Culture Meets Wellness

TW: This episode includes discussions of depression. Happy new year everyone! This week, we are joined by Samukele Ncube for an incredible discussion about healing, self love, and her new book launch 'Things You Need to Hear Most', which is a collection of poetry and notes rooted in self care.During this episode, we discuss her experience with depression and illness, feeling misaligned with her true purpose, and how using poetry to heal through her own personal challenges ultimately led to the creation of her book. We also talk about letting go, finding yourself, the importance of maintaining a consistent self-care practice, and how we can each tap into our inner power to create great things, whether that is simply for ourselves or for the world. To keep up to date with Sam and pick up a copy of her new book, check out her website: https://www.samukelencube.com. Make sure to show her some love and pick up her book when it launches on February 14th, 2021!

This week, we are joined by Kassandra Kernisan, who is a certified Kemetic Yoga Instructor, Naturopath, Apprentice Traditional Healer and Kem Initiate, Entrepreneur and Speaker. During this episode, we speak in depth about the disconnect that many in the African diaspora often feel when it comes to understanding their roots. We speak about Kassandra's shift from the corporate world to the world of wellness, dealing with her parent's resistance to her life plans, her own personal journey with reconnecting with her roots, and what she has learned about wellness and healing along this journey. We also talk about the interconnectedness of spirituality, healing, and nature, how colonialism has led many of us to reject the healing practices that have historically been part of our ancestry. We also speak about Kemetic yoga, what it is, and how it can also be used as a tool for us to reconnect with ourselves and our ancestral roots. Lastly, we speak about her community work directed towards Black youth and the initiatives underway with various organizations to level the playing field and encourage diversity, inclusion, and equity for these individuals.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of reproductive and sexual trauma, as well as conversations around slavery and racism. This week, we are joined by Saran James-Vaughan, who is a Holistic Nutritionist and Reproductive Wellness Facilitator. During this episode, the two of us had an in-depth conversation around reproductive and health and wellness, particularly related to the Black community. We discuss the stigma behind reproductive health and our tendency to ignore signs until they have become severe. We also talk about our tendency to mirror our ancestors when it comes to our attitude towards self-care, and how our generation may be perpetuating many cycles are no longer required and that no longer serve us any longer. Lastly, we speak about sexual health, its link to racism and slavery, and the conditions that need to be in place to repair one's relationship with their own body and to encourage safety when it comes to sexuality. To keep up with Saran, follow her IG @wellness_by_saran & check our her website: wellnessbysaran.com.

This week, we are joined by Lashawna Phillips, who is the founder of Nurture with Botanics, which is a company focused on providing resources, products, and guidance for individuals to develop their own unique journeys to intentional living with botanics. We cover a variety of topics during our conversation, including Lashawna's own wellness journey, how and why she started Nurture with Botanics, the importance of living with intention, overcoming fears and self-doubt, the lessons we've both learned as new entrepreneurs, her personal favourite botanics, and information about her latest product launch (hint: it's perfect for the fall)! You can keep up with Lashawna & Nurture with Botanics at their instagram page, @nurturewithbotanics, as well as on their website, www.nurturewithbotanics.com.

This week, we're joined by Taty Cokley, who is an influencer, beauty guru, and entrepreneur whose content focuses on killer beauty looks, the hottest fashion trends, and most importantly, female empowerment. In this episode, we speak about Taty's experience with anxiety, mental health, and trauma. As part of our discussion, we covered a variety of topics, including the general lack of understanding around the severity of anxiety; her own personal journey with anxiety and how she has learned to cope with it; why it's important to heal our 'inner child'; her advice for those looking to work through their own mental health challenges; the different ways that understanding our emotions can help us foster better relationships with others; and Taty's personal definition of self-love and self-care. To keep up with Taty, check her out on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok at @tatycokley!

This week, we're joined by Meenakshi Sharma, who is a mom, blogger, radio host, and founder of The Lotus Movement - a mental health movement focused on demystifying the stigma associated with mental health specifically within the South Asian community. In this episode, we discuss her motivations for starting The Lotus Movement; the cultural stigma that exists around mental health; the tougher & less glamorous side of entrepreneurship; why its important to care about mental health, even when it isn't impacting you directly; breaking the cycle of shame around mental health, and the one thing that she wants her daughters to know about navigating the world. To stay up to date with Meenakshi, make sure to follow both her personal account, @mamauntoldthoughts, as well as The Lotus Movement @the_lotus_movement!

