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The Aafiyah Project presents ...
Sisters' Wellness Retreat
... embarking on a health & wellness journey
Imagine a gathering driven by the power of sisterhood …
A gathering where Muslim women embark on a health and wellness journey together ...
The Sisters' Wellness Retreat, established in 2021, provides a supportive environment for Muslim women to foster a sense of sisterhood. The primary focus is on nurturing individual inner peace in response to the many stressors that uniquely impact the health and well-being of minority women, particularly Black Muslim women. This cultivation of inner peace serve to empower women to become more productive members of the community. Health and wellness topics covered during the 4-day retreat include: financial wellness, physical wellness, social-emotional wellness (mental health), and spiritual wellness.
Our History
The wellness retreat idea was born out of the friendship circle of professional women at the height of the COVID pandemic shutdown. These women recognized the need for women, especially Black Muslim Women to strengthen their sisterhood by being more intentional about holding space for one another. They discussed the importance of showing up for each other and creating a safe environment where everyone can share their wins and challenges in life without judgment.
Sisterhood is a powerful force that can help us explore health and wellness in new and exciting ways. By coming together and supporting each other, the wellness retreat help create a community of women that empower each other to be our best selves. Whether it's through sharing wellness tips or simply being there for each other, sisterhood can be a transformative experience that helps us achieve our health and wellness goals.
This idea, now a stand-alone program at The Aafiyah Project: Sisters' Wellness Retreat; continue to help women begin, restart, or reset their health and wellness journey in a holistic way that integrates four key areas of health and wellness: financial, social-emotional, physical, and spiritual.
Annually, the highly anticipated wellness retreat takes place in the summer. Join us for a rejuvenating experience that will leave you feeling refreshed, revitalized, and with a strengthened sense of sisterhood. Don't miss out on this opportunity to prioritize your health and wellness.
2024
Sisters' Wellness Retreat
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Date:
Thursday August 8 - Sunday August 11
check-in @ 8 am | checkout @ 12 noon
Venue:
Turkish Guest House Residence
Diyanet Center of America (DCA)
97th Avenue Lanham MD​
Theme:
Wal asr ... By time!
The fleeting nature of time
Wellness
Sessions:
Financial | Physical | Social-emotional | Spiritual
2024
Keynote Speaker
Sabrina N’Diaye, PhD, MDiv, LCSW-C
Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye blends the teachings of her beloved sheikh, Sidi Muhammad and the practices of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad into her work as a therapist, storyteller, and peacebuilder. She is the founder of the Heart Nest Center for Peace and Healing, and the co-founder of Our Village Roots, a non-profit organization devoted to the sustainability of her husband’s ancestral village in Senegal, West Africa.
Dr. Sabrina has taught the art of self-care to healthcare professionals and community leaders around the globe, and spent 13 years as a Lead Clinician for community-wide trauma programs in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and all over the U.S. In 2022, she co-launched Embracing Buffalo, a project specifically designed to address the aftermath of the May 14th massacre of African-Americans in East Buffalo.
Dr. Sabrina is a highly-respected member of the treatment community, and frequently lectures on oppression, spirituality, stress management, self-care for healers, addictions, and the power of connection. Her many audiences include police departments (i.e., Baltimore City, MPD and NYPD), flight attendants, healing artists, peace-builders, and aspiring writers. She is currently mentoring mental health professionals across the country in their desire to make a living while serving humanity.
Dr. Sabrina is the author of Big Mama Speaks: Love Lessons from a Harlem River Swan, based on her maternal grandmother’s ability to transcend multiple traumas and chronic illness.
Dr. Sabrina is a devoted wife, mother, daughter, and life-long learner, who remains humbled by the healing power of compassion, love, patience, gratitude, and forgiveness.
2024 Workshops
Financial wellness is all about achieving financial stability and success in both the short and long term. This includes managing your budget, saving money, investing wisely, managing debt, and planning for the future. By improving these aspects of your personal finances, you can achieve greater financial security and peace of mind. This year's financial wellness workshop will focus on the benefits of personal investments and teach us how to begin or enhance our investment journey that aligns with Islamic principles. This year's workshop will be led by an expert from a renowned Islamic-based company that has proven to be socially responsible and sustainable.
Meet the 2024 Financial Wellness speaker: Hud K. Williams.
Brother Hud is the Regional Manager for Saturna Capital. With over 20 years of experience in financial services, including financial systems implementation to Islamic-compliant home finance. Brother Hud holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from Old Dominion University, an MBA with a finance concentration from Georgia Institute of Technology, and is currently pursuing a Certificate in Islamic Finance from The International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, INCEIF, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When he's not working, Brother Hud spends time with his family and serves on the board of the Atlanta Masjid of Al Islam and Muslim Aid USA relief organization.
