Health and Wellness

“I am spiritual”: Navigating black women’s complicated relationships with religion, spirituality, and the labeling of our faith

Published

8 months ago

March 29, 2024

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I first heard the term “multiple religious affiliations” as a university student. Iyanla Vanzant was a visiting professor at the University of Bennett School during his senior 12 months of college in 2011. Even though I wasn’t officially registered for the course, I got here and listened to lectures very often.

Multiple religious affiliation refers to when someone participates in the rituals of a couple of spiritual tradition. I do not forget that Vanzant, who’s each a Yoruba priestess and an ordained minister, spoke openly about the duality of her faith.

In her first book, she wrote about the value of bringing ancient traditions to the table of modern beliefs. “Now I know that you can’t separate a nation’s culture from its spirit,” she wrote.

In subsequent books, Vanzant stated that she developed an intimate and personal relationship with God while writing. “While writing the book, I learned that many paths lead to one path. I realized that God doesn’t care whether I am Yoruba or Christian,” she said he wrote. “God wanted me to love myself.”

Her message had enormous interfaith appeal amongst black women. Even my conservative Christian grandmother gave me her books as I entered the milestone of womanhood.

I grew up reading Vanzant’s work, but I never thought of myself as a non secular pluralist. I used to be raised in the church and have a deep respect for the word of God that I used to be taught from the Bible. Christianity is the basis of my faith. However, something deep inside me shifted and woke up after my mother’s sudden death in 2022.

I used to be in search of divine intimacy and needed more in my spiritual toolkit to hold me through this season of mourning. I prayed for guidance daily. The other day I remembered myself as a twenty-something college student. Vanzant stood in front of the class and I remember her saying that all of us have the power to achieve inside and unlock our own spiritual and ancestral roots. It was a flash of light and so began the next step in my spiritual discovery. I allowed myself to hunt, ask questions, and pull things from other spiritual houses that resonated on a soul level, including Khemite spirituality (which I had studied with Queen Afua a few years earlier), Vedic yoga and meditation, and ancestral altar work.

Theologian Candice Marie Benbow describes an identical spiritual search after her mother’s death in 2015. She didn’t go to church for a 12 months and a half.

“I met with the Buddhist prayer community every week,” she says. “I always walked through these prayer labyrinths. I did all these very different things to connect spiritually away from the church because a lot of my relationship with my mom was with the church.”

Benbow, a graduate of Duke Divinity School, said she needed time to grieve without the added pressure and that “the church could make you’re feeling such as you owe something. I didn’t need to feel like I needed to experience that sort of sacredness or righteous grief.”

She adds, “One of the hardest things for me was coming to terms with the undeniable fact that a lot of my faith identity… was rooted in what I used to be taught, reasonably than what I believed, felt, or experienced. And my mother’s death showed me the cracks in all of it.

It was during this era that the idea for her first book was born. She currently describes herself as a Christian and a seeker.

“I like the word seeker. I actually like calling myself that,” he says. “I am a Christian. I follow Christ. I am rooted and grounded on this… and at the same time I call myself a seeker because I am continually on the lookout for ways to feel and connect with the Spirit.”

Religion on the spectrum

Today, it is just not unusual for Black women to construct ancestral altars, practice yoga, sit in mindfulness meditation, read Tarot cards, and still go to church on Sunday.

According to the report “Faith Among Black Americans” published by Pew Research Centermost Black Americans adhere to Christianity, but additionally they adhere to a various range of spiritual practices and beliefs that reach beyond the boundaries of the traditional Christian church.

For example, 40 percent of blacks said they believed in reincarnation, and 30 percent prayed to their ancestors. More than 40 percent of black believers also meditate each day or weekly. Additionally, 20 percent said they pray at their home altar or sanctuary greater than once per week.

Dr. Ericka D. Gault, director of the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, suggests that it could be time for us to develop a brand new language to explain our spiritual identity, attempting to catch up “where black young adults they were of their variety all the time and didn’t really have a box to envision.”

