Meditation and Breathwork are the Focus of This Community Created by Jasmine Marie
Written By: Taylor Gorski
Photography Provided By: Gerald Carter, Tanisha Thomas, Neosha Gardner black girls breathing
Founded in 2018 by Jasmine Marie, black girls breathing is a safe space for Black women to actively nurture their mental, emotional and spiritual health through meditation and breathwork. Breathwork is a meditative healing technique that helps reframe the body’s response to trauma and triggers.
“I recognized the lack of diversity in breathwork and the fact that it was generally not accessible in the Black community, especially knowing the specific challenges the Black community faces when it comes to mental health,” Marie explains. black girls breathing was granted $10,000 from Dream Warriors Foundation in Atlanta to kick-start the company—building the foundation to their work and their online community.
Sessions have been hosted across the country in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Boston and beyond. Due to COVID-19, black girls breathing has extended their virtual sessions over the past few months, hosting more online circles and will continue to do so until 2021. A session consists of breathwork, organic conversations and navigating feelings and emotions the Black community has been facing. Marie describes how it’s about unlearning the “go, go, go” mentality and learning selfcare.
“COVID very specifically affected the Black community along with native and indigienous communities. I wanted to create an offering where people can have the work accessible—to access the actual breathwork for free—that hasn’t been a possibility, so I wanted to bring down that barrier and open up these spots,” she says. A crowdfunding campaign was launched after inquiries were made about donating sessions to make them free and available to Black women. After 150 slots were donated by non-Black allies for the May 31 class, Marie saw the need for this to continue throughout the year. black girls breathing wants to provide over 100 Black women per session access to free classes for one year. “It’s important to offer consistent classes to be able to shed the effects of trauma,” Marie says.
Healing in the body is the overall mission of black girls breathing. “With anxiety, stress and depression, the data and medical research out there shows that Black women are the biggest segment that suffers from physical ailments linked to chronic stress,” Marie explains. A number of therapists are a part of the BGB community, recommend their clients and are incorporated into the virtual sessions.
“I feel very aligned and purposeful in my work and feel like people can see why this work is so necessary and beneficial,” Marie states. She’s just getting started. From Toronto to Bangkok, the black girls breathing community has reached women across the globe. Marie’s overall goal is to make her services available for Black women all over the world. Women ranging from 18 to 70 years old are joining sessions to take a moment to care for themselves and invest in their overall well-being. Marie states, “As we seek equality and justice, we still need to take care of ourselves. That’s a revolutionary act in and of itself.”
Taylor is a graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. She is our Los Angeles and Orange County editor. You can find her dining at a new restaurant, in the ocean or planning her next adventure. Say hello!
