My goal is to share some personal experiences with you in this episode. I have, in almost every episode, underscored the importance of having a spiritual practice and I feel it is pertinent to share a personal journey I experienced with you because it showcases how our world could expand when we open ourselves up to spiritual intelligence. It guides us to some awesome places. My goodness! What a treat!WHY DID I title this episode Breathe?No one taught you and I how to breathe.Supposing you were given all that you desire in an instant but you were told you will not open your eyes again, or breathe again, would you still accept it?You see, there is a gift in the challenges we may be going through. It fosters our growth and transformation. It gives us something to work at, to expand to, and from personal experience, I can assure you how exhilarating life looks and feels when you come to the end of a transformational journey. So just breathe! Take it all in and release what does not serve you with the exhale.Much love.Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please subscribe/support our channelsReflective/Inner Work: https://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdMeditations: www.patreon.com/mensimahshabazzphd - Membership Tier 2Donation: https://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmWebsite:https://mensimah.comInstagram:@mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

I have talked about distractions in the past and the many different ways that we get distracted from our paths and journeys of love. If you think about it, and all the people you know in your life, destructive criticisms come from just a handful of people, yet they seem so “loud,” it can make you feel like everyone else is against you. After a while, you become sensitized to their noises, and you begin to "forget" about all the other people who truly love you. You also begin to forget about who you truly are. How would you go about changing the tide?I will give you a few tips.... Listen to the podcast.Reference: Christine Arana Fader, AuthorMany blessings. Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please subscribe/support our channelsReflective/Inner Work: https://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdMeditations: www.patreon.com/mensimahshabazzphd - Membership Tier 2Donation: https://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmWebsite:https://mensimah.comYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

This episode is a meditation for self-love. It is important to allow the natural love for ourselves to be expressed, and we must make a concerted effort to reveal it’s beauty very often throughout each day of our lives. Our ability to breathe at will, in all different kinds of ways, is a gift. Our breath changes, as needed to the demand of exciting circumstances in our lives and flowing effortlessly when we are resting. Let’s use the power of our amazing visualization abilities to induce self love. Hear yourself saying:When I fully love myself, I am able to fully love others. Deciding to love myself is a wonderful agreement.There's more...Many blessings!Music credit: Sanctuary of the Goddess by Wizard AzanonAutobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please subscribe/support our channelsReflective/Inner Work: https://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdMeditations: Donation: https://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmWebsite:https://mensimah.comYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

In my readings recently, I came across simple wisdom for women desiring greatness and I find it pertinent to share. We all desire greatness in some shape or form. Knowing some of these simple steps can clear the path to achieving our ultimate goals. I talk about being unpredictable as one of the steps so I urge you to listen to the end and pull all the steps together.. I express the sentiment always that the only way we can have the highest wisdom is by connecting and interacting with Source, hopefully not as an afterthought. It must be like breathing. Many blessings!Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please subscribe/support our channelsReflective/Inner Work: https://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdDonation: https://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmWebsite:https://mensimah.comYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

I was just up Santa Fe New Mexico and we were surrounded by snow capped mountains and it was just spectacular! And the beauty of all around just made me gasp. Just made me say ah!And then I thought we are always surrounded by such beauty and how many times do we stop and notice? Or stop and look, or to take it all in; give it some thought or love for having the opportunity to experience something that magical? These mesmerizing moments show us how much emphasis we may putting on things that are less important than what our spiritual nature needs. I say this because these moments cannot be replicated by humans, and you do not have to have money to be exposed to it. The universe endows us with such beauty all around us all year long. When do we stop to smell the roses? When was the last time you smelled the earth as it rained? When did you pause to possibly take a nap under a tree, feel the gentle breeze on your face or step into the ocean and just feel the wet sand under your feet?Some folks might say or ask who has time? I would say make time. Because every moment you are missing noticing, being present with these universal gifts, is the very time you become disconnected with your own essence as a spiritual being, your own ability to center yourself and to bring balance to your experiences. As a woman of power and grace, it’s important to recognize that you are the daughter of the most High One. And there’s absolutely nothing denied you if you take the time to make the the connection. And what’s even more gratifying is, your uniqueness, beauty and sensibilities are the very things God uses to experience this life through your eyes.Make it count. Many blessings and I will see you in a couple of weeks. Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please subscribe/support our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

