The official theme for Black History Month this year is Black Health and Wellness. According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, “This theme acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birthworkers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well.” This theme points to just how expansive the meanings of wellness and of mindfulness really are within the vibrant variety of human cultures. The ways that one community cultivates awareness, compassion, and healing of self and others will often be unfamiliar to a different community—yet we can recognize, learn about, and respect one another’s traditions of well-being. Many Black mindfulness teachers share about their communities’ legacies of care and healing, including Jenée Johnson: “My practice around mindfulness is a practice of reclamation—an African principle called sankofa, reclaiming what was left behind or what was lost. Mindfulness gives us the chance to rewrite that narrative,” says Johnson. “Mindfulness is a banner that gathers up different practices from a variety of cultures. It’s not just for one culture. The human breath belongs to the human being. Black people have been practicing mindfulness forever. Think about the Montgomery bus boycott and how people walked for nearly a year, gathering each night at churches to sing and pray, so they could walk the next day. That’s mindfulness. …We know that deep relaxation is important for healing, but how do we replenish ourselves?” To support you as you celebrate, learn, rest, and expand your perspective this month, explore these well-being practices from Black mindfulness teachers.
6 Mindfulness Practices for Black History Month
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Rashid Hughes February 19, 2021
Ava Whitney-Coulter February 18, 2022
Mindful Staff August 12, 2021
