Ep 97 - Best of Spiritual Grit Podcast: Practicing Yoga While Black with Noah Weisman

Some folks might have missed this important episode where I talk with Noah Weisman about the problem of so-called gurus who bypass the real issues of today's society, opting to use spirituality as an excuse to not take responsibility for their actions that bring harm to others. One such example is our former teacher Raghunath Cappo. Listen in on our discussion as we try to bring attention to the real work of building an anti-racist society.

For today’s episode, we have a special guest, Noah Weisman. A little bit about him: growing up biracial in the predominantly white communities of Vermont, he began his study of the body and mind through mixed martial arts in 2003. Diving headfirst into the physical, mental and energetic practices, he discovered a wealth of knowledge in the philosophy of yoga and became a certified yoga teacher. He and his wife, Priscilla Rybicki founded Sukha Yoga School in 2015, and continue to offer classes and training all over the world.

In today's conversation, he shares some insights about his racial relationship between his friends/colleagues and social justice. We also talk about the dangers of popular and visible white teachers who fail to see the racism and sexism of their ways, perpetuating the very problem we are trying to solve, including one specific teacher, Ray Cappo. These so-called gurus who bypass their own spiritual teachings only create more harm for communities of color.

Listen along to this full episode to know more about Noah Weisman and how yoga changed his life.

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Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com

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Today’s poems/ Books mentioned:

“Muhammad's Twin” by Hafiz “Where Everything is Music” by Rumi

Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned:

Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation