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jordanrubin1 · 4 years ago

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Reflection

Over the past eight weeks, we have discussed, analyzed, and learned about various topics pertaining to women around the world through the form of storytelling. We have read and listened to many stories from women around the world including stories from Dalia Mogahed, Elif Shafak, Sisonke Msimang, Lila Abu Lughod and many more. We have also read and written about two novels based on the stories of women across the globe. After examining topics like intersectionality, global feminism, and the power of storytelling, the topic that intrigued me the most throughout this course was Islamic feminism. I found this topic intriguing because quite frankly it was the topic I knew the least about. To be honest, before taking this course, my mind was filled with stereotypes about women in the Middle East and their culture. My vacancy of education on this topic made room for stereotypes to live.

Now knowing what I know about Muslim women and Islamic feminism, I feel ashamed that I let my ignorance shape what I thought I knew about Muslim women. Although I feel embarrassed of this, Dalia Mogahed in her TED Talk, “What its like to be Muslim in America” reasures me by saying “If some of your perception were negative, I dont really blame you. That's just how the media has been portraying people who look like me. One study found that 80 percent of news coverage about Islam and Muslims is negative. And studies show that Americans say that most dont know a Muslim.” After hearing Mogahed say these things I began to be angry with the media and thought about my own life and how I am actually part of the Americans who dont know a Muslim. Because I had never had conversation with a Muslim or listented to their life experiences, I let the media scream words like “oppressed”, “terrorists”, and “radicals” over and over again until I actually started to believe the media.

I let the media skew my thoughts on many aspects of Islamic culture. I was part of the people who believed that every woman wearing the Hijab or Burqa was doing so because her husband insisted and that they were required to show no skin to stay pure for their husbands. In a reading that we annotated called “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” by Lila Abu Lughod, Lila revealed some basic truths behind the Burqa. Lila wrote “It is common popular knowledge that the ultimate sign of the oppression of Afghan women under the Taliban-and-the-terrorists is that they were forced to wear the burqa.” She debunks this popular knowledge by stating, “First, it should be recalled that the Taliban did not invent the burqa. It was a local form of covering that Pashtun women in one region wore when they went out.” By just reading this one story by Lila, I quickly started to understand the cracks in what I thought I knew about the burqa. Lila revealed the truth of how the burqa became what it is today. She wrote, “What happened in Afghanistan under the Taliban is that one regional style of covering or veiling, associated with a certain respectable but no elite class, was imposed on everyone as “religiously” appropriate, even though previously there had been many different styles, popular or traditional with different groups and classes- different ways to mark women’s propriety, or, in more recent times, religious piety.” Just these few sentences alone opened my eyes to a culture that I knew so little on and had so much to learn about.

Since I had such a skewed view on the head dress, burqa or veiling, I was also under the impression that women who wore this type of clothing were oppressed by their religion or culture. Lila Abu Lughod quickly changed my view with one simple sentence. Lila wrote, “It is deeply problematic to construct the Afgahn woman as someone in need of saving.” This sentence alone showed me that I had really been misled about everything surrounding Middle Eastern culture and tradition. Lila eloquently explains the problem behind constructing the Afgahn woman as someone in need of saving. She wrote, “Projects of saving other women depend on and reinforce a sense of superiority by Westerners, a form of arrogance that deserves to be challenged.” Everything was starting to make sense to me. Media and film are continuously guilty of painting Muslim women as women who need saving. The media and film's intentions though are not truly to help these women. The arrogance of Westerners allows them to dehumanize the Muslim culture when they are constantly being painted as prisoners of their own culture and religion.

