Harnessing Our Power for the Collective Good
A Skill in Action 3-hour Workshop
Join Skill in Action Facilitators as they host this 3-hr workshop designed to deepen your awareness of the various identities you embody, cultural conditioning and its impact on you and others, and how systems of power affect our well-being. In this workshop through asana, meditation, and discussion you will explore how you can harness your individual power and our collective power to make social change. Through the practice of yoga and meditation, we will connect with our inner fire, agni, to gain clarity about our actions and their alignment with our higher purpose, all in-service of our collective humanity. You will leave this workshop with a deeper connection to self, your community and all beings. This all-levels yoga workshop will include a dharma talk, meditation, asana, and discussion.
Resetting our Karmic Path Through Skillful Action
A Skill in Action Weekend Workshop
Skill in Action is a body of evolving work designed to explore systems of power and oppression, the intersection of social justice and yoga, external and internalized patterns of oppression, power and privilege, and how we can respond to the current cultural and political challenges through practices of self-study, movement, pranayama, contemplation and collective action.
Skill in Action works at the intersection of social justice and spiritual practice. Spiritual practice invites us to lean into discomfort and the truth we are experiencing at this time. We are wading through war, grief, injustice, and rights and protections being stripped away from groups who are less proximal to social and institutional power. As we lean into the truth of what is happening versus bypassing the truth, we are called to transform ourselves, relationships, institutions, and culture in order to create a just world. By engaging in spiritual practice, truly understanding the causes of suffering, and shifting our conditioned tendencies we can create a different karmic path for ourselves and future generations.
In this workshop, we will explore what it means to build the capacity to be with what is happening without becoming overwhelmed or consumed by it and how to stay engaged in the work of creating conditions for our collective liberation. We will explore how we have been socialized to uphold systems of oppression, the kleshas (the root causes of suffering), how spiritual practice is an antidote to systems like white supremacy, what our dharma is at this time, and how to hold one another accountable as we work to create a just world.
Some of what will be explored:
Meditation
Embodied practice and asana
Creating culture: Agreements and assumptions
Social location
Privilege, Power and Oppression
The Kleshas, Samskaras and Karma
Spiritual Bypassing and Cultural Appropriation
Dharma and Duty to intervene, disrupt, and dismantle systems of oppression
Infusing Your Teaching with Social Justice Principles
This workshop will include asana, meditation, pranayama, self-study, and small and large group discussions.
Wear comfortable clothing, have a journal and any other sacred objects nearby.
Infusing Justice Into Your Life, Teaching, and Practice
A Skill in Action Weekend Workshop for Yoga Teachers & Yoga Teacher Trainings
As yoga teachers or students studying to hold space for others and teach the sacred practice of yoga, we have a responsibility to understand how to bring the larger cultural context into our teaching and practice. Many are wondering how to respond to the collective trauma caused by Covid-19, white supremacy and racism, and all forms of superiority and oppression. Many are wondering how to make space for their grief and liberation amid social isolation and distancing. Dominant culture wants us to continue to disassociate from ourselves and others, divide and conquer, maintain the status quo, and turn away from the heartbreak we may be feeling at this time. While we have questions about how to respond and be in this moment, I believe that we must respond with steadfastness and courageous hearts to the urgent concerns of this time. Spiritual practice invites us to lean into discomfort and truth, move through and with our emotions and grief, better understand the nature and causes of suffering, and transform in service of the collective good. Spiritual practice including meditation and yoga, allow us to work with sensation, toxic thought patterns, grief, cultural conditioning, overwhelm, and anxiety, through mindfulness and thoughtful care.
Skill in Action is a workshop designed to explore systems of power and oppression, the intersection of social justice and yoga, external and internalized patterns of oppression, power and privilege, and how we can respond to the current cultural and political challenges through practices of self-study, movement, pranayama, contemplation, and collective action. Through these teachings you will learn more about both how to create more inclusive spaces for healing and teaching as well as how to infuse your teachings with content centered on social justice. Throughout our time together we will practice asana (postures), meditation, mindfulness, pranayama (breathing), holding space together, and mantra work to sharpen our goals and visions for our work to change the world.
