The Liberated Parenthood Scrapbook

Considering an apprenticeship in Spiritual Direction with Teresa Blythe and this is the card I pulled.

I’m going back to basics today in my Yoga practice with Sutra 1.2 from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

Yogas chitta-vrita nirodhah

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

The whole goal of yoga is not to bend ourselves into more and more complex shapes, or be able to take bigger, deeper breaths.

It is about stillness. It is about becoming present. And uniting mind, body and breath. 

Uniting our individual consciousness with something bigger.

By Morénike Giwa Onaiwu (p. 30-32, All the Weight of My Dreams - on living racialized autism)

This is autism.

A world where we are defined as a list of “deficits” and “problems” needing to be overcome.

This is autism.

A world where our killers can be showered with sympathy and compassion

for having had to endure a life with us.

This is autism.

Incessant fatigue created by having to navigate societies not designed for us, not respectful of us, not accepting of us.

This is autism.

Being misunderstood. Being judged. Being discriminated against. Being manipulated.

But this is also autism:

Learning to cope. Learning to stand. Learning to embrace oneself. Learning to live.

This is autism.

Originality. Uniqueness. Sensitivity. Detail. Tenacity. Courage. Truth.

This is autism.

Being human. Being accepted. Being loved. Being free.

This is autism.

A growing community. Hope. Change. Faith. Surrounded by the love and support that strengthens us.

This is autism.

The word that allowed me to finally understand my children.

Finally understand my mother. Finally understand myself.

Finally know myself.

This is autism.

Understanding.

This is autism.

Resilience.

This is autism.

Survival.

This is autism.

Purpose.

This is autism.

Future.

This is autism.

Acceptance.

This is autism.

It is me.

It is you.

It is us.