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In celebration of Love & the Divine - our Imam Zamin.

12/27/2020

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In celebration of LOVE & the DIVINE


Good morning to the beautiful curious creatures that have awaited my intimate reflection during this holiday break. In celebration of my becoming, I have put together a few sacred entries on the traditions celebrated in Islamic marriages, highlighting the Imam Zamin. While nourishing my own sense of self-worth and having advocated for those around me that were voiceless, I realized that there weren't enough voices supporting the diversity of Muslim marriages in the wedding industry, which is why I have put this journal entry together.

Having worked in the wedding industry as a Henna Artist, a healer for my Brides as an energy worker, I found myself short of breath in expressing the traditions, love and honouring the spirits that made the foundation of my faith. Due to Islamophobia and segregation within the Muslim world; media  and politics, I felt that a remedy was needed to help heal the wounds in the hearts of those who were unaware of Islam and its beauty.
I will be making references to the traditions witnessed in a Shia Muslim wedding; the Nikah specifying the importance of the Imam Zaman. 

Please note that this is not an article to convert your beliefs, but to lovingly share the heartfelt messages of the Divine light while I reminisce and share one of the most beautiful days of my life.

My name is Saira Hussain and I am human. 
I was raised in a Pakistani, Shia Muslim family and the origin of my existence and the purity of my heart are from God who I am forever grateful for.

My ancestry is HUMAN and DIVINE.


July 4th 2019.

The most anticipated day of my life was here.
As I arrived into our airbnb in Schomberg, Ontario I witnessed a clearing of thoughts in my mind that transitioned me into a space of newness; a moment of time that was made for me.
Today was our Nikah.


Entering into the space of transformation, I was greeted by my adornment team; Windy and Justin who were setup in our second hallway where Ammi and I would get ready together. My to be husband was arriving soon and I couldn't wait to see him as he was who I had waited so patiently for these past fourteen years to marry..at least that is what I had told my heart.


FOURTEEN years is a long time to wait for someone.
To Shia Muslims, the number fourteen can be seen as representation of knowledge - deen - carriers of the messages of Islam.
FOURTEEN BRANCHES of LIFE & SACRED LINEAGE.


​In reference to angel and spirit numbers, the Ahlulbayt and their family are seen in representation of the TREE OF LIFE - the branches that extend from the house of God; the Divine light. They also represent the knowledge and the arms of our deen (faith) and carriers of Islamic knowledge. These are the enlightened members and lineage of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) leading up to our present 12th Imam (who was last seen at age 5, c.873) and will arrive before the end of time to help bring back the enlightenment and power to humanity. 
Again, this journal entry is not a scholarly article, but a love letter which I have written in memory of a day that I found great significance while witnessing a sacred step in my well-being.



As I began my process of transformation, I was quiet. As I was trying to embody the sensations that I had read about in every wedding publication before. '..this would be the most magical day of my life and I would be the happiest and most beautiful bride in the world...today'....I couldn't help but feel restless as I had worked every hour till my wedding day. I had completed 2 bridal henna appointments on July 3rd and arrived home at 7 PM (12 hours before I had scheduled my wedding day to begin). But to not overwhelm you, that blog entry will be scheduled for another date.

My inner critic was battling with the exterior hairs that Windy was working on; plucking away as I hadn't the time to schedule in a much needed threading appointment. As I was awaiting my groom and as Tara (our wedding day photographer and friend) was capturing the most beautiful images of our ensembles and intimate ambiance, he arrived. I remember this vividly with his expressions, which lit up the space that would be our home for the next 48 hours. My upper lips were half mowed, but he remembered my dragon fruit tea from Starbucks and to be there on time. That was enough to keep me fuelled for the next few hours till our guests arrived.


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In recreation of my well-being through a rose-water hydration mist, a soothing tea and having my friends arrive to help with setup, I recognized that there was a lingering discomfort within my fascia that left a chill within my bones. Difficulty would be the safe word chosen here in representation of the state that had overcome me. As I looked at myself in the tall standing mirror in my custom made Nikah gown, I felt a sadness come over in which led to the following questions...

