Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal is Your Time to Breathe & Relax

You Always Take Care of Others. Now It's Your Turn - Don't Miss Out!

On Friday, July 17, 2026, Moyo Institute will host the Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal — a wellness summit created specifically for African American women who have experienced cancer directly or as a caregiver.

Often, it's one or two caregivers in the family whose role it is to take care of everything and everyone else. Also, many sisters who are navigating cancer still have to take care of their family members.

In recognition, we will gather in person at The Center for Healthy Communities, 2000 Franklin Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a full day of health information, restorative integrative therapies, community connection, nourishment, and healing.

“Every woman who has had to deal with cancer deserves a day where her body is honored, her story is held, and her healing is centered.”

Why the Day of Renewal?

"In my more than thirty years as a Reiki Master and the founder of Moyo Institute, I have sat with many women navigating cancer, " said Gwendolyn Mitchell. "What I hear, over and over, is not only about the intense physical effects of the disease and treatment — it is about the isolation that comes with a diagnosis, the exhaustion of always having to be strong, and the hunger for community that truly understands."

The Love Letters to Our Bodies workshop series has been offering a sacred refuge for these women for five years. The Day of Renewal is an expansion of that vision — a summit gathering where women who are in active treatment, survivorship, or serving as caregivers can come together, breathe, receive healing, and simply be held by a community that sees them.

The name says it all. This is a day to renew. A day to receive, restore, and reconnect — to themselves, to each other, and to the deep knowing that healing is their birthright.

What to Expect at the Day of Renewal

Gentle and deep restoration, helpful information, support and joyful community. Here is a glimpse of what participants can look forward to:

Holistic Pillars of Health

•       Presentation on the free holistic therapies offered by Charlotte Maxwell Clinic

•       Micro Reiki Sessions offered throughout the day by a team of skilled practitioners

•       Emotional Freedom Technique Tapping for emotional release facilitated by Jennifer Groebe

•       QiGong or Herbal Wellness session with Shereel Washington

•       Healing Sound Journey — deep rest and restoration led by Adriana Parrish

•       Nourishing Refreshments and Lunch

•       Introduction to the Food as Medicine research project -- Starla Gay & Suzette Chaumette

•       Introduction to American Cancer Society’s Voices of Black Women study

•       Recognition of extraordinary caregivers --“Shining Stars”

•     Contemplation, Journaling & Sharing

The day is designed to honor the whole person — body, mind, heart, and spirit. Whether you have attended a Moyo workshop before or this is your first time with this community, you are welcome here.

A Coalition of Healing Organizations

The Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal is made possible through the generous partnership of three extraordinary Bay Area organizations, each of whom will present at the summit and bring their unique gifts to our community:

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic — Integrative Cancer Care For decades, Charlotte Maxwell Clinic has provided integrative cancer care to low-income women in the Bay Area — living proof that every woman deserves holistic healing that honors her whole self. We are so proud to have them with us on July 17.

East Bay Healing House — Mindfulness & Wellness East Bay Healing House is a beloved East Bay institution offering healing modalities rooted in mindfulness and wellness. Their practitioners will be offering Reiki and other healing experiences throughout the day.

Black Ladies Advocating for Cancer Care (BLACC) — BLACC in partnership with the Stanford Medicine Office of Community Engagement (OCE) and Food Indy, brings information about the Food as Medicine research project.

Nominate a "Shining Star" Caregiver

One of the moments we are most looking forward to on July 17 is the inaugural Shining Star Caregiver Recognition.

Behind every woman navigating cancer, there are often caregivers who show up quietly, consistently, and completely. They drive to appointments, hold hands through hard news, prepare meals, manage medications, and carry grief alongside their loved one — all while rarely being seen, let alone celebrated.

We are honoring these extraordinary people at the Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal. They will be invited as our honored guests, recognized before our entire community, and gifted a certificate and a gift bag in gratitude for their service.

Nominations are open now and will close on Friday, June 20, 2026.  Click here to nominate someone who has shown up for you through cancer or if you are a caregiver who wants to be considered. You also may email info@moyoinstitute.org to request a nomination form, if that is easier.. Tell us about your experience, and how the caregiver supported you.. We will take it from there.

Are You a Holistic Practitioner? Join Us as a Volunteer.

If you are a practitioner of integrative or holistic healing — Reiki, Healing Touch, Sound Healing, Emotional Freedom Technique Tapping, Chair Massage, Reflexology, Breathwork, or another healing modality — and you feel called to offer your gifts at the summit, we would love to hear from you.

We are welcoming volunteer practitioners for the Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal on July 17, 2026. This is a beautiful opportunity to serve our community, connect with other healers, and be part of something truly meaningful.

To express your interest, please send an email to info@moyoinstitute.org with the subject line: Volunteer — July 17.  Please include your name, your healing modality or practice, and a brief description of your experience and certifications, if appropriate. We will be in touch.

Claim Your Space · Tickets & Registration

Tickets for the Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal are $20. Scholarships are available for those who need them — because no woman should be turned away from healing for financial reasons.

If you are connected to one of our partner organizations — Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, East Bay Healing House, or BLACC — please ask your organization for their exclusive VIP code to use when your register.

Register now: https://tinyurl.com/Renewal-Day-July17 

Put it on your calendar Today!

Friday, July 17, 2026  · 

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The Center for Healthy Communities -- Oakland

2000 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612 

A Final Word

Moyo means heart. It means life. And on July 17, we want to fill a room with both.

If you are an African American woman or you're from the African Diaspora — in treatment, in survivorship, or someone who is or has been a caregiver, the person your family relies on — this day was made with you in mind.

Come as you are. Come with your grief and your hope and your tired, brilliant, beautiful body. We will be there to receive you.