Iman Gibson and Tori Lund have been friends for decades, doing yoga together in middle school. More recently, they collaborated on Antiracism Meditation, an album of guided meditations with accompanying journal prompts around privilege, racism, and allyship. We asked the two teachers—one Black, one white—to talk about the role meditation plays in the urgent work of anti-racism. They let us look in on their email conversation.
Tori Lund: Hey Iman,
I know we have been talking about this topic a lot lately. Why should folks consider meditating as one way to engage in anti-racism work?
Iman Gibson: Hey Tori! Short Answer: Meditation plays a HUGE role.
Here’s the TLDR:
We all experience tiny moments of enlightenment. I had one recently while meditating during a DIY at-home silent retreat. I really tapped into our shared consciousness as humans versus our typically perceived identity as individual selves. We may show up in different bodies with unique cultures and identities but we are all part of the same energy.
This realization drastically changes how we treat each other. If I truly believe that you and I are the same, then I’m far less likely to mistreat…