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THE MAGIC BY ROBERT BRACE<br />
KELA STEPHANIE ANGELIQUE JEANINE CASSANDRA
Dedicated to my beautiful queen, Dawn<br />
and my two chocolate princesses, Amber and Jordyn.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Magic</strong><br />
This book is about a celebration of why: why every Black woman and<br />
girl needs to celebrate her body, see her body, love her body, embrace<br />
her body, and be comfortable just being her best, authentic self in her<br />
own skin.<br />
It is a celebration of self-love, self-care, and what happens when we<br />
decide to give ourselves the best of ourselves. It is encouragement to<br />
protect the temple that houses the soul within you.<br />
magic<br />
[maj-ik]<br />
noun<br />
an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is an untouchable, unexplainable, ethereal quality that every<br />
Black woman has that cannot be expressed in words.<br />
That’s <strong>The</strong> <strong>Magic</strong>.<br />
It’s in your walk, your talk, your smile, your presence, the way you<br />
move, and your natural state of being. You set trends, change culture,<br />
innovate style, support communities, push boundaries. You protect us,<br />
nurture us, encourage us, and make us proud.<br />
This is my celebration of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Magic</strong> that every Black girl brings into<br />
this world, told through images of some of my clients and friends who<br />
are all icons and legends in their own right. <strong>The</strong>y all have a story and a<br />
journey. <strong>The</strong>y have all transformed their bodies and continue to walk<br />
the path of wellness and wellbeing. My desire is that in their stories<br />
you will see your own potential, grace, strength and beauty, and that<br />
you will embrace your own, very special, <strong>Magic</strong>.<br />
Robert <strong>Brace</strong><br />
Psalm 139:14
My body is flawsome.<br />
All of its flaws— is what makes it<br />
awesome. I don’t remember a time when<br />
I was not in love with my body, other than<br />
when I wasn’t at my best or didn’t feel like<br />
I looked my best. I’ve always loved my body<br />
for everything that it is and is not.<br />
KELA<br />
What’s frustrating is that Black women’s<br />
bodies are not celebrated or highlighted in<br />
the media until a woman that is not Black<br />
has those same features—and then the<br />
big butt, big lip, curves are celebrated, but<br />
those are features that are forever and<br />
will always be associated with the Black<br />
woman’s body.<br />
I take care of my body because it is<br />
the only one I have and it is my temple.<br />
Wellness means making sure that I’m well<br />
both on the inside and the outside. What<br />
are you waiting for? You only have one<br />
body. So often we put it off for others<br />
because Black women have, for a long<br />
time, been the ones that are taking care of<br />
everybody else. So I encourage all Black<br />
women to take care of themselves.<br />
Embrace your body, good, bad, and<br />
different— it is yours; love it for all that it<br />
is and all that it isn’t, because once you love<br />
it you’ll find that so many others will love<br />
it too.<br />
Kéla Walker
THE BRACE EFFECT ISN’T SOMETHING THAT CAN SIMPLY BE PUT INTO WORDS AND ADJECTIVES. IT’S A FEELING,<br />
AN ENERGY... THE RESULT OF HARD WORK AND THE TENACITY OF A STRONG, HEALTHY SELF CURATED<br />
BY THE ONE AND ONLY ROBERT BRACE WHO YOU CAN TRUST TO GUIDE YOU TO YOUR BEST SELF.
Stephanie<br />
I take care of my body<br />
because it is the foundation of who I am.<br />
I feel powerful after a good workout; I cannot do the things that I want<br />
to do in this world—reach my goals and succeed and make any sort of<br />
impact — if my body is not strong. It’s the foundation for everything<br />
that I do.<br />
It wasn’t always as easy as it sounds. Loving my body was hardest when<br />
I recently put on twenty-nine pounds, but I have found that my body is<br />
strong, resilient and tough.<br />
All Black women’s bodies are amazing. We are starting to see diversity<br />
in representation from former First Lady Michelle Obama to Misty<br />
Copeland, and the list goes on and on.<br />
If you have not embraced your wellness journey you don’t even know<br />
what you’re missing! From just feeling positive on a daily basis to<br />
releasing your stress, to being the best that you can be for yourself, for<br />
your community, for your family and your career. Wellness means a mind,<br />
body, and soul at peace and at ease.<br />
Stephanie Young
THE BRACE EFFECT IS A GAME CHANGER. YOU’LL FIND THE SUPPORT, MOTIVATION AND ENERGY TO CONQUER<br />
YOUR FEARS AROUND TRANSFORMING YOUR BODY AND LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE!
