Interdependence may seem like a cliche yoga theme, but it's true - we are interdependent. And it's important.
The 4th of July celebrates our independence from Great Britain, but it is also a chance to take a look at how this country values independence, and to take a look at the upsides and downsides of how this societal value (independence) has impacted us.
While we claim to value independence, but not enough to make the investments in measures that help one another to cover their basic needs, so that they might experience some feeling of self-efficacy and independence. And as a result, our communities experience more and more poverty, which in turn, reduces more people's freedom.
Some members of our community voice that they don't feel free to walk on the streets, enjoy the parks, or take the public transportation they need to get around, because the sidewalks don't feel safe. Still others are experiencing their own housing insecurities and feel threatened by facing a challenge to this basic need.
Fannie Lou Hamer, the famed civil rights activist of the 60s and 70s said it well, "we are not free, until we are all free." Can we really be free if our basic needs are not provided for?
Interdependence. Sometimes we can float along and not notice it - not feel it. That can be due to privilege, choices, conditioning, awareness, or myriad other factors.
This month we want to reflect on a few ways to acknowledge our interdependence. Here are a few to start with:
Be mindful of our impact on others. Think about how our actions affect the people around us, both in our immediate circle and in the wider world.
Support sustainable businesses and practices. When we make choices that support the environment and the people who live in it, we're making a difference.
Get involved in your community. Volunteer your time, donate to causes you care about, or simply get to know your neighbors.
Learn what our community leaders are doing to make change. Lot's of us complain about the state of our cities. But do we understand the work that's being done at all levels to address these truly complex challenges?
When we acknowledge our interdependence, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities for our own sense of connectedness, as well as creating healing conditions for our world.
We hope that you'll join us in our many offerings this month, as a chance to reflect on this topic and to feel into our potential of recognizing how interdependence holds hope for our communities and for our future. We hope that by maintaining this awareness can be an active part of creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for everyone.
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