season may be over but the special feelings and sparkle can live on throughout the year.
For many people, the act of packing away the holiday decorations, opening the last gift, or parting with visiting loved ones evokes feelings of sadness. The busyness associated with the holidays that distracted us from life subsides, and we are left wondering why life seems a bit empty. Yet we need not give ourselves over entirely to the blues we feel when the celebrations end. And this post-holiday period of mellowness should not be viewed as a sign that your festivities were less than fulfilling. To feel a few pangs of gloom as the decorations come down and guests return to their homes is natural. Your physical and mental selves, which existed in a state of arousal as you immerse yourself in the magic of the holiday season, need time to adjust as you settle back into your usual routine. Rest assured that which warmed your heart and fulfilled you in previous days will satisfy you again.
There are many ways you can gently smooth the transition between the holidays and the pleasures of everyday existence. In the midst of your yearly celebrations, strive to achieve balance and acknowledge that holidays are special, precisely because they represent a short time of your life. If you minimize the impact the festivities have on your personal and professional schedules, reverting to these timetables will not shock your system. Once the holidays are over, try to keep a small spark of celebration aglow in your heart. Accomplishing this can be as easy as treating yourself well and integrating holiday values such as forgiveness, generosity, and gratitude into your day-to-day existence. Stay in touch with relatives who you traditionally only see once per year, and spread goodwill by volunteering or hosting a post-celebration celebration, just for the fun of it. Even leaving one decoration unpacked and displayed can help you stay cheerful in the days that follow the holidays.
Consider that all of the virtues that touch you deeply as you celebrate the holiday season--charity, togetherness, magic, beauty, etc.--exist year-round. With a little effort, you can carry the celebratory spirit in your heart always. The post-holiday blues will soon pass, leaving you feeling as happy and buoyant as you did just weeks before.
PRINT SAVE DISCUSS
by Madisyn Taylor from the Daily OM
The holiday season may be over but the special feelings and sparkle can live on throughout the year.
For many people, the act of packing away the holiday decorations, opening the last gift, or parting with visiting loved ones evokes feelings of sadness. The busyness associated with the holidays that distracted us from life subsides, and we are left wondering why life seems a bit empty. Yet we need not give ourselves over entirely to the blues we feel when the celebrations end. And this post-holiday period of mellowness should not be viewed as a sign that your festivities were less than fulfilling. To feel a few pangs of gloom as the decorations come down and guests return to their homes is natural. Your physical and mental selves, which existed in a state of arousal as you immerse yourself in the magic of the holiday season, need time to adjust as you settle back into your usual routine. Rest assured that which warmed your heart and fulfilled you in previous days will satisfy you again.
There are many ways you can gently smooth the transition between the holidays and the pleasures of everyday existence. In the midst of your yearly celebrations, strive to achieve balance and acknowledge that holidays are special, precisely because they represent a short time of your life. If you minimize the impact the festivities have on your personal and professional schedules, reverting to these timetables will not shock your system. Once the holidays are over, try to keep a small spark of celebration aglow in your heart. Accomplishing this can be as easy as treating yourself well and integrating holiday values such as forgiveness, generosity, and gratitude into your day-to-day existence. Stay in touch with relatives who you traditionally only see once per year, and spread goodwill by volunteering or hosting a post-celebration celebration, just for the fun of it. Even leaving one decoration unpacked and displayed can help you stay cheerful in the days that follow the holidays.
Consider that all of the virtues that touch you deeply as you celebrate the holiday season--charity, togetherness, magic, beauty, etc.--exist year-round. With a little effort, you can carry the celebratory spirit in your heart always. The post-holiday blues will soon pass, leaving you feeling as happy and buoyant as you did just weeks before.
PRINT SAVE DISCUSS
My DAILY AFFIRMATIVE PRAYER OF GRATITUDE
FROM AGAPE MINISTERIES
It is in the high vibration of gratitude that I speak this word of recognition of the one power and presence that is God, the one true source; the creative force of this universe. How grateful I am to know that I am wholly one with IT; known and loved by IT. I do know that there is a unified field of awareness that everybody and everything is joined together in a collective field of all things possible, consciousness.
It is from this place that I declare this prayer of realization in faith believing that it is given to me to speak my word; to name and claim and to know that it is done. I do know that everything is working together for my good and for the good of those I hold in prayer. This absolutely includes the manifestation and demonstration of all God qualities; abundance, peace, right action, right thinking, health and wholesness. All that God created me to be expresses in me, through me, as me and around and about me.
I am thankful to know that everything is working together for the highest good of all concerned. How great God is! How thankful I am.
I release this word into the living, loving, lawful nature of the universe knowing that I have set something powerful in motion and everything is working together for my highest and greatest good.
It is done! It is so! And so it is! Amen!
AYO'S ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE NOTE; I give thanks for this ministry and this prayer. I have been blessed to follow these spiritual teaching from Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, Founder and Spiritual Director, Agape International spiritual Center. Call 310-348-1270 for Prayer Hotline.
FROM AGAPE MINISTERIES
It is in the high vibration of gratitude that I speak this word of recognition of the one power and presence that is God, the one true source; the creative force of this universe. How grateful I am to know that I am wholly one with IT; known and loved by IT. I do know that there is a unified field of awareness that everybody and everything is joined together in a collective field of all things possible, consciousness.
It is from this place that I declare this prayer of realization in faith believing that it is given to me to speak my word; to name and claim and to know that it is done. I do know that everything is working together for my good and for the good of those I hold in prayer. This absolutely includes the manifestation and demonstration of all God qualities; abundance, peace, right action, right thinking, health and wholesness. All that God created me to be expresses in me, through me, as me and around and about me.
I am thankful to know that everything is working together for the highest good of all concerned. How great God is! How thankful I am.
I release this word into the living, loving, lawful nature of the universe knowing that I have set something powerful in motion and everything is working together for my highest and greatest good.
It is done! It is so! And so it is! Amen!
AYO'S ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE NOTE; I give thanks for this ministry and this prayer. I have been blessed to follow these spiritual teaching from Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, Founder and Spiritual Director, Agape International spiritual Center. Call 310-348-1270 for Prayer Hotline.