Health and Wellness

The guided meditation space at EFOC was the perfect place to find healing

Published

10 months ago

July 14, 2024

Courtney Cheatham

On the first day of the ESSENCE Cultural Festival, at 8:45 AM, as I walked into the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and watched the lines of individuals form, I could hear the commotion starting. People were there… But as I walked inside and walked up to the activation of the Health House and into the covered space with raised stages, fluffy orange seat cushions, singing bowls arrange around the perimeter, and sage opened up, it was a very different scene and feel. The practitioners, beautiful black women from New Orleans, who were preparing to teach guided meditation and use sound therapy, were wearing ethereal white robes, greeting individuals with warmth and calm voices. They too were ready. They were there and can be there every morning throughout the ESSENCE Fest weekend to help guests heal.

The guided meditation space at the ESSENCE Culture Festival was the perfect place to find healing

Courtney Cheatham

“Meditation doesn’t necessarily mean doing anything,” says Dirieal Perkins of Yoga Stretch Galore a few practice she’s been doing for about five years. As we talk, her two-and-a-half-month-old son Yiannis, also in white, is asleep on her chest in a carrier. “It’s more, not necessarily what your thoughts are, but really just dwelling on those thoughts and not dwelling on them so much as just letting them flow and just letting them pass. It’s not like, we have to sit down and just think about the good things. That’s literally not it. It’s kind of impossible. Your mind is going; it’s all over the place. It has the right to be, but just let yourself come back to the center at some point. Like I said, dwell on it. And then let it pass. Let it pass. But don’t dwell on it or hold on to it.”

One way to reflect and free yourself from these thoughts is thru breathwork, which is finished by Aries D, considered one of the practitioners working at NOLA Divine Essential Magicsays it’s essential.

“We take our breath for granted. It’s something we’re born with. It’s the last thing we do when we leave this earth. But at the same time, it’s the main way that you can allow yourself to release not only oxygen but also different endorphins to help you relax,” she says. “As difficult as it sounds, we have the ability to tell our minds, ‘next.’ So if it’s a thought that you don’t want to have, say, ‘next,’ move it to another place. You have so many things that you encounter on a daily basis, let alone endure throughout your life. So even if some unwanted memories or thoughts come up, you have so many others that you can call upon to manifest different beautiful realities for yourself.”

Practicing meditation and learning to recognize and dismiss the thoughts that occupy our minds has modified the lifetime of the master instructor Shan-coa BurkeShe has been doing this since 2016 and guided ESSENCE Fest guests through some moving experiences.

Courtney Cheatham

“I needed healing. I needed real healing,” the Stretch Galore leader recalls. “I was ready to grow and I saw how the power of manifestation had changed my life, and I wanted to take that to our people because it wasn’t popular in our community. I was just a black girl from New Orleans and I thought I had to take that to our people. Because our people really needed healing. And I know one thing about God, He connected it and connected me to every one of these women.”

The practice not only provides mental clarity, but may have physical advantages. This was obvious from the very young Burke, who could possibly be mistaken for a young college student but is definitely a mother of three who will soon turn 30.

“Even though I look so young, it’s because I don’t let stress get to me. Meditation is about detachment,” Burke says. “I imagine detaching myself from these situations and pushing out the negativity. Pushing it out, breathing in that light and breathing out that darkness.”

The meditation worship space was quiet, and vendors across the street were asked to turn down their music to preserve the sanctity of the space. But the ladies made it clear that such introspection needn’t take place exclusively in quiet spaces.

“The best way is to just do it, no matter what you’re doing. Most people think that you have to be in a certain area or place and it has to be quiet. I once read a book that talked about different meditations. So I learned a lot. But you can literally sit down, eat, and meditate on your food, focus on the food that you’re eating. You can meditate while walking. You can literally meditate while exercising, in the bathtub, sitting at your desk working. You can meditate literally anywhere. So this whole ideology that it has to be calm, quiet, just a certain environment, that’s not true. So it’s about just implementing it in your daily life, no matter what you’re doing, just knowing that you can do it anywhere,” Perkins says.

