In this third Blossom Note, host Kimberly Bryant shares a contemplative meditation inspired by the recent Cancer new moon—exploring how lunar cycles guide us toward rest, renewal, and emotional healing for women of color changemakers.

Guided by the haunting beauty of "River" by Ibeyi, she weaves together personal memory from her Memphis birthplace, Yoruba spiritual traditions honoring Oshun (goddess of rivers and sweet waters), and Black Christian baptismal practices—tracing a powerful lineage of water wisdom and sacred rest. From the Mississippi River's teachings about flow as survival to her Oakland garden sanctuary, Kimberly reflects on how rest becomes resistance and stillness becomes strength.

This gentle meditation offers three lunar invitations: surrendering to deeper rest, recommitting to sacred solitude, and grounding into emotional truth without overexplanation. With journal prompts and garden wisdom about roots growing even in stillness, this episode reminds us that "rest is a radical chapter too."

Perfect for listeners seeking:

• Mindfulness practices rooted in lunar cycles and moon phases

• Black women's wellness wisdom and ancestral healing traditions

• Garden meditation and nature-based spirituality

• Leadership strategies that honor rest and sustainable activism

• Cultural connections between Yoruba traditions and African American spiritual practices

• Permission to rest as part of changemaker wellness

🌑 A contemplative bridge between full episodes of The Inner Garden Podcast—where we explore healing through gardening, rest, and reconnection to land.

What if healing doesn't start with a plan—but with your hands in the soil?

In this debut episode of The Inner Garden Podcast, host Kimberly Bryant shares stories of land-based healing, ancestral wisdom, and emotional restoration from women of color. From Memphis to Nigeria to the Canadian coast, these voices reveal how tending the earth can become a radical act of self-love, grief work, and spiritual grounding.

Listeners will hear:

• Chioma Aso reconnecting with childlike joy in her grandmother’s Nigerian garden

• Louise Adongo embracing “riotous” bloom as a form of creative and emotional freedom

• Mona Doggett Wilson reflecting on her grandfather’s legacy in Orange Mound

• Karla Monterroso slowing down to find clarity and calm amid chronic illness

• Rhoda Hickman honoring her mother’s memory through a sacred garden

• Jenn Ponder sharing ancestral gardening wisdom and the power of community food growing

This is not a podcast about hustle. It’s a space for healing, memory, and ritual—offering grounding practices and gentle reminders that growth begins underground.

✨ Produced by The Roots & Resilience Studio
🎧 Length: 22 minutes

Keywords: healing through gardening, ancestral wisdom, women of color stories, land-based practices, emotional resilience, burnout recovery, Black women and land, community healing, spiritual restoration

Discover the healing power of music in the garden with this soulful Blossom Note featuring Stevie Wonder's The Secret Life of Plants and Minnie Riperton's Come to My Garden. Host Kimberly Bryant reflects on how vinyl records, maternal memories, and garden wisdom intersect during her memoir writing process.

This short audio meditation explores the connection between music and gardening, vintage vinyl collecting, and how sound becomes a companion to both creative work and soil tending. Perfect for music lovers, gardeners, and anyone seeking mindful moments between creativity and nature.

Blossom Notes are intimate audio garden journal entries that capture wisdom from the intersection of art, memory, and earth connection—offering gentle respite for busy changemakers and creative spirits.

Perfect for: vinyl collectors, music lovers, gardeners, writers, wellness seekers, and anyone curious about the relationship between creativity and nature connection.

🎙️ A tender meditation on music, memory, and the rhythms that carry us through seasons of growth and reflection. 🌱 Part of The Inner Garden Podcast series about healing, land, and legacy.