Black Woman In Bloom Podcast is a semi-monthly podcast that exists to inspire Black Women to honor the strength and beauty within by exploring mental health and wellness topics. Join your host, TaReon Jael, a Certified Health Educator and Medical Lab Scientist, as she offers practical tips and strategies to help you navigate your unique health and wellness journey. New episodes are released every other Thursday.
Embracing Life's Seasons: Growth, Resilience, and the Final Reflections of Black Woman in Bloom
As I sit here reflecting, I can't help but marvel at the seasons of life and how they ebb and flow with our deepest values and commitments. It's been a journey of growth, challenges, and self-discovery here at Black Woman in Bloom, and our final episode promises to leave you with reflections on the delicate interplay between pursuing passions and the precious moments with our loved ones. I open up about the tough decisions we face when life's demands overshadow our ambitions and share the heartfelt realization that sometimes, it's crucial to pause and appreciate the season we're in.Drawing from the stirring memoir of Sheila Johnson, we explore the theme of resilience, embracing change, and thriving amidst uncertainty. Sheila's narrative, while uniquely hers, serves as a beacon to all of us, a reminder that each chapter in our lives builds towards greater confidence and reinvention. So as we close this chapter of Black Woman in Bloom, remember, it's not the end of the story, merely a transition into what's next. And for those eager to stay connected and informed about future endeavors or potential relaunches, I invite you to join our email list through the link provided, ensuring you're part of our journey, every step of the way.Check out the show notes by clicking HERE.Click HERE to join the email list and receive your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
1/1/2024 • 7 minutes, 34 seconds
32: A Journey of Self-Care: Realigning with Core Values
Feeling overwhelmed with your ambitious goals for the year? Needing some time to rest, realign, and reassess? I hear you.As we navigate through the year, balancing the demands of our personal and professional lives, we realize that it might just be time to pause and realign our goals. This episode is all about reevaluating and realigning our pursuits with our core values and aspirations. We explore how changes in our lives naturally impact our goals and emphasize why it's crucial to adapt our pursuits to fit our evolving circumstances. It's not about stepping back from your goals but more about aligning them with what truly matters to you on an emotional and spiritual level.Get ready to revitalize your self-care routines! As we look forward to the rest of the summer, we plan to revisit the eight dimensions of wellness, providing a fresh perspective to rejuvenate your self-care routines. TaReon is excited to bring to you an upcoming series that will empower you to realign, refresh, and stay committed to your wellness journey. Plus, there will be some exclusive resources that will be shared first with the email list members. So, if you're not part of the family yet, head over to blackwomaninbloom.com/episodes/32 and sign up to receive all the latest updates and resources.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
7/20/2023 • 4 minutes, 45 seconds
31| Exploring Transactional Modesty, Body Liberation, and Adultification: A Deep Dive into Black Women's Liberation with Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons
Have you ever wondered how societal norms of modesty and beauty shape our thoughts, feelings, and even our interactions? I sat down with the brilliant Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons, and together we unpacked the concept of 'transactional modesty' that she developed in response to the backlash Ciara received for her outfit choice. This episode promises an in-depth discussion on the societal implications of our appearance and behavior, encouraging you to question your personal preferences and their origins.We also ventured into the concerning trend of adultification, particularly regarding black girls. This phenomenon, where children are seen and treated as adults, brings dangerous implications, and we discuss this in the context of safety in relationships and how we dress. We emphasize the need for comprehensive sex education and the importance of restorative justice in holding adults accountable. By exploring how these concepts are uniquely applied and enforced in different racial contexts, we aim to provide a fresh perspective on these pressing issues. So, tune in for an enlightening episode that will challenge your perceptions and inspire you to think differently about modesty, beauty, safety, and liberation issues.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
7/6/2023 • 34 minutes, 6 seconds
Taking Time to Recharge: A Short Break for Growth and Wellness
The podcast will be on a short pause. We're using this time to recharge and gather some fantastic new ideas and topics to discuss with you.Mark your calendars for Thursday, July 6th, when we'll return with another empowering and educational episode. In the meantime, visit blackwomaninbloom.com for more information and resources on wellness, self-care, and mindfulness. Stay safe and take care.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
6/23/2023 • 1 minute, 20 seconds
30| Embracing a Summer of Possibilities: Guided Meditation for Self-Discovery and Growth
Imagine a summer where you focus on what you "could" do instead of what you "should" do. How would that transform your life? Join us in Episode 30 of the Black Woman in Bloom podcast for a guided meditation that will help you tap into this mindset and visualize the endless possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead for you. Inspired by Janelle Monae's artistic evolution and a recent Vibe Check podcast episode, we embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth together, encouraging self-care, mindfulness, and living life on your own terms.In this uplifting and empowering episode, we'll guide you through a meditation that helps you connect with your inner strength and bring your goals and dreams to life. Remember to follow the link in the show notes to sign up for your free download of the guided meditation and journal prompts. Click HERE to download the FREE guided meditation and journal prompts for this episode.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
6/8/2023 • 9 minutes, 19 seconds
29| Do Less (A Guided Meditation)
Click here for more mental health resources.Click here to receive this episode's journal prompts and guided meditation straight to your inbox.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
5/25/2023 • 6 minutes, 29 seconds
28| Being Present (A Guided Meditation)
Click HERE to receive the free journal prompts and this guided meditation straight to your inbox.Click HERE to check out the show notes.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
5/11/2023 • 7 minutes, 28 seconds
27| What Is a Medical Laboratory Scientist?
Click HERE to check out the show notes.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
4/27/2023 • 12 minutes, 34 seconds
26: Our Bodies Belong to Us. A Guided Meditation in Honor of Black Maternal Health Week
Tune in for a guided meditation inspired by Black Maternal Health Week 2023.Click here to check out the show notes.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
4/13/2023 • 8 minutes, 38 seconds
25|Take the Antidepressant…if That’s What’s Best for YOU.
Trigger Warning: Mental health, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation....If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 to talk with someone now.In this episode, TaReon shares more about her mental health journey and then shares tips on making informed medical decisions.Click HERE to read the show notes.Click HERE to receive this episode's journal prompts and guided meditation.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
3/30/2023 • 17 minutes, 23 seconds
24| Thoughts on Healing. It's a Chapter, Not the Book
Are you the type of person who has your emotional self-care routine down to a science? When it comes to doing the healing work…you’ve been there and done that.But despite that routine and experience, have you ever found yourself caught in an emotional tailspin after a negative interaction with someone or after seeing something upsetting in your newsfeed?Did it leave you wondering why this pain resurfaced after all your healing work?In today’s episode, TaReon offers tips and words of encouragement for your emotional healing journey. She then follows it up with a guided meditation.Click here to download the FREE guided meditation and journal prompts. Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
3/16/2023 • 22 minutes, 5 seconds
23| Manifesting Spring with a Guided Visualization
Has this winter felt like the longest winter ever? Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are currently in the last few weeks of winter. And for some of us that get hit hard by the winter weather, this time of year can seem like it will never end. The colder temps and shorter daylight hours make us want to go into hibernation mode. But do you feel an extra sense of sadness during the winter months? You could be suffering from seasonal affective disorder or S.A.D. Listen to the episode to learn more about seasonal affective disorder, its causes, and how to cope. Continue listening to the episode for a guided visualization to help you manifest spring.Download the FREE journal prompts HERE.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
3/2/2023 • 15 minutes, 42 seconds
22| Sustaining Motivation
You know the story. You set out to achieve your goal for the year, month, week, or day. You're feeling super motivated. But then something happens. There's a subtle internal shift, and you find yourself losing motivation. And then you question the goal you set for yourself, and doubts swirl around in your mind. Do I really want to pursue this goal? Maybe I got in over my head. I'm not seeing the results I had hoped for. Perhaps I should just quit.How do you stay motivated when the excitement of pursuing that goal starts to fade? How can you keep moving towards your destination when you don't see the results you had hoped for?In this episode, we'll dive into solutions designed to help us overcome those dips in motivation.Click HERE to head to the show notes. In the show notes, you'll find the journal prompts for this episode, as well as, references and resources.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
2/16/2023 • 18 minutes, 21 seconds
21| Six Lessons from the Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less by Christine Platt
Do you love the feeling of a fresh start? Whether it’s a new year, month, week, or a new day? And when you have that feeling, do you get inspired to get things in order? Maybe it’s that closet or dresser that has stuff back in the back that you know you haven’t touched or worn in forever. You know good and well, just like I do, that you probably won’t ever wear it again. There are many social media accounts, books, and TV shows that offer tips, tricks, and strategies aimed at helping us get organized, but most of these approaches aren't sustainable. So like clockwork...that closet or dresser gradually fills back up with stuff, and you wonder why you keep buying stuff that you never wear or use.Christine Platt’s book, the Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less, may offer a refreshing approach to decluttering that may help you get things in order.In this episode, I share six takeaways from the book and a few personal stories about my journey into Afrominimalism.Get the FREE journal prompts for this episode HERE.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
2/2/2023 • 21 minutes, 12 seconds
20| What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Bloom
In episode 19, Being In Transition, TaReon talked about her transition as a new Mom. And in a previous episode way back in 2021, she talked about rebranding the podcast from Wellness for Black Girls to Black Woman In Bloom. One thing that those episodes have in common is that she presented some thoughts on identity. In this episode, TaReon dives into what it means to be a black woman in bloom. By the end of the episode, you’ll feel uplifted and affirmed in your identity as a Black woman. After you’ve had a chance to listen, share with us what being a black woman in bloom means to you. Click HERE to find the references, resources, and journal prompts mentioned in the episode.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
