How Will We Meet This Moment?

In 2001, I rode 500 miles with my sister from Minneapolis to Chicago in the Heartland AIDS Ride. At the time, HIV/AIDS was an abstract issue for me. But on that ride, as I met people whose lives had been devastated by the virus, it became deeply personal. I could no longer sit idly by. The struggle became my struggle. That moment transformed me and led me into AIDS activism. It was the spark that shifted my path and gave me a new mission.

Today, once again, I find myself asking, “How will I meet this moment?”

The Threat Is Real

We are at a tipping point, and this moment demands our response. The incoming administration has made it clear that it will dismantle our democracy, target marginalized communities, and sow division. Immigrants, Muslims, BIPOC, queer, trans, nonbinary folks, women, and other communities are under attack. The hate we hoped would fade has only grown louder. And it is no longer an abstract threat. It is personal. It is aimed at my children. It is aimed at my family, my friends, and the people I love.

I have two LGBTQ+ children. Over the weekend, as I read through the Project 2025 Playbook — a 887-page document outlining the next administration’s plan to undermine our rights — my heart broke. The first page of the playbook attacks transgender people, calling their very existence a “toxic normalization.” It seeks to dismantle policies that protect LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans youth. It envisions a future where “stable, married, nuclear families” are the only accepted model, and anyone who falls outside that box is pushed further to the margins. It is not just a political agenda; it is an attack on the very humanity of people I love.

This is no longer a struggle from afar. This is personal.

A Call to Action

As I was sitting with the weight of this moment, I saw an article in my RSS feeds over the weekend titled “It’s No Time to Be Neutral.” I was a little bit surprised to see it was by Bhikkhu Bodhi, a Buddhist monk I’ve studied with for many years. In no uncertain terms, he says, “We would be deceiving ourselves if we fail to recognize that we’re up against a grave threat to the ideal of the Beloved Community, the community that affirms and embraces all.” This is a time to act, to stand up for truth, for justice, for love.

This is not just a Buddhist call to action. It also aligns with my practice as a Unitarian Universalist. Since 2008, Marnie and I have been proud members of a UU community with a long history of standing on the side of love. From abolitionism to the civil rights movement, from the push for LGBTQ+ rights to reproductive justice, the Unitarian Universalists have always been on the front lines of social change. As we face this current crisis, the UUs are once again ready to act.

In fact, many of the principles I hold close in my yoga practice align directly with UU values—especially the commitment to justice, equity, and compassion. The UU principle of affirming and promoting “justice, equity, and compassion in human relations” is a call to action, just as much as the yogic tenets of ahimsā (non-harming) and satya (truth). These principles fully align with Kripalu’s vision of “a world united in service towards well-being, justice, and peace.”

I take great inspiration from the UU community, which has always understood that our work in the world is about more than personal salvation or spiritual growth. It’s about transforming the world we live in and creating a society where justice, love, and compassion guide all our actions. In this way, my own path as a yogi is inseparable from my activism. They feed into each other. They must.

Bhikkhu Bodhi lays out a four-step path forward for our time:

1. Pause and process: Sit with the emotions that arise. Don’t rush through the pain, the anger, the fear. Let yourself feel it fully. This is not a time for denial.
2. Expand your heart in compassion: Let the fear and sadness transform into empathy. Open your heart to those who are most vulnerable under these new policies, such as trans youth, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ folks. See them, feel their struggle, and allow that to fuel your action.
3. Take action: This is not the time for neutrality. Now is the time to make your moral convictions known. March. Protest. Petition. Every action, no matter how small, is a part of a larger wave of change.
4. Reflect on the path ahead: We must discern and reflect on how we got here—and, more importantly, how we can emerge from this chapter. How can we heal? How can we rebuild the Beloved Community?

This past week I have been working through steps one and two, sitting with the emotions, expanding my heart. I have shed a lot of tears. But I am also moving into steps three and four, asking myself, “What will I do now?” The answer is clear: I must act.

Now Is the Time

Now is the time to move from fear into action.

Throughout my life, I have never been someone to sit on the sidelines. I was raised to take action, to stand up for what is right. And, just as I’ve done in the past, I am stepping forward now.

For years, I’ve offered my support to causes and movements close to my heart. I’ve been a free software advocate for over two decades. I’ve organized yoga classes in support of people living with AIDS, individuals with autism, my local food shelf, young widows, kids and more. Honestly, I’ve been kinda all over the place and this work has often felt incomplete.

It’s time to bring together my yoga and mindfulness work with the pressing need for social justice. This is why I am launching a new project: Practical Resilience for Activists and Organizers.

These workshops will offer evidence-based yoga, mindfulness practices, and tools for self-compassion designed to help sustain the physical, mental, and emotional resilience needed to navigate the challenges of activism. Whether you’re organizing marches, advocating for marginalized communities, or standing up for justice in any form, these practices can help you manage stress, stay focused, and move through the emotional weight of this work with greater clarity and compassion.

My recent trip in September to Kripalu for resilience training has me feeling well-equipped and inspired to share these practice. During that training I was reminded that not everyone knows yoga and breathing practices. I saw first hand the profound effects of these practices on front-line workers.

For me, this work with activists and organizers is not “optional.” This is essential. Activists and organizers are on the front lines of change, and they need the tools to keep going with clear minds and open hearts. Resilience and self-care should be accessible to everyone, especially those who are standing up for justice.

How You Can Help

If this work resonates with you, there are several ways you can help:

1. Spread the word: Share this message with activists, organizers, and anyone who could benefit from these workshops. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient movement.
2. Join the effort: If you have experience or skills that could complement this project, I would love to collaborate. Let me know if you’d like to join forces.
3. Give feedback: Who should I be talking to? Who else can benefit from this work? I am actively seeking connections with others in the movement who share this vision.
4. Support the resilience library: In addition to this workshop, I’ve started a collection of resilience resources for activists, which includes practices, articles, and tools for sustaining emotional and physical health in the work of justice. Feel free to explore and share.

We Are Stronger Together

I had planned to write about how Marnie and I celebrated 30 wonderful years together (the 30th anniversary of our first date) over the weekend. We did celebrate, and it was wonderful. But today is a new day.

The world needs us now. It needs our resilience, our love, our commitment to truth and justice. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines, to pretend that things will somehow fix themselves. It is up to us to meet this moment in the ways that feel most meaningful.

In the face of hate, we choose love. In the face of fear, we choose courage. In the face of division, we choose unity. We are stronger when we stand together. This is the Beloved Community we are building, and it is one we must protect.

How are you doing? Are you ready to act?