Protecting our communities amidst a political nightmare

Launching a new BIPOC healing space, laws that govern our society, the meaning of self, and New York Asian seamstresses and pattern-makers

Steven Wakabayashi

Jun 29, 2022

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A21c6b2b28e27e0b8ad458d2c56ab61f — Image by Hurca!™

Hi friend,

Last week, I was at a silent meditation retreat and emerging from it this past week was a process. My inbox was flooded with the upsetting news about our politics and the state of our country.

Capitalism has afforded many people the unimaginable rights we see unfolding before our very eyes — rights to goods, rights to service, and rights over human bodies. Combined with widespread intolerance and racism, these new legislations and rulings are rewinding years of collective progress.

While I share mixed feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration, a week of sitting in silence has taught me that (1) we can sit and be aware of feelings but (2) we are empowered to let go of what is not serving us so that we can move forward.

Ever since founding Mindful Sights, we have served more than 1200 Asian and queer Asian attendees as a part of our monthly support groups in the few years that we’ve launched with free & accessible meditation, mindfulness, and support spaces. (Didn’t realize this until looking at the numbers just now - which is kind of amazing!)

After much thought and discussion with fellow collaborators on how we can show up during this time (especially with the fact that our BIPOC communities are the most vulnerable), we are excited to add something new/much-needed to the mix: a monthly BIPOC-centered online healing space. (Looking to launch our first session in August of this year)

One thing I am learning to do a better job (work in progress) is to invite people along the journey and be a part of the change to help heal and protect our communities.

And so, if you’d like to join us and help create this space, donations are greatly appreciated and helps subsidize the cost of our technology licenses and operating costs. Donations are fully tax-deductible as Mindful Sights is a registered 501c3 organization.

This is how we move our communities forward in the face of a storm. Huddling and healing with support from one another.

Donate via MindfulSights.org

PS - if you don’t have financial means but want to help in a volunteer capacity, let me know too. We are always open and looking for volunteers. Email me at steven@mindfulsights.org.

What I’m up to

In the spirit of rest, QTBIPOC Design is on summer break for July and August. 🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride season! Hope you were able to get out and celebrate the festivities.

For queer Asians: Thu, July 14 - Yellow Glitter Sparkles

For Asians: Wed, July 20 - Asian American Healing Space

Something to read

A fascinating collection of observations (AKA laws) by Roger’s Bacon that govern the way we digest the internet by Roger’s Bacon.

Secretum Secretorum

Eponymous Laws Part I: Laws of the Internet

I’ve always been fascinated by the observations, adages, and aphorisms that we (often sarcastically) designate as eponymous laws, effects, or principles. They are often funny (and memorable because of it), but many of them speak to very fundamental features of our psychology and the human condition more generally. Murphy’s Law is probably the most well …

4 years ago · 19 likes · 12 comments · Roger's Bacon

Some favorites:

The Law of Fakery – “Anything fake which attracts enough attention will have some people vehemently proclaiming it’s real. Anything real which attracts enough attention will have some people vehemently proclaiming it’s fake. Corollary: If the creator confesses that it was fake, some people will still claim it’s real and call the confession a fake.”
Cunningham’s Law – “The best way to get a correct answer to a posed question is to post the wrong answer and wait for someone to correct you.”
Badger’s Law – “any website with the word “Truth” in the URL has none in the posted content.”

Something to listen

Lately, I’ve been struggling with Sam Harris’ podcast due to really poor conversations he’s been having with conservative right wing pundits about racism and gun control (goes to show that not anyone can be “perfect”), but had a very thought-provoking conversation with Jay Garfield on the meaning of self.

Jay L. Garfield is Chair of the Philosophy department at Smith College, visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, professor of philosophy at Melbourne University and adjunct professor of philosophy at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies.

Something to watch

Invisible Seams shares the stories of eight different Asian seamstresses and pattern-makers in New York, bringing to the fore the experiences of these frontline workers of the fashion industry, whose voices are too often overlooked. These women have weathered the pandemic, the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, trials of immigration, and the never-ending demands of fashion cycles. Invisible Seams is a celebration of their talent and expertise, an acknowledgment that their devotion to their craft is also a means of survival.

Really loved this short film capturing this beautiful history & community.