Ayiana Viviana stands at the intersection of mind, body, and soul, creating art that guides us down whichever path our spirit most needs to venture. Until 2022, Ayiana didn’t know that the experiences of her life were preparing her to become an artist who creates abstract neurographic art. If you don’t know what that is, no worries; she breaks that, and so much more, down for us.

Perhaps more than anything else, though, her Innerview invites us to meditate on any one (or all) of the following:

* What do I want to see grow or expand in my life? In the world?

* If I truly and entirely accept and love myself or someone, what do I need to let go of?

* What can the parts of myself that I don’t like or feel comfortable with teach me about how to love better?

* What would need to change in my life for me to feel more free? To become more free?

Ayiana reminds us that yes, we’re spiraling, but only because life is cyclical. And just because you find yourself in familiar or darker spaces or places, it doesn’t mean you have to be or see them the same way.

To learn more about the Ayiana Viviana or shop her art, visit www.ayianaviviana.com or follow @ayianaviviana.

When a community is connected, the collective staying power is worth its weight in gold. And that’s what humanity is going to need as we continue to forge ahead in uncharted waters. I’m being reminded by life right now to take what I need, and leave the rest…in God’s hands. I’ll tell you more about that in the first few minutes, but then we get to what this episode is really about: Nneka’s Innerview.

Nneka Azuka is an Emerging Leader Fellow (from the Stoneleigh Foundation) at The Village of Arts and Humanities, where I currently serve as Editor of their Staying Power Newsletter.

During her two-year-long fellowship, Nneka is tasked with increasing The Village’s capacity for community organizing and neighborhood power-building as an effective strategy for more equitable access to the resources that reduce violence and reverse disinvestment policies. She works closely with the Community Connectors—comprised of Philadelphians from all walks of life who are compensated to help share resources, stories, and build community power in the 19133, specifically the Fairhill/Hartranft neighborhood.

Throughout this year, I’ve been training and working with them around storytelling for the newsletter, and this Innerview, which served as an introduction to Nneka for our readers and community members, was a part of that process. The thing is, it was so good, I obtained permission to share it here. The reality is, humanity’s collective staying power is bigger than the 19133, so if there’s momentum building there that can empower us all, so be it!

I hope that, as you experience this Innerview, something lights up in and through you. And as it does, may something in someone else be sparked, and so on, and so on.

We are stronger together, and that’s what can (and will) make our Staying Power a force to be reckoned with.

To learn more about the village, visit www.villagearts.org or follow @thevillagephilly.

Staying Power - Aug. 2025 edition | Staying Power - Sept. 2025 edition

I don’t know why they swirled around me like they did—in a ring— as I sat meditation style in space. But that’s how I saw it. And so I sat in it—right in the center of it to see what it had to offer me.

Some in the spiritual community offer that Saturn’s Rings represent limitations, boundaries, and restrictions, or time (how it is experienced or managed). Given what filled my ring, I could see how that tracks; I couldn’t fix or stop any of it. They were all things that I felt limited or restricted in some way from fixing, solving, or easing.

If you happen to decide to get a 4:44 in today…

What’s showing up in your ring—what’s swirling around you? Pay attention to that. A couple of offerings:

* Focus on your breath — anytime something throws it off, come back and pick it up at the steady pace you had it. Keep coming back and picking it up.

* Stop the thoughts on sight — Anything that attempts to break out of the ring and pull up on you for a sustained period of thought gets dissolved. Periodt. It’s “on sight!” Nothing is allowed to move from the ring into your space.

* In your mind’s eye, look up —This could mean literally looking up while your eyes are closed, focusing on the center of your forehead. Envision you looking to lock eyes with your Creator. Just you and your Creator in this space for this time. See how long you can sustain it. Lower them, still eyes closed, as or if needed.

* Lastly, remember…

Just breathe.

Settle into your body…

..and come alive.

Set your timer. Close your eyes. Get into your Innerview.

Sincerely,

Syreeta

Follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@myinnerviewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and use the hashtag #myinnerviewpod to join this conversation or share your Innerview.

Join the journey with Sincerely Syreeta by ⁠⁠subscribing to the open journal ⁠and connecting with her on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@sincerelysyreeta⁠⁠⁠⁠

I don't know how I even came up with the four minutes and 44 seconds. It just felt like good energy. I remember sitting in my Zen Den—I knew I had a busy day ahead of me. Four minutes didn't feel like it was asking for much. It didn't feel like much. It felt doable. And so I just kind of wanted to triple down on that energy.

I thought, all right, four minutes, 44 seconds, that's it. That's what I'm giving myself. And that became a practice.

I'm thankful for it because I really do believe that…

Before you can truly live, you must come alive in your own body.

If we're connected on social media, you've likely seen me post: Don't abandon your body. We’re not abandoning our body, aight? We're staying in it, we're staying present in it. Don't abandon your body.

There’s a moment in this where there’s just dead space. That’s the part where you breathe. Breathe life into the track. Into your life.

Just breathe.

Settle into your body…

..and come alive.