 '...Did I rush into this marriage without reflecting upon my Nikah-nama? Who would be there to guide me? What if the wait for the longing of love wasn't enough to keep me happy? Who would address the feelings within me and who would guide me to carry forward the faith that I so deeply wanted to connect and build my future with?..'
I simply felt as if I didn't give enough time to studying the beliefs of what I found as encouragement to seek a partner of similar teachings. Were we the same? How would we ever prove this to our creator? Love had already changed, but why today? I reassured myself that these were simply butterflies of the inner critic inside me.
All of our guests had arrived and as my train was being adorned with the baby's breath that I had ordered for the spiritual entrance of my becoming (symbolism and ambiance are two parts of a marriage that I believe make or break an emotional release). My sacred space of reflection was suddenly disturbed by my father who was processing agonizing emotions that were seen in the unsettling nature of his half combed hair and grey frown on his face. He was giving away his eldest daughter. If I was to say rushed, I would be underestimating the lack of time that the Maulana selected had provided me and my family on our Nikah day. 

Before moving forward with my Nikah and the Imam Zamin, I wanted to share with you that I cannot write this reflection without some humour and the very real emotions that took place that day.


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All this time I had been planning the most sacred space in witnessing what would be the most divine celebration of our love and here I was separated in a room away from the man that I built this relationship with. I knew that there had to be a reason why I was being tested, even after awaiting more than a decade to build our home together. For me, witnessing our marriage side by side by a form of symbolism in our mirrored emotions, our heart's will to strengthen and never give up on our relationship. This was not followed through.

Traditionally in a Nikah, the woman is inside a room where the Islamic family tree are represented in beautifully garnished Alams (flags embellished with their names in Arabic - Ali, Fatima and their children and grand children) with fresh florals, candles radiating with their light and rose water filling the room with cleanse and clarity. This space is considered an altar; a place of prayer and reflection. As someone who loves aromatherapy and building sacred altars, this very representation  was dearly missed during the process of our Nikah. Traditionally, in Pakistani households, the Nikah is commenced out of the bride's home (with her rooted upbringing of love and belongings) or a spiritual home - a mosque in which her divine guardians are there to guide and protect the couple. 

Having closed my eyes  under the veil of Ammi (my mother)'s dupatta, I connected with my heart to mould the rented guest room into the space of prayer and divine blessing with the women closest to me. If I could suggest one thing, it would be to lessen your expectations of the perfect marriage as this does not exist. What is perfect is the essence of your being and th0e messages in which you are seeking for clear, conscious alignment within your marriage. But again, nothing is ever linear in reaching this destination. So be gentle. All marriages have their challenges, which are placed in strengthening the faith (for the self, God or the Universe) of each individual on this journey. I knew I had to let go of control in this very moment or else I wouldn't have been able to move with my heart's consent. 
As I was about to react to the anxiety within my mind, I witnessed the intricate threads of gold and luxurious scarlet red that redirected me on my present chosen path.
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During our Nikah...



My radiant Ammi came into the room and she tied the Imam Zamin, the beautiful words of Bibi Fatima (the first lady of Islam) onto my right arm, nearest to my heart. This was the second act of transitioning into my marriage - the ritual seen as a symbol of love and eternal blessing of our divine and Ahlulbayt. This is seen as the oath in taking responsibility of the Alams (the flags of our spiritual leaders) and continuing their message - to continue with peace and prosperity here on earth with love, equality and compassion for one another. 
I was now adorned with the sacred name of Lady Fatima - the Prophet's daughter) and mother of the root of the family tree. Having her name on my right arm ignited a powerful light within me that reminded me of my responsibilities as a woman first, then a daughter, then wife. I was a voice for the voiceless, a woman protected by the ancestry of courage, patience, and immense sacrifice to carry forth the messages of well-being in the best way possible. 
As I had my ritual blessing, my husband too had his earlier in a separate room with the holy name of Imam Ali (a.s) tied on his arm by his mother. His name represents the strength of our faith, lineage and courage - some excerpts from Islamic verses quote him as the LION or most powerful next to the Prophet (peace be upon him) within Islam. These two names associated with our Imam Zamin were jewels gifted to us in the beginning of our celebration as husband and wife (traditionally seen in marriages). We were now blessed by the holiest marriage witnessed in Islamic history - this moment was awaited not only by me but in the hearts of our two families coming together.
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As I listened to the words of Maulana Shirazi (who was not my chosen Maulana) I had some difficulty with my breath in finding alignment or compassion for his  rushed recitation of what was meant to be the most beautiful awakening of the divine within. I put my hand onto the Imam Zamin and could smell the roses and holy water that had uplifted me from what was first associated with anxiety and emotional outpour. I sat there, facing the bounties of the earth from the window that framed me with the light of the sun. This was the marking of time that had not only celebrated the prosperity of humanity and its well-being, but our responsibilities as man and wife.

