Prioritize Mental Health | Embrace Body Positive Fitness | Try A Zero-Proof Lifestyle | Find Work/Life Balance | Practice Intuitive Eating
A LIFESTYLE + ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE · WINTER 2021
D. C. ’ s C u l tu re of 24 Masters of Mindfulness, Movement + Connection
Valentine’s Day
MOVIE D R I V E -IN
Night F R I DAY, F E B R UA RY 12
CRAZY RICH ASIANS S ATU R DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 3
CRAZY STUPID LOVE S U N DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 4
VALENTINE’S DAY GET YOUR TICKETS AT WWW.THEBOROTYSONS.COM/WHATS-ON
TYSONS, VA
@theborotysons #theborotysons
FEATURES
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39
D.C.’S CULTURE OF SELF-CARE
PLANTING THE SEEDS OF VEGANISM
62 SANITY CHECK
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66
LOCAL INTIMACY GURUS TALK SHOP
EXPLORE THE DISTRICT’S BOOZE-FREE BOOM
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L TO R. Vergie “Gigi” Arandid, Cierra Kaler-Jones, Sarah Rehman + Dr. Darrien Jamar. Photo by Tony Powell.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RADAR 5 Calendar
EAT
17 Intuitive Eating 20 VIDA’s Health Expert
DRINK
21 8 Zero-Proof Drinks 28 DRY Botanical Bubbly
MUSIC
30 D.C.’s Bartees Strange
LIFE
48 20 Health + Wellness Pros 64 Navigating Mental Health 69 Starting a Skincare Routine
PLAY
72 Beginner’s Guide to Self-Care 78 10 Steps to Self-Care 80 Body Positive Bianca Russo
FUN
82 Self-Care Crossword 84 Connect The Dots
CULTURE
ROBERT KINSLER Publisher
MONICA ALFORD Editor-in-Chief
M.K. KOSZYCKI Assistant Editor
JULIA GOLDBERG Editorial Designer
TOM ROTH
Key Account Manager
KAYLA MARSH
Contributing Editor
32 A Healing Journey 35 Local Wellness Shops 38 Black Girl Ventures x Halcyon Rumble DC’s Sharon Kim. Photo courtesy of subject.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kelsey Cochran, Ingrid Harbo, Alice Hu, Trent Johnson, Natalia Kolenko, Mayra Mejia, Reem Nadeem, Lanna Nguyen, Rina Rapuano, David Ross, Jean Schindler, Catherine Trifiletti, Amanda Weisbrod CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS + PHOTOGRAPHERS James Coreas, Eric Dolgas, Rich Kessler, Tony Powell COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Tony Powell ON THE COVER Vergie “Gigi” Arandid, Dr. Darrien Jamar, Cierra Kaler-Jones, Sarah Rehman COVER LOCATION Embassy of Japan
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
D.C.’S CULTURE OF SELF-CARE. At the start of each year, we tend to turn toward health and wellness in an effort to renew our sense of self and turn over a new leaf, whether that be physical, mental or emotional. The myriad of reasons why 2021 is the ultimate year to be kind to ourselves and embrace all things self-care need not be listed here, but they are what inspired us to highlight these practices in our first issue of the year. We reached out to our community to see who we should speak to in the D.C. area about all things mindfulness, movement and connection and received an overwhelming number of recommendations, only solidifying how close-knit and supportive the health and wellness community in our city is. Our winter issue cover subjects run the gamut of self-care instruction and practice: Cierra Kaler-Jones is a social justice educator and movement and meditation instructor; Dr. Darrien Jamar practices reiki and chiropractic, and is an integrative life coach; Sarah Rehman runs aerial yoga studio Flying Buddha; and Vergie “Gigi” Arandid is about to open D.C.’s first official booze-free spot, Binge Bar. We spoke with each of them about what inspired their careers, how they stay connected to their communities and what they do to practice self-care. We also spoke with 20 other local health and wellness experts about their self-care journeys, both professionally and personally, and picked their brains about what self-compassion means to them. We covered navigating mental health, striking work/life balance and finding intimacy in a post-Covid world; veganism, intuitive eating and the booze-free movement; body positive fitness and other inclusive forms of movement and mindfulness; self-care and nutrition tips; and a roundup of local skincare and wellness shops. Plus, read about D.C. musician on the rise, Bartees Strange; Halycon’s new incubator program with Black Girl Ventures; a health and wellness-themed crossword and connect the dots; and much more. A huge thank you to our readers and magazine family for expanding our awareness of the self-care movement in our city.
MONICA ALFORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Behind the scenes of our cover shoot at the Embassy of Japan. Cover subjects: Cierra Kaler-Jones, Vergie “Gigi” Arandid, Dr. Darrien Jamar, Sarah Rehman. Cover photographer: Tony Powell. Photos by Monica Alford.
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RADAR | CALENDAR NOTE: All descriptions courtesy of event hosts and edited for clarity.
February in the DMV brings so much to celebrate. Between Black History Month, Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl, the shortest month of the year is packed with things to do. Eat delicious food on game day at home or at the bar, show your love with Valentine’s (and Galentine’s) Day specials, and celebrate Black history with a virtual talk, discussion or concert. COMPILED BY INGRID HARBO
2.5
The Besnard Lakes Live Stream Series
Canadian indie rock band The Besnard Lakes will be holding three nights (2.5, 3.6 + 4.3) of special livestream performances to showcase their new album. The Besnard Lakes have passed through death and they’re here to tell the tale. Nearly five years after their last lightning-tinted volley, the magisterial Montreal psych-rock band has sworn off compromise, split with their longstanding label and completed a searing, 72-minute suite about the darkness of death and the light on the other side. 7 p.m. $13 per show, $30 for all three. www.songbyrddc.com // @songbyrddc; www.thebesnardlakes.com // @besnardlakes
2.5-2.27
After Edward Hopper Exhibit
The great American painter Edward Hopper is famous for his canvases depicting the isolationist urban landscape as well as the sweeping solitude and unpopulated vacancy of the dunes of Cape Cod. Artists present their interpretations of what makes Hopper’s imagery quintessentially American: perseverance,
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fortitude, diversity and an egalitarian spirit in spite of adversity, impoverishment and social injustice. Various times. Free. Del Ray Artisans: 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA; www.delrayartisans.org // @delrayartisans
2.5-2.14 For the Love of It 10K
Roses and chocolates? Try sweat, miles and medals. Join Potomac River Running virtually for the seventh annual For the Love of It 10K. Complete the race anywhere, anytime between Friday, February 5 and Sunday, February 14. All race registrants will receive a commemorative long-sleeve race shirt, custom bib, one-of-a-kind finisher medal and finisher’s certificate. $40. www.potomacriverrunning.com // @potomacriverrunning
2.6
Live Salon: Hotel Zena
Join A Tour Of Her Own for an evening with their guest of honor Larissa Johnstone. As founder of DMV Ladies, the salon will take a deep look into how Johnstone manages her community FIRST PAGE. Light My Fire Valentine’s Day offerings. Photo courtesy of Immigrant Food. SECOND PAGE. The Besnard Lakes. Photo by Brendan George Ko // courtesy of the artist.
organization and Facebook networking group. Her dedication to this work has grown into a community of supportive women in the DMV. After a Q&A session, participants will be encouraged to share their personal thoughts, opinions and experiences about how social media and the Internet impacts women. 5-6 p.m. $30. Hotel Zena: 1155 14th St. NW, DC; www.atourofherown.com // @atourofherown
2.6-2.7
17th Annual Alexandria Warehouse Sale
This year, the popular mid-winter event will be a walkable sale and will take place throughout Old Town, with nearly 40 independent boutiques participating. The sale will take place in stores, pop-up tents and open retail space along King Street and select side streets following social distance guidelines and Covid-19 protocols. Deal seekers will find the very best from Alexandria’s and the region’s finest retailers and indie brands up to 80% off retail prices. Free parking will be available on both days. Hours vary by location. Free. www.oldtownboutiquedistrict.com // @alxwarehousesale
2.7
Colada Shop Super Bowl Special
Cheer on your favorite team with Colada Shop’s Super Bowl Pack. Each package comes with a dozen buffalo chicken empanadas, bleu cheese dipping sauce, a choice between guava barbecue sandwiches or Cuban sandwiches (eight halves), and plantain chips with black bean dip. The Super Bowl Pack is a touchdown of an easy and delicious meal. Colada Shop: 1405 T St. NW, DC; www.coladashop.com // @coladashop
Super Bowl LV at Wunder Garten
Looking for a Covid-safe space to watch the game? Watch the game on one of Wunder Garten’s many TVs, inside or out. Seating will be first-come, first-served. 6-10 p.m. Free to attend. Wunder Garten: 1101 1st St. NE, DC; www.wundergartendc.com // @wundergartendc “The Queen’s English” by Chloe O. Davis. Photo from www.planetword.org.
2.9
P&P Live! Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ “Unfinished” with Lilly Singh A remarkable life story rooted in two different worlds, “Unfinished” offers insights into Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ childhood in India; her formative teenage years in the United States; and her return to India, where against all odds as a newcomer to the pageant world, she won the national and international beauty competitions that launched her global acting career. Chopra Jonas will be in conversation with Lilly Singh, a multi-faceted entertainer, actress, producer, writer and creator. 8 p.m. $28.99-$53. www.politics-prose.com // @politicsprose
“The Queen’s English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases” at Planet Word From abigail to zucchinis and hundreds of words and phrases in between, LGBTQIA+ lingo carries with it a vast history. Words like “in the life, “bulldyke” and “bulldagger” were born from the 1920s Harlem Renaissance era. The lesbian bar scene during the 1940s created “butch” and “femme.” And 1970s ballroom culture graced us with “work,” “fierce,” “shade” and “read.” Join author and performer Chloe O. Davis as she celebrates the language that serves as the cultural heartbeat of the LGBTQIA+ community. 6:30 p.m. Free. www.planetwordmuseum.org // @planetworddc
2.10
Artist in Residence: Sheyda Do’a Virtual Concert
Music and math have more in common than you may think. Musician, vocalist, singer-songwriter and mathematician Sheyda Do’a draws on her multi-cultural heritage and upbringing in Albania to blend sounds from across the globe into what she calls “melodies for the soul.” This student of the world first started playing piano and singing under the guidance of her mother, a Berlin conservatory pianist. Do’a is currently a DISTRICT FRAY |
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RADAR | CALENDAR doctoral student in mathematics at the University of Maryland, which she refers to as her “side gig.” 7:30 p.m. Pay what you can. www.strathmore.org // @strathmorearts
2.11-2.13
Light My Fire: Valentine’s Day by Immigrant Food Valentine’s Day calls for passion, and Immigrant Food is supplying a box full of sweets from around the world with a personal torch to light them up. Each one of the five sharable sweets needs fire to be ready to eat and you’ll do it together. One package is perfect for two people. Burn the sugar, melt the chocolate, soften the cheese, brown the meringues and watch it warm. Immigrant Food supplies the torch, you supply the love. Available for delivery or pickup. $79. Immigrant Food: 1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; www.immigrantfood.com // @immigrantfood
2.12
Drawing the Inside Out: Making Comics from Your Life with Georgia Webber
Drawing the Inside Out is a collection of online comics classes for adults and teens who want to create comics from their life experience. When and how we choose to declare ourselves to the world is hard to control in life, but in art, we hold all the power. For those struggling to know themselves, and to feel their own agency and creativity, comics are a powerful tool for reflection, enjoyment, community and self-discovery. 7 p.m. Free. www.rhizomedc.org // @rhizome_dc
2.12-2.14
Drive-in Movies at the Boro Tysons
Looking for Valentine’s Day plans? Join The Boro Tysons for a series of drive-in movie nights. Come see “Crazy Rich Asians,” on February 12, “Crazy Stuid Love,” on February 13 and “Valentine’s Day,” on February 14. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., movie begins at 8 p.m. $25. Parking lot behind The Loft: 1640 Boro Pl. Tysons, VA; www.theborotysons.com // @theborotysons
Mi Vida Valentine’s Day Weekend Specials
Mi Vida at The Wharf will be offering a three-course Valentine’s Day special for two. The special includes your choice of appetizers and entrees including a roasted rack of lamb, crab cake or red snapper, and includes a delicious raspberry mousse. $99. MI VIDA: 98 District Square, SW, DC; www.mividamexico.com // @mividamexico
2.13
DIY Galentine’s Day Brunch Board
This Galentine’s Day, get together (at home) with your girls for a virtual workshop to make your own board. Taylor from Buttercream & Burrata will provide an overview on how to select cheeses and how to slice them, the basic knowledge of crafting a graze board from the kit included with purchase. 2-4 p.m. $100; sale ends on February 8. www.shopmadeindc.com // @shopmadeindc 8
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Jade Bird Live at RCA Studios in Nashville
Jade Bird returns to historic RCA Studios in Nashville, where she recorded her upcoming second album with multi-Grammy award winning producer Dave Cobb, for a one-off special live performance. This will be the first chance for fans to hear new material from the album, including her brand new single “Headstart.” 8 p.m. $15. www.930.com // @930club; www.jade-bird.com // @jadebirdmusic
She Loves Me Flower Crown Workshop
Invite your bestie and join She Loves Me on Instagram for an introduction on how to wire flowers to a base, how to keep them fresh and ideas on how to repurpose them after the holiday. She Loves Me is offering a fresh and dried kit (the latter is available for shipping) so that you and your friends can follow along at home. 12-1 p.m. Free to attend; flower kits $45. www.shelovesme.com // @shelovesmedc
Virtual Cupid’s Undie Run
Be a part of the virtual D.C. Cupid’s Undie Run, a one mileish fun run on Valentine’s weekend – all to find a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF). For the first time, Cupid’s Undie Run is virtual, which means you can do your mile wherever and however you want: walk, bike, jog or dance. Travel the city or never leave your living room. Anything goes! D.C. runners receive a limited-edition race medal that doubles as a bottle opener. There will be a photo contest, lots of prizes and a virtual party starting at 4 p.m. with live entertainment, drink tutorials, games, and more! Use code DCFRAY for an extra 25% off. $30. www.cupids.org // @cupidsundierun
Virtual Galentine’s Day Tea
Grab a few gal pals and join Dumbarton House for a virtual tea to celebrate friendship. This virtual tea includes instruction in tea sandwich construction, a short lecture on friendship in the federal period, conversation starters and craft instruction. 1-3 p.m. $10. www.dumbartonhouse.org // @dumbartonhouse
2.14
Music That Feeds the Soul Streamed Concert
Music goes beyond words, and often beyond thought. It has the power to speak straight to our innermost beings, often healing what nothing else can. As William Congreve said, “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.” Feeling savage? Let these gorgeous, inspiring compositions soothe you, and create the calm and comfort or inner warmth of spirit we all need to get us through the day. 2 p.m. Free. www.nationalphilharmonic.org // @natphilharmonic
Transformer’s Heartbreakers Ball
Transformer’s annual ball celebrates love for the emerging artist community, and debuts new works from their everevolving FlatFile Program. For the fifth annual Heartbreakers Ball, Transformer is offering some fun and creative Zoom event alternatives to Evoke Your Senses. Celebrate love and life, artists and Transformer this Valentine’s Day. The first alternative is a dinner for two from Bammy’s featuring Caribbean-inspired dinner and drinks and a special dessert box. The second is a limited edition, archival box of artworks from Transformer’s international FlatFile collection, individually selected for you with love by Transformer founder and artistic director, Victoria Reis. Various prices. www.transformerdc.org // @transformerdc
Valentine’s Day with Tiki on 18th
Valentine’s Day is for everyone. Tiki on 18th DC is featuring a “Singles – Ready to Mingle” option this Valentine’s Day, where guests can take part in a special food menu from Chef Jo-Jo Valenzuela. Rather than a pre-fixed menu for two, Tiki has opted to offer a menu easy for singles to enjoy. The menu consists of a la carte items that can be enjoyed separately or as a full meal along with a special on Ruinart champagne ($18 per glass or $100 per bottle) and a specialty cocktail, The Heartbreaker, featuring Larceny Bourbon, falernum, cranberry cordial and lime. 4-10 p.m. www.tikion18th.com // @tikion18dc
2.15
Ice Skating at Cameron Run
Celebrate a President’s Day day off by visiting Cameron Run Regional Park for socially distanced ice skating. Purchase tickets for hour-long time slots ahead of time online. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $15. Cameron Run Regional Park: 4001 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA; www.novaparks.com // @novaparks
2.16
Virtual Craft Cocktail Class with Please Bring Chips Looking to improve your bartending skills and make some fun cocktails along the way? Join DC Fray for a Mardi Gras-themed virtual cocktail demonstration hosted by Please Bring Chips. 7-8 p.m. $9.99. www.dcfray.com // @dcfray
2.18
Forest Bathing in Your Own Wild Home
Connecting with nature mindfully in your own backyard can bring beauty and wonder and a sense of calm into your everyday life. Over Zoom, certified nature and forest therapy guide Melanie Choukas-Bradley will share what she’s learned from shinrin-yoku guides in Japan and her own forest bathing practice. She’ll help you adopt your own wild home and develop an intimate relationship with your special place through the seasons. 6 p.m. Free. www.aspennature.org // @aceaspen
2.19-2.21
Matthew Bourne’s “Romeo and Juliet”
In partnership with Center Theatre Group on its Digital Stage platform, enjoy an on-demand film screening of celebrated British choreographer Matthew Bourne’s acclaimed “Romeo and Juliet.” This passionate and contemporary re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic story of love and conflict is set in the not-too-distant future in “The Verona Institute.” Here, difficult young people are mysteriously confined by a society that seeks to divide and crush their youthful spirit and individuality. The two young lovers must follow their hearts as they risk everything to be together. Available on demand. $10. www.kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter
2.21
Live Tour: Under the Rainbow
Join Tour Of Her Own and guide Ella Schiralli to discover the history of the gay community, from war heroes to modern day human rights activists. Engage and explore how D.C. has been a pivotal location for the struggle for equal rights. Discover the many women who have contributed to the movement, and learn how local places and events shaped an accepting environment leading to the 2015 Marriage Equality landmark Supreme Court decision. “Under the Rainbow” is an enjoyable and educational tour designed for all people of all ages. 1-3 p.m. $30. Decatur House: 748 Jackson Pl. NW, DC; www.atourofherown.com // @atourofherown
Profs & Pints Online: Romance in “Bridgerton’s” Regency Era
Britain’s Regency period (1811 to 1820) has never been so popular thanks to the Netflix series “Bridgerton.” Come learn about the historical context for “Bridgerton,” and how accurately the series depicts its time, from Julie Taddeo, an expert on British history and culture. This talk will look at how “Bridgerton” balances historical accuracy with the concerns and desires of its 21st century audience. You’re invited to join with a cup of tea, a pint of bitter or a Pimm’s and make a thoroughly British night of it. 7-9 p.m. $12. www.profsandpints.com // @profsandpints
Snow Queen Sunday at Wunder Garten
Join Wunder Garten on Sundays in February for their Covid-safe LGBTQ+ party. Drink specials and see special guest appearances from some of your favorite local drag queens. 3-8 p.m. Free. Wunder Garten: 1101 1st St. NE, DC; www.wundergartendc.com // @wundergartendc
2.25
Virtual Tour: Forgotten Women of Arlington National Cemetery
This is an extension to the Women of Arlington National Cemetery live walking tour, where you will learn about several important women who are buried on the outer edges of the cemetery not seen on a typical walking tour. On this virtual tour you will learn about aviation pioneers, medical pioneers, artists and the living women that help make Arlington National Cemetery the special place that it is today. www.atourofherown.com // @atourofherown
2.26-3.4
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández
Renowned for performances brimming with captivating rhythms and dazzling costumes, the iconic Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández was founded in 1952 by its late, visionary namesake with a focus on championing the indigenous cultures of Mexico. Recorded in the company’s home base of Mexico City, this Home Delivery Plus package includes brand-new footage and never-before-aired excerpts of the company’s 2017 centennial tribute to Hernández. Premieres at 8 p.m. on February 26. $25. www.washingtonperformingarts.org // @washingtonperformingarts
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RADAR | CALENDAR interconnectedness of visual and aural art, and how the two often combine to create something more than the sum of their parts. Composer Barbara York finds inspiration from the paintings of Grant Wood. Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre” takes its origin from illustrated sermon texts. It is hoped that this performance will lead audience members to new acts of artistry, whatever form that may take, because there is art in everything. 2 p.m. Free. www.nationalphilharmonic.org // @natphilharmonic
3.1
Chit Chat and Chai with Rupen Rao
2.27
Jonathan Sloane Trio Livestream
Blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll – the Jonathan Sloane Trio does it all live from stage at The Hamilton Live. Jonathan Sloane is a multitalented, lifelong musician, instructor, guitarist and lyricist based in Rockville, Maryland. His compositions, tone and lyrical lead guitar playing are deeply rooted in the blues, expanding into R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, funk and soul. 7 p.m. $15. www.thehamiltondc.com // @thehamiltondc
2.28
National Philharmonic Presents: Music That Inspires Streamed Concert
What is art, and how does it come into being? How is all art connected, and what does it have to do with being intrinsically human? In this concert, the compositions speak to the
Chai means tea in Hindi. Chai is the lifeline of India, and this morning pick-me-up is a quintessential part of Indian cuisine. What distinguishes Indian chai from herbal tea or any other tea is the way in which it is prepared. In this class, you will learn to prepare Indian chai using Rupen’s tea blends. Learn about the benefits of chai, and the benefits of spices based on the principles of Ayurveda – a traditional holistic Indian science of food and life. 6 p.m. $45. www.shopmadeindc.com // @shopmadeindc
3.3
Virtual Women Filmmakers Festival
Join renowned Chilean American artist Cecilia Vicuña for a virtual conversation about her work that explores the deep histories, coastal traditions, and the ecology of her homeland of Chile. Enjoy two short video artworks, “Seed Song” and “Un nudo vivo/ A Living Knot,” featuring artistic rituals for healing human-environment relations. Vicuña is joined in conversation by Amalia Cordova, Latino curator for digital and emerging media at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and Saisha Grayson, time-based media curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 5:30 p.m. Free. www.americanart.si.edu // @americanart
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Celebrate Black History Month and the Black community in the District and beyond by participating in these events to learn more about Black history, supporting Black entrepreneurs, the fight against racial inequity and so much more throughout the month of February.
