Written by: Natalie Ventura
As the wellness industry expands throughout the American population, there is a notable disparity in the accessibility of holistic health practices between Black, Indigenous, and POC (people of color) communities compared to White people. Wellness practices are typically marketed in the media to serve wealthy White people, misconstruing an idea that health is a luxury. Health is a human right that all people should have access to, and as the collective continues to shift away from Western medicine treatments to holistic healing practices, more support needs to be directed to members of the BIPOC community.
Racism is the cause of health inequality throughout the United States. Racism is embedded in American history, and the unhealed effects of suffering caused by colonization, slavery, and segregation continue to harm the safety and quality of life of primarily Black Americans and members of the BIPOC community. Centuries of ancestral trauma have cycled through generations and live unhealed within the bodies of individuals of color, directly manifesting in their physical, mental, and emotional health and the state of their communities.
As Eastern wisdom like Traditional Chinese Medicine shares, the body and mind are interconnected and there is a root cause for all physical and mental dis-ease. Stress is the most common cause of all imbalances within the body, and members of the BIPOC community hold the burdens of chronic stress more so than White individuals, carrying the same unhealed stress their ancestors held and the stress of modern civilization. “Of Black Americans, 48% report discrimination as a stressor in their lives, the highest rate of all races questioned (Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis).” The stress of living in a discriminatory society, where BIPOC people continuously deal with systems that deny them human rights to safety, proper housing, a fair-paid wage, health care, and access to proper nutrition and nature exposure, fosters physical and mental illness and deepens existing health conditions.
Chronic stress directly manifests in one’s health, and a disproportionate amount of members from the BIPOC community suffer from chronic physical health imbalances like asthma, heart disease, hypertension, strokes, and diabetes. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation “As of 2021, diabetes rates for Black (16%), Hispanic (12%), and AIAN (15%) adults were all higher than the rate for White adults (11%).” Members of the BIPOC community are more likely to suffer from mental health imbalances as well, according to Evolve Treatment Centers, ”In the US, Black people are 20% more likely to have clinical depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than non-Black Americans. And African Americans and Latinx Americans use mental health services half as often as their white counterparts.”
Racism is a public health crisis. When the quality of one’s life is controlled by a system that discriminates against those who have historically needed the most support, the whole system needs to be demolished and reconstructed. Health and quality of life are interconnected, and the start of changing society begins with taking back the right to health. The fight for human rights begins internally, as one has to liberate themselves before one can liberate others. Making your life a priority is one of the most radical things one can do- once change starts within, it manifests externally in communities. Access to quality food and nature are integral to health, yet in America, these keys to longevity are impacted by racism.
Access to Food
Nutrition is one of the most preventative ways to keep your health balanced. The embodiment of using food as medicine supports the body and mind. However, healthy, nourishing food to support existence is scarce in BIPOC communities with low-income individuals. Low-income areas with predominantly BIPOC populations have increased exposure to fast food and lowered access to health food retailers and nutritious food options compared to areas consisting of mostly White individuals. High-income areas in the United States, like Metuchen, NJ, consists of mostly White individuals and a population of 14,949 people and has a local Whole Foods, high-quality restaurants, and annual farmers markets for the individuals in the area. However, in towns like Trenton, NJ, there is a population of 82,000 individuals, primarily members of the BIPOC community, and “28% of the population live at or below the federal poverty line, (NJ Spotlight News).” There are no supermarkets to buy groceries within the town of Trenton, residents must travel outside of their town to purchase nutritious food, which is limited and non-existent at the local bodegas and corner stores. Trenton, NJ, is approximately 30.1 miles away from Metuchen, NJ, yet the quality of life in Trenton is distinctly lower than in Metuchen due to the lack of resources the town has. Revolution is needed when the human right to quality food is denied.
Access to Nature
The origins of Earth exploitation began with capitalism. The current environmental crisis is a direct manifestation of centuries of the unconscious exploitation of nature for its resources. Now communities have to live in unhealthy environmental conditions because of the lack of safe and affordable housing. Residential segregation means that BIPOC people with low income are often forced to live near areas with increased exposure to harmful toxins and wastes in their water, air, and land. “13% of Black people lived in high-poverty neighborhoods compared to only 2.2% of white people, (National Equity Atlas).” These high-poverty neighborhoods have limited access to nourishing food, polluted streets, and limited exposure to nature’s abundance. According to Grist, “across the country, low-income neighborhoods had 62 million fewer trees than comparable high-income neighborhoods. In the two-year-long study, a team of researchers from the Nature Conservancy found that 92 percent of low-income blocks in the U.S. have less tree cover and hotter average temperatures than high-income blocks.” Trees are responsible for increasing air quality and assisting in removing toxins from the environment and assisting in physical and mental restoration. Individuals living in low-income areas have limited access to the benefits of nature compared to high-income areas- even though the Earth is here to support the existence of all living beings.
The lack of access to food and nature is because of the discriminatory way that the faulty system of capitalism distributes money. Money is a constant, the same as energy, and the money to support the existence of members of the BIPOC community exists- however, the American system, infected by racism, denies the even distribution of money to the communities that need it most. This conditioning keeps us stuck in a limited form of living, infringing upon the human rights of many. Radical change is needed, and it begins within.
Breaking free of these limitations and cycles of imbalance that the American system enforces upon the BIPOC community is a challenge. The world is energetically out of balance, as centuries and generations have been living against the organic nature of the universe- the nature of living in union and harmony with self, others, and the Earth.
The Garden of Awareness is dedicated to making the world more harmonious by making wellness more accessible. In the fight for health equity, The Garden of Awareness now announces a sliding-scale payment option for individuals who identify as BIPOC. Health is not a luxury, all individuals deserve the personal power that physical, mental, and emotional well-being grants. The more people consciously choose to make internal changes, the more harmonious the external world becomes. Connecting to the self is a rebellion against the system that spreads fear and limits its people to distract us from our inner power.
Introducing the:
Sliding Scale Payment Program
The sliding scale was created to address the discriminatory way that wage is distributed. The higher your income, the more you pay. The lower your income, the less you pay. Available to students and those who identify as BIPOC.
Discover what foods support your body and mind during a 1 hour consultation based on TCM. Learn the concepts of food energetics and receive a custom food plan with food recommendations based on your body type. An online offering.
Sliding scale payment option:
Minimum: $80
Maximum: $150
6 hours of 1-on-1 life coaching with the techniques of using food-as-medicine, TCM, and Yoga to harmonize the balance between your body, mind, and spirit. An online offering.
Sliding scale payment option:
Minimum: $175
Maximum: $333
16 hours of private 1-on-1 learning honoring the roots of Yoga and its history, philosophy, and physical practice. An online or in-person offering.
Sliding scale payment option:
Minimum: $350
Maximum: $555
For more details on the sliding scale payment program and services, contact below.
