1 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to woke F with me Danielle Moody. This week 2 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: has been extremely rough as we watch events unfolding out 3 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: of Minnesota and now Indianapolis amidst what has been a 4 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: bloody return to normalcy. It turns out that normal in 5 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: America means mass shootings, racist hate crimes, and extradicial killings 6 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: of young black people by killer white cops. This does 7 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 1: not happen by accident or coincidence. This is how our 8 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: country was designed. This week on woke F Daily, I 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: was joined by Jim Freeman, author of Rich Thanks to Racism, 10 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: a new book in which he talks about America's uber 11 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: wealthy and how they have profited off of our racist 12 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: institutions and continue to do so on a historic scale 13 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: during a global health pandemic infused with renewed uprisings for 14 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: racial justice. We talked for half an hour about how 15 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: for profit racism persists in the education, criminal justice, and 16 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: immigration systems. If you want to hear the full in 17 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: depth conversation, head over to Patreon dot com slash woke AF. 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: In his book, Jim talks about the concept of strategic racism, 19 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: the idea that racial inequities are baked into our systems 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: by design in order to make the wealthy even wealthier. 21 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: I asked Jim to talk about how the fight for 22 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: racial justice isn't just about educating people, but directly challenging 23 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: our institutions that uphold and profit from racism. It's very 24 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: exciting that there are a lot of people now, particularly 25 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: after last summer, who started to recognize the urgency to 26 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: end systemic racism. And it's very exciting that lots more 27 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: people are joining this movement, joining these efforts. I mean, 28 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: I think the movement that's being built right now can 29 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: finally achieve that goal. But I wrote the book because 30 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: there's very little understanding of what and who stands in 31 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: the way of that, and it's a lot of these 32 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: dynamics that you're talking about, right because I wanted people 33 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: to understand that the biggest reason why systemic racism persists 34 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: is that these dynamics pre COVID and during COVID, which 35 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: are so devastating for so many people of color and 36 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: so many communities of color, are for a lot of 37 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: large corporations and Wall Street banks enormously profitable. They are 38 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: the biggest reason why we have these deeply unjust policies 39 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: on the books, and they're also heavily invested in preserving 40 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: and expanding racial inequities, which I refer to as strategic racism. 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: So the book is really intended to give people a 42 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 1: roadmap of what it's going to take to truly dismantle 43 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: systemic racism, because while it's very doable, there's still not 44 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: enough people supporting racial justice efforts and far too many 45 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: people opposing them. And as you say, a lot of 46 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: those people are getting even more wealthy and more powerful 47 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: as a results of this global pandemic. I mean, we're looking. 48 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: One of the things that come up for me is 49 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: a recent headline Jeff Bezos, right, is now worth one 50 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: hundred and forty three billion dollars. And in the headlines, right, 51 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: are the workers that work in the Amazon factories, right, 52 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: that have been working around the clock to ship us 53 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: all our packages so that we could work from home, 54 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: who don't have proper healthcare, who don't have the ability 55 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: to sue their employer for unhealthy work environment. And yet 56 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: he's becoming the richest and richest and richest. I mean, 57 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: he's going to probably reach at some point a trillion 58 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: dollars in net worth, and yet the people that work 59 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: for him can't afford to put food on the table. 60 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: We see these stories and we kind of just shrug 61 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: Jim about it, like we get mad, and we're mad, 62 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: and we're on social media for a day or two, 63 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: and then we all go back to business as usual. 64 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: How do you sustain you think the outrage and the 65 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: attention where the attention needs to be due, which is 66 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: that we have a very wrong sized capitalistic structure that 67 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: is based on racism and injustice and ensuring that some 68 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: people stay on the bottom while other people stay on 69 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: the top. How do we sustain the attention and the outrage. Well, 70 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: I think a big part of it, I mean, you're 71 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: absolutely right. I mean I think a big part of 72 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: it is exposing the full circle of that injustice, right, 73 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: because there are a lot of people who are starting 74 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: to recognize the injustice of what of what you just said. 75 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: There are a lot of people who have for a 76 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: long time, obviously, but more and more people are recognizing 77 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: the injustice of what you just said. What I think 78 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: people didn't have much understanding of is how not only 79 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: are billionaires like that making a tremendous amount of money 80 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: off of people who aren't being paid a living wage, 81 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: who can't pay for, you know, all the things that 82 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: we take as given for meeting people's basic human needs. 