2.6
“Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets” Opening Panel Discussion
Join the Anacostia Community Museum for a virtual panel discussion, moderated by CNN Correspondent Omar Jimenez, as they kick off the outdoor installation of the “Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets” exhibition. The social unrest of 2020 has illuminated the active presence of institutionalized racism in America and its impact on the Black community. Men of Change creates space for them to have agency over their own multifaceted narratives that shift paradigms and dismantle negative racial tropes. 1 p.m. Free. www.anacostia.si.edu // @smithsonianacm 10 | WINTER 2021
Coloda Shop’s Super Bowl specials. Photo from www.exploretock.com
2.7
Boss Bae Black History Month Pop Up Shop
Boss Bae’s Black History Month Pop Up Shop is the perfect opportunity to network, shop and have fun among other Boss Baes and to celebrate Black entrepreneurship. The shop will feature food, drinks and a shopping experience with Black-owned businesses. 2-6 p.m. Free. Black History Pop Up Shop: 4802 Stamp Rd. Temple Hills, MD; www.iambossbae.com // @iambossbae_
2.9
“City of Refuge:” A Conversation with Marcus Nevius
Join Mount Vernon for a virtual book talk with Dr. Marcus P. Nevius where we will discuss his latest book, “City of Refuge: Slavery and Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp, 17631856.” In his examination of life, commerce and social activity in the Great Dismal Swamp, Nevius engages the historiographies of slave resistance and abolitionism in the early American republic. 7 p.m. Free. www.mountvernon.org // @mount_vernon
2.11
I will tell you the truth about this: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War
Poet Maurice Manning will travel to Abraham Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, D.C. There he will join virtually with poet Tracy K. Smith for a reading of their works from Lincoln’s bedroom. 7:30 p.m. $15 suggested, $5 minimum. www.folger.edu // @folgerlibrary
Virtual Salon: Women of Howard University
Join A Tour Of Her Own to learn about the history and culture of historic women at Howard University. 2-3 p.m. $30. www.atourofherown.com // @atourofherown
2.18
¡Printing the Revolution! Virtual Conversation Series: From Black and Brown Solidarity to Afro-Latinidad
The activist and the cultural dimensions of the civil rights-era fueled solidarity movements between Black and Latinx artists, leaving a visible imprint in the graphic arts that continues to reverberate today. This panel features three artists from “¡Printing the Revolution!” who have engaged with these concerns across the decades. Participants include: Malaquias Montoya, Favianna Rodriguez and Moses Ros-Suárez. The panel will be moderated by Kaelyn Rodríguez, assistant professor in art history at Santa Monica College. 6:30 p.m. Free. www.americanart.si.edu // @americanart
2.19-2.25
Living the Dream...Singing the Dream
The long-running choral tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. moves online. In keeping with Covid-19 precautions, each singer will be recorded individually (with no other singers present), and all parts will be layered into a seamless whole. The program will also include inspiring archival performances from past years’ concerts. Premieres at 8 p.m. on February 19. Free. www.washingtonperformingarts.org // @washingtonperformingarts
Juan Fuentes, “South African Women’s Day.” Photo from www.si.edu/events/heritagemonth.
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2.20
ASALH Black History Month Festival Marquee: A Conversation with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham Acclaimed for his scholarship, his documentary films about African, Afro-Latin and African American History (ASALH), and popular television series, “Finding Your Roots,” Henry Louis Gates, Jr., has brought fascinating African American family stories to the wider public. The Black History Month Festival in 2021 is proud to feature a conversation between ASALH’s national president Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who will share his motivations in popularizing Black History through the heritage of African American families and communities and their search for roots. 1-3 p.m. $50. www.asalh.org // @asalh_bhm
Coyaba Dance Theater
Dance Place Resident Company Coyaba Dance Theater celebrates 24 years. Join the company for a virtual evening of traditional and contemporary West African dance, with a focus on the various humanitarian themes of West African culture. With a mix of recent and archival pre-recorded footage, this high energy presentation is a snapshot of the best of Coyaba. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. www.danceplace.org // @danceplacedc
2.24
Diving with a Purpose: Recovering and Reexamining Our Roots
This event will feature a panel discussion featuring divers who seek to preserve the heritage of Black people through discovering and investigating wreckages of slave ships and salvaging artifacts. 6:30 p.m. Free. www.asalh.org // @asalh_bhm
2.25
The Visionary Genius of Frederick Douglass: Contradiction and Change
personal experiences and the stories of others, Lawton grapples with difficult questions. 6 p.m. Free. www.politics-prose.com // @politicsprose
Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: Black History Month Edition
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum in honoring Black History Month with a Wikipedia edit-a-thon. Learn how to edit and create new Wikipedia articles highlighting the breadth and depth of artworks and the lives of Black artists in America. All levels of technological proficiency welcome. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free. www.americanart.si.edu // @americanart
3.4
Keep the Light On Performance Series: CoPresented with The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Dance Place is pleased to be part of The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s BlackLight Summit: a convening that re-envisions dance performance as a conduit to galvanize the social imaginations, resilience and inventiveness of citizens, thinkers, activists, and artists. Dance Place and The Clarice copresent an evening of virtual works co-curated by Summit artists Candace Scarborough and Jamal Abrams. Candace and Jamal selected Shanice Mason and Carlo Antonio Villanueva to present short-form digital works. Following these works, join to discuss these works and the themes of the summit: amplifying unfairly silenced voices through action. 6:30 p.m. Free. www.danceplace.org // @danceplacedc
ANNOUNCING
DC LOTTERY’S 2021 BLACK HISTORY POSTER
Frederick Douglass was a visionary, a prophet who could see a better future that lay just beyond reach. Historian Richard Bell, a professor at the University of Maryland, examines Douglass’s life to reveal more than another great man on a pedestal. He was the slave who dreamed of being a senator, the unlettered child with no formal schooling who wrote three autobiographies and became one of our greatest literary figures. 6:45 p.m. $20. www.smithsonianassociates.org // @smithsonianassociates
2.26
P&P Live!: Georgina Lawton’s “Raceless”
The Guardian’s Georgina Lawton offers a moving examination of how racial identity is constructed — through the author’s own journey grappling with secrets and stereotypes, having been raised by white parents with no explanation as to why she looked black. “Raceless” is an exploration of a fundamental question: What constitutes our sense of self? Drawing on her
AVAILABLE FOR FREE Find out about the DC Lottery’s Black History poster at dclottery.com or call 202-645-8000.
12 | WINTER 2021 District Fray | 1/4 pg | 3.7” x 4.8” | 4c | New | BHM Poster
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PLANTING THE SEEDS D.C.’s vegan restaurateurs have been waiting for their moment in the sun – and it appears to be here. WORDS BY RINA RAPUANO
For decades, being vegan conjured images of Birkenstock-clad hippies eating millet, brown rice and carob purchased from bulk bins at a coop. Indeed, that’s exactly what Doron Petersan was running away from when she decided to go vegan back in the ’90s. “I grew up in New York state right outside of Woodstock, and I was so opposed to anything that was pulling me back into those hippie roots of the early ’70s,” she says. “This is not what vegan means to me. I do not want to eat millet ever again in my life. I want to eat all the food that I enjoy, and then some.” Restaurateurs like Petersan have been instrumental in transforming Washington, D.C. from a relative vegan wasteland to a plantbased paradise, helping to grow the demand by making veganism more, well, delicious. It’s a trend that appears to be gaining traction across the country: A Gallup poll released in early 2020 reveals that “nearly one in four Americans (23%) report eating less meat in the past year than they had previously. The poll also shows, “The biggest factor in reducing meat consumption is health concerns. Nine in 10 say it 14 | WINTER 2021
is a major (70%) or minor reason (20%) they are cutting back on meat.” Luckily for those folks, vegan and vegetarian options have come a long, long way. For instance, Petersan’s aversion to those “hippie roots” pushed her to experiment with making vegan food more flavorful and palatable. She eventually earned a degree in dietetics and spent years working in restaurants before launching Sticky Fingers, an award-winning vegan bakery now located in Columbia Heights, in 1999. She opened Fare Well, a successful vegan diner on H Street in Northeast D.C., in 2016. If there’s any doubt that her food can stand on its own merits, regardless of whether it’s vegan, consider this: Petersan has won Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” Twice. She says greattasting food makes the concept of veganism a lot less scary. “Of course, you’re going to have people who will hate it forever,” she says, “but the majority of the population is going to be like, ‘Okay, this isn’t really weird anymore, and we know this term now.’ Also, using terms like plant-based and veggie-centric gives it a little bit more life.”
Navigating Vegan Terminology Most people know what vegan means, but what are these new terms like plantbased and veggie-centric? If you’re really looking to cut out all animal products and byproducts, pay attention to the terminology. Anything with “centric” in the name implies that plants are an emphasis, but the food is not necessarily vegan. “Plantbased” means different things to different people – with some using it interchangeably with “vegan” and others using it to mean “mostly vegan.” Check websites and read the fine print before you order.
FIRST PAGE. Croissant sandwich. Photo courtesy of Fare Well. SECOND PAGE. Photo courtesy of Oyster Oyster. THIRD PAGE. (from top) Calabash tea. Photo by Phil Harris. Calabash apple zucchini bread. Photo by Jai Williams.
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Vegan-Friendly Short List NOTE: This is a list of notable spots, but is by no means exhaustive. All social media handles are for the Instagram accounts of the respective restaurants. Bubbie’s Plantburgers & Fizz: 1829 M St. NW, DC; www.bubbiesburgers.com // @bubbiesplantburgers Chaia: Multiple locations; www.chaiatacos com // @chaiatacos Elizabeth’s Gone Raw: 1341 L St. Suite 1, NW, DC; www.elizabethsgoneraw.com // @e.g.raw Equinox: 818 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC; www.equinoxrestaurant.com // @equinoxdc Fancy Radish: 600 H St. NE, DC; www.fancyradishdc.com // @fancyradishdc Galaxy Hut: 2711 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; www.galaxyhut.com // @galaxyhut HipCityVeg: Multiple locations; www.hipcityveg.com // @hipcityveg Khepra’s Raw Food Juice Bar: 2800 10th St. NE, DC; www.kheprasrawfoodjuicebar.net // www.fb.com/kheprasrawfoodjuicebar PLNT Burger: Multiple locations; www.plntburger.com // @plntburger Pow Pow: 1253 H St. NE, DC; www.eatpowpow com // @eatpowpow The Red Bandana Bakery: 8218 Wisconsin Ave. #101, Bethesda, MD; www.theredbandanabakery.com // @theredbandanabakery Senbeb Cafe: 6224 3rd St. NW, DC; www.senbebcafe.com // @senbeb_vegan_cafe Shouk: Multiple locations; www.shouk.com // @shoukfood Soupergirl: Available in multiple grocery store locations; www.thesoupergirl.com // @thesoupergirldc Vegz: 2120 18th St. BSMT, NW, DC; www.vegz.us // @vegzdc
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When it comes to increasing the appeal of vegan living, Calabash Tea & Tonic owner Dr. Sunyatta Amen says it also doesn’t hurt to add a little bit of sizzle. Amen was raised vegan by parents who ran one of those crunchy health food stores – in this case, a few doors down from the Apollo Theater and Masjid Malcolm Shabazz, formerly known as Mosque No. 7, in Harlem. And while she might be continuing the family line of work, she’s intent on updating the model. “My job is to move wellness out of Birkenstocks and into stilettos,” she says. “It should be sexy, because healthy is sexy. Even the makeup we wear – all of these mimic healthy responses in the body, that healthy glow. This is all about being sexy. Let’s do it from the inside out.” It appears she’s succeeding. What started as a few cups of chai and kombucha following belly dancing and yoga classes at her Shaw studio blossomed into opening her first Calabash in Shaw in 2015. The fifth-generation master herbalist and naturopathic physician sells teas, spices, tonics and light vegan fare in Shaw and at a second location in Brookland, with her eye on franchising the business across the globe. Her Shaw location is temporarily closed due to Covid, but the Brookland location remains open. And while the old stereotype of the hardcore health food hippie is now outdated, Amen also wants to make sure the new stereotype of a white 20-something in yoga pants doesn’t overshadow the long, rich history of veganism in Black and brown communities. Vegan soul food spots like Everlasting Life and NuVegan Café have long been anchors of the plant-based movement in D.C., and places like Busboys & Poets continue the tradition of the veganfriendly community gathering place, restaurant and bookstore that her parents embraced in the ’70s. In addition, she notes that places like Woodlands Indian restaurant in Adelphi, Maryland kept her fed and nourished when she first moved to the city in 2002. “I’m always glad when the movement goes forward,” she says, but also notes that many health trends come from Black and brown cultures and regions including turmeric, yoga, raw cacao and cinnamon. “Everything that makes life worth living is grown and picked by brown hands. The colonization of the healthy lifestyle is sometimes quizzical to me – and not because I don’t want everyone to be living this way. But you have to give credit where credit is due.” One big thing Petersan has seen push the movement forward is that it’s not just vegan chefs offering plant-based dishes these days. “Making change from the inside is always slow,” she says. “It takes somebody from the outside looking in to make the change for us, and that’s what has happened over the past five years.”
This outsider perspective might be exactly what chefs like Rob Rubba bring to the table. The vegetarian spent many years cooking for omnivores before opening Oyster Oyster in Shaw last fall, but he knew that if he intended to continue cooking professionally, he wanted to make some big changes. “I really was unsure if it was still responsible to be a chef just cooking the way I was prior to opening this restaurant,” Rubba says. He worried about the environmental impacts of all the single-use plastics and meat consumption, among other things, and wanted to focus on the things he loved to cook most: plants and vegetables. “The creativity and discovery of it all – it’s fun for chefs and the community. It’s just a progressive way that it’s going to continue to go. We’re going to see more demand as a society that we need to eat more of this in our diet.” Like others, he’s noticed a definite uptick in veg-friendly options at local restaurants in the past five years or so. “I can actually go and eat something really tasty that’s not just the vegetable risotto or some kind of salad that’s the only vegetarian option. Chefs are seeing that it takes a lot more creativity to make something really delicious out of just plants.” Until it can open fully post-Covid, Oyster Oyster is offering casual to-go items like pizzas and sandwiches. The restaurant also sells a rotating winter feast for two that could include beet tartare, celeriac bisque and roasted mushroom cannelloni, giving diners a peek into what Rubba plans to offer with his full-blown experience. He admits it feels great when an omnivore loves his food as much as their vegan or vegetarian partner – a feeling likely shared by other plant-focused restaurateurs. “It’s good to know that we’re able to do that,” he says. “And that’s the real goal, just to be a delicious restaurant. We’re not really aiming to be just for vegetarians or vegans. It’s just supposed to be a great place to come for hospitality and a good meal.” Learn more about Calabash Tea & Tonic, Fare Well, Oyster Oyster and Sticky Fingers below, including where to follow them on Instagram. Calabash Tea & Tonic: 1847 7th St. NW, DC (temporarily closed) + 2701 12th St. NE, DC; www.calabashtea.com // @calabashtea Fare Well: 406 H St. NE, DC; www.eatfarewell.com // @eatfarewell Oyster Oyster: 1440 8th St. NW, DC; www.oysteroysterdc.com // @oysteroysterdc Sticky Fingers: 1370 Park Rd. NW, DC; www.stickyfingersbakery.com // @stickyfingersdc
Explore how intuitive eating can be a more holistic approach to health, wellness and your relationship with food. WORDS BY LANNA NGUYEN
EAT Intuitive eating is rooted in the concept of following internal cues to decide when and what to eat, while also rejecting the idea of specific rules or regimens to follow. By removing external parameters, the focus turns to a more holistic approach: Listen to the mental, physical and emotional needs of the body and eat accordingly.
Eating Intuitively: What Exactly Does That Mean?
Although some may interpret that to mean they have carte blanche to “eat whatever, whenever hungry,” D.C.-based dietician-nutritionist and body image coach Dana Monsees says, “Not so fast.” “I think a lot of people get confused when they hear about intuitive eating and think it means, ‘Eat whatever you want, nutrition doesn’t matter,’ which couldn’t be farther from the truth,” she explains. She points to someone with celiac disease as an example. “Listening to your body actually means avoiding gluten so that your body doesn’t have an autoimmune reaction to eating that food.” Intuitive eating does not give license to opt for any kind of food; rather, those foods that an individual’s body is receptive to and finds nourishing. “Intuitive eating is really listening to the messages that your body is sending you, and when you try something, allow it to register whether it feels good to you or not,” says Justine Parker, a local certified holistic nutrition coach and wellness consultant. There are so many different eating outlooks these days, and mixed messaging about diet programs amplified by social media only muddy the waters when the focus should be on oneself. “What works for someone – even if it’s your best friend who you’re similar to – might not work for you,” Parker says. Shizu Okusa, founder and CEO of plant-based farmacy Apothékary, adds, “I think it’s really important that we get in touch with our bodies and in a mindset for intuitive feeling. Craft a self-care practice around intuition first: What makes you feel good, confident, comfortable and ultimately, like your best self. I think once that is nailed down, the question around what types of food feed that intuition becomes much easier to answer.”
Self-Care vs. Self-Control
There is a fine line between self-care and self-control, and the latter sometimes 18 | WINTER 2021
becomes synonymous with restriction when it comes to eating. Traditionally, a diet has meant controlling the types and quantities of foods we put into our bodies. Parker finds that even the word self-control has come to take on the meaning of right versus wrong when put in an eating context. When people set goals around health and eating, “A lack of self-control or deviating from said diet or said program equates to failure, guilt and shame – and not being enough,” she says. By adding pressure to follow through with goals that are, at times, unattainable, people are often setting themselves up for failure. Monsees voices similar thoughts. “When people following the protocols can’t stay on them forever or ‘slip up,’ they feel like failures. I find that the more people try to control their food, the more it leads them to feeling even more out of control around food.” On the flipside, self-care is an honest assessment and acknowledgement of self. To Parker, it means, “Being honest with where you’re at and having the care to meet yourself where you’re at so that you can incrementally move forward.”
Health + Wellness in the Time of Covid
Almost a full year into our socially distant, work-from-home way of living, the struggle of maintaining a healthy balance in all realms of life including work, social interaction and eating has only become more challenging. The silver lining? A less structured day can lead to more flexibility. FIRST PAGE. Shizu Okusa. Photo courtesy of subject. SECOND PAGE. Justine Parker. Photo by Naomi Whitestone.
are meeting themselves where they’re at and recognizing the why behind the action, and then taking small changes to shift the behavior while not beating themselves up.”
Supporting Local Restaurants While Supporting the Body
As local restaurants continue to struggle, how do you support them by ordering takeout while also maintaining a healthy balance? First off, ditch the idea that eating out equates to being unhealthy. “Dining out, or doing takeout, can be great forms of mental self-care when you’re too stressed and exhausted to think about meal planning [and] cooking, or don’t want to wait in line for an hour at the store,” Monsees says. Another tip? Go in with the mindset of adding to the meal rather than feeling the need to eliminate items. Make takeout an experience: Order a pizza from your neighborhood spot and whip up a side salad at home to enhance the meal while also adding a healthy element. “Health doesn’t have to be so all or nothing,” Monsees adds. “We need to start thinking of health in more flexible terms so it’s more realistic for more people to achieve.” Parker echoes those sentiments, saying, “It’s just striking that balance and trying to as much as possible move away from that ‘all or nothing’ mentality.”
Sounds Great: Where Do I Start?
Living more intuitively has allowed for people to experiment with what works best for them. A morning workout that was formerly dictated by an office schedule can now be shifted to a midday workout break, if that’s what the body is feeling. There might be more time in the day to go grocery shopping and cook meals at home. “People have had to learn how to adapt to what works best for them,” Parker says. Okusa adds, “People have had the opportunity, like never before, to check in with themselves: What’s working, what’s not, what needs to change, what needs to go and is no longer serving them.” Although the opportunity to develop healthier lifestyles has stemmed from this new way of living, so too has the opportunity to turn to food as a method of coping during quarantine. Parker notes, “I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, as long as people Dana Monsees. Photo courtesy of subject.
With the busy schedules that come with living and working in the DMV, starting up a new, healthy approach to eating can be a challenge. “Start really small and focus on what is attainable and sustainable [for your] lifestyle,” Parker says. “Incorporate some fun,” Okusa adds. Parker agrees, saying, “Make it fun and get someone to do it with you so that you’re accountable.” Whether that means cooking wholesome meals at home with family and friends via Zoom or listening to a special meal prep playlist or podcast, when you’re first starting out, make the experience enjoyable. And of course, for those who prefer extra support, working directly with a certified nutritionist to tailor healthy habits for your lifestyle is always an option. Check out Apothékary at www.apothekary.co and on Instagram @apothekaryco. Learn more about Dana Monsees and listen to her podcast at www.realfoodwithdana.com, and follow her on Instagram @danamonsees_cns. Learn more about Justine Parker at www.aseedgrowing.com and follow A Seed Growing on Instagram @aseedgrowing.
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Rachel Sheahan Talks Self-Care + Holistic Health
WORDS BY INGRID HARBO
VIDA Fitness offers a holistic approach to wellness and self-care with fitness classes, nutrition consultation and on-location spa services. District Fray Magazine caught up with Rachel Sheahan, a VIDA Fitness dietitian and strength and conditioning coach, to learn more about the role of nutrition in self-care and holistic health. District Fray: How are nutrition and self-care related? Rachel Sheahan: To go into the world and be as productive, happy and giving as you want to be, you have to start by taking care of yourself. Nutrition is the first step. You have to nourish your body before your body can perform for you. If you don’t have energy, you’re not going to be able to perform well physically. If you don’t refuel properly after your workouts, you’re not going to be able to recover as well. If you’re chronically underfed or malnourished, you won’t be able to sleep as well. If you wake up in the morning tired, you won’t be able to focus or have energy to exercise or go see your friends. It becomes a vicious cycle. What does the nutrition side of self-care look like in action? Start by looking at your fruit and vegetable intake, remembering that the most nutritious thing that you can eat is plants. Maybe you’re eating one fruit a day, but could you make it two? The other thing I encourage my clients to do is try to eat the rainbow. Every single color found in nature is filled with different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – all things that are necessary for a healthy body. How can people treat themselves while still eating nutrient rich foods? Try to reframe your mindset about the types of foods that you eat for self-care. I love strawberries, so that might be something I could reframe. Maybe I would put a little whipped cream on my strawberries, or chop them up and put them on Greek yogurt or ice cream. If junk food is a must, use portion control. Put your chips in a bowl, put the bag away and go sit down with your Netflix, cup of tea and other things that are soothing to you. You don’t want to spiral with [junk food] because it can start as self-care, and then start to make you feel low in energy by the end of that bag of chips. Do you have any other tips for nutritional self-care? My biggest advice to people wanting to make nutrition a part of their self-care is to sit down and write out a list of all of their absolute favorite foods. I think people might be surprised at how many fruits are on that list. When you start listing out vegetables, most everybody has a vegetable they love. It becomes a lot easier when you know you’re allowed to eat your favorite types of fruits and vegetables. For more information on VIDA Fitness, visit www.vidafitness.com and follow @vidafitnessdc on Instagram. 20 | WINTER 2021
Rachel Sheahan. Photo courtesy of subject.
