I met today's guest at a conference in 2018 about decentering whiteness in yoga and mindfulness spaces. She was a keynote speaker and hearing her story and experience not only moved me, but really helped to anchor in so much of what we've been learning and exploring about racism, oppression, and liberation here on the show over the last two years, so I was pumped when she agreed to come on.
Michelle Cassandra Johnson is a social justice activist, anti-racism trainer, author and yoga teacher. Her big truth was around needing to shed layers and let go to create space for different opportunities and energies.
In this conversation we talked specifically about creating liberatory spaces, decreasing suffering and doing things differently in western yoga environments. She walked us through how justice is possible if we really live into the principles of yoga, shared her perspective on oneness, holding things at the same time, why she prefers to say "safer" space than safe space, and the kinds of microaggressions that are common for black people in yoga classes.
We also talked about her book, Skill In Action, how she's delivering her work in the world currently and how repair actually happens.
This is a deep and thorough chat, enjoy and share, especially with your yoga friends!
For more information and for full show notes, head to http://untameyourself.com/296
Truth Telling with Elizabeth DiAlto aims to cut through the noise and ignorance of our current culture by exploring the truths of a diverse range of incredible voices. From authors artists, creatives and educators, to activists, speakers and those in various scientific and esoteric fields - our guests hail from cultures and countries all over the world. Expect courageous conversations that range from insightful, uplifting, and illuminating, to uncomfortable and sometimes even confrontational. Each episode invites you, with a ton of love and respect, to listen with your heart and mind wide open. You never know when a perspective might click into place like the puzzle piece you've been searching for OR didn’t even know you were missing. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! To keep up with the show notes & quotes from our guests, follow me on Instagram and get on the weekly notification list here!