TW: This episode includes discussions around self-harm. This week's podcast guest is Helen Garcia, who is a vulnerable friend, graduate student, musician, social worker, and host of podcast "Who You Needed", where she talks to friends and leading thought leaders about how to lead with radical introspection and vulnerability. During our discussion, we discuss her family's journey from the Philippines to LA during her early childhood & her first encounters with trauma as a child; how her early childhood experiences shaped her views of the family structure, work ethic, and the world around her; how being an immigrant, the eldest sibling, and highly ambitious have prevented her from showing vulnerability in friendships and relationships; her experience with self-harm and the underlying reasons why she turned to it during hard times; how emotions were handled in her household growing up; and taking ownership over your own narrative and choosing not to let your past define your future.

The Culture Meets Wellness podcast is finally back! In our first episode following our brief pause, we are joined by Jennifer Okolo, who is an Occupational Therapist and founder of She Aspires UK, which is a brand that encourages young females to write and interact on a series of real-world issues that affect them. In our discussion, we talk about why it's important to be transparent about the struggles on our journeys to success, the mental health stigma, the unexpected ways in which we can all be impacted by mental health & why we should care about it, how not seeing herself represented in the mental health and medical industries inspired her to pursue her career as an Occupational Therapist, the different ways that racism is present in the mental health and medical industries, and her personal tips for those looking to break the stigma and prioritize their mental health.

This week we are joined by Queeny Kuffour, who is a Ghanaian actress, youtuber, and content creator currently based in Toronto. In this episode, we discuss her experience with moving to LA for acting school, the hurdles associated with being a youtuber and trying to make it as a Black actress in Canadian media, her Ghanaian cultural background & the degree to which she feels connected to it, her thoughts on wellness and how it is viewed within the Black community, and how she deals with the mental toll of being a figure within the public and online space. To find out more about Queeny, follow her on Instagram @queenykaay, and check out her Youtube Channel, Queeny Kaay.

This week's guest is Nadine Yousif, who is an award nominated Iraqi-Canadian journalist who currently writes for Macleans and has previously written for The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. During this episode, we discuss Nadine's experience as a racialized woman in the Canadian journalism industry, the various hurdles that she has had to overcome in her career thus far, and how her experience has changed given the current focus on anti-racism. We also discuss her journey towards accepting her background as an Iraqi woman, embracing her cultural roots, and her family's attitude towards wellness growing up. Lastly, we discuss how learning to cook traditional Iraqi meals has served as a self-care tool for Nadine and allowed her to feel more connected to her culture. To learn more about Nadine and what she is currently up to, follow her on her Twitter, @nadineyousif_.

This week, we are joined by Marci Gray, who is a Psychotherapist and Social worker who founded her own private practice, Gray Matter Health. In light of current events, we invited Marci to discuss all things racial trauma, including what it actually is, some practical examples of what racial trauma can look like in different people, her thoughts on the mental health impacts that the increased focus on police brutality has had on Black folks, her advice on how Black folks can engage in social justice work without getting drained/burned out, and how we can begin to heal from racial trauma given that it is ongoing. To find out more about Marci Gray and her work, check out her website https://www.graymatterhealth.com/, or follow her on Instagram @graymatterhealth.

At the time of this podcast, North America is seeing a large number of resistance uprisings in response to the continued police violence against Black people. In light of these events, this week, we are joined by Reakash Walters to talk about anti-Black racism in the U.S. and Canada. Reakash is a community organizer and articling student who works tirelessly to spread awareness about anti-Black racism here in Canada and to spark change within her field. In this podcast episode, we cover a variety of topics, including Reakash's work in the legal field and career ambitions, how she personally feels about the recent increase in attention that the Black Lives Matter movement has gotten, the existence of anti-Black Racism and police brutality in Canada, our thoughts on 'Black Out Tuesday', how we feel about white and non-Black POC friends/companies suddenly reaching out to us, and whether her self-care routine has been impacted by recent events. For additional information about police brutality in Canada, check out the following resources and articles provided by Reakash: https://www.blmyeg.com/news/defund-eps-letter-template & https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-custom/deadly-force & https://www.pyriscence.ca/home/2020/5/29/cdnpolice. You can also follow her on twitter at @Reakash.

