Because I'm Healing

What if reconnecting to yourself doesn't have to happen alone?
As we wrap up our August series on reconnection, Asha talks about two powerful ways we can come home to ourselves: community and ancestry.

Community can become a mirror, a place where parts of you that you've questioned or hidden are reflected back to you. When you're around people who share your values, interests, experiences, or ways of seeing the world, you may finally feel safe enough to put some of your armor down.

And then there's ancestry.

You don't have to know every name in your family tree. You don't need a perfect lineage. You don't even have to feel connected to your immediate family.

Asha shares how connecting with the benevolent parts of her ancestry helped her realize something profound.

This episode is an invitation to consider what happens when you stop trying to prove yourself and begin connecting with the people, places, and energies that remind you who you already are.

In this episode, Asha explores:
Why community can act as a mirror
How finding aligned community can help your nervous system settle
The role of co-regulation in feeling safe enough to rest
Why you are allowed to create new communities as your life changes
What to do when your family or immediate lineage doesn't feel safe or healthy
Why you don't need to know your ancestors' names to connect with ancestral energy
How to intentionally connect with the benevolent and supportive parts of your lineage
Asha's experience connecting with her ancestral lineages
The message she received: “We’ve been waiting for you.”
How ancestral connection helped Asha release the pressure to prove herself
The difference between carrying your lineage and being loyal to energy that makes you small
Why you can let the BS go
Ways to begin reconnecting with community and ancestry in your own life

(00:00) - Reconnecting Through Community and Ancestry
(03:17) - How to Build a Supportive Community
(05:41) - Community, Safety, and Nervous System Regulation
(08:25) - How to Connect With Your Ancestors Through Intention
(12:20) - Ancestral Freedom, Healing, and Personal Power
(13:26) - Living in Alignment and Releasing the Need to Prove Yourself
(17:42) - Choosing a Healthy Ancestral Connection
(19:01) - Practical Ways to Connect With Community and Ancestry

Resources & Ways to ConnectAsha mentions several resources and experiences during this episode:
Meet Your Ancestral Guide Meditation - a guided practice to help you begin connecting with your ancestral energy.
Meet Your Four Ancestral Lineages - a one-on-one guided meditation with Asha exploring the maternal and paternal lines on both sides.
Ancestral Tarot Reading - an intuitive reading focused on the energies, gifts, messages, and wishes present within your ancestral lineage.

Connect with Asha:
Threads: @ashawilkersonesq
Instagram: @ashawilkersonesq
Weekly Love Notes Newsletter: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/659871/112719372217222301/share

Welcome to the third week of our short series on reconnection. In our first week, we explored practical exercises to ground yourself, and last week, we talked about how reconnecting to your wants, needs, and desires is really an act of reclaiming your power.

This week, I’m talking about how reconnecting to your body and your truth is an act of rebellion, particularly for those of us who come from the African diaspora, live in Black or brown bodies, or function as worker bees in a capitalist system. Historically, systems of capitalism and colonialism were designed to separate us from our bodies, turn us into labor, and make us operate as machines.

When you pause, listen to your physical data, and choose what actually honors your spirit instead of sacrificing yourself to keep the peace, you break that cycle. Reclaiming your sovereignty doesn't require a grand, loud protest. It happens in the quiet, daily moments where you allow yourself to be fully human.

(00:00) - Reconnecting to Yourself: Why It Matters
(01:07) - How Capitalism, Racism, and Colonialism Disconnect Us From Our Bodies
(02:10) - Reconnecting With Your Body as an Act of Rebellion
(03:12) - How Rest Helps You Reclaim Autonomy and Personal Power
(04:15) - You Don’t Have to Earn Rest: Small Ways to Listen to Your Body
(05:36) - Reclaiming Your Desires, Needs, and Boundaries
(06:18) - Honoring Your Ancestors Through Rest and Self-Connection
(06:56) - Why Capitalism Doesn’t Create Equal Autonomy
(07:35) - Do You Need to Quit Your Job to Reclaim Your Life?
(08:11) - Small Acts of Rebellion for Black and Brown Bodies
(09:32) - Everyday Boundaries: Saying No, Resting, and Choosing Yourself
(10:05) - Being Fully Human Is an Act of Rebellion
(10:39) - How to Practice Reconnection This Week

Key Takeaways
The Historical Disconnect: Systems of capitalism and colonialism were built to disconnect Black and brown people from their bodies and turn human beings into tools for output.
Reconnection as Rebellion: Reclaiming your time, resting before you're completely exhausted, and listening to your body's needs counteracts systemic exploitation.
The Power of Small Decisions: Rebellion isn't always grand; it shows up when you say no to things you don't want, ask for job accommodations, or simply refuse to eat the office pizza if you're lactose intolerant.
Reclaiming Full Humanity: Reconnecting to yourself doesn't take anything away from anyone else; it simply returns you to your inherent sovereignty and power to be fully human.

Resources & Links
Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Ep 60: Reconnect With Yourself: 3 Simple Ways to Come Back to What Feels Good
Episode 61: Reconnecting as reclaiming your power

Connect with Asha:
Threads: Connect and share your reflections @ashawilkersonesq
Instagram: Follow @ashawilkersonesq
Join the Weekly Love Notes: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/659871/112719372217222301/share

Offers & Sanctuary:
RESET: Live Group Experience: https://www.ashasplacelisbon.com/reset
HELD: 1:1 Lisbon Retreat: https://www.ashasplacelisbon.com/solo-retreat
Asha’s Place Lisbon: Studio offerings and bodywork: https://www.ashasplacelisbon.com/experiences

Welcome back to the second week of our conversations around reconnecting. In the wellness and healing spaces, we hear buzzwords like "reconnect," "go deep," or "tap in" tossed around all the time, without always understanding what they actually mean or how they fit into the bigger picture.

