Yogawalla NYC

Hello from Colorado. Been here for about a week spending time with family and finally made it up to the mountains. There is something about the deep silence of the snow-covered mountains that is so nourishing. I’ve spent a little time learning about the many indigenous tribes whose stewardship has allowed me to imbibe this beauty. I honor the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Southern Ute, Mountain Ute, Comanche, Apache, Shoshone and various other peoples who lived in relation to this lan...d before it was colonized. And I acknowledge their ongoing struggle. Have you learned about the original stewards of your land? Share with me in the comments.

Thank you @kendracoupland I'm romantically single. I've been exploring connection via dating apps since social distancing restrictions are still in place. One thing I have consistently seen on profiles is some iteration of "looking for someone who looks healthy/fit/active". ... Let's get one thing straight. These are ALL code words for thin. What these people are looking for is thinness. I don't know if y'all know this, but fat bodies can be healthy. Fat bodies can be fit. Fat bodies can be active. I have belly fat and I'm 'healthy'. So I always find it curious when people tell me their desires towards thinness are that they just wanna be healthy. What is this standard of health so many speak of? I know fat humans who are healthy. I know humans without use of their legs who are healthy and humans with brain injuries who are active and healthy. I know thin folks with eating disorders, clinical depression and chronic pain. I know thin folks who get colds and flus. I know thin folks with poor digestion and hormonal imbalance. I know thin folks with diabetes and cancer. I know thin folks who have had contagious diseases. I know of heavy weight boxers & weightlifters, baseball players, football linemen, shotput/hammer throw athletes who appear fat. They are Olympians. They are healthy, we just don't see their bodies represented in media. Genes play a role in how fat is stored and distributed in a body. I know unless I dedicate hours each day to working out and eat a highly restrictive diet I'll stay fat. My grandmas are fat, my mother is fat. My family is fat. I will not invest hours per day in exercise to look thin for others. I use my time to dismantle systems of oppression to liberate others. I don't have the privilege of wasting my earthly time on diet fads. We are all in changing, aging bodies. Health is a variable. No matter how much you take care of your body, your body WILL have periods where its 'unhealthy'. You can be super healthy and get hit by a bus and end up disabled. So these ideals of 'health' are rooted in a false sense of control. They are rooted in anti-Blackness and ableism. See more

Road trip Day 3! I’ve been on the road the last few days with Stewie, Samit and my parents-in-law as we drive to visit family in Denver. So far we’ve driven through 6 states, explored various podcasts, watched a few shows and documentaries, and gone on lots of walks. Having quite the adventure...

We call him the Maharaja

CORE VALUES I’m working on defining some of my core values as I continue to get clearer on how I want to do this work and collaborate/partner with others. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:... social justice & anti-racism critical thinking respecting ancient wisdom understanding modern movement science prioritizing embodiment and agency when offering yoga and wellness Embracing human biodiversity What do you think? And what are your core values? Have you pinpointed them yet? Let me know in the comments

Everything is negotiable. I have to remind myself of this over and over. But it's been a really handy lesson, especially working in the yoga industry where there are people ready to take advantage of others at every turn. It's also been a great carry over lesson into the rest of my life, because literally EVERYTHING is negotiable. ... And if someone isn't willing to negotiate? Well then, I've learned the hard way that in 99.9% of those instances, the better deal is to walk away rather than to try to convince someone who doesn't value me and isn't going to budge p.s. If you want to revisit some of those stories of negotiations gone wrong that we told on the podcast, join us for Afterlife Part 2: https://explore.yogaisdeadpodcast.com/part-two

A few months ago, I co-wrote and article on How to Make Sense of Online Teaching Contracts for Yoga International I've been revisiting that article as I'm wading through contracts that come my way and as we dive back into our second episode "Karma Capitalism Killed Yoga" over at Yoga is Dead Podcast In the article, Nick Demos and I dissect a real contract we were asked to sign by the owner of a teacher training program. And we outline why we each chose to walk away from the o...pportunity - for the better! Link to full article: https://yogainternational.com//how-to-make-sense-of-online Also, come to our Afterlife event if you're interested in talking all things employment when it comes to the yoga industry. Sign up for Afterlife Part 2: https://explore.yogaisdeadpodcast.com/part-two [ID: Image contains photos of Nick Demos and Jesal Parikh, both wearing blue shirts. Nick is a white man smiling directly at the camera. Jesal is an Indian woman with medium length wavy black hair posing to the side with her arms in eagle position. There are pink brush strokes behind them and the text reads (from top to bottom): Yoga International, How to Make Sense of Online Teaching Contracts, By Jesal Parikh and Nick Demos]

