Woman Being

"Months later they sold the house and I had my last chance to say goodbye. I brought my camera without knowing why, and I ended up setting it up and taking self portraits in the two places where the abuse had taken place. I cried, releasing more, healing more, but also felt strong. I had taken back this space, it wasn’t haunted by the memories of these terrible events." One of the portraits I made during my last visit to the home where I was sexually abused, which happened to be a few days before I went to Costa Rica to receive more healing from Ayahuasca. I finally took the time to write about my healing journey and it is now on the blog: womanbeing.ca/blog

"Healing can come from so many different places, some we might not expect, and I am so grateful for the tools and events that have played a role in my healing journey. I am also really proud of myself because none of it has been easy, yet here I stand." - Davina P, 34 (me!) ... I have finally put decades of healing sexual trauma into words and I've humbly shared them with you all on the blog (link in bio). Thank you all for being a part of this journey with me Please send me a DM or email at [email protected] if you would like to share your story of healing with our community. See more

Nawaal Illustrations created this beauty exclusively for Woman Being. Every time I look at it it makes me feel the power of sisterhood, of womxn supporting womxn. It's a powerful motivation for me. Check out https://womanbeing.threadless.com to purchase this illustration as a print, shirt, bag, and many more items - and help us continue our mission to share womxn's stories.

"I am not an expert in healing but I am an active participant." In order to better tell womxn's stories of healing, I did what everyone did in 2005 and I started a blog! This will allow for long-form posts, while this account will continue to post excerpts from those stories. Or at least that's what it's shaping up to be at the moment. The first story I'll be posting next week is my own; my journey of healing trauma from childhood sexual abuse, in which ayahuasca played a par...t. If you are on a journey of healing that you'd like to share, I would be honored to hear from you. You can send me a DM right here or email [email protected]

I immediately recalled my first night of Ayahuasca when I saw this painting by @autumnskyeart. And then I saw the title: Night One. I love experiencing these magical moments of synchronicities, they make me feel like I'm exactly where I need to be. I have yet to sit down and write down the details of my Ayahuasca experience though I do have a notebook full of notes from before, during, and after the experience. I've had many of you reach out to me privately asking about it..., and I do want to share more about it, especially as I seek to share more healing stories of womxn. The truth is, I am still integrating so much, still processing even over four months later, so I haven't really known where to start. But seeing this painting was a sign for me to open up that notebook. I found a passage from my night one notes where I felt I embodied this painting: "My inner glow was expanding like a force field. I felt the true nature of my source so strongly as it radiated out of me. I was divine femininity. Strong with love." Experiencing this glow within me was so powerful, I can still embody a bit of that feeling f I sit still long enough. This was one of the greatest gifts I received from Ayahuasca, the remembering of my true essence so I can recall it when I need it. I know Ayahuasca is just one of the many tools available to us to reach this state, so I'm curious: have any of you had a similar transcendent experience? (This is just a part of the full painting, see it in its entirety at autumnskyart.com) See more

I feel my numbness fading and my soul reawakening in the face of the hell I'm currently living. It’s strange how tragedy can actually make us come alive. - A, 29... I was going through the stories I've received from women over the last few years as I contemplated the stories I want to tell through Woman Being. I'm feeling pulled towards stories of healing, or more specifically, healing-in-progress (being healing is a process after all). As I was reading through the stories, A's words stopped me in my tracks. The hell she was experiencing at the time was the aftermath of her husband's affair, but I think we all experience our own versions of hell at one time or another. The realization that this tragedy was awakening her was so beautiful, I felt shivers down my spine. If you are in your own version of hell right now, I hope her words can give you some comfort. And if you have a story of healing that you'd like to share, I invite you to send me a DM, no pressure. Thank you to A for sharing her words with us.

I remember my first orgasm. It was like a Eureka lightbulb going off. - Anonymous... Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hi everyone, my name's Tristen and I'm the new social media manager for Woman Being! I'm so excited to help develop this important project and I can't wait to get to know all of you. Let me introduce myself: I'm a first year maths and anthropology student at McGill University (thinking of double minoring in comp-sci), I like to read, cook and care for plants, and I spend wayy too much time online. Working to further the fight of intersectional feminism is the dream, so lets get started, shall we? Picture taken by @kowarskyportfolio (a friend of mine) after I shaved my head 2 years ago.

"I am not at fault for the actions of my abuser." - Maya, 24 "I am not at fault for the actions of my abuser." - Maya, 24... One very powerful line from Maya's story. Submit your story at womanbeing.ca/participate. You can also contact us to request to be interviewed at this same link.

The world has been demanding justice for Breonna Taylor's murder for months. Yesterday was supposed to be the day. To say the verdict was disappointing is an understatement to say the least. I really can't find the words... Black lives matter. Breonna's life mattered. We stand with the black community.... Portrait by @arlyn.garcia

Feminism [is the] notion that we should each be free to develop our own talents and not be held back by manmade barriers. - Ruth Bader Ginsburg On Friday, the world lost an incredible force, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A champion for equality, the embodiment of using one's power to fight for positive change, she was a true feminist hero. RIP RBG.

A portrait of female diversity by Mikenzi Jones of Common Folk Paper Co.