In this episode, we are joined by Sydnee Burgess, who works in the medical field as a clinician and is a yoga teacher based in Ottawa. As part of our discussion, we talk music, mind-body connection, her career and cultural background, as well as her perspective on and experience with wellness.

This week, we are joined by Domanique Grant, who is a singer, songwriter, creator, and entrepreneur who was born and raised in Toronto. During our discussion, we talk about how she became a singer-songwriter, the time she spent living in Uganda and how it changed her overall mindset, the degree to which she feels connected to her Carribbean background, developing an awareness for our privilege, and how wellness & mindfulness can help with battling fear and developing the self-confidence to go after the life you deserve, even when society tells you that your dreams are 'too big', and when we consider the existence of systemic racism.

This week's guest is Charysse Griffith-Rowley, who is currently a university student who was born and raised in Canada, but is from Trinidad. We talk about a wide variety of topics, including how she bought her first house/investment property, her business and entrepreneurial ambitions, her passions for spreading awareness about personal finance and social justice, her journey towards learning about her West Indian culture, black women and the pressure to care for others before ourselves, and the importance of positive affirmations and why she is so passionate about incorporating them into her life.

In this week's episode, we are joined by Stacey Karuhanga, who is from Uganda and moved to Canada for university. Currently, she works in the mental health field as a psychotherapist and has a passion for working with children. During our conversation, we talk about how she got into the mental health field and what her career has been like thus far, why she is passionate about teaching children about mental health early, her experience with moving to Canada as an international student, the different challenges that many international students face as it relates to mental health, and the different wellness and self-care activities that Stacey partakes in.

Culture Meets Wellness by Anona Wellness is a weekly podcast that features discussions about wellness and mental health amongst immigrants and people of colour, with an overall goal of reducing stigmas associated with the topics. To help facilitate these discussions, we are joined by individuals from all walks of life who each share one thing in common - they are people of colour and/or immigrants. From university students to psychotherapists to industrial designers to CEOs, each of these guests have had some sort of experience with wellness and each of these individuals have had that experience impacted by their cultural background. Tune in every Sunday for a brand new discussion with a brand new guest, and make sure to follow us on our Instagram page, @anonawellness.

This week, we are joined by Vivian Kaye, who is an entrepreneur, mentor, and key note speaker who is known for founding the seven-figure company, KinkyCurlyYaki. In this episode, we discuss how she was able to create and run two successful businesses, her advice for those looking to take the leap, how the Ghanaian values she was raised with impacted her perspective on mental health, and the hard lessons she has learned about the importance of wellness as an immigrant, single mother, and entrepreneur.

In this week's episode of the Culture Meets Wellness podcast (formerly known as the Anona Wellness podcast), we are joined by Ro and her adorable son Lincoln. During this episode, we discuss how and why she opened her own yoga studio, her experience with post-partum depression and how it helped her discover yoga, how she takes care of herself as an entrepreneur and as a mother, and our personal experiences with the lack of representation in the yoga industry. To find out more about Ro and her studio, follow her personal Instagram page @wildroga!

For our eleventh episode, we are joined by Igho Diana, who is a Nigerian poet, speaker, community educator, and Wellness Consultant. During our discussion, we talk about how her wellness journey started with taking care of her hair, reasons why prioritizing yourself before others isn't selfish, what she did when her wellness beliefs contradicted her family's, her recommendations for those who want to explore wellness but are worried about being judged for it, and her personal tips for integrating self-care in a way that's personalized to you, especially as we all social distance for COVID-19. For more information about Igho, check out her Instagram page @egoinitiative and website www.ebonygirlsobsession.ca.

In this week's episode, we are joined by Snjezana Pruginic and Rebeckah Price, who are the co-founders of The Well Collective, which is a community-focused wellness pop-up in Toronto that features classes led by various BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of colour) wellness practitioners. During this episode, we discuss each of their wellness journeys, the different ways that wellness can look in different cultures, their thoughts on cultural appropriation and honouring the roots of cultural healing practices, their views on the common assumption that 'wellness isn't for us', the importance of approaching wellness from a community perspective, and why they chose to create The Well Collective. We also discuss lessons that we can all learn from COVID-19 as it relates to the importance of community & the current state of our world. To learn more about Snjezana & Rebeckah, check out their website at the following link: https://www.decolonizingwellnessto.com/.

