Visions Of Wellness

Thoughtful, culturally competent conversations about health, wellness, and beauty in black and brown communities

[denishamichelle]

Nutrition tip Thursday 😏 hehe 🙃… Make sure you are eating a colorful diet. Green leafy vegetables 🥬 in particular are a great source of Vitamin K which is essential for healthy blood flow. Also if you are a meat eater, try substituting some of the more fatty meats such as beef and pork with lean meats like chicken and turkey. This is especially helpful for those with high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). If you get creative with the seasonings you can really hook up some lean meals that are fam faves. This is my spaghetti prep. Chopped sweet peppers, onions, garlic, carrots and chicken sausage. I typically eat ground turkey but if i eat beef, I try and make sure it’s minimally processed and/or organic. Oh and chop them vegetables up small so the kids can’t pick through 😂🤞🏽🫶🏽 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnn25jst3tVxawkZRit0oIqZU4L1KvT4j2X_q00/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[denishamichelle]

Mercury Retrograde Reflections

I want to be the fun mom again.

This is the shit Mercury Retrograde has me reflecting on. Some where in between having 3 children life got real freaking serious, as expected. But I don't think I could ever anticipate just how real things could or would get.

I had a vision for my life. I had a vision for my life with my kids fathers. Yea, all three of em' got different daddies. Judge me, please lol. Point is, things changed, therefore the vision changed. And when the vision changed, the plan changed. And when the plan changed, the steps to achieve the plan changed.

All of sudden everything that I had given to one child for 9 years became me figuring out how to give it to two and three children, plus the children of my lovers, very quickly. I think it goes without saying I have been stretched. Not just me though, me and every mother or father who has multiple children and/or blended families. Especially, those close in age.

I look back and I'm thankful that it was just my oldest and I for 9 years, before she had to share me. Angel was a very happy and secure child during early childhood (conception/birth to age 8.) I believe her having somewhat (I say somewhat because I've always worked a lot) of my undivided attention had a major impact on her childhood. Angel also had a lot more support from my friends and family and was always showered with love.

She is now 13, but is what I consider a young adult. Our circumstance has caused me to rely on her for help with her siblings. As I watched my two youngest play yesterday, I was convicted in my spirit from taking that away from her. Her life got real serious, real quick too.

Angel is a certified babysitter through the American RedCross. I pay her as a contractor under my business to babysit her siblings. I am adamant about preparing my kids for life in a very practical way. I'm also building generational wealth and plan to teach my children and employ. Angel will have a nice resume by the time she wants to go out and pursue her passions. I am my children's first teacher, and I stand on that. But I don't want Angel to resent me for me needing her.

The effects of having more children has had a major impact on Angel as well. Her father, who she is now building a relationship with, was more absent that present for the first 13 years of her life. This has also had a major impact on her. Angel has experienced family violence as well. Research says she is more likely to experience family violence, because I did, and this is how the cycle continues if we let it.

I say all that to say that for the past five years my life has been a revolving door of survival. Surviving labor and delivery as a black woman feels like an accomplishment by itself, let alone motherhood. Surviving poverty. Surviving domestic and sexual violence. Surviving substance abuse. Surviving death of loved ones. Surviving being a woman. Surviving the system. Surviving failed relationships. Surviving abandonment. Surviving and more fucking surviving.

Yea... looking back, I got a little cold. I got a little harsh. I got a little traumatized lmao. I know it not funny, but I really have to laugh because its the truth and I survived it. It sounds like an episode of Law and Order: SVU. But why is it so many of our lives?

The truth is, "the system" is not set up for people like me to survive AND thrive. It is set up for us to perpetuate a cycle of being abused and being the abuser. It is set up for oppression. Oppression of the mind, body and spirit. Only when one seeks knowledge on their own accord do they really break free from this "system".

That's why I laugh. Because people like me, do the unexpected. We survive all the shit society throws at us, expecting us not to overcome. Yea, we come out with some scars, but we also become masters of transmutation. Transmutation, simply put, is taking one energy and transforming it to another by way of a medium.

The abused is now being used... by the Most High, God, Source, Allah, Universal life force, or whatever you subscribe to. We are speaking, writing, performing, educating, inventing and creating in a number of areas. We are passionate, because we have lived it.

We are busy and we are focused.

