Fall In Love With Natural Healing

As you get older, do you ever wonder how many seeds you have planted with other people? Whenever we talk to others we pass on seeds that are grown by another person sharing the seed they receive.

Seeds develop into other plants. When we share our knowledge with others we allow the person to grow into their own flower. This issue is about sharing information that helps others grow and prosper. Our feature story is

about healing and learning new ways to live our lives that help us grow into better people. This seed will help someone change into something new and beautiful.

I hope the seeds I plant will create a garden of flowers that educate, provide love, growth and happiness. Plant a seed that will allow someone else to grow and become a beautiful person. How many seeds have you planted lately?

BEING AWARE FIGHTING FOR THE PEOPLES RIGHTS

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

Source: CBS News

I’m so so proud of the two Black men that stood up to the Tennessee State Legislature on April 6, 2023. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson stood for the people that voted them into office. They were the voice of the people who are fighting for better gun control laws. They were eventually expelled, but as of this story, Jones was voted back into his seat on the Tennessee State House of Representatives legislature on April 10, 2023 and Pearson is expected to be reinstated soon.

Both of these Black men are young and articulate. Jones is 27 and “one of the youngest members of the legislature and represented the state's 52nd district, which has about 70,000 residents and is part of Davidson County, the Nashville metro area.” Pearson, 28, was elected in a

January 2023 special election after the incumbent, Barbara Cooper, had died. He represents the state's 86th district, which has about 64,000 residents and is part of Shelby County, where Memphis is located.

Former President Barack Obama understands the importance of speaking up and fighting for what is right for everyone. Obama tweeted,

"No elected official should lose their job simply for raising their voice – especially when they're doing it on behalf of our children," adding, "Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it won't lead to progress."

Jones and Pearson will not be going away anytime soon. They have become national figures and we need them to continue to fight for people whose voices are drowned out by the majority. I personally thank Jones and Pearson and will be following them and supporting them.

For more information, you can read the full article at The "Tennessee Three": Why were two of the Democratic lawmakers expelled, and what happens now? - CBS News

BUILDING UP, NOT TEARING DOWN

by Jacquie Johnson

When kindness is a way of life, we don’t ask ourselves, “what’s in it for me?” We choose to be kind not because of any personal gain, but because it aligns with our values and principles. Serving others helps us to shift our focus away from our own concerns and circumstances. Kindness possesses the ability to generate long-lasting joy within us and those we touch. Additionally, being kind has the potential to bring happiness to others, amplifying the impact of our actions.

The beauty of kindness is that it is infectious. It spawns more kindness and creates a ripple effect that grows and spreads. It’s comparable to a seed that, once planted, will flourish and multiply if nourished. Whether it’s initiating a new relationship, strengthening an existing one, or healing a broken one, kindness has the power to do it all. It’s a gift that is available to everyone, completely free of charge. By showing kindness, we build connections and enhance the lives of those who receive it. Imagine the profound impact we could make on our society if each person committed to exhibiting kindness to at least one individual every day.

Planting seeds of kindness can enhance our relationships, boost our happiness levels, and bring contentment to our hearts. One valuable lesson I have learned is that being kind does not

necessarily require a hefty price tag. Simple gestures such as surprising a widow with a birthday card and treats, leaving fresh blooms on a neighbor’s porch, distributing food to those in need, opening the door for the person coming behind you, or hosting a free concert for the community can go a long way. My hope is that you are inspired to develop your own unique acts of kindness, planting the seeds of goodwill in your own way.

You have the power to begin sowing seeds of kindness today! I guarantee that the sense of fulfillment and gratification you will experience will be immeasurable.