I had a hard time loving my body when I was<br />
in the throes of a psoriasis flare up— that’s<br />
the skin condition I have; it’s an autoimmune<br />
condition. I also have a scar on my face, so at<br />
times, it has been very hard to love my body.<br />
I fell in love with my body when I accepted<br />
all of my flaws and started seeing things to<br />
love about it.<br />
I love that I’m tall,<br />
that I can run. I ran a<br />
half marathon a couple of years ago. I love<br />
that my body can do all these things—that I<br />
can set a goal and my body can achieve it.<br />
ANGELIQUE<br />
THE BRACE EFFECT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A WORKOUT. IT INSPIRES YOU, UPLIFTS YOU, AND EMPOWERS YOU SO<br />
THAT YOU CAN BE YOUR BEST SELF.<br />
Initially I took care of my body for the<br />
aesthetics and just to look good, but as I get<br />
older… it’s for survival: to feel better, to<br />
look better, to be healthy; to prevent all the<br />
diseases that can plague Black women my<br />
age. I am fifty-one. So that’s why I do it now.<br />
Wellness means being healthy, being well in<br />
every aspect of your life. Most people think<br />
it’s just something you do with your body<br />
physically, but it’s emotional, mental… it’s all<br />
those things. Accept your self and body for<br />
what it is, but remember that there is always<br />
room for improvement.<br />
Angelique Miles
Jeanine<br />
I fell in love with my body in high school when I ran track,<br />
and I learned that my body could get me places fast.<br />
I did have a hard time loving my body<br />
when I was pregnant and right after I was pregnant. It was a difficult moment.<br />
But now I love my legs, I love my arms, I even love the shape of my head!<br />
My body is beautiful!<br />
Wellness to me means being of sound body and sound mind,<br />
to be physically fit but also mentally fit.<br />
I take care of my body so that I can live as long as I can<br />
and enjoy the people I love.<br />
I feel the most confident when I’m with my sister-friends,<br />
my children, and with my family or when I’m doing something that I love,<br />
which is in the spirit and focus of Black women.<br />
My message to all Black women who haven’t yet embraced<br />
their body and their wellness journey is this:<br />
You only have one life and this is it,<br />
so you better get into it, love it,<br />
get your body right, and go for it!<br />
If there’s one thing I believe in my heart to be true,<br />
it is that all Black women’s bodies are strong.<br />
Jeanine Liburd
THE BRACE EFFECT IS THE ULTIMATE AND PERFECT COMBINATION OF MIND, BODY AND SOUL THAT POWERS THE BEST ME!
CASSANDRA<br />
I am falling in love with my body more and more each day.<br />
I FEEL MOST POWERFUL<br />
WHEN I AM PUSHING MY<br />
BODY TO THE LIMITS,<br />
challenging myself and watching my body respond. After giving birth<br />
to two girls, working full time, and finding no time for self care, I was<br />
having a hard time loving myself. <strong>The</strong> change came when I decided<br />
to take care of my body first and foremost for myself, then for my<br />
family, and staying active with my girls.<br />
To the beautiful Black women who haven’t embraced wellness yet, I<br />
say, take one small step each day. Take it one day at a time, and over<br />
time you will build up healthy habits, strength, resilience, and feel<br />
powerful.<br />
Wellness means being healthy, being happy, being fulfilled, and also<br />
being strong. We all deserve that!<br />
Cassandra Metz
THE BRACE EFFECT IS STRENGTH, GRACE AND CONFIDENCE. THE BRACE EFFECT IS ALSO LOVE.<br />
IT EMBRACES YOU AND ONLY WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU.
Robert <strong>Brace</strong><br />
Wellness expert, ballet dancer, ordained pastor and<br />
motivational speaker. Robert has been transforming<br />
the bodies of Black women for many years. From<br />
women in business, media and entertainment to<br />
everyday fitness enthusiasts, Robert seeks to uplift<br />
and inspire everyone to take care of their temples<br />
and live their best life.<br />
He is the creator of many fitness programs from<br />
his signature 28-Day Challenge to his online ballet<br />
workouts and faith-based wellness workshops. He has<br />
been a featured expert on TV shows, online, and in<br />
print media.<br />
Robert and his team train his upscale clientele in his<br />
exclusive fitness studio in SOHO, New York.<br />
Robert resides in Riverdale, NY with his wife Dawn,<br />
and two daughters, Amber and Jordyn.<br />
www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Brace</strong><strong>Effect</strong>.com<br />
Contributors<br />
Photography: Justin Forbes<br />
Design: Jung Ah Suh<br />
Editor: Elena Romero<br />
Production Assistant: Sharon Parks<br />
Special Thanks to Camara Aunique