1/19/2023 • 11 minutes, 36 seconds
19| Being In Transition
We're back! There have been some exciting changes for TaReon Jael and her family. During this episode, she shares some things she's learned during this season of transition in her life and provides some tips and insights that will help you navigate seasons of change in your life. Click HERE to find the references, resources, and journal prompts mentioned in the episode.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
1/19/2023 • 14 minutes, 30 seconds
18| Self Love and Self Acceptance
In Ep 16 of the podcast, we talked about healing from the effects of internalized racism and inferiority. In this episode, we'll continue the conversation by diving into the healing process by uncovering the concepts of self-love and self-acceptance. These terms, especially self-love, are the sort of terms we commonly hear thrown around within the wellness space, but it can be hard to know what they mean in a tangible way. So in this episode, we'll discuss the meaning behind these terms and tease out ways to tangibly incorporate these concepts into our lives. Plus, journal prompts!Be sure to download your FREE Vision Casting workbook, which I designed to help guide you through a personal vision-casting and goal-setting journey. We'll start by decluttering to make way for a refreshed vision and more precise goals. Then we'll focus on your top goals for the next six months. This workbook is sure to encourage you on your self-love journey.Download your FREE Vision Casting Workbook HERE!Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
6/24/2021 • 10 minutes, 29 seconds
17| Allowing Our Vision to Expand and Evolve
Have you ever found yourself taking an unplanned, but much needed, break from something? What about a break from something you genuinely enjoy?Well, that’s exactly what happened with me and podcasting. Life happened (i.e. recovering from a toxic workplace) and my mind and body forced me to rest.In this episode, I share: What influenced the break in detailSome of the events and my reflections during the break plus a fun announcementTips and words of encouragement to inspire you to allow yourself, your goals and the vision for your life to expandA FREE workbook designed to guide you through your vision casting journeyDownload it HERE.Download your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
6/10/2021 • 14 minutes, 55 seconds
16: We Apply Balms and Sweet Oils On Our Scars | Healing Internalized Racism
Join TaReon as she shares what she's been learning about internalized racism and the steps she's taking towards healing from the effects of it.Show NotesDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
2/18/2021 • 14 minutes, 3 seconds
15: We Inherited Healing
We're back! It’s officially Black History Month 2021 in the US and Canada, and recently President Biden signed executive actions to help work towards racial equity in our nation. These recent "happenings", as well as, my recent exploration of the film series, Small Axe by Steve McQueen, got me thinking about racial justice issues and generational trauma and healing. So in this episode we'll discuss generational trauma and explore generational healing with journal prompts to help us on our journeys.Show NotesDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
2/4/2021 • 14 minutes, 48 seconds
14: Building Resilience and Hope
In this month's episode, you'll hear some words of encouragement and journal prompts to help you reflect on the past year in a way that builds up your resilience and hope for the future.I'll be taking some time to implement some changes I have in mind for the podcast, so the next episode will go live on February 4th, 2021! Follow us on Instagram to stay in touch @wellness4blackgirls and @tareonjael Show NotesDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
12/10/2020 • 6 minutes, 41 seconds
13: "I Don't Do What I Do For Recognition" Interview with Public School Educator and Curriculum Writer Melissa Nikohl
Tune in to our second interview on the podcast with Public School Educator and Curriculum Writer, Melissa Nikohl. Melissa Nikohl has been an educator for 10 years. She currently teaches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On her blog, www.melissanikohl.com, she writes about education by sharing tips and resources for educators. In this episode, we talk about…Overcoming mental barriers while pursuing new career opportunitiesSelf-care practices to use after leaving a toxic workplaceBuilding healthy relationships with students and parentsDiscussing diversity and inclusion with kidsWebsite: melissanikohl.comInstagram: @melissanikohlYouTube: Melissa NikohlPinterest: Melissa NikohlSHOW NOTESDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
11/12/2020 • 37 minutes, 34 seconds
12: Self Reflection Journal Prompts
October is the first full month of fall (in the northern hemisphere!) and the start of quarter 4. It’s the home stretch of the year just before the excitement of the holiday season sets in.Listen in to the episode to hear eight self-reflection journal prompts designed to help you capture the mood of the fall season.Grab your own FREE copy of the 8 Self-Reflection Journal Prompts from the episode. HERENew episodes go live on the first Thursday of each month!Show NotesDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
10/1/2020 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
11: Reflections on Self Care
