Episode 88| Radically REAL with Black Girl in OM Founder Lauren Ash and Art Director Deun Ivory

Black Girl In Om promotes holistic wellness and inner beauty for women of color. Founders Lauren and Deun encourage self-care, self-love, and self-empowerment for communities of color. I’ve been listening to their podcast and I literally binged the whole first season. 

 

Deun and Lauren are the medicine we need right now. On Black Girl in Om they learn and share wellness practices with one another, and through this work cultivate richer understandings of what it means to be healthy and beautiful from the inside out.

 

I was able to meet these two incredible ladies while I was in Chicago and have a radiant conversation with them about creating space for women of color in the wellness world.

 

Radically REAL Lauren and Deun

 

• Turning to yoga to de-stress and not seeing many women of color
• Coming from the south and discovering health and wellness
• Creating images to show black women in places they haven’t been
• Making a sacred and special space within yoga and meditation

 

Radically Inspired Clarity

 

• If you aren’t proactive about creating an inclusive environment, it’s not going to be inclusive. It’s so important to set the example of openness and acceptance.

 

Lauren and Deun Answer…

 

• Why is there such a disparity in representation of women in color in yoga?
• How do we change the belief that certain people are excluded from wellness?
• How do you stay grounded through change and transition?

 

Radically Loved Quotes

 

“There are things that everybody can do to make people of all different backgrounds feel included. That’s what yoga is.”

 

“When there’s a black woman who’s able to look at herself in om, it’s just this place of serenity. I would want anyone to experience that.”

 

“Keeping my eyes on the right thing helps me to always walk in my purpose.”

 

“Don’t dwell when there’s a missed opportunity. It wasn’t for you.”

 

A Little More About Our Guests

 

Lauren Ash is a multifaceted creative entrepreneur and visionary most-recognized for her leadership prioritizing black women in the wellness and editorial fields. As the Founder and Creative Director of Black Girl In Om, she promotes holistic wellness for women of color through BGIO’s online publication, wellness sessions, podcast, creative agency, and award-winning social media platforms. www.blackgirlinom.com/

 Deun Ivory is a Chicago-based creative entrepreneur most-recognized for her minimalist aesthetic as a photographer + illustrator.  As the Art Director for Black Girl in Om + Co-founder of Lifestyle with Ivory + Ash, she cultivates communities and experiences that promote self-care, women empowerment + affirmation for women of color. www.ivoryandashlifestyle.co