"Access" in Chrysalis Journal

I wrote a poem about my ability to travel, practically unencumbered, in a world with so many heavily policed borders and people. The piece, titled "Access," was included in the Transformative Language Arts' Chrysalis Journal. I'd love your feedback--

Some resources for white folks working to be anti-racist allies

The following is a resource list culled from a private online group. Please feel free to add more resources in the comments.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF FERGUSON AND SUPPORT JUSTICE FOR MICHAEL BROWN:
RECENT UPDATE WITH LINKS FROM NOT SORRY FEMINISM:http://www.notsorryfeminism.com/2014/08/whats-happening-in-ferguson.html

BAIL FUND FOR JAILED RESIDENTS FROM AUGUST PROTESTS: http://antistatestl.noblogs.org/post/2014/08/11/bail-and-legal-fund-for-those-arrested-during-ferguson-anti-police-demonstrations/

GAYLON ALCARAZ

http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2011/03/30/crocodile-tears-antichoice-billboarders/

SHANNON BARBER

http://lunalunamag.com/2014/05/29/white/

http://lunalunamag.com/2014/06/18/dear-white-ladies-remix/

http://www.literaryorphans.org/playdb/shannon-barber-my-life-is-no-minstrel-show/

http://mediadiversified.org/2014/02/21/writing-and-reading-while-black-lessons-learned/

WAGATWE WANJUKI
http://mic.com/articles/38363/college-rape-does-the-media-focus-only-on-white-survivors

TEACHING FOR CHANGE web site: http://www.teachingforchange.org/

WHITE ANTI-RACISM: LIVING THE LEGACY (and other resources from the Teaching Tolerance website):

http://www.tolerance.org/supplement/white-anti-racism-living-legacy

AUTHORS OF INTEREST - please consider ordering these titles from Teaching for Change to support them financially
Mindy Thompson Fullilove - amazing social psychiatrist known for Root Shock, a book about displacement, and recent author of the charming, wise book Urban Alchemy
bibliography at http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/search/apachesolr_search/mindy%20thompson%20fullilove

bell hooks - poet and cultural philosopher ... does she even need an intro?
bibliography at Teaching for Change: http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/search/apachesolr_search/bell%20hooks

June Manning Thomas - urban planner and author of an authoritative book on planning and racism in Detroit (her bibliography search at Teaching for Change brought up some amusing, random results thrown in): http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/search/apachesolr_search/june%20manning%20thomas

Toi Derricotte - amazing poet and prose writer; her book The Black Notebooks is a mind-blower:
http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/search/apachesolr_search/toi%20derricotte

Enter the Woo

Sitting still in a quiet house.

Still in a quiet house with-- blessedly-- no internet.

Quiet house with a cat. Press face against fur. Consent-based kitty snuggles.

Regular body work.

Creatively figuring out how to afford regular body work. Includes: finding a local massage school with heavily discounted student massages.

Body work that includes energy work.

Body work that includes energy work with an practitioner who makes you feel safe.

Energy work that radically moves energy.

(Believing you have energy and that it can be radically moved.)

A body worker who you are convinced is clairvoyant.

You become certain that they know.

They want to process with you and you ask them if they know.

They smile, defer, deflect, but based on their response a) they know, b) because you're not so unique, c) unfortunately, it's all so common.

Thinking about food, sleep, movement, inspiration, aging.

Fear around all of it.

Decisions around all of it.

What privilege to be able to make decisions around all of it.

What fear to have to make decisions around all of it.

What mind f*ckery.

Sitting in a quiet house.

In print

I'm included in my first print anthology!

Awhile back, Jeannie Page, editor of The Yoga Diaries Blog, invited me to contribute a story. I did. Several months later, I received a follow-up that Page had gotten a publishing contract and wanted to include my piece in the upcoming print anthology. I just received my copy & invite you to order yours! (Unless you live around San Francisco, where I think some local bookstores are stocking.)

The Yoga Diaries

I've recently spied some copies on Powell's-- I definitely urge you to support them if you can instead of Amazon!

