She Heals Herself: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Modern Times

In a world that too often profits from our pain, Black women are remembering that the healing they need doesn’t always lie in a prescription bottle or a waiting room. It lives in the soil, in the rhythm of drums, in whispered prayers, in the quiet strength of our grandmothers, and in the sacred practices our ancestors passed down before they were interrupted by colonization.

This April, as Holistic Professionals of Color celebrates the She Heals Herself initiative, we honor the Black woman who dares to return to her roots—not as a trend, but as a revolution. She heals herself not because the world gave her permission, but because her spirit demanded it.

Returning to the Remedies of Our Roots

From the steaming pots of herbal teas simmering on the stove to the healing power of clay, plants, and prayer, traditional African and Indigenous healing practices are once again rising like the sun in the hearts and homes of Black women. These aren't new fads—they are ancient technologies. And we’re reclaiming them.

Practices like womb steaming, ancestral veneration, herbal infusions, moon rituals, sound therapy, and plant-based nourishment aren't just “alternatives”—they’re acts of remembrance. In choosing these paths, Black women are reconnecting to a lineage that colonization tried to erase. We’re rewriting the narrative, not as victims of a healthcare system that often overlooks us, but as sovereign beings who know how to care for ourselves.

Healing the Mind, Body & Spirit in a Colonized World

The stress of navigating a world steeped in racism, sexism, and systemic erasure takes a toll—on our hormones, our nervous systems, our skin, our hearts. But what if the solution isn’t more hustle, but more honoring?

Honoring the body through rest, sacred movement, and food that remembers our roots.

Honoring the mind through breathwork, journaling, and self-talk that is soft yet strong.

Honoring the spirit through rituals, roots, rhythms, and re-connections.

Black women are creating sacred spaces to cleanse their spirits with Florida Water, to lay hands on their wounds with shea butter and frankincense, to pull wisdom from plant medicine and ancestor altars—not because it's “in” right now, but because it’s in us.

Reclamation is Resistance

Every time a Black woman lights a candle for her ancestors, drinks a nettle infusion, or lays in the sun and declares herself worthy of wellness, she is practicing resistance. Because in a world that taught her to hide her power, she chose to remember.

This isn’t just about wellness—it’s about wholeness. It's about returning—not just to practices, but to ourselves.

We are the daughters of the medicine women they couldn’t burn, the rootworkers they feared, the midwives who whispered life into generations. And now, we stand tall—sage bundles in hand, waist beads hugging our bellies, herbs in our gardens, and our spirits aligned.

A Sacred Invitation

To every Black woman reading this: you are already the healer you've been searching for. Your grandmother's wisdom runs through your veins. Your ancestors cheer every time you choose to listen to your body, trust your spirit, and take your power back.

This month, and every month—She heals herself.

And when she does, she heals generations.