Yoga_Journal_-_February_2016_USA_

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february

2016

yogajournal.com

people in the United States who are com-

mitted to healthy eating, sustainable living,

and conscious practice, whether it’s medi-

tation, yoga, or mindfulness—includes

5o-plus million people and is a $29o billion

dollar industry. But while these people are

energized and committed to their practice,

values, lifestyle, and local community,

that engagement isn’t necessarily translat-

ing politically. We knew that this commu-

nity was a latent power that was ripe to

be mobilized around social and political

engagement that refl ects their values.

That is where CTZNWELL comes in.

SC Some people were excited and recognized

that to be a yogi, engagement and participa-

tion were necessary. Yet a lot of people pushed

back and did not want politics in the yoga

room. Can you address that?

KK At CTZNWELL, we’ve been listening

across communities to better understand

what is holding people back from bringing

their practice into social change and poli-

tics. What we heard is that people are dis-

engaged because they don’t see themselves

in the process. Because they don’t identify

with being a Democrat or Republican or

a liberal or conservative, they don’t know

where they belong. Also, they see politics

as a corrupt, broken system, which rein-

forces their decision to check out.

So part of our work is creating a home

for this community. We encourage com-

munities to reorient their political engage-

ment around the values they live by. When

individuals and communities remember

and reclaim that sense of purpose, it makes

them lean in and engage differently. It’s not

necessarily faster, but it’s more potent and

courageous because it says that anyone can

participate, and that you don’t have to be

perfectly educated about issues to vote.

SC What is an example of a campaign the

community got engaged in?

KK Our fi rst issue was minimum wage,

because while poverty and economic injus-

tice are less prevalent in the yoga commu-

nity, the discussion about minimum wage

is core to our values and our collective well-

being. In 2o 1 5, CTZNWELL organized yogis

and meditators to join the Fight for 1 5 cam-

paign and supported the largest gathering

of underpaid workers in US history. The

movement forced a political response that,

in September, resulted in a pay raise for

fast-food workers that will lift 2oo,ooo New

Yorkers out of poverty. Over the next few

months, we will be expanding into issues

of food justice, paid leave, and voting rights

as we ramp up to the 2o 1 6 election.

SC How do you respond to people who say

they just want to be at peace within them-

selves and that your work is actually creating

more agitation?

KK I think that agitation is really healthy.

On the yoga mat, we deliberately create

tensions. We create contrast so that we can

heal wounds and become more integrated,

and I think it’s not that different in the

larger culture. This moment in the world is

calling us to go to our edge, to get comfort-

able with the uncomfortable, and to stand

for what is right and fair.

SC Tell me how yoga fi ts into this work.

KK When we ask ourselves what issues the

world faces right now, the root of the prob-

lem is always disconnection, whether it’s

disconnection from our bodies or discon-

nection from one another in relationship or

disconnection from the system itself. And

the social cost of disconnection is massive.

We see it playing out in rising rates of diabe-

tes and obesity, in the way structural racism

and white supremacy are bubbling to the

surface again, in the environmental crisis.

Yoga is about reuniting, remembering, and

reengaging, so the practice meets the prob-

lem at the root level. The inner practice of

yoga feels central, but the practice without

engagement and action feels like a myth.

If we can take this work that we’re doing on

the inside and translate it into relationship,

service, and social engagement, we’ve got a

powerful tool for navigating the complexi-

ties of this moment with grace, compassion,

and patience.

SC How can people fi nd their passion,

dream, or desire and turn it into action?

KK Everybody on this planet has a purpose,

has an authentic contribution to make, and

that’s core to the kind of change-making

we’re trying to accomplish.

The fi rst step is to speak your purpose:

Tell it to others and let it become a part of

your narrative. Let your friends or family

know who you are and what you stand for.

The more we tell it to others, the more it

sinks into our tissues and our bones. Next,

practice self-awareness and be clear about

what you’re good at and what you need

help with. Then, take inventory of who in

your life can be an ally and ask him or her

for help. Sometimes following your passion

feels lonely and isolating. Being in commu-

nity will help bolster your courage and give

you peer support. Once you know your

purpose, be committed to activating it,

and be patient so that you grow, evolve,

expand, and express it in a way that is

authentic to you. Apply yoga principles

to how you embody and activate your pur-

pose: Set up your foundation, then rein-

force your alignment, then fully express the

pose. The practice will enable you to thrive

in your purpose and in your project.

continued from page 32

GAME CHANGERS

live well

PHOTO COURTESY OF KERRI KELLY

GET INSPIRED!

Read the Game Changers series at

yogajournal.com/gamechangers

CTZNWELL community members,

and Kerri Kelly, center, at a sit-in

rally with Fight for 15 to support a

minimum-wage increase.