Dear friends,

I know the past weeks and months have brought heavy burdens for so many of you. Navigating the many emotions brought forth by war, economic uncertainty, climate & weather changes, and this tumultuous political season is not an easy task. Finding a path forward in such moments of upheaval can be even harder.

I think back on the many cycles in my own life when a sense of stability and understanding has given way to a period of chaos and not knowing. These have been painful moments to be sure, but they have also been potent, opening the possibility of understanding and engaging with the world in new ways.

There are few among us with clear answers at this time, but many important questions are arising. For me, the most impactful among them are those that challenge us to step away from blame and othering, leading us instead to a deeper reflection on the moment we’re in, how we got here, and others with whom we share this planet.

What does it mean to stand firmly with my own convictions while making space for other perspectives? How do we take a stand against blatant injustices without deepening the polarization in our communities? Can I speak up for what I believe to be right without mirroring the dehumanization I critique in others? Can we listen long enough to ideas that we don’t share to deepen our understanding? Can I resist the pull to categorize and make assumptions about those with whom I don’t agree? Can we engage in ways that truly reflect the values we hold?

These questions speak to a growing realization many have given voice to in recent weeks; humans, in the U.S. and beyond, have become particularly unable to work together across difference. Whatever the reason (and there are surely many, including social media, which continues to fracture our attention and capacity for nuance), this inability poses a threat to our communities and to our democracies. My teacher’s teacher, Marshall Ganz, reminds us that “democracy is about pluralism”, requiring not just a surface commitment to diversity but a willingness to work toward shared values within diverse perspectives and identities.

This will be hard work, work that MUST be undertaken together. As I emerge from four years immersed in a political movement building campaign, a campaign that ultimately failed to sustain the coalitions needed for change, something else has become starkly clear. This collective work must also be buoyed by the internal work required to keep our bodies and minds adaptable, perceptive, and as balanced as possible.

In contemplating the challenges that lie ahead, I am deeply grateful for the practice of yoga and the space it offers for embodiment, grounding, and reflection. I’ve often shared in our classes the wise advice I learned from yoga and meditation teacher Jonathan Foust, whose simple instruction to “neither indulge nor deny our experience” offers an effective way of relating to life both on and off the mat.

In yoga and other contemplative practices, there is an opportunity to feel deeply what is present, staying open to difficult or painful feelings and emotions, while also remaining soft and fluid enough to let those feelings and emotions evolve. It also offers the opportunity to make space for the joy, ease, or rest that is possible within them. This way of being allows us to be truly present without denying the pain of the moment, while also remaining open to the inner vision, joy, and connectedness that can show us a way forward.

In the past, I’ve wondered if we really have the time to engage with one another and ourselves in such a spacious and complex way. If anything though, experience and recent events have shown that we don’t have the time NOT TO if we are to live up to our human potential in times such as these.

We know there is struggle and hard work on the path ahead. As you journey, I hope you will continue to find those moments of joy and possibility, and share them with all you meet. We will need them, as we need you in all your unique wisdom and balanced determination to keep showing up for truth.

In peace,

Kate