DRINK
WORDS BY LANNA NGUYEN
DRINK Phasing out booze permanently, for a weekend or just looking for nonalcoholic options that aren't soda or sparkling water? The DMV is a great place to be no matter which camp you fall under. If you're on the hunt for nonalcoholic options, try these eight zero-proof drinks available in the D.C. area.
The Elixir from Salt The cocktail bar and restaurant located in Rosslyn places a heavy emphasis on classic and seasonal cocktails. But for nondrinkers, The Elixir, made with salted cucumber, ginger, lemon and Q Mixers ginger beer, is a creative beverage option. On The Elixir’s ingredients, beverage director Paul Williams says, “By incorporating the fresh lemon and ginger syrup, it provides a brightness and spice to the cocktail. The salted cucumber juice adds a nice salinity that allows the palate to feel roundness and depth.” Although the pandemic has impacted how many zero-proof options are currently available on the menu, the team plans to continue adapting its offerings to provide more nonalcoholic cocktails as they rise in popularity. “We plan to adapt our menu to those trends, as we are certain they are here to stay,” Williams adds. 1201 Wilson Blvd. g113, Arlington, VA; www.saltrosslyn.com // @saltrosslyn
Foggy Bottom Blueberry Blitz from Crossroads Tabletop Tavern The restaurant, bar and board game tavern in Manassas, Virginia boasts over 1,400 games in addition to 10 zero-proof cocktails made with elixirs from “Best of Virginia” Red Root Company and J.T. Copper. Try the Foggy Bottom Blueberry Blitz: a combination of blueberry, vanilla, cream soda and cream. 9412 Main St. Manassas, VA; www.ttoptav.com // @crossroads_tabletoptavern
Hong Kong Milk Tea from Tiger Fork Head to Blagden Alley for contemporary versions of Hong Kong dishes at Tiger Fork and try the restaurant’s take on the popular tea from Hong Kong: a combination of black tea and condensed milk. Order it iced for a refreshing beverage or hot to warm up with on a cold winter day. 922 Blagden Alley, NW, DC; www.tigerforkdc.com // @tigerforkdc
Just Ask Ralph from Topside at Hotel Revival At Baltimore’s Topside located at Hotel Revival, bartender Anna Welker has curated a list of creative zero-proof cocktails that bridge the flavors guests would expect from alcoholic cocktail combinations. Just Ask Ralph, made with lapsang souchong tea, Giffard aperitif, Stirrings blood orange bitters, Fever Tree club soda and garnished with an orange peel, is one such drink. “I wanted to create something with a little more of a nod to the cocktail world: smokiness, bitterness and some layered complexity,” Welker says of the drink’s inspiration. She notes that lapsang souchong tea, a black tea made by smoking the tea leaves, gives a flavor reminiscent to whiskey. That, balanced with the sweetness of the Giffard aperitif, produces a drink she says is probably the one that most strongly mimics an alcoholic cocktail. On creating options for drinkers and non-drinkers alike, Welker adds, “We want to make sure everyone who walks in our door feels warmly welcomed with whatever it is they need that night, no matter the ABV.” Although Topside is temporarily closed due to the pandemic, guests can enjoy their zero22 | WINTER 2021
proof cocktails when they reopen. 101 W Monument St. Baltimore, MD; www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/maryland/baltimore // @topsidebmore
Manhattan Soda from Founding Farmers Popular for its comfort food dishes, Founding Farmers also offers made-from-scratch spirits from its own D.C. distillery: Founding Spirits. But for those looking to enjoy zero-proof drinks, there are plenty of options including a nonalcoholic rickey, New York egg cream, lemonades and the Manhattan Soda. “The inspiration is derived from the famous Manhattan Special,” notes director of food and beverage Rachel Vistica about the Manhattan Soda, created during the iced coffee craze. Made with coffee, espresso, agave, jerk soda and topped with whipped cream, she says, “Our Manhattan soda is perfect for the brunch or afternoon pick-meup that you need.” Multiple locations; www.wearefoundingfarmers.com // @foundingfarmers
Post Water-Melone from Summer House Santa Monica The open, airy restaurant in Bethesda known for its California fare and West Coast vibes also offers refreshing, nonalcoholic beverages like the Post Water-Melone. The drink is filled with bright watermelon juice, fresh mint leaves and a simple syrup to balance out the fruit and herb tones. “We wanted to make something with watermelon juice, as it is a delicious and easily adaptable juice,” says beverage director Edgar Lincoln. When creating any new cocktail, he looks to the base flavor and then adds on to create depth. Something that is always at the core of any Summer House creation? Fresh ingredients. “We have always tried to incorporate fresh, seasonal ingredients into all of our menus – from food to cocktails to nonalcoholic cocktails,” he adds. 11825 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda, MD; www.summerhousesm.com/north-bethesda // @summerhousesm
Prickly Pear Tisane from True Food Kitchen The health-driven restaurant has multiple locations in the DMV with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients – and it comes as no surprise their beverage menu includes extensive options for teetotalers. For bubbles without the booze, try the Sparkling Prickly Pear Tisane made with prickly pear, hibiscus and lime. Multiple locations; www.truefoodkitchen.com // @livetruefood
Spirit Free LIT from Your Only Friend Paul Taylor’s sandwich creations have made a name for themselves at Columbia Room’s pop-up, but his drink pairings are equally impressive. His Spirit Free LIT made with pine tea, green pepper and cola is a play on the popular drink known for its high alcohol content. “We take cocktails from our canon, look at what flavors the alcohol brought to them, and then work backward from there to recreate those pleasant flavors in a spiritfree context,” Taylor says. “For example, we would think of tequila not as booze but as vanilla and green pepper.” Using that template, the team was able to rework the traditional Long Island Iced Tea into a delicious, nonalcoholic version that still hits on all of the requisite flavors. 124 Blagden Alley NW, DC; www.youronlyfrienddc.com // @youronlyfrienddc
FIRST PAGE. Just Ask Ralph. Photo courtesy of Topside. Manhattan Soda. Photo courtesy of Founding Farmers.
THIRD PAGE FROM TOP. (clockwise from left) Post-Water Melone. Photo courtesy of Summer House Santa Monica. Spirit Free LIT. Photo courtesy of Your Only Friend. The Elixir. Photo courtesy of Salt.
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“DOES THIS HAVE BOOZE IN IT? NOPE!!” “CHANGE THE WAY YOU CHILL” What Is An Alt-Tail? - Formulated For Festivity And Bubbling With Botanical Flavors, An Alt-Tail Is A Premium Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Alternative.
Herbal Stimulants? Adaptogens? Hangover? NOPE!! Detoxing? Sober Curious? Detoxing? Sober‐Sober? Sober‐So ber? Having A Maternity Moment? YEP.
www.drinknope.com
THE ALCOHOL-FREE MOVEMENT
CONTINUES TO GROW WORDS BY TRENT JOHNSON
Verjus Spritz. Photo by Alex Lau.
What if we told you embracing the booze-free movement didn’t preclude you from dabbling in the explosive flavors of your favorite cocktail? Would you be more inclined to ditch the bottle of bourbon or let specs of dust gather between your vodka and tequila? The world of nonalcoholic mixed drinks has gained a tremendous amount of steam in recent years, with notable mixologists and tastemakers placing more value on a strong drink, minus the booze. As a Brooklyn, New York-based journalist and author covering innovation within the hospitality realm, Julia Bainbridge has always been more concerned with how a drink tastes as opposed to what’s on the ingredients list. Bainbridge, who doesn’t drink alcohol herself, released the book “Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason” earlier this year. “Serendipitously, I removed alcohol from my life right around when alcohol-free beverage options started getting more interesting,” Bainbridge says. “Alcohol behaves in a particular way, and these drinks don’t have alcohol in them, so they’re going to be different. And that’s okay! I’m personally more interested [in] whether or not a drink tastes good than whether or not it tastes like what it should if it had alcohol in it.” Bainbridge says the community of alcohol-free is wide and diverse, and formed by many smaller communities who are all exploring the creative world of booze-free beverages. One person heavily involved in providing a place where people can enjoy these drinks is Chris Marshall, the founder of Sans Bar in Austin, Texas. “I was 23 when I stopped drinking and found there were no places that felt truly welcoming to someone who was abstaining from alcohol,” Marshall says. “I went on to become a substance use counselor and discovered my clients also dealt with the same struggle to remain social while not drinking. I left the clinical world and decided to devote my life to creating an alcoholfree social scene.” DISTRICT FRAY | 25
With Sans, Marshall offers a location where people can congregate socially and enjoy cocktails without alcohol. This year, the bar has shifted to providing virtual experiences and carryout options. But more importantly, he’s worked to maintain the connection with people who are interested in trying this style of beverage. “I think the options are growing as beverage companies understand there is a nonalcohol spectrum within the community,” he continues. “While some people are not drinking for a short time, others are seeking long-term recovery and abstinence from alcohol. Each entry point along that spectrum is comprised of people who want different things from the beverages they consume.” And while everyone involved in testing out these drinks come to the table with different needs and desires, one thing they’ll find is a growing variety. Bainbridge says that while a rising interest in moderating and understanding the role drinking plays in our lives may be anecdotal, the sheer amount of content on alcohol-free alternatives is very real. “I do see more and more mainstream publications publishing stories on this alcohol-free movement, or alcohol-free beverages themselves, and that says something,” she notes. “That my book went into a second printing three weeks after publication says something. That it tied ‘Ottolenghi Flavor’ for best-performing titles across Ten Speed Press, in terms of press coverage, says something, too.” People are paying attention, clicking on articles and buying books about the subject, but Bainbridge is hopeful that in the near future this will be less of a niche topic and more of a fixture or mainstay in the hospitality industry. “My hope is that, five to 10 years from now, a book like mine won’t need to exist. Alcohol-free cocktails will be incorporated into regular drinks books, as they’re already starting to be (see 26 | WINTER 2021
John deBary’s ‘Drink What You Want,’ Maggie Hoffman’s ‘Batch Cocktails’ [and] Leo Robitschek’s ‘The NoMad Cocktail Book’). And coverage of alcohol-free cocktails will be incorporated into drinks coverage in an ongoing fashion – not just in Dry January.” Bainbridge recommends several booze-free options for people interested, including white verjus with tonic and soda water and Athletic Brewing Company’s Run Wild IPA. Marshall suggests alcohol-free brands Monday Gin, For Bitter For Worse and Wilderton. Ultimately, they both want people to think beyond the boozy drinks they associate with the term “cocktail.” “I think there’s this perception that we must duplicate boozy drinks we are all familiar with,” Marshall says, echoing Bainbridge’s sentiment. “I reject that and say actual alcohol is just one dimension of a rich drink experience, and when you remove the booze, there’s a ton of experimentation both inside the glass and around it.” If abstaining from alcohol is a focus, then there are a ton of options for delicious drinks. But if no-ABV isn’t your thing, that’s fine, too. But don’t be surprised if your next favorite mixed drink is alcohol-free. “[People] can drink their whiskey,” Bainbridge says. “That’s fine! But for those who don’t drink whiskey and have been wanting to level up from syrup and soda – just as the quality of American spirits, beers and wines has improved over the past couple of decades, drinking standards are finally being raised in the realm of alcohol-free cocktails.” For more information about Julia Bainbridge and her work, visit her website www.juliabainbridge.com. To keep up with Chris Marshall and Sans Bar, visit www.thesansbar.com. Follow them on Instagram @juliabainbridge and @sans_bar, respectively.
Sans Bar. Photo courtesy of Chris Marshall.
DRY Botanical Bubbly Is Changing The Drinking Game WORDS BY NATALIA KOLENKO
Photos courtesy of DRY Botanical Bubbly.
There are a million reasons why people choose to cut alcohol out of their life, but Sharelle Klaus – founder and CEO of DRY Botanical Bubbly – wants you to know you have options. “My big mission in life is hopefully [in five years], I walk into a bar, I ask for a cocktail and the bartender says, ‘With or without alcohol?’” Klaus explains. “I want [there to be] no stigma [and] nothing weird about having a zero-proof lifestyle. It’s just a viable lifestyle.” For Klaus, the journey to the zero-proof lifestyle started when she became pregnant with her first child. She recalls dining at a restaurant in Georgetown with her husband and feeling frustrated that she had almost no drink options as a pregnant woman. By her fourth pregnancy, she began to question why alcohol always seemed to be the center of focus for every celebration. “If you choose not to drink, and there’s a million reasons not to drink alcohol, why do you have no options? And why do you feel like a second-class citizen?” It was this frustration that led Klaus to establish DRY Botanical Bubbly, formerly DRY Soda Company, 15 years ago in Seattle with the mission that social drinking is for everyone. A multifaceted product, DRY is a sparkling beverage made with natural ingredients and botanicals that Klaus created to be paired with food. Each flavor has a different acidity and sweetness level, and her drinks have become popular as a mixer. Whether consumed on its own or as a mixer, Klaus wanted DRY to be a drink people could enjoy while celebrating: an alternative to alcohol that wasn’t just water. When Klaus first started DRY, there was almost no zero-proof culture to speak of, she says. But the culture has exploded in popularity, especially over the last few years. She says drinking zero-proof is more than just a trend – it’s a cultural shift. “[Millennials] talk about mental health, whereas my generation talks about physical health. We never, ever talk about mental health, DISTRICT FRAY | 27
and I think talking about that has made people question their relationship with alcohol.” She says post-Covid, people will question this relationship even more. Just like most businesses this past year, DRY has seen its fair share of challenges with the pandemic. But that didn’t stop them from pushing forward. Realizing that going out would be on hold for a while, Klaus’ team came up with the idea of writing a zero-proof mixology book, “The Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails,” for people to make their own cocktails at home. Klaus hopes her mixology book, and zero-proof beverages in general, will let people know they have options. As for the future of zero-proof, Klaus says DRY is focusing on the hosting experience by encouraging people planning an event to have zero-proof options for guests. She also wants to encourage guests to “wine and DRY.” Instead of bringing two bottles of wine to an event, bring a bottle of wine and a bottle of DRY. The goal is to normalize zero-proof the way society has normalized having options for people with dietary restrictions. “We want people to understand this is a drink that you can drink when you’re celebrating,” Klaus says. “The more we can make [zero-proof] normal by talking about it and giving people options, the more they feel like, ‘Oh, there’s other people out there like me.’ Our mission is to change the way people think about drinking.” Visit DRY Botanical Bubbly online at www.drinkdry.com for more information and cocktail recipes, and to read their blog. You can order DRY online or use the search tool on their website to find DRY in a store near you. Follow them on Instagram @drysoda. 28 | WINTER 2021
TOP PHOTO. DRY Botanical Bubbly Founder + CEO Sharelle Klaus.
MUSIC
WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI
30 | WINTER 2021
MUSIC All things considered, 2020 was a banner year for Bartees Strange. In March of last year, the D.C.-based musician released “Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy,” an EP of covers by The National. At the start of October, he released “Live Forever,” his first fulllength album. Widely lauded, Strange swept the end-of-year lists, landing high on roundups from outlets like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and many more – including District Fray. The record popped up on Wilco’s handselected list of favorites, too. When he released the album into the world last fall, Strange never expected it to be this way. “I liked the record, but I definitely thought it was going to be more of a risky record to put out,” Strange explains. “I thought some of the songs were a little adventurous. And I was like, ‘Hey, I’m going to just trust that the audience can understand what’s going on,’ which is a weird situation to be in. When you’re putting out music, you always have to walk this line between what you know people are going to like, and what you and the band like – and it worked. I was grateful that so many people found it, liked it, shared it and are going to keep it with them in the future.” Strange isn’t the first artist to grapple with releasing a standout record in the midst of a pandemic, and by the state of things today, certainly won’t be the last. Alongside his band, he’s performed songs from “Live Forever” through virtual appearances, most recently on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and a livestream show late last month, featuring the album played in full for Strange’s birthday. It’s easy to wonder if there’s a bittersweet element to the fact that the record can’t be shared in a packed club or during the summer festival circuit just yet. “The way I see it is that things can only happen one way,” Strange explains of this challenge. “I don’t see much sense in belaboring the fact that I can’t play this album live yet. On the other hand, I’m so hype that for the first time in my life, more people have heard my music than ever before. In many ways, it’s changed my life. I know that next time I do go on tour, it’ll be way different than last time. That’s enough for me – to know we made something that’s going to make my life different.” Prior to “Live Forever,” Strange and his band made waves with “Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy” and their inventive spins on favorites and deep cuts by The National. Long a staple in Strange and his band’s musical diet, they’d tossed around the idea of covering the band but understood “it’s really hard to cover a band like The National for so many reasons.” After seeing the band at The Anthem in the summer of 2019, this abstract idea led to the EP that came to represent much more than a simple homage to a beloved band. “I definitely didn’t go into it being like, ‘Oh, I’ve always wanted to cover The National.’ It was more like, ‘What does The National represent to me?’ They’re my favorite band, but I’m at this show and there’s no people of color. There’s also not a lot of bands like The National comprised of people of color – bands who have had seven albums [and] grown over the course of 20 years to win Grammys and work with Taylor Swift, who are [also] Black. I wanted to do something that reclaims the contributions Black people have made in the rock space, and use a very successful band like The National as a conduit to make the case for a more diverse music scene.” As the band whittled down songs to include on the EP, Strange reflected on how the lyrics took on other meanings and perspectives drawn from his lived experiences. Take The National’s “Mr. November,” the frenetic, political song that serves as a closing track to the band’s 2005 album “Alligator.” It was written in part around the anxieties of the 2004 election and resurrected as the
band campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008 – and in the before times, often served as a denouement of the band’s live shows. It takes on a new meaning when a young, pioneering Black musician sings it. “It’s interesting how lyrics can change in their weightiness, and that was what I was drawn to. Songs like “Mr. November” [with lyrics like] ‘I’m the new blue blood, I’m the great white hope’ play into the mantra of the album. A person like me should be the new great hope of this genre, and that’s what I was trying to get across with these selections.” Since the release of both that EP and “Live Forever,” Strange shifted to doing music full-time. He says despite the lack of traditional touring, he’s busier than ever. In keeping with the momentum gained in 2020, he’s working as a producer for bands in the District and beyond these days. “I’m learning a lot about what my life could look like,” he says. “It’s interesting, because this is something I’ve been working toward for the last 10 or 11 years: Playing in bands, producing, learning how to engineer. And now, I’m really diving into it.”
Bartees Strange. Photos by Julia Leiby.
DISTRICT FRAY | 31
Follow @bartees_strange on Instagram and visit www.barteesstrange.bandcamp.com for more information and to purchase his music.
CULTURE
SELF-CARE: A HEALING JOURNEY WORDS BY ALICE HU
“Isn’t there something else?” I was in my mid-20s, living in Shanghai and moving up in the PR agency world. Everything looked great on paper, but that question kept popping into my mind. A part of me genuinely enjoyed the work I was doing, but it also felt a bit empty and less fulfilling as time went on. Yes, it sounds a bit cliché, but when you’re in it, you’re all-consumed by it. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was feeling the beginning of my Saturn return. In astrology, the planet Saturn is the taskmaster, making sure you’re following your purpose and living in alignment. Note: This is why so many people have career changes in their late 20s to early 30s. So, I left the agency world, moved back to America and became a full-time entrepreneur. I used to think self-care meant working out every day, eating well and getting massages. While it definitely encompasses these things, that’s far from what it actually means. True self-care means listening to your heart and intuition when it goes against everything you think you know. I started letting go of expectations and not caring what others thought of me so I could live my truth. For the first time in my life, I had to confront the idea that the reality I had created for myself was heavily influenced by external values. Wait, external values aren’t my own? Then what do I believe? What is right for me? I felt like I was in 10th grade English class again learning about existentialism. Shouldn’t I have things figured out? Nah, we never have things 100% figured out. I started to understand there were other areas of well-being I had largely ignored like emotional health, spiritual connection and mental health. I began to really understand what it meant to address your health holistically, and like everything else in life worth having, it wasn’t easy. It’s not just saying affirmations, thinking positively and seeing a therapist once a week. You
have to practice self-care/wellness/whatever you want to call it every day. You have to check in with yourself more often than you think and start showing up for yourself. You actually need to feel your emotions instead of distracting yourself with a busy social schedule, Netflix, vices or something else. If you don’t, it piles up inside you. You know those people who scream at servers or demand to see the manager because the store can’t accept a return from five years ago? That’s what happens when emotions build up like a pressure cooker and something mundane causes a meltdown. “In order to tap into that infinite and abundant well of truth, it is critical that we silence the noise that comes from outside,” says Adriana Mendoza, COO of D.C. collective and retail space Femme Fatale. “I have learned my self-care practice nourishes my truth.” She continues, “Mindfulness is a concept that came into my vocabulary only three years ago. Before then, I was living a life purely in either the past or future. Practicing mindfulness is an ongoing daily practice. The mind is powerful and will try and pull you out of the present moment. Art is what brings me back to the present moment.” In America, so much of our self-worth and identify is tied to our career and professional “success.” We don’t know who we are without it. Our world revolves around it. When you start thinking, “Hey, I don’t think this is for me anymore,” it’s a scary realization because you’re shifting your reality. What you think is true changes. The life you thought you’d be living falls out from beneath you – for your benefit, though. It’s easy to be on autopilot. It’s uncomfortable at first to chart your own course, but once you discover your own path, you light up and act as a beacon for others to do the same.
FIRST PAGE. Alice Hu. Photo by Birch Thomas. SECOND PAGE. Maya Oren. Photo courtesy of subject.
