Living In Alignment

Living in Alignment

“Real G’s move in alignment.”

At the end of 2020, I revisited my 6-month SMART goals underway since September. September marked my recommitment to my personal projects, as 2020 had zapped much of my motivation. In honor of the new year, I took intentional time to check-in with myself around my goals and desires for the upcoming year. I asked myself three questions:

1. What is being asked of me?

2. What is asking for my attention?

3. Where am I out of balance in my life?

I used these three questions to help me locate myself and determine if I was still in alignment and determine where I may need to recalibrate. I write this in the hopes that you will not take my words as directives but as inspiration to discover what being in alignment means for you.

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Why alignment?

One intentional area of observation for me this past year has been my alignment. Alignment with the people, places, and things I put my time, energy, and money into; alignment with what best serves me at this moment; alignment with my ancestors; alignment with God. In 2019, I got really clear that I only wanted to move in alignment with my purpose not out of fear, scarcity, or the most tempting of them all, validation and praise from others. Before I named alignment as my goal, I recognized that I was experiencing a grace that permeated my business and personal life. Opportunities, money, people, and resources were flowing to me without pounding the pavement. The ease that came with seemingly hard things, gave me pause that what I was experiencing was not happenstance. I got curious about how and why I was experiencing so much ease. Then I recognized, I had been benefiting from moving in alignment without being fully present in the process; I knew enough to understand that ease, grace, and growth were the hallmarks of alignment. From that moment, I set the intention to be fully present in my process. 

So what does it mean to set goals from a place of alignment?

When I am forecasting for my future, I set intentions to stay curious and stay committed to understanding what is being asked of me, and respond accordingly. Alignment goals are different from SMART goals because they have softer lines of expectation:  alignment goals are rooted in being, not producing. I work very hard, what I inevitably produce and share with the world is not busywork, content for the sake of content, nor money-driven. I have learned that alignment goal setting is less about specificity and more about attunement to the universe. My spiritual (ancestral work + prayer) and contemplative practices (yoga, mindfulness meditation, breath-work, Qigong) support me in my attunement. 

 Getting to a place where I can attune to my personal alignment requires intentional slowdown, intentional listening, faith, acceptance, and gratitude. If I am moving too quickly, I miss the messages in everyday phenomena. If I am only listening with my ears, I am missing most of the messages intended for me. If I cannot accept that what is in alignment for me, may not be what I imagined for myself, I stifle myself. I have to have faith that what I am hearing is right and exact, and meant for me. I offer deep gratitude for the ability to see and hear clearly in a very loud and blurry world; each point of clarity offers its own gift. 

My SMART goals grow out of my understanding of what is in alignment with me. These goals are specific, time bound, as realistic to my understanding of the moment, as possible.  I now set 6-month SMART goals as I am constantly in the iterative practice of checking in to see what is in alignment with me. When I have taken the time to ground myself, I am able to create my immediate goals with clarity.  My long term forecasts also grow out of what I understand to be in alignment with me, this allows me to move through the journey, however long it may be, with a peace that passes understanding. Being in alignment does not vaccinate me against hardship, but it does prepare me to deal with whatever comes along with the journey. Moving from a place of alignment also allows me to detach from rigid narratives about what my future will look like. I have the permission to pivot without constraint because I know I am graced to take on things beyond my imagination. This is my sweet spot, watching things unfold in front of me better than I can imagine. 

How do you know you are in alignment? 

While I believe that alignment can look as nuanced as the individual bodies we inhabit, indications of alignment (success) can be ease, grace, flow, abundance, clarity, inner stillness, peace, breakthrough, favor, joy, good sleep, good digestion, bright skin, spiritual growth, and material wealth. I am here for all of these things! The presence of the contrary is not an automatic indication of a lack of alignment.

What if you fall out of alignment?

I slow down, I return to deep listening. I accept myself and all the ways I showed up. I have faith that I will have what I need to remedy my plight. I offer gratitude for the journey and having caught myself out of my personal alignment. As I move toward February and the completion of many of SMART goals, I continue to look beyond my check-list to listen for new messages. These messages will support me in continuing the cycle, as I set new six month SMART goals. 