September is Self-Care Awareness Month. Oftentimes when we hear the word self care it’s used as a buzzword. In this episode we'll talk about what self care really means by briefly reflecting on the history of the term and eight suggestions to help us on our self-care journeys.References and Resources MentionedDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
9/3/2020 • 13 minutes, 6 seconds
10: Creating a Culture of Health, Individual Growth, and Social Change with Tyrone Beverly
In this episode we have our very first guest on the show, Mr. Tyrone Beverly. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Im’Unique, a non-profit organization based out of Denver, Colorado that is dedicated to uniting the community and fostering healthy lifestyles within those communities. Listen in as we discuss Tyrone’s upbringing and how it led him to begin his mind-body journey and the creation of Im’Unique. We also get a chance to hear Tyrone recite and break down the Poetic Flow and hear about the free, upcoming online event, What Happens Next, which will take place August 22nd, 2020.Links and Resources Mentioned In The EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
8/20/2020 • 44 minutes, 22 seconds
9: Financial Wellness | More Than Securing The Bag
In this episode we’re jumping back into the dimensions of wellness to talk about financial wellness. For a lot of us talking about finances can be touchy, but our financial wellness impacts our health, especially our mental health, profoundly. So we’re going to talk about it and reflect on what financial wellness means and what it means for Black women.Complete the survey for a chance to win a $50 gift card to BLK & GRN. Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
8/6/2020 • 15 minutes, 15 seconds
8: Ways You Can Help Society Become Mental Health #StigmaFree
In this episode we'll talk about the prevalence of mental illness, the types of mental health stigma and its impact, as well as tips on how we can work to end mental health stigma. Complete the Getting to Know You Survey for a chance to win a $50 gift card to BLK & GRN. Click HEREResources from the episodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
7/24/2020 • 15 minutes, 42 seconds
7: Mind Body Connection
July is National Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month, so, in keeping with the theme for this month, I share a bit about my mental health journey. I share this with the hopes that, by me opening up, it will help normalize the conversations we have about mental health in the Black community. I also hope that it will encourage others who are battling mental illness to reach out for help when they need it.I’ll also share:Information on the complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy, mind- body medicine.The science behind different mind-body practices.Seven of the best holistic lifestyle practices for optimal well-being, especially as it relates to mental health. Resources from the episodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
7/12/2020 • 18 minutes, 31 seconds
6: Carrying the Torch | Self-Care and Work
I want to start out by giving a shout out to my Mom. At the time this episode is published on June 25 2020, my Mom will be a few days away from being officially retired! Can I take a moment to talk about my mom for a minute? Some of my earliest memories of her are of her dressed up in her military uniform and headed to work. She was a nurse in the Air Force at the time, so she would be in her white nurses uniform or, on special occasions, in her dress uniform. I remember how she styled her hair and makeup, as wells as, how she wore her jewelry. It was so subtle, classy, stylish, and, of course, within regulation. I loved her sassy bob hairstyle, berry colored lipstick, and chic stud earrings. I loved seeing her all dressed up, making her own money, and doing her thing in her career. When I was a little girl I pictured myself doing exactly the same, because most, if not all, of the Black women in my life, like my mom, worked full time outside of the home. This wasn’t a coincidence...Black women have always been expected to work and according to data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Black women have had the highest labor force participation among all women for years. So for me growing up I assumed that I’d be doing the same, because it just was what it was. Our mothers certainly paved the way for us within the workforce, and they found ways to care for themselves and everyone else in the process. How do we, as millennial Black women, carry the torch? How do we preserve our health and wellness while navigating our career journeys in a way that honors the generations before us while holding true to our values? In this episode we'll:Define occupational wellness Hear five tips to help us practice self-care at workShow NotesDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
6/26/2020 • 14 minutes, 6 seconds
5: Six Ways to Care for Our Spirits During Difficult Times
How are you doing? That’s the question we’ve been hearing a lot of lately. And we’ve been letting people know that, “We are not okay.” There’s so much going on in the world right now. Tensions are high, and we’re all feeling the weight of it in one way or another. For me, as a Black woman, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” I know there are many others who feel the same. What do we do when we feel like this? What can we do to take care of ourselves while also taking action? For many of us we practice self-care which includes leaning on our faith. Research has found that Black women rely on religion and spirituality to cope with many if not all aspects of their lives including navigating issues of race, class and gender oppression. And by doing so we tend to our spiritual wellness. In this episode we’ll: define spiritual wellness, hear some facts about the health benefits of tending to our spiritual wellness, and learn six ways to care for our spirits during difficult times.Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