83 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: Not only are they doing that, they're then taking their 84 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: money and reinvesting it in strategies to further oppress those people, right, 85 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 1: and particularly communities of color. And most of the time 86 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: that's done in secret. It's not done in public view. 87 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: Like they're not passing all these criminal justice policies with 88 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: their name on it, right, They're not passing all these 89 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: immigration policies with their name on it. Right. They're doing 90 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: this mostly in secret through organizations like ALEC, the American 91 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 1: Legislative Exchange Counsel, And so they're making money off of us, 92 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 1: or they're taking the money that we give to them 93 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: for the products that we need to survive, and then 94 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: they're using that to make our lives harder on the 95 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 1: back end. So I think there's a lot of strategies 96 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: and tactics that we need to employ to, like you say, 97 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: sustain the outrage. What I hope that this book contribute 98 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: was shedding some light on what that looks like and 99 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: how that contributes to systemic racism. In particular, you know 100 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 1: in your book, Rich thanks to you look at three 101 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: particular areas of focus. You look at our education system, 102 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: criminal justice, and immigration. Walk me through those three and 103 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: why those three were chosen, as I mean, obviously they 104 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: should be. I talk about this unwoke a of all 105 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: the time as a former educator. I say that there 106 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: is no better mechanism to support the consistency of white 107 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: supremacy without the public education system, without us telling kids 108 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: who is important, who is not, who is worth studying, 109 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: who is not, what is considered classic literature, what is 110 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: not right. We are purposefully educating under the guise that 111 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: racism will die out with generations. And if that were 112 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: the case, it would have died out hundreds of years ago. 113 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: So why did you look at these particular areas and 114 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,119 Speaker 1: what do they show us about how racism is exacerbated 115 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: and how the ultra wealthier profiting off of it in 116 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 1: these particular areas. I focused on those three areas in 117 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: particular because you know, there may not be a more 118 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: significant racial justice issue in the US right now than 119 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: the massive overinvestment in the criminalization of people of color, 120 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: alongside the dramatic underinvestment in the systems and strategies that 121 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: would create healthier, safer, and more equitable communities nationwide. Right, So, 122 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: on those three issues, you know, we've dramatically expanded the 123 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: criminal justice system, made it the catch all solution for 124 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: an enormous variety of public health and safety issues, and 125 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: particularly within black and brown communities. Then we took that 126 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: same approach, that same destructive and ineffective tough on crime approach, 127 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: and we exported it to the immigration enforcement system while 128 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: implementing a variety of cruel and discriminatory policies targeted undocumented folks. 129 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: And they, meanwhile, like you say, We've never in the 130 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: entire history of our country been willing to create a 131 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: truly equitable education system. We've never been willing to put 132 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: youth of color on equal footing with white youth. So 133 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: the harm caused by each of those within communities of 134 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: color is astronomical. But what they also share in common 135 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: is that the ultra wealthy are heavily invested in maintaining 136 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 1: and even exacerbating those inequities. So if you follow the 137 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: money behind all the public policies that create those systems, 138 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: what you soon find is that you wind up coming 139 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: back to the network that the Koch Brothers created of 140 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: billionaires and multimillionaires who are investing in those systems. You 141 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 1: find organizations like ALEC with large corporations and Wall Street 142 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: banks that are, like I said, pushing these policies, usually secretively, 143 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: and those two groups in particular have made huge investments 144 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: in think tanks and advocacy organizations and media outlets that 145 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: have been very, very successful in advancing that agenda. But 146 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: then what I also want to do is break down why, 147 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: like what's the strategy behind it? And I obviously spill 148 00:08:58,080 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: a lot of ink about this in the book, but 149 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: the short answer is because it's all those things are 150 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: economically advantageous for them. I refer to them as racism profiteers. 