Last week, we talked about reconnecting through play, nostalgic traditions/foods, and writing a letter from your future self to your present self. This week, I’m diving into why reconnecting to yourself matters so deeply. Reconnecting to yourself gives you the superpower you have been looking for in everything else. When you connect to your intuition, your body, your wants, your needs, and your desires, you start making decisions that align with how you actually want to feel today, tomorrow, and five years from now.

(00:00) - Reconnecting and personal power
(01:05) - Intuition, needs, and intentional decisions
(02:24) - Burnout and giving away power
(03:29) - Conscious choices and responsibility
(06:25) - Survival mode and disconnection
(08:37) - Desires as a decision-making filter
(10:33) - Small choices and agency
(11:41) - Personal needs and relationships
(13:55 - Self-reflection and future desires

Key Takeaways
Beyond the Buzzwords: Words like "tap in" and "reconnect" often lose their meaning when we don't look at why they matter to our overall well-being.

The True Superpower: Connecting to your intuition, body, wants, needs, and desires is the ultimate superpower you’ve been searching for outside yourself.

Asking the Right Questions: Taking time to ask yourself What do I want in this moment? What feelings do I want to feel? (powerful, alive, hopeful, loved, adventurous, curious) creates immediate clarity.

Future-Aligned Decision Making: When you know how you want to feel, you can start making decisions today that align with where you want to be in one, two, or five years.

Resources Mentioned
Podcast Platforms: Leave a comment/review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Threads: Connect directly with Asha on Threads at @ashawilkersonesq.
Newsletter: Subscribe to Love Notes, Asha's weekly newsletter sharing insights, stories, and opportunities to connect, grow, and heal (link at the bottom of the show notes).

This month, I’m thinking about reconnecting.

I’m spending August back in the United States with my family, and being home has me reflecting on all the ways we can reconnect, not just with others but also with ourselves.

It’s easy to get caught up in doing everything, meeting expectations, showing up where we’re supposed to be, and building the life we thought we wanted. Then we realize that some of it doesn’t feel good anymore.

In this episode, I’m starting with something simple: remembering.

I also discuss the link between play, the chakra system, human development, and intuition. I explain how trying out what feels good can help you rebuild trust in yourself.

It doesn't have to be big or dramatic; it just has to help you reconnect.

(00:00) - How to Reconnect With Yourself
(02:29) - Why Childhood Joy Helps You Feel More Grounded
(03:46) - How Play Supports Emotional Well-Being
(06:24) - Reconnecting With Your Intuition Through Play
(10:20) - Comfort Food, Culture, and Feeling at Home
(12:00) - Creating Rituals That Help You Reconnect
(14:09) - Write a Letter From Your Future Self
(16:55) - Three Simple Practices to Reconnect With Yourself

Key Takeaways
Beware of the Overfunctioning Trap: It’s easy to perform and meet external expectations while privately feeling empty inside.
Play as a Somatic Reset: Play brings you back into your body and breaks up the rigid routine of adult responsibilities.
Grounding in Roots: Tapping into old traditions or foods creates a bridge back to simpler parts of yourself.
Future Self Guidance: Writing a letter from your future self offers perspective, validation, and a gentle connection to the present.

Resources Mentioned
Weekly Newsletter (Love Notes): Join Asha's email list for weekly reflections, community updates, and upcoming offers.
Social Media: Connect with Asha on Threads at @ashawilkersonesq to share your reflections on these exercises.

I used to love a good life hack. 

I used to work out more, track my steps, measure my sleep, optimize my schedule, and do the mindset work. I was focused on finding the right strategy to help me reach my goals faster. 

But lately, I’ve realized something: trying to hack the process can actually slow it down. 

I’m working out less now, and my workouts aren’t as intense. I’m making more room in my schedule. When my smartwatch broke on vacation, I didn't rush to replace it. Instead, I found peace in not constantly measuring my sleep, my steps, or my connection to my phone. 

I’m also learning to listen to what my nervous system is really telling me instead of trying to hack my brain or coach myself out of my feelings. 

Maybe the fastest way forward isn’t about finding another shortcut. 

Maybe it’s about facing what’s actually in front of you. 

In this episode, I discuss the power of doing less, why I believe we’re moving away from optimization culture, and what can happen when we stop rushing processes that need time.

(00:00) - How “hacks” used to run life
(01:27) - Old workout culture: maxing out every day
(01:56) - Why fewer workouts are helping more
(02:25) - More isn’t always better for the nervous system
(04:47) - The power of less in commitments and schedules
(05:16) - How the smartwatch became obsessive
(06:13) - Realizing she doesn’t miss the smartwatch
(07:12) - Listening to the nervous system instead of hacking it
(08:06) - Mindset coaching and trying to hack the brain
(09:04) - Faster progress by addressing the real need
(09:33) - Why shortcuts loop you back around
(10:04) - The quickest path is facing obstacles directly
(11:00) - The biscuit analogy for sustainable change
(11:30) - You can’t rush nervous system healing

Key Takeaways
More isn’t always better. Sometimes, your nervous system needs you to do less.
Creating more space in your schedule can bring you more peace than adding another commitment.
Tracking your health isn’t always the same as improving it.
Constant mindset work can end up blocking the signals your body is sending you.
The shortcut can turn into a long detour when you need to go back to what you skipped.
Sustainable change occurs when you work through your process instead of trying to rush it.
The time it takes is the time it takes, and you’re not wasting time by giving yourself what you truly need.

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