The Soul Sutras Podcast

Jardana Peacock was mentored by the American Civil Rights activist and educator Anne Braden. She is also a long-time yogi. In July 2016, we had a phone conversation amidst news of the officer-involved shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, attacks on Dallas police officers, and the smashing of a racist stained glass window at Yale University. In the same week, charges were also dropped for the fourth officer involved in Freddie Gray’s alleged murder and cries of protest were heard around the country. Enter Jardana - whose work happens at the intersection of these political & social tensions. As a leadership consultant and coach, she asks us to call on our deep spirituality and radical imagination to ask how we can better show up & create the world we want to live in. Our talk weaves the sutras of Jardana's life with the legacies of activism, the Civil Rights movement, and participatory leadership.SHOW NOTES:We throw around some terminology [e.g. WHITE SUPREMACY, PRIVLEGE] that is familiar to folks involved with social justice work. If you're wanting some clarity on these terms, check out the YWCA's helpful list of definitions HERE: http://www.ywca.org/atf/cf/%7BAC4038C4-BCCA-4F24-B55C-F41063EDF6FE%7D/Racism%20-Definitions%20for%20Class%20.pdfWondering how white supremacy hurts white people? Read this helpful article: http://afsc.org/blogs/acting-in-faith/10-ways-white-supremacy-wounds-white-people-tale-mutuality?utm_source=AFSCNow&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JulyAFSCnow

Jesal Parikh is a yoga teacher in NYC who believes fully in the power of partnership. Her spiritual journey started with a not-so-great time at Hindu camp, to wanting to be a monk, to now being a modern day yogi and householder. In our conversation, she tells us how her identity as a young Hindu American shaped her understanding of spirituality vs. religion and how her life ultimately led her to finding the *yoga* amidst the every day challenges and joys of marriage.

How does one move from feeling safe in hiding to finding freedom & meaning in “coming out?" Listen along as Juliet Meggs, educator and activist for transgender related issues, describes how she's learned to live her life "off script" - evolving from a life of self abnegation to one sustained by honesty & truth.