151 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 1: They make money off of mass incarceration through the prison 152 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: industrial complex and those dynamics, but a variety of others 153 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: too that before writing book I wasn't even aware of. 154 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: They also make money off immigrant attention. They make money 155 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,079 Speaker 1: off of school privatization. That's one layer, But another layer 156 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: is they pay less in taxes when we as a 157 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: society choose to dehumanize people rather than meeting their basic 158 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: human needs, which is a big part of all those systems, 159 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: and I would also say that systemic racism is extremely 160 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: effective at controlling us, at dividing us, at causing us 161 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: not to recognize our common interests. So all of those 162 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: dynamics help them maintain their political and economic power in 163 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: troubled times like these, it is important to know how 164 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: to relax, unwind, and take a breath. Easy to say 165 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 1: those things, but much harder to put them into practice 166 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: in our lives. So I went to the best expert 167 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: I know. My mother, Shirley Newton, is the owner of 168 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: Essence of Yoga studio in New York, and after years 169 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: of being on the air, she finally agreed to join 170 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: me to share her wisdom with the woke AF family. 171 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: Even ten minutes of my mother's many nuggets should be 172 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: enough to inspire and enlighten you. But as always, if 173 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: you want to hear every minute of our extensive chat, 174 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 1: and I highly recommend that you do, please check out 175 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: our Feel Good Friday Conversation on woke af Daily's Patreon. 176 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,199 Speaker 1: Five dollars get you five new shows a week and 177 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: access to hundreds of existing shows, including this one at 178 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: patreon dot com slash woke af For now, here's my 179 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: mother Shirley Newton getting started by talking about how we 180 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I think that 181 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: a lot of people and you tell me if this 182 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: is true with the students that you've seen throughout the years, 183 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: which is that people are afraid think of their authentic 184 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: selves and people are afraid of quiet. I know that 185 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: I was before the pandemic. You used to tell me 186 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: that I was on a hamster wheel all the time 187 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: and that I needed I needed to stop doing such 188 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: aggressive cardio and really needed to breathe and sit. Why 189 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: do you think that people are afraid of the quiet? 190 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: And what do you say to people who are afraid 191 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: of the quiet? So what do we do when we're afraid? 192 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: We try to run away and physically run away, emotionally runaway, 193 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: spiritually run away because we don't want to face what 194 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: the quiet is going to bring to us. So, when 195 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: you're in a yoga class or one of the most 196 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: challenging poses I find for students is say Shavasna, which 197 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: is the rest pose. When you have to lay there 198 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: for five or ten minutes in stillness. It becomes really 199 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: uncomfortable for some students because when you sit there there's 200 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: no place for you to go. You have to be still. 201 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:12,119 Speaker 1: And when the stillness comes, then like everything reveals itself 202 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: to you. Maybe you are dealing with something and you 203 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: really do not want to face it, but when you're 204 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: still with yourself on your yoga mat, it reveals itself 205 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: to h to you. There's no place for you to run, 206 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: so you have to face it. So it's important, and 207 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: I say to my students, it's important when you're in 208 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,439 Speaker 1: a pose and you're starting to feel a little bit 209 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: of discomfort, as long as you're not feeling pain, but 210 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: it's discomfort. And what I qual it, I put little 211 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: words on it. I qual it heighten awareness. When your 212 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: awareness of the sensations in your body is heightened, sit 213 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: in it. Feel it because you're going to learn this 214 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: technique on your yoga mat that you don't get out 215 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: of her pose just because I'm feeling some burning sensation here, 216 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: not pain. If you're feeling pain, get out of it, 217 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: that's important. But when you're feeling that discomfort, sit in 218 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: it because this is where you're going to learn the 219 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,959 Speaker 1: tools on your yoga mat to take in your daily life. 220 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: So when you're feeling uncomfortable in an uncomfortable situation with 221 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: a cowork or the family member, set face set because 222 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: it communicate. It's really important because it's hard. Yeah, hard 223 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: doesn't mean it just means which hard do you want 224 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: to deal with? Ignoring your feelings is hard too, because 225 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: it's going to manifest someplace else. Yes, So ask yourself, 226 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: which of the heart do I want to deal with? 227 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: Do I want to deal with the hard communication and 228 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 1: the hard sensations that I'm feeling right now in my 229 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:54,479 Speaker 1: muscles so that I can build strength and release physical toxicity. 230 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: Do I want to deal with that hard? Or do 231 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: I just want to run away and be a hamster 232 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: on on that wheel with no tools to help me. 233 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 1: How do you deal and stress? We all know how 234 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: stress reads havoc on your immune system, and that's what 235 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: we're all trying to do to reduce the stress hormones. 