The Healing H.A.C.K. (formerly The Healing Home)

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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 Instagram

DRK BEAUTY on Facebook

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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

Subscribe to The Healing H.A.C.K. for more conversations exploring ancient and modern tools for spiritual health, abundance, connection, and knowledge.

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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

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Today’s guests are Jenn Ma-Pham, Dr. Christine Coleman, and Jacqui Johnson. These amazing women are all DRK Beauty therapists and they join us on the show to highlight the diversity of our team and share the breadth of work that is going on in the DRK Beauty community. Jen is a licensed clinical social worker whose passion stems from the belief that recovery is possible and that the human spirit is resilient. Dr. Coleman is a speaker, consultant, and award-winning founder of a women’s non-profit called Sol Sisters Inc. Jackie is an LPC and an art therapist who offers holistic therapy that integrates art, storytelling, and body sensations to promote healing from racial, generational, and other traumas. Our conversation covers the lack of access to therapy for people of color and the systemic causes for this. We speak about what the situation looks like on the ground for Black people who need to talk to somebody and the many challenges that stand in the way. Together, our guests also weigh in on their personal experiences of devoting their lives to helping their clients along their journeys of healing and how they find the time and energy to look after themselves as well. So for all this and more in a conversation filled with the brilliant work and perspectives of Jen, Christine, and Jackie, tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing our three guests from today and the respective focuses of their work.
• How Jenn, Christine, and Jacqui got interested in social work and their journeys in the space.
• The emotional cost of helping others and how each of our guests take care of themselves.
• Setting very clear boundaries and holding space to ‘just be’ rather than code switch.
• Being authentic as a therapist and how this can help clients feel safer.
• Perspectives on stigmas surrounding mental health in communities of color and its origins.
• Systems that have been set up to make access to therapy difficult for people of color.
• Experiences of white male doctors dismissing the experiences of womxn of color.
• How POCs are looking for therapists who understand them but resources are slim.
• Fault being put on POCs for not seeking therapy when its more of a societal issue.
• Effects of the pandemic on access to therapy and how people are coping with readjusting.
• The lack of systems for prisoners to get access to therapy in jails versus prisons.
• Guilt around tapping out from activistic work and the need to set boundaries.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Christine Coleman

Sol Sisters

Wilma Mae Basta on Instagram

DRK Beauty
E-Team

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As womxn of color, we do not live in a world that is designed to foster our journeys toward mental health. It is up to us to make our own wellbeing toolkits and this is not easy, but this is the problem that this show aims to solve! This is the Healing Home podcast hosted by Wilma Mae Basta, and the intention behind this show is to help all womxn of color to discover and create their own wellness journeys. We explore a myriad of healing tools and modalities ranging from psychotherapeutic to the spiritual, all for womxn of color! Wilma is the founder of DRK Beauty, a wellbeing and mental health digital platform that helps womxn of color discover and craft their own wellbeing journey. In this episode, Wilma helps listeners get to know her a little better, telling the story of her own life and how it led her to a breakdown followed by a path of discovery that resulted in her wellness platform as well as this show. We hear about Wilma’s parents, upbringing in America, and experiences of feeling othered by both white and Black communities, and what happened later after she moved to Europe where she felt she was not constantly read through the lens of being Black. She talks about how this was soothing but also meant she didn’t have to do some important inner work. Wilma explains that eventually everything culminated in a sense of crumbling but it was this that encouraged her to go on the inner journey that led to this amazing show. So make sure to join us today and in the episodes that follow, so that we can move forward to a place of strength and love in a less than friendly world as womxn of color, together.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing the show and the aim to help women of color create a mental wellness toolkit.
• Host Wilma Mae tells the story of her path to mental wellness leading to founding DRK Beauty.
• The story of Wilma’s parents’ personalities and careers and how they met and fell in love.
• Moving to a predominantly white area but living in a multicultural apartment block.
• Wilma’s memories of feeling othered by both Black and white communities.
• How Wilma finally felt she belonged when she went to France on exchange in junior year.
• The changes Wilma experienced from the culture in France and how she understood why she didn’t fit in before.
• How Wilma moved to NYC to study at NYU and experienced the rough scene of the '80s.
• Moving to London to study, meeting her husband, and how Wilma ended up staying 30 years.
• How Wilma excelled in her career and built a family while not feeling much racism.
• Not doing much inner work and then not being able to make sense of a crumbling marriage.
• Getting married to a second husband and diving into a new marriage that began to fail quickly.
• Experiencing a breakdown and how this was the beginning of Wilma’s mental health journey.
• The lack of mental health tools for women of color and how Wilma’s journey led to her starting this podcast.
• The happy marriage Wilma is still in thanks to the work her husband and her have done internally.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Wilma Mae Basta on Instagram

Wilma Mae Basta Email

DRK Beauty
Stanley Branche

PennState University

NYU

Malcolm X

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Subscribe to The Healing H.A.C.K. for more conversations exploring ancient and modern tools for spiritual health, abundance, connection, and knowledge.