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Unprocessed trauma and maladaptive coping mechanisms can often leave us operating in survival mode, without us even realizing that we are living in a state of constant fear and anxiety. This week marks the final episode in our series, and we have a truly remarkable guest to bookmark the end of this first chapter. Regina Louise is the best-selling author of several books, including her incredible memoir Somebody’s Someone, and Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Self-Love. Her devastating experiences in the foster care system as a child led her to become a children’s advocate and shaped her deep knowledge of healing and self-love. Regina speaks about her healing journey with immense wisdom and generously shares the context of her painful upbringing. We delve into the prevalence of imposter syndrome among women of color and ruminate on the role that radical self-love has to play in freeing one’s self from the judgment of others. Our conversation also covers the weight of intergenerational trauma, its disproportionate effect on women of color, and what it means to be “adultified” at a disturbingly young age. Join us today for a beautiful conversation on the universality of suffering, the healing journey, and what it means to choose to live life in a sublime state of awareness.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest Regina Louise.
• How Regina is choosing to live her life with an elevated sense of awareness.
• The Hoffman method and other supportive interventions for healing and embodying our higher selves.
• The prevalence of imposter syndrome among women of color and how learning to love yourself can address it.
• How the Hoffman method facilitated Wilma May’s journey to self-love.
• Regina’s devastating experience of being raised in the same foster home in which her biological mother was trafficked.
• The disproportionate presence and impact of intergenerational trauma on women of color.
• A special quote from Anais Nin on taking the risk to bloom and how it manifested in Regina’s life.
• Regina’s healing journey and a beautiful and vulnerable description of where she currently places herself.
• What it means for Regina to depart from living in a constant state of survival.
• The damaging effects of being “adultified” as a young child.
• How Wilma Mae challenged her preconceived notions around healing to allow herself access to practitioners who understand suffering.
• The concept of the wounded healer and why Regina identifies so strongly with it.
• A reading of the Anais Nin poem that played a pivotal role in Regina’s healing.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Regina Louise

The Hoffman Institute

The Red Book

Somebody’s Someone

Someone Has Led This Child to Believe: A Memoir

DRK BEAUTY

DRK BEAUTY Healing

DRK BEAUTY on Instagram

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Bridgid Coulter is a multi-talented creative, who has found success as an actress, an interior designer, and most recently as an entrepreneur. Many of our listeners may know her from shows like Westworld, Shameless, and Black Monday. In this episode, we get together with Bridgid to discuss her latest venture, Blackbird House, and how her life and career led her to this point. We hear from Bridgid about her childhood and what it was like growing up in Berkeley, California. She reflects on how the combination of adversity, joy, and trauma shaped her outlook as a young person, and how acting helped her heal. She shares how introversion and curiosity have influenced her acting career and why she is so drawn to the deep work inherent in performing different characters. Later, Bridgid expands on her work as a designer and discusses why it was important for her to pursue further education before starting her professional work as an interior designer. We delve into the topic of the Blackbird House and unpack how a career in acting was instrumental to Bridgid’s journey into entrepreneurship. Bridgid discusses her passion for Blackbird House as a space for women of color and allies to network and support one another and expands on the future of the platform. Join us today for this inspiring conversation on creativity, self-knowledge, and much more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s multi-talented guest Bridgid Coulter.
• The different degrees of introversion and extroversion and how it informs your personality.
• How your level of introversion determines the type of activities that recharge your energy.
• The mixture of adversity, trauma, and joy in Bridgid’s upbringing and how it shaped her outlook.
• The deep work that is inherent in being an actor and how skilled trainers have helped Bridgid heal.
• Dreamwork: what it is and how Bridgid uses it and continues to use it.
• What it means to keep yourself safe, especially as a woman of color.
• Why, as an actor you need to have a deep understanding of the human condition.
• Bridgid’s various creative pursuits and how it has shaped her career.
• Why Bridgid finds it challenging to return to acting after a hiatus.
• The different approaches to acting and why Bridgid is a fan of going deep.
• Bridgid’s work as an interior designer and how her passion for design prompted her to pursue further education.
• How education empowered Bridgid to overcome imposter syndrome.
• How Bridgid inhabits her client, or potential client’s perspective when she is designing.
• The self-doubt that Bridgid experiences during the design process and why she hopes to overcome it.
• How the courage required to perform on stage prepared Bridgid for entrepreneurship.
• How Bridgid founded Blackbird and how her rich and varied life experience is informing it.
• The Blackbird House: their ethos, their services, and how it is connecting women of color with one another, as well as allies.
• How Blackbird has adapted from a physical to digital working space during the COVID 19 pandemic.
• Wilma Mae shares a reflective quote attributed to Robin Williams.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Bridgid Coulter on IMDB

