BEING OF SERVICE

Resources for Anti-Racism, Social Justice, and Cultural Understanding

In order to heal the world on a collective level, we must first look within to recognize our own personal blindspots. Doing this work is not always easy, but it needs to be done if we are to ever truly live in a world in which we are all "one".

It's common to abstain from challenging topics because we want to “keep the peace” and “focus on love and light," but by not digging into hard subjects and asking ourselves and those close to us the tough questions, we are allowing injustice and suffering to continue to happen.

As a community, we can not look the other way when we are faced with what's uncomfortable.

It is our responsibility to face the challenges presented to us, to stand up against oppression, and to own up to any mistakes we make along the way.

Ahimsa, the first Yama of Yoga, is the practice of non-harming and non-violence.

We want all members of our community to honor and respect this very crucial aspect of Yoga. We can do this together by educating ourselves, amplifying marginalized voices, standing up to injustice, and listening when someone, especially a person of color, tells us something IS harmful (even without our realization) so we don't contribute to spreading further harm.

The fourth Niyama of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is Svadhyaya or “self-study”. By studying "the Self", we can recognize our own thought patterns, habits, fears, judgments, criticisms, and doubts. We can examine our personal subconscious to discover patterns, triggers, and biases we may have developed from our upbringing and past that may actually be causing harm to those around us.

We can begin to unlearn these behaviors and thought patterns and consciously reprogram the brain.

One incredibly beautiful practice to have is that of humility, accepting when we may have done something harmful, owning up to that mistake, and making the necessary changes moving forward.

We are ALL capable of these things. We are ALL capable of creating a better world to live in and a better world to leave for those that come after us.

It starts with doing this work!

We have compiled the following list of resources that have been shared with us and have also been used during our own learning journey. We will continue to add as we discover more.

We CAN create change.

It starts with each of us and you...Let's begin.

From today forward, please use this document as a resource if you are ever looking to learn more or are unsure about:

Oppression, Racism, Xenophobia, White Supremacy
Gentrification, Racial Justice, & Politics
Classism, Privilege, White Privilege
Ablism, Inclusivity, & Diversity
Cultural Appropriation
Etc.

This is not a complete list, and we will be continuing to add many more topics and resources as they come. We ask that you use your privilege, voice, body and presence to show the world that it is OUR responsibility to end the violence that has continued to take place.

Follow, Read, Donate:

Here are some important accounts to follow, books to read, and organizations to donate to. Besides these, there are also movies, shows, and documentaries on your favorite streaming channels, podcasts, and plenty of other sources of information for you to learn and un-learn.

You are not being asked to read these books in a day or to give to every single organization, but rather to get started and do what you can.

Most importantly: when Black or people of color speak to you or reply to a post or comment that you’ve posted - please LISTEN.

If you feel triggered, and immediately feel pulled to react, you have work to do.

Please do not comment or take part in any conversation online before you’ve begun your own work.

If you are white, please understand that it is not a person of color's responsibility to answer your questions or do your homework for you.

Please follow the accounts listed below (and there are many more!) for resources but remember that ultimately it is your job to educate yourself, and hopefully even consider financially supporting those who have graciously offered their time and effort towards re-educating in public service. Thank you.

FOLLOW⁣

READ⁣

Embrace Yoga's Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice by Susanna Barkataki
Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
Me & White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad ⁣
How To Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown ⁣
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by ⁣Jennifer Eberhardt
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America⁣ by Jennifer Harvey
Locking Up Our Own - Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman⁣ Jr.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisipcoates)
Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century by Dorothy Roberts ⁣ ⁣
DONATE⁣
@blklivesmatter⁣
@aclu⁣_nationwide
@nationalbailout⁣
@bailproject
@blackvisionscollective⁣
@yourrightscamp⁣
@naacp_ldf
@unicorn.riot
@campaignzero

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

Oppression, Racism, Xenophobia & White Supremacy:

Gentrification, Racial Justice, & Politics:

Classism, Privilege, White Privilege & Spiritual Bypassing, and Tone-Policing:

Ablism, Inclusivity, & Diversity:

Cultural Appropriation:

To be continued...

If you’d like to contribute any links or resources, you can comment your own suggestions below to help us further educate our collective community.

Thank you all for taking the steps toward growth and creating positive global impact. ♥️

-Team Yoga Girl®