While the guided meditation began with only a couple of participants, after I opened my eyes at the end, the room was full. People were sitting wherever they may find a seat, whether it was on an orange cushion to rest on or on the hard floor. But they were focused and calm, ready to experience the Festival in a superb way of thinking. This influence is the goal of all the women’s work.

Courtney Cheatham

“It’s the way you start your day. You’re in control of your day because you can meditate and say, ‘I’m going to have a day like this.’ I just believe in the power of manifestation and positive thoughts,” Burke says. “I learned this trick and I want to share it with you so you can see how it changes your life. If you want balance, ask yourself every day, ‘Why is my life balanced the way I need it to be?’ Ask yourself that question because the ‘why’ reveals itself. The why reveals the answers.”

He adds, “Whenever you ask the question why, your brain starts working. It helps you cultivate the answer. It starts finding answers and it starts revealing things too. So I want you to get there. I want everyone to be there. I want our people, especially, to be there, because we really, really need this. We’re doing this for our people.”

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

Health and Wellness

Nara Smith discusses her journey to eczema – essence

Published

38 mins ago

May 9, 2025

Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images

“I have always had eczema,” he says Nara SmithThe model and creator of the content known for her viral recipes “from scratch”. WITH Beef wealthy in vitamin Cream for anti -inflammatory teas and compotes, the continuing lifetime of the Creator with eczema and lupus later became a day by day routine. But only after she gave birth to her son three years ago, or did she realize how serious her flare may very well be.

“I grew up with eczema, but then just disappeared,” Smith says Essence. “When I was born, I had a small flash on my hand and I thought it would just disappear [again]. “Except for this has never been.

“It basically caused them to chase me for several days,” he says, falling victim to itching, swollen hands and flaky, sipping skin. “I really couldn’t get up and I think that people are not aware of how exhausting it can be exhausting, physically exhausting, because suddenly you don’t feel confident and you can’t look at each other.”

Eczema, also often known as atopic dermatitis, is chronic skin inflammation 10 percent of adults within the USA. According to the National Ersema Association, two -thirds of individuals say that their mental health is negative on eczema, while others reported interference in other sectors of life, equivalent to relationships, sexual health and even sleep. And with darker shades of skin more susceptible to transepidermal water loss, black women are more in danger.

Some studies suggest that just about 20 percent of Black Americans develop eczema with black children 1.7 times more likely To be diagnosed than white children. According to a dermatologist Dr. Camille Howard-VersovićEczema not only affects darker skin, but additionally looks different. “We usually rely on the word” erythematically “or red or pink in colorful people, [however] People who are deeply concentrated, pink more like gray, blues or purple, “he says.

Unlike dry skin, which could be matte and flaky, the leading symptom of eczema is chronic itching. “You can have an abnormal effect in the epidermis or in a worn -out layer, in which the skin is not so good to keep water,” he says, making the skin more susceptible to irritating and allergens, causing an inflammatory response. Meanwhile, Flare Ups could be brought on by dryness, acute skin and environment care triggers equivalent to allergies, pollen and pollution.

And although Howard-Versovic claims that the eating regimen doesn’t necessarily cause or cure eczema, the sport A major role In the general health of our skin. For Niery Smith, spending the night on the eczema test meant cutting grains, dairy products and sugar and bending into the world -famous naturopathic agents. “I tried to change my diet and tried to cut things and manage stress,” he says, analyzing every ingredient she put into her body.

It seems that her ongoing life eczema and severe exacerbations were partly brought on by an autoimmune disease, lupus, which was diagnosed with her in 2023 with the specter of infamous “butterfly rash“Like other jumpers related to the lupus, which exacerbates its eczema, the treatment of its” unpredictable flashes “required greater than just the provisions of compensation, but the fragile routine dermatologist routine.

“There is nothing that completely erases them, because it is simply not what eczema is,” he says, but constructing an efficient skincare routine helped her find the mandatory relief.

Recognized by the National Ersa Association, Smith, which is the most recent partner of Cetafil, complements Restoraderm Cetaphil line Even manage her worst flashes. This is basically due to the range crammed with a protein called “Filaggrin”, which maintains the skin barrier and hydration. “My eczema seems much calmer. It is not so red, it is not so dry, it does not break so much”, it shares, passing through the bottles Eczema rapid relief cream AND A relaxing moisturizing cream In addition to serum, oil and SPF finish.