“When we say or hear things like, ‘I’m spiritual,’ we’re really talking about a change that may have occurred,” she says, “then people say, ‘I’ll go to church and I’ll get it from here, off the Internet.’ Gault can be the creator of the book.

However, he emphasizes that borrowing doesn’t at all times mean belonging. “If you talk to people who attribute Ifa, they have a problem with the way people draw on their sacred traditions. Like, we draw from it in the same way that Beyoncé does in her music, but we don’t necessarily attribute it all,” he says. We may borrow meditation from Buddhism, yoga from Hinduism, eating habits from Islam, but we don’t belong to those groups “in the traditional sense in which these communities understand belonging.”

Delving deeper into the concept of multiple religious affiliations, Rev. Dr. Monica Coleman encourages us to think of it as “being on the religious spectrum,” a more nuanced understanding of spirituality.

Finding a brand new path

Data shows that more and more individuals are leaving the church. Pew research reports that Black Americans, who’re demographically the most religious in the country, are turning away from organized religion in droves. In one decade, 11 percent fewer blacks considered themselves Christians and 7 percent more reported having no religious affiliation. Another test found that “young black adults are less religious and less involved in black churches than older generations.”

This does not imply they are not hungry for spiritual connection. Coleman, an ordained AME minister, African-American professor of religion and creator of the book , says people seek spiritual connection outside traditional churches for several reasons. Some have had bad experiences in places of worship; others imagine that the experiences of black women are underrepresented amongst church leaders. Those in search of these spaces for evolution and innovation could also be dissatisfied because “churches are institutions, and institutions change slowly.”

Lyvonne Briggs, an ordained Pentecostal minister, began a virtual church during quarantine because she saw a necessity. “The proverbial experience was intended for Black women who are Christian/Christian neighbors and wish to embrace their African heritage, implement African and African diaspora spiritual practices, and establish or deepen connections with their ancestors.”

Briggs, a graduate of Yale Divinity School and Columbia Theological Seminary, is currently the host of . “My intention is to answer questions you are not allowed to ask in Bible studies or Sunday school.” In short, she says, “I am helping Black women decolonize their Christianity.”

“I am spiritual”: Navigating black women's complicated relationships with religion, spirituality, and the labeling of our faith

Mature woman prays in the bedroom at home

Christianity and black spiritual traditions

Most spiritual practices amongst enslaved people were feared and banned by plantation owners. Dr. Tamura Lomax, a professor of religious studies at Michigan State University, claims that whites were very afraid of African-derived religions” and “their solution was to inform us that our religions were demonic. This is what must be done to oppress people,” he says. “Demonizing and dehumanizing people in their religions is central to the oppression and total control of people.”

This form of religious propaganda is transmitting generational fear over open discussions about practices corresponding to Hoodoo, conjuring and roots practices associated with African spirituality.

Some ancestors found a strategy to erase their spiritual practices, says Lomax, creator of They established secret “silent ports,” isolated areas in the forests where they may communicate and worship as they pleased. They retained their African spiritual guardians, connecting them with Catholic saints and the Christian Holy Spirit.

“The ancestors used everything they could access to survive… so yes, they use the spirit world,” Lomax explains. “The spirit world becomes extremely important to them because it gives them a sense of regained power. This gives them the ability to control their surroundings. It wasn’t even about rejecting Christianity, as many practiced Hoodoo, conjuring and Christianity combined.”

Spiritual release

While the mixing of ritual and faith has existed in every generation, today we see the freedom of Black women to experience this reality in a far more public way.

Benbow argues that this religious fluidity “gives us permission to tap into the fullness of who we are, to unify all of our elements and allow them to synergize spiritually.”

For example, Devi Brown has found inspiration in lots of spiritual homes in her faith journey, including Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. As a wellness educator and podcast host, she says her mission is to be Christ-like and provide service.

