Teaching in a new environment has been refreshing. While I love and choose Mukunda Studio first 😍, I also appreciate the change of scenery while teaching with FitnessSF Transbay, primarily the weekly, FREE outdoor public class in SalesForce Park. It helps me reflect on my teaching when being in a new environment so that I can rise to the occasion.
With this week’s uplifting election results, it feels like voters rose to the occasion! With all the heaviness in this year, this news felt like a wave of hope that I haven’t felt for a while. To be honest, I started to doubt that ‘we the people’ still hold the power. The billionaire mist amongst us was feeling so heavy and coercive that I started doubting if the system would still represent those of us seeking an equitable and just America. It’s good to be reminded our voice and greater good can shine through.
As much as this feels like some great wins in our country, from Mamdani to Yes on 50, the game of politics is never over. Divisive powers are still hard at work. Many of us fall into traps when Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and other real threats become manipulated and co-opted. But many of us also start to see the pattern of White Supremacy and fascism and find our way out of the maze. It becomes possible to untangle the false connections that have generated fragility, fear, and silencing of the majority into strength, wisdom, and speaking out by those who feel called. It takes some effort to see beyond this crack in humanity, but it is possible and I’ve been writing for 2 years about my own journey.
The ongoing and longest government shutdown in history, now on day 39 with approx 900,000 people furloughed, directly or indirectly impacts us all. We do well to remember, history shows us the pendulum swings back and forth, sometimes with surprising might in a dangerous direction. But if we can rise to the occasion of mindfully witnessing an ever-shifting landscape, we will be better equipped to take right-sized, skillful actions. So rather than sit back and feel like we’ve made it, or fall into the pit of overwhelm or frustration, it’s important to manage our energy on growth with changes that serve our greater good.
The top 5 actions that I choose:
1. Remain active with spiritual practices that remind me there is a Higher Force working at all times beyond my limited comprehension.
2. Continue to build like-minded community to stay safe, strong, and steadfast together.
3. Focus on self-care each day without over indulging and maintaining a perspective of self-care for the sake of service to others.
4. Engage mindfully with all relationships, from news to friends & beyond.
5. Sustain a vegan diet that supports my physical, mental, emotional energy.
We all have different capacity, different missions, and even different values. So how we rise to the occasion won’t be the same. May we all respect each other’s choices and consider what we can do that moves others with respect and kindness by way of attraction not promotion – do what you can do in your means to generate visible and desirable outcomes rather than promote or market a promise or action that you aren’t able to follow through yourself.
Let’s stay connected,
Marc