Jacqueline Johnson, a native of Texas, resides in Denton, TX with her spouse and two daughters. She has two grown sons living in California, and a grandson. Jacqueline founded Jacquie ooh, an online resource center dedicated to providing women with the tools to think and live well. She also developed the Glow Collection by Jacquie ooh, an all-natural skincare product line that feeds your skin with gourmet nourishment. Jacqueline is deeply involved in her community and was appointed as a precinct chair. She has authored two books: Glow Through It 21-Day Devotional Journal for Women and Dare to Sparkle Entrepreneur Guide+Dream BIG 4-Day Devotional. To learn more about Jacqueline Johnson, please visit her website at www.jacquieooh.com

The beauty of kindness is that it is infectious.

Contributing Writer, Jacquie “ooh” Johnson

ARE YOU READING BANNED BOOKS?

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

I have been a reader since I was a child. It started with my mama reading a book of my choice every night before I went to bed. Reading has always been a part of my life. My life without books would be like coffee without sugar. I carry a book in my backpack so when I stop for lunch or I’m under the hair dryer at the salon, reading is an important part of my life.

What do you think about the book ban? I keep saying our democracy is being removed each day, and each moment we breathe. It’s shameful that this is happening. Books are the journeys we take to different places and meet different people that are not like us. There is a lot to say about how a book goes through the process of being banned and how the Supreme Court makes the decision. But I wanted to point out some of the Black books written by Black authors being banned right now.

I want to mention the first 5 books that are on the list provided by Banned Books by Black Authors This is not a complete list but it gives you an idea of which books are being targeted.

This is another area we have to fight for our right to choose. Are you willing to give up your right to choose what book you read? Remember it may seem like a small choice but it’s a part of larger choices being removed from our individual control. What are your thoughts?

SHE SPEAKS WELLNESS: CAN WE TALK 4 REAL?

By Minister Sonya Hosey

“Mental health needs more sunlight, candor, and unashamed conversation.”

– Glenn Close

I am unashamed to say that I dealt with three deaths, all within a year and a half - my sister and two nieces. At one point, I thought after one death, I could breathe again; two more took my breath away.

I recently went to a salon, and the Nail Tech and I began chit-chatting. Curious, I asked how Asian culture addresses mental health challenges. The Tech implied that their culture was strong, grateful, and experienced no problems.

Before we judge, the African American community is the same, deflecting our emotional challenges. What happens in our house stays in our house. In the church, we are praying and slaying it away.

Community advocates are becoming creative in conversing about mental health in beauty and barber shops, incorporating bible studies. Most conversations lead to, “If you say mental health, it will turn people away.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Mental Health as including our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.

So now what? How do we continue to bring light to the conversation in our homes, churches, and communities? What is the best language“emotional health” or “emotional well-being.”

Regardless of the term, we must have an unashamed and honest conversation.

Can we TALK 4 real to HEAL 4 real?

Regain Your Balance The Natural Way

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

Christina and her husband Aaron Gobert found their company Natural Healing Wellness Company together in an effort to educate People of Color about disease in the mind and body and how to regain balance the natural way. Gobert's husband is an advocate for the Alkaline Lifestyle and does more of the back-end/behind the scenes tasks for the business. I had the opportunity to speak with Christina about their business.

Christina Gobert’s spiritual awakening that changed her view of how she saw the world began around 2016. When she started she didn't know it was a spiritual awakening. But once she started diving more into this world of spirituality, she came across that wording, spiritual awakening, and she knew immediately that was her experience. Gobert says she finished school, got her master's and did everything that everybody said she was supposed to do to achieve the American dream. And yet she was not happy, she wasn't fulfilled. She remembered thinking there has to be more to life than this. Shortly after she encountered an app called Insight Timer and learned about meditation. There was a meditation for everything, every mood, everything you deal with, so resonated with her. GobertI remember feeling a sense of peace that she had not felt before. She took off meditating and learned about spirituality and realized we've been programmed to believe certain things, but through the world of meditation, there was this whole other world out there.