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1st - google source
2nd - our engagement (2017)

Imam Zamins are also seen in multicoloured fabrics and metal and jewelled upper right arm dressings. Above are a few examples.



Our ornate Imam Zamins were hand crafted in Karachi, Pakistan and in Lahore, Pakistan. My khala (mom's sister) had designed two for us as did my mother-in-law. They were both beautiful and are kept as emblems of our marriage. Traditionally, in south asian marriages, the Imam Zamin is worn on the right arm to protect the bride and groom. As they are congratulated by their guests and family, Sadqa is also taken out for the bride and groom to protect them from the evil eye and other energies that no longer serve them. Historically, it is said that Imam Reza was the first of the 12 Imams to  express the need to protect those in the lineage of the believers of Islam. Due to political restlessness in the Caliphate dynasty, many believers of the Ahlulbayt were disregarded and killed. To protect the lineage, the Imam Zamin was created to protect the believers of Islam and their kin when traveling. Today we can see protection rituals in the performance of safe, planting an amethyst crystal in the front of your home, praying and creating boundaries. Similarly,  we can put ourselves in the shoes of a devoted mother as she prays for her child's well-being when they depart home. Her heart doesn't know how to let go of her kin, but she prays for the safety of their journey in the next period of their life. The Sadqa and Imam Zamin were created to protect the believers of Islam; peace within humanity and those connected to their divine light - God.  Even though, times are now different (what we see in North America), any parent would have difficulty when their child is leaving home. This departure is culturally called 'the Ruksati' in South Asian Muslim communities.. 

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Above images: My Ammi (mother in urdu) tying the Imam Zamin on my right arm with the sacred name of Lady Fatima.

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As the words of sacred union continued to express the minutes used to pronounce Ayaz and I as husband and wife, I found myself reliant on the sounds of embrace to announce that this sacred procession had completed. As my My veil was lifted carefully by my mother and aunts and everyone came in to share their congratulations upon the union of our love. 
Even though my husband had been awaiting my arrival in the sacred space that was created for our marriage rituals, I felt as if I had already received his loving oath of faith and willingness to protect and guide our relationship with the holy blessings of God through the Imam of our time. The foundation of the Imam zaman pronounced its powers in reawakening my spirit, even though I began the day with unannounced anxiety and blockages in my vision. The symbolism of the coin on our right arms with the embroidered names of Bibi Fatima and Imam Ali (a,s) were enough reassurance that the divine is watching over us; guiding us along our journey ahead.
 

This was when I transformed into the woman of my time and rose next to the standing tree of life within my deen to pay gratitude for they had sacrificed their lives to provide us the opportunities to speak freely, with courage and love as believers in the creator. The battle of Kerbala will forever remain in our lives as the moment that changed history in humanity. Being a Muslim today is a responsibility, but so is to be any good-hearted human with the time to build awareness and use knowledge as power. We all have a commitment when in marriage of the self or with a partner who we choose. The Imam Zaman is not only seen traditionally in south asian Muslim weddings today, but also is seen when Muslims travel throughout their lives (travels to and from other countries), tying coloured fabrics on their luggage and right arm for protection for a safe & healthy journey. The Quran and the Ahlulbayt were left from our Prophet (p.b.u.h) to seek further guidance. As with the relationship of love is the divine relationship with the self. When you are protecting yourself with boundaries, you are too making a commitment with yourself on the path of justice, peace, and compassion. The overall message of this journal entry began with the story of love, which I have shared with you now. I hope that my story in celebrating my marriage and the traditions practiced in Shia Muslim marriages inspires you to move ahead with faith in the self and the divine light inside you. 