We can all agree that we can have multiple personalities that are a direct result of our life experiences and the roles we play. We may have experienced some woundedness on this journey we call life. Oftentimes, we are not able to give a step by step detail of how we got through some of those experiences. The fact that we are alive today is proof that we experienced miracles by grace. Some of these miracles cannot be framed into a story, but they happened nevertheless.With this in mind, we could shift focus from the pain of those experiences that made us bitter, sad or disappointed to being warm, pleasant, hospitable, generous, inspiring, optimists, kind, gracious, and loving. The transition from bitterness to sweetness depends on how we see our universe. We can make light of our circumstances only if we have faith that all good, all love comes from the Source, and no matter what is going on in our external world, we are assured that light supersedes darkness; that the sun will always rise from the east and set in the west. These assurances and the divine order of things are grounds to lay down the burdens we bear and just enjoy the blessing of life and the new seasons.Happy Spring Equinox!Link to Platform for Reflective Question of the Week:https://www.patreon.com/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube:@mensimahsroundtable

I am immensely grateful because our tribe of women of power and grace, will always be open to reaching a hand to someone else who needs our insight so they may step fully into the goddess energy in and around us.In working with reflective questions, we must remember that every question takes us on a quest—a quest for truth, for authenticity, and finding our unique ways of expression. In Part 2, we review the paths of the Visionary and Teacher.The visionary and teacher impress upon us to have the ability to connect to our inner vision and be open to outcome. Happy Listening!Link to Platform:https://www.patreon.com/mensimahshabazzphdReferences: Ananse & the Wisdom PotYouTube:@mensimahsroundtable

This week, our conversation is about reflection and developing a reflective routine to enhance our inner work and growth. I integrate the first two of four archetypal ways that support our true nature--the way of the warrior, the way of the healer. You will find reflective processes in all spiritual traditions, and they are intended to be a means of preparation, help us remember our life’s dreams, our purpose or calling, and for the sole reason of staying connected to the great gift of life.In my coaching with clients, I pose reflective questions weekly for participants to enable them to engage their own thought processes and reveal some of the issues in their blind spots, as well as become cognizant of some life situations that may be getting in the way of yielding to their hearts calling. I am including a link below, where you can subscribe to the weekly reflective questions. I look forward to seeing you in the platform and in two weeks here. Please join us here: https://www.patreon.com/mensimahshabazzphdBe a woman of Power and Grace!Much love.Recommended Reading: The Four-Fold Way, by Dr. Angeles Arrien.Please, as always, share your thoughts and comments. Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelsDONATIONS: Thank you for your kind donations which help to make these free videos possible. If you’d like to donate and support my channel, you can do so here - https://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast You can also join my paid membership which is just $9 per month and helps to support my channel:https://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdContact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

We have all heard about the importance of forgiveness and the role it plays in our healing, spiritual development and growth. This is a topic you will encounter in every spiritual practice or avenue you embark on.When we feel wronged by another, we tend to hold the pain, disappointment or wounded- ness in our bodies, hearts and minds for a long, long time. We even often cycle through this pain, talking about it often, re-member-ing or reliving the pain sometimes, for years and years.It is imperative that we find a mechanism or channel to release old hurts. The act of forgiveness relinquishes the holds others have on us either energetically and in our physical space. It is never about having power over someone.Please, as alway, share your thoughts and comments. Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtableWith love and blessings!

Our conversation on keeping life simple in 2023 continues, and our first focus is on how to curb distractions in our lives--people and things that interfere with our peace of mind, and move us away from our inner perspectives and quietude.We are all on a spiritual journey, whether we acknowledge it, know it or not. We all are presented equal opportunities by grace to formulate the lives that we desire for ourselves. We must incorporate the universal principles of individuation and relatedness to balance the inequities in society and our lives.Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtableWith love and blessings!

We just entered a new year, and our cultural or societal tradition is to come up with goals, and a long list of things we want to accomplish or change in this year. Creating a vision for ourselves requires an inward look, and as a practical experience unfolds, we may have to embrace ourselves in the midst of uncertainty and find our truth. We women have been conditioned to be strong and most of us have the superwoman complex.We often don't find the strength to say no to the very things we know our hearts want us to say no to.This is going to be our Mantra for this year: "Yes, I am not all things but I am enough."Happy New YearKeep Life Simple in 2023.**Poem “For Strong Women” Marge Piercy**Please subscribe, share, comment...Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtableMany blessings!