Gobert got more into spirituality and started having different experiences that solidified for her She wanted it to be to live a more spiritual life. “I started using all natural products and stopped drinking alcohol. It was a natural progression for me and nobody said to me to be spiritual. You need to stop doing these things. I just naturally started doing them,” says Gobert. She remembers feeling more in control of her life, she felt like a better person. It also helps her to handle interpersonal conflict better by being a more spiritual person and understanding people when trying to have compassion and have more empathy for people.

One of the practices used by Gobert is the Ayurvedic Lifestyle. She explains Ayurvedic is a 5000 year old practice that is spiritual based. But really it is a way of living and it's basically just connecting and aligning with nature for optimal health. “There are different practices you do and a lot of them are really popular and trendy right now, but what people don't know is a lot of these practices started in Ayurvedic. Practices like dry brushing your skin to get your lymphatic system moving. And the lymphatic system is where we get rid of toxins in the body. Brushing your tongue is another practice.” If the lymphatic system is stagnant, it can increase risk of disease and you're more likely to be overweight. And so in Ayurvedic they teach what's called a Dinacharya which is a daily routine. You are maximizing your health by doing these daily practices. So things like tongue scraping, things like dry brushing, eating with the sun, so when the sun is at its highest point is when we should be having our biggest meal because that's when we can metabolize food the best. And that people don't realize that that has its origins in our Veda and natural practices. Ayurvedic practitioners do things like detoxification practices where they can help you detox your whole body. This helps people get in touch with their natural self.

Ayurvedic practitioners can help you detox your whole body.

“My husband and I combine the Ayurvedic Lifestyle with the Alkaline Lifestyle into our business.” So what is the Alkaline Lifestyle?

Gobert explains that Dr. Sebi was an African man but he was from Honduras. He got really sick, she believes he was in his 20s and he went to go see a healer and herbalist in Mexico. The herbalist told him to eat for his genetics, since he was African he needed to be eating food for his genetics, that's why he was sick. And apparently Dr. Sebi was overweight. He was experiencing psychosis and all this different stuff. It was believed he had diabetes too. So the healer treated him and Dr. Sebi was cured, From that point forward, Dr. SEBI devoted his life to telling other people the foods that we are eating are killing us. And this was back in the 70s. So this was from a long time ago, and you can imagine how much worse it is now. Gorbert goes on to say Dr. Sebi created a list of foods that are the least detrimental foods and these are like fruits and vegetables. So a lot of the fruits and vegetables that we eat are actually not real fruits and vegetables. Some of them are foods that have been created in the lab and then they sell them and they make them look like fruits and vegetables. When our body digests these foods because our bodies have this wisdom that our minds don't have, our body doesn't recognize it as food. Dr. Sebi has this list of foods and that's what she and her husband eat primarily.

Gobert and her husband eat food from the food list. Since eating these foods, she has experienced illnesses that she cured from eating from the food list, and practicing Ayuvedic lifestyle. For Gobert working high stress Social Work jobs, she was highly anxious. “I had really bad acne because I was just eating whatever. I was in the community, on the go and not eating healthy. I had a lot of teeth problems because I was eating a lot of sugar all the time. So every time I went to the dentist, I had to get

something pulled or filled. During the pandemic, her and her husband switched to the Alkaline lifestyle. They immediately dropped about 15 to 20 pounds and this was in less than a month. And most of the weight that Gobert dropped was not fat, it was all from her colon. “Dr. Sebi teaches that when we eat the wrong foods, it gets trapped in the colon. The colon doesn't expel it, and that's also why many black people have high rates of Colon Cancer.” And the other thing I should say is “my husband is the one who introduced me to the alkaline lifestyle. He was doing this before he even met me. He would tell me about it all the time. And I'd be like, I'm not doing that. It was not enough food for me.” she laughs. She was already Pescatarian at the time, so I was eating seafood. Eventually, she started getting tired of seafood. That’s when she decided to try the Alkaline process. Gobert noticed she immediately had no more acne and her anxiety went away after she supplemented her diet with Sea Moss and herbs.

who might be stuck in their minds.

about? She has a certification from the Deepak Chopra program. With coaching, “I help people who want to achieve a wellness goal or anybody who might be stuck in their minds like maybe it's not just about wellness It can even be about relationships. The person may be having a conflictual relationship.” It's an even richer experience because of her background as a Social Worker and Counseling.

