Kelsey Daniels

Tell us – what excites you about your work?

What I'm most excited about is that I feel like we are just beginning. We have a network of almost 300 Black Male Wellness practitioners in over 90 locations with a heart for service in our communities and the nature of student-teacher and student-community relationship has effects that could potentially last years; hopefully beyond my lifetime. The more Black Boys, Black men and their families who embrace the modalities of mindfulness, meditation and yoga for themselves, the more our communities will embrace healthy movement and internal freedom as an integrated part of their lives.

What feels rich and abundant in your work right now?

I feel like I'm in this expansive place. I'm opening myself up to rethinking things, going back to the drawing board and doing things differently with the aim of more impact. Right now I'm at a residency in California which has afforded me space to think and rethink things regarding my non-profit. One of the many things that has come up is a communal app for Black Boys OM. This app will hopefully allow more Black Boys and Black Men to connect with our network and dive deeper into their own personal practice. I feel like I'm becoming a more integrated person also because of my own practice. This all equates to richness and abundance for me even when I may feel overwhelmed around how certain things will be funded.

Who do you dedicate your work to?

"For the culture" is literally who this is for. Black Boys/Men and by extension Black families, communities, and Black Culture. We are the heartbeat of this work. I want Black people to know that we can have freedom now internally and that these practices are time honored, effective and actually bring internal peace and freedom.

“Access to capital or just funds to breathe easier is so important. If you are in a hard and unsure place please keep going and choose vastness and hope over despair.”

Who inspires you, who are you learning from, what books are you reading? We are really excited to learn this about you!

I'm currently reading Shri Ramana Maharishi's Be As You Are and Mooji's White Fire, Second Edition. Nicole Cardoza inspires me! I hope to create something similar to Reclamation Ventures within or outside of Black Boys OM.

What something you didn’t know, that now you understand differently with wellness?

There are specific teachings, like those of Shri Ramana Maharsi, that state that realization, freedom, enlightenment, samadhi aren't goals but are literally available in this and every moment and are part of our true nature. This is something that I personally want to unfold to show up more fully in life.

What is your own wellness practice? How do you find balance?

Every morning (and some evenings) I do 20-40 minute meditation sits. I mostly just sit and observe my breath, or I may adopt a mantra. But almost always, I just seek to rest in emptiness as much as is accessible with that particular practice. I do a half or full primary Ashtanga yoga series about twice a week. I go for long walks and almost every other day I just dance (African dance, Twerking, whatever I feel).

How can people reading this support the work you are doing?

Subscribe to our mailing list. Share about our work. Take public donation-based classes. Thank you!

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