Isabel Allende: I think that the time is ripe to make fundamental changes in our civilization. But for real change, we need feminine energy in the management of the world. We need a critical number of women in positions of power, and we need to nurture the feminine energy in men. I’m talking about men with young minds, of course. Old guys are hopeless; we have to wait for them to die off. (Laughter) Yes, I would love to have Sophia Loren’s long legs and legendary breasts. But given a choice, I would rather have the warrior hearts of Wangari Maathai, Somaly Mam, Jenny and Rose Mapendo. I want to make this world good. Not better, but to make it good. Why not? It is possible. Look around in this room — all this knowledge, energy, talent and technology. Let’s get off our fannies, roll up our sleeves and get to work, passionately, in creating an almost perfect world. Thank you.
Protesting is an act of love. It is born of a deeply-held conviction that the
world can be a better, kinder place. Saying “No” to injustice is the ultimate
declaration of hope.
—Amy Goodman (b. 1957) in her book Standing Up To The Madness:
Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times 2009
“The only way to deal with an un-free world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” — Albert Camus (1913-1960)
I am glad to watch this. I feel cracked open right now, and this is the perfect message I need to hear right now. I’ve heard it before, but I am hearing it more deeply today.
As I was cycling home, I realized that there are a lot of people who were pivotal in (saving) my life during that time (the 90s) in New York – and so many of those people who were important to my development as a writer and artist and loving human being, I will never see again. There I was, pedaling slowly up the mesa, into the sunset, with cars flying past me and tears streaming down my face.
I felt awake, and more alive than I have felt in a long while.
Rather than setting goals for the achievement of the mainstream idealized “yoga body”, why not allow yoga practice to be a foundation for building inner-strength and self-empowerment? As we become more empowered, why not allow our strengths to enhance our personal lives as well as our local and global communities? Whether we practice yoga or not, what if we began everyday knowing we are all doing the best we can with what we’ve got?
Originally posted on writing the energetic body: My colleague, Sydney Francis, and I are working on a large project regarding sexuality and our connection to our bodies, one another and the planet. Sydney posted some of her ideas this morning on the underlying themes to our work. Here are a few: Our medium for all…
In other news, my week has been pretty quiet, except for the response to the piece I posted by Maya Devi Georg called Boycott Lululemon. The commentary is beyond anything I ever expected . . . There were a few comments I didn’t allow, mostly threats to me or comments that were in really poor taste. The ones that amaze me most though are people who ask me “what kind of yogi do you think you are?” (It’s really not yogic to have an opinion apparently. Or is it not ladylike? Either way, the fact that my tagline has “punk rock” in it should give people a clue that I don’t completely fit any mold – and that I might actually make a little noise now and then. Welcome to being born on Thor’s Day).
Speaking of a woman that Chip Wilson, the founder of lululemon, pissed off, Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC rips him a new one in A letter to Lululemon, on behalf of women whose thighs touch.
holly troy ~ sacred folly 