My name sake. My great great paternal grandmama, Ms. Mama Octavia was short, stubborn, and didn’t say nothing she didn’t mean.⁠
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The story goes she was released from a family she’d served when the man of the family died. Along with her release, she was given the equivalent of change to start her new life with. She sewed that change up into a pocket at the heart center of her dress and walked away with out looking back. ⁠
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Born into a kind of servitude, whereby her body didn’t belong to her. Her time, space, and energy was claimed before she ever took her first breath. She needed to be stubborn. Tough. ⁠
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My great great grandmama shut down and locked up parts of herself to survive. I inherited those locks and that capacity to shut down and out as a means of survival. I have lived behind some of the closed tight doors that she had to hide within. ⁠
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She refused to be broken. Her refusal to be broken kept her existence in tact. She loved. And she created. And I am here.⁠
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I inherited Ms. Mama Octavia’s locks, and in this life, I’ve also inherited the keys. The prayers. The practices. The means to free up. ⁠
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She continues to show up in my meditations, yoga nidra, and dreams. She, continues to tell me:⁠
“Daughter, the tools that aided our survival ain’t always the same tools to thrive with. Open the locks, release the chains. You are meant to thrive.”⁠
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My grandmamas are with me on every retreat. Every class. Every circle I hold space within.⁠
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They are as real as sunshine, and also magic. like you and me.⁠
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Today at noon, VIP registration for my New Year 2020 Starshine & Clay Yoga Retreat for Women of Color opens. This particular retreat is for sisters, women, who are ready to use the key and open the lock. For sisters who are ready to free up. To claim our legacy of freedom.⁠
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On my VIP Starshine & Clay list? Check your inbox at noon today. Not on my list? message me at octavia@octaviaraheem.com to be added before noon.