Episode 18: The Intersection of Yoga and Social Justice with Dia Penning

This week, Rebecca talks with Dia Penning, a social justice facilatator and yoga instructor. They talk about the ways in which the yoga practice and social justice are intertwined, and how yoga is directly tied to liberation of the self and others. Dia teaches people how to find ease in being  uncomfortable so they can confront racism within themselves and their communities, and she uses her skills as a facilitator in yoga spaces to broaden peoples mind’s beyond asana. She also shares how the practice helps her to give energy to all the aspects of her personal and professional life. 

Rebecca confronts some discomfort of her own after editing the interview, and learning that she still has a lot of anti-racist work to do. 

Luckily, Dia mentions many wonderful resources during the interview. They are-

Read

Embrace Yoga's Roots, Susana Barkataki

Skill in Action, Michelle Casandra Jackson

My Grandmother's Hands, Resmaa Menakem

Inner Work of Racial Justice, Rhonda McGee

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Adrienne Marie Brown

Rachel Ricketts

Rachel Cargle

Resmaa Menakem

Dia teaches virtual classes at Body and Soul Yoga Collective and The Breathing Room in Alameda, and is offering a teacher training with Brima Jah entitled “Yoga and Social Equity” .