Compassionate Social Justice with Marsha Banks-Harold

Summary

How can we cultivate compassion to be more effective promoters of social justice work? Marsha Banks-Harold joins us to share her personal and professional expertise on compassionate social justice. Marsha is a certified yoga therapist, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP, RPT, RCYT, and BSC. She is the owner of Pies Fitness Yoga Studio and the creator of the flagship yoga class, My Body Don’t Bend That Way.

Topics

[2:01] Marsha describes the amazing experience of her first yoga class

[5:58] Body shaming in the yoga space

“This is a time in 2020, really to embrace accepting everyone and really just believing that regardless if your size two or 20, or whatever that number is for you; that if you meet yourself where you are and you have an experienced yoga teacher or yoga therapists that has a good heart, that will really take the time to adjust and hold space for you-then your experience will be just as transforming.”

[8:57] Making assumptions and creating safe spaces

[9:49] Marsha defines compassionate social justice

[12:09] Using yoga philosophy to address social justice

[14:43] Helping people to be heard and seen

[17:05] Svadhyaya as a path to authenticity

[18:45] Having uncomfortable conversations to build relationships

“If we bring in yoga therapy, we connect together- we collaboratively work through with ‘What are the solutions?’”

[21:16] Bringing agency to marginalized communities, holding space, and building resiliency

[23:44] Intention and impact of actions

[24:44] Ideas for bringing people together and shift perspective

[27:28] Social justice in the yoga studio

“I talk a lot in my studio about learning opportunities; not just in my studio, but in life. Every situation that comes up is an opportunity to learn. It may not be a really warm and fuzzy learning experience, but you'll still learn from it.”

[31:53] Racial trauma and microaggressions

[35:27] Marsha shares a personal story

[40:35] Svadhyaya and setting boundaries

[42:52] Marsha shares her favorite yoga therapy tools

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