VALUES
Statement on Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion
I work in the area of health and well-being as a white, straight, cis-gender woman from a secure socio-economic background. I offer gratitude to the knowledge I have learned from my teachers and I’m committed to ongoing learning. I am not an expert on social justice, racial equity, LGBTQ rights, and cultural appropriation. I recognize that I may make mistakes when talking about these topics due to the biases present in our current cultural systems and my own ignorance or unconscious bias. However, I choose to give voice to these issues because not to talk about them perpetuates ongoing suffering and inequity. Human rights are directly related to health and wellbeing. I vow to continue to further my education and efforts to make the work I do relevant and accessible to people from many different backgrounds. I am committed to listening to BIPOC and LGTBQ communities and to seeking guidance from those with expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Cultural Awareness and Humility
I teach and coach in the traditions of yoga and Ayurveda, traditions that are not from my heritage. Yoga and Ayurveda are comprehensive and holistic systems of well-being that originated in the ancient Indian Vedic system of knowledge and have stood the tests of time. They are considered sister sciences/systems as they share the goals of optimal physical, mental and spiritual well-being. I believe that these traditions exist for the benefit of humankind. As a teacher and practitioner of yoga and Ayurveda, I have great respect for the roots of these traditions. I also have humility and awareness of their history and the cultural misappropriation of these traditions. I am committed to honoring these traditions with utmost respect and spreading the knowledge of these traditions because I believe yoga and Ayurveda are healing systems for the world. In doing so, I aim to keep love and inclusion at the forefront of my work.
Practicing with Intention
I commit to creating spaces that are grounded positive intent, mutual respect, and a growth mindset where individuals can show up to explore their bodies, minds and spirits, speak their truth, listen to understand, communicate with care and candor, and practice mutual care and self-care in an atmosphere of mindfulness and personal responsibility.
Safer Space
This description of "safer space" is inspired by Michelle Cassandra and Johnson and her work with Dismantling Racism Works https://www.dismantlingracism.org/assumptions.html
“Safer space” is based on the belief that we cannot wholly offer another “safe space”, but we can strive for “safer space.”
Agreements for our Work
When I work with groups and individuals, these are the agreements that I ask that we share:
I work in the area of health and well-being as a white, straight, cis-gender woman from a secure socio-economic background. I offer gratitude to the knowledge I have learned from my teachers and I’m committed to ongoing learning. I am not an expert on social justice, racial equity, LGBTQ rights, and cultural appropriation. I recognize that I may make mistakes when talking about these topics due to the biases present in our current cultural systems and my own ignorance or unconscious bias. However, I choose to give voice to these issues because not to talk about them perpetuates ongoing suffering and inequity. Human rights are directly related to health and wellbeing. I vow to continue to further my education and efforts to make the work I do relevant and accessible to people from many different backgrounds. I am committed to listening to BIPOC and LGTBQ communities and to seeking guidance from those with expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Cultural Awareness and Humility
I teach and coach in the traditions of yoga and Ayurveda, traditions that are not from my heritage. Yoga and Ayurveda are comprehensive and holistic systems of well-being that originated in the ancient Indian Vedic system of knowledge and have stood the tests of time. They are considered sister sciences/systems as they share the goals of optimal physical, mental and spiritual well-being. I believe that these traditions exist for the benefit of humankind. As a teacher and practitioner of yoga and Ayurveda, I have great respect for the roots of these traditions. I also have humility and awareness of their history and the cultural misappropriation of these traditions. I am committed to honoring these traditions with utmost respect and spreading the knowledge of these traditions because I believe yoga and Ayurveda are healing systems for the world. In doing so, I aim to keep love and inclusion at the forefront of my work.
Practicing with Intention
I commit to creating spaces that are grounded positive intent, mutual respect, and a growth mindset where individuals can show up to explore their bodies, minds and spirits, speak their truth, listen to understand, communicate with care and candor, and practice mutual care and self-care in an atmosphere of mindfulness and personal responsibility.
Safer Space
This description of "safer space" is inspired by Michelle Cassandra and Johnson and her work with Dismantling Racism Works https://www.dismantlingracism.org/assumptions.html
“Safer space” is based on the belief that we cannot wholly offer another “safe space”, but we can strive for “safer space.”
- Safer space is grounded in respect; it is a place where we assume positive intent.
- Safer space is a place where people can come as they are to discover, assert, and empower their bodies and voices.
- Safer space is a place where people can come as they are to encounter and listen deeply to the voices of others.
- We acknowledge that within safer spaces, we are working toward developing trust over time and are seeking to understand first.
- Safer spaces require continual work and mindfulness. We acknowledge that a seemingly safe space can turn unsafe within moments. How we handle those moments is what really determines the safety of the space.
- Spaces are safer when we take responsibility for what we say, feel, and think to the extent that we can and when we admit that we cannot when that is the case.
Agreements for our Work
When I work with groups and individuals, these are the agreements that I ask that we share:
- Show up with positive intent and mutual respect
- Have a growth mindset
- Speak your truth
- Listen to understand
- Communicate with care and candor
- Balance mutual care (care for the group) and self-care (yourself)
- Engage your edge
- Give to receive
- Confidentiality
Vibrant Soulful Values:
- We activate our innate capacity for healing and wholeness by aligning to nature's rhythms.
- We live the habits of yoga and Ayurveda for health, happiness and harmony.
- We respect and love our bodies and minds. We commit to being our own best caregivers.
- We embrace an evolution oriented mindset; show up ready to learn, grow, and evolve.
- We commit to personal and planetary evolution.
- We seek out knowledge, tools, and relationships to enrich life and manifest our goals.
- We embrace challenges as evolutionary opportunities.
- We nurture relationships through respect, honesty and care.
- We strengthen connectivity and trust by being vulnerable, transparent and authentic.
- We practice accountability to ourselves and others by owning our actions.
- We choose to be collaborators and co-creators with our communities, with nature and with the Cosmos.
