BOI MEETS WELLNESS: Social Media and African Spirituality featuring Alafia Stewart

Social Media and African Spirituality featuring Alafia Stewart - Episode 61

Sep 15, 2022

Alafia "Ifabowale, Osundamilola" Stewart, affectionately known as just Alafia, is a second-generation practitioner. Her parents transitioned from Santeria to Lukumi, then to Isese during her childhood. She is a passionate agent of change in spiritual awareness through the advocacy of accurate representation of Orisha devotees in media. She holds a BA from Dillard University and an MBA from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico. Alafia has also been featured in the New York Times for her contributions to the Public Broadcast System (PBS) docu-series Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler chronicling her journey to initiation in Nigeria in the summer of 2014. Alafia has spent the last decade on international platforms representing the Orisha community. From, TV to radio and print. Alafia stands for the future of Orisha worship to be normalized and celebrated.

We chat about African traditional religion in the time of social media. Alafia discusses how she uses her platform to expose lies and offer support and transparency to the community. She also encourages us to be empowered and informed when seeking spirituality.

[00:01 – 00:50] Opening Segment

I introduce our guest, Alafia Stewart

[00:51 – 03:57] Who is Alafia Stewart?

When Alafia was growing up, her religion was not socially acceptable
Now African spirituality is normalized because of social media

[03:57 – 13:40] Challenges in the Spiritual Journey

There are a lot of misrepresentations online

The sad part is that those who know very little are the loudest talkers
Alafia gives tips on how to sniff out scammers

When starting out, date your religion and take time to get to know it better

[13:41 – 20:01] Taking Care of the Spiritual Community

Alafia did not initially want to speak about her religion but she realized her true passion
Being a spiritual practitioner is not as easy as it seems

Having a deep love for the community is important

[20:12 – 20:58] The Guided Meditation for Wealth

Move past the negative thoughts and build a better relationship with money and abundance. Watch the guided meditation on YouTube for free!

[20:59 – 26:32] Your Spiritual Sister on the Internet

Need non-biased and non-judgmental insights on religion? Alafia would love to hear from you!
Dreams for the brand: elevating the vibration of the community and giving gifts of knowledge and experience
Alafia’s top three places that she feels most connected to

[31:17 – 37:28] Closing Segment

Alafia answers the BOI Talk and Hop questions
Reach out to Alafia!

Tweetable Quotes:

“There are folks that want to come into my religion simply to get initiated and to have a title or some sort of social standing, which is wild, but it happens.” - Alafia Stewart

“Do your due diligence as if you would look for a life partner because this religion is not free. It is expensive. Spiritual work is expensive.” - Alafia Stewart

“We live in a society where there is a core set of religions that have essentially taken over. At least now, folks are moving away from the religious constructs that they come from and reconnecting back to their ancestry.” - Alafia Stewart

Connect with Alafia Stewart at www.heyalafia.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, or message her at Winno.

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