Some of what will be explored:
Meditation
Embodied practice and asana
Creating culture: Agreements and assumptions
Social location
Privilege, Power and Oppression
Racism, Internalizations and intersectionality
Cultural Trauma and Collective Grief
Spiritual Bypassing and Cultural Appropriation
Dharma and Duty to intervene, disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression
Meeting the Political and Cultural Moment with Spiritual Practice
Infusing Your Teaching with Social Justice Principles
Wear comfortable clothing, have a journal and any other sacred objects nearby.
Skill in Action Series
It is important that we develop a consistent practice of transforming ourselves, relationships, institutions, and culture to create a just world. In the six-week Skill in Action Series, we will explore what you need to create this practice and stay engaged in the work of creating conditions for our collective liberation. We will explore how we have been socialized to uphold systems of oppression, the kleshas (the root causes of suffering), how spiritual practice is an antidote to systems like white supremacy, what our dharma is at this time, and how to hold one another accountable as we work to create a just world.
Each 60-minute session of the series will include meditation, self-study, movement, pranayama, large and small group discussions.
Some of what will be explored:
Meditation
Embodied practice and asana
Creating culture: Agreements and assumptions
Social location
Privilege, Power, and Oppression
The Kleshas, Samskaras and Karma
Spiritual Bypassing and Cultural Appropriation
Dharma and Duty to intervene, disrupt, and dismantle systems of oppression
Infusing Your Teaching with Social Justice Principles
Please join us if you want to be part of a community that is focused on making the change we need to make our world a just space for all.
Skill in Action Community of Practice
It is important that we develop a consistent practice of transforming ourselves, relationships, institutions, and culture to create a just world. In the five-week Skill in Action Community of Practice, we will explore and practice what we need to create conditions for our collective liberation. The Skill in Action Community of Practice is a space where we will come together and build community by moving through the practices in the 2nd edition of Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World. These practices include an exploration of where you are from, your origin story, social location, how we are uniquely positioned to make change and create a just world, practices centered around curiosity and how to meet resistance and practice self and collective care. We will practice many limbs of the eight-limb path of yoga through the yamas, niyamas, self-study, pranayama, meditation, movement and more. We will meet weekly for 60-minutes to practice, reflect on our experience, and share with one another.
Skill in Action - Where I am From
Yoga teaches us to remove illusion and gain clarity about where we have been in order to decrease the suffering on the planet as we move forward. Part of the exploration of removing illusion is developing a deeper understanding of our identities and how our origin stories shape how our tendencies and the way we perceive ourselves and others. In this 60-minute practice you will explore where you are from. Yes, we are from everyone and everything, and this practice is intended for you to explore your roots, how your roots have shaped you, and the way you show up in the world. This practice will include meditation, grounding stretches, journaling and large group discussion.
Skill in Action - Yamas and Niyamas
The path of yoga is an eight-limb path. The first two limbs of the path are the yamas (moral observances relating to how we treat others) and the niyamas (moral observances focused on the self). In this two-hour practice, we will explore the yamas and niyamas and how we can engage them to create a more just world. This practice will include meditation, movement, journaling, small and large group discussions.
Skill in Action - My Heart’s Desire
In order to create a just world, we must vision that world. We must practice connecting to the heart and what our heart most desires related to our collective liberation. During this 60-minute practice, you will be led through a meditation intended to connect you with your heart and your heart’s prayer for justice. After the meditation, you will be guided to craft a prayer, wish, hope, or intention that speaks to your heart’s desire. After you have written your prayer, you will be guided to share your prayer or wish through small and large group discussions.
Skill in Action - Leaning into Discomfort
Discomfort is part of the process of transformation. It is what we are invited to be with each time we practice yoga and especially as we strive to live our yoga in a way that will create conditions for everyone to be free. During this 60-minute practice, through meditation, movement, and self-study, you will be invited to explore your relationship with discomfort. You will be asked to investigate when and how discomfort emerges for you as you work towards collective liberation in relationship with others. You will leave this practice knowing a little more about how you respond to discomfort and with new tools to build your capacity to be with it.
Skill in Action - Love
To love and be loving is an ongoing practice. Yoga is an ongoing practice that asks us to center love for ourselves and all beings. Love is the heart of Yoga. The kind of love that is actionable and can be felt. During this 60-minute practice you will be guided through a ritual to connect with your heart and the practice of coming back to a place and practice of love. This practice will include meditation, a ritual, movement, journaling, small and large group discussion.