Wild Thing: a conversation with climate justice yoga instructors + the Lower East Side's Sixth Street Community Center - "fluidity is key!"

Starting off 2024 with a conversation with yoga instructors Liv Kesselhaut and Siggi Wendel on their pay-what-you-can Thursday night yoga series at SSCC, the ecology of yoga, plus your monthly Howl.

Every Thursday from now until the end of February, join Liv Kesselhaut and Siggi Wendel for an open level yoga practice from 7:00-8:00PM at Sixth Street Community Center (SSCC)! SSCC programs and campaigns are focused on advancing climate justice while fighting environmental racism, urban sustainability, food justice, and food access. Sign-up here.

In this letter, we’ll talk over a good old fashion transcribed interview and at the end of the letter you’ll find your first Howl of 2024. For those who are new, Howls are a movement/meditation session (usually about 20-30 minutes) that I share with you as a recording. They are yours to keep and are inspired by a different animal each month.

But first, I’d like to begin by welcoming Liv (L) and Siggi (S) to Conversations With Animals, hosted by me, Juliana (J).

J: What role do you think yoga and meditation has in reorienting us to ecological thinking? Is mindfulness connected to climate justice?

L: Wow, I love this question. In my personal experience, once I was able to affirm an unwavering connection with myself through yoga, it extended outward into the ecological world. A yoga practice mimics what occurs in non-human nature (seasons, the ocean/waves of emotion). Once we recognize that we are not separate but a part of nature, it becomes second nature to take care of the natural world. I definitely think mindfulness is connected to climate justice. To be mindful is to pay attention, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally (Jon Kabat-Zinn). Climate justice requires attention; it also requires compassion and reduced judgment. It could become hateful very quickly if we assign blame to others for the state of the planet. Rather, we use our practices to feel, stay in the middle, and forge a way forward through local and federal action. SSCC is the perfect example of approaching climate justice with mindfulness.

S: I resonate so much with what Liv said! I’d add that mindful practices have helped me navigate the difficult emotions that can accompany ecological thinking. Even chatting about the weather, which used to be harmless small talk, can now spark some existential dread as the effects of climate change become more apparent. I find that reflecting on the state of the world can be paralyzing, but that hopelessness isn’t healthy for me or the causes I care about. My yoga and meditation practices have recently become very focused on how I can find some groundedness and compassion in the midst of horrible news headlines. Even by just cultivating some respite from internalized doom scrolling, a mindful practice can help me recharge and focus on doing what I can, where I am. I like how you use the word “reorienting” too. For me, yoga is an ongoing practice of checking in and reorienting to what I actually care about and then trying to align my thoughts and actions to those priorities. It’s that very process that motivated me to become more committed to climate justice, in part by volunteering with SSCC and co-teaching this yoga series.

J: Can you tell us what participants might expect from a class?