As we enter the 11th month of the year, we find ourselves between seasons. This moment, for many, signals a shift—not only in climate but in consciousness. The heat of midyear activity is giving way to reflection, inward listening, and the pulse of deeper knowing. November offers a sacred rhythm—a call to recalibrate.We live in a world that rewards constant motion. But those of us rooted in African and Indigenous traditions know another truth: wellness is not found in speed. It is found in rhythm. It is shaped by alignment. And it is guided by the rituals and ancestral practices that teach us how to live—not just survive.There is wisdom in slowing down. There is power in aligning with what is seasonal, sacred, and sustainable.This month’s theme—“Recalibrating Through Ritual, Rhythm, and Rest”—is a direct call to return to the things that truly nourish us. In the spirit of this return, I invite you to deepen your connection to practices that regenerate your energy, rekindle your clarity, and restore your vision.
The Baobab Path: A Living Curriculum of Leadership
This is also the season where we continue to uplift The Baobab Leadership Curriculum, a powerful offering that emerged unexpectedly during a time of great clarity and ancestral listening.Although I had long been preparing to release a different leadership course based on over three decades of research, The Baobab Path rose with such spiritual and ecological resonance that I had to follow its guidance. Its structure draws from the life cycle of the Baobab tree—from soil to roots, trunk, branches, canopy, and fruit—each representing stages of purpose-guided leadership.This curriculum is not a metaphor. It is a living model—grounded in sacred ecology, cultural regeneration, and Indigenous teachings. Drawing from ancient Yoruba sacred texts, it explores themes of adaptability, stewardship, clarity, and ancestral rhythm.Let the Baobab remind you of your rootedness—and of what is possible when leadership emerges from inner alignment and collective wisdom.
Sacred Water, Sacred Self: An Invitation to Return
In every tradition that honors the Earth, water is revered as a teacher. And it teaches us not only through its power—but through its consistency. A waterfall does not need to crash with force to change the shape of a rock. Its sacred repetition—day by day, drop by drop—can carve through stone.This is how love, joy, and purpose work too. They do not need to be loud. But they must be constant.Without them, what remains is not peace—but a life of disconnection. Let us not glamorize burnout. Let us instead uplift the flow of our lives, returning again and again to the rhythms that have sustained our ancestors: bathing rituals, song, herbal healing, sacred journaling, walking near water, and aligning our hearts with what truly matters.Let this month be your mirror. Let it reflect back to you not only who you are becoming—but what you’ve always carried.
Soulful Joy Wellness Retreats: A Glimpse Into 2026
We’re thrilled to begin soft introductions to Soulful Joy Wellness Retreats, with a powerful new video by filmmaker Siji Awoyinka. These destination-based wellness immersions are rooted in African sacred rhythm, plant-based nourishment, and community reconnection.Watch the full video below and stay tuned as we unveil two upcoming Soulful Joy destinations in 2026—Senegal and Ghana.
The Heritage House: Restoration and Restitution as a National Model
Located in Osogbo, Nigeria, the Ladekoju Heritage House stands as an evolving sanctuary of ancient art, ecological reflection, and ancestral wisdom. It is integrally connected to the sacred groves recognized by UNESCO and is envisioned as a gathering place for global cultural workers, healers, and thinkers.Founded by Chief Princess Adedoyin Talabi Olosun, one of the senior-most cultural guardians and inheritors of Ọ̀ṣun responsibilities and ancestral responsibilities, this space continues to grow from a deep well of community memory, sacred duty, artistic regeneration, and intergenerational continuity.
We envision this site as a place for:- Community sacred space and global indigenous gatherings- Restitution and restoration of ancient art and heritage monuments- Scholar residencies and ecological/cultural research- Knowledge retention and Yoruba ways of knowing and being
Learn More
Ancient Reflection
Gifted from the Sacred Yoruba Literary Corpus
This month’s ancient reflection emerges from the sacred verse Ìròsùn Méjì, one of the guiding odu in the Ifá literary and divinatory canon—an oral and poetic treasury of wisdom passed down through generations across the Yoruba lineeage and world.“Tí a bá sọnù ká tọ́pẹ̀ tìwá.”If we stray from the path of our fathers (those before us), we must trace our own footsteps to return.This powerful verse calls us into a deep sense of ancestral responsibility. It teaches that when we become disconnected from our lineage, our cultural practices, or our sacred traditions, we are not merely tasked with returning—but with restoring. The act of tracing our steps is not about nostalgia—it is about recovering integrity, coherence, and clarity.
This lesson is profoundly relevant to our times, especially as we speak of intergenerational healing, ancestral reconstitution, and lineage clarity. Whether we understand leadership as a public responsibility or as something quietly lived within the family, the call is the same: To reconnect what has been fractured. To gather the stories. To repair the gaps.If we have lost a parent, a sibling, or if your family is splintered due to migration, loss, estrangement, or silence—this verse reminds us that one of us must rise to begin the healing. One of us must make the effort to bring the circle back together. Not for the sake of perfection, but so that future generations are not left wandering, looking for footprints in a broken path.Let us gift something whole to the future. Let us plant something intact that does not require repair, but offers nourishment, wisdom, and orientation.
This reflection affirms that our personal leadership, our wellness, our culture, and our communities all require an active return to our roots—and the courage to do so.
Reflection Prompts for the Month
What rhythms have I abandoned that once nourished me?What daily practice would feel like a sacred return?How can I allow joy to be more consistent than pain in my leadership?
With gratitude and vision,Kwayera
Global Ase School of Conscientious Leadership Brooklyn, New York 11217, USA
