“Thanksgiving”

Ugh. Thanksgiving. I have such a hard time with this “holiday.” What are we celebrating anyway?! The history of this US holiday is rooted in colonialism and racism. Colonialists came and massacred the indigenous people of this land and then took the land, and here we are “celebrating” this?! It honestly just hurts my soul on a deep level. Because if that wasn’t enough, it was the beginning of this idea that the white man’s way of life (and frankly the white man himself) was inherently superior to all other humans, animals, and the planet. AH- just had to physically shake that thought off…YUCK! But the indigenous way of life, in particular, is SO deeply connected to the earth and one another. Think of how much better off we’d be right now if those colonizers had just listened and learned instead of asserting their power!!!

And then there’s the whole tradition around food which - for as long as I’ve been vegan - my family still does not see a problem with. And yet, they are so kind and make accommodations for me. My mom makes the mashed potatoes vegan and she makes a special apple pie that’s vegan. My brother makes the most delicious sweet potato casserole that is vegan. And they all do this without sacrifice (or at least they don’t say it out loud, which is kind!).

So, as I do in so many different aspects in life, I continue to struggle with the question of how I can entertain two polar opposites. How do I stay grateful for my family today and for all the wonderful things in my life, while still participating in the “holiday festivities” that bring up this deep-rooted emotional pain and discomfort. Am I complicit in this holiday by even being at my family’s house today? Am I condoning all of the awful acts of oppression, exploitation and slaughter of human and non-human animals that accompany this day?

I don’t think I have the answers… and even if I did, these answers would probably evolve over time anyway (because what is life without growth, right?). But for TODAY, I can say this: I am going to try to stay Spirit-embodied as BEST I can today. I started my day with meditation, and will probably do a couple more today. I will do my best to identify my triggers as they arise and I will breathe through them, allowing them to be a reminder of what I care so deeply about in this world. I will breathe into the moments of joy I do have with my family, and try to feel into the vibrancy of this life I have been gifted.

One of the hardest things in this lifetime as a human is to hold space for all of the messy, beautiful, ugly, painful, joyous, fulfilling moments all at once. It’s a complex life, and breathing into ALL aspects is hard. But today especially is a great day to practice just that. This is yoga off the mat. Deep breath. Here we go…