In my spiritual journey toward endless love & compassion I have made peace with insurrections and uprisings. It has taken me years of inner conflict and embodied research to understand how to show up, to decolonize myself and not to be submissive. “I believe we can fight with firm love”, says author Ruth King. Our fight is intersectional and has many fronts. Most of us transit many identities and therefore many fights to ERADICATE oppression, racism and all hegemonic power structures. As Non-Violent Communication facilitator Meenadchi said recently in their SM: “destruction is sacred”.
Let’s embrace the sacredness of your fight for life and liberation…
Below are some resources that I have been transiting which align with my current contemplative practices. AT THE TOP, are the offerings for US Black, Indigenous, Afro-Latinx and other POC. If you do not belong to -or identify with- these identities, you can use the mentioned resources and others listed at the end -scroll down-. This list will grow as I continue doing the work. I hope you do yours!! If you care, Share and Speak up. Silence is complicit!!
May we be safe, may we stay together, heal together!! May we be FREE!!
“So much of what I understand to be liberatory is really about remembering my body.” Remembering my is the result of many people that have come before me and many decisions, many acts and much love, and much joy, but also so much despair.”
-Lama Rod Owen
Visibility to BLACKs, Indegenous, Latinx, and POC!!!
For you, for us:
((last updated 6/8/20))
To meet, meditate, breath & (un)learn:
*Rituals for the modern Activist (Off the Mat Online Course: (Summer 2020)
Caucus for People of Color (June 11, 2020/ 6:30pm EDT through Zoom, please email: info@michecllejohnson.com)
*Online Sangha for People of Color (Brooklyn/Ongoing) -Thursdays afternoon June 25 and July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30: 2-3 pm EDT
-Sunday mornings: July 19 and 26; all the Sundays in August: 10-11 EDT
*Somatic Approach to Healing Trauma Online Course by Dr. Albert Wong
*Re-Awaken Online Summit (FREE during the week of 6.24-30) by Lion's Roar
Online Medicine Buddha Practice (by Lama Rod Owen/Monday 7pm meditations)
Online Intro to Decolonizing Non-Violent Communication by Meenadchi 6/30 Free for BIPOC
Skill in Action Summer Online Program (by Michelle C. Johnson + Off the Mat) 6.22-7.1
Ven.Seremos Online (Breath work & Yoga for POC/ Inglés y Español)
Trauma-Informed Yoga Classes and Training by Sangeeta Vallabhan
Stacked Yoga Online (Black-owned community Yoga Studio with mostly POC teachers)
Brown Sugar Yoga Online (Yoga for POC)
ThirdRoot (Yoga & Breathwork for POC) Some current FREE sessions.
Queering Herbalism (List of POC & Queer herbalists, healers and therapists)
Minka (Holistic Wellness Community Space with Online offerings)
Meditating4BlackLives: ongoing meditation in Bedstuy, NYC (in person)
Books:
Mindful of Race by Ruth King
Workbook Decolonizing Non-Violent Communication by Meenadchi
Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation (Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, Dr. Jasmine Syedullah)
Love and Rageby Lama Rod Owen
Skill in Action by Michelle C. Johnson (Yoga + Activism)
Support your local BIPOC owned bookstore like: cafeconlibros , milmundos & thelitbar (NYC)
Healing Racial Trauma (disclaimer: you may find christian faith language, discard if that is triggering)
The Healing Wisdom of Africa by Malidoma Ptrice Somé
**((Reading Fiction and Memoirs only written by our own communities. I have found this very soothing, and can recommend some if you need. Email me: marielysbm.moves@gmail.com))**
Articles/Blogs/Videos/Podcasts:
Memoria por Katsí Rodríguez Velázques (Español)
Parar por Katsí Rodríguez Velázques (Español)
Bibliografía Negra Boricua (Español: una lista de textos acerca de Raza compilados por Rojo Robles)
Still Black: A portrait of Black Trans Men (Film by Kortney Ryan Ziegler & Awilda Rodriguez Lora)
Disability Visibility Project (Queer Disabled POC podcast)
Buddhism and the Racist Buddha by Sensei Alex Kayuko
When the Buddhist don’t see race (an article on Buddhism and Whiteness)
Inconvenient Black Body by Eva Yaa Asantewaa
Public Address: Revolution Now (Rachel Carge)
Non-Violent Communication for POC by Leoni Smith
Talking Black Liberation Theology or Radical Dharma by Lama Rod Owen
Healing in Community (interviews by Michelle C. Johnson)
Yoga is dead (podcast by Tejal Patel & Jesal Parikh)
For non Black Indigenous, POC folx, again you can use the aforementioned resources + these:
To meet, meditate, breath & unlearn your privilege:
Mindful of Whiteness: Anti-racist practice for white people Insight L.A. Meditation
CorpusRitual (Queer led breathe work)
Setu Yoga Community (Directory of Yoga teachers highlighting BIPOC + Free Videos)
Dharma Punx NYC Podcast: secular dharma teachings
Yoga Center Amherst (trainings, book clubs, yoga and meditation comitted with anti-racism and anti-oppression)
Support your local BIPOC owned bookstore: cafeconlibros , milmundos & thelitbar (NYC)
Pedagogy of the Oppressed & Pedagogy of Liberation by Paulo Freire
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of…. By Ibram X. Kendi Whiteness and Anti-Racism a Booklist
Articles/Blogs/Videos/Podcasts:
Brief History of Whiteness By Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi (Check out the book: Tell me who you are)
Contemplative Practice for Anti-Oppression Pedagogy (check out the book)