DISTRICT FRAY | 33
Did I think five years ago I was going to be hosting workshops and programs helping people discover their purpose, and explaining how to cultivate energy and which crystals to use for each energy center? No f--king way. I thought everything in this space was fake and all marketing (like, WTF is a yoni egg?) But when I unwrapped the BS and experienced holistic wellness for myself, things changed. I practiced yoga, developed a meditation practice and learned astrology. I inadvertently started the process of coming home to myself. I realized everything I was learning, mostly from white teachers and guides, were things in my culture that had been erased or shunned because of westernization. I began to reclaim my Chinese heritage and the ancient practices of mindfulness and using food as medicine. I reconnected with my body, developed my intuition, and began to live authentically for myself and no one else Self-care became a movement and thus, commercialized. The true meaning of self-care is healing yourself. Karina Carlson of D.C.-based wellness community Well Read believes, “Self-care is about what you put on your body, but it’s also what you let in – and I don’t mean just food. It’s the energy you cultivate, the thoughts you let lead you and the relationships you surround yourself with.” Self-care is doing the difficult work to uncover your limiting beliefs, trauma, shadow self – anything icky you’ve been avoiding. It’s important to understand the “dark side” of you so it doesn’t have a hold on you anymore. Once you embrace it, you’re no longer in fear of it. You take your power back. You have to figure out the parts of your life that have been on autopilot and become an active participant again. Be the producer, director and star of your life. What’s really helped me with this process? A daily mindfulness practice that includes meditation, movement, self-reflection, and reading something nourishing and inspirational. In the beginning, sound baths were helpful to quiet the mind, which is why I still facilitate them. I use journaling to help me answer questions, make decisions and process what’s happening in my life. Systems like astrology, Human Design and Enneagram have allowed me to accept who I am and be comfortable with doing things differently from others. When practicing mindfulness, Maya Oren of D.C.-based creative studio MOJALVO says, “I allow myself to be aware of my surroundings most of the day. Staying mindful in this way is such a potent exercise for mindfulness.” She notes, “Spirituality, and for me specifically, meditation and movement, have taught me that it is crucial to take time for myself every single day. That routine/ structure is a vital component for my overall well-being.” Carlson notices when she misses a meditation. “When I feel into my body/mind through meditation, I have a deeper awareness of the space I take up physically and energetically.” Through my own journey, I’ve embraced my need to be an entrepreneur after more than 10 years of fighting it. I’ve released the, “What will others think if I start this business?” I now have an amazing community in the DMV and beyond who I help reconnect to their truth through mindfulness, chakras and manifestation, to name a few of my favorite methods. By connecting with my purpose, the gift I’m meant to share with others, I feel more alive and at peace knowing I spend my days helping others live more fully. 34 | WINTER 2021
Alice Hu is the founder of Woo Woo Company, a guide to all things woo, spiritual and holistic health. She’s a local DMV expert on mindfulness who has also been featured in Washingtonian and Washington City Paper. Connect with her via 202-918-3414 to join in on abundance meditation challenges, listen to her “Into the Woo” podcast, or shoot her a note at hello@woowoocompany.com. Hu regularly hosts virtual workshops and works with clients 1:1 to help them discover their truth and purpose. For more on Adriana Mendoza and Femme Fatale, visit www.femmefataledc.com and follow @femmefataledc on Instagram. For more on Karina Carlson and Well Read, visit www.thisiswellread.com and follow @thisiswellread on Instagram. For more on Maya Oren and MOJALVO, visit www.mojalvo.com and follow @mojalvo on Instagram.
FROM TOP. Karina Carlson. Photo by Anne Kim. Adriana Mendoza. Photo courtesy of subject.
The Thriving World of Local Wellness Shops WORDS BY MAYRA MEJIA As D.C. area residents continue to cope with the added stress of the pandemic, they are increasingly turning to wellness shops and looking for alternative ways to relax. Shop owners have noticed a difference in what customers are seeking, noting an elevated level of stress and need for ways to relax at home and feel release. It is definitely more challenging to separate work life from home life now, since most of us are working from home for the foreseeable future. “It is really disheartening when we hear people have to use CBD on a Sunday because they are already feeling the stress from their impending work week,” says Connie McGrath, founder of Veer & Wander in Union Market. “Life should not be like that.” What can you expect to find in a shop that touts wellness and the importance of self-care? Crystals, divination tools, aromatherapy aids and beauty products – anything and everything to practice your preferred self-care method. With so much to choose from, what’s one product locals have been flocking toward? “Crystals!” says Georgetown-based Take Care Shop Founder Becky Waddell. “Our crystals have become so popular. They have their own website and Instagram. They’ve graduated from Take Care and are now residing at [D.C. rock shop] District Mineral.” Overall, she says her customer base seeks, “Something to take
the edge off of what has been such a trying year.” Luckily for those of us in the D.C. area, there’s a healthy selection of wellness shops providing a plethora of tools to help customers prioritize their well-being. Many of these shops have become staple destinations for their customer bases and have a very close-knit, community feel to them despite strict Covid guidelines. Over at Bethesda, Maryland wellness shop Follain, store director Tiffany Bassford says, “We used to throw numerous wellness-centered events every month in our stores. Since Covid, we’ve had to shift those events [and go] virtual to bring high-quality content and connect with our community in a new way.” Waddell says Take Care has also had to make a shift, noting that her amazing customers have adapted to Covid modifications with kindness and compassion. “We even soft-launched a community swatching program that will fully launch soon so customers can see what our products look like on other people with a range of skin colors, textures and types,” she adds. The shift to virtual sessions allows the wellness shops to maintain close connections to their customers, who rely on them to ease their day-to-day stress. Bassford says the “it” products at Follain are relaxation tools.
FIRST PAGE. Take Care Shop. Photo by Erin Fabio Photography. SECOND PAGE. (from top). Veer & Wander. Follain. Photos courtesy of locations.
DISTRICT FRAY | 35
CULTURE “Tools like jade rollers and gua sha have been increasingly popular, as customers are looking for ways to level up their skincare and self-care. With everyone at home all the time now, customers are looking for wind-down rituals to separate their days.” Gua sha is a type of facial massage technique, typically done with a smooth, flat stone like jade or rose quartz. It helps promote drainage, relax muscles and relieve stress. While there’s always been a wellness market here in D.C., this past year has taught us to prioritize our self-care in many different ways – and that trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down in 2021, either. Whether it be with virtual offerings or going into the shop for a one-on-one experience, building community and staying connected are at the core of why these local wellness spaces are thriving. Want to shop wellness in and around the city? Here’s a list of some top spots in the DMV, including Follain, Take Care Shop, and Veer & Wander. Blue Nile Botanicals: 2826 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.bluenilebotanicals.com // @thebluenilebotanicals Femme Fatale: 401 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC; www.femmefataledc.com // @femmefataledc Follain: 4810 Bethesda Ave. Bethesda, MD; www.follain.com // @follainbethesdarow Sacred Circle: 919 King St. Alexandria, VA; www.sacredcirclebooks.com Smile Herb: 4908 Berwyn Rd. College Park, MD; www.smileherb.com // @smileherbshop Take Care Shop: 1338 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; www.takecareshopdc.com // @takecareshopdc Terra Christa: 130 Church St. NW, Vienna, VA; www.terrachrista.com // @terrachrista4u Trade Roots: 5852 Washington Blvd. Arlington, VA; www.fairtraderoots.com // @traderoots Veer and Wander: 1260 5th St. NE, DC; www.veerandwander.com // @veerandwanderdc
36 | WINTER 2021
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CULTURE
HALCYON + BLACK GIRL VENTURES Partner to Help Black and Brown Women Entrepreneurs WORDS BY REEM NADEEM
Black women have long been one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs in the U.S., despite a systemic lack of access to capital. Now, the pandemic is not only disproportionately threatening their lives – it poses a danger to their businesses, too. A new incubation intensive created for Black and brown women entrepreneurs aims to address the disparities in access to funding. Halcyon House, a D.C.-based organization that supports entrepreneurship, has partnered with Black Girl Ventures, an organization that works to connect Black and brown women business owners with investors. Together, they’re offering participants of the eight-month program the opportunity and tools to refine their business plans and raise capital. Participants in the program will have access to virtual coworking days, pitch practices, and office hours with mentors and advisers, and will receive a $5,000 stipend. They will also be invited to participate in a weeklong residency at Halcyon over the summer. The residency will include a Black Girl Venturesstyle pitch event, giving founders a chance to present their businesses and secure funding. “Halcyon itself is an organization that has been and continues to be committed to democratizing access,” says Halcyon’s chief development officer, Samantha Abrams. “Our fellows coming into our programs, 62% of them are people of color and 53% are women. It tells you a lot about our focus on making sure that is a truth we’re saying and not just a statement posted for optics.” She adds, “We already had a focus on making this program, these resources and this support accessible to people of color – in particular, women.” The intensive is being funded by Bank of America, and Abrams hopes the collaboration serves as an example for how corporate businesses can lend a hand to Black and brown-owned small businesses. “We are very optimistic that this will be the first of many intensives where we’re focusing on a particular group of people who are disenfranchised and have been, and really [working] to democratize access in a real way,” she says. 38 | WINTER 2021
In selecting the applicants who will be offered a spot in the intensive, Abrams says the goal was to get a diverse group of Black and brown women founders whose businesses are in varying stages. Some of the founders have already generated revenue from their businesses, while some have a business plan prepared and need help launching. Regardless of what each founder’s unique needs may be, the intensive aims to give them space to talk through their ideas and roadblocks with advisers and polish pitches for investors. “It’s that granular type of work that is so critical,” Abrams says. Another goal of the selection process is gathering together a group that is complementary and not competitive, Abrams says. Previous Halcyon intensives have led to founders collaborating together and supporting each other’s businesses. When it comes to providing mentorship and advice to women entrepreneurs, Abrams says the organizers of this intensive not only have business acumen, but life experience, too – herself included. As a self-described serial entrepreneur with business experience in both corporate and nonprofit spaces, and co-ownership in SaPoDilla’s Caribbean Restaurant and Catering in Fort Washington, Maryland, Abrams has lived the reality of trying to build and maintain a business as a Black woman. “I know the challenge, and I know what it feels like to be hunting for money. You know [your idea is] great. You know your product is exceptional. But you’re standing right in front of everyone, waving [and saying], ‘Look at me look at me.’ And they’re just kind of looking over you. [For] many of us, having [those] lived experiences really helps us to think through what our founders need.” Visit www.halcyonhouse.org and www.blackgirlventures.org for more information about upcoming intensives and to donate. Halcyon House: 3400 Prospect St. NW, DC; 202-796-4240; www.halcyonhouse.org
Samantha Abrams. Photo courtesy of Halcyon.
LIFE L TO R: Dr. Darrien Jamar, Cierra Kaler-Jones, Vergie “Gigi” Arandid, Sarah Rehman.
As we collectively continue to navigate a pandemic, shift our priorities and work to keep our communities safe, we’re looking to leaders in the health and wellness space to guide us on our journeys to self-care. These 24 individuals in the D.C. area define all of the above on their own terms and offer their stories up for others to join them in striving for connection, care and self-compassion.
D.C.'S CULTURE OF
Self-Care
PHOTO BY TONY POWELL
Unlocking Your Story with
Cierra Kaler-Jones WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD | PHOTO BY TONY POWELL
40 | WINTER 2021
LIFE You can’t create space for the “Hell yeses” if you don’t give the “Hell nos.” These words of wisdom belong to Cierra Kaler-Jones, who is speaking about the importance of setting boundaries and saying no “as a full sentence – period, full stop” to the things in life that don’t excite you. The movement and meditation instructor, social justice educator, and creative entrepreneur – among an impressive list of other titles – notes this as one of many forms of self-care she strives to practice with intention on a daily basis. The New Jersey native, who moved to the District six years ago and says the city has always felt like home, has built her entire career on weaving together social justice education, storytelling, dance and meditation/yoga into one space. While this may seem like no easy feat to most of us, she says they all seem to flow together within her trajectory. “I feel like the universe works itself out so that you’re always aligned toward your purpose,” she says. “You might have different job titles and be in different places, but at the end of the day, it’s the purpose that grounds and guides you forward.” She began dancing at 5 years old, and says it became a way for her to take up space as a Black woman in an oppressive society. She even went on to dance professionally for the NBA for a time. “I could physically make myself larger through the practice of dance, and that was the one place where I felt like I could be my most authentic self.” As a shy student with fears of speaking up and sharing her thoughts and opinions, who felt stifled because of her identity in the classroom, dance became the vehicle through which she could express herself and tell her story. Fast-forward to present day, and Kaler-Jones is now a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park focusing on how young Black women use art-based practices like movement, music and hair as forms of expression, resistance and identity development. She also works as a fitness instructor for cardio dance studio 305 Fitness, where she’s currently teaching classes both virtually and outdoors. When a friend through 305 offered her the opportunity to run a workshop on storytelling, the final puzzle piece began moving into place. She continued leading workshops and laying the groundwork for her coaching and consulting business, Unlock Your Story, which she founded in October 2019. She credits a program she launched while pursuing her master’s in education at George Washington University with helping her build the framework for Unlock Your Story. The Speak Your Truth program, which used a storytelling for social justice framework, provided a research and evidence basis to the work she currently does: writing and public speaking coaching, storytelling workshops, and storytelling for social justice consulting. In addition to coaching sessions, Unlock Your Story hosts two to three events per month, virtually at the moment, and sends out a weekly newsletter. Her business has multiple arms that run parallel but remain interconnected. Sign up for a workshop on developing a strategic plan for your creative project and then spend the first Sunday of the month in a story flow, a yoga practice that includes journaling and meditation – with proceeds benefiting organizations like The Loveland Foundation, which is focused on showing up for communities of color. This month, Kaler-Jones is offering a three-week live series featuring onehour sessions around heart-centered storytelling. “It also includes access to a yoga asana practice, a meditation and journaling prompts that support you throughout the week,” she says of the series. “It’s all centered around this idea
that in order to tell our stories, we have to be in tune with our heart. That’s where I bring in some of my yoga and meditation background, and thinking about the heart chakra and what lights that up, so we can then lean into radical vulnerability and develop and deepen our relationship with self to then be able to develop and deepen our relationships with others.” Unlock Your Story has experienced continual growth over the past year, adding people to its collective community through a range of experiences. And while the pandemic weighs heavily on all of us, she says much of her work has already been about creating and holding space for people to process and reflect in this moment. “Our lives are about shifting and adapting and changing,” Kaler-Jones says of being both an entrepreneur and a creative. She notes that the results of one activity in particular, free drawing paired with journaling, is beautiful to see. “We have so many thoughts in our minds. Sometimes, it’s scary to verbalize them because it’s safe within the comfort of our mind. Then when we put it out, it is subject to our own critique – and outer critique. Being able to see [drawing and journaling] together almost gives it a sense of permanence, like, ‘Wow, those are my unconscious thoughts, my feelings put down on paper.” Ultimately, relationship building and sense of community are the backbone of Unlock Your Story. Each workshop starts out with guiding approaches to how the participants come to the work as well as community agreements – how they would like to show up and how they would like other people to show up for them. One agreement is, “Throw sunshine, not shade.” “Someone might say something that might not resonate with you. It might not be your experience and you might not agree. In those moments, you ask clarifying questions to learn more about where someone else is coming from and their perspective.” Another community agreement was inspired by the idea of cookie dough. “Half-baked ideas are totally welcome in this space. I use that all the time in my professional and personal life. I’m like, ‘This is a cookie dough thought,’ because cookie dough is just as good as the cookie. I try to share it as much as possible so that we can all live in a society where we start to feel more comfortable. sharing our cookie dough thoughts. We offer those community agreements to make people feel comfortable, especially because we can’t be together in person [during Covid].” When it comes to how she practices self-care, Kaler-Jones digs deep on her response. She’s researched the history of self-care extensively, learning that it was in large part revolutionized by the Black Panther Party and civil rights activists. “This idea that if the government doesn’t take care of us and if the healthcare system doesn’t take care of us, at the end of the day, we all we got. We have to take care of one another.” She encourages us as a society to recognize that self-care has to happen in community and we have to reclaim it for ourselves, noting that the practice is often talked about in a way that’s weaponized because it’s viewed as very individualistic by many. “If meditation doesn’t work for you, don’t meditate. If journaling doesn’t work for you, don’t journal. Find that thing, whatever that is for you. But then also realize that you don’t have to do it alone. Really lean into community, lean into other people, and remember that self-care doesn’t have to be just within yourself. It can be in community, too.” Learn more about Cierra Kaler-Jones at www.cierrakalerjones.com and Unlock Your Story at www.unlockyourstoryco.com. Follow on Instagram @_cierrajade_ and @unlockyourstory. DISTRICT FRAY | 41
Dr. Darrien Jamar WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD PHOTO BY TONY POWELL
42 | WINTER 2021
on Creative Expression, Healthy Energy Flow + Impromptu Dance Parties
T
he practice of self-care has never been more crucial to us as individuals and as a collective whole, whether that means losing yourself in a hobby, operating in low power mode, or creating space and time for yourself. These are just three of Dr. Darrien Jamar’s suggestions for how to live in a state of reflection and restoration during such a tumultuous time. “We’re all recovering from things as we as a society become a lot more aware of the impact of our experiences,” says the reiki master, chiropractor and integrative life coach. “We’re realizing, ‘Oh, I have these things within me that need to be addressed and healed,’ because we are a lot more sensitive to them.” Jamar says the majority of his clients in the District don’t want to pass on their own traumas, “especially within the African American community where we’re dealing with a lot of old, repressed trauma that’s not necessarily ours, but it’s been generational. I think that even blends to what’s going on in nature as well. We’re trying to bring the planet back to a space where there’s more respect and unity, not only for the animals but for ourselves individually.” He breaks down his current flow of clients and their needs into thirds: chiropractic only, chiropractic and reiki, and reiki only, with life coaching integrated throughout. Locals can book virtual and in-person appointments with Jamar or in-person reiki sessions at Sense, a hair salon, apothecary and healing studio in Park View. While he’s only recently launched these interwoven components of his career, his fascination with the body’s ability to heal itself and his focus on healthy living dates back to childhood. After receiving his bachelor of arts from Longwood University, the idea of chiropractic came to him and he found a school near Atlanta, Georgia where he received his doctor of chiropractic and master’s in positive psychology. His interest in mindfulness and energy flow led to training as a reiki healer, a natural next step in his professional evolution. “When I want to get grounded, I go sit outside by a lake or a river and there’s an energy that consumes me,” he says. “That’s that kind of energy that’s in reiki – cleansing and moving through your body. And in those moments, I become clear and more inspired.” He says while this is the end result for all reiki practice, it’s very individualistic in nature and depends on what grounds a person. He began practicing reiki in January 2020 and chiropractic in the fall of 2018, and in both, he carves out time before each session to discuss where the individual’s energy is and after each session, how to use the clarity gained to move his or her life forward. While many entrepreneurs have struggled during the pandemic, Jamar says he has been blessed and grateful to watch his business grow by 15 to 20% each month. He noticed a curiosity and buzz around reiki pre-Covid but notes the inner turbulence within people during the past year has opened many doors for him to help work with and heal locals. On a personal level, Jamar has relied heavily on meditation during Covid “to move forward, not reactively or out of fear.” He’s also been journaling a lot, an exercise he says is paramount to reminding ourselves that we’re all creative beings, and
LIFE
"It’s been feeling so good to disconnect from everything that I’m doing in life to just allow myself to be free." something he’s been doing since elementary school. In fact, he still picks up his first “Harry Potter” journal from time to time in moments of nostalgia or self-reflection. “A lot of times as we move through life, we become burdened and repress our creativity and feelings. That journey [of journaling] allowed my creative voice to really come out.” He’s also a big fan of taking himself on dates to get ice cream or a bite to eat, and of being comfortable existing in a lower energy state of being when he needs to. “More recently, I’ve been in what I call low power mode. It’s similar to how bears hibernate in the winter. I noticed last year when it came to winter, my energy would shift and it was harder for me to get things done. I said, ‘Next winter, I’m going to do things differently.’ For me, low power mode has been about continuing to do stuff but just creating more space to have breaks in-between. It’s given me space to really reflect on the impact of the last year.” Other activities keeping him centered include making floral arrangements for friends and local businesses and getting lost inside the world of a good puzzle. When drilled down to its most simple meaning, he says self-care is a constant commitment to keeping up with where you are at any given moment in your life. “For a lot of us – especially in Washington, D.C. [where] we’re very aware and sensitive, and care about our environment – it’s easy to be consumed by those things. I think creating space and time to just disconnect and be with yourself and your thoughts [can help you] figure out, ‘Oh, I feel this type of way and didn’t even realize it’ or ‘Oh, that person said that to me earlier and it really touched me, so let me reach out to them.’ I think over time, that awareness we foster about ourselves bleeds into how we show up in our lives, and that becomes inspiration and trickles on, and [another] person takes that and does the same thing.” His parting thought: Be silly and have fun. Take a page from Jamar’s book and crank the music and have a dance party in your bathroom, because why not? “It seems so simple that I’m like, ‘Why hadn’t I thought about that before?’ It’s been feeling so good to disconnect from everything that I’m doing in life to just allow myself to be free.” Learn more about Dr. Darrien Jamar’s chiropractic, reiki and integrative life coaching sessions at www.darrienjamar.com and book reiki appointments with him at Sense (3111 Georgia Ave. NW, DC) at www.sensestudios.co. Follow him on Instagram and LinkedIn @darrienjamar. DISTRICT FRAY | 43
A New Way to Binge: Sobriety Anchors Business + Being for
Gigi Arandid WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI | PHOTO BY TONY POWELL
44 | WINTER 2021
A
t first blush, naming a bar that eschews booze "Binge Bar" might seem like an odd choice. But for Vergie “Gigi” Arandid, it couldn’t be more fitting. “It means to binge on everything that is good – mind, body and soul,” says the founder and owner of the H Street spot, in the works and aiming to open this summer. “Even the icon for Binge has to do with mind, body and soul. It was my signature when I would doodle or paint. So it’s a personal brand, and this space will definitely be an extension of that.” Painting is just another element of self-care and creation that Arandid aims to infuse into the space. As she worked through the feelings of the murder of George Floyd this summer, she turned to painting as a tool to express. Eventually, those paintings led way to a storefront mural where Binge will soon open. She did the same to celebrate the memory and mourn the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A throughline to the ethos of Binge Bar lies in Arandid’s ability to distill the hard-learned lessons of her sobriety journey into something joyful – and something that welcomes all. The bar’s tagline, “Come as you are,” invites patrons to experience a new kind of going out with no judgement passed and no strings attached. Similarly, Arandid entered her journey to sobriety that’s since anchored her endeavors, both personally and professionally, by taking a small step back and then diving in.