So what should people know about Natural Healing and Wellness Company. In our current society we have gotten away from living natural lifestyles and this contributes to illness

Gobert thinks what's most important is getting people to understand that if they want to get rid of chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure we don't take them seriously enough. What I mean by that is that in our communities, we think of these things as not a big deal because everybody has it. But what we have to realize is that with these illnesses, we are literally shortening our lives and that's the long and short of it. Our body is not running as well as it could if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. It doesn't matter if you're on medication. Over time, the medication can weaken certain organs. With the Alkaline and Ayurdevic lifestyle, it is not about treating symptoms, it's about curing the body and getting it back in balance. Gobert teaches people to “take your power back, empower yourself and to align with nature.” With any change, start off small and gradually change your outcome.

Through Gobert’s business she also does coaching. So what is that

To find out more about Natural Healing and Wellness Company, visit their website at Natural Healing and Wellness Company You can also find them on IG and Facebook.

I help people who want to achieve a wellness goal or anybody

DR. SEBI'S FOOD LIST

Military Benefits

If you are a Military Retiree, as you are out and about always ask about the military discount. A lot of businesses practice this as a show of appreciation.

Who's Eligible for Military Discounts? Military discount programs are typically available to active-duty military and veterans, but some retailers offer broader discounts. Military discounts can also be available to retirees, reservists, National Guard members, and even family members.

Find more details by clicking the link: Military Discounts

INDOOR GARDEN

YES YOU CAN HAVE A GARDEN INDOORS!

To plant your indoor vegetable garden you’ll want to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Moisten the soil. Fill your tray or pot with soil.

Step 2: 1 or 2 seeds per pod. Add your desired seed to each pod.

Step 3: Cover seeds. Cover the seeds with some soil. Step 4: Water. Add some water over the top.

Another way if you are a beginner is to use the starter kits.

Take advantage of seed starting kits.

A great way to start your plants is with a seed starter kit. These kits include the planting flats for planting your seeds and some include the lights. There are also kits that have the heat mat if needed. Adding a seed starting kit to all your garden supplies will greatly simplify starting your garden and help to ensure your success.

To make it simple, do your research and give it a try!!

DIY CLEANING TIP!!!

Vinegar and water

The go-to all-purpose cleaner is a mixture of vinegar and water. Combine half a cup of distilled white vinegar with 2 cups of water. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil or a squeeze of lemon for scent; since these are in low concentrations, they'll be safe for more surfaces. Gently stir the mixture and store it in a plastic spray bottle for as long as you need.

Surfaces to avoid: Don’t use vinegar on tile, grout or wood, since the acidity can damage these materials.

For disinfecting, use hydrogen peroxide. www.insider.com

Mary Linnen Editor

Ujima Magazine and Gone Mad Productions have teamed up to share information about what’s happening in our Black Community.

You can catch us on CBS We Are Austin on Tuesdays. To catch up with our television time, you can click the link Ujima Magazine and Gone Mad Production Collaboration.

Honey Vanilla Yogurt Fruit Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups plain yogurt, not fat-free

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 large apple, cored and small diced

• 1 cup (about 170 g) blueberries

• 1 cup (about 170 g) raspberries

• 2 cups (about 340 g) strawberries, hulled and cut in half or diced

• 1-2 cups (170 to 340 g) green grapes, cut in half

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

Whisk together the yogurt, honey and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Combine all the fruit in a serving bowl. Toss with lemon juice and gently mix.

Serve fruit individually in bowls/plates and dollop with a spoonful (or two!) of yogurt. Or, if you don’t anticipate leftovers, toss the fruit and yogurt together for a creamy mishmash of fruit salad.