Sage The House Down helps people see spirituality as a form of self-care

When Kendra McMurray was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2015, a personal prayer for healing became an unexpected catalyst for a spiritual awakening. Daily meditation, journaling, and self-discovery through oracle and tarot cards provided mcmurray sense of purpose and has turn out to be a lifeline within the fight against chronic illness.

“In addition to strengthening my faith, these spiritual practices have improved my intuitive psychic abilities and have also improved my overall health and well-being,” she says.

When it involves incorporating spiritual practice as self-care, McMurry isn’t alone. In fact, in line with studiesAmericans are using a big selection of methods, including prayer, reading, art, being in nature, yoga, meditation, writing, working with ancestors, tarot, fasting, and protest. In the midst of ongoing national and global crises, individuals are, now greater than ever, on the lookout for additional ways to support their mental, physical, and emotional health.

Bring in your best friends Paige Gilbert AND William Sinclair Moore.

Over the years, Gilbert and Moore’s friendship included frequent bonding sessions on all things mystical. So after they heard about Audible Podcast Development Programcouldn’t resist the prospect to attempt to bring these conversations to a wider audience.

The pair, who’ve a background in theatre, previously hosted weekly shows Instagram healers who sought to demystify spirituality from a Black perspective. The funded podcast (which also provides developmental support before, during and after production) would give them the chance to further expand their mission, especially reaching communities like their Detroit neighborhood where they each grew up.

“When we began our spiritual journeys, we were consistently on the lookout for people who were much like us. [Black, queer, Black women]“ says Moore, who also believes this demographic is simply too often neglected of mainstream discussions.

Given a likelihood of 1 and three,000, Gilbert and Moore took the plunge. And landed, bringing their show, , to life.

Kelley Sullivan, Audible’s director of programming and senior director of U.S. partnerships, knew she’d struck gold with Gilbert and Moore’s podcast app. “It was the authenticity, the spirit, the vibe, the energy… it all just came off the virtual page,” Sullivan says. “The voice was unique, and so was the approach. And I really liked the idea of ​​occupying space in a space that hasn’t always felt welcoming to Black and brown people.”

Both Gilbert and Moore incessantly touched on the subject of how they might help others understand how spirituality can complement religion in enhancing human well-being.

“When we take into consideration practices like yoga, meditation, spellcasting, candle magic…their origins might be traced back to our people,” Gilbert says. “William and I realized there was so much ‘magic’ in the church, like anointing with oil, prayer, speaking in tongues, communion. These are all rituals that many of us who come from Christian backgrounds can relate to.”

Moore, who grew up in a Christian home, understands that the topics discussed within the podcast may conflict with religious beliefs, but he wants listeners to search out ways wherein spiritual practices support religiousness. He sees it as a bridge between generations—one which promotes deep conversations concerning the interconnectedness of spirituality, religion, and health across multiple generations.

“My mother, who is in her 60s, is someone who doesn’t necessarily believe in astrology, tarot, ancestor worship,” Moore says. After listening to all of the episodes, Moore’s mother, a devout Christian, praised the couple for being leaders and drivers of free thought and promoting greater well-being in black communities.

“My mom feels so inspired by our openness to other people’s knowledge and ways of supporting well-being. She said she’s starting to think about things in a way she never did before. And my brain went, ‘Oh my God, because I was talking to my parents about spirituality and nothing resonated with me… but something in this podcast resonated with them.’”

While the podcast’s mission is to make spirituality accessible and support Black spiritual healers, each Gilbert and Moore have learned a lot about their very own personal growth and healing.

“I had just gotten out of an 11-year relationship before we recorded it, so the grieving process was healing in a lot of ways. I came into the studio feeling heartbroken and I left feeling like parts of me had been mended,” Moore says. “And when I think about that kind of experience, I realize that probably everyone has had the same thing. It takes my personal experience and makes it universal.”

Gilbert’s favorite episode also led to a tremendous amount of personal growth, which, judging by the messages he’s received on social media, is shared by many listeners.

“I learned a lot from the ancestor-honoring episode, especially about how to build an altar. It helped me face medical issues that have come up in my life, but that I recently learned are similar to those that many women in my family have struggled with for generations,” she says. “It not only heals me, it heals them.”

Healing and wellness in any role is a lifelong journey, they usually hope their show can support listeners on that journey.

“I want everyone to feel welcome in this space, but we really want to heal the neighborhood,” Moore says. “That’s where we’re from—the east side of Detroit, Michigan. We want to send healing energy to all the places where people think they can’t reach. We want to send tools. We want to send resources, people that they can listen to and believe in and trust, and, you know, they can trust us, but also those people into our communities so that they can grow and evolve and learn and know that these practices are innate to them.”

Gilbert adds, “Whether it’s meditation, sitting at the altar, running, cooking, dealing cards, there are so many spiritual elements to healing. And I just want everyone to have fun with it and trust themselves.”