“When things come into the light, it forces us to find the answers” Psalm Isadora
Our world is changing, and at vast and various speeds, we see it all around us every day. Across the nation, we see souls waking up. Often like sleeping children, sleeping sweetly and soundly in their story, or amidst a bad dream sometimes, but when they wake up – none the less, they are startled. They can feel fear from the darkness of the unknown. The initial sense could be to crawl back under the covers, to tuck their feet and head inside thinking that nothing can get to them inside their blanket… but when we lift off the covers friends… it’s all still happening.
What’s still happening? The waking up process, the coming into awareness of many social injustices and faux pauxs – what I like to signal as growth, opportunities for change and for amazing things to happen, and in this way we can actually come to thank the darkness, though the first thing to do is to recreate it, to bring it into the light of love.
I interviewed Psalm Isadora a leading tantric teacher, friend, social activist in Los Angeles, this January before she left for her trip to India – check out the article here –
While Psalm was in India, I had the opportunity to follow some of what she was doing through her thread posts on sites such as FB… I found myself going into a world of emotions through her posts, from the intoxicating beauty of the Indian lands to the majesty of sacred ceremonies and teachers, to the stark contrast of urine stained brothel mattresses and dark and dusty hallways, pathways into another aspect of self, a world created entirely to appease the animal, within the self. I was intrigued and my ears perked up at the chance to continue this message and stand hand in hand with Psalm on her project designed to empower and inspire woman “Courage to Rise”.
I had to know more so I set up an interview with Psalm.
“India is a land of contrast” said Psalm. She Started from staying in a beautiful home in Delhi with a friend, with servants and ended up in the woods for a month with her Guru – and then at the Kunda Mela this giant festival in India.
“It was a marathon of testing my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual abilities a lot of that is just ego deconstruction. A time to pull everything apart and go “who am I, what I am, what is important?” states Psalm
I can imagine, especially being around all the woman sex workers, you are around a ton of suffering, and when you see the “problem” and the numbers, they are so astonishing that you wonder “is anything I am doing mattering?” What can I do that is really useful and impactful, so many contrasts – such beauty, and such poverty – so much joy, and sadness.
Oh, but you are doing something I say to Psalm, simply by holding the vibration of peace and love, you naturally begin to impact and change the world around.
She started working with the sex workers in the community center, by teaching them yoga. Many couldn’t understand this – why are you teaching them yoga? Instead of helping these woman break free from that situation. But yoga, is where Psalm really found her empowerment, and yoga is centering, grounding, and moves energy through the body. Yoga is about the breath and regaining your power. So yoga really seems like a perfect basis of empowerment.
Psalm on this trip really started to focus on the sex workers children as well, she saw how it was an epidemic they saw no other way of life, or options and ended up following in the same footsteps that their mothers had. These children are actually growing up in the brothels; this is what they see daily. Can you imagine if that was your only life opportunity? No schooling, no freedom, no internet… and who is the voice if we aren’t?
Many separate these issues by continent, oh it’s across the sea, it doesn’t affect me… but we are all one, and if you have ever been to skid row in Los Angeles, you can witness the same sense of drug and prostitution based epidemic, the same lack of support, counseling and resources, just in a different instance and on different territory. So we really can’t turn a blind eye anymore to this injustice, and we can’t condemn those within our society for living these lives that we find to be “unsuitable” without providing any actual tools or assistance in regards to advancement. It is impoverishing someone and taking away their rations, and then throwing them in jail as a criminal for stealing bread – it’s not that their action is “right” it is that it is inevitable so at some point – can we all stop fighting and condemning ourselves? Can we step up and lend a hand if we have one? It is the ONLY way that change will happen.
There is so much of a story here – from the sadness in the eyes of the males in the brothels, the “patrons” and the “pimps” to the seemingly no way out circumstance of these woman…daughters, mothers, sisters, children of god forced into this life to survive, not because of a desire to live as such. There is so much to say about the pain of the children, and of their laughter of the joy and tears that were shed of Psalms tears even, and the moments when these same woman picked her up off the mat and reminded her that life was worth loving and living in, showed her through the beauty of their own hearts that yes, she is making a difference, and that we can count on our sisters everywhere …to BE there.
So be here now Los Angeles, USA. Stand today and support The Day of Action, we Rise! To Stop Sexual Violence and Abuse
2013…WE Rise!
Come be Educated, Inspired, and Empowered
WATCH THE MINI-DOCUMENTARY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TXwt0qsgYY&feature=youtu.be
March 16th
Courage to Rise National Day of Action
Join us for a screening of 2 mini documentaries:
“Marcia” one woman’s story of recovery and empowerment after a violent assault.
“Stop Sex Trafficking Calcutta” inspiring story of CTR bringing yoga to women in the red light district of Calcutta
PLUS: Courage to Rise Yoga class + Discussion circle
THIS EVENT IS BY DONATION
Your donations will fund: Production of practice videos and an online community to make these tools available for free.
Join us in these cities:
LA * SF * SLC * Boston * Kauai * Denver *
Berkeley * Albuquerque
CTR City Leaders
Co-coordinator- Jeanine Beckers- jbeckersf@gmail.com
LA- Marcia Lopez-
SF- Bast & Jeanine-
Berkeley- Rosy Moon
Albuquerque- Marcus Armijo
Denver- Piper Rose
SLC- Andrea Bernstein
Kauai- Laura Mata
Boston - Lori
DETAILS FOR EACH CITY:
LOS ANGELES
TIME 1-4 pm
Contact Person: Marcia Lopez
RSVP to truehealingbodywork@hotmail.com
ADDRESS:
YOGACO
512 Rose Ave
Venice, CA 90291
SAN FRANCISCO
TIME: 3PM-5PM
Contact person: Bast
RSVP to dakini.mandir@gmail.com
ADDRESS:
690 Pennsylvania Ave @ 22nd St.
San Francisco, Ca 94107
DENVER
TIME: 6- 8:30PM
Contact: Piper Rose
RSVP to Live.heart.home@gmail.com
ADDRESS:
Kindness Yoga above City O City @ 13th and Sherman
ALBUQUERQUE
TIME 4-6PM
Contact Person: Marcus Armijo
RSVP to MarcusArmijo23@aol.com
ADDRESS
Evolv Fitness of New Mexico
7900 San Pedro Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109
BOSTON
TIME 1-4PM
Conatct Person: Lori O"Doherty
RSVP to lori.odoherty@gmail.com
ADDRESS
Woburn Yoga and Wellness
905 Main St., Woburn Ma 01801
781.935.3648
KAUA'I
TIME 4-6PM
Contact Person: Laura Mata
RSVP to esenciamata@gmail.com
The Yoga House
ADDRESS
4-885 Kuhio Hwy, Kapa'a HI 96754
MAIN COURAGE TO RISE WEBSITE
www.couragetorise.org
Live Holistic Los Angeles, World and remember that together – we find the Courage to Rise!
I am standing hand and hand in this mission of love, here I am – your tears are mine, mine are yours, we are one.
by Ashley Davene
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