"Who I am outside of my personal life is the same in my professional life, which now revolves around Binge. It revolves around a purpose
LIFE “It’s just been a complete 180,” she says of sober life. “I’ve practiced yoga for three or four years now. I was able to renew my faith, and have a quality of life and a heightened experience that I get to fully be a part of and be present for. I’m not going to be a hypocrite and tell people that the triggers don’t happen and that life has been easy breezy since. But I’m able to process everything in a mindful way.” Now filled with new people and experiences, she notes that her first shaky steps into sobriety were hard and lonely. She counted each day and each month until she hit one full year, describing that mark as a weight off her shoulders. She leaned on yoga, mindfulness and her faith for clarity and fulfillment. Fast forward to 2020: The pandemic hit and she was furloughed from her job in the hotel industry, so she decided to take another big leap of faith that came in the form of Binge Bar. Outside of offering nonalcoholic options that are thoughtfully crafted and sourced from creators of top-notch zero-proof drinks, Arandid aims to elevate the drinking experience in ways that aren’t merely gastronomic or aesthetic. She’s opening more pathways for others to experience and binge on things that aren’t just booze – good food, art, music, companionship and more. “We’re going to be serving light bites on the healthier side because this space is smaller and we won’t have a full kitchen,” she explains. “But on a nightly basis, we’re going to offer events like karaoke. The space is also going to have a mini-gallery section where I can feature different artists. It’s going to be a home for not just nondrinkers but also for artists. We’re going to test out on a trial-and-error basis what works and what doesn’t – whether that’s going to be DJs, artists, jazz players, bands. It’s going to be interesting to really see how everything unfolds.” Arandid admits she’s unsure how the bar will change the landscape of nightlife in D.C., a city that’s increasingly grappled with its seemingly inextricable drinking culture to create spaces and options for the sober or sober curious. She presents her bar, cards on the table, ready to welcome anyone with open arms but noting that if someone doesn’t like the lack of booze, they’re free to leave. Just like the steps into her sobriety and self-care journey, much will only be realized within the space in due time. But she’s equipped and ready to welcome this next step for herself, her current community and all those who set foot in Binge Bar. “I think when it comes to my journey personally, it has been such a raw experience because when I first tell people I’m sober, ‘So, what do you do for fun?’ is the first question they ask. It’s an ongoing process. Yes, I have yoga, and yes I have this quality of life now with friends and family. But it’s all relative and it all applies. Who I am outside of my personal life is the same in my professional life, which now revolves around Binge. It revolves around a purpose and mission that is greater than myself.”
and mission that is
Binge Bar is scheduled to open this June. For the latest, follow @__bingebar__ on Instagram and visit www.fb.com/bingebar. Follow Arandid on Instagram @bingeongigi.
greater than myself."
Binge Bar: 506 H St. NE, DC; www.fb.com/bingebar // @__bingebar__ DISTRICT FRAY | 45
Flying Buddha Studio’s
Sarah Rehman
Reaches New Heights
WORDS BY CATHERINE TRIFILETTI | PHOTO BY TONY POWELL
46 | WINTER 2021
A
t Flying Buddha Studio, owner Sarah Rehman evangelizes the benefits of aerial yoga while expanding the boundaries of traditional fitness practices along the way. The ancient practice of yoga may call to mind tranquil imagery of individuals seated in sukhasana: Legs crossed, eyes closed, palms up. Enter Rehman, whose Gaithersburg, Maryland-based business turns that vision on its head – quite literally. Her aerial yoga classes often require students to flip upside down for a time before using their core strength to swing back up, all with the assistance of nylon hammocks fastened and hanging from the ceiling. The sheer explanation (or worse yet, a Google image search) may turn off prospective participants intimidated by what appear to be very challenging movements. To that end, Rehman emphasizes that her practice is bolstered by inclusivity, representation and meeting individuals where they are. “It is available to people of all ages, sizes and walks of life,” she says. For the 32-year-old Maryland native, it was a long and fraught journey to discovering the restorative art. After seeking inpatient treatment for prescription drug addiction triggered by PTSD post-college, she recognized yoga to be the secret sauce behind her healing. For years, Rehman ping-ponged across the U.S., exploring new corners of the yoga-sphere at retreats and specialty classes. But it was at an aerial yoga workshop where she felt especially at home. She found that hanging off tethered hammocks not only builds core strength and mindfulness, but also eliminates mistrust between what the mind thinks itself to be capable of and the body’s actual abilities. Using her own growth for reference, the yogi was inspired to share the experience with others. “It was a big part of my life,” she says. “I had this fire lit under me.” Rehman shopped her unique skillset to various studios in the Washington area once she had earned a teaching certification, but no one was interested in adding aerial yoga to their repertoire. Her business-minded husband emboldened her to refashion the basement of their Potomac, Maryland home into a fitness studio, if for no other reason than to be able to practice aerial every day. She opened Flying Buddha in 2017 and began attracting students through word of mouth. In the early days, Rehman remembers a heady combination of excitement and nerves while adapting the versatile new practice. “It was a good challenge after I got past that,” she says of harnessing the discomfort. In response to encouragement from her small but mighty following, Rehman evolved the homegrown operation into a fullblown commercial business in 2019. Flying Buddha’s 2,700-squarefoot space is essentially an adult playground, according to Rehman. It boasts a massive steel-backed rope wall and a studio dedicated to pole fitness. Safety was top of mind when building the state-of-the-art facility, and the ceiling’s steel support systems were installed by the same professionals who have done work for Cirque du Soleil productions. Once attached to beams overhead via carabiners, hammocks can hold over 2,000 pounds.
LIFE At the onset of the pandemic, Rehman didn’t waste energy on pessimism and quickly reverted to teaching classes virtually, enabling her to expand the studio’s reach beyond the DMV (current mandates have limited in-person classes to a max of nine students). She also forged a new revenue stream with the launch of Higher Vibes Self-Care Shop. Jade eye masks, candles, crystals, massage balls, facial oils and incense are among the curated artisanal items included in the boutique’s growing inventory. Rehman is particularly interested in spreading the gospel of gua sha and plans to teach 20-minute Zoom lessons on facial massage, which touts benefits for lymphatic drainage, smoothing out fine lines and skin toning. Although her background is yoga-based, Rehman classifies the fitness destination as an “all-encompassing movement studio” and is excited about any exercise or wellness method that “restores, strengthens and builds mindfulness.” As it turns out, the options are limitless in that department, she says. Rehman has made it her mission to keep an ear to the ground and maintain flexibility based on the community’s interests, noting several specialty teachers who have taken the reins for their respective niches. Aerial Thai massage, sure. A splits workshop, why not? “If the talent is there, we have the space for them to do what they’re passionate about,” she says. Additionally, the facility will play host to bungee fitness workshops, which Rehman certified and trained for in Florida. She also credits the broader aerial yoga community for diversifying her vision. “When I first got started, I was creating my own stuff; but now, I have found so much support on the Internet,” she says while listing off the many ways to incorporate new exercises on the hammock like barre, Pilates, dance and TRX (Total Resistance Exercises). As for the format of her aerial sessions, they unfold with the same ease of a typical yoga class, flowing from one position to the next with the support and guidance of the apparatus. Rehman freestyles her instruction, toggling between motions that can range from gentle and therapeutic to challenging, depending on the class type. Among students, green or advanced, there is a sense of accomplishment and excitement after landing the practice’s gravity-defying moves. In describing a “We’re-all-in-thistogether type of camaraderie,” she says it isn’t uncommon to hear clapping and cheering for a fellow yogi who has nailed a pose. “The studio offers an invitation to celebrate that progress,” she says. Above the obvious physical payoff of the aerial workout, her decades-long chronic neck pain has disappeared. Rehman’s intentions are heavily anchored by love and empowerment. “Self-care fills our cups so we have so much more to give to those around us,” she says, alluding to aerial yoga as just one way to unlock the important key to self-understanding and acceptance. “When we open ourselves up, we see that we are much more capable than we think we are. Beyond trusting the actual infrastructure holding your body high above the ground, the real challenge is trusting yourself.” For more information, visit www.flyingbuddhastudio.com and follow @flyingbuddhastudio on Instagram for updates. DISTRICT FRAY | 47
LIFE
20 MASTERS OF MINDFULNESS,
MOVEMENT + CONNECTION INTERVIEWS COMPILED BY M.K. KOSZYCKI To kick off our first issue of 2021, we reached out to our extended community to recommend the D.C. area individuals included in this roundup. Whether working as personal trainers, nutritionists, manifestation mentors or so many other roles, they inspire the District to define health and wellness for themselves. While by no means an exhaustive list, we hope their stories uplift and center you as we work together to navigate another intense year.
DANTE BAKER
Holistic Health + Sound Meditation Practitioner Personal Journey: In 2012, I connected with different yoga instructors around the DMV to offer yoga and sound healing workshops. As I watched each teacher lead the workshop’s yoga portion, I felt inspired to teach my workshop. The first 200-hour yoga certification I took was an immersion in Mexico by SOYA Yoga school based in Canada in 2014. In 2020, I completed my 300-hour yoga certification from Beloved Yoga in Reston, Va., which expanded and deepened my understanding of yoga to a point where I have moved beyond teaching asana and simplified complicated yogic philosophy to fit our modern lifestyle. Practice + Prioritization: Since I could not rely on my previous schedule to move my body, I choose to increase my activity level independently. I started to invest in my health by buying workout equipment, workout at specific times in the day, tracked my workout progress and ate more healthy calorie-dense foods to pack on muscle. From March 2020 to January 2021, I have increased my strength, muscular size and overall weight to my desired goals. The most important thing that helps me stay consistent in my workouts is to notice how much stress relieving I feel and how much more calm I feel afterward. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: My definition of selfcompassion [is] acknowledging the feelings arising inside you and giving yourself the right amount of attention, self-care and love that you need at the moment. One of my daily practices is pranayama (breathing exercises). It helps process stuck energies, negative emotions and release negative thought patterns. Our bodies can quickly go into fight or flight mode by our thoughts and feelings alone. If we can slow down our breathing pattern, we can turn on the parasympathetic (rest and digest nervous system) to calm our bodies and minds. Learn more at www.dantenbaker.com and follow @soundsbydante on Instagram.
JAMES BARNETT
Senior Master Coach, [solidcore] + Founder, Body by James Personal Journey: I am an athlete and have always loved pushing myself physically and mentally closer to my limits, 48 | WINTER 2021
getting stronger along the way. I grew up diving, and continued coaching dive and working out, but when I took my first [solidcore] class I knew I found my next passion. Classes are crazy hard, more mentally challenging than any workout, and the results are amazing. I’ve been coaching at [solidcore] for the past six years and still love the workout and the community of coaches, leadership and clients. Once the pandemic hit, I launched my own workout: a virtual HIIT class combining fitness techniques I’ve learned over the years, and called it Body By James (BBJ). It’s been so fun to coach and connect with clients again and hear how much they appreciate the workout. Practice + Prioritization: I spend a lot of time teaching fitness to other people, but I’m especially deliberate about scheduling and taking my own workouts. I mix it up and frequently take classes at Cut Seven, where I used to also coach many moons ago, and I love Katie Collard’s classes as well. Food is such an important part of my recovery and I love to cook so I also prioritize making enough time to make and enjoy my meals. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion means not judging myself or thinking that I’m crazy when I start to get too stressed. My schedule is completely packed and it can be overwhelming at times. Did I mention I also work at Deloitte? There is a lot going on so when I feel like my stress is rising I pull away, take some deep breaths, and sometimes I will meditate. When my meditation practice is most consistent, I feel like I can really crush any day no matter how crazy or busy. Learn more at www.body-by-james.com and follow @bodybyjames_ on Instagram.
CHARLIE BERKINSHAW
Founder, Element Shrub
Personal Journey: Two worlds collided about eight years ago when my wife and I were living outside of Boston and had gotten involved in this group that foraged fruit from our neighbors’ backyards and learned everything there is to know about canning, pickling, jamming etc. We’d pick this fruit that would have otherwise gone to waste and make jams, pickles, pie, you name it. We learned about the concept of shrubs. And the same time, my wife was pregnant with our first child and she was looking for a healthier non-alcoholic drink that had the complexity of a cocktail, but was made with real ingredients and not a ton of sugar.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT. James Barnett. Dante Baker. Cassia Denton. Alice Hu. Photos courtesy of subjects.
DISTRICT FRAY | 49
LIFE Practice + Prioritization: It’s tough, but my wife and I made one resolution in 2021: to wake up at 5:45 a.m. to work out together for 30 minutes. Obviously, the pandemic has been with us for more than just the last three weeks. Prior to that, having a schedule and a routine was the most important part of it, for me at least. We’re lucky to have a yard in Arlington (as opposed to living in an apartment building) so we would try and get outside as much as possible.
wanted to do with my life; becoming a yoga teacher. For a while I taught for other studios and focused on honing my skill, but when the pandemic hit and quarantine began, I was able to put my media training and yoga teaching to use in building an online fitness studio. Over the last year, Danimal Fitness has grown from me teaching a few yoga classes a week to a full online fitness studio with a teaching staff and 20 classes a week, ranging from power yoga and pilates to drag queen-led bootcamp classes.
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: For me, it’s exercise, long walks, playing the piano and keeping to a routine.
Practice + Prioritization: Prioritizing self-care has only become a reality for me in the last couple of months. Building an online fitness studio from nothing did damage to my body and mind. However, the first yogic ethical principle is non-violence, which is essentially synonymous to self-care when you dig deeper, and I knew I needed to practice what I teach. I canceled my Sunday classes and now use it as self-care Sunday to light some candles, foam roll, do a mask, take a bath, drink mint water, read something that makes me happy and, most importantly, do no yoga at all. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in years.
Learn more at www.elementshrub.com + www.fb.com/elementshrub and follow @elementshrub on Instagram.
DONTRELL BRITTON
Trainer + Entrepreneur
Personal Journey: When I was around 16, my dad was shot dead three blocks from where I lived. I began selling drugs to provide for my family. By 19, I was indicted on a 33-person drug conspiracy [charge] and sentenced to five years in prison where I began to workout, receiving and reading men’s health magazines that taught me to properly exercise and diet. Before you knew it, I had 20-30 guys working out with me in prison until I was released in 2016. I met Pusha T through a mutual friend and began training him, getting noticed by magazines and news stations. I started my company 23 & 1, a prison-style boot camp, that hires returning citizens as fitness instructors. Then, I woke up to a DM from D.C. top rapper Shy Glizzy. I started training him and he took me on a two-month tour around the country. [I got] publicity from Fox 5 DC and Channel 8 and have been growing ever since. Practice + Prioritization: I’m vegan as of the last three years, juicing two days per week and taking herbs everyday: sea moss, bladderwrack, elderberry, etc. I also work out about four to five times per week. I practice stoicism, which is a philosophy that separates things I can control vs things that I can’t, and focus my energy and efforts on the things I can. Has been pivotal in maintaining a healthy mindset. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: I believe the first step in selfcompassion is awareness. Being aware, and comfortable with not being perfect and accepting flaws. Being acceptable to yourself. I practice this every day. I notice myself caring less and less about other opinions about myself. I love using my shortcomings and turning them into assets and opportunities. I use being a felon as fuel, not sympathy, and keep a contagious smile. Learn more at www.twenty3n1.com and follow @trellthetrainer on Instagram and TikTok.
DAN CARTER
Owner, Danimal Fitness
Personal Journey: I decided to pursue my teenage dream of becoming a yoga teacher after a friend of mine died in a car accident back in 2014. At that point, I stopped focusing on what I was supposed to do with my life and started pursuing what I 50 | WINTER 2021
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: I think RuPaul put selfcompassion best when she said, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?” With yoga and fitness, that means making a practice of it: waking up early or putting off work to make it to the mat. It can also mean rest, meditation or sometimes a hard drink. Most people think yoga is a series of poses, but it’s actually more of a lifestyle. Danimal Fitness takes people as they are, encourages them to make time for their practice and recognizes that when someone doesn’t make it to the mat, they’re doing the “yoga” they need. Learn more at www.danimalfitness.com and follow @danimal_fitness on Instagram.
CASSIA DENTON
Director of Human Resources, Balance Gym Personal Journey: I have loved movement ever since I was little, but I didn’t decide to make it my profession until about 15 years ago. My masters degree is in athletic training, which has given me an incredibly solid foundation in anatomy and physiology, and I have been able to take that into the fitness industry. Balance Gym is a really unique community. They embraced me and my skills and gave me a place to grow. I started as the personal training director, but Balance does a really amazing job at creating opportunity for those who want it, and they helped elevate me to the role I have now: teaching classes, training clients and other coaches, and running the gym’s personnel, all while wearing leggings. It’s the dream! Practice + Prioritization: Self-care, to me, is more about setting up my future self for success than wallowing in the present. My favorite forms of self-care are taking a shower, prioritizing my own workouts and not compromising on good sleep. If I can get all three of those in every single day, I am able to face all challenges with calm and grace. That, and maybe a spoonful of Nutella. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion is the reminder that perfection is a myth, and it is the journey that matters. I can be really hard on myself when I fail something, but
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT. Dontrell Britton. Photo from @trellthetrainer on Instagram. Ayana Habtemariam. Photo courtesy of subject. Dan Carter. Photo by Cassidy DuHon // @duhonphotography on Instagram.
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LIFE failure is so important for growing. Especially in fitness, goals are important and necessary, but you cannot let the goal get in the way of the process. Journeys can be difficult and emotional and frustrating, and self-compassion is embracing those roadblocks as a chance to learn, not a moment of failure. Every time that I fail, I give myself a big mental hug, take a deep breath, and resolve to learn. Learn more at www.balancegym.com and follow @dentoncassia and @balancegym on Instagram.
AYANA HABTEMARIAM
Nutrition Therapist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor + Macro Social Worker, Truly Real Nutrition Personal Journey: Like most dietitians and other healthcare providers, I was trained through the weight-normative lens that equates health with thinness and ascribes moral value to foods. I practiced this way for a long time because it was what I knew. It wasn’t until I burned myself out from overworking out and got fed up with chasing this elusive body that I realized there had to be another way. I came upon the body positivity community and the “all foods fit” philosophy on social media. The idea that I didn’t need to micromanage my body and everything I put into it deeply resonated with me. I immersed myself in all things HAES [Health At Every Size], body liberation and intuitive eating. I changed my life and professional philosophy, and have not looked back. I am a nutrition therapist, certified intuitive eating counselor and macro social worker in private practice. I proudly empower my clients to give up dieting in exchange for trusting their bodies and breaking free from food rules that result in feelings of failure and shame. Practice + Prioritization: I’ve had to redefine self-care for myself because this has truly been an unprecedented year. This has meant slowing down significantly. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to meet deadlines, be responsive to every single inquiry and maintain a social media presence. I no longer have the bandwidth for any of that, and it has truly taken a lot of pressure off. Eating intuitively and getting out for fresh air are also important self-care practices. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion means extending grace, understanding, and kindness to myself in the same way I would to a friend or a loved one. It means recognizing my own humanity and not holding myself to unrealistic standards that do not serve me. Practicing self-compassion is one of the ways in which I care for myself. It is a health practice that I use in all areas of my life. If I find that I’m being hard on myself because I’m having a bad body image day or because I didn’t move enough on that particular day, I may imagine myself embracing myself in the same way I would a loved one who is being hard on themselves. I remind myself not to place expectations on myself that I wouldn’t place on others. Learn more at www.trulyrealnutrition.com and follow @thetrillrd on Instagram.
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LAUREN A. HERSH
Founder, Wunderwell
Personal Journey: My holistic wellness interest started in my early 30s when I realized the deleterious effects of the use of hormones in birth control pills over a long period of time. I realized that I had grown up in a different paradigm of what good health looks like, focusing more on external appearances and putting a Band-Aid on any internal signals from my body. That’s when I decided to take back control and tune into my body to get to the root of my concerns, becoming my own health advocate, seeking out alternative methods to support my system and trusting my body’s innate capacity to heal. Through my exploration of various modalities and positive results, I was excited to spread the word to my family, friends and community at large. My passion led me to create Wunderwell, an online platform dedicated to providing information resources and connecting individuals with holistic practitioners. Wunderwell works with the community to help support, encourage and promote wellness in all forms. Practice + Prioritization: The pandemic has opened the opportunity for me to slow down my usual pace of life, giving me additional space to pause and nurture my mind, body and spirit. I take more time with my morning and evening routines of meditation, journaling, visualization and reading. It’s also provided the chance for me to further expand my education in the health in wellness space and become certified as an integrative nutrition health coach over the winter. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion means tuning in and being kind to yourself. For many years I would push myself into overdrive with my fitness routines, scheduled commitments and desire to control my health. Nowadays, I’m more mindful in my intentions, focusing on slower, lowimpact movements through yoga and Pilates to sustain my longevity. I am no longer rigorous with my routines, but pick and choose what feels right for my body at the moment. I also honor simple moments of gratitude throughout my day and appreciate the beauty in letting things unfold naturally rather than forcing an outcome. Learn more at www.wunderwell.com and follow @wunderwell on Instagram.
TURNER HOFF
Co-Founder + CEO, Vegetable and Butcher Personal Journey: There are certain characteristics – some inherent, but most developed or learned – that are responsible for bringing me to my current role. The path from here to better is rarely linear. And getting to better is an endless pursuit with no clear destination. Along the way, we are occasionally presented with opportunities disguised as problems. And so an insatiable curiosity and a willingness to show up – every day – are prerequisites to better. Without a desire to understand and the willingness to work, problems are likely to remain problems. Or maybe I just have a problem with authority, don’t like rules or being told what to do, and I am naïve enough to think I can make things better.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT. Charlie Berkinshaw. Lauren Hersh. Turner Hoff. Photos courtesy of subjects.
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LIFE Practice + Prioritization: If I don’t intentionally create the environment that makes caring for myself easy, I will forget. Over time I have discovered there are certain non-negotiables for me. These evolve with my priorities, but a few are foundational and will likely never change: sleep – a minimum of seven, ideally eight hours per night; exercise – a thoughtful and structured program; nutrition – healthy food to support my active lifestyle; play – adrenaline-filled physical activities or sports.
knew I was sitting in a puddle of wasted potential at my desk and that my talents are best used elsewhere. My first job in the fitness industry was at Equinox as a personal trainer, where I had the chance to become a subject matter expert in movement science. The Rumble DC founding team then had to move to New York for four months for onboarding and to bring this concept to our city. Fast forward to now I can confidently say I have made an impact on my clients’ lives, mindsets and boxing technique, of course.
