HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l

S4E2 - Elections, Hope, and the Role of Stillness

In episode 2, TMLG dives into the nuanced role of hope in Black communities, especially during political turbulence. She reflects on how hope has been a tool for survival and resilience but challenges the notion that it owes us anything beyond sustaining our spirits. Perhaps, she suggests, we haven’t fully understood hope as a self-sustaining force rather than a promise. TMLG also addresses the trap of finding our worth solely in “doing the work,” sharing how embracing stillness serves as a vital reminder of inherent value beyond action. Join this conversation on rethinking hope and embracing the sacred pause for renewal and guidance on future action.

Written and produced by Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts (IG: @tmlgwriter)

Music by Rebecca KellyG (IG: @rebeccakelly_g)

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Visit TMLG online at www.traceymlewis.com and check out her latest book, Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Your Delight. Available wherever books are sold.

S4E1 - What Does "Black Contemplative" Even Mean?

In the Season 4 opener of HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l, TMLG explores her journey into contemplative and mindfulness practices as a Black woman whose life and foundation has been informed by the necessity of movement and activism. She unpacks the tension between stillness and action, the cultural nuances of Black joy and faith, and how silence and quietude can serve as a tool for both healing and clarity in the same way sound and expression can.

With reflections on her faith journey and the influence of the late Dr. Barbara Holmes and Howard Thurman, Tracey invites listeners to embrace the practice of stillness—in all its forms—as one more resource we can wield for wellness in a world bent on our dehumanization. Subscribe now so you can follow this season of powerful, grounding conversations on Black contemplative practice.

Written and produced by Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts (IG: @tmlgwriter)

Music by Rebecca KellyG (IG: @rebeccakelly_g)

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Visit TMLG online at www.traceymlewis.com and check out her latest book, Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Your Delight. Available wherever books are sold.

Black Joy When We Surrender Outcomes

In this season finale episode, TMLG shares how observing her favorite animal taught her the power of surrendering control and releasing the need to manufacture outcomes in her life. She also helps a caller think through how to release a friendship that’s no longer serving them well.

 

Visit TMLG and the show online at www.hearttalkpodcast.com

IG: www.instagram.com/hearttalkwithtracey

FB: www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Black Joy as Radical Sacrifice and Practice

TMLG unpacks the power of surrender as a way to shift and pivot in one’s life as well as the importance of viewing joy, freedom, and healing as a practice as opposed to a destination. She also answers a caller’s question about finding joy on the job.

 

Visit TMLG and the show online at www.hearttalkpodcast.com

IG: www.instagram.com/hearttalkwithtracey

FB: www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Black Joy as the Freedom to Use Our Voices

TMLG shares how she released herself from a culture of silence and the need to be in control at all times—in order to experience the freedom that comes with telling her stories and giving her voice air. She also helps a caller deal with the complicated feelings that come up while co-parenting a “forever child.”

 

Visit TMLG and the show online at www.hearttalkpodcast.com

IG: www.instagram.com/hearttalkwithtracey

FB: www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Black Joy as Aligning What We Believe with What We Do

TMLG challenges us to consider how what we believe about ourselves and our lives shows up in what we actually do; our practices. She also invites a caller to accept that grief and joy CAN coexist.

 

Visit TMLG and the show online at www.hearttalkpodcast.com

IG: www.instagram.com/hearttalkwithtracey

FB: www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Black Joy as Letting the Old Stuff Go

TMLG discusses the process of letting go of people, places, and things as we grow and evolve on our healing journeys. Sometimes the old stories, thoughts, and beliefs will rear their head because we haven’t thanked them for their service and put them in their proper place. She also helps a caller navigate the “loss” of joy in their marriage. 

 

Visit TMLG and the show online at www.hearttalkpodcast.com

IG: www.instagram.com/hearttalkwithtracey

FB: www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Black Joy as a Testimony of Healing

TMLG explores how living the life of a healing person is the best testimony and witness we can have to others. She also answers a caller’s question regarding protecting the joy of Black children when they are the “only one” in certain spaces.

 

Visit TMLG and the show online at www.hearttalkpodcast.com

IG: www.instagram.com/hearttalkwithtracey

FB: www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Black Joy as Contentment and Gratitude

TMLG explores the power of contentment and acceptance as both a pathway to AND a manifestation of Black Joy. 

 

Visit TMLG and HeARTtalk online at:

IG - @hearttalkwithtracey & @tmlgwriter

FB- https://www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Get your copy of Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration wherever books are sold! Including Black bookstores Click HERE to buy.

 

 

Black Joy as Radical Amazement

Howard Thurman, citing Abraham Heschel, wrote about this concept of "radical amazement" in his book, The Inward Journey, and TMLG unpacks it in relationship to Black Joy. She also invites a caller who is concerned about not being able to express the fullness of his emotions as a Black man, to consider the lies he's been told. 

 

Visit TMLG and HeARTtalk online at:

IG - @hearttalkwithtracey & @tmlgwriter

FB- https://www.facebook.com/hearttalkwithtracey

Get your copy of Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration wherever books are sold! Including Black bookstores Click HERE to buy.