Blackbird House

Blackbird House on Instagram

Blackbird House on Twitter

Blackbird House on Facebook

DRK BEAUTY on Instagram

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Much of how the modern world is designed and constructed, causes us to be out of sync with the earth’s natural rhythms and systems. In cities, most of the soil is covered with paving and high-rise buildings, which have far-reaching consequences that extend from how water is recycled, to average temperatures, to the levels of asthma and allergies experienced by its inhabitants. Joining us today to talk about these trends and the immense value that can be found in nature is Pandora Thomas, an Afro-Indigenous Permaculturist who runs EARTHseed farm in Sonoma County, California. We discuss the power of nature as a healing tool, how it helped Pandora recover from debilitating mental health issues, and why she has dedicated her life to introducing this healing power to many more individuals, especially people of color. Listening in you’ll hear Pandora share her journey, how she discovered permaculture, and how she raised the funds to support EARTHseed Farm. She unpacks her favorite definition of Afro-Indigenous permaculture and explains how it draws on African traditions of water use and cultivation. We interrogate the way that Black communities continue to be adversely affected by environmental decisions that were not made by them, and some of the important work being done to facilitate more access to nature in those communities. Later, we identify educational opportunities for introducing children to nature, as well as providing them with opportunities to cultivate their gardening skills. Having Pandora on the show was an honor and a joy. We hope you’ll join us for a thought-provoking perspective on Afro-Indigenous Permaculture, the healing power of nature, and how to love the planet!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s guest Pandora Thomas, an Afro-Indigenous Permaculturist.
• Pandora shares her struggles with mental health and why she sees herself as a recovering depressed person.
• The impact that nature has had on Pandora’s mental health journey.
• The concept of spiritual bypassing and the importance of acknowledging that some things are painful and difficult.
• How Pandora became a permaculturist and what that entails.
• Pandora shares her preferred definition of Afro-Indigenous Permaculture.
• How Afro-Indigenous Permaculture is rooted in how we are using and misusing water.
• How the built environments of cities undermine and subvert natural water cycles.
• The important work being done to facilitate more access to nature, especially for people of color.
• How Black communities are adversely affected by environmental decisions that were not made by them.
• How city design and environmental design impact asthma and allergies.
• Why we need to be capitalizing on educational opportunities to teach children about nature and gardening.
• Our host, Wilma Mae Basta, shares the transformative experience of planting and maintaining her own garden.
• How Pandora raised over three million dollars for EARTHseed farm.
• How EARTHseed farm is the culmination of a lifelong dream for Pandora.
• How the Black Lives Matter movement helped Pandora’s fundraising effort.
• How Pandora has dealt with criticisms about her fundraising.
• The importance of acknowledging the value you bring to a project and that you are worthy of abundance.
• How Wilma Mae has changed her priorities to work more efficiently after her experiences with her life being consumed by work during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Pandora Thomas

EARTHseed Farm

DRK BEAUTY on Instagr

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Today’s episode contains difficult themes*. Dr. Akua Boateng joins us to speak about her work as a coach and therapist involving helping people heal from depression and extreme trauma. Dr. Boateng is a licensed psychotherapist who has trained in multiple acute and outpatient facilities across the Tennessee valley. With 13 years of experience in clinical practice and education, she specializes in an integrative approach to treating anxiety, depression, mood disorders, work concerns, grief, relationship issues, and several other emotional concerns. Our conversation starts with Dr. Boateng’s interest in medicine and how she pivoted into psychology. We talk about the roots and symptoms of depression and trauma and what Dr. Boateng’s process of working through these issues with patients looks like. Our guest shares her thoughts on decolonizing therapy and the need to stop branding cultural practices as pathologies. We also hear about Dr. Boateng’s work assisting people in finding a way to move forward after going through some of the most damaging experiences imaginable such as losing loved ones as a result of homicide. Be sure to tune in for this conversation filled with Dr. Boateng’s rich insights and amazing work.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Perspectives on how some people are called to help others and what this looks like for Dr. Boateng.
• Dr. Boateng’s initial interest in medicine and how she pivoted into psychology.
• The work that Dr. Boateng does to help homicide survivors and what it involves.
• How people suffer from trauma without knowing it and what they can do to realize this.
• Chief complaints around relationships and pain that signal depression and trauma.
• How our bodies go into fight mode during trauma and how this state can linger.
• The roots of psychology in white masculinity and what it means to decolonize therapy.
• How children of color have to be educated about dangers to their lives which conventional psychology would not consider healthy and what this means.
• Breaking violent cycles with healthy relationships and what drew Dr. Boateng to marriage counseling.
• What Dr. Boateng’s coaching work involves and how it goes beyond systems-based coaching.
• Dr. Boateng’s strategies for self-care involving rest, eating well, sleep, and silence.
• How to connect with Dr. Boateng online.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Akua Boateng

