The simple, universal act of breathing has long been regarded as a tool for healing when practiced with intention. In Black Girls Breathing: Heal from Trauma, Combat Chronic Stress, and Find Your Freedom (Balance Publishing, Dec.), author Jasmine Marie brings space and peace to her community: Black girls and women.
“While there are existing resources that teach the power of breathwork, few if any address the unique issues that Black women face,” including microaggressions and constant demands to be selfless, says Nana Twumasi, VP and publisher of Balance. She calls the book “a crucial resource offering the healing tools of breathwork targeted to an underserved, underresourced population and their specific health needs.”
Jasmine Marie, who does not use her last name citing safety concerns for Black women in business, launched her wellness platform, called black girls breathing, in 2019. Since then, more than 61,000 women have accessed the organization’s free mental health and somatic mind-body resources, such as breathwork technique videos, audio meditations, and reflective journal prompts. She spoke with PW about how mindful breathing and other practices can help heal chronic stress and generational trauma.
What does the book say about wellness that’s specific to Black women?
It’s within the lens of health equity. It’s important to establish alignment in the mind and body, but when we talk about the demographic I serve, Black women, we need to talk about resources that are available to them that actually meet their needs and are founded on data that serve their needs. There’s a lack of Black experience in a lot of our modern-day psychological methodologies.
Where does the book title Black Girls Breathing come from?
Something as simple as our breath is very complex when we think about the history of ownership of our bodies. You’d be surprised how people respond to the question, “How does your body feel?” It stumps them. For people in my lineage, being connected to their bodies and being able to have the right and privilege to listen to that knowledge is something new. I hold the truth that our parents could only teach us what they knew growing up. Now, I want to adopt some of these breathwork tools to the best of my ability.
What happened when you first practiced breathwork?
Nothing changed, but I felt like I had space around my brain, like everything didn’t feel claustrophobic. I no longer felt so fixated on my thoughts and worries. That sensation and feeling stuck with me, so I continued to practice the tool.
As the owner of a wellness business, how do you care for yourself?
Last year, I had to roll back a lot of plans because I was navigating an autoimmune condition. I created a personal definition of success, and I shifted my business to align with that. I know the things that make me feel whole, and I’m focusing on the things that truly bring me joy. I’ve leaned into the idea that I can only help others from a full cup.
What does it feel like to you when you’re at rest, grounded, and at peace?
I know those states because I had to unlearn the opposite of those states. I had to unlearn the state of perfection as a sense of my value. Breathwork and other somatic tools I offer in the book are shifting my narrative, my belief about my value and sense of self. It’s a constant practice.