What does alignment look like for you?

Yoga for Anxiety

I am really excited about this offering. This is 90 minute practice will allow me to marry two of my skills, mental health psychoeducation and yoga instruction. As my practice has grown over the last 3 years, engagement of the body to address mental health has become more and more a cornerstone of how I work. You cannot separate mind from body; this event will strengthen the mind body connection, support you in better managing your anxiety, and help you find relaxation in your body.

This will be the first of more offerings bridging the mind + body gap.

I hope you will join me on October 31, 2020!

Spirits Up

At the end of day, our bodies are on the line. Our bodies need care. Our bodies need community. Check out this offering :

Spirits Up! is a six day series offering tools for personal liberation and healing through yoga, meditation, arts and speakers. This will support the continued work towards collective black liberation.

From June 14th - June 19th, Spirits Up! will offer a safe space for people who were on the frontlines of recent protest fighting for black lives, and people who have suffered repeated racial traumas.

This series will take place at key historical locations: 6/14 the Municipal Building, where the Frank Rizzo statue once stood, 6/15 Washington Square, 6/16 Rittenhouse Square,  6/17 Logan Circle, 6/18 Vernon Park in Germantown, and the final session at Malcolm X Park in West Philly on Juneteenth 6/19, as we celebrate black freedom.

Follow @imfront, @spiritsup215, @215tayyib, @littlegiantcreative for updates as the week goes on. #blacklivesmatter #blackhealingmatters #blackyogis #goinginward 

11 Days of Love Stories

I am really grateful to be a part of Love Now Media’s annual 11 Days of Love Stories. I contributed a sweet massage practice accessible to all. Check out my L O V E lesson and the loving contributions of other participants. Go in love!

LOVE LESSONS

A Town Hall for Mothers of Color

L O V E in C O L O R

POC Couples Workshop 

with Shesheena Bray & jean-jacques gabriel 

Saturday :: Feb 29th :: 12-2:30pm

$40 for a Couple, $50 day of.

Click Here to RSVP

Yoga  + Thai Massage   + Couples Work

Join us as we breathe and flow through an accessible and fun partner yoga sequence, and then give and receive Thai massage. Both practices help to build trust, to connect more fully, and to delight in deeper levels of intimacy. In addition, we will spend intentional time exploring what it means to love on purpose as people of color.  No experience necessary, bring a beloved or best friend.

Mindfulness @ The Museum

The Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia offers a FREE mindfulness sit every Friday at 12 noon.

I am grateful to be one of 4 mindfulness instructors. Come catch you breath with me.

February 14, 2020 March 13, 2020 April 17, 2020

I Came I Released I Reset : The Joy Edition

In this season of harvest, we are given the perfect opportunity to take stock of what we have done, while also looking forward to the future. This is a time of reset.

Join Going Inward Wellness, LLC and Adia Imani for an afternoon of joy and reflection for renewal. 

The 4th installment of I Came, I Released, I Reset, is focused on using PLAY and REFLECTION to help us RESET. When is the last time you played? When was the last time you intentionally set time aside to have fun that involved your creativity, your body, and suspending belief? For many of us, we stopped playing years ago, we have traded in carefree fun for structured adult fun: happy hours, seated game nights, and vineyard trips. While all of these forms fun offer some release, the play of our childhood has much to offer us as adults. Like children, we need outlets for our creativity; we need opportunities to color outside the lines. Play teaches children how to problem solve and connect with others. We will use play, to help us connect with our inner child, connect with each other, and release some of the weight of adulthood. 

Participants should come prepared to engage in the activities of their youth: jump rope, dancing, hand games and more. You deserve some intentional play and reflection. I hope you will join us for this afternoon of fun.

Space is limited, so secure your ticket today. If you cannot attend, consider paying it forward to sponsor another woman. Should you choose to sponsor another woman, please contact me at your earliest convenience so we can get the word out. Thank you in advance for your generous gift.

