How Does Racism Affect Us?

Black bodies, brown bodies, and white bodies are all affected by racism in different ways. Racism shows up at work, school, in our communities, and all aspects of our daily lives. It affects both individual attitudes and institutional structures. Racism is one of the biggest challenges we face in our work to create a world that is fair and just.

By giving us the capacity to look inward, yoga and meditation provide some of the necessary tools to begin to unpack this legacy of racism that is lodged in our bodies and minds, and align truth to action. But sometimes we also need a little peer support and guidance.

To help us all move forward in our journey to acknowledge, unpack, and confront racism, Lighthouse is launching a series of  Healing Circles to address racism.

There will be 2 Healing Circles, which will meet concurrently: one for white people and one for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). The meetings are free and open to all and are led by Lighthouse staff, who bring to the table a wide range of experience.

Why separate groups?

When we take on the task of committing to doing the inner work necessary to create racial justice, we have different work to do.

For BIPOC members of our community, the People of Color Circle provides a safe space to process, heal and strengthen. It’s a chance to turn trauma into action, and to support one another on this path.

For white members of our community, the White People Circle provides an avenue for white people to examine the subtleties of white supremecy and how these exist in themselves without fear of being judged and without putting the emotional weight on BIPOC friends to have to explain or defend themselves. It’s a chance to explore how to let go of deep-seated biases and become not just an ally, but also an activist.

Let’s take on racism with openness, honesty, vulnerability and commitment. Are you with us?

Group Meetings:

Join us on Zoom on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 pm. Free and open to all. Please come willing to listen, share, be respectful and do the work.

Sign up online to get your Zoom link.

(Please note: If you’re new to Lighthouse, it’s important that when you register, you do not disable the communication settings in your account, as then you won’t receive the links.) 

For Us By Us Healing Circle for BIPOC

The mission and ethos of this circle is to empower BIPOC and their families to develop a meditation practice that will begin to heal generations of race based violence, trauma and political, social and economic disenfranchisement.

The initial meditation circle will consist of an 11-minute healing meditation followed by a prayer. After we tune out there will be discussion on how to begin or continue a healing home yoga/meditation practice and we will invite participants to share any thoughts or experiences they had during the meditation. We will also invite conversation regarding the current heightened consciousness around racism.

As this circle grows and establishes roots, we will explore ways to expand our activities while maintaining a safe and healing space.

For example, we envision a walking meditation in BIPOC communities who have not traditionally been included in the yoga space (“Walk for a Love Supreme”). We will look at the spiritual practice of yoga and meditation, and how it can be used for empowerment, healing and self-sufficiency for individuals and their families.

Ideally, we would inspire and educate people not just here in Ward 4, but also in neighborhoods such as Ward 8 and Ward 7, so that yoga and meditation can be used in their day to day lives to be a source of light, empowerment and healing for themselves and their families.

Group facilitators:

Nandi Gabremedhin, Colleen Brisport Sequeda, Nikki Haley and Lisa Antoine

Ally Group for White-Bodied People

How to Be Better Allies in the Struggle for Racial Justice

Join us for body-centered meditation and discussion to help white-bodied people access, metabolize, heal, and move forward from the shame, fear, overwhelm, and denial that keep them from wholly participating in the long-haul anti-racist movement for black lives.

The caucuses will begin with centering and exploratory mindfulness practices followed by open and honest conversations about the problems of white supremacy and white fragility and what we can do about them.

We will begin this series working with guidance and practices from Resmaa Menakem’s book, “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathways to Mending our Hearts and Bodies”* and will expand to include teachings and practices of other spiritual-activists involved in the anti-racism movement.

The caucuses will be facilitated but are intended to be a community space in which active kindness and compassion make room for white-bodied people to examine their implicit and explicit biases, support each other in actively working to address these biases, and learn from each other’s experiences in challenging other white people about their racial biases, beliefs, and behaviors.

Caucus participants are encouraged to educate themselves about racism and to bring what they learn to enrich the discussions. One place to do this work and keep the discussion about racism and racial justice alive is by participating in Lighthouse Yoga’s book club with yoga teacher Suzanne Henley and attending our upcoming workshops with Dr Monea Abdul-Majeed.

*You don’t have to read the book to participate.

Group Facilitators:

Emily Moore and Hillary Johnson