Since beginning our work focusing on Islamic feminism, I have made it a point to myself to learn about Muslim women and muslim culture so that Im not part of the problem of contributing to the false narrative around Muslim women and the burqa. This is exactly why it was an easy choice for me to do my individual commonplace blog focusing on Islamic feminism. By choosing Islamic feminism as my focus for this project, I was able to continue my learning and take action on educating myself so that I can educate others. One post on my blog page in particular that taught me alot was an article called “Islam and feminism are not mutually exclusive, and faith can be an important liberator” by The Conversation. This article challenged my way of thinking and gave me a better understanding of the fight between sexism and religion. One passage that surprised me in particular was “What would be surprising to scores of people, however, is that many Muslims see the Qur’an and hadith as a defence for their arguments against sexism, not as a stumbling block to women’s liberation.” Becase I was uneducated on Muslim religion, I assumed that the Qur’an did not support feminism. I have been proven wrong, but I am glad that religion in the Muslim world does infact support femisism and most Muslim women would identify themselves as feminsit. What shocked me even more was this: “Most of the Christian women in this study rejected the label of feminist, but espoused feminist values. In contrast, most of the Muslim women were willing to endorse the label of feminist, and actually identified Islam as a feminist religion.” This article proved to me that stereotypes can blind you from finding the truth. It is so important, now more than ever, that we don't let stereotypes decide what we do and do not know about a group of people. This is one important lesson I am taking away from this course.

One very large realization that I took away from this course is that I need to/am excited to learn more about women who don't look exactly like me, or dont dress like me or talk like me. I have learned so much throughout this course by listening and reading stories of women that have experienced drastically different things than I have. Its so crucial to not let identity politics blind us from learning about others instead of assuming we already know a person or group of people’s whole story. I am excited to take the lessons I learned throughout this course into the real world and expand my knowledge on all things women. After all, women run the world!

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psychotherapyconsultants · 7 years ago

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Finding New Friends After 40

A client, age 45, finds herself without close friendships in the wake of a difficult divorce. “Most of my friends are part of couples that my husband and I hung out with. It’s just plain awkward to try to be part of that group anymore.”

My 70-year-old client is lonely. “Most of the friends I thought I’d grow old with have died,” she explained. “I miss them terribly, of course. But I also miss just having people to do things with.”

Still another client, this one in her 60’s, complains that her closest friends have moved far away to be with adult children and grandchildren. “I’m glad for them but I’m the only one left in the area. Phone calls and emails just aren’t the same as spending an hour or two over tea.”

By the time people reach their mid-life to senior years, most have settled into their friend group. They have seen the same people and done the same things together for perhaps decades. Then something happens — illness, a move, a divorce, death — that causes people to lose contact or to lose each other.

It’s so much easier to make friends when we are young and surrounded by a pool of friend candidates. We easily meet people in school or in the early days on the job. While single, socializing feels easy (or at least easier). Early parenting puts us in proximity to other young parents. Older kids’ activities and school events give us the opportunity to meet other parents as well. Church-goers have a whole congregation in which to find friends.

But the older we get, the more difficult it seems to meet new people and to do the friend maintenance activities that make acquaintances into friends and friends into best buds. So what can you do to meet new people and develop new relationships? Here are a few ideas:

What to do

Volunteer One of the surest ways to find new people is to do some volunteer work. Identify an organization in your community that needs help and lend a hand. Non-profits often appreciate and even depend on helping hands. Working side by side with others will help you get to know people. Friendships may naturally bloom. A bonus is that studies have shown that people who volunteer are healthier and live longer. President Jimmy Carter is a role model for us all. His decades of volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity not only contributes to his community in a meaningful way, it also keeps him healthy and involved.

Join Something There are often sports teams that invite new people. If you are not an athlete, consider a book club or community chorus or chess club. Take a yoga or exercise class. If there is a senior center nearby, look into classes that are offered. One of my 90 year old friends faithfully goes to his weekly group about “Mathematical Probabilities”, also known as his poker night.

Reach out to old friends. There may be people in your community you used to spend time with. Then your time got so filled up with your job, raising kids, and an overfull schedule and you just gradually stopped seeing each other. If you remember that friendship fondly and if you just drifted apart, it may be worth a call to see if they would be interested in catching up over coffee.

