“Ignorance has no beginning, but it has an end.” – B.K.S. Iyengar.
If you are like me, perhaps you are very late to your anti-racism work. Perhaps as a result of George Floyd’s death, and the movement that has followed, you have started diving deep to educate yourself.
One of Patanjali’s Niyamas (ethical code of conduct) svadhyaya translates to the study of oneself. I believe in order to study the self we must look deeply within, but also look to our surroundings. To dismantle racism within the self we must understand what it really is, how we’ve contributed to it, and how it exists in the world.
I am hosting a series of classes to raise funds for various BIPOC charitable organizations. The classes will begin with a dharma talk where we examine anti-racism through the lens of yoga. We will then take time to self-reflect and flow together as a meditation on these concepts.
To create lasting change, we must continue to have uncomfortable conversations, we must continue to educate ourselves, and we must find ways to make our anti-racist work ubiquitous within the framework of our lives.
Together we will look beyond the physical practice of asana to the moral code outlined in yogic philosophy to discover the intersections of yoga and the importance of social justice work.
All proceeds from the first class will go to The Loveland Foundation to bring mental health services to BIPOC girls and women.
Yoga and meditation help us to become aware of our flaws, where we fall short, and where there is room for growth. The practice can be a vehicle for change, first at an individual level and then, perhaps, as a part of something bigger.
I invite you to continue learning with me so together we can work to dismantle the oppressive systems in place. The first class will take place on 7/29 at 6:30pm EST. Sign up here!
Written by: Neeti Narula.