Not a bad place to be, but I want to be the fun mom again. And so, doing all of this transmuting and what not requires a lot of energy. It is especially hard for single-parent households.

I am at a place where, the more I pursue higher education, the more I learn about what the research says about OUR people. Exactly what I described is the face of MANY black and brown families, except many of them are not fortunate enough to pursue higher education. There is a deficit in our learning because of the traumatic experiences we have endured as a people. These experiences have shaped our view of the world. We have survived so long, its hard for some of us to imagine what life looks like when your thriving.

For me, thriving means I can have fun with my children again. It means laughing more than crying. It means asking for help from their fathers. It means being forgiving, but not being naive to wrong doings. I have been in protection mode, because one thing I'm not about to play with anybody about, is my kids. They didn't ask to be here. I willingly brought all three of them into the world and wouldn't change a thing. Outside of God, they are my life line. All I felt I had worth living for at many times. So yea, shit got serious. But as we all grow into different versions of ourselves, This version of me is releasing the part of me that says I have to have my kids with me 24/8 in order to be a good mom or for them to have the best outcomes. In fact, research says otherwise. Children who come from two parent households or single-father households have better outcomes.

This is why we need fathers to take back their rightful place as fathers, as protectors, as educators, as caretakers, etc. Black and brown fathers are needed. Not by the women, by the children! Women continue to break barriers and prove that we can survive these experiences, but our children experience the greatest effects of the stress single-motherhood brings.

With love, I am challenging mothers who are survivors to release control, trust the creator and allow the father of your children and/or who ever wants to support you to do so. If the father is active, stable and can provide a safe environment for your child (heavy on the safety), then don't be afraid to ask for shared responsibility despite what society has taught us. Men are just as capable or child-rearing as women. And if its the opposite, apply it as it fits.

Children benefit from being raised by people with varying views of the world. It is a village concept. Fathers, I challenge you to be more active and consistent in your children's lives, if you are not already. Notice, I didn't say financially stable. Although necessary, finances can be built over time. However, you can not get time back with your children. They will only be small once. And you are needed.

I believe now more than ever, black and brown families need to understand that our children are the future. They are also our first assignment. Take time to slow down and be present in raising your kids. Consider their needs, and what is in the best interest of all parties involved.

with love,

Denisha

[denishamichelle]

Please comment below or DM me! Your feedback is valued 🤞🏽🙏🏽🤍✨ @transcendence_coaching https://www.instagram.com/p/CnVvj5etnXNt9Kx0NWgRGqivoTyCypynN0m71M0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[denishamichelle]

Happy Monday loves! Make sure you are intentional with your energy this week! 🙏🏽🫶🏽🤍✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/CnMO7c9ur56njXQ7v6lg6rjKZ1S3WeYwowlmEk0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[denishamichelle]

New Year, New Intentions

So often we hear "New Year, new me!" it has become cliché to say the least. There is always this pressure to be doing something or at least having the appearance of being productive.

I wonder what would happened if instead we set new intentions for the year. Intentions that would benefit our overall health and wellbeing. Intentions that are high vibrational. Intentions that lined up with our morals and values. Intentions that implemented LASTING lifestyle change.

Intention goes beyond task that new year resolutions tend to focus on. People make resolutions to work out or manage their stress, but fall short when they forget to be intentional with WHY they want to do these things in the first place.

This year I challenge everyone to ask themselves what they want to see change this year and why? I encourage you to go deep. Take time to write out your what AND your why? Then align your intention with that goal.

Goals should be SMART: Specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, realistic/relevant and time-sensitive. You are more likely to achieve SMART goals and they also allow you to look back and track your progress. An example of a SMART goal could be: I will improve my overall health by walking 1 mile three times per week for 3 months. At the end of the three months, a person who has set this SMART goal will be able to look back and see whether they achieved their goal. You can always adjust goals as needed.

As a National Board Certified Health and Wellness coach, I can help you map out this process. It starts with a complimentary health screening where we discuss your general health and determine if this would be a beneficial partnership. I specialize in holistic health which looks at multiple areas of health including but not limited to: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Financial, Social, Spiritual, Environmental and Occupational health.

As you set your intentions for the next year, make sure you are intentional about your wellness!