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Recognition that we’re only human (and a dash of deterministic perspective). Once we realize there are many others all over the world experiencing similar challenges and struggles, self-compassion is easier to find. Meditation. And community by choice, not by default – intentionally surrounding myself with people I admire and care about, and who aren’t afraid to challenge me.
Practice + Prioritization: It is important to give the world the best of you, not what’s left of you. So, I take my self-care and alone time very seriously. I make sure to tend to my thoughts, anxieties, fears and emotions instead of suppressing them, especially during such a stressful time. One way to do that is with a licensed professional. My therapist has been such a blessing throughout Covid and going to therapy is like brushing your teeth, but for your brain. I also make sure to move, the hardest part is just getting there. Yoga and boxing have also served as a yin and yang for me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It’s important for us all to find what works for us and what we need as individuals.
Learn more at www.vegetableandbutcher.com and follow @vegetableandbutcher + @dthoffjr on Instagram.
ALICE HU
Sound Healer, Intuitive Business Coach + Founder, Woo Woo Company Personal Journey: It all started with a regular yoga practice. The yoga helped my mind to quiet and I began to listen to my intuition. Manifestation, mindfulness, chakras and more began to help me really figure out my truth and purpose. I knew I needed to share these modalities as tools to help others so Woo Woo Company was born. I like to describe the company as a gateway into the world of woo woo and spirituality. Until a few years ago, I was a skeptic working in a PR agency, now I’m super grateful to be able to learn about these topics every day and share them with others in accessible ways. Practice + Prioritization: Rest is productive. I can’t stress that enough. It’s easy to get into the cycle of doing and forget to be a human being. I’m incorporating rest into each day. These last few months, I’ve also added in days for creativity and learning. I block time off and find that I am more efficient when I return to work. Another way to describe self-care is how do you have fun? Self-care looks different for each person. Find what works for you and don’t compare it to anyone else’s routine. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: You can only feel as compassionate for others as you feel for yourself. And the ways we speak to ourselves are harsher than when we speak to a friend. When I am feeling critical of myself, I know I need to shift and ask myself, what would my best friend say? The mind is where we truly live. We must make it a safe and supportive space. More flow and less force. Learn more at www.woowoocompany.com and follow @woowooco on Instagram.
SHARON KIM
Boxer, Personal Trainer + Founding Trainer, Rumble DC Personal Journey: I actually used to work at a stock brokerage as a Senior Analyst when I left to pursue fitness full-time in 2018. I 54 | WINTER 2021
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: It means that I release myself from all the judgments I make on myself. It’s not a one-time thing, but rather, a constant practice. It’s easy to fall under the comparison trap, so I also make sure to eliminate any Instagram accounts from my feed that trigger any type of self-deprecating thoughts or comparisons. None of my clients have ever reached their goals by hating themselves, so it’s important to remember that self-compassion and positive self talk goes a long way. Learn more at www.doyourumble.com and follow @thesharonkim on Instagram.
YONAH LEVY
Meditation Teacher, Coach, Speaker + Business Trainer Personal Journey: I have been practicing and teaching mindfulness and meditation for over two decades. In my late 20s I was working in a role that triggered a stress response in me that I’d never experienced before. I felt fatigued, unwell and I was desperate to find relief. This led me to study Sri Chinmoy; learn from Dr. Tara Brach; and complete multiple Vipassana meditation courses under S.N. Goenka, based on teachings of the Buddha rooted in 25 centuries of tradition. Today, I lead by drawing from thousands of hours of meditation study, practice and facilitation. I blend Western science and psychology with Eastern, indigenous and intuitive practices. I have a positive and holistic approach as I work with fundamentals of the person as a whole. Practice + Prioritization: These are intense times. I have an array of tools I use to find peace and grounding. Starting mornings with meditation allows me to feel bigger than my mind, and more peaceful than when I let my mind run the show. Meditation calms my thinking and leaves me feeling more at ease. I feel most grounded and happy when I move daily. There’s a lot of intense energy that I can pick up and moving in some way helps me keep it flowing, so it doesn’t get stuck in my mind
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT. Sharon Kim. Laura Silverman. Yonah Levy. Photos courtesy of subjects.
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LIFE or body. Then, there’s eating for vitality. I do my best to prepare and cook most of my food from scratch, incorporating lots of colorful organic vegetables and fruits. Making a point to connect with people in some meaningful way has a noticeable effect on my mood and tends to leave me feeling more optimistic. Then there’s going into natural spaces [such as] parks and trails. I will often physically write what I’m grateful for or what I am happy about. This is a deliberate way I direct my attention to positive thoughts and emotions. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: When I become aware of my inner critic, I sometimes take some deep breaths and use mindfulness to see the automatic negative thoughts from a larger perspective. While I was previously zoomed into my mind, unquestionably believing the self-critical thoughts to be true, I don’t have to. They are old habitual thoughts and I can choose to be kind to myself instead of believing the automatic negative thoughts. When I notice that I’m believing those automatic thoughts, it helps me to become mindful and compassionately realize, just because thoughts are present doesn’t make them true. Learn more at www.yonahlevy.com and www.fb.com/yonah.levy and follow @yonahlevy on Instagram.
JAMIE SABAT
Manifestation Mentor, Distill + Express
SONAL SHAH
Founder/Owner, The Om Room Personal Journey: Growing up in a home of two generations of immigrants from India, I was lucky to be exposed to temples, yoga, meditation, incense, rituals and ancient remedies. These experiences carried through my life; scent and rituals, in particular, became a big part of my life, so much that 10 years ago I got certified as an aromatherapist to start a scent-related business. After getting a cushy corporate job, however, I kept putting off that dream until last year after getting laid off. Two months ago I launched The Om Room and my first product: sage and palo santo smudge sticks. The Om Room offers natural aromatherapy and energy-healing products to bring balance into your life and was born with the deep roots of my upbringing, as well as my own pursuit of finding harmony in my daily life. Practice + Prioritization: Self-care is such an important part of my life. I meditate 10 minutes every morning and every night. I use essential oils daily because of their mood-enhancing abilities (i.e. orange and ginger body wash and lavender spray on my pillow at night). I get outside once a day to get a mental break, free of digital. I burn palo santo and practice positive affirmations; the smoke brings focus and leaves a pleasant lemony scent behind. I truly believe in the importance of selfcare rituals to keep me grounded.
Personal Journey: The decision to make wellness the journey and not the destination came not from a life-changing event, rather from a deep awakening that I had not yet reached my highest potential. Only when I changed the path I was on, with the intent of living the life I had always wanted, did I understand that the universe was waiting to show me the answers to life’s questions. The pivot from student to teacher came, and it is my passion to share the beauty of manifesting with others, so that they can realize the life they always imagined is already here.
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion is about feeding your mind and body with love, just as you would to a small child or a plant that needs that water. By filling yourself up with love, you give yourself a chance to be the best version of yourself, which brings a sense of harmony and a ripple effect to those around you. Some practices I incorporate are: hot lemon water in the morning, weekly visualization practices, positive guided meditations, HIIT and yoga workouts, and weekly journaling of things that are going right (I know that sounds extra, but it’s super powerful).
Practice + Prioritization: I start early in the morning, getting up an hour before my kids with self-hypnosis. Then I move onto visualizations and a gratitude journal. I make myself a Bulletproof coffee with adaptogens, ghee and almond milk in the Vitamix, while listening to binaural beats. Then I am ready for the kids! Then it’s time to move the body: a combination of yoga, pilates and barre. Before I hit the shower, I dry brush with essential oils in the direction towards my heart. At lunch I mix it up between a hearty soup or a huge salad, [adding] beans, seeds and sauces. At night I wind down with an Epsom salt bath, more journaling and hypnosis. The best time to meditate is first thing when you wake up and last thing before you go to bed, because your brain is in alpha brainwave states.
Learn more at www.etsy.com/shop/theomroom and follow @theomroomco on Instagram.
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: For self-compassion, I practice Ho'oponopono, a Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. I say the prayer to myself three times a day: "I love, I’m sorry, I forgive you, thank you." When I set aside time on my calendar, I feel much more in flow with the universe and obstacles don’t sway me. So, I set an alarm in my phone. Learn more at www.distillandexpress.com and follow @distillandexpress on Instagram.
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LAURA SILVERMAN
Founder, Booze Free in DC, The Sobriety Collective + Zero Proof Nation Personal Journey: I got sober in 2007. I didn’t intend on quitting drinking forever, but I knew I needed help. Over time, I got more comfortable in my sobriety and living a life without alcohol. About eight years into my journey, I wanted to share my story more publicly and connect with others, especially those that had creative outlets and celebrated multiple pathways to alcohol-free wellness. So I started The Sobriety Collective. A few years later, I got heavily interested in the boom of nonalcoholic beverages and wanted to be a part of spearheading the zero proof movement, both in D.C. and nationally. That’s how Booze Free in DC and Zero Proof Nation came to be. Now is the time to embark on a journey of sober curiosity. So many resources and beverages. It’s wildly exciting.
FROM LEFT. Jamie Sabat. Sonal Shah. Virginia Strobach. Photos courtesy of subjects.
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LIFE Practice + Prioritization: In mid-March of 2020, when all sense of normalcy dissolved around us, I made the decision to move my body more, choosing to view fitness as a celebration of my body rather than a punishment. I walked outside and found copious amounts of cheesy/fun YouTube dance workouts. I don’t guilt trip myself into exercising just so I can use the calorie deficit to eat more. I take baths. I read. I’ve watched almost every show that ever existed. I reach out to friends and family via FaceTime. I stay hydrated. I sleep. It’s all about going back to basics and listening to our bodies and minds right now. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: It means being gentle with myself. Of honoring how my body, mind and spirit are feeling. The old adage “one day at a time” really means to “be here now.” You can’t live in regret of the past; you can’t live in anxiety about the future. All you can do is really have the present, the now – sometimes it’s just a day at a time, a moment at a time. Learn more at www.boozefreeindc.com, www.thesobrietycollective.com and www.zeroproofnation.com and follow @boozefreeindc, @wearesober and @zeroproofnation on Instagram.
ALICIA SOKOL
Owner + Instructor, barre3 14th Street Personal Journey: I have struggled with feeling good in my own skin my entire life. I have also struggled with belonging. I never dreamed of teaching fitness or owning a business, and now I do both. When you open your heart and mind to possibilities far beyond “should,” you may be very surprised. I love this work so fiercely because it has allowed me to build community at a time when we need it so badly, and it has helped me teach others how to settle into their own skin as well. My studio is that place of belonging so many people crave – me included. Practice + Prioritization: The last 10 months have been a roller coaster with more valleys than peaks, to be honest. I’m learning to ride this roller coaster with more presence and honesty. When I show up to teach class, I am smiling and the words I use are positive and encouraging. That is my job, and I do my best to make that positivity authentic and warm. But I think it’s important for people to understand I am just a person. I am not always smiling and feeling hopeful. There are days when I have cried a river out of anger, frustration, fear or grief. It’s possible to be at the same time incredibly grateful for all you have, but devastated for all you have lost. Lately, self-care for me looks like this: Very little news (Sunday New York Times only); time connecting with friends by phone – Zoom or outside; time outdoors every day, even if it’s just a walk around the block; and time for quiet. I am a quiet person. I need space to think, time to rest and time to read. I also take an epsom bath almost every single day. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: We are so hard on ourselves, aren’t we? I try to think of the voice and actions I use with small children: patient, loving, kind, gentle. This same intention turned toward myself is a good start. It’s a regular practice and I need frequent reminders. Much like the muscles in our bodies, we have to regularly stretch and flex the self-compassion muscle to make it strong and healthy. I have two sons, ages 15 and 12. These are tough ages for kids and they’re tough parenting 58 | WINTER 2021
years, too. I feel a real responsibility to model self-compassion at this time. I’m giving myself grace right now to eat foods that bring joy, let my emotions be fully expressed (especially the difficult and ugly ones), sleep when I need to sleep (even if it means missing out on watching a show with my family or skipping a morning workout), [and] trying to relax my own selfimposed “rules.” Learn more at https://online.barre3.com/studio-locations/dc-14th-street and follow @barre3dc14thst.
VIRGINIA STROBACH
Artist/Illustrator
Personal Journey: For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a “doodler,” but I didn’t actually start selling or sharing my art publicly until 2015. I made an illustration of a local coffee shop where all my friends and I would hang out and gave everyone a print as a present. Other regulars started asking me if I was the artist selling the prints, so I decided I would be! I’ve been selling my art ever since. Practice + Prioritization: One look into my sketchbook and mixed media travel illustrations expose my slightly chaotic brand of self-care. I’m definitely not “chill” by nature, so any activity that involves me making a huge mess, doing a million things at once, and then cleaning it all up (sometimes) is my happy place. I’ve been able to make a ton of messes during the pandemic, and not had to worry about cleaning it up because no one is coming over. Ha! Self-Care as Self-Compassion: One of the services I provide as an illustrator is “live doodling.” Essentially, while an event or lecture is happening, I freehand whatever I hear or see onto a poster and create a one-of-a-kind visual representation of what happened. People always ask me how I’m able to do it without mistakes, but all I see are my mistakes! Self-compassion to me is knowing the truth and deciding to love it anyway. Everyone is a perfectionist and overly self-critical about the things they love. You just have to choose to love yourself a little more than your mistakes. Learn more at www.virginiastrobach.com and follow @amigahormiga on Instagram.
SHAKEELAH SUTTON
Exercise Physiologist, Yoga Teacher + Founder, calm/cool collective Personal Journey: I’ve shifted from improving the physical health of BIPOC communities to taking a more holistic approach to well-being. Many of our life experiences warrant the need for yoga and other healing practices, yet the lack of representation and inclusion in many of these spaces give the impression that they aren’t for us. Last fall, I launched the calm/cool collective, a wellness community that offers healing through holistic wellness practices, mindfulness tools and resources for BIPOC facing stress and trauma from their lives. A space to strengthen self-awareness, resiliency and the ability to feel at ease in any given moment. FROM TOP. Shakeelah Sutton. Alicia Sokol. Photos courtesy of subjects.
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LIFE
Practice + Prioritization: Having regular check-ins with myself to notice how I’m feeling and what I need in any given moment became the foundation of my self-care practice. I often don’t realize I’m stressed or anxious until it shows up in my body, so developing that self-awareness was key in learning how to meet my physical, mental and emotional needs during this period of chronic stress. When my mother passed away unexpectedly in October, grief and despair compounded the already stressful situation, and at that point self-care became a necessary tool for survival. Currently, my self-care practices include exercising three times a week, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, breathwork and restorative yoga. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion is being the best friend you’ve always needed, but to yourself. It’s telling your inner critic to chill with the judgements and instead offer yourself kindness and empathy for how you’re feeling at the moment. As someone who inherently feels the need to always be “strong” and “put together” (both of which are trauma responses from childhood), I struggled with allowing myself to feel and process the influx of emotions I experienced after my mom died. I’ve since learned that acknowledging and validating my feelings on a daily basis is the first step in releasing resistance and allowing the energy of the emotions to flow freely. Learn more at calmcool.co and follow @calmcoolco and @cool_shak on Instagram.
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DANI WALDMAN
Mentor, Movement Facilitator + Somatic Healing Personal Journey: My journey into this work isn’t linear. I was very much living a life that was no longer landing with me. I was involved in toxic romantic partnerships, working a job that didn’t showcase my strengths or passions, and would take myself into a drug-induced state on the weekends. I decided to leave it behind and discover pieces of myself that I hadn’t yet looked at. I worked many different jobs, found out what I liked, what I didn’t like, opened myself up, let myself make mistakes, and let go of this idea of who I had to be. I discovered that being of service and supporting others was my passion. I wanted to create a space where people could be supported and validated. The somatic-based movement that I guide clients in and the group work I facilitate allows me to bring all of the things I love and am great at into a space. Practice + Prioritization: When we think of self-care, we often think of cozy bubble baths, hot tea and facial masks. While those elements do speak to self-care, there are other ways in which we can tend to our own wellbeing such as setting boundaries, learning to say no, and being honest with ourselves about what our capacity is. Over this last year, I have had many cups of delicious tea and walks in nature but more so, I’ve become more honest with myself about my own boundaries and what I’m available for. Self-care doesn’t always feel comfortable because it’s about creating sustainability within our own well-being. Dani Waldman. Photo courtesy of subject.
Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Practice it through the lens of tenderness. Self-compassion is learning that we can continue to come home to ourselves time and time again. We can practice learning how to trust ourselves and tune into the cues that our body is giving us. We all have moments when we aren’t living with self-compassion. This makes sense as compassion and practicing self-intimacy isn’t encouraged by our societal conditioning. Somatic based expressive movement is one of the ways I connect with myself. Through movement, I can find compassion for the many pieces of my own inner being. For me, this is some of the most powerful healing I can offer to myself. Learn more at www.daniellewaldman.com and follow @dani__waldman on Instagram.
SASHA WHITNEY
Indoor Cycling Coach + Meditation Leader Personal Journey: I started my fitness journey back in 2012 not setting out to teach, just trying to find a way to move my body that I enjoyed and didn’t feel like punishment or a chore. I tried every workout and while all of them were enjoyable in their own way, indoor cycling was the only workout I genuinely loved and looked forward to. I would notice however that even though D.C. is incredibly diverse, I often found myself as the only Black woman in the room. Black women are not very often represented in fitness so when I did see a Black woman leading the class or in the room with me, I loved it and wanted to see more. That’s what planted the seed that I could do this and perhaps another Black woman to feel seen and like she belongs there too, not just as a member of the pack but leading it. Practice + Prioritization: I speak a lot about self-care on my platform and believe the world could use a lot more of it. The biggest way I’ve been practicing and prioritizing self-care, particularly during this pandemic, is being mindful of my energy and protective of my peace, joy and happiness. That means if something isn’t resonating or disturbing my spirit, I don’t allow it in my space. As we are plugged in now more than ever as a result of the pandemic, I’m mindful of my screen time and to unplug when necessary. Then use that time I’m unplugged to do things that fill my cup. Meditation has also been hugely important for me during the pandemic, finding that time to introduce stillness into my day and do some inner reflection. Self-Care as Self-Compassion: Self-compassion is being kind to yourself and recognizing you are enough as you are. We’re living in a time where we can hop on social media and be greeted with millions of images of what “perfection” looks like. This can be especially true in the fitness industry which can be very toxic as it pertains to putting a certain aesthetic on a pedestal. Respectfully, I reject all of it. This abundance mentality is what guides my life and mindset and is what I take into my health, wellness, mindfulness and fitness practice. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/sashaspins and follow @thesashawhitney on Instagram. Sasha Whitney. Photo courtesy of subject.
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Sanity Check Balancing success + well-being during the pandemic – and after WORDS BY JEAN SCHINDLER | ILLUSTRATIONS BY JAMES COREAS I have thought often during the pandemic of shaving off my long blond hair. Reduced hair maintenance is enticing, and I am not going to parties anyway. Then, I envision my colleagues staring from my computer screen, and the three or so friends who visit me IRL. Everyone would see me as a pandemic-era Britney Spears and spring to answer the obvious cry for help. The amount of time and energy needed to reassure them would totally cancel out any relaxation I might gain from the novelty of baldness. But I realized recently that perhaps my pandemic desire for hairlessness was really a desire for simplification. Because even though we are almost always at home, life is not simple. There is the endless parade of Zoom calls, the social media pressure to make sourdough, the need to keep up with pandemic news, and – for many – looking after kids and other dependents. And the stress and makeshift workspaces and social media overexposure are translating into real physical pain. A mantra I hear more and more is: “I can’t wait for things to return to normal.” But memory is a funny thing. The prepandemic “normal” was also nonstop obsession with work/life imbalance, just with less sourdough. I don’t want normal back. I want better than normal. So I turned to the District’s vibrant wellness community to get some expert advice. Alina Liao – a veteran of the D.C. nonprofit scene and founder of wellness company Zenit – shared her escape from career burnout. Many organizations “talked a lot about work/life balance, but we still worked long hours,” she remembers of her former career. “I thought of it as my strength and something I could contribute to the organization.” Liao’s breakthrough moment came at one of her lower points, sparking her need for self-care. “[During] a moment when I was falling off my wellness routine and feeling down, I suddenly had the insight [that] I am worth taking some damn time for myself,” she tells me. “We all can go on our own personal journey to let go of the idea that our worth is tied to our productivity.” But these are heretical words to the overachievers in Washington. How do we internalize that idea while still pursuing professional success? “Real magic can come from not doing,” says local wellness consultant Yonah Levy. “When we want to achieve so much, we work so hard that we do not give ourselves the downtime to refresh our energy.” I nod and glance at my iPad, and even though he can’t see me on our call, he somehow knows what I’m doing. “Downtime is not time on another screen,” he adds.
