Pay attention to your wounds, they will lead you to your calling.

The birth of Zen Feminism was inspired by a realization that I have deeply internalized misogyny. It’s ironic that a self-proclaimed feminist like me has unconscious dislike of myself & my own gender. But also, it was not surprising. The subliminal messages we receive daily from society, the media & even our own homes can program impressionable young girls to grow up as women who doubt themselves & not feel enough.

I arrived at this realization through a lot of self inquiry, forced by the Covid 19 lockdown. I had literally nowhere to run to distract myself. A good friend invited me to join a 21-Day meditation challenge by Deepak Chopra. During that time, I was healing from a failed IVF treatment & demotion from work. By the 18th day, I received a download of inspiration to create journaling prompts for myself, to start genuine self discovery & process unhealed wounds that I’d normally band aid w/ a plane ticket to somewhere.

After 75 days of journaling, I was able to conceive naturally, purging dense energies I’ve stored in my womb for so long. I also discovered that I unconsciously harbour feelings of envy & competition towards other women, the very people I proclaim to support unconditionally. I felt like a fraud. Envy & competition was a projection of what I felt within. I didn’t feel enough. I wanted to heal from its root cause that is internalized misogyny.

Fuelled by this awakening, I created @zenfeminism stories platform, giving women the spotlight & the safe space to vulnerably share the power of their voices & experiences. It is “Zen” because these stories come from a place of compassion, vulnerability and acceptance. When we show up as our authentic selves and owning parts of ourselves that were deemed shameful and unacceptable by society, we empower and inspire another sister to show up and stand up for herself. A healed feminine is a portal for generational healing.

I then self-published Through Me Journal & Birthing The Mother Within, two books inspired by my personal healing, further refining the core mission of “Helping women awaken from internalized misogyny & embrace their power through self-love & inner work tools, to birth a more compassionate world”.

As within, so without. What we do not heal, we will project. More than advocating for external empowerment, Zen Feminism is truly about internal revolution, to genuinely free ourselves from the shackles of internalized misogyny & patriarchy, live our lives authentically & root for each other whole heartedly. It’s the inner work that will carry us through transformation and lasting impact, for ourselves,  for the work that we do, and for every life we touch.

Kriska Pineda