Let’s be real — the voices we trust matter. Especially when it comes to our health, our wellness, and how we show up for ourselves every single day. Over the last few years, many of us felt like something was…quiet. Like that grown‑folks, sister-friend guidance we leaned on wasn’t showing up on our screens or in our feeds the way it used to. If you felt that, you weren’t imagining it.
Well, 2026 is proving to be the year those voices return, stronger and sharper than ever.
Two of the most influential Black women in the wellness and spiritual space — Iyanla Vanzant and Oprah Winfrey — are stepping back into the cultural moment with new work that’s all about you: your body, your mind, your spirit, and your growth.
And, honestly, we’re glad they’re back.
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Both media mavens have new books out, and Iyanla is also returning to television with a show that reminds us why people sought her wisdom in the first place. This isn’t nostalgia, it’s relevance with purpose.
It’s the kind of guidance we can use right now.
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Why Their Return Matters Right Now
For decades, Oprah and Iyanla helped normalize conversations about mental health, emotional accountability, spiritual care, and personal growth, long before those topics were trendy or hashtag-friendly moments on social media.
They didn’t just host conversations; they showed us transformation. They asked hard questions, honored lived experience, and reminded us that healing is a layered process—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Their absence left a real gap, especially for Black audiences seeking guidance that feels culturally connected and emotionally honest. Very often, our wellness spaces fail to reflect the realities or histories that are part of our bodies and spirits. These two women do.
Now, each of them is coming back to share fresh lessons with clarity and credibility.
And in a moment where burnout, anxiety, and health disparities continue to impact Black communities disproportionately, Oprah and Iyanla’s voices deliver renewed relevance.
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What They’re Bringing Back — and Why It Hits
Iyanla Vanzant: Spiritual Hygiene and the Work of the Inner Life
Long beloved for her no‑nonsense, heartfelt guidance, Iyanla is stepping back into the spotlight in a big way.
The six-time #1 New York Times bestselling author and spiritual teacher’s latest book, Spiritual Hygiene: A Practical Path for Clean Living, Inner Authority, and Divine Freedom, teaches that just as we care for our bodies, we need to care for our inner world — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Iyanla reminds readers that healing isn’t a one‑and‑done event, but a daily practice of clearing out the emotional clutter that holds us back.
“So many of us are stuck, since Covid, with all of the changes that are going on in the world, many of us are frozen,” Iyanla told Tamron Hall on her show during a January 2026 interview. “We’re stuck, some of us are congested, some of us are constipated, some of us are contaminated, and so…clean it up.”
“Spiritual hygiene, the reason I think it’s so important right now is because everything is changing so quick,” Iyanla continued. “If you think your intellect, your education, your bank account is going to get you through the changes that are happening, you’re in trouble. Spiritual hygiene is about cleaning up your inner landscape so your outer experience will be more in alignment with who you are and who you desire.”
This is her first full-length book in nine years, and her first major work since the passing of her daughter Nisa Vanzant in 2023. Iyanla admits that her own poor spiritual hygiene influenced Nisa. “Spiritual hygiene is about what’s going on on the inside because that is really the root of what you experience out here. What was going on inside of me, when I was carrying Nisa, she brought to life, in her own physical experience, because children bring to life the subconscious issues of the parents.”
And on television? She’s returned to Oprah’s OWN Network with a new series called Iyanla: The Inside Fix, which premiered January 17. The show revisits some of her most impactful moments while offering deeper reflections and tools for healing in today’s world. It’s not just a look back, it’s a reframing of what real emotional work looks like now.
What this means for you: Iyanla is never about sugar‑coating the work you have to do, but she’s inviting you to do the work with clarity, courage, and a sense of purpose.
Oprah Winfrey: Rewriting the Health Conversation
Oprah’s influence on conversations about wellness is — let’s just say — legendary. In her latest book, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It’s Like to Be Free, she explores health from a deeply personal and human angle. Co‑written with Yale endocrinologist Dr. Ania M. Jastreboff, the book reframes obesity as a chronic neurometabolic disease — not a personal failure — and offers science‑based, compassion‑centered approaches to managing it.
What’s refreshing about Oprah’s message is her vulnerability in the book. She talks openly about her own lifelong struggle with weight, how modern treatments (like GLP-1 medications) shifted her relationship with her body, and why self‑compassion matters more than perfection.
Just a few weeks shy of her 72nd birthday, Oprah said her recent weight loss decision to use obesity medicine has set her free. “[That freedom] looks like I’m not waking up, and the first thing I’m thinking about is, ‘How much do I weigh?’,” Oprah explained on TODAY with Jenna & Shenielle, in an early January 2026 interview.
“The new freedom is understanding that all those years that I suffered and was on the tabloids every week and was made fun of and was the butt of everybody’s jokes, I thought it was because of my lack of willpower,” Oprah shared. “‘What is wrong with me that I can be successful in so many ways, and I can’t conquer this thing?’ Now I know that it has nothing to do with willpower; it has everything to do with your biology.”
“I’m out here in these streets because I want you all to not continue to waste the time,” said Oprah. And I want people to understand: it’s not your fault. You cannot solve this with willpower because the truth is, if you could have solved it with willpower, those of us with willpower would have done it.”
What this means for you: This is the kind of book that doesn’t guilt you, it informs you — and that’s a rare thing in wellness circles.
What We Can Take From Their Wisdom in 2026
1. Healing is daily work
Both Iyanla and Oprah remind us that growth isn’t a destination — it’s a practice. Whether you’re clearing emotional noise, setting boundaries, or caring for your body, it’s about consistency, not perfection. Even small, daily actions like journaling for five minutes, drinking more water, or taking a short walk can add up to meaningful change over time.
These little habits are the building blocks of real wellness, and both women emphasize starting where you are rather than waiting for the “perfect moment.”
2. You don’t have to do it alone
Their return signals something bigger: you can seek help, lean on community, and embrace expert insight without shame. From therapy to group wellness programs, finding support is not a weakness. It’s a smart choice, and it makes self-care sustainable.
Iyanla and Oprah remind us that asking for guidance is part of the growth process and that leaning on trusted voices only strengthens your journey.
3. Compassion matters more than control
Especially with weight, emotional health, and relationships, the conversations we’re having now are about kindness, not punishment. Both women emphasize self-acceptance and understanding your body and mind before trying to “fix” them. Real change grows from awareness and gentle action, not guilt or pressure.
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Their Return Isn’t Just a Comeback — It’s a Reminder
We’re living in a time that’s noisy, fast, and emotionally demanding. And if the last few years taught us anything, it’s this: wisdom matters.
Not just information — trusted, compassionate wisdom. That’s what Oprah and Iyanla each bring back into our lives in 2026.
Their voices aren’t here to entertain you — they’re here to stand with you. And that’s the kind of guidance that can make a real difference in how you move through your health, your healing, and your whole life this year.
