In response to the incidents at the Northwest Yoga Conference

To my friends in the northwest yoga community and beyond:I began my workshops this weekend with this quote from Howard Thurman and am resting in its wisdom – finding the right words and voice to speak the sound of the genuine in myself.

“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.”

I want you to know I have not been silent -in fact anything but– I have been silent only on social media because I do not believe it is a place for resolution or reconciliation or true dialog I know that absolutely anything I say – if it is not exactly what is expected – will be deconstructed and used to demean me, my character and my life’s work. In fact it already has.I can let you know this – I have not stopped working on and thinking about and talking about and processing this since the day it happened. I have reached out to and communicated with Aadil. I have reached out to and communicated with Zenia I have reached out to and communicated with Melissa.I have spoken with colleagues and teachers in my other faith communities and I have spoken with several people on the phone, and set up phone meetings with several others who have asked me to weigh in. I have reached out to faith leaders and civil rights activists who work from a faith base to help me to see what I might not be seeing and to guide me in responding in a way that brings real forward motion. I have talked extensively with my colleagues on the board of Yoga Service Council and have reached out to colleagues in International Association of Yoga Therapists.Between this - I am also here in Seattle supporting a family member with a critical illness - my attention and heart is pulled in many directions.I will make a public statement but I can only do it in the real time that I have – both in a practical sense and only when I feel what I have to say is both true to my heart and by listening deeply to the wisdom of my teachers who are infinitely more evolved and impartial than I.I am beyond sad at this situation and will do everything I possibly can to be a part of the process of resolution, reconciliation and growth. Please give me the time I need (and it will be in the next day or two) to listen to the sound of the genuine in myself and to make a public statement that feels clear and true.I know that we are all in this together.