💖 This Valentine’s Day, Say Yes to Rest—Join Me in Creating Metta Noir
Sometimes, it takes finally experiencing true wellness to realize just how sick we’ve been.
There was a time I thought my ability to push through exhaustion—to sacrifice myself on the altar of excellence—was my superpower. Then my hair started falling out, my periods got heavier, and I found myself in the pits of burnout. The physical and emotional toll of years of self-neglect could no longer be ignored.
I remember my therapist asking what I wanted to work on. All I could say was, "I know I am not well."
That moment marked the beginning of a years-long journey of healing. And while I’m still on that path, I can finally say: I’m well on my way. After years of dissociation, I have the tools to connect with my body. When triggered, I can stay present. And I have a cadre of Black women to thank for that.
From my therapists, who taught me to sit with myself and feel rather than intellectualize my emotions, to my line sisters, whose parallel healing journeys I’ve had the privilege to witness, to the queer women and AFAB folks in my community, who have bravely (re)birthed themselves into lives of joyous alignment—Black women and femmes have saved me.
In September, I was laid off from Google. And I felt God’s hands at work—pushing me out of the plane despite my protests, willing me to jump because She knew I understood the meaning of the Toni Morrison's womanist proverb: "If you surrender to wind, you can ride it."
As I sat with myself, asking, What now? What next?, the answer became clear.
They say careers have three stages—learn, earn, return. After more than 15 years of learning (and, admittedly, earning) in Big Tech, I knew it was time to return. To pour back into the soil that formed me. To create a space of wellness for Black women+.
And from that calling, Metta Noir was born—a wellness studio for Black women+ in Bed-Stuy, the community I am so proud to call home.
In the past few months, I have:
Invested my own retirement savings to fund Metta Noir Wellness Inc.
Secured a commercial lease at 306 Malcolm X Blvd.
Partnered with an amazing Black woman designer to craft a space that feels like home—for us.
And I’ve done this while watching this country become even more dangerous for Black women, femmes, and non-binary folks. I've found solace in the words of another literary ancestor, Audre Lorde’, who presciently said:
"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is
an act of political warfare."
So, I’m thrilled to share: Metta Noir is coming. A love letter to Black women. In many ways, it feels like culmination of my life’s work. But I cannot do it alone.
Your voice matters. Your experiences will shape this space. I am asking for your support in shepherding this dream into the world.
Here are 3 simple ways you can support:
Take this survey about your experiences with wellness spaces.
Share the survey with other Black women in your network. This would be a HUGE help.
Sign up for updates at mettanoirwellness.com.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for witnessing this.
Let’s build something beautiful, together.
With love,
tiffany
P.S. No matter what, I’m sending you the words and energy of the Metta meditation:
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful and at ease.