236 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: So sleep is another key important part of our wellbeing 237 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: and our wellness. So sleep, movement, movement, and I think 238 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: it is so underestimated about movement, physical movement, mental movement, 239 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: spiritual movement really important because if we don't move our 240 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: physical body, all the systems eventually starts breaking down. So 241 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: you're either going to pay attention take care of your 242 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: wellness so that if you don't, you know, you will 243 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: be forced to take care of your illnets or your illness. 244 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: So take the time, make time to take care of 245 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: your wellness so you're not forced to take care to 246 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: make time for or illness. And there's a quote out 247 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: there like that, it's really really important that we move 248 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: and there is no perfection in yoga. There's no perfect 249 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: pose because there's always another level, so we're all. I 250 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: approach my practice and I share this with my students, 251 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: always approach my practice as a beginner, so that you 252 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: have this open space that you can just receive because 253 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: there's so much for us to learn about ourselves, and 254 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: we may get stuck and those energetic layers and you know, 255 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: sit and examine and assess why am I stuck here? 256 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: What lessons do I need to learn so that I 257 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: can move on. One of the things mom is I 258 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: think that for me, and I always offered this on 259 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: the show. I've been sharing more so of my journey 260 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: into wellness right into fullness over the past year, and 261 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: I think that for a lot of ambitious people, you 262 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: get sucked into what we refer to as grind culture 263 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: right where you are just continually grinding. We talk about 264 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: the hamster wheel, where you're continually moving. But when you're 265 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: talking about movement, you're talking about purposeful, connected, mindful movement 266 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: as opposed to just busying yourself with moving. So I 267 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: just want you to talk about just a little bit 268 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: of the difference between moving to be busy and mindful movement. Yeah, 269 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: so moving to be busy, it's like trying to use 270 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: that constant. My calendar is full. I don't have time 271 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: for this. I don't have time to take care of myself. 272 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: So everyone has to work, and you know, because you 273 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: work to make the money so that you can take 274 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: the yoga class or whatever. Right well, unless you're but 275 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: there's a thing called balance, and you can't have a 276 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 1: take a look at your calendar and if there's no 277 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: empty spaces there, then something is missing. Our whole life 278 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: is built around balance. So one of the things I 279 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: was having a conversation with the students because we have 280 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: a twenty one day challenge of yoga going on right now, 281 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: and I say to them, ask yourself, if you're saying 282 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 1: that I can't do this because I don't have time, 283 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: I can't go to a yoga class. I can't take 284 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: care of myself because I don't have time. If you 285 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: approach it with that mindset, you're setting yourself up for failure. 286 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: You have to approach your well being as I must 287 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: make time for wellness, must make time to take care 288 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 1: for myself, not if I have time, I will unroll 289 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 1: my map and take a yoga class. It is something 290 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: that you must approach that I will make time for, 291 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 1: not because I'll do it because I have time. You 292 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: have to create the time. And another important thing I 293 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: say to my students also think about this for just 294 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: ask yourself with the challenge that we're doing, close your 295 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: eyes here for a moment. And I did this in 296 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: class last night, and ask yourself. Have I worked for 297 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: someone for twenty one days out of any given month 298 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,719 Speaker 1: in my whole life? Have I ever done that? And 299 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: I said, just sit for a moment and just ponder 300 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,919 Speaker 1: on that. Have I worked for corporation? Have I worked 301 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 1: for someone else for twenty one days in any given 302 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,360 Speaker 1: month out of my lifetime? And they all everyone had 303 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 1: a smile, and I said, now ask yourself. Think if 304 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: you're being your whole being here as a corporation. And 305 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: you are the CEO of this corporation, and you want 306 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:01,120 Speaker 1: to have a sustainable corporation, right, a sustain a lifestyle 307 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,439 Speaker 1: to get through all the different stages of your life. 308 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: So if you do, if your corporation is not sustainable, 309 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: then what will your life be. So you go to work, 310 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: to work for someone else corporation so their business is sustainable, 311 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: but