With love,

Denisha

[denishamichelle]

Birthing the gift

When I think about the act of giving birth, immediately women come to mind. Females are the species that receives, and in turn multiplies. Just as Mother Earth receives the seed, the sun and the rain, and then provides us with a harvest, we too have the ability to receive and then multiply. That harvest has the potential to feed the family. But it is only when we have tended to our own garden that we can be in a good position to make or receive these offers.

And so, the act of giving birth is a sacred act that one should not take lightly. When we look at the woman, we must begin to look at what it is that we can give to her to multiply. A lot of people get caught up on the act of giving. Its hard to give when you don't have it to give. It's even harder to give when you don't have it to give, and you don't have healthy boundaries or limits. We must also look at what she has already produced. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their harvest. The spiritual harvest is what I like to relate to having the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So, when we think of giving birth to a gift, we must:

Examine women and their energetic makeup. By examining the energy of a woman, we exam the prerequisite for the gift. In order to receive, you must be in an energy of receptivity. But you must have also tended to your own garden, so that the seeds that have been sown become evident in the both the spiritual and physical world. Knowing thyself, means knowing what you are capable of and if you can embody the energetic imprint of a woman.

Consider that you must carry the gift. A great gift often comes with great sacrifice. Women, mothers, sacrifice their entire being to give birth. They spend months being uncomfortable, using every ounce of energy to create and sustain life, while often times still having to go out and be in this world. If you know what its like to be IN this world but not OF it, then you know how tough life can be sometimes. You have to ask yourself am I capable of carrying this gift?

Be prepared for labor and delivery. After you have carried the gift, spent time growing and nourishing the gift, you must prepare to labor in order to deliver. Depending on the woman, one might say this was the hardest part, while others will say carrying was. At any point, none of it is easy. The beautiful part of this is that although one must carry and labor in order to birth, a woman's body typically knows what to do. So there is quiet assurance in ones natural capabilities. Labor is usually when you need the most support to make sure the gift comes into the world safely. This is why there is sanctity and sacredness among women, particularly mothers. Because there is an understanding of what was required to give birth that we need not even speak about. So make sure you have people who have you and your gifts best interest at heart when its time to give birth.

Be prepared to cultivate the gift. After the seed has been planted, nourished, and birthed, one must be prepared to continue the work to then cultivate and grow the gift. You are the gift. Your family is the gift. Your relationships are the gift. Your work is the gift. Your purpose and passion are the gift. Do not drop the ball on growing and cultivating the gift after you invested so much energy into bringing it to life.

We can no longer take lightly what it requires to give birth to the gift. Wrapping up the month of December, now is a great time to take stock of the year. Honor where you are, where you came from and where you want to go. As you honor every timeline begin to consider what it will take to reach your goals and bring your gift to life. You have everything you need to manifest your deepest desires.

Talk soon,

Denisha

[denishamichelle]

Calling all the magicians!

I'm talking about the people who believe in infinite possibilities!

The ones who use what they have to create and manifest the life they desire!

There is something to be said about a person who takes what is right in front of them and uses it to build.

Once upon a time, black and brown folks didn't have all of the resources that we have today. They had the good sense God gave them, a collection of experiences, themselves and what was immediately around them. They were the definition of resourceful and resilient.

Some where along the line I think we went a little soft. We forgot the importance of hard work and how it builds character. We started taking the easy way out and giving up too easy on anything that applied too much pressure and/or caused stress.

Why you ask?

Well, a lot of us in the black and brown community have experienced some type of traumatic event in our life time that has shaped our view of the world. Whether is be the effects of systemic racism, physical and/or sexual assault (especially as a child), the effects of drugs and alcohol, or the loss of loved ones to poverty basically, it has all played a factor in how we respond to stress and our resiliency. These experiences can cause us to be in a constant state of fight, flight or freeze and sometimes keep us stagnant if we allow it.

Going into this next season, it is very important that black and brown folks learn how to better manage stress, utilize their resources and find communities that see and support them.

One things for sure, two for certain, we are not our ancestors. But, (And this is a BIG but) they walk with us and guide the way if we allow and ask them. They did a lot of the leg work so that we wouldn't have to. We must do the same for generations to come. Long story long, I believe this all starts with using what you have lol.

Using what you have allows you to master yourself and your environment. This is such a powerful tool because the only thing we can control is ourselves. By mastering self, it becomes less and less important what another person does. It only matters what you do.