We are heading into the new year and I want to share some thoughts on doing the inner work and how it leads to new journeys and paths. I use the number 7 (seven) to demonstrate the universal themes in our reality that shapes our spiritual and material growth.We live in a universe that is in a continuous creation mode, and we are in vibration mode constantly. We must therefore attune to the 7 portals of inner life: Mental peace, Emotional peace, Intuitive peace, Physical peace, Personal peace, Cultural peace and Global peace. And we can experience this all of it by doing the inner work.Please join me on this new journey...Please subscribe, share, comment...Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtableMany blessings!

Our topic this week is about universal healing principles. There are several universal healing principles and processes that are easily recognized across cultures, and I want to discuss how we can integrate a few of them to sustain health and well-being.I share thoughts on recognizing Humor, Music, Self Esteem, Nature, and the Supernatural as forming parts of our inner and outer healing.When we process these universal healing principles, and integrate a spiritual practice, we would balance life issues that lead to self-healing and transformation. To empower our respective journeys as women, we must open and integrate a worldview that allows physical healing, psychological problem solving, and exploration of spiritual or sacred ways of being.Please share, comment and subscribe. Thank you and many blessings!Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@mensimahsroundtable

Hello my dear Friends,This episode's focus is on the Seven Rites of Passage or the Seven Universal Rites of Passage, which is taking place all the time in our lives. They occur in both inner and outer levels and we have to manage the changes occurring, letting go as new self emerges. The seven rites are:Birth - entering into a new life, born out of inner prodding.Entry - reaching out and connecting with others.Initiation - learning new things.Mergence - integrating, remembering that you can only change you.Demonstration - sharing what you know, when you become the teacher or guide.Attainment - living in a new state of being-ness.Death or Release - the capacity to let go.There are several questions posed after each rite of passage to generate some reflection. These questions and process have helped me in the past and hope they do the same for you.I am always grateful for your presence, participation and review. I need you to please share the podcast, subscribe to my channels so we can grow together. Thank you!Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube Video:https://youtu.be/Vl9KLCcQXO8

Acknowledging the Feminine Face of the DivineThis episode is about facilitating women’s empowerment groups with the sole goal of bringing women together to share our experiences and find the commonalities in our stories, as well as support each other in the challenges we face. As a facilitator, I can attest to the growth we all experience at the end of the seven-week conversations. We bonded, with our identities fully expressed spiritually, ceremoniously, using music, song, meditation, drums and an exciting array of food, and desserts! Our sense of self is identified in the everyday experiences of our lives and for me, the spiritual component must be present to enable us to connect deeply to who we truly are.  It is imperative to recognize that the stories of our lives, yours and mine, are teaching stories that can and directly lead to an enriched understanding of the Sacred Feminine. It is pertinent to also acknowledge that all the stuff of life is part of the sacred.Thanks again for joining me. Your support makes me feel gratified.Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube Video:https://youtu.be/ZAup-RyS5S8

We have a saying in many communities in Africa that says that "if you can talk, you can sing; and if you can walk, you can dance." This episode's focus in on Embodying Praise through dancing, and movement. It is one of my favorite sayings because it tells us that we have been gifted with an instrument of great Spirit to experience life. When we lose body wisdom, we lose the opportunity to dance and praise or celebrate the sacred.In native and indigenous cultures, the word sacred is embodied and it is manifest in many forms, including movement. One of the main functions of movement in some of these traditions is to honor the earth, life and ancestors. It also is a medium to preserve sacred practices and ritual, universal wisdom and values. The drum or drumming is an integral part of rhythmic movement.I have seen a few women perform dances from various traditions and I want to share my thoughts and wisdom on the experience, as part of the conversation with women of power and grace.The dancers mentioned are:Jill Guillermo Togawa who founded Purple Moon in San Francisco. She used dance to shine light on stories from less visible communities.Wyoma - Teacher of African Healing DancesLoretta Green - Specializes on Liturgical Dance Routines.Other dances mentioned are:The "Sowu" a tribal dance performed by the Ewe people of Ghana, Togo and Benin and the Suku from the Congo. This dance is a healing dance and it is often referred to as the ‘dance of life.’The "Suku" represents the passion and sensual aspects of African dancing so well.We understand nature and the word sacred means many things to different people but there are some common denominators in its meaning. It is the recognition of the power in self, because it is what frees us to be present in our lives daily and what allows us to feel comfortable enough to step out into the world to share our gifts within our communities and the world.Happy dancing!Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube:https://youtu.be/xq0bhkbwEmw