***Many more details to come in celebrating love and the learned lessons of our first year of marriage together. To stay connected and to hear more stories, kindly share your email with me and leave a comment below.

May your holidays be full of the light that you need you heal your past wounds and welcome the divine that lives inside you.

I am human. I am a creator. And I am a believer in the divine light within.
With love & gratitude,

Saira Hussain
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LOVE LETTER RITUAL GIVEAWAY

12/8/2020

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​We

MADE IT!
written by Saira Hussain


This week's hand written letters are the letters that have guided us through our wounds in these past 9 months. With every letter, there is a sisterhood supporting the soul for our future.
When we write to ourselves, we encourage the powers of the universe, the creator to unfold the powers within our bodies, minds and hearts to self-heal.


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As we approach the 9 month anniversary of the adversity that changed our world, we too have risen with the remedies of growth in the SELF in OURSELVES. We too need celebrating the survival of these two-hundred and seventy days.

Sisters, my name is Saira Hussain and I am the owner and founder of Breath of Henna & The Love Letter Community. As a small business owner who began in a gig based economy in 2007, I have crossed paths of hundreds of  womxn who were giving their time, love and words without consciousness. I found myself in an enclosure of toxic habitual patterns, stemming from past intergenerational traumas, blended with the lack of self-empathy and self-worth. Work became me and I allowed it to define my well-being, which led me into an emotional eating habit while on the growing paths of perfectionism and competition
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'When you give without limits, limitations do fall on you, causing one to burn out and possibly end what was once your passion; your SELF.'

I told myself that I would take the responsibility of  finding the love that I needed to thrive in fulfilling my life's purpose; to heal. Before I could help guide others to heal, I had to heal myself and reconnect with my wounds. We are so adamant on building our practices individually that we forget that our systems, organs, cells all work collectively, as a community. I had to first accept that I was a community on my own, who also needed a healthy sisterhood to share her story with.

I broke free of the shackles these past 9 months of the addiction that I never knew I had.
The paths of emotional healing are those that held me when I grieved my old self to born anew the version I always wanted to be.

This is when I initiated the LOVE LETTER COMMUNITY.
March 25th 2020, 11 am EST via ZOOM.

We have all been in a place where we have felt deprived of happiness and stability because of an adversity; a death in the family, a lack of organization while juggling family life and education or resentment of even starting a business. 

What was your adversity before the pandemic?


__________________________


 I reached out to my girlfriends and found myself short of breath when sharing the past 12 years of what patterns no longer served me. I decided enough is enough. Why not merge our loose ends into an empowering series of collective conscious sisterhood? As the days grew, we too became isolated in our homes with relationship healing and purging, financial stability and work security problems on the rise. One thing we never gave up on was that we all believed that our worth did not come from money. That is came from our integrity, self-love and we each had our intuition to guide us.

These conversations were built into the sacred space where we could share our journeys; challenges, grief, celebrations and ideas that we needed to manifest into our own growth. This became our weekly dose of conscious living, which is now the Love Letter Community. 

"9 months later, we are here.
We have survived an entire 3 trimesters of being REBORN SISTER. POWER TO OUR CREATIVITY and THE CONSCIOUS LIVING SISTERHOOD.
WE RISE!"

​In celebration of the power of sisterhood, those who have consciously curated their crafts in providing us with the clarity, health and well-being strategies and reminding us of our gifts to heal ou wounds, we have a GIVEAWAY worth over $4200.00.

In order to celebrate our growth, we first must celebrate our homes; our BODIES.
In order to celebrate our resilience, we first must celebrate our consciousness; our MINDS.
In order to celebrate our courage and community, we first must celebrate our love; our HEARTS.

The divine is in us all to share and explore.
We willing to share your worth with the entirety of what makes you you.

Meet our giveaway womxnpreneus (in the slideshow above) and all Canadian small business owners in celebration of self-worth through creativity & well-being.

To WIN this incredible GIVEAWAY, follow us to our INSTAGRAM page to enter.
The giveaway runs until Friday. December 11th at 8 AM EST.
WINNER will be announced at 11 AM EST on FRIDAY.

