"rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. healing is an act of communion." - bell hooks, all about love
divine inner light collective is a constellation of mindfulness- and arts- based offerings
for integrative mental health & wellbeing.
about river
founder & organizer
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zahra "river" chevannes, msw, lcsw is an afro-indigenous artist and community-based social worker from brooklyn, ny (ancestral lands of the munsee lenape and canarsee peoples). river is committed to compassion practice, decolonizing mental health, healing justice, and the interdependence of individual and collective healing & wellbeing. in their practice, they offer trauma-responsive, person-centered care that supports people affected by intersecting systems of oppression.
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what is divine inner light?
“divine inner light” is the untouchable inner flame that lives within each of us, igniting our hearts, guiding our paths. “divine inner light” -- also understood as “buddha nature” or “basic goodness” in buddhist traditions --
is a quaker concept that supported river’s early education.
what is integrative mental health & wellbeing?
integrative mental health is a holistic perspective of wellbeing that considers the mind, body and spirit. from this perspective, we recognize that wellbeing includes physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental aspects of our lives.
what is healing justice?
“healing justice is a framework that identifies how we can holistically respond to and intervene on intergenerational trauma and violence, and bring collective practices that can impact and transform the consequences of oppression on our bodies, hearts and minds.” - cara page & kindred southern healing justice collective