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by Arletha Donnyale Lizana (Author), Cheryl Grills (Foreword by)
Return to Your Roots and Become a Ceiba Woman
Your ancestral roots hold the keys to your healing. In a world that demands constant productivity while disconnecting us from the wisdom of those who came before, Ancestral Roots offers a transformative path back to the knowledge, practices, and spiritual traditions that sustained our ancestors through centuries of resilience and triumph.
Dr. Arletha Donnyale Lizana, PhD, MPH, MBA, guides you through the revolutionary Ceiba Woman framework--a dynamic six-stage journey of rooting, nourishing, growing, flourishing, giving back, and becoming. By reclaiming your ancestral roots--the cultural wisdom, healing practices, and spiritual traditions passed down through generations--you can transform your life and step into your power as a Ceiba Woman.
Like the sacred Ceiba tree revered across cultures for its towering strength and profound healing properties, a Ceiba Woman is deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge while reaching boldly toward new possibilities. She embodies the triad of Queen, Warrior, and Healer--standing tall in her values, protecting what matters, and weaving physical, spiritual, and emotional wholeness into every facet of life. Drawing from profound insights across West African and African Diaspora traditions including Ifá and Akan practices, Dr. Lizana provides a framework for integrating ancient healing with the demands of contemporary life.
Featuring authentic stories, academic rigor, and a commitment to justice and liberation, Ancestral Roots is your road map for reclaiming ancestral wisdom, healing generational wounds, and stepping into your fullest power as a force for transformation in your family, your community, and the world.
Ancestral Roots is more than a book--it is a movement; a call to live with intention, courage, and creativity while honoring the sacred interconnectedness of all things.
Author Biography
Dr. Arletha Donnyale Lizana, PhD, MPH, MBA, is a trailblazer in merging traditional healing with modern healthcare practices, standing as a distinguished figure in health innovation and strategy. Her extensive experience in health improvement and project management underpins her profound impact on community health and empowerment, especially among women of color.
With academic credentials from Spelman College, Temple University, and Emory University, she serves as Professor, Associate Vice President, and Director of the Innovation Learning Laboratory at Morehouse School of Medicine. An initiated Iyanifa in the Ifá tradition and Okomfo in the Akan tradition with over twenty-five years of practice, Dr. Lizana founded her company, Ceiba Women, to pioneer a holistic approach to wellness that honors ancestral wisdom while addressing contemporary health disparities. Learn more at ArlethaLizana.com.
Dr. Cheryl Grills, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with a current emphasis in Community Psychology. A President's Professor and Full Professor in the Department of Psychological Science, she has been on the faculty of Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts (LMU) for thirty-six years and is Founder and Director of its Psychology Applied Research Center. She also founded Imoyase Community Support Services. She is also a national Past President of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). In her leadership role in the ABPsi, she was a founding member of the Alliance of National Psychological Associations for Racial and Ethnic Equity. She also co-designed the racial stress and trauma Emotional Emancipation (EE) Circles. As the lead of the EE Circles Training Team, Dr. Grills has trained people of African ancestry around the world to facilitate healing circles that address the stress and trauma associated with anti-Black racism. Learn more at bellarmine.lmu.edu/psychology/research/parc/ourteam/cherylgrillsphd.