Click here to get your ticket HERE!

Headwraps & Healing

I am excited to partner with Team Art & Soul for a unique selfcare workshop. We will explore both the art and science of head wrapping and how to better take care of ourselves.

Click here to RSVP.

Breathwork & Meditation Pop Up

Our breath is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. In addition to the ensuring the body stays alive by providing the lungs with needed oxygen, our breath can used to calm the central nervous system; cool the body; clear your mental palate; enhance your mood and more. Developing a relationship with my breath has been one of the most transformative things I have undertaken as an adult; I want to support others in the cultivation of this sacred relationship.

Join me at Body, Soul & Spirit Spa for a 90 minute introductory workshop to breath-work and mindfulness meditation. No experience necessary, all are welcome.

Space is limited, RSVP today.

I Came I Released I Reset III

Spring is here and there is winter weight to be shaken off. That’s why Adia Imani and I are teaming up to bring back the third installment of I Came I Released I Reset (ICIRIR). We had A LOT of fun in January moving our bodies and getting out of our comfort zones, plus we had much needed time to reflect and go inward.

For the third edition of ICIRIR, we will be focusing on releasing from toxic and broken relationships. Studies have shown that physical pain, like breaking a leg, registers in the same pain centers in the brain like a broken heart. This fact alone should give you pause to think about the weight of relationships in our lives. As social creatures, we need each other, but at times we also need to release from the pain we cause each other. You don’t have to carry that weight, and you don’t have to journey alone. Dance. Stretch. Reflect. Release.

Come release with us on purpose May 18, 2019, 1 PM - 4 PM. This event is open women and femmes of color, 18+;$25. Click here to register.

Mommy We Need a Routine

Getting yourself going in the morning can be tough, its even harder when you have to get your little ones going as well. Creating a morning routine or ritual can serve as an anchor to a potentially chaotic morning.

Join me at the Sable Collective (3133 N 22 St., 19132) for a grounding workshop on building a meaningful morning practice that prepares you AND your little ones to take on the day.

RSVP via Eventbrite.

Lessons in Fear.

Happy March!

This winter season has been great for Going Inward Wellness, LLC. My private practice is growing, and I am getting really clear about the things that Going Inward Wellness is best positioned to offer the community. I have been listening and incubating all winter, I am ready to share what I have learned and get moving on some new projects.

The theme of this winter was fear. I have been working to get out of my own way, revisiting lessons I thought I already learned about money, learning to say yes before I can talk myself out of a good thing, and deeply investigating how fear was showing up in my world. It was hard to hold the mirror up to myself at times, it was hard to admit I was the problem. When I discovered that I was the problem, I also discovered that I was the solution; this was pivotal. Instead of beating myself up, I leaned in, and asked more questions. What I initially framed self-pity, guilt and misfortune became learnings. All of these learnings are still unfolding for me as I prepare for the second season of this new year.

So what did I learn:

- When you invite change and elevation you are inviting discomfort into your life. Embrace it and watch what happens.

- No one is responsible for your success, you are your own biggest hurdle.

- Unconscious habits and ways of being will sabotage your conscious efforts. Check your schemas and automatic assumptions.

- Getting intimate with your fears is the best way to deactivate them.

As I said, these learnings are still unfolding for me; I will not rush the process. What lessons are unfolding or you? What are you ignoring? Are you aware of the ways in which fear shows up in your life? These are just some of the questions you can investigate. I encourage you to investigate some aspect of your being to ensure your autopilot doesn't land you somewhere you don’t want to be. My autopilot was steering me into the safety of mediocrity.

This work is easier said than lived, but I believe in myself and I believe in you.

The Inspire Wellness Collective Presents:

RSVP here

Just a Thought: New Year New You?

Are you ready to take on the change you are declaring in this new year?

While your calendar might reflect a new year, don't feel compelled to change your life simply because the date has changed. Yes, the Gregorian calendar new year is a great time to take stock of your life, but there are no rules to change. Take inspired action based on well thought out intentions, not a change in date.

