Our Yoga Isn’t Always Easy

Ciao Amica Mia,

This week I dove into WHITE FRAGILITY, by Robin DiAngelo, which is one of the books recommended in last week’s Sacred Sunday. Honestly, it’s not an easy read. Even for those of us who want to do better and be better, reading this book was very uncomfortable. Stirring. And, while I can’t speak for the writer, I imagine it was what she hoped for.
 
I realize I sound like a broken record when I say change and shift won’t happen until we can be radically honest with ourselves. WHITE FRAGILITY holds the mirror up and asks us to look at, and own, our inherent white privilege, bias, racism, complacency and complicity. From my perspective if we can’t do that, at least a smidge, we may as well toss our yoga mats in the dumpster and take up solitaire.
 
In all transparency, THE BREAKAWAY GIRL™ community consists mostly of white women; yogis, who are on a sacred path of personal and spiritual growth. Good women. Women with compassionate hearts who desire to breakaway and break free from old paradigms that keep her from flourishing. And, I strongly believe, she desires the same for all people.
 
I’ve never considered myself an activist. I’ve never put my life on the line. Yoga saved me from my self. Yoga helped me to breakaway from self-destructive habitual habits and showed me a better way to live. Yoga gave me what I call, a legacy roadmap. After learning how to create a life of purpose and meaning for myself, I began to share this knowledge and champion others. In my world, in my bubble.
 
The truth is advocacy is a lot of flipping work. And it’s scary. It brings up all sorts of stuff. Old stuff we think we’ve cleared away or worked through, like, “what will so and so think about me if I speak up? What will my family say when I stand for justice and upset the status quo?” All the “what if’s” surface. Here’s the good news/not so good news – our self-development work is never “done.” Our yoga is on-going. Our yoga isn’t always easy.
 
I imagine you’ve heard this phrase so often you might even tune it out, “yoga is not about the pose, it’s about the journey.” And indeed, my friend, that’s a fact. As is consciousness raising. As is the transformational work that is screaming to be reckoned with.
 
I urge you to take a step back from your life for a moment. Be the witness. Soften your defenses at the same time you sharpen your awareness. Invite in what you’d rather not see, even in the privacy of your inner temple. Shine the light of revelation on the scary monsters lurking in the corners of your heart so that you can begin to take initiative and help bring about equality and equanimity for all.
 
Thank you for being a part of my world and helping me expand beyond what I thought possible. Together we can expand the light of consciousness even greater. And when we falter, when we misstep, when we speak out of turn, when we f-up, because rest assured, we will, we’ll also be forgiving. And then we’ll begin again.
 
So, yes please, I encourage you to continue your meditation and pranayama practices, chant, do mantra and mudra, work on challenging poses to build your strength and confidence. Then take your yoga off the mat. Live beyond your pose. Live into the legacy you truly can be.

With love and appreciation,
xoxo, Paulette