How’s Your Relationship With Your Body?

Dear Healed Black Girl,

How’s your relationship with your body?

My body has been on my mind today because… whew, she’s achy. I’ve been hitting the gym lately, and it’s made me feel so strong and confident. But I haven’t been giving my body the care she needs to recover—stretching, gentle movement, slowing down.

So, I booked a deep tissue massage to help ease the tension in my muscles. And let me tell you—that massage got me together. It’s that “good” kind of sore—the kind that reminds you it was needed, but also that it’s time to take it easy.

I think about Black women and our bodies a lot.
How our struggles, our sadness, our anger—our emotions—show up in the body.
How our stress responses get disrupted.
How our eating habits, sleep cycles, and immune systems are impacted.

Our bodies carry it all.

I’ve started to see my body as a spiritual representative. A sacred vessel. And the more I lean into my spirituality, the more I realize how precious she is. How much I’ve put her through. And how—despite everything—she keeps showing up for me.

So I’m making a vow.
To treat her with kindness.
To view her as a trusted friend—a companion navigating life with me.
To nourish her, support her, listen to her, protect her.
Because I know she’ll do the same in return.

Let us know—how are you showing up for your body these days?

Follow us on Instagram: @healedblackgirlmovement

—A fellow Healed Black Girl