The Healthy Sistahs Rock Retreat was an amazing
experience! We came together in the
spirit of sisterhood to support one another physically, spiritually &
emotionally.
We started the day off with blood pressure screenings as
well as weight and body fat testing.
It
gave the ladies an opportunity to see where they are in regards to their
numbers and encourage them to continue on their journey of optimal physical
health. Next, I opened up with a little
salsa-bump numbers, which totally caught the ladies by surprise. I wanted to set the atmosphere for authenticity
and fun and we did just that. After our
opening, I had the ladies choose a random partner who would be their
accountability Sistah for the day. This
gave them a chance to venture out of their comfort zone, not only with new
activities, but also with new people. After
they were partnered up, Nataisha Ramirez a.k.a. Size Healthy, led us into a few
stretches to get us nice and ready for the circuit training. Once we were warmed up, we kicked off with
Zumba on the X-Box. I was the lead
person, which left me totally vulnerable. Oh well! Life & fitness
should be about having fun, right? After
I totally embarrassed myself, the ladies split up into a series of ten
circuits, ranging from hula hooping to bicep curls to jump roping. We had music DJ’d by my Sissy, Kenyatta
Roberson, who is a creative extraordinaire.
It was so much fun watching the ladies get their heart rates up and
support one another in the process. I
had a brand new pink whistle that I just loved using to help them stay on task.
{Giggle} After a 40-minute circuit
session, we had an Old School Double Dutch Contest, which was a load of
fun. It had been many, many years since
most of us jumped, but it was so much fun trying!
Next up….LUNCH! Italian buffet with all the trimmings. Yum!
After lunch, we had a nutritional workshop where I spoke to
the ladies about making healthy choices. We also discussed different scenarios
focusing on ailments that are common among African American women. It was a
great interactive exercise. In addition,
we talked about how our diets effect us on so many levels. Sha-Rhonda Davis
shared her testimony of how changing her diet helped clear up inflammation in
her lungs. Finally, we rounded out the
retreat with a spiritual and emotional healing workshop. I asked the ladies to think about a time in
their lives when they may have been angry with God and what do they think they
can do to resolve those feelings. I also
asked them to write a note to their “little girl self.” What kind of wisdom
would you share with her today? One
point that I shared with the ladies is that God longs to give us beauty for our
ashes (Is. 61:1-3) but we have to be willing to make the exchange. Unfortunately,
many of us are walking around coddling the ashes of our hurts, disappointments
and fears in an “urn” and will not give them to God so that He can exchange
them for the beautiful life of healing that He promised. It was a powerful, revelatory moment of
healing and transformation.
We closed out the day with an Inspired Sistah photo shoot to
let the world know that we are Healthy Sistahs & we ROCK!
This retreat was deeply personal for me because it
encompassed a lot of my personal journey to wellness. It also was a culmination of everything
Inspired Sistah has stood for over the last four years. This is only the beginning and I am so
incredibly excited about what God has in store for Healthy Sistahs Rock™ the brand and the movement. Thank you for sharing this journey!
Experience the retreat: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151899315303584.1073741828.155736043583&type=1&l=44e9f57dde
Live Well,
Tangie
#HealthySistahsRock