Oneika's Yoga Life

10/08/2024

New post up on Substack! Here’s a snippet:

An authentic dharma talk is transcendent and can take you to the depths of your soul, asking questions that you didn’t know you had inside you. A shallow dharma talk feels like an ad for energy drink or word art you’d find in the clearance section at Home Goods. Because the practice squared me off with my bu****it, my dharma talks were usually straightforward and laced with profanity, I didn’t really know any other way to teach.

Love you. Love me. Most of all, love us.

New pic by the amazing

A Dharma Talk

14/07/2024

Whenever the loudest, functionally illiterate among us go on nonsensical rants against “feminism” or any effort to advance Black women’s rights and freedoms, I think about all of the brilliant Black women scholars and activists who are intentionally erased to push the narrative that we only “picked up” feminism from white women like Gloria Steinem in the late 20th century. Maria Stewart. Anna Julia Cooper. So many amazing women. Even Gloria was put on by Dorothy Pittman Hughes (see my article on her for InStyle magazine)

We are 8 years away from the 200th anniversary of the first lecture given by an African American woman (and one of the first woman to speak publicly when women were banned from doing so). This is US history. This is Black women’s history. This is feminist history. More people have been discovering Anna Julia Cooper in the last decade or so but I’m on a mission to make sure Maria Stewart becomes a household name.

Asé.

09/07/2024

My latest post is up on Substack. Black Girl Magic Interuptus…

A snippet: I wasn’t the first one to see it, the crumpled Palestinian flag that hours before had been hanging in all its glory in front of my mother’s house in Madison CT. Madison, CT even in its whiteness had come across as friendly, perhaps mostly because my mother’s house was in a tucked away enclave that was steps from a private beach…..

Check out the rest! 🔗 ⬆️

Love you. Love me. Love us.

We are American Girls

05/03/2024

I’m doing something I’ve never done, I want to offer support to women facing incarceration in NY prisons and jails. Each month we can support two women who need support.

Challenges of Self-Care in Prison:
1. Limited access to personal care products: Many prisons have strict restrictions on the types and quantity of personal care products that people who are incarcerated can purchase, leaving them with limited options for maintaining personal hygiene and self-care.�
2. Overpriced commissary items: Prisons often charge high prices for basic items like soap, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products, making it difficult for individuals who are incarcerated, particularly those without financial support, to afford these necessities.�
3. Poor healthcare services: Prisons are often understaffed and lack adequate resources to provide proper healthcare, leaving people who are incarcerated vulnerable to untreated health issues and mental health challenges.�
4. Lack of privacy: Overcrowding, shared living spaces, and constant surveillance make it difficult for people who are incarcerated to find any sense of privacy or personal space.�
Statistics on Women and Incarceration:
1. The number of women in prison has increased by more than 700% since 1980, making women the fastest-growing population in the U.S. prison system. (Source: The Sentencing Project)�
2. Approximately 62% of women in federal prison and 25% in state prison are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. (Source: The Federal Bureau of Prisons, The Sentencing Project)�
3. More than 60% of women in state prisons have a child under the age of 18. (Source: The Prison Policy Initiative)�
4. An estimated 80% of incarcerated women have experienced sexual abuse or domestic violence in their lifetime. (Source: The Vera Institute of Justice)�
By supporting women who are incarcerated in prisons and jails through financial aid and raising awareness about their challenges, you can help make a difference in their lives and contribute to a more equitable society. Your efforts can bring attention to the often-overlooked needs of women who are incarcerated and help create a support system that extends beyond prison walls.

If you are interested, please DM for details.

Love you. Love me. Love us.

26/02/2024

Connections
Puzzle #260
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23/01/2024

Applications for Mind & Life's 2024 Summer Research Institute are open! Join us for "Awakening Compassion in Times of Division: Breaking and Coming Together" and delve into the essential theme of compassion. This unique event brings together researchers, practitioners, contemplatives, and changemakers to collaboratively address global challenges. Hosted at the Garrison Institute in Garrison, New York, from June 2-8, 2024, the SRI will focus on topics like fostering compassion in an interconnected world, addressing barriers that create division, and understanding the social impact of planetary emergencies. Applications for this unique learning experience close on January 29th. Learn more and apply here.

https://www.mindandlife.org/events/summer-research-institute/

23/01/2024

Check out Oneika Mays's video.

04/12/2023

My spiritual practice and justice aren’t separate. My practice requires engagement. It requires accountability and most importantly it requires love. I had a lovely conversation with Corey Andrew, host of the podcast Motivational Mondays for the The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) about this and how if my practice isn’t about making the world a lace of peace for all people, it’s not practice it’s escape. How I do that might look different than the way someone else does it, but the foundation is the same. May all beings be free. Love you. Love me. Love us.

Check out our conversation wherever you stream podcasts. ❤️🫶🏿