Dr. Akua Boateng on Twitter

Dr. Akua Boateng on Instagram

Homocide Survivors Program

DRK BEAUTY on Instagram

DRK BEAUTY on Facebook

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It’s easy to dismiss energy healing as an esoteric practice, but the truth is that skilled practitioners have helped thousands of individuals lead happier, healthier, and more purpose-driven lives. In today’s episode, we get together with Laura Forbes, an energetic healer, and coach, who has spent the bulk of her career working with the human body through various practices. She first studied massage therapy in Boulder, Colorado at the start of her career in the early 90s. Then later, she transitioned to becoming an energy practitioner after taking the famous Body Talks course by John Veltheim. Tuning in you’ll hear our host Dr. Wilma share how she met Laura and how her first session with Laura transformed her life. Laura explains why it’s so important for energy practitioners to let go of their attachment to outcomes and how that ethos has translated to her own life. Later, Laura shares how she became a relationship and communication coach and why she has chosen to focus on the interconnection between language, emotion, and how we interpret our lives. We reflect on the unique mental health challenges inherent to being a woman of color and how a stigma around mental health prohibits them from seeking help. We loved having Laura on the show and we’re sure you will find the conversation as thought-provoking and informative as we did. Tune in today for all this and much more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest Laura Forbes.
• How Dr. Wilma May met Laura Forbes and how Laura was able to help her as a client.
• The life-changing epiphany that Dr. Wilma May experienced after her first consultation with Laura.
• How Laura entered the field of energy work after working with the physical body for 20 years.
• The role that quantum theory and universal consciousness play in energetic healing.
• How John Veldheim developed Body Talk and how Laura applies it to her energetic healing practice.
• How the words we use to describe a situation can shape our experience.
• Laura shares how she transitioned into coaching women.
• Why Laura focuses on communication between couples.
• How Dr. Wilma May wants to use her platform to introduce women of color to practitioners they may not otherwise have encountered or considered.
• A key premise of energetic healing is its ability to unblock the body and allow it to heal itself.
• Why as an energetic healer you need to let go of your attachment to outcomes.
• The unique mental health challenges inherent to being a woman of color.
• How the stigma around mental health prohibits women of color from seeking help for their mental health.
• The confluence of circumstances that led Dr. Wilma May to meet Laura.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Body Talk

Dr. Veltheim

Life Alignment: Heal Your Life & Discover Your Soul's True Purpose

Laura Forbes on LinkedIn

DRK BEAUTY on Instagram

DRK BEAUTY on Facebook

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Many of us have likely taken a yoga class, or even have an established practice, but are we living the true essence of yoga? Ravi Dixit is a London-based yoga teacher, who is passionate about reconnecting you with yourself and finding harmony between you and you. With the popularity of yoga in the West, Ravi feels some core principles have been diluted, and he works to make these tenets more accessible for everyone. For Ravi, yoga has always been a part of his life and he attended several ashrams before moving to London, where he has quickly become one of the city's most sought-after teachers. In this episode, Ravi sheds light on what yoga is and how it brings you back to yourself. Yoga is far more than a physical activity; it is a deeply embodied, holistic practice that influences how you live your life. Ravi is a special kind of teacher because he truly practices what he preaches, and he shares the story of how yoga helped him heal himself from a near-fatal accident. Having had a lifelong practice, Ravi's consciousness was able to draw on his innate healing capabilities. We hear about his practice, how he shares ancient yogic principles with his students in London, the power of awareness and presence, and how yoga classes can be more inclusive and holistic. Yoga draws on universal knowledge that we all have access to, so tune in today to hear it all.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today's guest, Ravi Dixit.
• What the meaning of yoga is, according to Ravi.
• Some of the paths that yoga can take and the purposes they can serve in your life.
• You first have to have knowledge of yourself to understand the world.
• Yoga teaches you how to see yourself, allowing you to achieve unity.
• How yoga has helped Ravi throughout his life.
• The incredible story of how Ravi healed himself through yoga after an accident.
• What Ravi's practice looks like and how his classes depart from the Western practice of yoga.
• Questioning the modern way that yoga is being taught.
• One of the most important lessons yoga teaches you: awareness.
• Yoga is not about competition; it is about showing gratitude.
• There is a need for yoga classes to be more inclusive.
• How Ravi has managed with teaching online during the pandemic.
• Working on inner beauty is most important; the outer beauty will follow.
• Be your own light; you don't have to take someone else's
• Three ways you can incorporate yogic principles into your life right now.
• When you live your life with gratitude, you will start to realize just how much you have.
• Wilma's experience of panic attacks and anxiety, and how she has learned to cope.

