- 9 hours ago
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hi, everybody. I hope that you are enjoying the Essence Festival of Culture. I'm so excited
00:11to be here with you in partnership with Neutrogena to talk to you a little bit about my time
00:17in quarantine and how I'm cultivating wellness and self-care. You know, Audre Lorde talks about how
00:26for us as Black women, self-care is not a luxury. Self-care is self-preservation. And therefore,
00:33it is a political act where I get to affirm my worth and my value. So I am here to affirm your
00:42worth and your value and to help you breathe a little bit, which I feel like a lot of us need
00:48at this time. I'm so grateful that Neutrogena is allowing me or helping me to bring you this time.
00:55So, come on.
01:01Let's start here with some breathing. So just try to do some what's called Ujjayi breathing. And that
01:08means that you're making kind of a Darth Vader sound when you breathe. To find it, you can try to fog up
01:13your hand with an imaginary mirror. So that sound that you make, that's kind of the placement of
01:21your throat. But you keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose, teeth apart, mouth
01:26closed. And just try to inhale on a count of four and pause and exhale. Two, three, four. Close your eyes
01:38and inhale. Two, three, four. Through your nose and exhale. Two, three, four. You can put your hands on
01:47your lap. Just continue to breathe. Two, three, four. And exhale. Two, three, four. Imagine a string
01:58on the very top of your head. And it's just gently tugging you toward the heavens so that your spine can
02:05be nice and stretched. And try to relax your butt muscles. Let your sits bones, those muscles in the
02:12middle of your butt, just sink into the ground. Beautiful. And just keep breathing.
02:18And no matter what sounds you hear around you, whether it's your kids laughing or a garbage truck
02:28or the phone is ringing, maybe you're getting alerts, just stay with yourself and breathe.
02:35Put your hands on your heart.
02:41And feel the air coming in and out of your lungs.
02:45And try to let the air go a little bit deeper all the way to your belly and your lungs start all
02:59the way up here in your collarbones. So let the air come high and low.
03:03Beautiful. So I'm going to ask you to come to all fours, but stay with your breath. Keep your mouth
03:16closed. Oh, my dog is in the background. She's visiting us, which is amazing because we're about
03:21to do cat-cow. So you can say hi to Josephine Baker, the amazing wonder dog. But come to all fours.
03:29And you're going to inhale, gently stretch your spine and exhale, curve your spine. And just move with your breath.
03:42Inhale and exhale and push through your hands to inhale and push through your hands to exhale.
03:58So really try to wake up your spine and let your breath be part of the movement.
04:10Now inhale, take your right arm up and stretch.
04:15And let your eyes gaze toward your hand. Keep inhaling and exhaling.
04:20Good. Reach a little bit more. Reach all the way through your fingertips. Let your heart shine out.
04:29Imagine there's a bright light in your heart. And exhale. You're going to curve your arm through.
04:34So I'll spin around so you can see. You're going to curve your arm through and relax your head on the ground.
04:41Beautiful. Come back to all fours and do a little bit more cat and cow. Just let it be like a massage now for your spine.
04:56Let the air wake up your spine.
05:03And now your left hand reach up.
05:11And again, you're pushing through the hand that's on the floor.
05:17You're reaching through the hand that's reaching to the sky. Keep inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
05:26Gaze up. Relax your face. Don't scrunch your face. Try to relax your eyes. Relax your face.
05:32Exhale. And again, reach through.
05:34And I'll turn around for you again.
05:39You're going to reach through.
05:42And rest your head on the ground.
05:46Inhale. Exhale. Let that be a nice stretch for your back and your shoulder.
05:52Maybe even for your lower back.
05:54Upper back. Your shoulder. Your neck.
05:58Try to relax into the floor as you reach these fingers.
06:01Don't let these fingers get lazy. Let them reach us as they stretch.
06:07Create space.
06:10Beautiful.
06:12Come back up.
06:14And we're going to sit.
06:16So you can sit comfortably.
06:19We're going to sit crisscross applesauce.
06:22So one leg in front of the other.
06:24If you want to put a towel under your knees to support you, you can do that. That's fine.
06:27We're going to bring our hands to prayer pose, which is also Anjali Mudra.
06:33This means offering.
06:34So we're offering our breath and our bodies today to our highest self, to self-love.
06:40Inhale.
06:41Reach up.
06:43And exhale.
06:45Spin around.
06:47You're going to get a spinal twist.
06:49So with this pose, it's really important that you inhale again, that idea of a string at the top of your head.
06:56Inhale up.
06:58And then exhale.
06:59Twist your body around.
07:00And you can use this hand pressing against your knee to push you around.
07:06Spinal twists are so good.
07:07It rings out the spine.
07:09You can imagine wringing all the toxins out of your organs, making space for more breath.
07:15So inhale and exhale.
07:22And inhale.
07:23Back to prayer pose.
07:26Inhale and exhale.
07:30Twist.
07:33So just keep breathing.
07:34We're doing a lot of work with the spine today because, you know, I've said this before on Instagram,
07:40but if somebody is spineless, it's as if they have no inner strength, no moral code.
07:47So we want our spines to be strong, flexible, alive, so that we have real strength.
07:57Remember, inhale up.
07:59And exhale.
08:00Twist.
08:04Bring your hands back to prayer pose.
08:07And then switch your legs.
08:08So we're going to do the same thing again, just one more time, each pose with your legs now.
08:14Switch so the other one's in front.
08:15And this time I want to talk less so that we can all just breathe more.
08:18Just follow your breath.
08:20See what comes up.
08:21Push yourself, but be loving and gentle.
08:24Inhale.
08:26And exhale.
08:27Inhale.
08:28And so what does that mean to push yourself past your comfort zone, but also be loving about it?
08:42To not force yourself, but to be gentle as you explore going a little bit past your comfort zone
08:53and encouraging yourself to come back to front, encouraging yourself to be the best version
09:00of you today, in this moment.
09:03Inhale.
09:06And exhale.
09:28Beautiful.
09:28And for our last pose, for this sequence, we are going to bring your feet to butterfly
09:35pose.
09:36And I like to add a little bit of a foot massage in this moment, because for us to stand up
09:44in life, and whether it's standing poses or just standing in our kitchens, whatever it
09:48is, our feet need to be awake for us to be able to have really strong, healthy posture.
09:55We don't want to forget our feet.
09:56They are our base.
09:58They are how we interact with the earth.
10:01So, you want to wake your feet up.
10:03So, you want to wake your feet up.
10:04You want to show your feet some love.
10:07And then we're going to bend over.
10:09Now, for this pose to be most relaxing for you, maybe you want to get a book or a block or
10:14a towel or a blanket.
10:16Or you can take both fists and put them on top of each other so that you're not reaching
10:21to rest your head.
10:22So, you have a little bit of a platform to hang over, and just let your head be heavy.
10:30So, don't look at me.
10:32Look down.
10:34Let your head be heavy.
10:37Let your legs be heavy.
10:39I know it's a stretch, but try to just release.
10:42With every exhale, release.
10:45Let your lips be heavy.
10:47Let your eyes be heavy.
10:52Let this curve in your spine just feel restorative and relaxing.
11:07Beautiful.
11:08And roll up.
11:11Let's do one more sort of cat and cow in this pose.
11:16So, use your hands to pull your spine forward.
11:20Try to open your heart.
11:21Inhale.
11:22Stay here.
11:23Really shine your heart out.
11:26Really stretch your spine and exhale.
11:29Push.
11:29Again, use your hands to push yourself away and curve your spine.
11:33One more time.
11:34Inhale.
11:38And exhale.
11:44And then come back to seated pose.
11:46And I like to end every series.
11:50Oh, I kind of want to roll my head around.
11:53So, if you want to release your neck a little bit, you can roll your head.
11:57Oh, that's nice.
12:00And sometimes I wind up doing this and sort of giving myself a little bit of a massage,
12:04feeling where I'm tight, so that when I go into my final breathing or prayer time, whatever it is,
12:10I'm really released.
