Social Justice
8 Limbs Social Justice Mission
8 Limbs is committed to being a supportive and welcoming place to learn and grow
through the mind-body practices of yoga.
To be both supportive and welcoming, we will examine, and work to dismantle, the systems of oppression that shape our world.
We aim to relate to yoga as a diverse set of historical and contemporary philosophies and practices marked by inequalities. This includes a commitment to deepen our understanding of the ways in which 8 Limbs has been part of, and benefitted from, local and national approaches to yoga that center white, sex/gender- and hetero- normative, economically advantaged, and able bodies.
We commit to investigating and evolving our practices, both as a business and as a community of teachers and practitioners.
RESOURCES
Organizations
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond NW (Undoing Racism Workshops)
Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (Seattle-based)
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) – Local chapter is called European Dissent
Online Articles
8 Signs Your Yoga Practice Is Culturally Appropriated – And Why It Matters
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism
Food for Thought: Privilege and the Seat of the Teacher
Why Intersectionality Can’t Wait
Digging Deep: Thinking About Privilege
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
11 Common Ways White Folks Avoid Taking Responsibility for Racism in the US
What Privilege Really Means (And Doesn’t Mean) – To Clear Up Your Doubts Once and For All
Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person
28 Common Racist Attitudes and Behaviors
On Racism and White Privilege from Teaching Tolerance: A Project of Southern Poverty Law Center
On Cultural Appropriation of Yoga
Is My Yoga Cultural Appropriation?
Exploring Yoga and the Impacts of Cultural Appropriation
Books & Films
Race: the Power of an Illusion (PBS series)
The Way of Tenderness: Awakening through Race, Sexuality, and Gender by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Radical Dharma by Rev. angel Kyodo Williams, Lama Rod Owens , Jasmine Syedullah Ph.D.
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts by Resmaa Menakem
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Witnessing Whiteness and Living in the Tension by Shelly Tochluk
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
What Writers of Color Say We Should Read Now – Star Tribune article
Books White People Need to Read – Goodreads List
Witnessing Whiteness and Living in the Tensionby Shelly Tochluk
Beyond Inclusion Beyond Empowerment by Leticia Nieto
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Citizen by Claudia Rankine
13th – documentary about the 13th Amendment by Ava DuVernay
When They See Us – documentary about the black men accused as the “Central Park Five” by Ava DuVernay
Join the PNW Yogis for Social Justice Facebook Group.
Access 8
Access 8 is one of the ways 8 Limbs is committing to making yoga more accessible. If paying full price for classes is not financially viable for you, we invite you to reach out to access8@8limbsyoga.com to inquire about income-relevant tuition options and scholarships. To inquire about partial scholarships for People of Color and LGBTQI+ people in all of our Teacher Training Programs email teachertraining@8limbsyoga.com.
8 Limbs partners with Love Your Brain, a national non-profit that aims to improve the quality of life of people affected by traumatic brain injury—from concussion to severe injury—through programs that build community. Learn more about our partnership here!
8 Limbs Blog
Several blog posts speak to our internal work around social justice at 8 Limbs:
Inclusivity, Compassion, and Action, October 21, 2015
An Ongoing Conversation, June 1, 2016
Cultural Competency: A Conversation – Recap, June 23, 2016
Anti-Racist Resources, July 14, 2016
Mission: Inclusion, August 1, 2016
What Wakes You Up, April 1, 2017
POC Yoga – After the Death Threats, October 24, 2017
Radical Dharma with Re. angel Kyodo williams, January 1, 2018
A Letter from the Social Justice Team, March 1, 2018
Past Events at 8 Limbs
Skill in Action and Dismantling Racism with Michelle C. Johnson
Practicing Ahimsa: Nonviolent Communication Principles, 6-week series
Unpacking Whiteness, 6-week series (next series October 24-December 12, 2018 (no class 10/31 and 11/21)
Lay Down to Rise Up, Sunday, April 29, 2018 12:30-3:00pm
Lay Down to Rise Up for People of Color, last Saturday of the month (next class November 24, 2018, 12:30-2:00PM)
Radical Dharma: A Deepening Circle with Rev. angel Kyodo williams, December 14-16, 2018
Practices of Radical Dharma: Deepening the Work of Meeting Race in the Body with Rev. angel Kyodo williams, November 22-24, 2019
Unpacking Whiteness, 6-week series, offered once a schedule
2017 Events
Yoga for Social Change with Mary Imani on April 8, 2017 (free)
Body-Mind Tools for Tough Times with Chiara Guerrieri, Saturday, May 6, 2017, 1:30-4:00pm at 8 Limbs Phinney Ridge
Embodied Communication with Chiara Guerrieri, Saturday November 18, 2017, 12:00 – 4:00pm (this workshop is included for its focus on Nonviolent Communication, also called NVC, a powerful tool for social change).
Thanksgiving Day Benefit Classes to support,Solid Ground, a locally-based non-profit working to end poverty and undo racism and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty, November 23, 2017.
Radical Dharma: A Weekend with the Rev. angel Kyodo Williams, December 15-17, 2017.