- 22 hours ago
A space for founders, creators, and creative entrepreneurs to exhale because we don’t get rooms like this often enough. Rebekah Morant and Brittany Bygrave will lead a brief community meditation and seated yoga session for you to reset and fellowship.
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FunTranscript
00:00Well, hi, everyone. I think this is a little bit better. That sounds a little bit better to me.
00:04Welcome to the Talking Circle. The Talking Circle is a in real life manifestation of Unbothered.
00:15Hello. Come in. Come in. Have a seat. Anybody know Unbothered here? The platform?
00:22Beautiful. So I get to introduce you. So Unbothered is a platform that is all about well-being and culture.
00:30We are a part of Sundial Media Group, meaning that we are the sister brand to Essence.
00:37And you are in... Oh, we really are allowed now. Now I'm like...
00:41Okay. Yeah. So you are in the Talking Circle.
00:46So the Talking Circle is... I did not create talking in a circle, but my background...
00:53And my name is Erica Chitty, by the way. I'm the Senior Vice President of Brand and Editorial Content for
00:58Unbothered.
00:59And I actually just only started in February, but this is one of the first things I got to create
01:03was this moment at Essence Fest.
01:06And, you know, we really wanted to create something that was about well-being.
01:09And so I'd say for about 15 years, I've spent my life in women's health helping women tell the stories
01:16of their bodies.
01:17I was a full-spectrum doula and health educator for a very long time.
01:23I've written extensively about, you know, women's health.
01:26But what I've always really loved doing is getting women together to talk.
01:30And so to really facilitate that, I was like, we're not doing a stage.
01:34It's not going to be about a panel.
01:36It's going to be about women being able to see other women, people being able to see other people,
01:41and to be in conversation in a way that we don't really get to do enough of now.
01:45I mean, when's the last time you sat in a circle with people that just listen or talk, right?
01:51And it's actually something that's so natural, it's so native to us.
01:54It's how our people's people's peoples did things.
01:58So the point of today is it's not about speakers or, you know, anybody being above anyone else.
02:06Everyone is on the same level.
02:08And we have two kinds of people in here.
02:11Well, three kinds.
02:12We have keepers.
02:13So I will be your keeper.
02:15I'm here to keep the flow, make sure that you are all feeling good and taken care of.
02:20And then we have anchors.
02:21These three beautiful women are going to be our anchors.
02:23They are going to be anchoring the conversation.
02:25They're going to be sharing their wisdom.
02:27And then we have the circle, which is all of you, right?
02:30So each and every single one of you have something to bring to this conversation, your wisdom.
02:35And even if you don't even say anything, just your energy, your presence is offering us something, okay?
02:39So I am going to open up the circle.
02:43I always open every circle with something we call a clearing.
02:46And we also close the circle with a clearing.
02:49So be prepared.
02:50So I'm going to take us through that.
02:52It's very simple.
02:53I don't have a lab, so I'm going to have to put my mic down.
02:55But we're going to start with me and hopefully all of you.
02:57We're going to rub our hands together really fast, okay?
03:00And then I'm going to count to three.
03:02And when I get to three, we're just going to clap one time.
03:04One clap.
03:05Sound good?
03:06Okay.
03:10Okay, let's go.
03:12Okay.
03:13Go exactly as you can.
03:14I'm going to count to three.
03:16One, two, three.
03:22And now, our anchors.
03:25I'll let you introduce yourselves.
03:30Thank you, Erica.
03:31That was wonderful.
03:32I am Brittany, founder and CEO of Butter Body Care.
03:35But today, I am your co-host under Founders Unplugged.
03:39So I'm excited for this session with you all.
03:42Hi, everyone.
03:44My name is Rebecca Morant.
03:45I am the founder of Black Owned With Bex.
03:48We focus on bringing together Black-owned businesses and just showing people ways to support Black-owned businesses.
03:54So we're really excited to be here today.
03:57Hey, y'all.
03:58Hey.
03:58My name is Vanessa.
03:59I also go by The Well Educator, which is a wellness initiative to support educators' mental, emotional, and physical well
04:05-being.
04:05And I'm super excited to be here today with these other lovely ladies to lead you guys through some chair
04:09yoga.
04:11All right.
04:12So with that being said, we're going to start off.
04:18We are actually, Brittany and I have come together, and we've created a collective called Founders Unplugged.
04:24Founders Unplugged is essentially a way for us to bring founders and creators together to just be.
04:30A lot of times we're always so focused on being on all the time when it comes to networking and
04:35just different things like that.
