Newsletter, Oct 29, 2004

One of the aspects of yoga that has been most challenging for me is finding the balance between the personal and the social, between consecrating and clarifying my own individual place in the Universe and this world, while at the same time magnifying and sharing the bounties i am discovering to the larger human community. Street Yoga has been a journey in trying to blend the two.

Two recent threads have called to give me a new, emerging outlook on two of the powerful forces of our emotional being --compassion and anger. For me, yoga has been the practice of seeking a stiller mind, so that equanimity and poise can be achieved in the present moment. As an end-state, however, that sort of stillness has always seemed lacking. What about those who are not blessed enough to have discovered yoga, who don't have the time to meditate, who don't have a safe place to sit and close their eyes. How does my practice help them, and by extension, the world?

The first eye-opener was a July workshop i attended at Breitenbush in Oregon with Noah Levine. He wrote the book Dharma Punx, and it was the real first experience i have had of anger fused with compassion, of anger not relegated to the leavings of our practice, but anger seen and held with such utter clarity that the only possible course is to act with compassion. Noah's two main precepts are laid out in his book: Serve the truth. Defy the Lie.

The second stream to capture this feeling that yoga needs to do more while doing less comes from a video by Eminem. I have never been drawn to his work; in fact, i've been repulsed by much that has seemed misogyinistic and homophobic. Yet this week a new video, Mosh, hit the virtual world [click to watch here and here] and it's worth five minutes of your time. You can read more about it at the Daily Kos.

In it, Eminem faces off with George Bush, an army of angry young people as his crew, and he calls Bush out and accuses him of lies and treason. It's tight, it's moving, it's real, and for me, it follows in a vein i have been studying in myself, and that is how to seek out glimpss of what it is to be 15 or 20 or 25 today. I remember when i was that age, how i had hopes and fears big enough to encompass many worlds, and how i promised myself i would at least never stop trying to understand the passions and truths of the young. This video will blow a huge hole in any generational divide you find yourself astride. Check it, please.

To be American this season is to be unavoidably drawn to politics, that body of group action which governs so much of our lives, which serves while it kills, taxes while it feeds, steals while it seeks to heal the most broken. But the lies of the current apocalyptic leadership stoke in me deep anger, tremendous resentment, rage. And what of it? Where does all that go? I see it, clearly; i feel it deeply. Now what?

For me, it has been action, daily, weekly, without letup, to meet and literaly touch those who live on the streets and cannot bathe with regularity, lay hands on those who are sick and scared and rasping in fear. Is it enough? I do not know, but a story i heard last week on the radio about Rosa Parks warmed my spirit. It describes her as a woman of diligent action, she who is said to have tipped off the Civil Rights movement some 40 years ago. It wasn't a moment's passion, however, that brought her to defy the ignorant thugs who would oppress her. Rather, it was her next obvious step in a twelve year journey that led her to sit unmoving in the front of that bus. It was the next day of a dozen years of meetings, small actions, trainings, events unseen by any but a handful of fellows activists. When that one defining opportunity came, she was ready. And she acted. I pray that my small offerings to the homeless youth of Portland prepare me for that moment when Time and Grace choose me to act with deepest compassion, anger my ally not my master.

I was blessed with an amazing opportunity to be generous, all because of the work of a group of yoga knitters headquartered in the heart of a woman named Gale in California. A few weeks ago on my doorstep arrived a large box, which contained an elbow deep assortment of sweet, fine knits: hats, scarves, shawls, leggings.... Included as well was a note of hope and grace, and about a dozen pairs of new socks. Gale wrote: ‘I hope these hand knits and socks will be useful to the kids. A lot of women in my group are knitting scarves and other items.’ So simple, so dear. Thank you Gale and all your friends!

I took an armful of the items to Outside In this past Sunday when i taught. After class, i laid them out on the table, and each student walked by and selected a piece. A young girl who was 7 months pregnant selected a shawl, and immediately put it on. A tall young man chose a scarf. Perhaps most touching for me was one of our long-term students picking up a package of brand new socks like they were a holiday present. He immediately took off the two pairs he was wearing and threw them in the trash. When he slipped the new ones on, he couldn't get over how soft they were. Socks!! How often have i worn new socks and failed to appreciate the gentleness with which they held my feet. Thank you Gale for letting me deliver these gifts to the youth.

I have mentioned Living Yoga before. They are here in Portland, doing the good work of teaching yoga in prisons, to recovering addicts and women with eating disorders. We have had the good fortune recently to more closely align our program with theirs. We will be sharing a common pool of volunteers and some administrative tasks. It will be a great benefit to have their backing and support. Kudos and a big hug to Sarahjoy and all the dear people at Living Yoga.

I have noticed, especially with the girls 12-17, that yoga can be a bit, shall we say, slow. There's no beat, and the hips are not encouraged to swing freely. I haven't found a class here in Portland in Hip Hop Yoga, but if you're in LA or New York or the San Francisco area, and have access to such a class, take one if you can and tell me what it's like. Thanks.

Terry up in Seattle has done a great job pulling together a weekly class for homeless youth at the 45th Street Clinic, and one hopefully starting soon at Orion Center, a drop-in center for homeless youth. If anyone is interested, drop us an email and we'll be glad to make connections.

A huge thank you to the folks at Bheka in Southern Oregon. They were gracious enough to donate a big box of brand new mats for the youth. Believe me, they have gotten a workout!

A couple of nods of the head to some folks who are working hard at bringing yoga to young people. Yoga for Youth is based out of LA and offers a great selection of classes, trainings and support. Another group in Seattle, Jailhouse Yoga , has been offering classes in Detention Facilities there for some time. Thanks offered to both of them.

When summer came, and with it many thunderstorms, i unfurled my kite and held on tight while winds pulled and pushed and hurled me about. It's been months since i've written, and while i got a bit scraped up, no harm came my way, and my family is well. Deep grateful thanks for that. And deep gratitude as well for all the teachers in Street Yoga who have been showing up week after week to bring yoga and connection to the homeless youth of Portland and Seattle. Blessings to all of you.

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