Your Self Care and Creativity is a Form of Resistance

In the words of the ever empowering Audre Lorde, I will start this post by saying ‘I am deliberate and I am afraid of nothing’

Disclaimer: I haven’t lost my faith entirely in people and I don’t want to be the party pooper here.

I am just openly saying what I personally think after observing major events happening around the globe, I see that you can’t always hold people accountable for their ignorance, lack of will to learn and sometimes their blatant idiocy.

If you are going to remain silent about your pain. they will march on you, kill you and claim that you pretty much enjoy it all.

I am not sitting my butt out and asking for help, I am not waiting around until you choose to see my humanity, I don’t want you to save me. 

I am simply sharing my experiences with openness and expect you to not sit and be an onlooker.

I am not alone though in my openness and I sit with those people to critic, to resist and to collectively heal.

I can’t afford to wait for your empathy, so I took my self-care and mental wellbeing as my own responsibility.

I chose to stay home, read Zadie Smith, smell some candles, gather myself for the struggle ahead.

I chose to watch ‘Hidden Figures’ and sleep without guilt and then yoga.

I want you to see for yourself that regardless of what we believe and where we live, my freedom is tied to yours even when we don’t agree.

I want us to have that uncomfortable conversation without dismissing each other and actually, learn from each other.

I want my pain acknowledged and respected.

I have massive respect for all the people who went out on Saturday but I also respect those who opt out.

I want those who went out to keep coming out and do more than that in the next days.

I want and hope their activism and resistance will now on be more inclusive and intersectional.

I want you reading this to tell me and others how you feel and understand that it is safe to do so here.

Taking care of you is not up for debate, retreat, organise, collect and act.

I leave you with the full transcript of Angela Davis Women’s March Speech.

Warrior Women by Adeola Aderemi featured in Ms Magazine

The class Adeola teaches is unique. “We built up together a series of yoga classes called Warrior Women,” she explains, “which for me it was inspired from a program the UN did for children soldiers from Rwanda to have rehabilitation through yoga. So it inspired me to just use the same sensitivity and knowledge that I have with migrant women in Greece to have a yoga class totally tailored towards their needs of self-esteem and self-worth…”

Read more on  MsMagazine.

Warrior Women : Yoga For Healing Trauma and Survival

Warrior Women is a yoga, mindfulness and meditation program created by Adeola Naomi Aderemi aiming to help trauma survivors heal and cope. This program was inspired by the United Nations Project Air and founded  for migrant and refugees women in Greece during the early beginning of the refugee crisis in 2014.

My hope is to aspire, inspire, encourage and fire up others to explore their inner and outer self, to live a life full of love, compassion and solidarity with an open heart and kind spirit, to stretch and strengthen the mind and body, and to love all flaws and strengths from the inside out. In my classes, you will experience peace, fire, and awareness of yourselves.
Classes are open to everybody and all you need is to bring your smile, mat and water.
Everybody is welcome.Caring for your personal needs. Mental, physical and spiritual liberation. COME and BREATHE out what doesn’t serve and breathe in love.

“Breathe through it, and release anything that does not serve you.”

Talking with Adeola Aderemi on defining her identity as a black woman and occupying her space

Adeola Aderemi is featured on Lillian Ogbogoh's Shine Out Show.
Listen to the full interview on her website.

A Greek refuge for women migrants spreads love amid a sea of hatred

Adeola Aderemi's work with migrant and refugees women in Greece 'Warrior Woman' featured on the New York Time online magazine.
Find article on the New York Times Website