Yoga is Liberation

I’ve been spending less time on the internet the past year, and it’s afforded me a certain level of peace. I’ve been focusing all of my energy on studying, practicing, and teaching Yoga, and a few creative projects. I’ve also been learning to bake. My banana bread recipe is being slowly perfected. I made brownies from chickpeas and to my surprise they actually tasted great.

Last night I was on the internet for a while (silly me) and I saw some crazy things being posted. So I want to make a few things clear for anyone who may attend any of my classes, retreats, or trainings.

I am pro human rights (all of them), pro resistance, pro immigration & refugees, pro LGBTQ+ protections, pro police accountability, pro choice, pro religious freedom, and anti oppression of all kinds. I accept that I’m not changing anything by writing this. Maybe it’s for me. It feels good to speak words of freedom. So why not speak them.

I wish that I could do more. And I can. And I’ll try. Honestly, as a full-time Yoga teacher, I feel like I have to work my ass off just to get by. Part of that is truth and part is conditioned. It’s a reason why I try to stay off the internet and bake banana bread instead. Because it calms my heart. I’ve worked myself to exhaustion many times. I used to have 3 part-time jobs while teaching 10+ yoga classes each week. And I still didn’t feel like I was doing enough.

Yet I currently have the privilege of slowing down, finding refuge in my practice, and creating Yoga offerings that I believe can benefit my community. So that I will do. And I will offer free classes indefinitely on my YouTube channel for anyone who can’t afford going to a studio.

If you find yourself feeling anxious, that’s even greater reason to tap into your breath. Spiritual practice is resistance in a world that wants us to be ignorant to the jewel of consciousness inside our hearts. The revolution begins with using our tools to maintain peace when they try to strip us of our well-being. We are in this together.