Description

This 30-minute workshop includes meditation practice, discussion, and invitations to manifest the principles of yoga through community outreach.

Goals/Takeaways:

• Individual empowerment
• Co-collaboration and allyship
• Holistic awareness of social causes
• Building compassionate networks inspired by yoga philosophy that help develop spiritual activism and move from intentions to impact

Structure:

• We begin with pranayama exercises that draw attention to the breath and the body's connection to our energies. Participants are then asked to choose an object in their immediate environments with great personal symbolism. This can be any object that speaks to them. We meditate for 5 to 10 minutes, then participants are invited to discuss their newfound awareness of their chosen objects
  • Example: Participant A chooses a cookbook because it symbolizes self-care and independence.


• We return to a 5- to 10-minute guided meditation and visualization exercise. Participants are invited to consider how to apply their new awareness to their communities on a larger scale. We discuss What organizations in their local areas are doing work that aligns with their interests and what areas of opportunities exist for intervention.
  • Example: Participant A considers bringing awareness about self-care and independence to their community by starting a neighborhood garden.
• We settle in for one more 5- to 10-minute guided meditation and visualization exercise. Part 3 focuses on how to turn that intervention into sustainable social engagement. We then brainstorm as a collective about ways of creating sustainable action networks. 
  • Example: Participant A finds a collaborator in Participant B. The latter is interested in immigrant rights and is concerned that many immigrant families live in food deserts. Together the two create a plan of action.

Materials Needed to Fully Participate:

• Comfortable clothing
• A comfortable space
• Optional: Mat if working on a hard surface