This column is dedicated to the needs of individuals in gaining balance and harmony in their lives. As Akans, we know that our help comes from Onyame (Almighty God), the Abosom and the Nsamanfo. We believe that Onyame is The Supreme Being, creator of all things, and his word is absolute; the Abosom (lessor gods) were created by Onyame to act on his behalf and were given certain powers to carry out that mission; the Nsamanfo (ancestors) are the custodians of the laws, customs and traditions of Akan society, are concerned about our well-being, and are in close contact with Onyame whose favor they enjoy in a special way. (For more information, visit the Spirituality page). Therefore, every article that appears on this page is viewed and applied within that belief system. I will write some of the articles and some will come from articles that I have read which I feel may be beneficial to you.

2001 was a very interesting year. It was time of exploration, growth and development for many. And a time of renewal for some. For countless of people across the globe, the last few months, has become a time of devastation, destruction, uncertainty, trauma, and grief. For those of us living here, it has been a time for deep introspection on an individual, physical, and more importantly, a spiritual level, as a time to reflect as a country. With this in mind, I have written an anagram which I will share with each of you with hopes that it will assist you in getting in touch with those things that are really important to you.

llow yourself the freedom of celebrating during this time of year - the joy, happiness and richness of your life and that of your family and friends. Set aside the notion that any part of the year, that any day that has been set aside for celebration does not belong to you. You are entitled to enjoy each day of your life without hesitation and without commercialization of those days.

old dear to childhood memories of this time of year. Narrate them to your children for family historical and instructional purposes. Do not criticize what our parents, grandparents, relatives and friends thought was tradition (and some still do). We pass this way one time and must shed the need to hold bad thoughts and ideas about our past. Remember the good things about the holidays of the past...it is something special and what else do we have except our memories? Our families traditions make us who we are and whether or not we choose to continue those traditions or create new ones, just keep in mind that we are all just expressing ourselves in a different way.

nly concern yourself with those things that pertain to you which leaves plenty of room for new thoughts and ideas to evolve. Srutinizing others creates a smaller space for yourself to grow and develop.

et go of the anger, frustration, grudges, fears of the past year. Forgive yourself and others for mistakes, misgivings, mistrust, misdirected anger, and misunderstandings. Holding on to these negative feelings tends to compromise us spiritually and physically. Negative energy creates negative experiences. Now is the time to let negative energy and feelings go! Tap into your spiritual reserves and resources; ask for assistance. Actively release the negatives. Write it down. Say it. Sing it. Open yourself to the blessings and positive energy that is trying to come your way. Find a way to move forward.

nitiate a 21-day spiritual purification and awakening ritual- starting today and carry it into the New Year, if necessary, to complete the 21-days. This ritual should include a spiritual bath, internal cleansing, daily fasting, praying three times a day, meditating at least once a day, and attending at least one spiritually uplifting community event such as an Akom, Bembey, or any other African-based spiritual ritual or service

Note:

(1) Ask your spiritual leader to give you a spiritual bath or recommend one. (2) Use a 3-7 day internal cleansing formula. (3) Choose a fast. There are several types of fasts: sun up to sundown with no food and/or liquids; a partial day fast (i.e., sunup till noon); or, give up certain food or beverages (something that you really enjoy) for the duration of the fast. (4) Pray in the method that you are familiar with such as libation, etc.. (5) Meditate (see below for instructions on how to meditate). (6) Choosing a spiritually uplifting community event is an instrumental component of the 21-day spiritual purification and awakening ritual. AFSANI will have an Akom on Sunday, December 30, 2001. Check the Calendar of Events for more information. Other African-religious organizations also have schedules. (7) On the 22nd day share your experience(s) with a friend, relative, associate, acquaintance or loved one.

evelop a plan of action for things you wish to accomplish during the upcoming year. Oftentimes we identify areas that we want to improve in our lives or new ideas we want to explore or new ventures we want to embark upon (and this will surely happen during the 21-day ritual) but the notion stops with the thought. Why? Because we don't have a plan of action which includes evaluation levels and follow-up. It can be a very simple plan of action; it doesn't have to be elaborate.

ssume the responsibility of nourishing yourself spiritually and culturally by reading books (try Black bookstores such as Sisterspace, Caravan Books, House of Khamit, and Sistrum; attend spiritually uplifting rituals and events on a regular basis; identify a spiritual teacher; interact with like minded sisters and brothers; and share information on cultural and spiritual topics. Do not wait for information to come to you; seek it out!

ield to your thoughts and notions of the greater possibilities opened to you for spiritual awakening, growth and development.

editate on a daily basis. Meditation can help you with stress reduction, removing tension, gaining clarity, gaining insights, focusing energy and creativity. If you don't know how to meditate, as a beginning, you can try the following warm-up:

1. Identify a quiet place to meditate and set aside a certain time each day. Later you may decide to vary the place and time.