“I personally believe that the teachings of Christ are truly the guidelines that I live by at all times, even though I do not consider myself a Christian. I look to the teachings of Christ and His mastery as how I want to move in the world,” he says. “I don’t think the focus should be on what you call yourself.”

He adds, “Rather than always being committed to the organization we belong to, my belief should always be to give God first and then find the system or religion that will best help us access God and meet our spiritual needs.”

Crossing labels

For me, allowing myself to adopt latest practices opened up my connection to my mother in the spirit world. I can commune with her daily at my altar and I even have developed a relationship with her that transcends this earthly plane. And that saved me. I didn’t lose my faith in God – it developed.

Perhaps it is time for us to focus less on labels and appreciate the power of our way of worship. Whether it’s Sunday worship, Baptist at the bedside, or participation in group meditations, we’re privileged to have freedom in our spirituality, and this freedom is a solution to the prayer of our ancestors.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com

Health and Wellness

Willow Smith’s debut collection with Moncler is now available – Essence

Published

3 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Moncler

Willow Smith’s debut collection with Moncler has been launched. The capsule is a mixture of the inside of a musician, actress, writer and creator. In it, a futuristic and unbelievable world is explored through clothes. Smith’s personal style was also showcased. The lineup was originally revealed in Shanghai.

Moncler

“Minimalism and utilitarianism. Femininity and masculinity. Black and white. “Putting ideas together in an elegant way is something that really excites me and I wanted to explore that with this collection,” Willow shared.

“Willow’s magnetic energy is captured in a series of images exploring the primary themes of the collection: clashing contrasts, rebirth and renewal, yin and yang, recent beginnings – inspired by Moncler’s mountain origins and love of nature. “Willow’s creativity influences every aspect of the videos and photos accompanying the collection: she not only drives the concept, but also models her designs, narrates the short film and provides the soundtrack,” the brand said in a press release. The launch is accompanied by black and white campaign photos – the dramatization of those photos ushers in an exciting era for Smith.

Moncler

The collection is dominated by knitwear perfect for layering, a down jacket and heavy sweatshirts created in shrunken proportions. The capsule is accomplished with extensive outerwear options and a brief-sleeved T-shirt with silver eyelet. The T-shirt is also available in an extended-sleeved version. The collection includes cream and black shades. The down vest with a hood and a brief cut stands out.

Salix leather boots are characterised by an interesting design. In addition to nodding to punk influences, this footwear option is designed with a Moncler logo on the toe, elastic panels on the front and a rubber sole.

Moncler

“I am incredibly passionate about the outdoors and exploring this wonderful land. I imagine these pieces can easily transition from overnight camping to fashionable evening wear,” Willow added, emphasizing the natural duality of the collection.

Moncler X Willow Smith is currently available in chosen Moncler stores and more moncler.com .

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com

Health and Wellness

Women are less likely to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation than men. Training on breast mannequins could be helpful

Published

4 hours ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

If someone’s heart suddenly stops beating, this may increasingly have happened minutes of life. Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation may increase their probabilities of survival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation keeps blood pumping, delivering oxygen to the brain and vital organs until specialized treatment arrives.

However, research shows that bystanders are less likely to intervene to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person is a girl. AND latest Australian study analyzed 4,491 cardiac arrest cases between 2017 and 2019 and located that bystanders were more likely to perform CPR on men (74%) than on women (65%).

Could this be partly because CPR training mannequins (so-called dummies) shouldn’t have breasts? Our recent research we checked out mannequins available all over the world to train people to perform CPR and located that 95% of them were flat-chested.

Anatomically, breasts don’t change the cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique. However, they’ll influence whether people try to accomplish that – and hesitation at these key moments could mean the difference between life and death.

Differences in heart health

Cardiovascular diseases – including heart disease, stroke and cardiac arrest – are probably the most common diseases important reason behind death for ladies all over the world.

