Blogging about food and nutrition, medicine and plants feels so futile these days. And in the grand scheme of the deep-rooted and undeniable unrest of the times, I think that it is in some ways. Part of me is going through the motions because the things that fuel me aren’t so important right now and can wait. But those things are also my acts of self-preservation. It’s my self-care.
My greatest passion has always been to be in service, to this earth, to my community, and to humanity at-large. Granted, I’ve burnt out here and there and there are definitely times I’ve lived to crawl into a hobbit hole deep in the forest and live out my days in solitude as a feral creature of the earth. So far, I keep bouncing back because, ultimately, there’s much more work to be done.
Your goal should be: let me figure out a way to love myself because if I love myself, I can properly love my community and take care of my community.
Sophia Roe
chef, wellness advocate, & so much more
I created Botany Culture in the name of service, to ultimately help inspire a greater connection with this planet. I do think that our disconnect is a foundational aspect of all that is wrong in the industrialized world, but it’s not the only one. I hope that this space is educational, inspirational, and/or just plain pleasure and eye-candy at the very least. I hope it’s a place of rest and a place to refuel as much for others as it is for me. I never ever want anything I do to be a mask or a distraction from what’s really important.
And what’s most important right now is the bright light being shone on racial inequity that keeps Black, brown, and other marginalized people imprisoned in a perpetual state of less than and inequality, danger and violence, fear and dis-ease. My actions, as a human, must be in service to freedom and equality for all people, against suffering and hunger, against cycles of systemic oppression that have kept Black and brown people bereft of basic rights to health and wellness, to opportunities of all kinds, including simply having the time for their own self-care.
When we think of self-care, I feel we often think of it in terms of what we can do for ourselves and that’s it; it often stops there. I came across a short video the other day and gained an entirely new perspective on self-care and the root of true wellness. And what I learned is that the secret to restful sleep and glowing skin isn’t what we often think. It’s not another juice fast or an expensive cream or a yoga retreat or another massage. These things might make us feel good on some level and they might give us moments to rest, refuel, and carry on. But to quote chef and wellness advocate Sophia Roe, you are only as well as your community is well.
Sophia Roe popped up on my screen after a collective effort across all platforms of social media to #amplifymelanatedvoices and give greater visibility and volume to Black voices.
She is a chef and wellness advocate (and so much more) in Brooklyn, NY whose fun and funky, educational, and colorful cooking videos are something I wish I would have known about a long time ago. She’s a self-described “food and feelings enthusiast” and creates accessible and user-friendly content that helps to support her audience in living happier and healthier lives.
In this short video, Sophia gives you the secret to glowing skin, a secret that just happens to be the root of true wellness. She talks about the difference between self-care and self-optimization, an important distinction that never occurred to me before. Her words offer an invaluable perspective on our own efforts in personal wellness and their relationship to the wellness of our community. It’s a short watch and a incredibly valuable use of your time. Her words are important, potent, and relevant. Please click the link below to watch and listen.
VIDEO: Sophia Roe on Self-Care & True Wellness
I hope her words inspire you as much as they did me. I’m moving forward with a new relationship with my own self-care practices in asking why. Why am I engaging in these acts of self-care? If they aren’t purpose-driven beyond having smoother, clearer skin and being as fit and healthy as I can be for my own mental and emotional health, they’re for no one other than myself.
We must take care of ourselves, of course. But how can we parade, maybe selfishly, around in our own wellness when so much of our community is not well? If our own self-care doesn’t ultimately have the best interests of our community in mind, then can we even truly consider ourselves community members? These are important things to think and talk about. How does wellness play a role in community?
I agree with Sophia, our own wellness ultimately depends on the wellness of our communities. True wellness is kind of like putting on your oxygen mask before helping those around you, helping yourself with the purpose of being able to then help others.
Let’s bring greater purpose into our every breath. Let’s be well so that we have the strength and capacity to help others be well too. And let’s breathe so that everyone else around us can breathe too.
Thank you, Sophia.
