Welcome to Porch: Just Start Where You Stand

At the beginning of this month, I finally started my journey to living cyclically and doing a spiritual reset. I'd wanted to do this for a long time, but I kept trapping myself in waiting. I kept telling myself I had to start on a specific day, whether because of an astrological transit, a new date that was good for starting things, or a new season. But setting those specific dates ultimately delayed my progress because, when those days came, I still didn't feel ready. I convinced myself I had to be fully prepared before I could even take step one. But the biggest lesson I have finally learned since starting is that starting a life of cyclic living is like the Fool's Card in tarot; sometimes you just have to take that leap and begin. It is not going to look like the grand, polished vision you built up in your head, and you might not feel completely ready. You just do what you can and start when you stand.

For those who have decided that they want to live more cyclically and learn more about holistic living rooted in Black folk tradition, welcome to the porch. This is the first blog post produced by Exceptionally You Wellness. As the owner and founder, my goal is to draw from my lived experience, my educational background, and my professional work to help people transition into living as their most authentic selves. I am walking this path right alongside you, because I teach best by sharing my own lived experience.

The title of this blog, Whole & Unshrunken, reflects everything Exceptionally You Wellness stands for. It means living a complete life where you do not have to shrink who you are to fit in or exist. Instead, you exist EXCEPTIONALLY. You love yourself, nurture yourself, and feed yourself so that you are not left operating from a place of depletion.

The foundation of this blog rests on two main concepts: building the blood and living by the signs. In Black folk tradition, building the blood means restoring vitality, strength, and core nutrients to a person who has become physically weak, fatigued, or depleted. Living by the signs means paying attention to what is happening around us, whether those signs appear inside our own bodies or show up as synchronicities in our surrounding environment, through lunar cycles, or through seasonal shifts.

For me, living cyclically means living a life that continuously restores my physical vitality and spiritual strength so I feel holistically well. It means using my intuition, listening to how my body feels throughout the day, following natural cycles, and relying on my ancestors and spiritual court as a guide.

If this message resonates with you, I invite you to subscribe to the blog so you do not miss what is coming next. In our next conversation on the porch, we are going to dive into deconstructing: how to unlearn and deconstruct enough of the noise, expectations, and old patterns so you can actually step forward and begin.

Thank you for being here, and welcome ot the porch.

🌹Danisha Nunn