Season 2, Episode 1: Growing Black Seeds with Dominique Cowling
Full episode transcript available in our attempt to make this an accessible experience for all.
This is the first episode of our #AmplifyBlackStories season, which will exclusively feature Black voices.
What does it look like when we prioritize healing for Black folks and invite them to reconnect to nature and the wisdom of their body? Dominique Cowling is a Black, queer femme and justice-oriented facilitator who offers 1:1 sessions for Black folks in the forest. Join us for a conversation with Dominique and breathe with us as she guides us through a mindfulness and body awareness practice. As her website says, “this is sacred time for us Black folks to be reminded of our wholeness and inherent radiance that is often disrupted by many forms of oppression, trauma and violence.”
Check out Dominique on Instagram @brownsugahealing and support her work via venmo @dominiquecowling
This episode was edited and mixed by our Sound Editor, Jeff Alvarez.
This episode was brought to life with support from our partners at Youth Outside. Youth Outside centers the voices and leadership of communities that have historically been shut out of outdoor experiences and the environmental movement. They work to build a more equitable and sustainable outdoor and environmental movement for the benefit of all people and our planet.
Music:
Pierce Murphy “Rondo”
Podington Bear “Well And Good”
Podington Bear “Downtown”
Podington Bear “Lucky Stars”
Podington Bear “Refractions”
Alvarez Audio “Creating Space”
Alvarez Audio “Sunset”
Alvarez Audio “Elements”
Alvarez Audio “First Breath”
Alvarez Audio “Ancestors”
Photos:
From top left to top right:
Photo of Dominique sitting down cross-legged on a blanket in the redwoods, eyes closed, body relaxed: Ohlone Territory, Robert's Redwood Regional Park (Photo Credit : Zubin Shroff )
Photo of Dominique relaxing in a colorful hammock with beautiful green foliage in the background: Dominican Republic (self timer)
Photo of Dominique wearing hiking attire and a cap, posing on a sheet of rock in front of mountains and trees: South Lake Tahoe (Photo Credit: J. Manuel)
From bottom left to bottom right:
Photo of Dominique standing on one leg in “tree pose”, arms raised above her head. It is dawn or dusk and she is standing in a chapparal landscape, mountains in the distance: Cape Town, Za (Photo Credit: Micha Serraf)
Photo of Black Seeds flyer
Photo of a joyful Dominique giving a big hug to a redwood tree: Ohlone Territory, Robert's Redwood Regional Park (self timer)