12:11I'm really released.
12:12So, namaste.
12:14Thank you for joining me.
12:17Hi.
12:18Hi.
12:18Yay.
12:19Oh, my God.
12:21That was amazing.
12:22I feel relaxed.
12:23I have my yogi pose.
12:24You don't see it, but I have my yogi pose.
12:26Did you do it?
12:28Yes.
12:29Yes.
12:29And I breathe and I feel relaxed.
12:31And this is so important.
12:33You know, thank you so much for being part of this year's festival.
12:37You always come to festivals, but this moment is really special because we have a close time
12:42with you, and this is something really unique.
12:45Why now is self-care so important for Black women right now?
12:49Such a great question.
12:50You know, first of all, I think we as Black women, we have always been people who get it
12:56done.
12:57You know, we've never had the luxury of being folks who don't work, who don't have to really
13:07be at the forefront of taking care of our families, our communities, our cities, our states.
13:12I think sometimes we put ourselves last, and it's really important that we put ourselves
13:20first.
13:20It's that old idea of putting your own oxygen mask on that you can't really be present for
13:27the people in your life, or for that matter, for the movement, if you aren't taking care
13:32of yourself.
13:33I also think, like, I think about movements like Say Her Name, you know, the amazing work
13:39that Kimberly Crenshaw is doing, that we have to really struggle to get people to acknowledge
13:45the deaths of Black women who have been victims of police violence.
13:50And what that says to me is that we're not valuing the lives of Black women in our culture.
13:56The fact that Breonna Taylor's murderers are still out there means that we are not valuing
14:02the lives of Black women as a society, as a culture.
14:05So we have to at least be valuing ourselves.
14:10We have to at least be affirming our own value and our beauty and care so that we can sort
14:17of model that to the rest of society, to care for us.
14:22This is so important to care.
14:25And this is our role at Essence, to really remind Black women they need to take care of
14:29themselves.
14:30And this is as well as the goal of this Wellness House.
14:33And talking about taking care of ourselves, right, how does mental health play into that?
14:40Oh, mental health is everything.
14:42I mean, I think it's really important that we not undervalue what we need to stay feeling
14:49good.
14:49You know, there are things I do to take care of myself on the outside so that I stay feeling
14:53good and also on the inside.
14:56Taking care of our breath is one of the easiest ways, or let's say one of the most effective
15:02ways to take care of our nervous system.
15:05So when we remind ourselves to breathe, when we create space and time to breathe like we
15:11did today, we're really letting our nervous system know that we are ready to slow down.
15:18And that impacts our physical well-being and our emotional well-being.
15:22So mental health is so important.
15:23I'm a firm believer in my therapist.
15:26I'm very grateful for my therapist.
15:27But wherever it is that you need to get help and resources, you know, please go out there
15:33and make sure that you have somebody you can talk to so that you never think you have
15:39to be doing this alone, particularly in these unprecedented times.
15:45You know, you're talking about taking the time.
15:48But for example, me, I'm a mom of five years old, so it's very hard to find the time.
15:52The clue, six years old, and three, and 14.
15:56Oh, you see, so how did you find the time and the routines that work for you?
16:01You know, it's different.
16:02It's different all the time.
16:03I try to carve out little spaces to be able to take care of myself.
16:08But sometimes it means also multitasking, right?
16:12So it's funny, but one of the reasons why I love the products that we make at Neutrogena,
16:16every foundation we make is doing double duty, whether it's reversing or treating wrinkles,
16:22anti-aging or treating acne or extra hydration.
16:28Like, we're always on double duty.
16:30And that's the nature of women, right?
16:31And I think that's part of how sometimes we have to work smarter, not harder,
16:36so that we can take care of ourselves when we're moms or running companies or both.
16:41Or doggy moms.
16:43I can see that.
16:45And when you follow a consistent self-care routine, what's the outcome?
16:48How do you feel?
16:50I think you feel great.