04:36So this is really a space for us to get to know each other in a stress-free environment and
04:42give ourselves time to breathe,
04:43especially with everything going on, not just in here, but everywhere, right?
04:47So we're really excited to get started.
04:50We're going to start off with a bit of an interactive icebreaker for everyone.
04:55We're going to play a little bingo.
04:56We have some prizes, so this is the time to mix and mingle and get to know each other.
05:02We're going to give about five to ten minutes.
05:04And if you do get bingo, please come up to me and you'll get your prize.
05:08We have three prizes to give out, all right?
05:09So I'm going to go ahead and start handing out bingo.
05:18And we'll put the timing on the clock.
05:21So if you're outside, feel free to come in.
05:24We can't wait to meet you and, of course, interact with one another.
05:28Hello.
05:32You're welcome.
05:34And we'll get some to see you guys.
05:41You're welcome.
05:49And please feel free to head to me if you need a pen.
05:53We're going to lead yoga.
05:54They're doing a bingo and then we're going to do some seated yoga.
05:57So they're leading bingo, like for interactive, like networking, kind of for founders.
06:02And then we're going to go through a seated yoga.
06:05You're welcome.
06:11If you're outside, feel free to come in.
06:14Welcome, welcome.
06:17You're just getting started.
06:19All right.
06:20And let's see.
06:20We have one more.
06:21Do you have any extra?
06:23Do you have any extra?
06:26Do you have any extra?
06:28Do you have any extra?
06:30Do you have any extra?
06:35I'm feeling it.
06:37I have to say that than twice.
06:39Trying to be a good wife.
06:41Yeah.
06:42Still really hard.
06:44I can't lie.
06:45But I promised you I will fight.
06:48So I fight.
06:48I think they read our хочется.
06:49If you're feeling frustrated.
06:51You're sinking.
06:52I'm jumping it.
06:53Forgivness is key because we're finding something way bigger.
06:57If you want them to walk around.
06:58We.
07:02all right okay we're gonna go ahead and get started five minutes on the clock we'll see
07:09where you guys are if we have all of our bingos we'll cut it if not we'll keep going all
07:13right
07:13so i encourage you to mix mingle get to know everybody of course it's what five in a row
07:19you can do across down or diagonal all right go ahead and get started
07:29walk around find some people
07:35they're gonna walk around find people yeah
07:43can you get up and walk around and meet people
07:51i celebrated a win this year
08:05oh what was the break that you took
08:07like
08:07you went by yourself solo
08:23let me see how i can fill up your bingo card
08:35they say i'm crazy oh right here the way you got me oh baby oh no
08:43you know you know we just gonna put a little hole there yeah
08:46they say i'm fucking the way i'm time sweating you're loving
08:54let me see what i can fill out for you
09:00i'll sit and wonder why this feeling i cannot hide it ain't a question of pride
09:08i can fill out for you
09:12oh yeah
09:14how are you i'm good
09:16thank you
09:17it's like
09:19that works
09:21they say i'm
09:23rippin
09:24the way you got my whole life
09:30okay we have our first bingo
09:36are you our first bingo winner
09:39all righty
09:43okay what's your name
09:45roshanna okay roshanna thank you so much
09:55yeah
09:56d-a-n-e
10:01i know it seems like it's not right
10:03some people have me just click from the dot group
10:13did you get one
10:14thank you
10:18all right y'all we got our first bingo
10:22we still keep going still keep going
10:24nothing like
10:30did you get there in this
10:32if you have it help me out
10:37um love yoga
10:40here here you go
10:42uh
10:44i know the name of your business
10:47i just want a little whole thing
10:51yeah did you get
10:52yeah
10:58oh
10:59i want to see how i can help y'all out
11:05okay we got
11:05do you have a business
11:07you can't say
11:07okay
11:08that's all right
11:09you have a business that you want to start
11:11yeah
11:11okay i'm trying to see it
11:13you do
11:14what's yours
11:17okay well i know the name of your business
11:19you're not
11:20but here here here we do have something for you
11:22give it me
11:23give it me
11:24give it me
11:26oh
11:26Well, some of you have been poking a hole.
11:33I don't know if somebody did their love yoga or a lot of you.
11:38Let me see how I can help you out, my girl.
11:40What's your name?
11:41During the United States.
11:43Oh, you're not?
11:43Okay, okay.
11:44She said, she said, I'm going to keep it, though.
11:46Yes.
11:46Oh, thank you.
11:47Yes.
11:49We're done.
11:50I was just about to announce all three of our.
11:52We got all three of our.
