Michelle Johnson on Collective Grief, Merging Yoga and Social Justice, and Dismantling Racism with Breath [episode 104]
Michelle Johnson is yoga teacher, author, and social justice activist based in Portland, OR. Michelle is bringing big power and purpose to the intersection of yoga and racism. In this episode we get into:
- Why breathing is a life-giving, radical act
- Why the antidote to trama is giving yourself space to breathe
- Why we need to share language to create strategies that respond to racism
- How you pick up subconscious messages from culture and institutions, and how you internalize these and the toxins associated with them
- Why yoga is so aligned with dismantling racism
- How working with your ancestors in anti racism training is so potent
- Why breathing is a good way to start healing with marginalized people
- Why we need to collectively grieve and process all that has happened to us, so we can move forwards
- How we are not good at being undefended as a culture
- Why racism is so much more than the personal, that it is collective
- Why learning to listen to people and accept their words as truth is so powerful
- How the world of yoga contains a lot of spiritual bypassing and untrue reflection for POC
- Why yoga and social justice intersect
- Why yoga is skill in action
- Why being yourself is a radicalized space
- How the personal is political
- How to build spaces that are inclusive, accepting, and affirming
- Why it is so courageous to ask for help in a society that says not to
- How we all share grief and loss
- Stay tuned for a sweet card reading at the end….
Links
- Connect with Michelle and her many amazing offerings and courses through her website: https://www.michellecjohnson.com/
- Connect with Michelle on Instagram at @skillinaction and @mysticcassandra
- Check out Michelle’s book, “Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga to Create a Just World” here: https://www.michellecjohnson.com/skill-in-action-book/
- Check out Michelle’s divination deck for grief and loss, TRANSVERSE, here
- Contact Michelle about coming and offering at your space here
Picture credit to Sublime Apertures