I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.
- Stanley Kunitz, from “The Layers”
I saw many of my favorite people this past weekend. It was the first time I'd been together, in person, with these people in a very long time.
In special moments like those, it feels like no time has passed. You're still the same person you were 12 years ago when you first became friends walking to class, getting ready to go out, or wasting hours on the couch laughing, snuggling, and watching reruns of your favorite shows.
Everything's the same and it's also not.
Time has changed us, in big ways and small ways, in obvious ways and subtle ways, in ways that we can all see and acknowledge, and in ways that we can't quite pinpoint or haven't yet understood. Everything's the same and also there's something that's not.
Specifically, these last 18 months have changed us—all of us. There are parts of us that are different, weathered from heartbreak and loss. We're still mourning the things we've lost over the last two years, some of which we'll get back and others we won't.
In this "return to normal," I keep coming back to resilience.
From a psychological perspective, we're actually a lot more resilient than we give ourselves credit. According to researchers, we're quite capable of bouncing back from hardship and handling sudden or temporary life changes. But I have a problem with resilience.
Resilience implies that we're going back to our original form. It's defined as "the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape," and there's something not quite honest about that.
We're not going back to the same place—for more reasons than one. In some cases, the way things were before wasn’t actually working—or maybe they did work back then but won't work now. In other cases, the things that we had before are gone forever, and there's no getting them back in their original form.
Things have changed, and we can either resist or respond. We can either stay tough or be soft. We can either bounce back into this seemingly 'original shape' or we can adapt into a new shape without fear or judgment.
To move past the fear and anxiety of uncertain times takes thoughtful and deliberate work. It requires us to be still and rest and tend to our pain. But it also asks us to follow joy and let our grief be witnessed.
As we start to rebuild our lives, it's important to remember that things have changed, but we don't have to define our lives in befores and afters.
There are some things that will never change. Like the matching tattoos and the history of our friendships. Or the intimacy of watching each other grow up and being there every step of the way. Or the feeling of holding your favorite person's hand—of making them laugh, of sharing inside jokes that will withstand the test of time.
Everything's the same and it also will never be. We'll never get back to the same place, but wherever we're going, we'll get there together. ✨
Yoga of movement ✨
I'm still on holiday this week, if you'd like to practice with me, you can do so on Kuula. I have loads of full-length and short movement classes for all levels, as well as meditation sessions and videos specifically curated for beginners.
I'm also available for private and corporate classes. I'm offering complimentary corporate classes to nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations. Reply to this email if you're interested!
Yoga of action ✨
I'm tithing 10% of my income from my online yoga classes to organizations that fight against white supremacy. Every month, I'll pick a new organization and highlight it below. If these organizations call to you, please consider contributing (no matter how small).
My September donation will go to The Anti-Racism Daily, a free, daily newsletter that reports on current events through an anti-racism lens and provides readers with clear action on what they can do to build a better future for all people. Every week this month, I'll highlight some actions and readings from the newsletter:
Learn about why "The Activist" is misguided, and protect organizers and activists.
Support unfairly targeted activists.
Talk about our right to protest.
Sign this petition to support the release of a still-incarcerated Ferguson protestor.
Support the Allied Media Conference, a community-designed event that promotes collaboration between media-based visionary organizing projects.
Support Budding Roses, a space to empower youth critically engaging with social justice issues.
Have a suggested organization? Leave a comment to share.
Yoga of words ✨
Grab a pen, grab your journal. Have a seat somewhere comfortable. Close your eyes, take a breath in, and let it go. Your weekly writing prompt is below.
Write about a time you had to be resilient. Did you bounce back into your original shape or did you shapeshift into someone new?
Feel free to share what you've written by clicking the link below. Of course, you’re also welcome to keep this practice as just yours.
Other musings ✨
Anthony Bourdain's "A Cooks Tour" Episode 1 (YouTube)
The power of myth + origin stories (The Isolation Journals)
Micro Gardens by Jasmine Shigemura Lee (KindRedPacket)
How American Muslims have been represented in pop culture post-9/11 (PBS)
Stories of Our Heritage LIVE—an evening of poetry, storytelling, and ceremony celebrating ESEA heritage. (KindRedPacket)
Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you. Visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear—from it, from us—for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence. (The Atlantic)
One hardly expects an opulent charity ball to be a revolutionary event, but it was surprising, given our current national maelstrom, how few people chose to interpret the American theme as a prompt for political statements. (The New Yorker)
On repeat: This whole DOPAMINE playlist (Spotify)
I'm here for you—for class, for advice, for anything that you need or would like to share. Always a phone call/text/DM/reply button away.
LBC ✨
P.S. If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friends! And if someone sent you this newsletter, you can subscribe below!