11:53Some people have been poking a hole.
11:54We'll give them out afterwards.
11:56Hi, everyone.
11:57Yeah, everybody.
11:59Hello, everyone.
12:02We got all of our bingos, y'all.
12:06Thank you so much for participating.
12:09We will have stuff for you afterwards, though.
12:12We are all winners.
12:15Please stay.
12:16We are all winners.
12:18I'm going to love to connect with her.
12:19We are all winners.
12:23All right.
12:24No, they can keep it, guys.
12:25We are all winners.
12:27We are all winners.
12:27Thank you so much.
12:28All righty.
12:29All righty.
12:30So now, if you guys can start to spread out, we're going to do seated yoga.
12:36I'm sorry.
12:40We are going to do seated yoga.
12:45I'm going to go ahead and put it in my bed.
12:47You don't have to get up.
12:49If you have any injuries, this is perfect for you.
12:52Yes.
12:53We do ask for everyone to spread out.
12:55Give yourself some room.
12:56Slight room.
12:57We love the neighbors.
12:59We give you two to three inches.
13:02Give it to me.
13:04Give it to me.
13:06Give it to me.
13:07Give it to me.
13:08Give it to me.
13:09Give it to me.
13:09All righty.
13:10Is it on?
13:10Can you hear me?
13:11Yes.
13:13Give it to me.
13:14Hello?
13:14Hello?
13:15Hello?
13:15Yep.
13:16There we go.
13:18All right.
13:18Everyone seated, positioned, comfortable.
13:22All right, y'all.
13:23Again, my name is Vanessa.
13:24We're going to go ahead and get into a 10-minute, 10-15-minute chair yoga flow.
13:28This is something that you could do if you're, it's perfect for someone that's working at
13:32home or sitting down often.
13:34So I really, I know it's a lot going on around us.
13:37I really want to immerse us into this space.
13:38We're going to have our sound technician back there put on a little tune for us, and we're
13:43really just going to go ahead and dive in.
13:45I encourage you to come to the edge of your seat.
13:48Want to get her to press press?
13:51Want to get her to press press?
13:53So we're going to go ahead and come to the edge.
13:55Oh, she's playing it.
13:56We're going to come to the edge of our seat, and go ahead and place your palms faced up
14:00on your lap.
14:01Lengthen through your spine, coming nice and tall.
14:03I invite you to either close your eyes or have a low gaze down to the ground.
14:08And we're going to take three cleansing breaths through our nose.
14:11Breathe in through your nose.
14:14Open your mouth.
14:15Exhale.
14:15Let it go.
14:18Another inhale, just like that.
14:20Breathe in through your nose.
14:21But now we see it.
14:23Open your mouth.
14:24Exhale.
14:25Let it go.
14:28Last time.
14:29Breathe in through your nose.
14:32Open your mouth.
14:33Exhale.
14:34Let it go.
14:36If you decided to close your eyes, I invite you to slowly open them now.
14:41And then inhale.
14:41Step your arms up wide.
14:44Gaze follows.
14:46And then exhale.
14:47Palms facing down.
14:48Bring it down.
14:50Two more times, just like that.
14:52Inhale through your nose.
14:54Palms facing up.
14:56And exhale.
14:57Palms facing down.
14:58Let it go.
15:00Last time, just like that.
15:02Inhale.
15:02Stand it up.
15:05Exhale.
15:06Bring your arms down just midway.
15:08And grab your right arm to your left cheek.
15:10For a side stretch.
15:13Option to rotate your arm up and down.
15:16To just feel a little tension in your neck.
15:29And then go ahead and release that and take it on the opposite side.
15:33Grabbing the right cheek.
15:36Lengthen it through your spine.
15:37Make sure we're not slouching.
15:38Sitting up nice and tall.
15:39And rotating your arm.
15:49And then go ahead and release that.
15:51Taking one more inhale.
15:52Send your arms up.
15:54Exhale.
15:55Place them down onto your knees.
15:57We're going to take some seated catcals.
15:59Inhale.
15:59Send your chest forward.
16:02Exhale.
16:02Tuck your tail around your spine.
16:04Send your chin to your chest.
16:07Inhale.
16:07Send your chest up.
16:08I'll be a sanctuary.
16:11Exhale.
16:11Tuck your tail around your spine.
16:15If it's easier for an inhale, maybe place your palms to that bench to get a deeper stretch.
16:22And then exhale.
16:23Send your arms forward.
16:25Curving the spine.
16:28Two more times.
16:29Just like that.
16:30Inhale.