But if a girl goes into cardiac arrest outside the hospital (meaning her heart stops pumping air properly), that is actually what happens. 10% less likely receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation than a person. Women too less likely survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and are at greater risk of brain damage following cardiac arrest.

Bystanders are less likely to intervene if a girl needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to a person.
Doublelee/Shutterstock

These are just among the many health inequalities experienced by women, in addition to transgender and non-binary people. Compared to men, their symptoms they are more likely to be rejected or misdiagnosed, or it could take longer to receive a diagnosis.

Reluctance of the witness

There can also be growth evidence women are less likely to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to men.

This may be partly due to the concerns of those being accused of sexual harassmentworry may cause damage (in some cases based on the assumption that ladies are more “fragile”) and discomfort related to touching women’s breasts.

Bystanders may also get into trouble recognition the lady has a cardiac arrest.

Even in simulated scenarios, researchers found that interveners were less likely to remove women’s clothing prepare for resuscitationcompared to men. And there have been women less likely to receive Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation (an electrical charge to restart the center) – even when the training was in the shape of a web based game that didn’t require touching anyone.

There is evidence of how people behave in resuscitation training scenarios reflects what they do in real emergency situations. This means it is amazingly vital to train people to recognize cardiac arrest and prepare for intervention, no matter gender or body type.

Attached to men’s bodies

Very Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training resources depict male bodies or don’t specify gender. If bodies shouldn’t have breasts, it’s a male default.

For example, the 12 months 2022 test taking a look at CPR training in North, Central, and South America, it was found that nearly all of available mannequins were white (88%), male (94%), and slim (99%).

The woman's hands press the torso of a mannequin wearing a blue jacket. — It is amazingly rare for a mannequin to have breasts or a bigger body.
M Isolation photo/Shutterstock

This research reflects what we see in our work once we train other healthcare professionals to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We noticed that every one the mannequins available for training are flat chested. One of us (Rebecca) had difficulty finding training mannequins with breasts.

Single mannequin with breasts

Our recent research we checked what cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins are available and the way diverse they are. In 2023, we identified 20 cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins in the worldwide market. Mannequins are often torsos with no head and without arms.

Of the 20 available, five (25%) were sold as “female”, but only considered one of them had breasts. This implies that 95% of obtainable CPR training mannequins were flat-chested.

We also checked out other diversity characteristics, including skin tone and bigger bodies. We found that 65% had more than one skin tone available, but just one had a bigger body. Further research is required on the impact of those elements on bystanders when performing CPR.

Breasts don’t change cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique doesn’t change when someone has breasts. The barriers are cultural. And although you could feel uncomfortable, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation as soon as possible can save your life.

Signs that somebody may have cardiopulmonary resuscitation include not respiration properly or completely or not responding to you.

Perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitationit’s best to:

place the heel of your hand in the middle of your chest
place your second hand on top of the primary and interlace your fingers (keep your arms straight)
press firmly to a depth of about 5 cm before releasing
press your chest with a frequency of 100-120 beats per minute (you may sing a song) in your head to show you how to keep time!)

An example of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation – using a flat-chest manikin.

What a couple of defibrillator?

You haven’t got to remove someone’s bra to perform CPR. But you could need to accomplish that if a defibrillator is required.

AND defibrillator is a tool that uses an electrical charge to restart the center. An underwired bra may cause minor skin burns when the debrillator pads apply an electrical charge. However, in case you cannot take your bra off, don’t let it delay your care.

What should change?

Our research highlights the necessity for a big selection of breast CPR training mannequins, in addition to a wide range of body sizes.

Training resources need to higher prepare people to intervene and perform CPR on individuals with breasts. We also need greater education on the chance of developing and dying from heart disease in women.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com

Health and Wellness

Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if it happens)

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2024

IAM

The starting of summer is just a couple of days away, and plenty of of us will be looking forward to long, sunny days spent on the beach, by the pool, camping or having a picnic within the park.

Insects love summer too. Most of them right then grow and feed. However, this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict.

