28 days --- 56 ways to be Young, Gifted and Black: Sergio Buchanan

How do you spend your days?

I spend most of my days teaching yoga to adults and youth, slowly getting in touch with the divine that lives within me, and exercising my mind, body and soul.

What brings you joy?

I find joy in what I call "my simple things": meditation, writing, reading, asanas, kriyas, resistance training, stretching, laughing with the people I love, twelve glasses of water a day, Guerilla Street Food (that flying pig!!!), binge watching Steven Universe and most importantly, going to bed at a decent time. All of these things help me get in touch with that inner peace and joy of just being alive.

What is liberation to you?

Short answer: Since the struggle is very real and I have the divine right to be here, liberation means that even while trying to reach enlightenment I can still turn these sitting meditations, downward facing dogs and kombucha drinks into twerk sessions, haymakers and French 75s when necessary.*

Long answer: Liberation begins at the individual level and then expands to the group, cultural and societal levels. For me it involves accepting that I've learned many destructive and toxic ways of "living" from many sources: peers, society, family, institutions and so on. At 30, it has taken me a long time to accept that I have a lot of unlearning to do and that I'm resistant to that process. That resistance causes me unhappiness. It also influences me to cause other people unhappiness. Liberation is unlearning all of that. It is the integration of what helps me be of better service to others. It is the letting go of anything that blocks that service from manifesting. Through liberation, I reach that place one day where my body experiences the joy of connecting with the divine that lives in me. Once I know without a doubt how to celebrate the divine within me, I can be free to help others experience the same thing for themselves, or deepen that experience if they have arrived there already. Liberation means that none of us is free until we all are free.

*Gotta thank E.Badu for that one.

Comments

Breathing in Pesach

(Illustration by Sarah Quinter) Tomorrow, when Pesach begins, we will tell the exodus story. To be sure, there are many reasons we engage in this ritual. It is one that is rich with drama, curiosity, family interaction and revelry. It is also fraught with myths about how it got started and the many traditions that have developed over the years. However, we are commanded to take our time, lean back in our chairs, eat and drink heartily, yet, there is so much pain, sadness and death all around us. It seems increasingly harder each year to step away from what is happening and breathe a little. But that is what we are supposed to do --- breathe. Breathe. BREATHE. Breathe into the notion that there is freedom on the other side of this reality we are living in right now. Breathe knowing that as we move away from oppression, towards liberation, we leave as an erev rav, leaving no one behind. Breathe knowing liberation is our default, our birthright. Full Stop. We lean i

28 days --- 56 ways to be Young, Gifted and Black: Mimi Borders

How do you spend your days? I love days that give me room to breathe and reflect. Typically, I am really busy with school work, research and extra-curricular activities. But this semester I am studying at the University of Ghana and I have more flexibility and control over my time. I do mindfulness meditations in the morning, yoga, write and daydream. Daydreaming is one of my favorite things to do - and it doesn't always have to be a solitary activity. I love dreaming out loud with my friends talking about how we want (WILL) to change the world, the places we will travel, the books we will write, how we will liberate ourselves and our communities. I drink a lot of water during the day and usually get sad at some point thinking about what is currently happening in the USA but I try and write myself out of the dark cloud. What brings you joy? My family is profoundly incredible. My parents are compassionate, emotionally intelligent people that always have uplifted an

Beating the Drum of Our Heart

A few years back, I was talking with someone I just met and they insisted on talking about someone we both knew in a manner that seemed to be equally disrespectful and gossipy. I mentioned to them that I was actually uncomfortable with where the conversation was going and their response was, "it's okay, we only have a few more days until we say the Al Chet, while symbolically beating their chest. Despite my urge to yell, "THAT IS NOT HOW IT WORKS!, " I reiterated how and why it was uncomfortable for me to stay in the conversation and I walked away. This interaction has troubled me ever since, especially since I think that the Al Chet is one of the most powerful parts of the Yom Kippur service. I was unnerved with how easily this person was able to disregard what they were saying because in their mind, they will "make up for it" saying a few words during service. I believe this liturgy we have inherited from our ancestors is such a blessing, givi

The fantastic adventures of Koach Baruch

Search This Blog