Although most individuals only speak about eczema on the body, if in any respect, constructing a scalp routine for textured hair also has their challenges. “I used to wear my hair and it used to be full, and then I widen, so my hair began to fall out,” Smith is split by cutting all of it for a brushed bob, from which she is understood. “I think there is such a shame around him because you are so embarrassed [your eczema] Off, “he says, especially within the case of ladies’s beauty standards and skincare routine in social media.

In addition to this latest partnership, the content creator plans to proceed the conversation in regards to the beauty and skincare, constructing an expansive but intimate community to discuss even taboos, personal topics. “Although it is a skin condition, it greatly affects your everyday life in all aspects,” he says. “I think this is something that people don’t understand.”

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

Health and Wellness

Can psychedelics help you drink less alcohol? Our new study aims to find out

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2025

IAM

Psychhedels reminiscent of LSD and psilocybina (Active ingredient in magical mushrooms) is gaining increasingly more attention in psychiatry. Research suggests They can offer therapeutic advantages in conditions reminiscent of depression, anxiety, obsessive and compulsive disorders, dietary disorders and addiction.

Our research team Study whether N, N-Dimetytryptamine (DMT)Quickly acting psychedelic, can help people reduce alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is most frequently Incorrectly used substance in Great Britainpartly since it is legal, widely available and deeply rooted in social culture. While many individuals can enjoy alcohol sparselyIN significant number Fight to control their drinking. For these people, Excessive alcohol consumption It can lead to serious physical, mental and social consequences.

Traditional treatments don’t work for everybody, which is why we examine alternatives reminiscent of psychedelics, which may allow people to change their behavior in a single transformational experience.

DMT is Metabolized quickly within the body. When administered intravenousThe effects start almost immediately, often in a single to two minutes. However, these effects are short -lived, lasting only ten to 20 minutes.

Despite the short duration of many users, they describe this experience as very deep. They often report live visions, complex patterns and feeling in one other reality. In some cases, experience leads to a whole change in how they think, feel and perceive the world. For many, this experience is deeply significant and transformational.

But what happens within the brain presently and the way can it affect long -term behavior, reminiscent of a discount in alcohol consumption?

Neuroplasticity and addiction

Our team He is especially all for how psychedelics reminiscent of DMT can help within the context of addiction. One theory is that psychedelics can temporarily increase neuroplasticityBrain ability to create new neural connections. This temporary reinforcement can open a window of flexibility, enabling some people more open to change.

For someone who got stuck in a heavy drinking cycle, this increased plasticity can help them break the old habits and develop healthier behavior. Basically, it might probably offer the brain Opportunity for “again” Sam and disturbing unhealthy patterns underlying addiction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9fbb19ws0

We also deal with reward and brain motivation systems, which play a key role in addiction. These systems affect the behavior related to pleasure, including food, sex and alcohol.

In individuals with Alcohol consumption disorderThese systems turn out to be hypersensitive to alcohol guidelines, often on the expense of other satisfying experiences. Some early studies He suggests that psychedelics can help “reset” these paths. We test this theory to see if DMT can reduce alcohol consumption by re -calibrating the brain prize system.

To examine these possibilities, we designed a study with drinking heavy, who’re motivated to reduce alcohol consumption. Each participant undergoes a radical screening test to be sure that they’re suitable for testing, and all sessions are conducted in a highly controlled, clinical environment with doctors and experienced researchers supervising this process.

The study includes three visits to our UCL laboratory. We use through the first and third visit Functional imaging of magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) to measure brain activity and observe how different areas of the brain interact.

During scans, participants watch emotionally engaging movies that provide a more natural way of testing brain response compared to abstract tasks. This helps us assess how DMT can affect the brain function in real, emotionally charged situations.

During the second visit, the participants are randomly assigned to receive DMT, placebo or non -pryshedel medicine (D-CykLoserina Or Lisers). It is believed that these subszymical substances are believed Promote neuroplasticity Without inducing full psychedelic effects of DMT.