Brother Hud's session: Growing Your Finances Over Time, will cover sharia compliant / halal investment products and sustainable investing; the necessity of saving and benefits of investing; investment vehicles for retirement investment; vehicles for education/children shariah; screening criteria for equities; and the historical performance overview of the Amana Mutual Funds.
Physical well-being is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. It involves practicing self-care for the needs of your body through physical activity, balanced nutrition, sufficient sleep, and avoiding harmful behaviors. Taking care of ones physical well-being also includes a personal responsibility to understand your body’s warning signs and recognize when you are ill and in need of medical attention. Prioritizing physical wellness can lead to a happier and healthier life. This year's workshop will be led by a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and board certified functional wellness coach.
Meet the 2024 Physical Wellness speaker: Sunny Majeedah, FDNp.
Sister Majeedah, is the Founder and CEO of Root Cause Root Care. Her expertise lies in using functional lab testing to address midlife women's peri- and menopause hormonal issues, with a focus on metabolic challenges. She is passionate about educating women on midlife and empowering them to advocate for themselves in a medical system that often dismisses their concerns. Her approach is affectionately referred to as Sex-ed 4.0, The Midlife Changes Primer!
Sister Majeedah's session: Practical & Pleasurable Perimenopause, aims to help women better understand perimenopause, its signs and symptoms, practical ways to manage perimenopause and gain relief such as dietary / nutritional alternatives (including wholesome food, natural remedies, herbs), mindfulness practices, exercise, aromatherapy etc.
*FDNp: functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner
*NBC-FWC: National Board Certified Functional Wellness Coach
Social-emotional wellness is crucial for overall well-being. It involves understanding and managing emotions, i.e., a person's ability to identify what they are feeling, how to manage that feeling or emotion, and how to navigate those emotions in a way that leads to building and maintaining stable relationships. Strong social-emotional health enables an individual to integrate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a way that supports greater health and well-being in life. By prioritizing social-emotional health, we can achieve a more balanced and fulfilling life. This year's workshop will be led by a trained psychologist adept at working with the Muslim community and Muslim women to improve their health and wellness.
Meet the 2024 Social-emotional Wellness speaker: Dr. Farah Shakour-Bridges.
Dr. Farah has one primary focus: to help people deeply connect to self, others, and the Creator as a foundation for realizing their human potential. Utilizing a number of holistic spiritual strategies, Dr. Farah supports individuals in discovering their internal wisdom and reconnecting with their fitrah - their innate state of Divinely imbued goodness - to achieve a profound sense of well-being, manage stress, heal, and actualize life’s possibilities. Dr. Farah extends these transformational principles to organizations to assist them with strategic planning and development, beginning with their people and cascading to their business goals. Drawing from over 20 years of experience and training, Dr. Farah integrates diverse disciplines, including theology, psychology, education, philosophy, business, spirituality, the arts, indigenous wisdom, and energy work into her practice. Dr. Farah is a leader in creating restorative, regenerative spaces and facilitating meaningful relationships among people of diverse backgrounds, particularly historically marginalized people, youth, and women.
Dr. Farah is a mom, a spouse, and a community auntie. She is married to Imam Chaplain Dr. Edrees Bridges, founder of Baytul Sabr Jameel, and the two join forces to develop programming centered on social justice, equity, and belonging. Dr. Farah finds solace in creating culturally representative spiritually uplifting art, reading, reflecting, writing, exploring nature, and traveling.
The workshop on spiritual well-being aims to help women strengthen their connection with Allah by exploring Islamic beliefs, values, principles, and morals. By expanding their sense of purpose and meaning in life, women can achieve a greater sense of fulfillment and contentment. The workshop will be led by a Muslimah psychotherapist who has served the community for over 15 years.
Meet the 2024 Spiritual Wellness speaker: Najwa Awad.
Sister Najwa is a psychotherapist and certified perinatal mental health specialist that has provided services to individuals and families for over 15 years. She is also the co-author of the book, Your Lord Has not Forsaken You: The impact of Trauma on Faith. She has a private practice, Amanah Family Counseling, that offers psychotherapy and EMDR to women and children, and specializes in treating depression, anxiety, trauma and family conflict. Najwa enjoys giving workshops to destigmatize mental illness, address current mental health issues within the community, and promote psychological health from an Islamic perspective. She is also a Fellow at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research.
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