Insects have long been preyed upon by many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and other insects. Accordingly, quite a lot of defense mechanisms have evolved – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.

Many ants have a stinger on their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It will not be the sting itself that causes pain, but relatively venom. Ant venom accommodates a mix of various chemicals, a few of which have evolved specifically to manipulate the nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.

Let’s take a have a look at the several ant stings chances are you’ll experience this summer in Australia and how to respond.

Bull ants

Bull ants (also often called bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jumper ants) are large for an ant. Some species can grow to length 4 centimeters. They are easily identified by their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws), and aggressive nature.

Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp and unambiguous, similar to that of a honey bee. The intense pain will only last a couple of minutes before being replaced by redness and swelling across the sting site.

There are many differing kinds of bull ants in Australia.
Sam Robinson

Green-headed ants

Green-headed ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with green ants). green tree ants northern Australia, which do not sting). Green-headed ants are common and love our lawns.

About Length 6 millimetersthey’re much smaller than bull ants. They can be recognized by their shiny green-purple exoskeleton.

Green-headed ants are frequently less aggressive than bull ants, but they can still deliver a big sting. The pain from a green ant sting can construct up step by step and cause intense, sticky pain.

Fire ants

Fire ants (or imported red fire ants) are native to South America. They were detected first in Brisbane in 2001it probably moved in containers and has since spread across south-east Queensland.

Fire ants are reddish brown and black and range in size from Length 2–6 millimeters.

You will almost certainly encounter fire ants of their nests, which appear like a pile of loose dirt. A hearth ant nest has no obvious entrance, which is way to distinguish it from other similar ant nests.

Disturbing a hearth ant nest will awaken an offended mass of a whole bunch of ants and expose you to being stung.

The initial pain from a single sting seems like an intense, hot itch, although it can be controlled. However, fire ant stings rarely occur in the only digits. One ant can sting multiple times, and plenty of ants can sting one person, which can lead to a whole bunch of stings. A hearth ant sting can cause pus-filled ulcers and scarring in the next days.

If you reside in an area where fire ants are present, it’s price taking a couple of minutes to learn how to do this recognize and report their.

Electric ants

Electric ants is one other nasty random import, coming from Central and South America. Currently limited to Cairns and surroundingsthese are tiny (1.5 millimeters long) yellow ants.

Like fire ants, these ants are frequently defensive, so lots of them will sting without delay. Their sting is more painful than you’ll expect from such a tiny creature. I compare it to being showered with red, hot sparks.

If you think that you see electric ants, please report it Biosecurity in Queensland.

Australian ants should not the worst

You may be surprised to hear that Australian ants don’t even make it to the rostrum when it comes to essentially the most painful ant stings. The winners include: harvester ants (North and South America), which cause severe, sticky pain, comparable to a drill slowly rotating in a muscle – for up to 12 hours.

The gold medal goes to the sting of the South and Central American bullet ant, which has been described How:

Pure, intense, sensible pain. It’s like walking on burning charcoal with a 3-inch nail stuck in your heel.

How to avoid getting stung (and what to do if you do)

Fortunately, the answer is frequently quite simple. Look around before you sit on the bottom or unfolded a picnic blanket, avoiding places where you see ant nests or a lot of foraging ants.

The selection of footwear might also be necessary. In my experience, most stings occur on the feet of those wearing thongs.

If you get stung, generally the situation will improve by itself. The pain often subsides after a couple of minutes (sometimes slightly longer within the case of a green ant sting). The redness, swelling and itching that sometimes follows may last for several days.

In the meantime, if mandatory, ice pack it will help with the pain. If it’s particularly bad, a topical numbing cream containing lidocaine may provide temporary relief. You can get it over-the-counter at a pharmacy.

A small proportion of individuals may experience an allergic response to ant stings. In very severe cases this may include respiratory problems or ingestion. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms after an ant sting, you need to seek urgent medical attention.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com