In the suite

I received an acceptance from The Feminist Wire a few months ago. Just now, I went to update my writer's bio for another upcoming anthology and checked to see what was forthcoming and what was live. Behold! The piece on the Feminist Wire is live!

http://thefeministwire.com/2014/07/poem-suite-silencing/

Thanks for reading!

Showing Skin

The #GrowFierce Showcase, highlighting writers from Caits Meissner's Digging Deep, Facing Self course, offered another round of voices last Monday night at Bluestockings Bookstore. I was on the line-up. Kevin & I have both been burning the candle at both ends, so we decided to make a day of it. 

Fairly early in the morning we headed to NYC to catch a Jivamukti yoga class with Ruth Lauer-Manenti. She's on the faculty leading my Jivamukti training in India this February. It was such a treat to meet her and practice with her! Plus, I got to introduce her to Kevin, which feels nice. Even if he won't be with me in India, at least one person will have met him!

One of Kevin's cousins lives in NYC and yet another was visiting on said day. We met this cousin, Maria, for Momofuku noodles and much wandering around the Lower East Side. There was even a nap in there. Brilliant.

As the afternoon progressed, so did my nerves on publicly performing my work. I don't read my poetry often. In fact, I don't write to read out loud. I was also toying with reading some pieces I was nervous about-- they deal with race, my family's background, and orienting within the racial landscape. They're uncomfortable, as this history is uncomfortable. However, I really believe that white people need to think and write about race, and to contextualize ourselves. Practice what you preach, right?

Lots of deep breaths and pretending like I was OK. The showcase featured a range of talented women. It was fun having Kevin and cousins there. I'm not used to performing nor having my entourage-- support is nice!

I'm consistently pushing myself to do things that make me slightly, or actively, uncomfortable. The wonderful part of this practice is that less and less feels daunting. Reading my work totally made me feel exposed and sweaty and vulnerable. But, so does wearing a bikini. 

To showing literal & metaphoric skin--

Mythic Beings Retreat to Vermont, 2014

About a year ago, I heard of Caits Meissner's Digging Deep, Facing Self online writing course for women. I enrolled in the course and was exhilarated by the work I created thanks to its gentle push. Caits and I continued talking after the course concluded. I felt like we had a simpatico. As I lead yoga retreats, and have offered yoga and writing workshops, I asked if Caits wanted to collaborate.

She said yes.

We began developing Mythic Beings, a Yoga & Writing Retreat. I booked Good Commons, a retreat center I'm fond of in Southern Vermont. Caits and I believed in this offering, our own abilities to hold space, and a shared energy between us. However, this was the first try at this specific experience! It felt like something of a gamble and a bit of an adventure.

Fourteen women enrolled with us, though one had a last minute conflict bringing our numbers to thirteen participants and two facilitators. I was nervous as the retreat began, spending a lot of time breathing so that I could focus on being present to the retreat participants. I remembered the last time I felt nervous like that: when I facilitated at the Power of Words Conference last fall.

In each instance, big nerves and huge rewards.

Chef Alejandra Ramos was on site for this retreat offering the most delicious and inspired vegan meals. We all fell in love with her style, flair, and big laugh. Melissa Gellert assisted her, alongside Good Commons' owner, Tesha Buss. We also had Body Worker Danielle Fink on site offering massage and aromatherapy. 

The meals were intoxicating, invigorating, and almost distracted us from infectious laughter. This group was quick to claim one another.

Each morning we had a guided meditation sit followed by a sweaty vinyasa practice, infused with story. The stories that inspired the asana, or physical yoga, poses connected to our later writing prompts.

Caits powerfully read into the myths that shape yoga asana, connecting the themes to our lives and our words. With insightful and yielding prompts, we shared conversation and quiet writing time.

And of course-- down time! Afternoons were spent in the hot tub (the best place to marinate in advance of a massage), taking walks, runs, exploring nearby towns, hiking, curling up with a book, or enjoying a nap.

The last night, a sharing of works written over the weekend naturally evolved into a dance party. Cuz. You can't dim these bright lights.

This powerful weekend moved us all. It was definitely an affirmation to Caits and I that these offerings are important & needed. We are already developing the next Mythic Beings Retreat! Keep an eye out! Take the time to create and connect.