She Stories - Erika MeRemy

APRIL 2023 | ISSUE NO.16

Summer Vibes: Fashion Top Picks shestories.co

About She Stories She Stories is a community of women that promotes self wellness, empowerment and the value of supporting each other. You have overcome tremendous obstacles.

Telling your story brings healing for you and others.

There is empowerment in every story. We are Real Women with Real Stories. What started out as a storytelling night has transformed into a sisterhood.

From gatherings to giving back, we inspire and affirm the every day woman that she is brave and beautiful..

Our Founder In 2017, I decided to carry on the tradition of testimony service and share this amazing gift of storytelling from my elders to my tribe. I provided a sacred space for women to share their challenges and victories so they can not only be empowered but through each story women would find a circle of support and empowerment. Her story matters and the world needs to hear it. Ehmandah Ramsey

She Stories has always been about women sharing their stories through storytelling.

(Yeah, that’s me with a box of tissue) We believe there’s healing that happens when we share our stories. We all have one!

By sharing our stories, we prove that it’s possible to shift change through another woman’s journey, struggles, and triumphs.

Elevating women of all ages is powerful.

Compassion and love speaks volumes.

And when they’re combined among a community of bosses, we ALL thrive!

XO,

Leilani

FEATURE FRIDAY Can you believe we’re just about done with April already? Well, we’re keeping the momentum going with another Feature Friday! Today, we bring you Erika Meremy, Founder of Inner Her Alchemy, where she brings together science and spirituality. She focuses on healing through deep inner work, trusting your truth, honoring your journey, and reconnecting to your womb. She does it all!

And as we’re wrapping up April, we’re taking a look at some helpful ways to give your mental health a good spring cleaning. Maybe you have things you‘d like to start healing from. Or maybe there’s an area in your life where you need closure. Either way, it’s always good to purge the things in our lives that are no longer serving a good purpose. Today, we’re gonna talk about it.

What a way to end the month!

FEATURE FRIDAY

ERIKA MEREMY

There have been times I’ve asked women if they’d like to share their story, and sometimes they feel that nobody‘s going to be interested, or they’re ashamed of the ugly details that nobody knows about. It’s not something I push because I’ve always felt that someone sharing their journey with strangers should be organic. When I brought the idea up for this week’s feature, there was no hesitation. “It’s time to share my story.”

Today, we bring you Erika MeRemy!

I had the pleasure of meeting Erika when she came to our first She Stories event in Phoenix, and she embodies a balance of femininity, beauty, and strength. But it wasn’t until I sat down with her at Inner Her Alchemy that she was able to share with me the healing she had to go through to bring her to where she is today. Her story is amazing and nothing short of triumphant, even through her darkest moments.

Erika was born in California but moved to Arizona at a young age. Her family was small and consisted of her mom and her older brother.

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“Looking back, there was alot of me figuring things out on my own.”

She had a special bond with her brother and was very close to him. The relationship with her mother was often strained and she remembered not having her around at sensitive times in her life like starting her period or having her first crush.

She experienced sexual abuse by her mother’s partner at the time, but it wasn’t until her brother left for the military when she was 15 that her entire world took a shift. He often served as her protector and confidant when dysfunction had taken up residency in her home. So when he left, she felt his absence. It was also at this tender age that she became pregnant and she spent much of those years with a heavy masculine energy that was also her defense mechanism.

Erika would later find herself in one of the. most toxic relationships she had ever experienced. Of course, it didn’t start that way, but with time she grew more aware of his manipulative and narcissistic tactics, but by then, she was already pregnant with her 2nd child and had to stop working due to the high risk of her pregnancy. Her depression was through the roof and she knew the core of her femininity was wounded. She recalls the physical abuse she endured and the number of times he would choke her until she passed out, but it was in 2019 when she finally hit rock bottom.

Her partner’s line of would lead to her home being raided by 60 cops one morning when she was 38 weeks pregnant with her son. Over the next few months, she was evicted, her daughter was taken away, she was living out of a suitcase, and to top it off, she was being federally indicted with 7 charges.

She had no idea how she was going to get her life back on track, but she knew she needed balance, ad it was the birth of her son that brought another shift in her life, but this time it was for healing. Erika recalls the long journey of having to face herself in the mirror and work through the extreme guilt that had built up over the years, along with depression and PTSD. Now that her son was here, she found her will to fight past the trauma.

Erika found that every level of growth brought further healing and she was eventually able to reclaim her life. She learned the importance of living in the present, balancing your feminine and masculine energy, and giving value and honor to your truth.

She’s built her community of wellness and spiritual intuition from the years of pain she’s had to overcome, but she’s now helping others find their balance and healing through intensive work on the mind, spirit, and body. Doing this has led to a better understanding of what her feminine and masculine energy brings to any situation and has also allowed her to reach more women along their journey.

We stand for the woman who‘s lost her fight, for the woman starting over, for the woman who’s discovering herself all over again, and for the woman who never allows herself to give up. That’s who Erika is, and we love her!

”MUCH OF MY HEALING WAS FOUND IN MY REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR.” — ERIKA MEREMY

Her Shine MY FAVORITE SONG:

”Self-Heal” byLondrelle HOW I CULTIVATE SISTERHOOD:

“By being there for a sister in need.”

