What's up bald heads? I know what you thinking.... "Jin you left us on read for a month of Monday's now you want to come back in like you ain't been M.I.A"
Yall:
Me:
Okay so ummmm as you know this blog contains affiliate links available for use at no extra cost to you. When you use the links I do receive a small commission that helps fund the blog so if you enjoy this content and would like to keep seeing it use those links and help ya girl out.
Raggedy Rewind: Catching up
To answer your question.... Yes, I did just ignore the tone of that truth you were speaking so loudly in the beginning. The only thing I can say in response is... I was #MMBHB.
The last we spoke I was talking about this air fryer I picked up, Chile. I've been putting anything in that air fryer just trying to see the outcome. Somethings were a hit other things where
We talked about Asteya. Remember what that is? NO? Don't worry you can always reference the previous blog post here is the link
Now let's get down to business
If you have been following me on Instagram you know that I am in the running to be featured in Yoga Journal and be crowned Yoga Warrior 2021. This week our mission is to keep me in the top 5 and get me to first place.
If you haven't been following me on Instagram you are probably like
In Case You missed it
I am in a competition to be featured in a two-page advertorial in one of the largest yoga publications in the world.... Yoga Journal! I will also be crowned Yoga Warrior 2021.
Now I want to start by saying.....if it wasn't for my friend Chelly I would not even be in the competition. This week's blog will shine a light on my yoga pro sis Michelle Dawson.
Chelly and I completed our Yoga teacher training together during the Panorama. We met in a Facebook support group for Black Yoga Teachers in training. I wasn't very active in the group. I would pop in and pop out every not and again. One day I was getting ready to start week 4 for the 4th time. I looked in the mirror and said alright Jin it's time. It's time to drop out of yoga school and become a rapper this is taking too long. My rap name is gonna be J-Turnup or J-Turn since I fixed that turning signal this one time in 2019. Yup that's it I'ma be a rapper. I'd made up my mind. I was sure rapping was the only way for me.
As I logged in to announce my new career move I stopped by to see what the yoga people were doing. I saw little Chelley on the swings going... will someone push me I've been on this swing for about 3 million weeks and I ain't getting nowhere.
Now here I go giggling because she is stuck on the swing stuck and I'm wanting to help her because she was brave enough to ask for help with something that was challenging the both of us. I walked over to the swing and I said I'll help you. I was stuck on the swings before too. In fact, I almost dropped out to become a rapper today. We laughed and I gave her a push as she flew through the air rocking her legs back and forth.
We started meeting on zoom once a week and we would do a weekly text check-in to make sure the other was on task. We decided to slow our roll and take our time to really absorb the information. We set goals for graduation and while life tried to stop us we both graduated.
A few weeks ago Chelly sent me information about the Yoga Warrior Competition. My initial thought was I don't have enough of a yoga story to be considered Yoga Warrior 2021. I immediately tossed that thought in the trash where it belonged as I filled out the applicaion.
This year I've been getting out of my comfort zone and applying for the competition was one of those uncomfortable things I knew I needed to do in order to be who I am- Honorary Dr. Yoga Lady.
Anyway, I applied and forgot until I got an email saying "you are in the running to be featured in Yoga Journal.
I know right? Thanks Will!
The Yoga Warrior competition benefits the VETERANS YOGA PROJECT®.
Veterans Yoga Project is dedicated to the idea that all veterans, service members, and first responders can bridge the gap from posttraumatic stress to post-traumatic growth. This is important to me because I was diagnosed with PTSD in July 2015. I didn't know what that meant for me and I didn't really know how to deal with it so I didn't. I come from a long line of Veterans and while I've never been to battle in the ways they have I've been to battle fighting for yoga education in my community because yoga helped me deal with my PTSD.
According to The American Psychiatric Association, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury.
PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as “shell shock” during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II, but PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, of any ethnicity, nationality, or culture, and at any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year, and an estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD. Three ethnic groups – U.S. Latinos, African Americans, and American Indians – are disproportionately affected and have higher rates of PTSD than non-Latino whites.
I talk about my experience with healing and dealing with my own PTSD in my book The Bald headed Chronicles (available on Amazon- here is the link https://amzn.to/3ryFV4z ).
Stress is the silent killer in our community and I've found yoga lowers my stress levels, puts me in a happier mood, allowed me to connect with myself in the present moment, and it made my philosophical studies make sense in both a physical and mental way.
When I say Yoga saved my life I mean it. Stress is a silent killer and I was STRESSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEDDDD crusty and dead inside just clinging to glimpses of life completely unaware because I was prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) like Lexapro to mute the pain until I switched to yoga.
While I still have days where I'm not completely Zen I'm aware of the feelings in my body, the roots of the feeling when to ask for what I need, and how to provide it for myself. Dealing with someone who lives with PTSD can be challenging if you don't know what triggers them and if they can't tell you either. To that, I say get to know yourself. Learn to love yourself through the ugly parts and thank yourself for getting you through the tough parts of your journey.
If you want to vote for me to be featured in Yoga Journal and be crowned Yoga Warrior 2021 here is the link
We are granted one free vote every day. You can also donate to the VETERANS YOGA PROJECT® for more votes. Your support means the world to me so I want to say thank you again for getting me to the top 5. Let's get me to number 1.
That's it. Special thanks to my yoga ladies that have been holding me down and the bald heads in the community that have been voting every day.
Closing
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. On Tuesday nights at 7 pm EST, I teach a restorative yoga class on zoom. If you have been wanting to get into flow but you've been unsure where to start I think they might be just the gentle start for you. Here is the link. The classes are free for now and donations are accepted. Here is the link for class
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87051822344?pwd=aVh6UjFJOHhHaS8wZ29JRWxSK1YvQT09
Meeting ID: 870 5182 2344
Passcode: 490244
And here is the link for donations
https://paypal.me/baldielox?locale.x=en_US
Your donation helps me in the creation of free content for those who may not be able to afford to pay the regular fee or make a donation.
That's all I have for you today
Remember we are all bald-headed under our hear so keep minding your bald-headed business. So keep minding your bald-headed business.
Namaste
Yoga Pose: Bridge