How do we find peace and healing in the face of life’s toughest challenges? In this episode, host Gwendolyn Mitchell is joined by Dr. Lucretia Bolin, a Ph.D.-trained family nurse practitioner, advocate, and BIPOC wellness coach with over three decades of experience in public health, addiction recovery, and violence prevention. In our conversation, Dr. Bolin shares her powerful personal journey as a cancer survivor and healthcare worker, offering insight into the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of healing. Together, they delve into the deep connection between trauma, body health, and community healing. Dr. Bolin's reflections on the importance of gratitude, self-acceptance, and finding peace with life’s inevitable changes provide valuable lessons for anyone facing health struggles. From understanding the body’s innate wisdom to cultivating a deeper appreciation for its resilience, this episode offers heartfelt wisdom for listeners at any stage of their journey. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that challenges the way we view healing and invites you to embrace your own body’s power. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Dr. Bolin’s unique perspective and lived experience!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. Bolin’s 30-year career in public health, addiction recovery, and violence prevention.

• She shares her cancer journey, starting with her diagnosis in 2003 at the age of 42.

• Unpacking the role of safe spaces for Black women healing from trauma and illness.

• The Love Letters project: where women share their stories and find support.

• Paying attention to the body's signals and intuition.

• The impact of trauma on health; why it’s essential to address trauma in the healing process.

• Why self-advocacy is so important in healthcare, especially for Black women.

• The stigma around cancer and the need for support and understanding within the community.

• Reclaiming and embracing the beauty of our bodies; rejecting destructive beauty standards.

• Gratitude as a powerful tool for healing and moving through life’s challenges.

• Life’s uncertainties and the importance of living with intention and joy.

Quotes:

“I've been a healthcare provider for over 35 years working in Western medical systems, and sometimes providers miss the mark. They're not always right.” — Dr. Lucretia Bolin [0:16:13]

“Keep throwing love on it. That’s the super sauce. That's the healing salve. That's something we don't get enough of. And it's an action. It's not just a word.” — Dr. Lucretia Bolin [0:39:05]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Lucretia Bolin, Ph.D on LinkedIn
Dr. Lucretia Bolin, Ph.D on Instagram @curas_sagrada
Dr. Lucretia Bolin, Ph.D on Instagram @‌coloringpsychedelics

Send Dr. Lucretia Bolin a message via WhatsApp 4155778582

The Body Keeps the Score
Tickets to the Love Letters to Our Bodies Oct 19/20 Workshop

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Welcome to the first episode of Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, with your host, Gwendolyn Mitchell, Founder and CEO of MOYO Institute, Inc. As a lifelong spiritual seeker and energy worker, Gwendolyn leads thoughtful conversations on health, healing, and happiness, by, for, and about Black and African American women. In this debut episode, she explores the profound impact of chronic stress, especially among African Americans, and its link to poor health outcomes like cancer and diabetes. While acknowledging racism’s role in exacerbating chronic stress, Gwendolyn powerfully advocates for radical self-care as a path to changing these harmful dynamics. Tuning in, you'll hear how prayer and meditation can become transformative tools for managing stress and fostering healing, leading to inner peace and improved health. She emphasizes that prayer isn’t just a plea for help, but a method for manifesting desires with clarity and gratitude. Gwendolyn also shares a powerful reminder about self-love, urging us to appreciate and cherish our bodies just as they are. Tune in for an inspiring invitation to embrace radical self-care and recognize the beauty within yourself!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to host, Gwendolyn Mitchell, Founder and CEO of MOYO.

• The Love Letters 2 Our Bodies workshops and what to expect from the podcast.

• MOYO's decision to focus on cancer among African American women.

• The particularly severe effect of cancer on African Americans compared to other cohorts.

• How being Black in America, and many other countries, contributes to chronic stress.

• Key findings on the effect of chronic stress on the body, and the role of racism.

• Prioritizing self-care to alter the life-diminishing effects of chronic stress.

• Unraveling messages of self-hatred embedded in systemic racial oppression.

• Methods for living in an empowered state and how to take cues from your body.

• Prayer as a powerful tool for manifestation when approached with clarity and gratitude.

• Techniques for quieting repetitive stress thoughts through meditation and mindfulness.

• Embracing your body's beauty and intelligence, regardless of appearance.

Quotes:

“We have a responsibility to make radical self-care a priority if we're ever going to change these life-diminishing dynamics.” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:17:16]

“We need to unravel the messages of self-hatred that are embedded in systemic racial oppression.” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:19:15]

“Becoming sovereign beings, that's my recommendation for how to meet racism with a life-affirming response.” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:36:30]

“Your body is a gift from God. Your body has intelligence. Your body is beautiful. Love it.” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:37:09]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

‘Meditation and Self-Care: A Radical Life-Affirming Response to Racism’
‘Racial discrimination and telomere shortening among African Americans: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study’
Free Ananda (Joy) Transfer Evenings

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Episode Trailer: Show Notes

Host Gwendolyn Mitchell invites you to Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, a podcast exploring health, healing, and happiness with a focus on Black women’s wellbeing. From health disparities to spiritual empowerment, this podcast tackles how we think, feel, and live in today’s world. In season one, you’ll hear from sisters who’ve faced a cancer diagnosis and turned their journeys into stories of self-discovery and triumph. Episodes launch Thursday, September 12, with weekly releases. Learn more at MOYO Institute, Inc., and subscribe to join the conversation!

Quotes:

“African Americans have poorer health outcomes than other groups. Why is that? Could it be because of the disparities in access to health care and treatment? What is the role of stress, eating habits, [and] exercise?” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:00:20]

“Hear from sisters who've faced a diagnosis with the big C (yes, cancer), many of whom are participating in the Love Letters 2 our Bodies workshops project. They will share their journeys from diagnosis to self-discovery, and how those journeys are shaping their lives.” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:01:01]

“Hear from women who are providing support and access to non-traditional and integrative care and other important information and tools to help prevent this plague from devastating the Black community even further.” — Gwendolyn Mitchell [0:01:31]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute