Diversity and Non-Duality

The subject of dual vs non-dual

This subject has been on my mind a lot, lately.  I was talking with another yoga teacher who reminded me of a dilemma that comes up over and over, most recently with what happened in Ferguson.I was reminded of being in my graduate school internship many years ago.  During a diversity training, the facilitator, herself a woman of color, asked the group how we (a group of white women) would react if we had a friend who was of a different race?  As I raised my hand and responded that once I got to know my friend, I would not see him or her as being any different than me.Immediately, I was lamb-basted and called a racist.  At this time, I did not understand this accusation.  After all, I attended Denver Public Schools during forced desegregation.  I fought my racist parents to stay in public schools when they wanted to send me to a private school because of forced desegregation. I felt ashamed of being white.  Me, racist?

We are all one

Having spent most of my adult years in spiritual pursuit. Most recently, in the last 20 years with the practices of Tantric yoga, including meditation.  I have been taught and reminded over and over, in most every tradition I have been involved with, that "we are all one."  We are made of the same stardust, as one of my favorite teachers says.Yet as a therapist, I work with people from all walks of life.  Mostly Caucasian, yes.  But I have worked with people of color, people of all socio-economic groups, and people of diverse religious groups.   I've worked with wealthy people and drug addicts and people who have lived on the street.  As my wise yoga teacher friend reminded me, it's important that we not "yogify," meaning that we be aware, and sensitive to, the duality - the diversity - in which we live.  We may be made of the same stardust, but we are not all the same.

I am not you

As much as I have fought it, I have white privilege, straight privilege, upper middle-class privilege.  I don't know what it's like to be a person of color, what it's like to be gay, or what it's like to worry about where my next meal is coming from.But I am something like you.  I do know what it's like to be discriminated against as a woman in the corporate world. This happened to me in my former career (yes, even in today’s world it still happens).   Having arthritis, I do know what it’s like to not be fully able-bodied. My arthritis has gotten increasingly worse, and this affects my ability to physically function as fully as I used to be able to, as a yogi and athlete.  I also know what it’s like to become invisible as I age.

And I am you.  Ultimately, we are all made of the same stardust.

In my work with clients, and now as a yoga teacher, I bring respect for diversity.  My intention is to listen with an open heart and mind, to understand and explore differences with curiosity.  I encourage yoga students to respect their bodies.  Our bodies store the memories of all of our experiences, and need to be treated with compassion.  There is no perfection; there is only the awareness we bring to our practice.What we share is the common ground of being human.I invite you to learn more about my approach to therapy as a spiritual practice.

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