Nurture your contacts. There are people we only see when a mutual friend has a party. We haven’t been in the same social circles. We don’t know the same people. But every time we see them, we enjoy their company. Is there is a person or two with whom you’ve had particularly meaningful or delightful conversations? Why wait until your friend has another party? Give this person a call.

Be visible in your neighborhood. Go for walks. Hang out on your front porch if you have one. Garden. Be friendly to people you meet or who pass by. Chances are you will start seeing the same people regularly. One of my new friends is a neighbor who brought over some Dalia bulbs when he saw me planting bulbs last spring. That led to many talks over coffee. Oh, by the way: Walking a cute dog is a surefire magnet for finding other people who love dogs.

Travel One of my friends swears by cruises. She says that the shared experience, and the fact that she bumps into the same people day after day on the ship, has resulted in several new friends. Some of them even book the same cruise year after year. Another friend likes to travel to Europe on a budget. She uses hostels instead of hotels and always meets interesting people. These folks are fortunate to have the time and money to be able to do such things. But there are other travel options that are shorter and less pricey. Your college alumni association or local senior center may sponsor day-long bus trips to a sporting event or a place of interest. Be an active participant and chances are you will meet some great people.

Check Online Check into www.meetup.com. Meetup helps people make, find and join groups around a particular interest in your own geographical area. I just checked for my town. Listed are groups for yoga, photography and sewing as well as a group for people who are interested in computer security.

Research has shown that friends, especially happy friends, help keep each other happy as well as healthy. Having a sense of belonging gives life meaning and provides mutual support and protection in times of stress. Yes, there are times in life when our friend census may go down but with a little effort, it is possible to make new friends and bring old friends closer.

from World of Psychology https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2017/11/19/finding-new-friends-after-40/

#World of Psychology

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ongames · 8 years ago

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The Best Instagram Accounts To Follow For Yoga

Maybe you’re already into yoga. Maybe you think it’s not your style.

The truth is that yoga is for everyone ― no matter your size, age or religious preference. Don’t believe us? Scroll through our favorite yoga Instagram accounts. They’ll inspire you to hit the mat and reap the health benefits of the practice, which include reduced stress, increased physical activity and and lower risk of chronic disease.

Check out the list below:

Colleen Saidman Yee, @colleensaidman

Eka para sirsasana. One foot to head seat. This is a great party trick. But, be careful. You really need to warm up the hips with external rotation such as pigeon and cobblers with forward bends. Practicing poses that really round the spine, like cat and rabbit poses are also good. Try a lunge and work the shoulder underneath the front thigh and maybe contemplate getting your head behind the calf. It's fun. Go slowly and remember our motto @TheYogaShanti... "any amount". #focusfriday

A post shared by C O L L E E N • S A I D M A N (@colleensaidman) on Dec 16, 2016 at 6:44pm PST

Colleen Saidman Yee is an author and international yoga instructor. Designer Donna Karan tapped her and her husband Rodney Yee to help create the Urban Zen’s Integrative Yoga Therapist Program, which brings yoga and eastern healing techniques to hospital patients in the United States.

Valerie Sagun, @biggalyoga

There was a great article my friend @themilitantbaker wrote for @ravishly recently talking about gaining weight. This made me think back to January 2014 when I was practicing yoga the most and felt my most active with biking and practicing. Since then I've definitely gained a lot of the weight back which I'm content with. A lot has happened since then. As Jes had talked about in her article, everything is always consisting changing, one year we can have more time for things, and other years things can take up your time. I know I always get those comments asking why I haven't lost any weight after practicing yoga for the last 5 years. I've never used my practice as a source of weight lose. I personally don't think it should be used for that just because there are so many other elements to practicing yoga. I lost most of my weight back in 2014 because I was biking, which is what I believe was the source of my weight loss, though the reason I biked was because it made me feel free and happy. Losing weight just happened to be a by-product. I've consistently advocated to just do active things just for the enjoyment of it, and not have to obsess about how many pounds you've lost. The more you obsess, the more expectation you put on yourself. That if you didn't do your physical activity something extremely bad will happen to you. Don't worry you'll be fine! You don't need to beat yourself up about it. Those extra pounds are okay! Be content with your body whether you have time for physical activities or life has to happen. We all have complicated lives. When you know you have the drive and time come back to it and be appreciative of yourself. Direct link in description: http://ift.tt/2mjAtoh Also this bikini pic is for @curvesbecomeher after her article for @wearyourvoicemag talking about a photo of herself and friends in bikinis that was taken down. Big and beautiful women rocking bikinis! Bikini outfit by @torridfashion Mat by @liforme

