No. 17 - Unearth + Bloom with the Abdul-Mateen Twins

Mental health professionals and twin founders of Unearth + Bloom, Khadijah & Zakiyyah Abdul-Mateen join host JP Reynolds for a conversation about intergenerational healing, meaningful liberation, and ancestral rhythms. About Unearth + Bloom: Khadijah and Zakiyyah are a twin sister team and founders of Unearth and Bloom. They have created a business, which focuses on the many ways trauma affects the mental, emotional and physical well-being amongst people of African descent. Zakiyyah is an EMDR-Trained Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Psychotherapist, who uses child-centered meditative practices to reduce anxiety associated with traumatic memory. In her private practice, she is intentional about normalizing mental health in black and brown communities and using a culturally sensitive approach. She is also a part of a team who engages in international work, which includes providing mental health trainings to adults and community leaders in Haiti. Khadijah is a Mental Health Professional and International Yoga instructor who uses yoga and meditative practices, which centers movement and connections to the body, as a way to respond and release, stored trauma--much of which is intergenerational. Khadijah is the Founder of the "OM in Africa" project, which centers intergenerational healing throughout Africa. She has collaborated with yoga instructors in Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, and Botswana to provide yoga and healing circles to women in prison, juvenile centers (boy and girls), schools, and local communities. Together they use a holistic approach to illuminate health and wellness by conducting talk therapy groups and yoga to address trauma in the mind and the body. Our belief is that Trauma mustn’t only be released in the mind through talk therapy but also in the body through breathing and movement. This provides access to achieve total healing of our traumatic past. About JP Reynolds: Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University. Conversation Topics: Unearth + Bloom Grounding Ritual (1:48) • Intergenerational Healing (6:59) • What Do We Mean When We Say We Want Freedom? (12:35) • Rejecting Urgency (20:24) • The Messiness of Breakthrough (25:36) • Music, Healing and Ancestral Rhythm (33:16) •  Normalizing Authenticity and Therapy (51:58) • How Are You Experiencing Joy? (60:09) Theme Songs: "Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY "Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY --- Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds