What’s in it for me? Get inspired by Queen Afua’s pioneering work in holistic healing.
Today, the wellness industry is just that – an industry. A perusal of any influencer’s Instagram feed reveals how spiritual and physical health are packaged as something that can be attained – if you have the money. It’s just one seminar or weighted blanket or scented candle or yoga retreat away. The common idea of self-care also suggests that wellness is an individualistic pursuit, achieved in the form of solitary bubble baths.
But decades before “wellness” became a buzzword, the venerable healer Queen Afua created a radical guidebook for women – and especially African American women – to work toward spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness. Queen Afua’s approach is, at its core, holistic. It combines prayer with pragmatic dietary advice, social justice with dance moves. It’s also staunchly anti-consumerist. This is an approach that sees wellness as a sacred calling rather than a product to be bought.
In this Blink, we’ll explore just a few of the practices that Queen Afua outlines as being so essential to healing and growing into our full power as sacred women. You’ll also learn some practical approaches to applying her healing philosophy in your own life.
Healing starts in your community.
Once word got out that Queen Afua was a healer, the phone calls kept coming. On the line were women who were experiencing painful, heavy bleeding. Or who were being told they had to get hysterectomies. Or who were struggling with the aftereffects of botched abortions.
Research shows that African American women are 25 percent more likely to be referred for a hysterectomy, even when it’s not strictly necessary. Furthermore, these women are more likely to suffer complications during surgery, resulting in longer hospital stays and even death.
The women calling Queen Afua had despaired of a medical system they could no longer trust. They were desperate for other solutions – for tools that could help them care for their bodies independently.
These calls convinced Queen Afua that the foundation of all healing was womb wellness. And in her eyes, womb wellness could only be achieved through a holistic approach that combined meditation and prayer with emotional healing, good nutrition, and other lifestyle changes.
At the heart of her healing philosophy is a structure called the Sacred Womb Circle. Sacred Womb Circles are groups of women who come together to create safe, healing spaces where they can support each other in their transformations. These circles provide a place to share stories, shed old hurts, and learn how to let go of the past. They’re spaces where women can go deep into painful memories, with the knowledge that they’re supported. At other times, they can also be spaces of joyful laughter as women celebrate their triumphs together.
Think about the people you surround yourself with. Are they dedicated to their own healing? Do they support yours? Caring for yourself becomes so much easier in the context of collective care – of being part of an environment where other people are dedicated to the same goals as you and committed to mutual support.
If the idea of a womb circle has inspired you, then why not set up your own? First, you’ll need to assemble a group of women who are all engaged in their own healing journey. The ideal group size is between four and eight women. Then, schedule an initial session where everyone can just hang out and get to know each other. In this first session, everyone can talk about what her own womb wellness project is, and what she hopes to get out of the circle.
By the end of the session, you should be able to articulate a common underlying purpose for the circle that encompasses everyone’s individual goals. Once you’ve done this, make a commitment to come together weekly for at least 21 days. Each woman should write out and sign her own contract.
The real healing work happens in regular sessions – ideally at different group members’ homes. For each session, create a tranquil, intimate space with an altar of flowers, incense, and essential oils.
Open the circle with music; playing instruments and singing together immediately creates the right atmosphere for healing. Then, recite prayers together. Bless the circle, and invite the Divine One to guide and protect you.
Collective healing is powerful. Together, you’ll be able to support and maintain each other’s journeys, despite all the distractions and demands of everyday life. But you still need to learn some practical and spiritual skills to help you along your journey.
Queen Afua has distinguished eleven gateways to embodying your full power as a sacred woman. In this Blink, we are going to briefly delve into three of them: sacred words, sacred movement, and sacred work. These three gateways reveal foundational tools that can change your relationship with yourself and your world.
Your words create your world.
Words are powerful.
If you’re walking around constantly saying that you’re tired or unsupported, then you’re speaking words that will weigh you down – and wear you out.
Once you’ve accepted that words are important, that they shape reality rather than just describe it, you will start becoming mindful of how you speak. Which words are you choosing to put out into the world? How are you talking to the people you love? How do you describe yourself to others? And how do other people talk about you?
Take a week to really slow down and carefully listen to every conversation you participate in. You could even record your interactions and then play them back if you need to listen in more detail.
After taking the time to observe, you may come to realize that some of the words you use are disempowering, or that they come from the past and don’t actually describe your present reality. You may also be shocked to discover that you habitually tell white lies to people or hide your true experiences from them. When you do that, you are betraying your sacred voice. You deserve to be seen and heard for who you are. But in order to do that, you need to take your own words seriously.
Learning to reframe your experiences – to speak new kinds of words – requires a steely discipline. Think of a martial arts student who is trying to get a black belt in karate. They get that belt through trying, failing, and then trying again until they’ve mastered the art form.
The best way to start retraining yourself is through a talk “fast.” Over the course of one week, speak only when absolutely necessary. When you do speak, choose your words carefully and frame your experiences in empowering ways.
For example, instead of saying “I’m sick,” you could say “I’m detoxing.” Instead of saying “I’m trying,” you could say “I’m doing.” That subtle shift can make a dramatic impact on how you experience the world.