A post shared by Valerie Sagun (@biggalyoga) on Jun 3, 2016 at 12:38pm PDT

Valerie Segun practices yoga, encourages body positivity and shows her 145,000 followers that every body is a “yoga body.” Segun’s Instagram is especially valuable for people who think they can’t get into a challenging posture. She’ll frequently post inversions, such as a shoulder stand, to encourage people with varying body types to try something out of their comfort zone.

Derrick “DJ” Townsel, @dade2shelby

☝ ️ Spirit making the most of their human experience @dharmayogawheel #RastaYogi #Yoga #OnlyTheAvatar

A post shared by DJ Townsel #RastaYogi (@dade2shelby) on Dec 9, 2016 at 7:40pm PST

DJ Townsel, also known by the hashtag #RastaYogi on social media, is a former NFL athlete who is now a certified personal trainer and a yoga instructor in Florida. Townsel’s mission is to be “an inspiration to thousands who didn’t think a passion for fitness or yoga could be a possibility for them, mainly men and people of color,” according to his blog.

Rachel Brathen, @yoga_girl

God lives in wild, reckless abandon of structure. Shake things up. Say yes when you normally say no. Break all the rules. Follow your intuition. Travel. Talk to strangers. Laugh out loud. Dance like you don't give a fuck. Yell at the ocean. Hug a tree. Spend all your money. Cry when you feel like it. Be naked more. Eat whatever the hell you want. Quit your job. Start a new one. Speak your mind. Fall in love. Have your heart broken. Fall in love again. Live your life for YOU! You were born a free spirit. Act like it. _______________________________________________________ (found this quote in my notes this morning. feeling just as rebellious today as I did when I first wrote it!) #tbquote #wild #free #love

A post shared by Rachel Brathen (@yoga_girl) on Dec 28, 2016 at 4:46am PST

More than 2 million people follow Rachel Brathen, an international yoga instructor and author who lives in Aruba. Brathen is also founder of OneOEight, a company for web-based yoga classes accessible on your computer, phone or tablet.

Michael James Wong’s “Boys Of Yoga,” @boysofyoga

We were all born somewhere different, but we are all here together now ✌ #boysofyoga • our BOY @victorchauyoga for @boysofyoga

A post shared by BOYSOFYOGA (@boysofyoga) on Feb 1, 2017 at 3:52am PST

Yoga instructor Michael James Wong created the project Boys of Yoga to get more men into the practice. “Some guys think yoga makes you less of a man,” he wrote of the project on Instagram. “The truth is it makes you a better one.” The Boys of Yoga Instagram feed features photos of men practicing yoga all over the world.

Laura Kasperzak, @laurasykora

We support the @LoveYourMelon organization and the @CUDenverLYMCrew because cancer sucks and we desperately need to find a cure! Love Your Melon is a nationwide organization in over 700 colleges and universities whose mission is to put a hat on every child battling cancer in the US and raise funds to support the fight against childhood cancer. 50% of the net proceeds of each purchase goes to pediatric cancer research and family support. . Pose inspired by @chubbypoptart ❤

A post shared by Laura Kasperzak (@laurasykora) on Feb 8, 2017 at 11:58am PST

More than 1 million people follow Laura Kasperzak for yoga inspiration. She does post solo poses, but often the yoga instructor’s practice is a family affair. Her son, daughter and husband are regulars on her mat and Instagram feed.