Tweetables:

“The exact meaning of the yogais unity. Unity between you to you. Unity between mind, body, and soul.” — Ravi Dixit [0:03:58]

“Yoga introduces you to who you are; how to see yourself.” — Ravi Dixit [0:12:08]

“One thing yoga teaches you most is how to become aware; how to become awake. Don't do anything in your life while you are sleeping.” — Ravi Dixit [0:28:08]

“If you are happy, you make other people happy.” — Ravi Dixit [0:49:28]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Ravi Dixit

Ravi Dixit Yoga on Instagram

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As Black women and women of color, we have been socialized into believing that we should not take up space in the outdoors. Yet, research increasingly shows that being intentionally connected to nature can be profoundly healing. Nailah Blades is a life and leadership coach, who helps women tap into their power. Her high-touch coaching approach connects women of color to the outdoors so that they go from feeling invisible to being able to take up space in all facets of their lives. Nailah runs a community-based organization, Color Outside, which hosts retreats and a range of other activities to foster a connection to nature. In this episode, Nailah talks about her coaching journey and how she came to add a natural component to her offering. We hear about what a relationship with a coach might look like, the importance of having coaches with diverse life experiences, and why you have to find a coach who understands your lived reality. As Black women, there are numerous challenges we face that are not imagined, but rather systemic issues that can wear us down. We deserve to take up space in places we 'don't belong,’ and the work Nailah does goes a long way in helping women feel more comfortable not only in nature but in their own skin.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know today’s guest, Nailah Blades, and the work that she does.
• It is common for Black women to feel like the outdoors is not a space they belong in.
• How Nailah came to work to help Black women reclaim their space in the outdoors.
• Nailah's insights into what the Black community is like in Utah.
• How long Color Outside has been running for and the community's structure.
• Details about how Nailah got into coaching after feeling unfulfilled.
• Coaches will not tell you what to do; they will give you the tools you need.
• What a coaching relationship typically looks like and the average cost for a session.
• There are coaches for all different aspects of your life, so find one that suits your needs.
• It is important to work with a coach that understands your lived experience.
• How Nailah is normalizing being outdoors for her children.
• Wilma's experience of being introduced to the outdoors when she went on exchange to France at 16.
• The story of how Wilma learned to ski when she started dating her now-husband and how she's fallen in love with it since.
• It is important to try new things without the expectations of having to be good at it.
• Saying yes to outdoor adventures allows you to see parts of the world you wouldn't ordinarily see.
• Plans Nailah has for Color Outside going forward.
• Where to contact Nailah and learn more about Color Outside.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Nailah Blades

Nailah Blades on Instagram

Nailah Blades on Twitter

Color Outside

Wilma Mae Basta on Instagram

Send us a Text Message.

There are many things aside from traditional therapy that can bring wellness to your life. Life Alignment coach, Philippa Lubbock, spends today’s episode explaining to us what this therapy offers and how it brings healing to those it touches. We start our episode with an introduction to Philippa Lubbock and the concept of Life Alignment, and she tells us how she found the therapy. Next, we get into the nuts and bolts of how the therapy is practiced and the results it yields, as well as the difference between the conscious and unconscious mind, and how Philippa communicates with your higher self in order to choose the right words to speak into your situation. Life Alignment focuses on the root cause rather than the symptoms and Philippa tells us why, touching on the power of recognizing and addressing self-limiting beliefs and patterns and how family relationships influence wellness in adults. She speaks about her work, guiding people into respectful mindsets before their parents die, and the personal healing that brings family healing. Next, she tells us why it is so important to be accompanied by someone who is educated and loving while you explore your psyche. A great piece of wisdom Philippa offers us is to do what you love doing, listen to your inner voice, and find out what you really want. We hope you tune in for a life-enriching episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Philippa Lubbock and the work she does at Life Alignment.
• The South African born practitioner that introduced Philippa to Life Alignment.
• What Philippa needs to know: your birth year, and the symptoms you are experiencing.
• How Philippa administers the therapy to release traumatic memories and create balance.
• Wilma’s experience with Life Alignment; relevant words, and a sense of peace and safety.
• Philippa unpacks why Wilma feels this way: she comes home to herself.
• The difference between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind.
• How Philippa communicates with your higher self in order to find the right words.
• The balance between the client and the practitioner.
• Why Life Alignment focuses on the root cause rather than the symptoms.
• The power of recognizing self-limiting beliefs and patterns.
• How family relationships influence wellness in adults.
• The way in which Philippa guides people into respectful places before their parents die.
• How personal healing brings family healing.
• How Philippa has experienced Wilma.
• The need to be accompanied by someone educated and loving as you explore your psyche.
• Doing what you love doing, listening to your inner voice, and finding out what you really want.
• How Philippa works with anyone in any way.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Philippa Lubbock on LinkedIn
Breathing Space
Life Alignment
Wilma Mae Basta on LinkedIn
Wilma Mae on Instagram
DRK Beauty