16:30Palms to the bench.
16:32Head is lifted.
16:34Exhale.
16:35Tuck your tail around your spine.
16:40And then place your palms to your knees.
16:41We're going to take some chest rotations.
16:43Inhale.
16:43Send your chest forward.
16:45Exhale.
16:46Round your spine.
16:47Just like that cat-cat motion.
16:50Send your chest forward.
16:52And back.
16:52Moving with your breath.
16:56Really exaggerating.
16:57Proud chest.
17:00And then when you're ready, you can reverse the direction.
17:04Breathing in as you send your chest forward.
17:06Exhaling as you're sending it back.
17:09Better wake up because you're part of something way bigger.
17:13You're part of something way bigger.
17:15And then last rotation here.
17:20I'm going to invite us to now.
17:22Go ahead and open up just slightly into like a wide forward fold.
17:26You're going to inhale.
17:27Send your arms up.
17:28And place them on your shoulders.
17:31Nice and tall.
17:32Tucking in your core.
17:33So not an arch back like this.
17:34Tucking it in.
17:35We're going to do some side twists here.
17:37You should feel that stretch on your lower side.
17:40And the opposite direction.
17:45And two more this side.
17:49And turning.
17:57One more each side.
18:05And go ahead and come center and forward fold over the leg.
18:13And then roll up slowly.
18:17Arch in your back.
18:18Exhale.
18:18Send it forward.
18:20And fold over.
18:23And then coming up slowly.
18:25Two more just like that.
18:27Moving at your own pace.
18:28Not worried about anybody but yourself and your pace.
18:36Last one.
18:37It's business and I call you back.
18:39It's business and I call you back.
18:40It's business and I call you back.
18:40Breathe in as you send your head down.
18:43Exhale as you're coming up.
18:46Go ahead and bring your feet together.
18:47We're going to do some legs.
18:49So make sure you're not directly in front of somebody.
18:51Go ahead and scoot to the edge of the chair if you have to reposition.
18:54Lengthen through your spine.
18:55Tuck your tail a little.
18:56And you're going to inhale.
18:57Lift your right leg up.
18:58And exhale.
18:59Send it forward.
19:01Breathe in through that tension.
19:02And then point your toe.
19:03Flex.
19:04Point your toe.
19:05Flex.
19:06And then bring it back.
19:08Take another opposite side.
19:09Inhale.
19:09Lengthen through your spine.
19:10Send your left leg up.
19:12Exhale.
19:13Send it forward.
19:14Point your toe.
19:14And flex.
19:16Point your toe.
19:17Flex.
19:20One more.
19:20Just like that.
19:23And bring it down.
19:24Opposite leg.
19:25Inhale.
19:25Send it up.
19:26And out.
19:28Point your toe.
19:29And flex.
19:35And then go ahead and place it down last time.
19:38Lengthen through your spine.
19:39Leg up and out.
19:41Point your toe.
19:42Flex.
19:48And place it down.
19:50This time we're going to take a figure four seated.
19:52Go ahead and send your right ankle to your left knee.
19:57Stay here.
19:58Lengthen through your spine.
19:59If that's a deep enough stretch for you.
20:01Or maybe you fold over.
20:06Maybe you hug your knee.
20:11Again, this is good if I'm somebody that's working from home or sitting down all day.
20:21Breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth.
20:31And go ahead and send that foot down.
20:33Opposite leg.
20:34Bringing the left ankle to the right knee.
20:38Again, lengthen through your spine.
20:39If this feels good, stay here.
20:41Or you can exhale, fold over.
20:44Grabbing your knee.
20:54Again, breathing in and out through your nose.
20:57Next time I see you, I'm going to walk right up to you and say what's on my mind.
21:05And go ahead and plant your foot back down.
21:08I get real comfortable where I'm at, so I took off my shoes.
21:10You don't have to do that, but hey.
21:12Now we're going to go ahead and go back into that wide-legged fold.
21:16Inhale, sweep our arms up.
21:20Palms together, back down to heart center.
21:23Two more, just like that.
21:24Inhale, sweep your arms up.
21:27Palms together, back down to heart center.
21:31Last time, inhale, sweep your arms up.
21:35This time you're going to drop your left arm into a side body stretch.
21:43Breathing in and out through the attention.
21:47If you notice your spine is curved, maybe lengthen through.
21:55Then come slowly, take it on the other side.
21:59Inhale, reach.
22:01Left side body stretch.
22:17Then coming together, we're going to take that same thing.
22:20Inhale, arms up.