16:51You know, it's interesting for me, in particular with skin, like I've had eczema my whole life.
16:57So I've had to think about the health of my skin really my whole life.
17:01And I've gone to dermatologists my whole life in order to find routines that work for me.
17:07But I think when I'm doing that, like that's my, that's sort of my minimum.
17:13That's my bar.
17:14That's my flag.
17:15Like, if I'm not taking care of my skin, like washing my face, moisturizing my face, cleansing, moisturizing,
17:22like making sure that my skin is healthy, then I know that I'm not putting myself first.
17:28So I think, you know, exercise, drinking water, skin care routine, giving, making time for friends and family,
17:36making time for mental health.
17:37These are all ways that we can really feel good in this marathon, you know,
17:42because this is, it's clear that the world has changed.
17:45We're in a new moment and we need to learn how to take care of ourselves in this new world.
17:50So what would be the one self-care tips that you can give us, share with Black women right now?
17:56What would be the one, just one?
17:58So one thing I'm super passionate about, which is another reason why I'm happy that I'm doing this with Neutrogena,
18:04is sunscreen, right?
18:06SPF, because I think often we as Black women think that we are immune from skin cancer,
18:13from the need to be protecting our skin.
18:14But for me, I'm out here doing yoga.
18:16Every time I'm out doing yoga because I do it in my yard, I make sure that I'm, I mean,
18:21I put on my sunscreen because I don't want to be doing something that's good for me
18:28and then be hurting myself in the process, right?
18:31So I'm going to take care of my lungs, I'm going to take care of my immune system,
18:34but I also want to take care of my skin.
18:36So putting SPF on, moms, your kids, the best thing you can do for your kids' skin health
18:42and skin cancer is preventable.
18:44The most important thing we can do is putting SPF on ourselves
18:47because our kids, they're watching what we do, not what we say.
18:50So it's, you know, also putting SPF on is something I feel like I do for my health,
18:54for the health of my family.
18:56So that's a big one.
18:58And then I have to say washing my face.
19:00I am like religious about washing my face, but I will tell you a secret.
19:05How do you do it?
19:06Like, I'm a big double cleansing person, but I would joke, like when I first became a mom,
19:12these wipes, like the, these are actually the new Hydro Boost wipes,
19:17but any of the Neutrogena wipes, these are amazing because they multitask with hyaluronic.
19:21But I used to call my wipes, my Neutrogena wipes, my shower when I first became a mom
19:25because sometimes that was all I could do.
19:28It was like wipes from head to toe.
19:30So even now, if I'm super exhausted, I cleanse my face.
19:34It may just be with the wipes.
19:36On a good day, it's double cleansing.
19:37It's the wipes and then additionally washing my face.
19:40But whatever you can do, like no judgment, just make sure you're clean before you get in bed
19:44because I want my skin to breathe.
19:47So that will be the new thing.
19:50So I will put the wipes in my bag and like this, I can anytime because sometimes you feel so tired.
19:56You feel so tired.
19:56You want to bed and you're like, should I?
19:59Should I?
20:00Yes.
20:00Put it to the bedside, right?
20:02So even, you know, when there's times where you're so tired, you wind up, you're on your pillow
20:04and you're like, I don't know if I can go up and brush my teeth and wash my face.
20:08I just don't know.
20:09But the wipes are there.
20:11You know, you have your book that you're reading.
20:13I have my, what's on my night table?
20:14My water, my book I'm reading, my nighttime supplements and my wipes and myself.
20:20Oh my God.
20:21That will be the good tips that I will use because when you have no time, you still have the time for the wipes.
20:27You just put the wipes after that on the side.
20:29Thank you so much for this moment of peace, actually.
20:32This is what we need now, Black women.
20:34We need this moment of peace and taking care of ourselves.
20:37That was just magic.
20:38Thank you, everybody, for joining.
20:40Thank you, Essence Fest.
20:43I hope you guys continue to enjoy the festival.
20:45Thank you to Neutrogena.
20:47And take care of yourself, ladies.
20:49We need you.
20:50Namaste.
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