. The test is double blind – Neither participants nor scientists know which substance is run. This helps to eliminate bias and ensures that the outcomes are as reliable as possible.

In addition, we measure changes in brain activity during infusion of the drug with electroencephalography (EEG). EEG tracks the brain electrical signals and may help us predict which participants will almost certainly use DMT.

Participants also perform various psychological assessments, including questionnaires and tasks that measure memory, attention, mood and decision making. These data will help us understand how changes in brain function can relate to changes in behavior related to drinking.

What can we hope to discover

We are still within the technique of collecting data, but we’re excited whether DMT can lead to a major reduction in alcohol consumption. As scientists, it’s crucial for us to remain objective and permit the evidence to conduct our conclusions. By maintaining a “blind” test, until all results can be found, we be sure that our arrangements are objective and reliable.

If DMT proves to be effective in helping people to reduce alcohol consumption, especially for many who struggled with other treatments, it might probably pave the best way to a new approach to addiction therapy. Even if the outcomes are ambiguous, they may proceed to provide precious insight into the potential role of psychedels within the treatment of addiction and open new possibilities of future research.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkr-jvglkng

It is very important to emphasize that these research takes place in a protected, controlled environment. Psychhedels are strong substances, and their effects could be unpredictable, especially outside the clinical settings. They usually are not a “magic ball” and usually are not suitable for everybody. The controlled setting allows us to examine our effects, while minimizing the chance for participants.

Having said that, we imagine in psychhedels offer a special opportunity To higher understand the brain and its ability to change. By examining how transformational experiences can affect behavior, we hope to contribute to the event of simpler treatment of addiction and other mental health conditions.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com

Health and Wellness

Tina Knowles reveals the diagnosis of breast cancer and reminds people not to “bend over mammograms”

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2025

Tina Knowles reveals the diagnosis of breast cancer and reminds people not to

Ghettos

Tina Knowles revealed that she was fighting breast cancer. The 71-year-old learned that she had cancer in stage 1 in July 2024. She learned about her diagnosis at a time when she launched the Cécred hair care line along with her daughter Beyoncé.

“It is important not to slow down to your mammograms,” she said during an interview with people. The creator also revealed that she missed mammography. Task group of American preventive services recommended That women aged 40 to 74, who’re exposed to the average risk of breast cancer, receive mammography every 2 years, but you may also get one yr.

“I forgot that I did not go to the test for two years before I thought I did it,” she said – “Because Covid came, they called me and canceled and said, we would call you when we started testing again. I just thought that I did it. So you can’t play with it.”

Tina revealed a message about her meeting with breast cancer in her diary, which he published on April 22.

“I fought with whether I would share this journey [in the book] Because I’m very private. But I decided to share it because I think these are many lessons for other women – he says. “And I believe that as women sometimes we’re so busy and we’re so wrapped and running, but you’ve got to go to the test. Because if I did not get the test early, I mean, fascinated with what could occur to me.”

While the news of a loved one could be devastating, Knowles said that her daughters had a realistic response to listening to her diagnosis.

She said that Beyoncé “took it well, remaining positive, and I already felt her mind racing, focusing on this as a task with precision.” Tiny’s second child, Solange said: “Mom, we’ll deal with it.” Additionally, Kelly Rowland who’s close to the matriarch, and her niece Angie Beyinka was also at her side. “My girls have become my team,” she wrote in a newly published book.

Fortunately, the dressmaker underwent surgery last yr to remove the tumor, and also obtained breast reduction.

“I’m great,” she said. “Without cancer and incredibly blessed that God let me find him early.”

Knowles wants women to remember about regular research – key detection is essential.

“I didn’t know that there was stage 0. I could catch it at stage 0 if I didn’t miss my mammogram,” she said.

Mama Super Gwiazda also wants people to know you can undergo the difficult terror of health and proceed to go to the top: “I want to show people that you can go and continue to fly.”

Nowadays, the 71-year-old is doing and feels good.

“I’m healthier, I eat better, I lost weight,” she told people.

“I want to give people hope,” Knowles added. “What scares me now is not the best to use every day that I left in this life.”

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