Bloom How You Must: Tara Pringle Jefferson on Rest, Community and Redefining Self-Care

What this episode covers

Certified breathwork facilitator and founder of The Self-Care Suite Tara Pringle Jefferson joins us to reframe self-care beyond consumerism. Drawing from her new book Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing, Tara unpacks the “strong Black woman” narrative, shares what was happening in her life when her doctor literally prescribed rest as medicine, and points out practical ways to build support, not just stamina. We get into social and professional wellness (hello, sabbaticals), the power of “third places,” why it’s important to indulge creative rituals that aren’t rooted in perfectionism, and the intergenerational wisdom she gathered from talking to 100 Black women ages 19–99. Plus: Toni Morrison’s lesson on boundaries, Coretta Scott King’s vocation-as-service, and a simple mandate for 2026 (remember you’re human). For more from Tara: Bloom How You Must (book + tour dates) The Self-Care Suite (Tara’s community) Tara on social: @WearWomenBloom (IG / Facebook / Threads) Connect with Be Well, Sis: Instagram – @bewellsis_podcast Substack – bewellsis.substack.com Follow, rate, and share this episode! We’re supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Head over to www.stjude.org/bewellsis right now and sign up to be a monthly donor. Together, we can make a real impact. Want to get in touch? Maybe you want to hear from a certain guest or have a recommendation for On My Radar? Get in touch at [email protected] with Be Well Sis in the subject line! Have your own Not Well, Sis rant to contribute? Click here to send it into the show! Be Well, Sis is hosted by Dr Cassandre Dunbar. This episode was edited by Victoria Marin. Our Production Manager is Kathleen Speckert. Be Well, Sis is an editaudio collaboration. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.