“Music is okay, but do not be looking at that screen.” D.C.-based wellness practitioner Dinah Simpson approaches stillness through meditation, and somehow she also knows I am glancing at screens a lot. “It is hard to be still,” she reassures me. “I used to have an aversion to meditation because I did not want to be alone with my own thoughts. Give me music, [an] audio book, anything. It is hard.” Simpson suggests starting with guided meditation or sound meditation, which uses gongs, bells and other instruments. Short meditations of two to three minutes are also good – just no screens. In addition to stillness, establishing routines and habits are important to “wall off” work – and some of the hardest to establish while working from home. “When this all started, there was no structured time,” Simpson says. “I need an anchor in the morning and an anchor in the evening, and meditation provides that.” Levy urges, “Pretend you are on your commute. Get outside as soon as possible in the morning. You get a ton of light, even on gray days. That starts our systems, coupled with a short walk.” Turns out that the dreaded prepandemic commute was actually a healthy buffer between home and office. Liao treats mornings as sacred. “I like to do my daily journaling as I drink my coffee,” she says. “And as I do that, I make sure I keep my laptop closed. I might be sitting next to it to transition easily into work, but it is closed when I’m not working.” Once the laptop is open, do not leave wellness behind. Organizations are increasingly open to sponsoring initiatives that foster teambuilding. “There’s power to numbers,” Liao observes. “The more people who bring this up to HR, the more it can be elevated as a clear concern to show leaders this is something that high-performance professionals care about.” Beyond asking for team meditations or wellness coaching, employees can also advocate for wellness being integrated systemically, which could include annual evaluations of the company’s own performance in fostering wellness. “We need to view each other as human beings, not just workers,” Liao adds. “I’d like to leave the work day at peace.” For more on Alina Liao and Zenit, visit www.zenitjournals.com and follow @zenitjournals on Instagram. Keep up with Yonah Levy at www.yonahlevy.com and follow him @yonahlevy on Instagram. More on Dinah Simpson can be found at www.dinahsimpson.com and follow her @dinahhighkiliving on Instagram. DISTRICT FRAY | 63
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The Evolving Journey of Mental Health: Self-Awareness, Creative Outlets + Safe Spaces WORDS BY DAVID ROSS | ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES COREAS I have been struggling with depression for over 20 years. I went through this phase during my senior year of high school where I just stopped showing up to one of my classes – no reason. I wasn’t skipping to smoke weed or have sex (too prude) or any of that. I was just skipping and sitting in the bathtub, clothed. I told my therapist Jami this and he was like, “Um, that’s depression.” I almost didn’t graduate because of that. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to. The only reason I graduated was because I was president of my class. At that time, I didn’t have an answer for it. It was just a shrug moment. No one sought to get me counseling for that. It wasn’t until college that I’d entered a crisis phase. I’d just finished my freshman year and transferred to another school. The summer leading into my second year and that fall semester, it was like I was hit by a freight train of depression. I remember a professor for a summer course chasing me down asking me if everything was okay because my work ethic had plummeted – and thus began my relationship with professors checking up on me because they figured something was off. I’d joke around, but I wasn’t there. That year, I was skeletal. The first mental health professional I ever saw was a man named Dr. Alex L. Pieterse. Presently, he serves as the director of doctoral training at the University at Albany, where he conducts “research on health-related outcomes associated with the experience of racism, antiracism advocacy, race-related aspects of counseling psychology training and the impact of selfawareness on the psychotherapy process.” This all makes total sense, because when I would go to Pieterse’s office, all we’d talk about was existing in our Black skin. He was a Black South African raised in Australia. It wasn’t until 2021 that I realized this man partly saved my life during that rough time. At the time, the University of Maryland, College Park was unforgivably white in how it thought and acted, and who it accepted. It was easy for a minority student who was going through some personal issues to fall between the cracks. I didn’t have the Black infrastructure I had at Temple University where dudes in my hall would be like, “Dave, you aight?” At UMD, I was like a ghost, just wandering the university until I was indeed that: An academic ghost, academically removed after a joking academic performance, out in the world without a roadmap, the pain of everyone graduating around me, lying to people about my situation, which shoved me deeper. Nothing to show, nothing to answer for. I worked a series of odd jobs – dear God, so many. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom that I was like, “I need to try something else out here.” That’s where Dr. Donald B. Vogel came into play. He was a psychiatrist based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Every time I drive past that building, I think of his mid-’70s chic office. During our first meeting, while I was sharing my story, he interrupted me. “So why are you acting like a little shit?” He also prescribed me medication – medication I take to this day. Without that prescription of Wellbutrin, I assure you, I would not have graduated from college. I took that and suddenly I had a concern for my day. The tasks ahead didn’t appear insurmountable. But that’s my brief story.
The life, the world – they throw curve balls. It’s now 2021, Biden was able to make it into the White House, and yet, we are still locked down in a pandemic. There’s only so much more people can take. I spoke to Dr. Julie Lopez, founder and chief strategist of Dupont Circle-based, trauma-informed mental health center Viva Center, about what she’s seen people go through during this moment. “If you’re in an environment that’s super stressful and the environment isn’t changing, there’s only so much you can do on an individual level if it’s a societal, organizational or environmental problem,” she says. Lopez mentions how her office and others were seeing individuals who, prior to the pandemic, had already done a lot of personal work. “When you’ve worked through something, you have tolerance for something because you’ve got the tools. Your system’s better able to adapt. We’re seeing a lot of symptoms exacerbated because of the environment people are in – the losses, the grief, the loss of connection. We’re social beings by nature.” Basically, folks are slipping. Even comedian John Mulaney is back in rehab for alcohol and cocaine after years of being sober. He did an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last December where he was quite vocal about the need to stay active for his sanity. One thing that has remained present throughout all of my dark moments is writing. There’s relief and sometimes power in throwing your thoughts onto a page. Alina Liao, owner of D.C.-based Zenit Journals, knows this all too well. Zenit Journals encourages people to “take care of their wellness daily by making customized journals.” Individuals can purchase a journal with a design that speaks to them and pick a layout with a prompt that is meaningful to them, and then get to writing. It’s proven therapeutic, especially during these times. “One person told me it’s journaling that has helped them clear the constant chatter they have in their minds by putting it down on paper,” Liao says. “Others have said, ‘It [helps] me get more in tune with myself. It’s like, ‘Oh, I understand what I want and what I need to feel better, to feel good.” Liao herself is no stranger to journaling. It was her therapist a couple of years ago who encouraged her to journal. “There’s something about writing what’s in my head on paper that is soothing, because I can vent,” she notes. “And writing for me slows me down versus typing or talking. It has a calming effect in the moment, when I just need to get shit off my chest. I gain these nuggets of insight into my own self: Where am I? What am I thinking? And as I gain that self-awareness, it’s made it easier for me to make changes I want to make in my life.” Amen. This moment’s not going away. It continues to test, and not everyone has writing. But people need something. As my 84-year-old aunt told me the other day, people need something “inner” to get them through the moment – whatever that looks like. As long as it’s healthy, cling to it. It might save your life. I know it saved mine. Learn more about Dr. Julie Lopez and the Viva Center at www.vivapartnership.com and on Instagram @vivacenterdc. Go to www.zenitjournals.com for more on Alina Liao’s journals and follow them on Instagram @zenitjournals. DISTRICT FRAY | 65
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How to Breathe Life Back into Romance Amid Covid
WORDS BY AMANDA WEISBROD After almost a year of social distancing and self-quarantining, we all know the common problems plaguing the romantic relationship realm. For singles, connecting with potential partners is trickier than ever, and for those who are already in relationships, the lack of alone time can be suffocating. But this isn’t another one of those depressing articles about how everything sucks right now. Instead, it’s a “how-to-navigate-relationships-and-sex-life-during-a-pandemic” guide featuring sexual health and relationship experts who highlight silver linings and offer solutions to the intimacy issues many of us are facing lately.
Singles Put Yourself Out There
Meeting strangers at a bar or friends of friends at a networking event just isn’t possible anymore, so putting yourself out there virtually is basically the only way to date. Sure, swiping through dating apps is one way to do it, but intimacy coach Dr. Kimberly Pendleton suggests getting experimental by asking friends, family members and peers to set you up with potential matches. “Whether you’re alone or not, I would recommend infusing more ceremony or drama in your day-to-day,” she says. “It’s for you to feel like you get to have these experiments still and like everything isn’t still on hold.”
Taking It Slow Isn’t So Bad
Asking, “You wanna go back to my place?” at the end of your second date just isn’t a thing anymore. Instead, you’re sitting on Zoom with your date asking the deeper questions like, “Are you one of those people who likes pineapple on pizza or are you normal?” Pendleton says the lack of hookup culture might actually bring us closer together, and create lasting relationships in the long run. “I’m seeing that a lot of people are turning more toward 66 | WINTER 2021
connections that would’ve taken a little longer to make in the regular world because the pandemic is slowing down the process,” she says. “For at least one or two of my clients, it’s feeling a little easier to feel like, ‘Dazzle me with what you’re going to say here.’ It’s a little more slow-paced because you have to write back and forth.”
Couples Think Twice Before Reacting
Taking emotions out on your partner is common in every relationship, according to licensed psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Michael Radkowsky, who practices in the District. But based on what he’s hearing from his clients, close quarters brought on by quarantining has exacerbated the issue. Thankfully, there’s a fairly simple solution to this. “The big question is, ‘How do I want to handle myself in a way that I respect, even given the conditions are tough?’” he says. “You think carefully about how you want to act, and even if the other person is not behaving well, you remain calm. Remember that you love your partner, and work to be generous even if they’re sniping at you.”
RIGHT PAGE. Dr. Kimberly Pendleton. Photo courtesy of subject.
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Make Room for Alone Time
At the best of times, relationships are like taking a lifelong journey on a boat in a very small cabin with your partner. You’re both tripping over one another and baggage is everywhere, so you have to learn how to collaborate. Radkowsky loves using this metaphor, but now, he sees it’s become less figurative and more literal. “We’re so isolated nowadays,” he says. “We rarely see friends and family, so our worlds feel even smaller because there’s no one to interact with other than your significant other. Spending time by yourself might seem like a small detail, but it adds up to the same problem where it’s hard to save space for ourselves. And so, we get on each other’s nerves.”
Sex Life Prioritize Your Pleasure
Reba Corrine Thomas, CEO of Sexpert Consultants, says pleasuring yourself and getting in touch (no pun intended) with what feels good to you is the best way to navigate sex life during a socially distant era. And, “Masturbate, masturbate, masturbate!” “People think I’m a crazy person because I’m always talking about masturbation,” she says. “Really get to know, what would it feel like for you to seduce you? How can you set the mood for yourself? What can you incorporate into your sexual routine?” She adds, “When you do masturbate, take orgasm off the table as the goal. The goal is pleasure. When we’re only masturbating for an orgasm, it’s like a snack, whereas focusing on pleasure is like a full meal.”
Experiment with Socially Distant Sex
As someone who used to work at a nonprofit by day and “sling dildos by night,” Thomas loves all of the great app-controlled, Bluetooth sex toys that are on the market. She says playing 68 | WINTER 2021
around with tech is a great way to approach sex from a distance. “Since we can’t touch, what other senses can we touch on that bring arousal? If we’re doing FaceTime, it might be fun to do mutual masturbation, or a cute little strip tease date. This pandemic is challenging us to be more creative.”
But Overall… Get to Know Yourself
The thread that ties all of this intimacy advice together is taking time to get in touch with your emotions, wants, needs and desires to bring your best self into a relationship. As the age-old maxim goes, “You have to love yourself before you can love anybody else.” “The number one thing you can do to make intimacy work better is to know yourself really well, so this time is revealing that more about ourselves,” Pendleton says. “That can ultimately mean that all [of our] relationships from here get to be more authentic.” Thomas adds, “In this time of social distancing, it sucks because we can’t be with each other the way we want. But we can get in touch with what brings us real sensual pleasure. Once you start to explore this for yourself, you can bring this to your partner.” Radkowsky points out that the pandemic isn’t going to last forever, so in the meantime, it’s our job to keep calm, behave in a way we can respect and strive to be the best person we can be in a relationship. He notes, “If you’re going to strive to be loving, kind and resilient in a relationship, it will have a spillover effect into other areas of your life.” For more on UNCOVERED, visit www.kimberlyrosependleton.com and follow @uncoverbykimberlyrosependleton on Instagram. For more on Sexpert Consultants, visit www.sexpertconsultants.com and follow on Instagram @sexpertconsultants. Learn more about Dr. Michael Radkowsky at www.michaelradkowsky.com. Dr. Michael Radkowsky (L) and Reba Corrine Thomas (R). Photos courtesy of subjects.
Step Up Your Skincare Building Beautiful Skin + Sustainable Habits WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI
LIFE We’ve all seen it: Some sort of self-care along the lines of, “Take a deep breath and do a face mask.” In a world where face masks mean more than just a relaxing skincare step and taking a deep breath isn’t always enough to center oneself, skincare as self-care might need a deeper dive. Not only is skincare a great way to wake yourself up in the morning or unwind at the end of the day, it’s also an essential part of a health and wellness routine. With so many products on the market, skincare concerns, varying budgets and levels of knowledge, it can be hard to know where to start outside of simply washing your face and moisturizing. To help demystify this process, we spoke with some local experts to help you put your best face forward this year and beyond. In the past, grabbing the latest trendy skincare item as seen on the Internet might have been an automatic reflex when looking to amp up your routine. And as the ongoing pandemic has changed our priorities big and small, it makes sense to simplify your skincare, too. Everyone’s skin is different, as are the products that will work for them. “My skincare motto for 2021 is #beyourownskingoals,” says Kimberly Smith, co-founder of The Brown Beauty Co-op in Dupont Circle. The boutique offers skincare, hair care, makeup, bath and body products from Black- and brown-owned beauty brands, in addition to a beauty lounge offering makeup and facial services. “I recommend finding essentials that meet you exactly where you are,” Smith continues. “We are entering a minimalist period when it comes to skincare. We’ve realized that it doesn’t necessarily take 10 steps to have healthy skin you love. Don’t pressure yourself to commit to a routine that doesn’t work for your lifestyle or interest. Find a routine that works for you.” Sarah Akram, board licensed master esthetician and owner of Sarah Akram Skincare in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, wants you to know you have options to make your best skin a reality. At the same time, a personalized routine – both with athome products recommended by Akram and the experts on her team or treatments in her boutique – doesn’t have to be complicated. “I don’t want to overwhelm people,” Akram says. “We offer free consultations, and the reason I do that is because I realized my place could be kind of intimidating. I really care about educating the consumer on what their options are. So, come in for a consultation and let’s figure out what your goals are, what is going on with your skin now and what will work for it.” Now that you know skincare can be approachable, simple and effective all at the same time, take a deep breath and move on to the next building block of your skincare routine: patience. While it’s natural to desire instant results and gravitate toward harsher ingredients 70 | WINTER 2021
FIRST + SECOND PAGE. Sarah Akram Skincare. Photos by Elizabeth Fogarty.
or treatments you may think will be a quick fix for skin concerns, Akram points out that that’s not always the case when forming sustainable and effective skincare habits. “Healthy skin is a process, just like being fit is a process,” she notes. “Losing weight the right way takes time, and it’s the same thing with your skin. It takes time for cell turnover to take place and for those cells to eventually start becoming healthier through healthy habits like nutrition, getting sleep and putting all the right ingredients into your skin.” Don’t let the prospect of your skin goals taking time to become a reality dissuade you from getting started or kicking your routine up a notch. As Smith points out, reframing your routine as a way to commit to yourself and not just a hygienic chore can offer much-needed solace and anchor a daily routine. “I look at my skincare routine as a treat,” Smith says. “On a
daily basis, at the beginning and end of my day, it’s guaranteed time just for me. It’s so important for us to be kind to ourselves, mentally and physically. Changing the mindset of washing your face as just another routine task to it being an activity that promotes your overall well-being contributes to building a healthy relationship with yourself.” Smith recommends coming into The Brown Beauty Co-op for a facial and picking up body scrubs and body butters from Earth Elements Soapworks, along with bath soaks by Urban Serenite, to show your skin some extra love and continue the relaxation process at home. And in Alexandria, Akram recommends building a relationship with an esthetician to help guide you through the best in-person treatments and at-home products that can be used at different stages of your journey. So take care of yourself and your skin, trust the process and enjoy the ride. It’s worth investing in your body’s largest organ – even if the results are only visible through your computer’s webcam for now. The Brown Beauty Co-op: 1365 Connecticut Ave. #100, NW, DC; www.brownbeautyco-op.com // @thebrownbeautyco_op Sarah Akram Skincare: 125 S Fairfax St. Alexandria, VA; www.sarahakram.com // @sarahakramskincare Other Local Skincare + Beauty Spots (Virtual + IRL) Bellacara: 1000 King St. Alexandria, VA; www.bellacara.com // @bellacarava Bluemercury: Multiple locations; www.bluemercury.com // @bluemercury District Batch: www.districtbatch.com // @districtbatch Ivy Wild Beauty: www.ivywildbeauty.com // @ivy.wild.beauty Veer + Wander: 1260 5th St. NE, DC; www.veerandwander.com // @veerandwanderdc FROM TOP. The Brown Beauty Co-Op. Photo courtesy of location. The Brown Beauty Co-op’s Amaya Smith (L) + Kimberly Smith (R). Photo by Antwon Maxwell.
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO THE MANY
FORMS OF SELF-CARE WORDS BY INGRID HARBO
BEGINNER’S GUIDE | PLAY Self-care is a concept often talked about vaguely on the Internet, but knowing where to start when building your own routine comes down to personal needs and preferences. A holistic approach to self-care requires a balance between different aspects and an understanding of how those different parts interact and support each other. A common approach is fitness, but pushing yourself physically without taking time to care for your emotional and spiritual needs will make working out less of an act of self-care and more of a chore. Finding a way to make fitness fun and balance it with other self-care practices, like mindfulness and spirituality, can lift your spirit, build space for confidence and help you keep a fresh attitude to fuel your next workout.
FITNESS + MOVEMENT
YOGA
“Fitness is self-care,” says D.C.-based personal trainer Errick McAdams. “They’re the same thing. If you exercise and move your body, you feel better.” Exercise can be more than a trip to the gym. Any kind of movement has the capacity to elevate your mood and help relieve stress. “Exercise looks different to everybody depending on what condition you’re in when you start,” he adds. “Your exercise doesn’t have to look like [that of a] fitness guru on Instagram. Any extra activity you do is exercise.” The key is finding a challenging but enjoyable form of exercise to incorporate into your routine. Follow personal trainer Errick McAdams on Instagram @errickpt.
Vinyasa (Flow) Yoga. In vinyasa yoga, poses are strung together to make a sequence, and each movement is in sync with a breath in or out. Vinyasa can be done slowly or fast, and is closely related to Ashtanga yoga, which has a set series of poses, and power yoga, which is an even more athletic take on the yoga flow. Bhakti Yoga DC is a studio specializing in vinyasa yoga with virtual and limited in-person classes. Learn more at www.bhaktiyogadc.com.
BODY INCLUSIVE FITNESS
Restorative Yoga. Some styles of yoga were created to make you sweat. Others, like restorative yoga, are a way to stretch and relax the mind and body. After a week of higher-intensity workouts, restorative yoga can act as a physical palate cleanser to help reset your body and mind. This type of yoga also encourages the use of props such as yoga blocks, blankets and bolsters to make holding poses for long periods of time easier.
Body Positive Boot Camp. Body Positive Boot Camp is a D.C.-based fitness program for people of all body sizes and abilities to work out in an affirming environment. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to fitness, workouts are tailored to the needs and fitness goals of each client. Body Positive Boot Camp offers virtual personal training with founder Bianca Russo, as well as classes like Zumba, bodyweight workouts and yoga fusion. Learn more about Russo and body positivity workouts in this month’s In Other Words column. Go to www.bodypositivebootcamp.com for more information. the be.come project. the be.come project takes a body-neutral approach to fitness. The program encourages people to respect their bodies and focuses on feeling good and finding calm, rather than targeting physical insecurities. For $35 per month, clients receive a weekly 25-minute pilatesinspired workout to perform throughout the week to build confidence and familiarity. Learn more at www.thebecomeproject.com. Leavell Up Fitness. Started by Lauren Leavell after years of searching for affordable and accessible workouts, Leavell Up Fitness provides workouts and other resources for people moving toward a more body-neutral mindset for fitness. The lowest-level membership ($39.99 per month) provides clients with four live workouts a week and recordings with guest fitness instructors, and allows people in the classes to connect with each other over their journeys and goals. Follow Leavell’s Instagram @laurenleavellfitness and go to www.laurenleavellfitness.com for inclusive fitness tips and workout inspiration.
Aerial Yoga. Aerial yoga uses a hammock to assist with poses and add an element of excitement not found in traditional yoga routines. The support of the hammock makes difficult poses more accessible and allows for stretches that can help decompress your spine. Flying Buddha Studio is one D.C. location with options for aerial yoga classes as well as aerial arts classes, which are focused on flips and tricks using the hammocks. Learn more about Flying Buddha in our interview with studio owner and cover subject Sarah Rehman and visit www.flyingbuddhastudio.com for additional information.
OUTSIDE-THE-BOX EXERCISE Roller Derby. Roller derby is known for being an empowering and inclusive sport. The DMV is home to the DC Rollergirls, NOVA Roller Derby and Free State Roller Derby. While DC Rollergirls and most other derby leagues have stopped group practices and bouts, or games, almost all require some skating experience before starting. Now is the perfect time to pick up some roller skates and find your track legs. Learn more at www.dcrollergirls.com, www.novarollerderby.com and www.freestaterollerderby.com. Rebounding. Put on your favorite high-energy music and jump your cares away. Rebounding is a low-impact, high-intensity workout done on a minitrampoline, and it’s easy to do at home. According to Fuel Body Lab, a D.C. gym that offers a trampoline class, rebounding protects the joints and helps your lymphatic system flow more efficiently. YouTube has many videos for rebounding beginners, and gyms like Fuel Body Lab offer live classes over Zoom. Learn more at www.fuelbodylab.com. Dance. Dance can be a fun, high-energy way to work out without feeling like you’re working out. Before you pull out your old Wii and dust off Just Dance, check out some online classes with more up-to-date songs and moves. 305 Fitness and AKT both offer virtual dance classes sure to make you sweat. Sign up for classes at www.305fitness.com and www.theakt.com. Boxing. Sometimes the best self-care is a workout that helps release pent-up emotions, like boxing or kickboxing. Fight Camp makes at-home boxing a possibility with video workouts, a gear-purchasing program and trackable training statistics. The program uses a combination of boxing and bodyweight exercises for a full body cardio and strength workout that can be completed in a short amount of time. Learn more at www.joinfightcamp.com.
FIRST PAGE. Dinah Simpson. Photo by Jeff Chan // @dimsumlite on Instagram.
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Expert’s Corner: Natalie Edelstein, Tone with Natalie Before Covid-19, Natalie Edelstein taught yoga part-time in a studio. After realizing many of her friends’ fitness routines had been upset by the pandemic, she started teaching classes for them, which grew into Tone with Natalie. Edelstein now holds classes two times a week over Zoom for a growing number of followers. District Fray: How can people benefit from incorporating movement into their self-care routine? Natalie Edelstein: You can do challenging HIIT [high-intensity interval training] workouts that feel really good, and you can also stretch for two hours. Both of those are equal in self-care. Fitness is one piece of this huge self-care puzzle, and when you put all 74 | WINTER 2021
the pieces together, you feel comfortable in your body or your skin. If a few pieces are missing, it doesn’t totally look right. What can people expect from a Tone with Natalie class? Most classes have an intention we set individually or as a community, something that’s a goal we can think about during our practice. I try to make those about internal reflection, like intention on acceptance or intention on gratitude. Things like that really help people immerse themselves in the 40 minutes or hour of class so they can devote time to themselves, [and] get stronger or feel better. Find Edelstein’s class schedule on www.tonewithnatalie.com and find her on Instagram @tonewithnatalie. Tone With Natalie’s Natalie Edelstein. Photo courtesy of subject.