you must do that for yourself. You have yourself 312 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: a priority. You are the CEO of this corporation. Your physical, 313 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,360 Speaker 1: your emotional, and your spiritual being is your corporation. You 314 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: are the CEO, and you must allow this corporation to 315 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: be sustainable, treat it well so it's sustainable through all 316 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: the stages of your life, when your twenties, your thirties, 317 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: your forties, your fifties, your sixthies, like cheese in So 318 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 1: you know, I think that that's so important, and it's 319 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: one of the things that I've learned most from you, 320 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: so many different lessons obviously throughout like my entire life, 321 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,679 Speaker 1: but making yourself a priority. And I will tell people 322 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,120 Speaker 1: a story about the fact that I used to grow 323 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: up eating dinner at eight or nine o'clock at night 324 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 1: because and people were like, well come over for sleepovers 325 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: and be like, why y'all eating dinner at nine o'clock 326 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: at night? And it was because my mother was a 327 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:24,679 Speaker 1: teaching a spin class or our step class, or you know, 328 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 1: she needed to go to the gym after her work day, 329 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: and so that's what she did. And it was always recognizing. 330 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: And I think that I'm going to ask you to 331 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 1: say this especially for caregivers, for parents who either have 332 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: children or they are carrying caretakers for their elderly parents. 333 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: You know, you always made yourself a priority so that 334 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: Nicole and I could grow up seeing ourselves as a priority. 335 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: A lot of people are still stuck in martyrdom where 336 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: they feel like they have to sacrifice themselves for their 337 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 1: kids or for their parents. So can you speak to 338 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: that about like the importance of making yourself a priority 339 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: even when you have kids and elderly parents, both of 340 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: which you have found yourself. You know in that you 341 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,959 Speaker 1: cared for you know, my grandparents, You cared for Nicole 342 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: and I and like and other stranger friends and things 343 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: like that. How did you manage that? So, Daniel, you 344 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: know how mother has all these sayings, all of them 345 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: that I share with my students and I share with 346 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:39,479 Speaker 1: my family. Remember this, you cannot pour from an empty 347 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 1: cop Okay we say it on woke app and I 348 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: credit you all the time. Another analogy that you can use. 349 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: And I say this to my students that I keep 350 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 1: saying that because this is what I do is to 351 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: help people understand the importance of their well being. And 352 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: one of the things that we should realize, like when 353 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: you're caring for your family and you're getting you, you 354 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: will have some inappropriate outbursts or you're just lashing out 355 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: at the kids or your spouse or your partner or 356 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,159 Speaker 1: family member and they're looking at you. Where's this coming from? 357 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: And I will tell you a little secret. That is 358 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: coming from built up resentment. Because you have given so 359 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: much of yourself and you have not taken anything back. 360 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 1: So it is really important to refill your cup. I 361 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: say to my students, think of this like every Friday morning, 362 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,360 Speaker 1: I do a restorative your class and I call it 363 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: this is a class that you come back to to 364 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: redeposit in the ATM machine. Because think of your being, 365 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 1: like everyone is taking your taking withdrawing from your ATM machine, 366 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,719 Speaker 1: the physical being, the well being, your spiritual being, your 367 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,440 Speaker 1: emotional being. You give it to your job, to your 368 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: family members, and your friends, and they keep depleting you 369 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: all week of that energy. When do you take the 370 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: time to make a redeposit in your bag? And that 371 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 1: is what the resort of yoga class is all about 372 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: on a Friday morning, is redepositing in your energy bang 373 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: so that you can pour from that cup that's fall. 374 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: You cannot pour from an empty cup. I've been repeating 375 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: that saying from my mother to my woke A family 376 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 1: a lot this week as we deal with so many tragic, 377 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: unnecessary stories of violence and death unfolding. It's okay to 378 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 1: not be okay, it's okay not to watch all the videos, 379 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: read all the stories. You need to take time to 380 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 1: fill your cup. So this weekend or whenever you have 381 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: the time after you're listening to this, please take time 382 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: to take proper care of yourself physically, mentally, spiritually. You 383 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 1: need it and you deserve it. If you like today's conversations, 384 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: I do hope to see you in the comments and 385 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: DM's over at woke AF Daily's patreon at patreon dot 386 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: com slash woke AF. Until the next time you hear 387 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: my voice power to the people and to all the 388 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: people power. Get woke and stay woke as fuck.