Chelsea Jackson Roberts, @chelsealovesyoga

Still thinking about how you want to begin your New Year? Join me and a room full of beautiful humans tomorrow at @greentreeyogala in Los Angeles There are only a few spots left, so reserve your space today by visiting the link in my bio. • This class is ideal for beginners who are just beginning, returning to, or interested in really getting grounded through accessible movement and breathing exercises. In other words, this is the perfect class for slowing down, grounding, and feeling the breath come alive✨Hope to see you there, #LosAngeles

A post shared by Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts (@chelsealovesyoga) on Dec 31, 2016 at 8:46am PST

Chelsea Jackson Roberts is not only a certified yoga instructor devoted to bringing the wellness benefits of the practice to marginalized communities. Roberts founded Yoga, Literature, and Art camp for teen girls at Spelman College in 2013.

Briohny Smyth and Dice Iida-Klein, @bryceyoga

"Mutual respect is the foundation of genuine harmony" - The Dalia Lama @actionhiro Wearing @aloyoga

A post shared by Briohny & Dice (@bryceyoga) on Jan 25, 2017 at 9:01pm PST

Co-parents Briohny Smyth and Dice Iida-Klein run yoga teacher trainings, classes and yoga workshops in exotic locations around the world. Their Instagram feed is full of posts from these travels. Next up? Koh-Samui, Thailand in July. Take us with you, please?

Jessamyn Stanley, @mynameisjessamyn

I almost cried during my interview with @selfmagazine when they asked about my experience with self hate- honestly, it's bizarre to me that I'm perceived as such a confident person when I spent such a huge chunk of my life buried under truly toxic body shame. And it's not like those feelings have completely dissipated- just like anyone, I have ups and downs. And I always roll my eyes whenever people draw the conclusion that yoga is the source of my body confidence. I mean, Instagram is littered with proof that an aggressive yoga asana practice can unintentionally sow the seeds of body negativity. But there's no doubt that yoga has made me stronger- but the physical strength isn't really the point, is it? If you want to watch me get choked up and talk about body shame, click the link in my Instagram header! Photo by @nadyawasylko (Btw, I can't remember who made this sports bikini but I EFFING LOVE IT and need it in every color. I only ever want to practice in my underroos and when the #teamSELF crew said "...are you cool with wearing this?" I almost started frothing at the mouth from excitement. THIS IS WHAT FAT GIRLS WANT. )

A post shared by Jessamyn (@mynameisjessamyn) on Sep 21, 2016 at 2:33pm PDT

More than 280,000 people can’t get enough of Jessamyn Stanley’s Instagram. Stanley is a certified yoga instructor based in North Carolina with a fierce body-positive attitude. Her book, Every Body Yoga, will be published in April 2017.

Caley Alyssa, @caleyalyssa

When things get a little crazy in your life where do you turn for peace, for clarity, for wisdom? What grounds you and illuminates your best course of action? _ For me, it's always nature. Mother Nature has a way of calming the storm (whether it's inside me or outside of me) and creating space for me to see clearly. It allows me a buffer zone to feel into the absolute best course of action to take for me. And to realize that sometimes my path might be very different than those around me. _ Now is a time for wisdom. Now is a time for clarity. Now is the time for you to gather your faculties and walk down YOUR path. Stand up for what you believe in the ways that ring true for you. But stand up either way. Take action either way. Do this with love, and compassion. For others and for yourself.

A post shared by Caley Alyssa (@caleyalyssa) on Jan 29, 2017 at 10:13am PST

Caley Alyssa used yoga to transition out of a nine-to-five job in finance into the career of her dreams. She now teaches yoga classes and retreats around the world. Her Instagram feed features yoga poses (and how to modify them), healthy food and travel.