22:22And this time exhale, squeeze your shoulder back.
22:25Left side stretch.
22:27Inhale, stay your arm up.
22:28And then exhale, feel the side stretch in your shoulder.
22:31Inhale, send it up.
22:34Exhale.
22:36Little shoulder squeeze.
22:37Two more, just like that.
22:44And then last, go.
22:46Opposite arm.
22:47Inhale, send it up.
22:49Exhale, bring it back.
22:52Inhale, send it up.
22:54Exhale, bring it back.
22:57Exhale, bring it back.
22:57Inhale, send it up.
22:59Exhale, bring it back.
23:00Last one.
23:01Going to bring your hands to the back of your head and just to the side.
23:06Make sure our body's not slouched.
23:10And to the side.
23:15Moving at your own pace.
23:26And when you're ready, you're going to bring your toes together and then you exhale, fold over.
23:31Take your hands to the side.
23:32I'm going back, back, back, back.
23:34When my roots ain't water down.
23:36Growing, growing like a Bob Bob tree.
23:38All life on water ground.
23:40And sister, put me on the face.
23:41We're going to inhale, send our arms up to end together.
23:44With one collective breath.
23:45Breathe in.
23:46Palm down to heart center.
23:48I invite you to close your eyes, and I'm going to leave you with an affirmation.
23:51I'm going to leave us with an affirmation to take with us.
23:56You can have your eye remain with your eyes closed,
23:58and leave you with this affirmation that came to me this morning,
24:01and I want to bring to you here.
24:05This affirmation is number 813, follow your passions.
24:08You are being called to master a talent you already own.
24:12The thing that comes naturally to you is your gift.
24:14These passions are given to you to make your life meaningful for yourself and for others.
24:20Find the inspiration to pursue your gifts in your daily life.
24:23Consider a few ways you can have fun with your talents today,
24:26no matter how small or how trivial they may seem.
24:30So I invite you to remain with your eyes closed and see how that resonates with you.
24:46And with that intention set, or with that affirmation set,
24:49we're going to inhale, sweep our arms up, arms together,
24:53bringing in all the lovely energy we just created in here today back down to your heart.
24:59Go ahead and give your neighbor a little look.
25:02Say thanks for being here.
25:03And the other neighbor, thanks for being here.
25:05Come on, little wink.
25:06I know that's right.
25:08Whatever expression.
25:09But yeah, thank you all.
25:10I hope that felt great.
25:10Again, that's something you can do if you're sitting down all day.
25:13Last night, I was getting my hair done, sitting in a chair,
25:15and I said, ooh, my back is feeling a little tight.
25:17Let's find a way to move.
25:18And so that's the inspiration where this flow came from today.
25:21So thank y'all for being here.
25:26And you know, it didn't happen if we didn't get a pic.
25:28I just also want to say thank you to Rebecca and remind me one more time,
25:32Brittany, for inviting me here today.
25:34I met them one year ago today.
25:35And so that's where that affirmation came from, a fall of your passion.
25:38I met her sitting at Justine's and Night Bloom,
25:42The Other Bar, last year.
25:44And she led this lovely activation here at the Unbothering Well stage
25:47a little further down.
25:48And so I'm just very appreciative of her,
25:50one, creating this lovely initiative
25:52and also inviting me back here today.
25:53So thank you.
25:54Absolutely.
25:56Can you guys give Vanessa another hand, please?
26:01I know.
26:01I'm sweating too.
26:02Are y'all sweating?
26:03Are y'all hot?
26:03I'm sweating.
26:04Okay, great.
26:06With that being said, we just want to once again thank you all for being here.
26:12We really are fostering a space where founders and creators can just be
26:17and just have the space to relax.
26:20I think a lot of times we're always on, right?
26:22We're always worrying about the next thing.
26:24What's happening next?
26:25What do we have to do next?
26:27And so it's really good to just sometimes be around each other
26:30and give ourselves the time to breathe.
26:32So I just want to leave you with that.
26:34I know the weekend has just started,
26:35but just remember throughout this weekend,
26:38throughout all the craziness to just breathe, all right?
26:40Thank you guys so much.
26:42Thank you guys so much.
26:43And with that being said,
26:44we have a couple of gifts to leave you all with.
26:47So please, we'll probably meet you guys over here.
26:51Or if you guys could just kind of walk around
26:53and we'll hand them to you as you guys walk out.
26:56So thank you, thank you, thank you so much for being here, you guys.
26:59Thank you, and happy Essence Fest.
27:00Happy Essence Fest.
27:02Happy Essence Fest.
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