Thank you for supporting your Canadian Small businesses.
All Canadian and USA residents are welcome.

With love,

Saira Hussain, Founder
Love Letter Community
Breath of Henna


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World Mental Health Day & beyond.

10/11/2020

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A Letter of Truth and Resiliency
in sharing my greatest discovery within these
7 months of solitude as a creative entrepreneur.


​By Saira Hussain


​My name is Saira Hussain and I am a powerful womxn of colour of many gifts and offerings. As a creative entrepreneur and newly wed, I decided to take control of my life instead of living in fear of what could have been the result of...

If I remained in fear of the unknown.
If I allowed societal pressures to refrain myself from crossing boundaries.
If I further isolated myself within my own home and relationship.
If I increased the volume of my inner critic; my inner voice.
If I deprived myself of nutrition and voluntary movement.

Here is where I share my journey of what I have learned to be some of the greatest lessons while living in the pandemic.

Before we begin, I'd like you to take a moment to applaud yourself, acknowledging that you are well enough to read this letter and sit comfortably in your own home even though the season is in transition and the sun now has a curfew. Recall your favourite moments from these past 7 months and write them down. See how far you have come; you are becoming.

Write yourself a letter to declutter your mind and empty out the emotional turmoil that you as a human are guaranteed to feel; grieving during adversity and energized happiness when success is achieved. Life is a combination of the binary; known and the unknown. The two knowns of our life is that we are BORN & we have an EXPIRY date.
Two parts of our lives that we know very little about.

In this compassion-filled entry, I wanted to share the common mistakes I have made, which may help ease your addiction in being a perfectionist or living life with expectation. If you have an addiction of working or being a perfectionist, learn to let obstacles pass you and not dampen or weigh your spirit down. Stress and anxiety are real; our mental health is real and with it comes many remedies and time to heal.


And so I begin..

What I am writing here is only a shard of the glass that protects my vision from becoming a blur. 
There is much to be said in this time and I will continue to write an entry here weekly in continuing to better my mental state and share my learned gifts, which were always inside me.

These gifts are inside your vessel.

It took me months to confirm that I too had a being inside, layered beautifully beneath my skin and soul. At first, I felt as if nothing has changed and the uncertainty of the world was a passing storm, but I know now that with every month came another challenge; a deeper cut into the flesh of me to unveil the greater wounds of the Inner Child. Right below these wounds is my essence, trapped but willing to grow outward and fight these layers of codependency on society (family, past relationships, work, social media, pain and trauma). This is where my essence lives; my being of choice and reasoning behind reality and my dream world. We all have days of celebrating ourselves with higher dosages of SELF-WORTH & other days where we are fuelled off of negative eating patterns.

We are HUMAN.
The Pandemic is not!



           As I connected with more womxn than ever before, I realized that I was establishing a union with magical womxn who were so ahead of me and many others behind. It wasn't a competition but a healthy conversation built from vulnerability and learning to actively engage with one another's stories or simply listen. We just needed someone to listen; to give colour to our patterns of black and white. We were already stripped of long over-due embraces with loved ones, we couldn't go on without the engagement with strangers. Have you ever smiled at someone on the street? How has that made you feel?

This is what I'm referring to - the kindness and gentle human that ceases to amaze you in that one moment with a gesture of a smile. WHAT A FEELING THAT IS!

With compassion...
we are now building conversations in initiating the pathways in our brains to break down barriers that were once built by society to protect us.
​

It wasn't until the pandemic hit home, here in North America that I felt an involuntary surge of electricity go through my entire body. No, this was not an orgasm. This was a very real and powerful force that was associated with my mental health. I needed to find the answers in bettering my mental, emotional and physical health because the society I was once raised in, had for the first time in years become unstable to live in. This was the alarm that I needed to hear that would change my life for the better.

It made me realize the following:


With compassion ...
we now lead the world with resiliency and open-ended questions to challenge the very state our minds had once so comfortably, moulded into our beds. Comfort bores us and so we begin a new blueprint of divine logic and emotional well-being.


With compassion...
we long to travel into great thought and discussions, which lead us to the greater paths beyond the unknown. This will build us stronger in allowing room for the storm and to be placed in the bare ridden field. In isolation, we have connected to our gifts. 


