Dear Qoya Community,
Many of us who have been called to Qoya have been dancing a path of personal transformation. We have been making time to release conditioning, remember our essence, and reclaim our co-creative power to choose how we would like to live. These same skills can guide us through this present moment of collective transformation.
For the People of Color in our global community, we are committed to supporting you at this time and exploring the ways in which we can create a safer space for you in Qoya. I personally apologize for any of the ways in which I have missed the opportunity to do better and for the lateness in our collective awakening. I offer my personal commitment to devote myself to continued education, sharing Qoya's resources and making clear community agreements to be actively anti-racist in all of Qoya's offerings. For those who have been doing anti-racist work and actively fighting oppression long before today, thank you. For those who are newly willing to stretch beyond your comfort zone and listen to the voices leading these times, thank you.
One thing we often say before a Qoya class is the way you know you're doing it right is that it feels good to you, and more than feeling good, it feels honest. Courageous honesty is what is being asked as we look inside of ourselves beyond the illusion of comfort that the status quo strives to maintain. Now is the time to unpack the oppressive systems and ways of thinking that contribute to systemic racism and move in a truly new direction. Each of us will be guided in unique roles we can play in this time. Some will protest. Some will donate. Some will show up to be a voice of change and reform in the organizations you are part of. Some will have difficult conversations with the people in their lives. Some will reach out to the people of color in their lives and communities and love them well. I pray all of us will commit to deepening our awareness of these important issues and taking action in the ways we are guided.
Today, I am reading White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racismby Robin DiAngelo, listening to My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem on Audible, and participating in a book club where we are holding one another accountable by going through the 28 days of education and journal prompts in Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad.
Although I had been doing workshops, reading books, and making donations in the past, I had not done the deeper soul work of introspection that I have been this last week. It is painful to see the harm my unconsciousness created. I acknowledge that if I do not see my role in it, I cannot actively be part of the solution.
For those of you that have gathered in the group energy of Qoya for a class in person or online, a retreat, or a teacher training, I hope that you have experienced the power of the container of a group. I trust that our community can rise in awareness and action. May the heartbreak of these injustices help break our hearts more open to live in alignment with the values we hold.
Sunday, June 7th from 3:00pm-4:30pm EST
In a time that is calling for so much change and transformation inside of ourselves and in our shared external world, I invite you to connect with the wisdom of your body to listen and receive your instructions for your next step in the direction of justice and the highest good of all.
This class is offered by donation and all proceeds will go to supporting national and local organizations, as well as community led initiatives all in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement, police reform, and supporting those most impacted by systemic racism and injustice.
Click here to register.
Here are links to some of the most thorough compilations of resources to inspire next steps I have found:
Anti-Racism Resources for White People
Black Lives Matter: Resources for Listening, Learning, and Taking Action
14 Anti-Racism Educators & Activists To Follow And Support Online
May we continue to each step in the direction of justice together.
With love,
Rochelle