Set your timer. Close your eyes. Get into your Innerview.

Sincerely,

Syreeta

Follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@myinnerviewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and use the hashtag #myinnerviewpod to join this conversation or share your Innerview.

Join the journey with Sincerely Syreeta by ⁠⁠subscribing to the open journal ⁠and connecting with her on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@sincerelysyreeta⁠⁠⁠⁠

Y’all alright? It’s the last day of January 2025 and by the grace of God, I’m coming through to bring the first episode of the New Year to you. If you take away nothing else from this Innerview, remember these 3 things: (1) Don’t abandon your body. (2) We need you well. (3) Don’t forget your mission.

Love you. Mean it. xoxo

Lastly, here’s the link to check out the song “Open the Blinds” by Ariel J:

Follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@myinnerviewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and use the hashtag #myinnerviewpod to join this conversation or share your Innerview.

Join the journey with Sincerely Syreeta by ⁠⁠subscribing to the open journal ⁠and connecting with her on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@sincerelysyreeta⁠⁠⁠⁠

This is the last episode of the year. (Or is it the season? I have no clue.) I didn't start this podcast back in January with an end destination in mind. I just knew I was starting. I was doing something that had been seven years in the making. And the only thing that mattered was that I was starting. Now December is here and that’s still the only thing that matters: I started.

In this reflective episode, I’m sharing My Innerview on the Wilderness Walking I’ve done over this past year. We’ll chat about the significance of relationships, the challenges of making choices that align with personal values, and the transformative experience of 'wilderness walking.' I’ll touch a bit on the shift from quantity to quality in my life, focusing on authentic connections and the power of vulnerability.

But most importantly, I'm leaving you with a prayer or meditation that I hope can help carry you into the New Year.

I love you. I thank you for being on this journey with me and in this finale episode, I share a bit about where we go from here and the opportunity that awaits YOU.

Follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@myinnerviewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and use the hashtag #myinnerviewpod to join this conversation or share your Innerview.

Join the journey with Sincerely Syreeta by ⁠⁠subscribing to the open journal ⁠and connecting with her on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@sincerelysyreeta⁠⁠⁠⁠

It’s a bold declaration: “History will be kind to me.” The audacity, right? Yet, in her conversation with Sincerely Syreeta, Keir Bradford-Grey says it confidently. Why? The heaviness of this declaration is backed by the weight of her work’s worth. A civil rights lawyer and former Chief Defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Keir leads Marrone Law Firm’s Civil Rights Litigation Department and spearheads the firm’s recently launched nonprofit organization, Second Justice, which provides legal resources and services to victims of injustice in the legal system.

Keir’s Innerview is a reintroduction to the woman and the warrior fighting for fair and equitable outcomes within the justice system.

This conversation explores:

* The family dynamics, including addiction and employment injustices, that led to her pursuing a career in law

* The power of lawyers as narrators and storytellers

* Her legal representation and the polarizing impact of the Michael White case

* Advancing systemic change in the judiciary

* Lessons learned from her campaign run for Attorney General of Pennsylvania

* Her message to PA voters and the next AG

* Her reflections on 50 years of living

To learn more her civil rights work visit marronelaw.com. For potential representation or inquiries, email Keir at kbgrey@marronelaw.com

Follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@myinnerviewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and use the hashtag #myinnerviewpod to join this conversation or share your Innerview.

Join the journey with Sincerely Syreeta by ⁠⁠subscribing to the open journal ⁠and connecting with her on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@sincerelysyreeta⁠⁠⁠⁠

A hiking trip in Colorado for a friend's birthday planted a seed that eventually led Brandi Aulston MHA/MHE to found Hike+Heal, a women’s hiking hive offering grounding experiences to increase overall wellness, help eliminate health disparities and increase diversity in outdoor spaces for women of color.

In her Innerview, Brandi, a wellness educator and entrepreneur, shares how the journey to curating space for women's recreation has shaped her evolution. She provides perspective with purpose on topics that include:

* Overflow Only: Filling your cup as you pour into others

* Divine Downloads: The doors to your dreams

* Family Dynamics: The impact of a woman's wellness

* Personal Power: Cultivating transformation in your life

* Focus for Founders: Scaling with authenticity, intention, and reciprocity

* A Call to Community Builders: Prompts to encourage your Innerview (provided below)

To learn more about Hike + Heal's mission, impact and programming visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hikeandhealwellness.org⁠⁠⁠ and/or connect with them on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@hikeanheal⁠.⁠

Prompts for Community Builders:

* Would you continue to do it regardless of following, pay, or validation?

* How will you continue to engage and build community after an event/touchpoint?

* What kind of impact do you have on your community and their wellness?

* How are you practicing reciprocity as you build and grow community?

Follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@myinnerviewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and use the hashtag #myinnerviewpod to join this conversation or share your Innerview.

Join the journey with Sincerely Syreeta by ⁠⁠subscribing to the open journal ⁠and connecting with her on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@sincerelysyreeta⁠⁠⁠⁠