Now, if you don’t mind us, we’re going to browse these accounts again and then settle into our Savasana.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Best Instagram Accounts To Follow For Yoga published first on http://ift.tt/2lnpciY

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imreviewblog · 8 years ago

Text

The Best Instagram Accounts To Follow For Yoga

Maybe you’re already into yoga. Maybe you think it’s not your style.

Check out the list below:

Colleen Saidman Yee, @colleensaidman

A post shared by C O L L E E N • S A I D M A N (@colleensaidman) on Dec 16, 2016 at 6:44pm PST

Valerie Sagun, @biggalyoga

There was a great article my friend @themilitantbaker wrote for @ravishly recently talking about gaining weight. This made me think back to January 2014 when I was practicing yoga the most and felt my most active with biking and practicing. Since then I've definitely gained a lot of the weight back which I'm content with. A lot has happened since then. As Jes had talked about in her article, everything is always consisting changing, one year we can have more time for things, and other years things can take up your time. I know I always get those comments asking why I haven't lost any weight after practicing yoga for the last 5 years. I've never used my practice as a source of weight lose. I personally don't think it should be used for that just because there are so many other elements to practicing yoga. I lost most of my weight back in 2014 because I was biking, which is what I believe was the source of my weight loss, though the reason I biked was because it made me feel free and happy. Losing weight just happened to be a by-product. I've consistently advocated to just do active things just for the enjoyment of it, and not have to obsess about how many pounds you've lost. The more you obsess, the more expectation you put on yourself. That if you didn't do your physical activity something extremely bad will happen to you. Don't worry you'll be fine! You don't need to beat yourself up about it. Those extra pounds are okay! Be content with your body whether you have time for physical activities or life has to happen. We all have complicated lives. When you know you have the drive and time come back to it and be appreciative of yourself. Direct link in description: http://bit.ly/2lDtx1k Also this bikini pic is for @curvesbecomeher after her article for @wearyourvoicemag talking about a photo of herself and friends in bikinis that was taken down. Big and beautiful women rocking bikinis! Bikini outfit by @torridfashion Mat by @liforme

A post shared by Valerie Sagun (@biggalyoga) on Jun 3, 2016 at 12:38pm PDT

Derrick “DJ” Townsel, @dade2shelby

☝ ️ Spirit making the most of their human experience @dharmayogawheel #RastaYogi #Yoga #OnlyTheAvatar

A post shared by DJ Townsel #RastaYogi (@dade2shelby) on Dec 9, 2016 at 7:40pm PST

Rachel Brathen, @yoga_girl

A post shared by Rachel Brathen (@yoga_girl) on Dec 28, 2016 at 4:46am PST

Michael James Wong’s “Boys Of Yoga,” @boysofyoga

We were all born somewhere different, but we are all here together now ✌ #boysofyoga • our BOY @victorchauyoga for @boysofyoga

A post shared by BOYSOFYOGA (@boysofyoga) on Feb 1, 2017 at 3:52am PST

Laura Kasperzak, @laurasykora

A post shared by Laura Kasperzak (@laurasykora) on Feb 8, 2017 at 11:58am PST

Chelsea Jackson Roberts, @chelsealovesyoga

A post shared by Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts (@chelsealovesyoga) on Dec 31, 2016 at 8:46am PST

Briohny Smyth and Dice Iida-Klein, @bryceyoga

"Mutual respect is the foundation of genuine harmony" - The Dalia Lama @actionhiro Wearing @aloyoga

A post shared by Briohny & Dice (@bryceyoga) on Jan 25, 2017 at 9:01pm PST

Jessamyn Stanley, @mynameisjessamyn

A post shared by Jessamyn (@mynameisjessamyn) on Sep 21, 2016 at 2:33pm PDT

Caley Alyssa, @caleyalyssa

A post shared by Caley Alyssa (@caleyalyssa) on Jan 29, 2017 at 10:13am PST

Now, if you don’t mind us, we’re going to browse these accounts again and then settle into our Savasana.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Healthy Living - The Huffington Post http://huff.to/2lDFiVp

#Healthy Living - The Huffington Post

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