This is a high level of accountability and self-acceptance. Its understanding that you are co-creating with God, source, the universe or whatever you subscribe to, doing the work, and trusting your higher power to meet you where you are. This is also trusting your higher power to handle anything that would come in the way of your reaching your highest potential.

Using what you have means trusting yourself to make the right decisions. Using what you have means trusting in your God-given gifts. Using what you have means utilizing your resources. Using what you have means asking the Holy spirit and your spirit team for guidance and help instead of your friends. Using what you have means making decisions that your future self will thank you for.

Any way you slice it, using what you have is manifestation of our deepest desires and the transmutation of energies along the way.

Love you to life,

Denisha

[denishamichelle]

Performed my second spoken word poem last night! Y’all stay tuned and tap in! #fyp #healthandwellness #coach #nurse #blackwomenoftiktok #blackpoetsoftiktok #holistichealthcoach

Performed my second spoken word poem last night! Y’all stay tuned and tap in! #fyp #healthandwellness #coach #nurse #blackwomenoftiktok #blackpoetsoftiktok #holistichealthcoach

Preparation.. where the rubber meets the road.

I am thankful for another Sunday. Another opportunity to get it right. Another opportunity to write. Another opportunity to build community and meaningful relationships.

I love Sunday's. For me Sunday's allow me to rest and reset for the week to come. I cant talk about preparation without talking about the sabbath and how it is ritual for me to keep it holy. And when I say holy, I simply mean, set apart and dedicated to God.

A major part of me preparing for anything includes me considering what I need from a holistic perspective. Holistic health takes into account our spiritual, physical, emotional, social, environmental, intellectual, financial and occupational areas of health with the understanding that each area is important.

I value my relationship with God and therefore when I prepare for any major event or major transition, I look to my spiritual practices to guide me.

A ritual, or routine practice, I have is weekly cleaning, clearing and calling. I clean my environment. I smudge my aura and my environment clearing out any old stagnant, negative energy. And then I call in the energies that I want present as I press forward.

I say all that to say, what you value matters when its time to prepare. For a person like me, my intuition and spiritual life is the guide and all else follows. For some, it may be securing a stable home or job. For others, it might be making sure you have the right support system in place.

You can not be ready for what's next if you are not tending to what's right in front of you. As we get ready for this next season, it is very important that you take stock of your current situation. Ask yourself what would you change about your life? How would that improve your life? In a perfect world with no limitations, what would life look like for you? See what comes up.

Try your best not to judge, dismiss, critique or criticize what ever comes up. Just consider for a moment what it would take to accomplish those things.

Then take a moment to consider what it is that you value. Because if you don't consider your values, it will all be in vain. What we value tends to be a prime motivator when it comes to implementing lasting (heavy on the lasting) lifestyle change.

In the world of health and wellness coaching, we like to call that intrinsic motivation. The type of motivation that comes from within and pushes us to stay dedicated to our goals.

We are getting ready to go into a season where if you are not preparing for what's next now, then you are already behind.

I know change can be overwhelming, but with the right support, a determined and positive attitude, I believe we can achieve anything we set our minds to.

I opened my bible the other day and the holy spirit brought me to the book of Luke. The book of Luke discusses the coming of Jesus, his birth and his life up until crucifixion. The part that stood out to me at that moment was the preparation.

An older woman named Sarah conceived her first child after years of trying with no success. In those time, you were not considered to be favored if you could not bare children. Shortly after Sarah conceived, Mary conceived. During their pregnancies, these women spent 3 months together. At the moment I read that, spirit made it very clear to me that there is something significant about who we share our gifts with while we are in the season of preparation and the need for being around likeminded individuals.

Now what I didn't mention is that in between the conceiving, the traveling, the confirmation, the fellowship and all that, many other things transpired. Things that might evoke fear. Hints why when Angel's appear, they always start with "fear not" lol.

Point is, there is a certain amount of faith one must have in the season of preparation. If its one thing I know, its that God has never failed me. My faith was tested every step of the way though.

I pray that as you go into this next season, you ground your energy in the spirit of preparation. I pray you use what you have. I pray you stay disciplined and dedicated. And I pray that if you don't know what any of this looks like, that you consider hiring a health and wellness coach (such as myself (= ) to help you navigate these changes and create a life that you desire.

love you to life,

Denisha