Quotes and rituals worth savoring (and trying) from Alicia’s night of conversations with Rupi Kaur, Rickey Thompson, Deepak Chopra, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and more.
– KEYS SOULCARE
“It can be a long time. It can be quick. But do something for you today.”
With these words, Alicia welcomed an incredible community of lightworkers to a night of conversation, moving music, and a realized vision of Keys Soulcare, channeled through four “keys” that unlock the door to loving and honoring our highest selves in all the right ways: Mind, Body, Spirit, and Connection.
After setting the vibe with “Authors of Forever” — one of the latest tracks from her just-dropped album, ALICIA — Alicia kicked off the night with help from her husband, Swizz Beatz. The two mused on their own journeys to soulcare — from their personal upbringings to the emotional and at-home rituals that help them share their best selves with the world each day, before Alicia closed with the final few bars and introduced her first guest.
“BODY is about being our most beautiful selves inside and out. And that starts with how we define beauty.”
First up was ballet and body image game-changer Misty Copeland, who spoke on the beauty of living up to your own standards so that others’ validation doesn’t make or break you.
“For me it became about deciphering what [beauty] meant… and what beauty could be for me…,” said Copeland, of coming to terms that the critiques of her own beauty were a direct result of Eurocentric stereotypes about what a dancer’s body “should” be. “My body, just being on the stage, is giving that example to young people that can see something that’s different, and not what ‘ballet’ has been shown to be for so many generations,” said Copeland with respect to what drives her to continue defining beauty on her own terms.
“SPIRIT is about finding that piece of peace inside ourselves. Those moments of feeling centered and — even if it’s just for a few minutes — being able to tune out all the noise that we’re constantly faced with.”
Next, guests indulged in a powerful reading and rituals share from renowned poet Rupi Kaur. Among our faves? Meditation, writing, and positive self-talk to get to the root of her own insecurities and fears.
“You are the one that’s lived this life and walked this path, nobody knows it better than you do,” said Rupi, who also admitted to tapping back into her younger self when she’s running low on self-assurance. “I sometimes try to tap into that girl who was so fearless, and such a rebel. I ask, ‘What would she do?’ She wouldn’t be sitting here doubting her power. She’d be stepping into it every day with no question.”
“The MIND key is a reminder that every day, we have the opportunity to feed our curiosity and elevate our awareness.”
Mindfulness thought leader Deepak Chopra, writer Glennon Doyle, and athlete/activist Abby Wambach shared how they’re feeding their minds in a world that can feel so chaotic from moment to moment. (We bookmarked “embracing outer overwhelm” while holding space for inner stillness, using physical movement as a path to connecting in, and leaning into inquiry rather than “having all the answers” as rituals we’re planning to get more into, too.)
“CONNECTION is about discovering inspiration and community. It’s about the give and take in our relationships… not only with our family and friends, but the people we encounter every day.”
Comic and dance genius Rickey Thompson spoke to the energy-boosting power of workouts, music, and positive friend-energy to keep him feeling creative and grounded.
“When I first started… I was trying to be anything that wasn’t different… but I found that I wasn’t enjoying life at all,” said Rickey, when Alicia asked him about staying true to himself while connecting with so many others. “I was like ‘If I want to have fun, enjoy life, and live it to the fullest, I gotta live my truth.’”
“He’s inspired me, he’s lifted me up!” shared Alicia. “We’ve actually had a whole connection about, ‘How can I go straight to the point and say it like I feel it… because he’s a say-it-like-he-feels-it kinda guy,” she said, reflecting back on their “Unapologetic” Instagram hang session earlier this year.
“Meeting you and connecting with you, and watching you is such an energy,” she added, before stepping aside to let him treat guests to a virtual dance demo — complete with hip winds and high-kicks.
Finally, Alicia teased just a little more of what’s to come, with some inspiration pulled straight from the pages of More Myself.
“There’s so many sides of who we are,” said Alicia. “Why do we have to limit ourselves to just one side? Or why do we have to limit ourselves to the most comfortable part of ourselves, but instead explore all these new places. That is what has led me to Keys Soulcare and realizing that you can accept yourself in all these ways, in all this newness that is within you… knowing that what we need is inside of us, and that there is a way to nurture it.”
We couldn’t agree more. What did you think about the Keys Soulcare Lounge?
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