Having the Courage to be (Self)ish

We closed out 2023 hosting our 2^nd Annual Black Girl Self Care Day in College Park, Md. This was a day to have a mental reset to feel rejuvenated for the new year ahead. This time of the year can be busy with the holidays, but it’s important to take time for YOU outside of all the hustle and bustle. Most of us easily spend most of the year pouring into others, just being everything to everybody. Black Girl Self Care Day is meant to pour into ourselves and fill our cups.

We started the day with a yoga stretch led by MQC co-owner, Tianna Christine. Starting any day with stretching can be beneficial as this can help increase serotonin levels, the hormone that stabilizes our mood and reduces stress. Once we loosened our muscles and released some tension, it was time for our sound bath meditation.

But before doing that, we picked out an Melanin Queen intention word. Intention words are meant to be used as a guide for personal reflection and deep introspection. We took this word with us for our self-care card activity, #49 Let Your Mind Wander as we did our guided sound bath meditation.

Following our sound bath meditation, we reflected on what came to mind as we listened to the frequencies from the singing bowls and journaled how the words we picked resonated with us. Some of the words we picked included, “Growth,” “Openness,” “Refrain,” “Honor,” and “Courage.”

One woman shared how her word “Refrain” meant to her how she needed to refrain from always being the one to do everything. She has to allow people to do things and not take on so much. Another woman who picked “Growth” shared how she’s working to overcome feeling stagnant and her goal to pursue her master’s degree. And another woman who picked “Courage,” shared how that word meant having the courage to show up for herself and to be (self)ish.

We closed out the event exchanging words of kindness that is centered on our self-care card activity, #7 Put it on Paper. We wrote messages on holding on to happiness and to pursue our goals (Just Do it).

We thank everyone who joined us to close out 2023 with such positivity, new perspectives, and renewed energy.