BEGINNER’S GUIDE | PLAY
MINDFULNESS + MEDITATION “Mindfulness practices allow us to get to know ourselves and what we want for our own happiness, so we can then genuinely offer love and compassion in the most authentic way to others,” says Dinah Simpson of HI KI LIVING, where she provides clients in and around the District with personal wellness support. Getting to know yourself is just the beginning of how mindfulness practices can enhance self-care. At HI KI LIVING, Simpson helps clients experience the benefits of meditation, which include stress and anxiety reduction, enhanced attention span, and improved emotional well-being. The self-awareness found through mindfulness can also bring confidence to other areas of life, like physical performance.
Expert’s Corner: Dinah Simpson, HI KI LIVING Simpson founded HI KI LIVING in September 2020 after years of practicing meditation to confront her own emotional trauma. The idea of using her own experiences with mindfulness to help others in the D.C. area came to Simpson during meditation.
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION This type of meditation, famously practiced by Hugh Jackman and writer and director David Lynch, is a less traditional take on meditation practices. According to the Transcendental Meditation movement’s website, rather than emphasizing concentration or control of thoughts, Transcendental Meditation uses the “natural tendency of the mind to automatically draw your attention inward.” The David Lynch Foundation’s Meditation Center offers Transcendental Meditation courses in D.C. Learn more at www.tm.org/transcendental-meditation-dc and www.davidlynchfoundation.org/washington-dc.
FOREST BATHING The Japanese practice “shinrin-yoku” literally translates to “forest bath,” but rather than a literal dip into a body of water, forest bathing is a mindful walk in nature. Unlike a hike, forest bathing has no final destination and is instead focused on taking in the natural world through the senses. Friends of the National Arboretum, which frequently holds forest bathing walks, explains that forest bathing benefits include “boosted immunity, lowered blood pressure and heart rate, improved attention and mood, and hitting the reset button on life.” Find more information on forest bathing walks at the National Arboretum at www.fona.org.
EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE Based on traditional Chinese acupuncture, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is the process of tapping acupressure points on the body to help relieve physical and emotional pain. Gary Craig, the founder of EFT, explains on his website that focusing on a specific problem, fear or negative emotion while tapping pressure points on the body will help unlock the body’s flow of energy. Craig’s website has a free guide on EFT basics, and the Washington DC Hypnosis Center offers practitioner-led sessions for EFT beginners. Learn more at www.emofree.com and www.hypnosiswashingtondc.com.
District Fray: How can people benefit from incorporating meditation into their self-care routines? Dinah Simpson: Meditation offers benefits to your mental and physical health. It increases tranquil focus while decreasing the “clutter” in the mind. Through the practice of becoming more aware and present, you are able to cultivate a deeper sense of inner calm and develop new perspectives. What can clients expect during a session of guided meditation at HI KI LIVING? I like to spend time getting to know why a client might be interested in trying meditation. It’s important to develop a trusting relationship so we can explore your journey and manifest the best version of you. From that connection, I am able to read a client’s energy and drop into a guided meditation to support your healing and transformation. Learn more about Simpson and HI KI LIVING at www.dinahsimpson.com and follow her @dinahhighkiliving on Instagram.
Emily of Woven Psyche. Photo courtesy of subject.
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SPIRITUAL + MYSTICAL Finding a greater sense of purpose is an integral part of the human experience, and spiritual self-care practices can enhance one’s feeling of belonging. For many, that need has traditionally been met by organized religion. “It allows us to feel safe, protected and connected to other humans and something greater than ourselves,” says D.C.-based tarot practitioner Emily of Woven Psyche. “It allows us to find solace and comfort when we struggle to explain how bad things happen. It lets us feel a sense of higher purpose and meaning.” But Emily also mentioned changes in the religious landscape in the United States, which have allowed opportunities for new types of spiritual self-care to arise that are less connected to structured religion.
TAROT According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the first known mention of tarot cards dates to Italy in the 1400s, but their use in fortune telling and divination did not emerge until the 19th century. The emergence of using the cards for readings resulted in meanings being applied to the imagery on the cards and their relation to each other when pulled. Today, the art of tarot is practiced in psychic and non-psychic ways, and you don’t need someone to do a reading for you. Learning tarot is easier than ever due to the availability to purchase tarot cards online and find free and paid guides on how to do readings.
ASTROLOGY Astrology makes predictions based on the alignment of stars, planets and other heavenly bodies. According to the American Federation of Astrologers, astrology can be traced back to the Babylonian Empire. Out of their basic astrology, mostly used to predict patterns for agriculture, came Zodiac signs and horoscope charts based on birth times. Today, finding your chart is easy if you know the day, time and location of your birth, and various apps like Time Passages by Astrograph and Sanctuary bring personalized horoscopes to your phone. Learn more at www.astrograph.com and www.sanctuaryworld.co.
Expert’s Corner: Emily, Woven Psyche Emily founded Woven Psyche in 2018 in an effort to provide accessible and approachable self-care in the District through non-psychic tarot readings. Rather than a predictor of the future, she serves as a facilitator who interprets a client’s reactions during readings. She also provides services for people learning tarot or launching their own spiritual business. District Fray: How can people benefit from tarot as a part of their self-care routine? Emily: We all have subconscious associations with different visual stimuli, and so everyone has a different gut reaction when looking at a tarot card. That tells us about ourselves, and with the guidance of a skilled tarot reader – who is really more a guide or a facilitator of sorts – we can organize our thoughts, better understand our emotions, and develop a stronger sense of clarity and empowerment. What can clients expect from a Woven Psyche tarot reading? A Woven Psyche tarot reading is super interactive. It’s a two-way conversation, and I want my clients to be active participants. I pride myself on keeping things accessible and approachable, and keeping my clients at ease. I personally don’t make any spiritual or occult references during my readings and try to meet my clients at exactly their level. Learn more about Woven Psyche at www.wovenpsyche.com and follow Emily on Instagram at @wovenpsyche.
76 | WINTER 2021
Emily of Woven Psyche. Photo courtesy of subject.
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Self-Care
MAKE ROOM FOR
WORDS + ILLUSTRATION BY AMANDA WEISBROD
JOURNAL DAILY to record your day and reflect on your feelings about the day’s events. MOOD TRACKING will help you notice high or low mood trends so you can adjust your needs accordingly. SLEEPING WELL is key to having great overall health for both your mind and body.
KEEP A ROUTINE to ground yourself and keep track of your days and nights.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS to get in touch with yourself and your feelings. Set aside time during the day to breathe, relax and rest your mind, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS with loved ones to build and connect with and your support network.
EAT WELL to fuel your body the right way. Whole grains and lean meats like fish are key! 78 | WINTER 2021
REFLECT ON HABITS such as drinking alcohol to determine if they’re healthy or destructive.
ENJOY HOBBIES and allow yourself to feel joy even if the activity is not traditionally productive.
EXERCISE OFTEN to release stress, strengthen your body and sleep better.
PLAY Last year was a nightmare to say the least, but 2021 gives us all the chance to start fresh with a brand-new self-care regimen. Here are 10 steps to weaving a little bit of self-care into your everyday life, which will have long-term benefits on your mental and physical health. 1. Make a routine and stick to it. I count on my routine to prepare for my day and wind down at the end of it. I roll out of bed at 7 a.m. each morning, make my bed, brush my teeth, take a shower, then put on a pot of coffee and cook breakfast. At bedtime, I wash the dishes, shower, brush my teeth, make myself a cup of tea, and burrow under a mass of blankets while I journal and read before turning out the lights at 11 p.m. Having little rituals is a great way to ground yourself and keep track of days and nights, especially during the monotony of a pandemic. 2. Practice good sleep hygiene. Adults 18 years and older should get at least seven hours of sleep each night, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For those who have trouble falling asleep, turn out the lights at the same time each night and don’t hit snooze in the morning. Create the most comfortable atmosphere in your bedroom as possible by sleeping with your favorite pillows and blankets, and making temperature, darkness and quietness levels to your liking. Remove screens (TV, cell phone, tablet) from the bedroom and avoid eating large meals and drinking caffeine before bedtime. And finally, get some exercise during the day to wear yourself out. 3. Make time for your mental health. Stop what you’re doing, take a deep breath and be present with yourself. Note the different sensations you’re feeling in your body, like a clenched jaw or tense shoulders. Take inventory of your emotions and ask yourself why you feel this way. Congrats, you’ve just practiced mindfulness! Checking in with yourself through mindfulness and meditation has many benefits such as reducing stress, improving sleep quality and lowering anxiety levels. Personally, I like to sit in my little armchair and look out of the window in my studio. I sip on a cup of hot spiced tea and reflect on my day, or anything really – the experience is even better when it’s snowing. 4. Write about your day and anything else that comes to mind. Trending since 2016, bullet journaling is the act of filling a blank page or bullet-style notebook with anything you want: plans, career goals, and thoughts and feelings are a few of the endless possibilities. Think of bullet journaling as a new take on the classic journal, but with much more organization involved. For me, I like to stick to a boring, old, lined notebook. Every night, I write an entry about my day. I let my mind wander and reflect on the events of the past 24 hours, not judging how much I write or how much time I spend writing. Putting my anxieties and concerns on the page gets it out of my head and allows me to fall asleep untroubled and unbothered. 5. Keep track of your well-being. I wasn’t familiar with mood tracking until I began my own self-care journey, but I am very happy I discovered it. Each night before I write about my day in my lined notebook, I fill out a chart designed for tracking my mood, anxiety and irritability levels, medication, alcohol consumption, and anything else I deem important. I’ve logged my feelings for each day in 2020, which allowed me to notice trends I wouldn’t have caught otherwise. As a person diagnosed with a mental illness, tracking my mental health helps me recognize
trends and warning signs, but I believe mood charting can be beneficial for anyone. 6. Eat healthy, but don’t force a diet. Along with not getting enough exercise, my diet turned to crap. But once I began exercising, I took inventory of what I was putting into my body and was not happy with my findings. I started counting my macronutrients, which you might’ve heard bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts talk about before. The basic idea is your calorie intake each day should include about 45-65% carbohydrates, 20-35% fats and 10-35% protein. This take on eating healthy is better than any other because it isn’t a diet plan. By counting macros, you’re changing your lifestyle and relationship with food for the longterm, not just following a lose-weight-quick scheme, which often leads to yo-yo dieting and weight gain. Still, make sure you include a cheat meal so you don’t burn out! On Friday nights, I celebrate a successful week of exercise and eating right by ordering pizza, wings or whatever my heart desires. 7. Reevaluate your relationship with substances like nicotine and alcohol. In 2015, the prevalence of binge drinking, or the act of consuming at least four alcoholic beverages on one occasion, among adults in D.C. was at 24.4% – the second highest in the country behind North Dakota, according to the CDC. Studies show that drinking a lot of alcohol has many adverse effects on your physical and mental health. Take this month to reflect on how much you drink, why you’re drinking and how drinking makes you feel, then go from there. 8. Do things you enjoy, and don’t feel guilty about it. In my opinion, there’s too much emphasis on being productive in today’s society and not enough attention spent on doing things that we enjoy. We feel anxious and hate ourselves for not working toward some goal or aspiration 24/7 (at least I used to), thus we feel guilty for taking time off to indulge in hobbies. But the truth is, spending time on personal interests allows for a space to declutter your mind so you can get back to work feeling refreshed and raring to go. My personal hobbies include reading, playing my Nintendo Switch and watching period dramas (looking at you, “Downton Abbey”). 9. Make an effort to stay connected to loved ones. Seeing your favorite people face-to-face is tricky due to social distancing restrictions, but support networks are more important now than ever due to their positive impact on mental health. Self-isolation can leave you feeling hopeless and alone, and it’s more tempting to do now that we aren’t forced to have social interactions in public. So, take the time to video chat that friend you haven’t spoken to in a while or call up your grandma to say hello. And remember, you are not alone. 10. Exercise, even if it’s only a few times a week. I’ll be honest, as soon as the stay-at-home order hit, I sat on my couch for weeks and barely moved. With my daily trek to campus canceled, I suddenly missed out on burning about 300 calories a day and gained 20 pounds over six months. I felt miserable, so I worked up the courage and decided to do something about it. Now I’m hitting the gym three times a week, and I feel so much better for it. I have more energy, I’m happier and I’m even sleeping better – hopefully weight loss follows soon! And if you don’t feel comfortable going to a gym, try exercising at home.
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IN OTHER WORDS
BODY POSITIVE BOOT CAMP’S
BIANCA RUSSO
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFE SPACES, INDIVIDUALIZED JOURNEYS + SELF-LOVE WORDS BY KELSEY COCHRAN | PHOTO BY RICH KESSLER Bianca Russo is not your typical fitness trainer. When you take a class or have a session through her D.C.-based virtual fitness program, Body Positive Boot Camp, you can feel the tension in your body melt away. Instead of focusing on counting calories or losing weight, Russo encourages her members to feel confident about their bodies and puts them in charge of their own workout preferences. She took the time to speak with District Fray about supporting all bodies and abilities, creating safe spaces, and finding self-love. What drew you to personal training? I was victimized. [Someone in my life] took advantage of me financially and used my information to purchase several brandnew vehicles under my name. This ruined my credit and all of my credit history. I was having trouble finding employment with that credit history, so without having any employment opportunities, I realized I had no other option than to start my own business. It’s difficult for me to even admit, but it was like a blessing in disguise where this terrible situation ended up creating an opportunity for me that I absolutely love now. Now, I’m entering my fourth year of being a personal trainer with Body Positive Boot Camp. I have a bachelor’s degree in art and photography, and the creative, outsidethe-box problem-solving I learned and the philosophy of my art classes have helped me figure out how to solve unique problems I have faced. I later pursued a personal trainer certification with an organization called NASM, which is the National Academy of Sports Medicine. How does self-care tie into body positivity? It’s critical to acknowledge the work that women of color and Black women have done to create the body positive movement. We can’t talk about self-care without acknowledging the work they’ve done to start this. The relationship between body positivity and self-care in my work is connected by an acknowledgement of our truth, which only comes after introspection of how we’re feeling in our bodies and minds. It’s an individualized journey for whoever is trying to exercise self-care within body positivity. It’s a matter of looking inside yourself, seeing how you feel, honoring that voice, and then acting accordingly to do or not do whatever it is we think is best in the moment. All of those ideas I absolutely credit to other trainers, like nonbinary trainer Ilya Parker from Decolonizing Fitness. I learned a lot from them, and they absolutely deserve the credit and recognition because they are a leader in the community. What advice do you have for someone who wants to be proud of their body? I think this ties into the practice of radical acceptance. Having pride in our bodies is messy and difficult, and a journey. We must swim upstream and unlearn a lifetime of what we’re taught is good, healthy or accepted as beautiful. Once we turn all of those ideas inside out, we can acknowledge our own abilities and definitions of beauty and realize only we can define what is healthy and beautiful. I think it’s also a matter of rejecting white/white supremacist-like beauty 80 | WINTER 2021
standards and being proud of who we are right now, despite those harmful constructs that have been shoved in our faces for lifetimes. Your brand is about celebrating all body types. How do you promote this idea as a personal trainer? I celebrate all body types, body backgrounds and sensitivities, and gender presentations and abilities by asking what someone’s needs are, listening to the words they use to describe their experiences in their body, and honoring their voice when they say what they need or don’t want. [I am committed] to delivering my personal training services within my scope of practice to the best of my ability to give people what they’ve asked for, which is to be able to – and feel safe to – participate in physical activity in a safe space. How has the local community embraced Body Positive Boot Camp? Where there are lovers, there will be haters. The trendiness of body positivity can help or hurt, depending on who you ask. Given that we are able to continue into year four of business, I would say things are going well. I thank my community for their support. How have you had to adjust your work during Covid? [It’s been a] 180-degree shift. Nothing is the same. I actually prefer online to in-person, too. There’s more privacy, and a better ability to focus on individuals. How do you adjust workout routines for different ability levels? [We] make zero assumptions, ask questions, explain slowly and in detail, demonstrate movements, [and are] sure they feel safe yet challenged. What sets Body Positive Boot Camp apart from other fitness programs in the area? We are fat positive and committed to disability justice. There’s space for everyone here: All bodies, all abilities. Learn more about Bianca Russo’s virtual classes and training sessions at www.bodypositivebootcamp.com. Stay connected by following Body Positive Boot Camp on Facebook and Instagram @bodypositivebootcamp.
How is your 2021 so far? Up and down and upside down. I’m trying to be positive, but we’re all struggling. What are you looking forward to this year? Receiving my Covid-19 vaccine and continuing to train my service dog. What drew you to D.C.? My chosen family moved from New York City to Maryland and invited me down here, and I loved it. What is one District staple you can’t live without? Ice cream shop Here’s the Scoop! on Georgia Avenue in Northwest. Where is your favorite spot in the DMV to go to get away from everything? Belle Haven Marina in Alexandria, Virginia, where I love to go sailing. What is your favorite local restaurant? Heat Da Spot. Oh my God. Can I tell you real quick? They are so loving. I ordered a burger from them yesterday, and in the order notes I wrote, “Can I have ketchup please? And I love you.” Then when I received my food, the receipt said, “I love you too, Bianca.” Like so sweet. Favorite local bar? As someone who doesn’t drink, No Kisses Bar. They have delicious mocktails. Pick a D.C. icon to have dinner with: Michelle Obama, for sure. How do you like to unwind after a long day? I love to bring my cute rescue dog Coqui to the Upshur Dog Park. What’s something no one knows about you? I’m a knot nerd, in a non-sexual way. I love learning all types of new knots to tie. Tell me you’re a personal trainer without telling me you’re a personal trainer. I love to watch people workout. Any advice for Washingtonians wanting to get strong post-quarantine? Be patient, be realistic. Accept that this journey is lifelong. What’s the best part of your day? Training Coqui. Bianca Russo with her dog Coqui.
DISTRICT FRAY | 81
FUN
FIND YOUR ZEN WORDS BY KELSEY COCHRAN
Take a break from your own soul-searching, self-care journey with this relaxing crossword. Featuring many people, places and things from throughout the issue, it’s sure to be a breeze once you’ve read every article.
82 | WINTER 2021
NOTE: Check www.districtfray.com for the answer key.
ACROSS 6. A professional who helps people assess their current physical and emotional state and set goals for what they want to achieve in their overall wellness and health 11. A philosophy of eating that eschews a traditional or restrictive diet 12. One of the four categories of self-care influenced the most by external factors; often associated with feeling happy, sad, anxious, etc. 13. To refrain from using digital or electronic devices 15. Expressing yourself to another person; important or healthy relationships 16. Time of rest, mentally and physically 18. D.C. collective that invites women and non-binary entrepreneurs and creatives to rent part of its pop-up retail space (2 words)
20. A type of exercise and spiritual practice in which you move your body into various positions in order to become more fit or flexible, to improve your breathing, and to relax your mind
39. Local chain providing plant-based options inspired by Israeli street food; locations on K and Morse Streets
21. Restaurant chain that uses only vegan ingredients and compostable materials; locations of 7th Street and Connecticut Avenue
41. Abstaining from drugs and alcohol for any number of personal reasons
40. All about eating a healthy and balanced diet
24. One of the four categories of self-care encompassing the mental, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions 28. An animal, often referred to as man’s best friend, trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people (2 words) 32. Northern Virginia boutique for high-end cosmetics, skin care and hair products
43. Enter this to develop better cognitive and emotional skills, reduce symptoms of mental illness and cope with various life challenges 44. Made of clay, cream, sheets or peel-off gel, these can be part of your skincare and self-care routine (2 words) 47. Online plant store and subscription service founded in 2020 by two local women with the mission of promoting mental health 48. This approach focuses on a person’s overall wellness instead of a single aspect
36. A person’s mental or physical condition 37. A toy that may adorn your desk; squeeze it to relieve some anxiety (2 words) 38. Physical activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness
49. D.C.-based holistic spa specializing in natural skincare, beauty and wellness services; located on Wisconsin Avenue (2 words)
DOWN 1. Maintaining all areas of your life equally in order to maintain mental wellness 2. A vehicle for emotional exploration; channels difficult feelings by putting pen to paper 3. Local juicery founded by two ex-Wall Street professionals
25. Local yoga studio founded by Kelly DiNardo (2 words) 26. Listening experience meant to bring balance, relaxation and a sense of well-being (2 words)
4. The process of self-reflection
27. A person who does not eat any food derived from animals or animal byproducts
5. People you can lean on and trust; your chosen family
29. Founded in 2010 by Dr. Julie Lopez (2 words)
7. Natural apothecary; emphasizes use of food as medicine
30. Dark, milk or white? Treat yourself to some of this candy made from cacao beans
8. Positive and affirming statements 9. Take a _____
31. Community concept that blends wellness with discussions for D.C. women (2 words)
10. Limits that a person creates to identify reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to interact with them
33. One of the four categories of self-care based on faith, values, ethics, principles and morals
14. Being fully aware of yourself and your surroundings
34. Local psychic medium and modern day “Oracle”
17. Woman-owned floral design business specializing in avant-garde designs (2 words)
35. You do this unconsciously all day, but when it is purposeful, it is meant to be calming and stress-relieving
19. Plant boutique; featured on the cover of our April 2020 issue (2 words)
41. Proven mood-booster; step outside to enjoy this natural resource
22. Entirely vegetarian taqueria; located on Grace Street and Mass Avenue (2 words)
42. Veggie-forward, retro-chic diner, bar and bakery with a focus on vegan comfort foods; located on H Street (2 words)
23. Statements, usually positive, repeated frequently; taken from Hinduism and Buddhism originally as a sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation
Alice Hu. Photo by Birch Thomas.
24. Thinking in an optimistic way; focusing on the good in life
45. One of the four categories of self care associated with the well-being of the body 46. To think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, usually in silence or with the aid of chanting
DISTRICT FRAY | 83
84 | WINTER 2021
ILLUSTRATION BY E$. Follow E$ on Instagram @theedollarsign.
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