Encore: African Spirituality to Food and Culture: Treating Our Bodies as Sacred Temples with Iya Dr. Funlayo

Summary: Alicia chats with Iya Dr. Funlayo E. Wood, an expert in African spirituality and the Ifa Orisha tradition. They discuss the significance of African spirituality, the history of African traditions in the diaspora, and the role of food in African spiritual practices. Dr. Wood shares her personal journey to practicing Ifa and explains the importance of the cola nut in African rituals. She also addresses the suppression of African spirituality and the need to reclaim and celebrate African contributions to the world. Keywords: African spirituality, Ifa Orisha tradition, African traditions, diaspora, food, cola nut, rituals, suppression, empowerment, vibration, Christ consciousness, food, spirituality, African traditions, Ifa, rituals, offerings, hospitality, cultivation, ancestors, Christianity, African spirituality, health, education Takeaways: African spirituality and the Ifa Orisha tradition have been historically suppressed and maligned, but they are rich and empowering practices that have contributed to the world in various ways. Food plays a significant role in African spiritual practices, and the cola nut is a central element in many rituals. The suppression of African spirituality was a deliberate effort to strip African people of their power and maintain control over them. Hospitality and feeding others are important cultural practices in African and Black American communities. African spirituality is not exclusive to Christianity or any other religion; it is a way of embracing diverse spiritual practices. Sound Bites: "Food is a huge part of African spiritual practice." "African spirituality has been maligned since the time we got here." "African spirituality was actively taken away from us and presented as something bad in order to take away our power." "Food represents life force and vital energy. It also represents our own energy because most of all the foods that we eat today, we have to use our own energy to cultivate them." "We have a divinity called Arishaoko, who is the Arisha of the farm, the Arisha of cultivation. And his whole energy is about making the land grow, right? To make sure that we have food, to make sure that we're able to eat." Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:00 African Spirituality and the Significance of the Cola Nut 08:03 Reclaiming African Traditions and Challenging Misrepresentations 19:18 Personal Journey and Discovering African Spirituality 25:07 The Cola Nut: A Spiritual and Nutritional Powerhouse 31:14 Suppression and Importance of Reclaiming African Traditions 34:16 Elevating Energy and Vibrational Consciousness 35:16 Raising Energy and Cultivating Vibration 36:34 Food as Life Force and Vital Energy 37:35 Feasting and Hospitality in African Cultures 39:04 Food Offerings to Divinities in Ifa 41:44 Ancestral Veneration in African Spiritual Practice 45:24 Embracing the Black Church and African Spirituality Where to find Iya Funlayo! Visit my website at ⁠AseIre.com⁠Connect with me everywhere at @IyaFunlayo (⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠Twitter⁠ / ⁠Clubhouse⁠ / ⁠Facebook⁠)Subscribe to my YouTube and join my weekly Orisa Prayer and Meditation services ⁠YouTube.com/AseIre⁠Text me to stay the closest in touch 917-634-4680 Subscribe to The Eating Me Podcast on YouTube!! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@aliciachristian9226?si=lndTSV7K9miNuetj⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stay in contact with Alicia! Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.aliciachristian.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/Divaleesh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thealiciachristian/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thealiciachristian?lang=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