2. Sit comfortably but straight in a chair, or you can lie down on the floor or bed. In either position, make sure your back is straight.

3. Choose a cassette tape or CD of appropriate music, meditation, or have an experienced person guide you through.

4. Determine the focus of your meditation, i.e., ask yourself the question "why do I want to meditate; what do I want to accomplish?".

5. Then, relax your mind and body. Try the following: Close your eyes. Breath deeply several times counting your exhalations up to 4, (repeat 2 or 3 times); Continue to breath rhythmically and begin to slowly relax each part of your body by tensing then releasing, starting with your toes, moving upward to the top of your head (feet, ankles, legs, knees, thighs, buttocks, stomach, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, face, crown of your head. Then reverse the exercise and move downward.

6. Sit quietly for 5-10 minutes. (If your mind wanders, bring it back to your relaxed state.)

7. Allow yourself to return to awareness of your surroundings by opening your eyes and slowly stretching. You will feel much more relaxed than when you started. Finally, as you begin to master this warm-up exercise, you may want to add a focus to your meditation such as spiritual concepts, qualities or topics; healing; creativity; energy movement; or on gaining clarity and insights on certain topics or situations, etc.

xperience the meaning of peace in your world by taking the opportunity to heal relationships in your life that have become marred directly or indirectly through hostility between yourself and another, or between others who may be related to you in one way or another–relative, friends, co-workers, neighbors. Use the 21-day ritual, prayer and meditation to help you gain the opportunity and courage to approach the person(s) in a sincere, loving, and healing way that will provide the opening for reconciliation.

ettle within yourself-- your mind, your thoughts, your attitude--to do better than last year in your chosen area(s) of concern. During the course of meditation, and the suggested spiritual purification ritual, you will identify areas that you wish to change. In order to do so, there must be a resolve within yourself that it can be done because you are not working alone. You are aware that you do not have all-seeing and all-knowing power. Therefore, you must decide to ask for assistance from a higher source. You can have the assistance of Onyame or God, The Creator (using the name that you know), the Abosom or your spirit guides, and the Nsamanfo or your Ancestors. Just ask for their help!

end handwritten expressions of love to people who are important to you. Select 21 people –family, friends, loved ones. Write and send meaningful messages. Be creative. Often times we care for individuals, think about them, promise ourselves to be in touch with them, but we procrastinate and don't take time to tell them that they are important to us. This year has reminded us and helped us to recognize in reality that at any moment we could be gone. It is only by the Grace of God that we are still on this planet. Now is the time for us to take a few minutes of our time to be in touch with those persons who mean a lot to us.. Don't hesitate.

nswer the Call of your Ancestors which is now upon you. Find out how to acknowledge them and tap into their reservoir of knowledge that can lead and guide you in your daily lives. Our Ancestors are the keepers of traditions in all aspects of our lives. They are the first to remind us when we have strayed off the path (that little twinge of conscience that makes us feel uncomfortable.) They also open doors for us that we sometimes are not even aware need to be opened. Our Ancestors are looking out for us when we don't even know it. They make us question events, programs, all manner of "things" that we participate in, consciously or subconsciously, that are not really a part of our African heritage. And then, they lead us to truth about who we are and the things we should be doing. Honor your Ancestors.

rant yourself permission to honor the truths and blessings that you have been given by making the necessary changes in your life. Grant yourself permission to share with others those truths that you have learned that could help them in their search for peace, knowledge, understanding, and clarity. Grant yourself permission to bless others by giving of yourself in ways that have been opened to you.

njoy the God-given gifts of life, spirit, love, and celebration that are inherently yours – now and this coming year of 2002!

I Wish You A Peaceful, Joyful and Safe Holiday Season!

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