The boundaries that were placed to repel our intuition created allowance for fear. We have been comfortable with practicing segregation, following the misguidance of knowledge on social media and the battle between our radicalized emotions and recognizing factual information. We never allowed ourselves to see that facts and feelings hold two separate spaces in the acknowledgement of reasoning and the reality and cause of events.

For example, you could be in a longterm friendship of trust that you feel is unjust because your feelings and thoughts go unnoticed. But in doing the work in personal therapy, self-awareness, you find the missing known. That you were tightly knotted in a codependent relationship with that individual. What do you then share with the person you trusted most? What emotions do you feel, relay to that friend? Why does it feel like it's not meant to last?

Because you are growing. You are learning to fight for yourself. Be on your own. And you now have the power to mend your own wounds and heal from within. As love has its many transitional periods in life (it changes just like the season) from youth to adulthood, so does friendship or any relationship.

"...The very differences that painted our vessels were the gifts that the creator himself, embedded into our skin so that we too would take out time to practice gratitude & kindness for ourselves..."

We were made with solutions for every problem and now we have the awareness that will lead us to living our greatest adventure yet. You are not alone in heartbreak, your soul is there to guide you and your essence is there to question your present state. She will also question your future self, so build resilience to have the patience to gain awareness to self-worth. You have always had yourself.

​To those that are reading this message..

Never stop believing in yourself.
Guidance will come.
Trust your 
intuition & lead with love.


It has been over a month since I have blogged about a prayer. 
Today marks 7 months since I began my becoming.

Till we meet again.
With gratitude,

SAIRA HUSSAIN

​Founder, Breath of Henna & Love Letter Community
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Love Letter Community - Sisterhood Summit

8/12/2020

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SISTERHOOD SUMMIT

A Love Letter Community event for Womxn; the Universal Sisterhood.


​Thank you for being here, every week.
Your presence has changed the viewings of sisterhood. Womxn from all over the world have joined us these past 20 weeks while increasing space in their hearts to having open ended conversations. Thank you for joining me every week to celebrate the sacred space & developing universal connections with your stories.

You are wind, air, fire & water.
You are now one with Gaia.
Your spirit is free & you are on the path of your awakening. 



Let us continue to write our reflections in the form of love letters.
Let us continue to recognize the worth of emotional and mental travels these past 5 months, in accepting and climbing the steps to greet our subconscious mind. This is where our dreams live to grow, to nourish our self-worth and compassion. Letting her know that there is kindness here in the knowing of our radiant being, that her being is truly magnificent. 


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To create your sacred space at home, for the meditation, please do the following:

  • Setup floor cushions on the floor or cozy chair
  • Create a love potion for yourself of your favourite tea blends or herbs.
  • Have a journal or diary to write your love letter in and anything you've learned from the sisterhood. 
  • Your space should reflect you so be comfortable and cozy.
  • You can use these to further expand your alter at home with photos, framed nostalgia, plant companions, words, art and lights.

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In celebration of 20 weeks of sisterhood and our extensions of gratitude for our sacred learnings during these unprecedented times, we are celebrating sisterhood with the Love Letter Community's first ever virtual event: SISTERHOOD SUMMIT where we will be joined by 2 panels of encouraging womxn and the DNA virtual exhibit.

MEET OUR SISTERS as we decode the 
                  Universe through WOMXN
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PANEL DISCUSSION ON SISTERHOOD
To further connect with each womxn wanderer, simply click the image of the womxn you would like to connect with. Thank you.

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 PANEL DISCUSSION ON HOLISTIC HEALTH & WELL BEING

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​To join the sisterhood and watch the replay of our SUMMIT PT. 1, simply click the blush pink button here. With love always.
WATCH PARTY - SISTERHOOD SUMMIT

     

    ​Dear Sister of the Universe,


    You are here because you have traveled many paths to witness your becoming. You are now one with Gaia and her beautiful offerings.
    You are womxn; a creator woven with divine powers.
    JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE SISTERHOOD

SUBSCRIBE

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Love Letter Workshop - WEEK 20

8/4/2020

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"When you have clarity, you are driven with compassion to verse the world with your beauty'
​


LOVE LETTER WORKSHOP


WOMEN'S WEEK TWENTY - AUGUST 5th 2020
Host: Saira Hussain, Love Letter Community Founder
Co-Host: Asma Khan, Model & Actress
Time: 7 PM EST (Canada & USA).
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Welcome back to our sacred community of womxn.
You are here today because you have arrived to your independence.