The truth is, change can be difficult and uncomfortable, that's why we avoid it so much.  There are thousands of self-help books and studies dedicated to understanding change as phenomena. None the less, every year we declare big and small changes to the world on January 1. From my experience, January 1 changes start in September; a declaration of change is preceded by a commitment to change. One of the primary mechanisms for change is commitment.  Webster’s dictionary defines commitment as “the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled” (Merriam-Webster online dictionary, 2019)

Commitment does not evolve simply from a good idea, it grows out of intimate awareness. When considering the changes you want to make in your life, can you claim an intimacy of understanding that offers you a bird’s eye view? Are you aware of all the ways this issue shows up in your life currently? Are you aware of how the change you are seeking may impact seemingly unrelated areas of your life? Are you clear on your why? These are just some of the considerations you can make when getting intimate with your stuff.; that which you hope to change. Sometimes being fed up with your stuff, or sick and tired of your stuff is not enough to propel you to change. If there is no intimacy there is no understanding; if there is no understanding there is no commitment. 

 Whether you are in the process of getting intimate or you are standing in your commitment to change, honor your own timeline.  Just consider, the “new year”  is celebrated on February 5; August 30; and October 27 if you are Chinese, Muslim or Hindu.  Any day can be the start to your new year. Each new day brings the opportunity to start over, recommit, or try it differently. You have the power to assign your own meaning to dates, and time periods. Give yourself permission to get out of the cycle of declaring change for the sake of the new year, and beating yourself up over the results.  

Commit to change and intentional growth on your own terms, and watch what happens.

- Shesheena A. Bray, M.S.Ed

commitment. 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commitment

I Came I Released I Reset 2nd Edition

The first I Came I Released I Rest was so good Adia and I had to do it again.

Our bodies store our emotions, especially our more negative emotions. In order to process and release these emotional states it is necessary to engage the body.

Join Going Inward Wellness, LLC and dance choreographer Adia Imani, for an afternoon of movement medicine. Together, we will engage our bodies in movement to release on purpose. Participants will enjoy: dance fitness; meditation; deep stretching; and reflection. 

Start the new year right with other women of color in a safe and loving environment. Whether you are just starting your process, or looking for "that thing" to help you finally let go of that emotional burden, we are ready to meet you where you are at.

Who: POC self identified women; 21+
When: Saturday, January 19, 2019 12 PM - 4 PM
What to bring: All you will need is a water bottle and a light snack! Mats will be provided.

RSVP HERE.

I Think I Am Angry

As much as we might like to try, anger is one of the most difficult emotions to wrangle. That’s why I created a safe grow space for self identified women of color to explore their relationship with anger. Whether or not you think you have an “anger issue,” we can all improve our understanding of anger. This is a free event, childcare provided. Interested in attending?

RSVP here.

Mindfulness @ The Museum Returns

Mindfulness at the Institute of Contemporary Art resumes Friday, September 21, 2018. I am happy to resume FREE instruction on the following dates:

     October 12, 2018     November 2, 2018     December 14, 2018

I Came I Released I Reset

Resolving both trauma and stress in the body requires you to engage your body. With that understanding in mind, Adia Imani and I have curated a safe space for women of color to release on purpose through engaging your bodies in dance and movement. This half day event will allow for intentional reflection and meditation in addition to movement. Participants interested in attending should RSVP at via our community venue, Studio 34. 

So good we had to do it a second time. Location TBA.

Come Catch Your Breath With Me!

I am honored to be one of four mindfulness meditation leaders at Philadelphia's Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). Every Friday at noon, the ICA offers Mindfulness at the Museum, an hour long FREE mindfulness sitting. Whether you have a thriving meditation practice, or you simply want to try meditation for the first time, all are welcome.

I invite you to come catch your breath with me. No special clothes are equipment necessary, simply bring your breath. I hope to see you at the ICA!

You can come catch your breath with me in the following dates:

April 13         May 18         June 8        July 13         August 10