Create some sacred word affirmations that you speak every day. At first, they might feel unnatural. But, just like that karate master, you need to keep at it. With time, speaking sacred words will become second nature. And your sacred words will be supported by the next tool we’ll look at: sacred movement.
When in doubt, dance.
Dance saved Queen Afua’s life – literally.
One day, she was cycling home after teaching a dance class in Brooklyn. Suddenly, a large car crashed into her bike. She felt the shock of the impact – and then a clear voice rang out inside of her, instructing her to dance. In that moment, she let go of the handlebars and stretched her arms wide. She performed a swan dive, landing on the hood of the car with her toes pointed. The driver stared at her in shock. But, though she was shaken, Queen Afua didn’t have one scratch on her body. In embracing the movement of the crash and dancing through it instead of tensing her muscles and gripping onto her bike, she was able to emerge unscathed.
Dance literally saved Queen Afua’s life on that particular day. But it has saved her life in more figurative terms almost every day. Through dancing, she has healed a broken heart after the end of a relationship. She has celebrated big wins at work. She has danced through stress and worry and uncertainty. And she has danced her way to womb health after pregnancy and other big life transitions.
That’s why dancing is so central to the Sacred Woman way of life. When you start dancing, you create the space for the Divine Creatress to move through you – to express herself in you. It doesn’t matter what you look like when you dance. You could trip over your own feet, or go against the rhythm. All that matters is how it feels within your body. If you don’t dance, you stagnate in place. Depression and rumination have space to fester. But when you move your body, you move those emotions through you. You cleanse yourself, and you experience the guidance and company of your ancestors.
Dancing has never been a solitary sport. Think of the thick, joyful sweat of a crowded club where everyone is moving together to the beat. Or the sacred fertility rituals that take place in indigenous communities all around the world. Or the performed shows of aggression that people can express while breakdancing, releasing frustration with no violence. Dance is its own form of communication with yourself, your higher powers, and the world around you.
So, how can you integrate sacred movement into your own life? Here are some of Queen Afua’s prompts.
Wherever you are, dance. You don’t need a special class or nightclub. Dance around your house. Dance along the street. Dance in the forest or on the beach. Dance to music – or to the sound of the waves.
Experiment. Have you been doing the same moves since high school? Then this is your invitation to play around. Get inspired by other movement forms like Brazilian or Haitian dance, belly dance or jazz. Play songs you never normally listen to. And embellish your dance outfit by adding tassels, scarves, or bells. These will all inspire you to move in new ways.
And, finally, dance with your family every week. Invite your children, partner, parents, friends, aunts, and uncles to dance around the living room with you. Dancing together can become a joyful ritual that creates good vibes and connection for the whole family.
Now that you’re speaking sacred words and allowing your body to dance through the world, it’s time to explore the third tool and last gateway that we’ll touch on in this Blink: sacred work.
Pursue your sacred work relentlessly.
How many hours do you spend at work every week? Forty? Sixty? And how do you feel once the weekend comes around? Energized and excited, or tired and frustrated?
The truth is, no matter how carefully you choose your words or how much you dance around your living room, you’re not going to be fulfilled if your work doesn’t align with your purpose. You may be wondering, Who can afford to chase their purpose when there are bills to be paid and kids to look after?
Fair enough. But if you don’t pursue your sacred work, then it will pursue you. Your body will keep reminding you that you’re not following your vision. Your blood pressure will rise, and you’ll become chronically stressed or experience burnout. You simply can’t spend 2,000 hours a year doing a job that doesn’t align with who you really are – with the path the Divine Creatress has laid out for you. So, how do you find that path?
Well, the good news is, you don’t have to do it alone. Start by summoning the ancient spirit called khepera, which means “transformation.” Khepera will guide you in undoing your present reality and creating a new one that’s in line with your vision.
What lights you up? What makes you overflow with fulfillment? What allows you to use your powers to the highest degree? When you’re performing your sacred work, you’ll feel full of energy and purpose. It will be like a gift that you can’t get enough of. You’ll even think you’d want to do it if you weren’t being paid for your labor.
If you can’t imagine what that work could be, try getting up at 4:00 a.m. and meditating. That might seem a little early, but you’re at your most intuitive between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Use the quiet morning hours to become receptive to messages from the Divine Creatress.
Once you’ve created a vision for what your sacred work is, you need to pursue it relentlessly. Don’t let doubt derail you, and make sure that you protect your vision from the naysayers in your life. Some people are inclined to make cynical comments and share their skepticism about any idea that seems too ambitious or different from what they know. You don’t need that kind of energy while birthing your vision. In fact, you need the opposite – unbridled support.
It took Queen Afua 30 years to discover exactly what her sacred work consisted of. Her path had many twists and turns along the way, and at every juncture she gained new knowledge and insights. No moment of her journey was wasted.
Your path to your sacred work may be similarly serpentine. Be patient with yourself – and have faith that, at every moment, you’re being guided to fulfill your purpose and bring the full force of your talents to the world.
Final Summary
The keys to transforming your physical and spiritual well-being lie in your community. You don’t have to wait for any professional’s permission to claim your power. Just assemble a circle of women who are also hungry for healing, and commit to supporting each other. Together, you can dance your way to health, well-being, and deep healing.