Today we celebrate our sisterhood with the magic that fills our bodies. 

Let us take a moment to remember all that we have learned in these past 20 weeks.
We have compiled the pages of a novel with these love letters to leave a legacy, written by womxn for womxn. Some of  our greatest adventures lie within the verses of these pages & with these, we pave the path in living life as our greatest adventure.

This week on the Love Letter Workshop, we are join the hands of our sisters who have paved the path for those of us who are unable to see their reflection. 

Recite these words gently:

'I am womxn. I am free. I am womxn. I am enough. I am womxn. I am powerful.'

Recite these words while in the arms of Gaia:

'I am womxn. I am free. I am beautiful. I am full of light. I have overcome challenges. I am womxn'


Each of us has witnessed her own strengths in creating a path of sacred learning; our divine feminine. We have the ability to approach our awareness with our mind, body, spirit & heart. Our intelligence lies deep within our breasts and our energy recharges our intuition from our womb. But what about the other parts of our body, mind and soul? How did we weave the path in accepting these unprecedented times? Let me begin by sharing the power of the sisterhood with you.

When one womxn practices self-love, her courage enlightens the souls around her; enchanting them with a melody so powerful that even after 10 generations forward, her future sisters carry forth the same magic with the blessings of the universe. With the powers of these letters, we have carried forth a force of knowing. This awareness began in the form of a query to seek healing when our protectors too were confined in their homes. We developed trust and loyalty with those sisters within our community more than before. We were forced to take time out to find other carriers of these magical forces of holistic wellness and remedies. These remedies are our conversations.

In March 2020, we closed the doors to our homes so that we could protect ourselves, but what we did was build boundaries. We allowed our hearts to lead us into discovering that the greatest power is found while facing adversity. 

My WCW & woman of influence for week 20 of the Love Letter Workshop is Asma Khan. A woman who has paved the way for her community of womxn who have learned to surface above the shallow waters to walk on our lands with confidence, courage as they are. As Asma has said, 'our bond goes beyond colour, culture or creed..' We have shamed our freedom for so long that the walls around us began to feel like protection, leading us forward with fear of being our true selves. Asma is joining us tomorrow to share her journey towards pursuing her passions of modelling and acting. She has shared her words, chosen them, not projected by fear to embrace her strengths and give voice to who she is unapologetically. She has led her life with compassion, courage & fearlessness in overcoming the adversities that were riding her mind. As a model, she has walked international runways and has left every womxn of colour feeling empowered whenever we would see her on The Social, The Marilyn Denis Show and more.

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​We are an ever growing community of womxn who are built from strength, compassion and have the capacity to adapt to change. As we enter the twentieth week of quarantine, I would like to suggest that we all take a moment to appreciate how far we have come. Let us break down the walls of the patriarchy  with our feminine powers and decipher new challenges with solutions for our betterment. We must remember that there is a force inside us that has been waiting in our hearts with unconditional love and she has been patient. Let us hear her speak.

'DEAR COMPASSION.'
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Picture

​'Self-awareness is the ability to objectively look at your thoughts, feelings, and actions and acknowledge how your overall presence impacts the world around you. (For better, or for worse! LOL). I sense we are spiritual beings at our core and elevating the strength of our being involves a dismantling of the societal programming that we grow up with. Now more than ever, I believe it to be beneficial for everyone to sit quietly in meditation and self-reflection. Our individual power lies inside each and every one of us, it's our job to seek and find it. Ultimately, the better we know ourselves, the better we can heal ourselves -- and that leads to a collective benefit because others can FEEL this power radiate from you. I believe when you give yourself permission to simply be yourself and live in alignment with your inner voice, you empower others to do the same.'

- ASMA KHAN


This is your sisterhood. We are here to celebrate you. The link for the replay is below. RSVP to receive the special edition love letter for WEEK 20's workshop.
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WATCH THE REPLAY

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