Goddess of Expression

As long as we are still on this Earth, we owe it to ourselves and those who are no longer with us to be GREAT! We owe it to our communities to be financially supportive. We owe it to ourselves and our ancestors to go back to our African spirituality. Yes, we are magical and they fear us. Our spirituality is so powerful even some of us fear to read into it.

What is happening and has been happening to us for years is heartbreaking and depressing. However, I’m using this to push myself even harder. My success in all areas in my life will make a difference.

We all are in this war together and we all have unique strengths to fight it together. I truly believe in us. Believing is what keeps me going. Believing is what keeps my spirit alive. Believing is what makes me think of solutions to beat these savages. Believing is what makes me love us more every single day. Believing is what keeps me sane.

Culture in Harlem: Serengeti Teas & Spices

It is almost impossible to have dull conversation at a venue featuring a modern minimalist décor accented with an Afro-centric theme, culminated with flavorful teas, coffees, spices, baked goods and hot chocolate!  Serengeti Teas & Spices has continued to be one of my favorite hotspots in Harlem! The myriad of tea recipes are concocted from harvested ingredients directly from East Africa, offering customers the highest quality in organic blends. If you are just a tea lover (like me) or an actual tea connoisseur, you will absolutely love this place and what it hasto offer.  Whether you have a cold, are suffering from allergies or feeling lethargic, or just need a quick refresher, ask for John – the mixologist and he will make a potion to fit your needs!  Stop by and enjoy!

  

10 Ways You Can Support Your Cause

1. Reflect. Start with the person you see in the mirror. Work on yourself so you can organically work on your community.
2. Action.Sharing your opinion via social media is great. It is even better when your actions supports your words!
3. Awareness.Social media is a great outlet for spreading awareness. Spread awareness every chance you get! Share videos and pictures pertaining to your cause. Write about it and give as much information so that others can support it as well.
4. Support.Research businesses, programs, organizations and community events that support your cause. Utilize some of your time and money towards them. Use social media and word of mouth to market each entity you are supporting.
5. Read.Don’t just follow what’s trending. Truly awaken yourself and read more about your cause so that you can understand what you are fighting for.
6. Vote.If you believe the government system is unfair, then cast your vote for the different positions in government: local, state, and federal.
7. Build. Try to collectively clean your community. Don’t forget to tell your neighbors to stop contributing to polluting their own community as well!
8. Teach. “It takes a village to raise a child” – African Proverb. Teachers inside and outside the classroom can work together to teach the leaders of tomorrow. We can also teach and guide each other through intellectual conversations. Let’s help each other to open our third eye!
9. Respect.During this time of despair people are filled with emotions and are passionate about their opinions. It’s great to have debates, however, remember who you are fighting against!
10. Love. Be patient and spread love.

Natural Treatment for Bald Spots – DIY

Natural haircare can be an exciting and yet, discouraging journey.  The time and effort neo-natural women spend to become acclimated with their natural hair and implementing a healthy hair regimen takes a lot of patience.  And the last thing you want to deal with is shedding/thinning hair leading to a bald spot!

Natural hair – on average- sheds 50-100 strands per day.  Seems like a lot, right?  So imagine that amount, multiplied by ten, coming out on your hands every single time you touch your hair!  Well, that’s exactly what happened to me and I knew I had to fix this problem before it was too late. However, it seemed there was nothing I could do to stop the shedding and believe me, I tried everything from protein deep conditioners to hair shedding treatments.  Then, of course the inevitable happened.  I experienced my first full blown bald spot.  Yes, I cried and cried… and cried some more.  But, after a while I had to remind myself that there are people in this world suffering from much worse things than whatever I was going through at that moment.  Finally, I pulled myself together and used my energy and time to research a solution to fix this problem.

Causes for Bald Spots

There are plenty of reasons why bald spots occur:

• Family history
• Stress
• Chemotherapy
• Tight hairstyles (i.e. protective styling, tight ponytails)
• Poor diet (lack of iron and protein)
• Thyroid
• Ringworm on the scalp
• I knew my causes were from stress, poor diet, along with my anemic condition.

Treatment:

Since I live a holistic lifestyle, I knew I wanted something natural and preferably something I can mix on my own. Therefore, I decided to try garlic, black castor oil, and to live an overall healthier lifestyle.

Garlic and Black Castor Oil

Garlic:

Garlic stimulates blood flow to the scalp and purges out toxins while aiding to help make our hair stronger, shinier and less prone to breaking.  The stimulation of blood flow from garlic encourages hair regrowth in a situation such as baldness and Alopecia Areata which is another type of hair loss.

Black castor oil:

Jamaican Black Castor Oil is a versatile oil and one of my favorite oils to use!  What is so special about it, you ask?  Well, I found that using it regularly will strengthen, thicken, moisturize and increase hair growth.   Jamaican Black Castor Oil increases blood flow to the scalp, prevents hair breakage, and supplies valuable nutrients to our hair follicles. It will also heal dandruff, eczema, and other causes of dry, itchy scalp.  I even use Jamaican Black Castor Oil on my eyelashes and eyebrows to help them grow as well.  I will discuss that in a later post, so stay tuned for that!

What I did:

1. I changed my diet and exercised regularly.
2. Increased my water intake.
3. Rubbed a fresh garlic clove or a garlic extract on the bald spot day and night (yes my head smelt like garlic but it’s really not that bad (and really worth it) given the results!)
4. Every night I’d massage the Jamaican Black Castor Oil into my scalp (massaging your scalp also stimulates blood flow which aids in hair growth).
5. Meditated more (I made improvements to live a more peaceful and stress free life).

Did you experience a bald spot in the past?  What are some things you did to help your hair follicles grow back?  If you are currently experiencing a bald spot or thinning hair, let me know if what I suggested worked for you.  Kick some knowledge below!