I am so PROUD of my friend and colleague Susanna Barkataki who is launching her book Embrace Yoga's Roots! In the short time I've gotten to know Susanna (just over a year), I've learned so much from her. She has modeled leadership, activism and been a true "young elder" - as she puts it - to the South Asian community. Just one example is how she self-published this book so that her words were not censored or watered down. Embrace Yoga's Roots is an absolute must-read for mode...rn yoga teachers. It includes a lot of thought-provoking questions to help us unravel our the biases, assumptions and illusions (maya) that we are all operating under every single day. The official book launch will be live on Zoom on November 21st and I'm honored to be speaking as part of the event. But whether you attend or not, you can already order her book on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Yogas-Roots-Cou//1734318112 #EmbraceYogasRoots #SusannaBarkataki [ID: deep purple background with subtle henna-inspired pattern. Header reads: Embrace Yoga's Roots. Quote reads: Are you using a colonizer's measuring stick or an ancestor's measuring stick to measure and asses truth claims about yoga's history? Quote author is Susanna Barkataki]

My friends over at The Flow Artists podcast celebrated their 3 year podcast anniversary and I got to ask them a question! I asked about work partnerships, because let's face it, sometimes they can be challenging. I really enjoyed hearing their response and their answers to the questions from the other guests as well. Check them out wherever you listen to podcasts or click the link: ... https://podcast.flowartists.com/episo/three-years-now-what/ Garden of Yoga Rane Bowen [ID: screenshot from Apple Podcasts showing the episode description from The Flow Artists' episode called, Three Years, Now What?]

The other day, I posted about how Arundhati Baitmangalkar will be moderating Afterlife Part 2 for Yoga is Dead. Well, the last two weekends I got a chance to teach my Mindful Mobility workshop for Aham Yoga 200-TT, owned and led by Arundhati. It is always so INVIGORATING and AFFIRMING to teach in a program where the leader openly invites inquiry, critical thinking, and a wholistic view of Yoga studies. I don't say this lightly. For years, the only studio owners/lead teacher... trainers I met, studied under and taught alongside were authoritarian in their approach and taught asana in a reductive way that often served to erase the broader context of Yoga. Many of you have shared with me that you've gone through the same. Working Arundhati and others like her is a good reminder that it doesn't have to be that way. We get to choose who we work with and work for and there are like-minded people out there. p.s. sign up for Afterlife with link in bio [ID: Photo of Arundhati and Jesal on Zoom. Arundhati is in the top square smiling and giving a double thumbs up. She is wearing a mustard yellow striped tank top. The word YOGA appears in blue on the wall behind her. Jesal is on the bottom square smiling and giving a single thumbs up. She is wearing glasses a bright yellow t-shirt that reads: peaches]

Allyship 101: making a concerted effort when it comes to representation. Every single one of us has the power to push the needle when it comes to representation. All we have to do is start with this essential question: who else are you planning to include? I'm going to be vulnerable here and say that I've seen many of my colleagues - people I would consider good friends - guest speaking in events, panels, conferences, etc that totally lacked any representation. Yoga events th...at had almost no people of color let alone someone South Asian. And I've felt so hurt. I'm then left wondering: *Did my friend ask this question before saying yes? *Did they even care that people who look like me were once again erased? *Did they urge the organizer to do better? *Did they feel that the money, fame, or exposure was enough to offset their complicity when it comes to racism? And yet this simple question can be asked by anyone. An organizer, a guest speaker/presenter, or a student, participant or ticket holder.

Yoga is Dead Podcast is back with Afterlife Part 2! Join us live on Nov 19th at 1pm ET This time, we invite you behind-the-scenes of Episode 2: Karma Capitalism Killed Yoga. We will talk best moments, post launch drama, and how the yoga industry has changed since we dropped the episode. We’ll also answer select questions from our live participants and include some fun, interactive surprises. See you there... https://explore.yogaisdeadpodcast.com/afterlife [ID: Orange square with white and navy blue text that reads Afterlife Part 2: A Dissection on Karma Capitalism Killed Yoga, Nov 19th 1PM EST, Replay Available and two bright blue skulls on right and left bottom corners.]

The Covid vaccine is imminent and I'm over here grateful and planning my next vacation like... Who else?

Me celebrating the FIRST EVER female ( and Woman of Color!) VICE PRESIDENT Go Kamala Auntie! Oh and also glad that Trump and his xenophobic, overtly racist policies will be ushered out...