MY LEGACY:

“I want my legacy to be how I encourage people to live their truth.”

MY INSPO:

“To bring back truth, honor, and devotion in the way we live our lives.”

You can check out Inner Her Alchemy on IG: @innerheralchemy Erika will be hosting her annual Sister Circle, which is open to the community. Take part in guided meditation, sound healing, forgiveness ceremony, and dIvine femininity circle.

Visit her at www.erikameremy.com.

If you or someone you know would like to be a feature, let us know!

Spring Cleaning

and the importance of clearing the clutter in your brain

BY LEILANI BOWERS

Here we are, heading into May! Has it been raining a lot where you’re at? They say “April showers bring May flowers” (and allergies). Another popular thing to do this time of year is spring clean your home. You clear clutter that’s been building up over the year. You re-organize your spaces. You will super-duper disinfect. These are all great things, but have you ever stopped to think that it’s important to do this with your mental health?

Do you ever feel like your brain can’t take any more information? It’s important to give your mind some relief. I try to do this at night before I go to sleep by putting lofi or ambient music on. I try to take a few mins to go over the day in general, the ups and downs. And it’s almost like I’m closing yesterday’s chapter so that the next day’s chapter can continue fresh.

I’ll admit, I’m still growing in the area of consistency with this, but there are other ways you can decompress your thoughts as needed. Take a look: Write things down - this helps to declutter your mind and organize your thoughts.

Practice mindfulness - focus on the present moment and let go of distracting thoughts.

Take breaks - give your brain a rest by stepping away from work or technology for a few minutes.

Prioritize tasks - focus on the most important tasks first to reduce mental overload.

Simplify your space - reduce visual clutter in your surroundings to create a more peaceful environment.

Practice deep breathing - this can help to calm your mind and reduce stress.

Get enough sleep - lack of sleep can contribute to mental clutter and poor concentration.

Exercise regularly - physical activity can clear your mind and improve mental clarity.

Reduce multitasking - focus on one task at a time to reduce mental overload and increase productivity.

Practice gratitude - focusing on what you are thankful for can help to reduce negative thoughts and mental clutter.

I hope these will be helpful this Spring as we’re getting ready for Summer. Keeping a clear headspace is a form of self-love and self-care, and you deserve to have peace reside in your thoughts.

Ehmandah Ramsey, founder of She Stories, Chante Jones - Coordinator of The Period Party, Anika Grover and Elisabeth Gilmore PHOP Western University

She Stories and the students of Western University of Health Sciences, is making a difference in the lives of homeless individuals by collecting menstrual products and creating period packs. Individuals experiencing homeless or low-income disparity often lack access to basic necessities such as menstrual products, which can have a significant impact on their daily lives. The period packs contain essential items such as tampons, pads, and wipes, ensuring that those in need have access to these products. This initiative by She Stories Inc. is an inspiring example of how the power of partnering with organizations using their resources and knowledge can make a positive impact on their community. By providing menstrual products, we are helping to alleviate the burden faced by individuals and enhancing the dignity of women in need.

Join our fight against period poverty.

Host a Period Party with us to help serve homeless individuals and make a positive impact in your community.

Contact Chante: hello@shestories.co

No one should have to choose between tampons or food

OUR SISTER ORG Transitional Living for Women and Children

Home Together We Are One home provides a safe, tranquil, structured sober living sisterhood atmosphere for the women and children to thrive.

We serve women that have become displaced or who are facing homelessness due to unfortunate circumstances such as divorce, health problems, loss of employment, addiction recovery, abandonment and other unexpected life circumstances.

Together we are providing a safe space for women to go from surfing to thriving.

If you and your child are in transition and in need, contact TWAO.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS MORE THAN EVER. IF YOU NEED CARE, PLEASE GET SUPPORT.

NAMI | National Alliance of Mental Illness Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 M-F, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., ET Or in a crisis, text "NAMI" to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling. https://www.nami.org/Home If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline The Lifeline is available for everyone, is free, and confidential.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Text 988 CHAT WITH LIFELINE Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis 1-888-628-9454 National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 Call 800-799-7233 Text “START” to 88788 www.thehotline.org 211 | Essential Community Services Call 211 211 connects you to expert, caring help. Every call is completely confidential.

BE A FEATURE

We are dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life to share their stories and inspire a generation.

Let's uplift and amplify women's voices together.

Find Your Community She Stories Claremont led by Ehmandah Ramsey She Stories Inglewood led by Rashunda Rene She Stories Phoenix led by Lei Bowers

BE A FEATURE

We absolutely love sharing the stories of everyday women just like you! Every woman has a story to tell!

In our community, we share our stories to uplift, inspire and empower women. Stories can be shared one on one, through social media and even through creativity.

Girl, we want you to know there’s healing power in sharing your story. Sometimes you may feel that there’s things only you could’ve experienced, until you hear someone else with a similar experience. You are not alone. Together we overcome.

Would you like to be a feature? Or do you know a woman who’d like to share her story at a live event?

Let us know! Let's change the world together one story at a time. It’s pretty empowering!

Email: hello@shestories.co www.shestories.co