The 28 Day Womb Challenge: Heal A Womb, Heal A Nation
February was all about self love and feminine healing. We were challenged to go within ourselves and face fears, traumas and toxic energies that no longer serve us. We cleansed, smudged, prayed, danced and sweat out our pain; And for 28 Days, our sole purpose was to purify our minds, bodies and spirits. It is so important for us (especially women of color) to learn the techniques to stay centered, spiritually grounded and to tap into our ancestral way of healing.
The 28 Day Womb Challenge was inspired by the lack of spaces and institutions geared towards spiritual feminine healing and womb wellness (especially for women of color). Women give so much to the world. We birth nations, raise children (sometimes grown ass adults) yet we absorb and accept so much trauma and most of us don't know where to begin when it comes to nurturing ourselves. Many of us are still victims of our past - only having learned how to survive, not really how to live and let ourselves truly be happy.
We created this challenge in hopes to providing an outline for sacred womb healing, spiritual evolution and to open the gateway for many women seeking their own divine goddess power. The key to this healing is rooted in the tools we use for spiritual transformation and prosperity.
MEDITATION + PRAYER
We begin most of our practices in a state of meditation. Calming the mind allows you to think more clearly and understand why you have placed yourself in certain situations - or why you are responding to events in your life a certain way. Zhane'l Speaks joined us as a presenter during the challenge, blessing us with her soothing voice and guided meditations.
Prayer is best done in the early morning hours and at night after sunset - but if you feel drawn to pray at any moment throughout the day, listen to your instincts! Take an image of your deity, goddess or Saint/Patron and place it in a sacred space. This should be where you do most of your healing work. If you have a table top not being used, place a clean white (or blue) cloth, a white candle, a bowl of salt water (or florida water) and an incense burner on the table. This is now your sacred healing altar. If you have experience setting this up, use what you usually work with.
JOURNALING + DAILY REFLECTIONS
Writing is a very important process in any type of healing. It allows you to organize your thoughts on paper and get to the root of a lot of your feelings. The best time to do any journal work would be after a shower or bath, early in the morning (setting the intention for the day or reflecting on dreams), or right before you go to bed when you have a moment to set still in silence and really listen to your inner voice.
GODDESS BATHS
The goddess baths are essential for pulling physical and spiritual toxins out of the body, while filling the true self with purification. Your basic ingredients consist of water (obviously) sea salt or pink Himalayan salt (limit use if you suffer from high blood pressure), essential oils (rose for beauty and self love, lemon and orange peel for combating depression, etc) and white tea light candles. Click here for tips on choosing essential oils.
If you'd like to add rose petals or herbs to your water, do so. Make sure you take them out before you release your water to avoid clogging the drain. It's also recommended that you recite your favorite prayer or blessings over the water - since water holds memory - and enter in the mental state of being surrounded by divine light and love.
STONES + CRYSTALS
Crystals have been used for centuries as natures' spiritual vitamins. The metaphysical and healing properties found in crystals can assist in healing trauma (obsidian), protecting the mind from harmful thought patterns and negative influences (quartz, selenite and amethyst is my favorite combo) - balancing the heart chakra in order to give and receive true love (rose quartz). If you have the opportunity to visit a crystal gift shop or metaphysical store, take your time and look around. See what stone calls out to you and feels good in your hand. Let your natural intuition guide you to your stone.
Suggested beginner stones: quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, selenite, bloodstone, citrine, jasper
THE WOMB CHALLENGE (WEEK BY WEEK):
WEEK ONE: RELEASE THE PAST
Before we can acquire anything new, we must make room for it. In order to allow your life to be filled with true liberation, joy and happiness - you must first rid yourself of all the things holding you back from experiencing this sense of peace. This means exes, old/fake friends, stale or draining relationships of any kind, trauma and pain that you keep reliving in your mind and the illusion that limitation is your natural state.
For the entire first week (seven days), your meditations, baths and journal work should be centered around this energy of release. When you write, release the past. Talk about those fears and experiences. Reflect on the misfortunes but find the silver lining. What did you learn? How were you strengthened?
ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK ONE:
Purge With Your Pen: Write a letter to yourself about the past. Anything you are still holding on to, forgive yourself and give yourself permission to release it. You may rip the paper up into small pieces and burn them.
Clean Up Your Castle: Take a day to clean your space. Go through your closets and donate any clothing you no longer wear. De-clutter and throw things away that no longer get use. Your closets and drawers represent your subconscious mind. When you make room in your physical space, you open up your mind to receive more clarity. Clean your kitchen, fridge and other rooms. Observe how you feel after.
Release Negative Yoni Identity: Take a mirror and hold it up to your vagina. Look at it, talk to your womb about how you feel. How do you feel about sex? How do you feel about your feminine energy? If you've experienced trauma, hold your womb and say "I love you" - reassure your yoni that she is more than a sexual object. She is the portal of life.
Smudge Bath: Turn your bathroom into a sauna or smudge room. Light some incense, sage and/or myrrh rocks. Cover the mirrors, crack the window slightly for some ventilation. Run a warm bath or take a hot shower. Let the steam pull out toxins from your pours and body. If you're in the bath, squat over your water and let the water rinse the toxins from in your womb. When you are finished, pray and anoint your body with coconut oil or olive oil.
[ Do any activity you enjoy more than once within the week. Make sure you are journaling after each activity - keep your stones nearby, especially during prayer.]
WEEK TWO: EMBRACE YOURSELF
Once we have rooted and released the past - digging up the darkest parts of ourselves, we need to embrace and accept exactly who we are. Even though we have experienced heart break, deceit and temporary setbacks, those very things didn't break us - it made us STRONGER. Take some time to renew your relationship with yourself this week. Explore your gifts and talents. What do you like? Ho