In this Espresso Talk, storyteller Ama-Robin names “the Hustle” for what it is—a survival pattern of overwork and over-achievement born from our history. It is stealing our rest, our joy, and even our health. From the based-in-truth story of Miss Josie Mae to the groundbreaking research of Dr. Sherman James, we explore how constant high-effort coping wears us down and how we can choose freedom instead. You’ll walk away with tools to slow down, reclaim your breath, and live in alignment with your body, spirit, and community.

You’ll get in this episode:

• Real-life examples of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual hustle

• How hustle culture damages our health and spirit

• Practical steps to slow down and protect your well-being

Bonus: Grounding Ritual for Release

1. Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes if it feels safe.

2. Place your hands over your heart.

3. Inhale deeply for a count of 4. Hold for 2. Exhale for 6. Repeat three times.

4. Whisper or think: “I am more than what I do. I am enough as I am.”

5. Imagine placing the weight you’ve been carrying into the earth beneath you, knowing it can hold it.

6. Open your eyes when you’re ready, carrying only what’s yours to carry.

In this episode, we mentioned the powerful work of several Black researchers, writers, and organizations who are helping us live longer, healthier, and more liberated lives. Their work supports us—let’s support them back.

• Dr. Sherman James – Epidemiologist and creator of the John Henryism Active Coping Scale, a tool for understanding how high-effort coping affects health, especially in Black communities. Learn more about his research and take the scale here.

• Tricia Hersey – Founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto. Her work reclaims rest as a form of resistance and a healing right for Black people. Learn more here.

• The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) – An organization dedicated to advancing Black-centered psychology, mental health, and community well-being. They remind us that our history and culture are core to our psychology. Learn more and support their work here.

We’ve worn emotional armor to survive—from slavery to segregation to being “the first” in white spaces. But healing means knowing when (and how) to set that armor down.

In this Comforting Moment, we honor what protected us and gently choose rest. Through breath, reflection, and a powerful gratitude meditation, we invite the safety of community, culture, and ancestral strength.

💛 In this episode, you’ll receive:

1. A grounding visualization for emotional release

2. A cultural reminder that you are never alone in your healing

3. A soft but powerful meditation to thank your armor—and prepare for freedom

✨ Don’t miss the Gratitude Ritual Gift in the show notes.

You don’t have to carry it alone. Not today.

You’ll need:

• A quiet space

• A comfortable seat

• A small object that represents protection (e.g. a scarf, stone, bracelet, or even your hand on your chest)

• A candle or soft light (optional)

Step 1: Settle and Breathe

Sit in stillness.
Place your hands over your heart or on your chosen object.
Take three deep, slow breaths.
On each exhale, gently release some of the tension you’ve been carrying.

Step 2: Acknowledge the Armor

Close your eyes and name the armor you’ve worn:

• Perfection

• Silence

• Always being “the strong one”

• Smiling when you’re hurting

• Preparing for harm, even when it doesn’t come

Say softly (or in your heart):

“I see you. I know why you were needed. Thank you for protecting me.”

Step 3: Honor Your Lineage

Speak to those who came before you:

“Thank you to the ones who wore this armor before me.
Thank you for surviving, resisting, and preparing the way.”

Name one ancestor, mentor, or community member who carried armor so you didn’t have to.

Step 4: Release With Intention

Now, hold your object or place your hand on your chest and say:

“I am safe enough to set you down—for now.”
“I release what I no longer need to carry.”
“I am not alone.”

Visualize the armor gently loosening, sliding off, or being laid beside you like a beloved coat that you’ll only wear when needed.

Step 5: A Blessing Forward

Place your hand over your heart and speak this aloud:

“May I move through the world with tenderness and strength.”
“May I trust that I am protected by love, community, and wisdom.”
“May I prepare the way for those who come next.”

End with a soft, full breath.

💫 Return to this ritual whenever the armor feels too heavy.

You’re allowed to rest.
You’re allowed to heal.
You’re allowed to lay it down.

Letting go is never simple—especially for Black people living in predominantly white spaces-- where we’ve been expected to carry more than our share and to do it quietly.

But what if letting go is not abandonment, but liberation? What if it’s an act of love?

In this warm, reflective episode, Ama-Robin invites you into three immersive stories —slow-paced, story-driven, and deeply rooted in Black cultural truth.

✨ Story 1: Dreams Left at the Door
A woman returns to the porch where she first dreamed big, and grieves the pieces of herself she left behind.

✨ Story 2: Auntie’s Place
A neighborhood elder helps visitors release the pain they’ve been told to forget, through ancestral ritual and quiet resistance.

✨ Story 3: Laying It Down at the Door
One woman reflects on the sacred art of not carrying everything—not for everyone, and not forever.

Each story reminds us that letting go isn’t erasure—it’s making room. It’s how we reclaim our breath. And how we practice self-love that is not Eurocentric, individualistic, or shallow—but cultural, communal, ancestral, and real.

This episode includes:

• Grief and rage naming rituals

• Ancestral practices of release

• Black psychology of emotional weight

• A Beyond the Story reflection on self-love and sacred release

At the end, you’ll hear a short breathing cue and reflection to help you ease into your own ritual of release.

📍 You ain’t imagining this. And you never had to carry it alone.

Here are a few simple, sacred practices to support your release:

🕊️ Name & Water Ritual
Whisper the name of what you’re releasing into a bowl of water. Pour the water out under an open sky.

🔥 Burning the Lie
Write down a false belief or racist message you were told. Burn the paper safely and say: “This no longer belongs to me.”

🌿 Herbal Holding
Hold a grounding item—like a smooth stone or fresh herb (basil, rosemary, or sage). Say aloud:
“This is heavy. But I am not alone.”

📓 Journaling Prompt
What have I been asked to carry that never belonged to me? What am I ready to lay down at the door?