Political Education

May

This Vice Documentary explores the Devadasi in India. As practitioners, we prioritize holding space for different lived experiences while recognizing how isms/phobias impact accessibility  working conditions and the way people navigate the world (and the world navigates marginalized identities).

September

"I choose this because I recently read it for another political education group and it created great conversation around how we understand the behaviors of survivors and approach interpersonal violence with a more nuanced perspective when we’re not sure who is the abuser and who is the survivor. As we move into the conflict/harm policy for Zepp, this feels like an important convo to have to strengthen our own principles."

May

Audre Lorde was an American writer, feminist, womanist, librarian, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet, who dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia.

June

"I think that it is helpful to have a basic understanding of what transitioning and detransitioning is in addition to the systemic oppressions that force someone to decide to detransition."

October

This month's political ed was an extension of our last month's piece. We are being asked to reevaluate what we have been taught to believe as just "good" and "evil".

October

I chose this piece because I have followed the author’s work for some time and the piece itself gave me some language for the experiences I’ve had within most yoga spaces (and wellness spaces in general) when I first found this practice and began my healing journey. I think the concept of privilege is highly uncomfortable for many, being that most of us hold some type of privilege and power (with race, class, gender, language, ability, status, education, etc) and its pervasive presence is not necessarily one we might have chosen or want the connection to and regardless, it exists. We did not choose to be born within hierarchical systems of power, yet we carry them with us, often replicating them, whether consciously or subconsciously. I think in order to move away from these default practices, it is necessary to move towards self awareness, as the practice of yoga brings us to be, and more importantly, begin to consciously create interactions, relationships, and alternatives to violent capitalist and imperialist systems that have prevailed.

August

What the board discusses and staff discusses concerning the political education topic for the month will be summarized here.

January

"I chose this piece because of the reaction this poem has always caused in me. I believe it can help in renewing our understanding of WHAT it is we fear, WHY we are afraid & the ways in which we respond. This poem feels like a vow renewal to not merely survive & a call to action to truly live!"

April

Our political ed for April is a chapter from bell hooks’ 1995 book, “Killing Rage.” This chapter is about class warfare being in opposition to/with Black liberation. You can read the full chapter (starting on page 163, titled “Black on Black Pain”).