In the wake of COVID-19 and social distancing, the importance of self-care and wellness is undeniable. In this week's episode, we invite special guest Chantée Dardaine, who is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) to give us her best advice on how to cope with uncertainty, anxiety, and fear during COVID-19. During our discussion, we also discuss her Caribbean background, the need for culturally adapted therapy, why she founded her own private practice 'Self Care TO', and the importance of viewing wellness and self-care as preventative tools. To learn more about Chantée and her work, visit her instagram page @selfcareTO and her website https://selfcareto.com/. NOTE: there was an issue with the mic which caused some background noise for the first 8 minutes or so of the podcast. At the 9 minute mark the issue was resolved. My apologies for the inconvenience and I hope you can all understand!

During this episode, we talk to Fatima Alk, who was born and raised in Canada, but ethnically, is half Algerian and half Lebanese. Our chat includes an in-depth discussion about being raised by immigrant parents, the sacrifice that our parents made to provide us with the best opportunities, and understanding the tough reality behind why they made the decisions that they did & may not have prioritized wellness. We also discuss Fatima's experience with wellness activities and her interest in trying yoga.

This week, we are joined by Ali Arbeau, who is a yoga teacher who was born in China, but was adopted and grew up in Canada. During this episode, we discuss the reason why Ali decided to become a yoga teacher; how we have both been impacted by the lack of representation in the makeup, film, and yoga industries; Ali's experience with being adopted and raised by white parents; and lastly, Ali's thoughts on why wellness and mental health do not appear to be prioritized by immigrants and people of colour.

In this week's episode of the Anona Wellness podcast, we are joined by Adrienne Corea, who was born and raised in Canada, but whose parents are both from Nicaragua. During this episode, we talk about her transition into motherhood, the way wellness was viewed in her household growing up, how her idea of wellness has changed since having her first child, and the various activities that she partakes in.

In this week's episode of the Anona Wellness Podcast, we are joined by Monadi Nasir, who is a personal trainer with a strong passion for emotional intelligence and mental health. She was born and raised in Canada, but ethnically, is from Bangladesh. During our discussion, we talk about feeling lost after university, how she eventually found her passion in personal training, her struggle to accept her cultural background, how our circumstances shape us & our mental health, and how poetry, therapy, hypnotherapy, & meditation have played a role in her wellness journey. To follow along with Monadi, check out her instagram page, @monadifitness.

In this week's episode of the Anona Wellness Podcast, we are joined by Marlee Laratte, who is originally from Haiti. During our discussion, we talk about her interests and career ambitions, her journey from Haiti to Canada, the stigma surrounding mental health within her culture, and the different wellness activities that she participates in, as well as the ones that she would like to try.

We are so excited to share our discussion with Vladimir Jean-Gilles, who is a Haitian film critic and lifestyle blogger based in Ottawa. During our chat, we discuss how he went from reviewing films on Snapchat to walking the red carpet in LA, his experience with burnout & how it helped him find wellness, his thoughts on the mental health stigma & intergenerational trauma within the black community, and how therapy has helped him pinpoint the various areas he needs to work on.

In this episode, we are joined by Javed Nasir, who was born in Bangladesh and came to Canada when he was 4 years old. During our discussion, we talk about how Javed became a User Experience Designer, the benefits and drawbacks associated with being a first-generation immigrant, his thoughts on the importance of wellness & emotional intelligence for men, people of colour, and immigrants (including how therapy, journalling, and yoga fit into that), and his criticisms of the yoga industry.

This week, we are joined by Priymedh Kulkarni, who was born in India and moved to Canada when he was 3 years old. During our hilarious discussion, we talk about how Priymedh's goals and ambitions have changed throughout his life, the struggles associated with balancing South Asian and Western values, the wellness activities that he partakes in, and the ones he is looking to try (and reasons why he hasn't tried them yet). Make sure to tune in, because it's a good one!