6/11/2020 • 15 minutes, 40 seconds
4: Sister Friends Sister Circles
Have you been watching this season of Insecure on HBO? *No spoilers. I promise. If you’re not familiar with the show, then let me share a brief bit about it. It’s an HBO show which was created by Issa Rae who stars as Issa Dee. Throughout the show we watch Issa’s journey as she navigates both her professional and personal life while living in L.A. One of the things I love about the show is that we get to see her experiences with her girls/sister-friends/sister circle. We also get to see how those experiences impact her in so many ways. The show is currently about midway through season 4, and we’re seeing conflict between Issa and her best friend, Molly. This has had me thinking about social support networks and their impact on our overall health and wellness. I’ve also been thinking about how we can strengthen, create, and, in Issa and Molly’s case, work towards healing our social support relationships. So in this episode we’re going to learn about social wellness and how we can nurture it in our lives through the use of sister friendships. In this episode, we'll talk about:What social wellness is.Different types of social support.Health benefits of social support.Brief history of sister circles within the Black community.Tips on how to strengthen, create, and mend broken friendships.Resources Mentioned In This EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
5/21/2020 • 17 minutes, 21 seconds
3: Let's Discuss Misogynoir
In this episode we’re going to talk about intellectual wellness and learn a bit about misogynoir. This is inspired by an episode of the Carefree and Black Diaries which is hosted by Shaakira White. In October of 2019 she did a series during the month of October which she called Blacktober. During that time she highlighted various topics that affect the Black community and one of the topics she covered was misogynoir. When I heard Shaakira introduce this topic I was instantly intrigued. Since that time I've been reading about the topic itself, as well as, some of the conversations and discussions that have taken place since the term was first introduced. Right now some of us are still under Stay-At-Home orders and practicing social distancing. However, we know that as humans we are hardwired for connection. Many of us are meeting that need for connection by having regular phone calls or video chats with our friends and family members. Engaging in discussions and conversations, as well as, learning new topics are an integral part of enhancing our intellectual wellness. In this episode we’ll discuss:Intellectual wellnessMisogynoirExamples of misogynoirWays to heal from the effects of misogynoirResources Mentioned In this EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
5/7/2020 • 15 minutes, 19 seconds
2: Health Benefits of Getting Outdoors
At the time this episode is released it is Spring 2020. If you’re anything like me, you love spring! In the spirit of the new season and the warmer temperatures that come with it we’re going to talk about environmental wellness and getting outdoors.In light of the current pandemic, we want to use good judgement, and decide if we can safely leave the house or not. If we live in a place where we can safely get to an outdoor space while maintaining the recommended social distance of six feet away from others, then we can engage in the outdoor activity. But if we live in a place where we cannot safely do so, then we will need to hold off on being outside. This podcast episode will be available to return to for ideas when we get through this pandemic.In this episode we’ll discuss:Environmental wellnessBenefits of getting outdoorsChallenges to getting outdoors and ways to overcome themResources Mentioned In the EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
4/30/2020 • 12 minutes, 14 seconds
Bonus: Self-Care Tips for Essential Workers
In today's episode we’re going to discuss emotional wellness and self-care tips for those within the essential workforce. I want to dedicate this episode to all of those within the essential workforce especially our healthcare workers. I want to also encourage all of those who have been negatively impacted by the effects of SARS-CoV-2, which we know as Covid-19. I know a lot of people are finding themselves navigating career transitions and feeling a sense of job insecurity right now. I want to always be sensitive to what my listeners are going through. Please know that you have my prayers and thoughts throughout this time. I know it’s been said many times before, but we will get through this. In this episode we'll discuss:My experience working in an essential industry during the Covid-19 pandemicEmotional wellnessThe burden on Black Americans within the essential workforceSelf-care tips for essential workers Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide
4/28/2020 • 14 minutes, 7 seconds
1: Intro to the Wellness for Black Girls Podcast
Welcome to the first episode of the Wellness for Black Girls Podcast! In this episode I share:A bit about myself A brief message explaining why I decided to launch now in light of the COVID-19 pandemicThe inspiration for the podcast The eight dimensions of wellness and what they mean for Black WomenResources From Today’s EpisodeDownload your FREE Expanding Your Vision guide