In this episode, I talk about celebrating life in the moment. When you listen to the news, especially these days, you can’t help but feel gloomy. You are told the world is coming to an end and everything in our experience is atrocious. But then you look again, and there are beautiful moments all day long that we can celebrate, with our families, friends and even acquaintances. We still have sunrise and sunsets, we still have clouds, rainbows, rain, food, et cetera. Let's be happy for whatever seems little. It is still something!Reflection with Article by René Dubos, Pulitzer Prize Winner : "Celebrations of Life." I came across the reflections on this topic by René Dubos, which seem to be on point. In humanistic societies, empathy, building better human relationships, focus on the relationships between nature and technology are emphasized.“Happiness is contagious. For this reason, it's expression is a social service and almost a duty. … Only happy people can make a happy world.We must remember life begins anew with each sunrise."Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube:https://youtu.be/uJmIKKdTu04

Spiritual Practice connects us to our Source and sustains us through our challenges.Let us Journey on, putting one foot in front of the other! I love poetry! So I chose love and poetry for the theme to reflect on the various transformations we on or may still be on. It seems some of us are still going through some type of transformation, and there may be a myriad of changes that we have to come into alignment with to create balance. My change has aligned more with Pablo Neruda’s poem La Poesia (1975), in which he states that there comes a time in one’s life where one must yield to the soul’s yearnings and step into a path that fulfills a deeper longing.It is natural that even when we are at this stage of development and fulfillment, we tend to overanalyze the choice(s) we have made when challenges appear. But taking a daring step towards being oneself has heart, and there is hope and inspiration in this phase of the journey.We already possess, in the recesses of our minds and spirit, the skills, understanding, and love to accomplish that goal. So what has love got to do with this? My answer is everything!It is through love that we find freedom and fulfillment. It is tangible and measurable. As we embrace our journeys of love, we are required to recognize our own power, presence, and our ability to make choices that cultivate the practice of unconditional love for all that we have been.Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcast Contact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube:https://youtu.be/MEiqoHeb8_8

In this episode, I am integrating what seemingly is going on in the outer world with Queen Elizabeth’s passing and Holding the Holy Vision of the Feminine conversations that we have discussed in a couple of previous episodes. And the topic I am addressing is: how are we being queens in our lives? I am in a private conversation with my soul sisters in a different group and I thought it appropriate to extend this conversation to all my listeners, where each woman can really take a moment to dissect and incorporate their own ideas about what it means to be a queen in their own lives.Some reflective questions: What type of queen are you?What type of queen would you like to be?As always, your comments, feedback are welcome.Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcastContact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube:https://youtu.be/v4lfI-TGqrA

Celebrating the Sacred and the Ordinary in Becoming Woman is about our first initiation into womanhood and how we felt about it. There are three stages in a woman's life--the virgin, mother and crone. The embodiment of each stage is pertinent to how we feel about ourselves in the present. We go through these rites of passage either appreciating them as sacred moments or dismissing them as ordinary. In understanding the Holy Vision of the Feminine, it is important to revisit the first rite of passage, or first initiation into womanhood, examine managed the process. We all have stories to tell about our first menstruation. It still informs how we feel about our femininity. It may have been quite a while ago, but it is important for mothers to sit and talk to their daughters (age appropriate) about the first initiation and celebrate it in a way that honors this important step. It is important because the first menstruation is the "first major crisis in the life of a woman. It shocks her radically."I share my story, ending with writing a letter of initiation to myself. This inner work--if you choose to do it-- would allow you to dispel any misconceptions about womanhood and expand your awareness and embodiment of the different stages within. The exercise enabled me to let go of old stories, being a girl, and appreciating my body even more.As always, your comments, feedback are welcome.Autobiographyhttps://mensimah.com/sankofa/Please support/subscribe our channelshttps://www.patreon.com/join/mensimahshabazzphdhttps://PayPal.Me/MRTPodcastContact Links:Mensimah's Round Table - Join Women's Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/191292605667511Mensimah's Round Table Podcast:https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fmOther Social Media Links:https://solo.to/mensimahshabazzphdYouTube:https://youtu.be/Y4kIyCtqbJg