A Meditation From the Encampment

| By Amy Bullard |

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.
— Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light, 1988.

From 1757 until India’s independence in 1947 British colonisers - known for their divide and conquer tactics - outlawed yoga and Ayurveda and attempted to separate generations of our ancestors from their spiritual practice.  But the ancient wisdom of yoga  - which is translated from Sanskrit as unity i.e. no separation - that we now know and love was passed down through generations in secret. So, when the present-day neo-colonial, capitalist society also thrives on us being disembodied, yoga challenges the very foundations of these systems. 

As organisers relentlessly fighting against the Palestinian genocide however, we can forget about our bodies. This can lead to burnout, which may mean withdrawing from the resistance. Yoga invites us to bring our bodies back into the conversation. The power of this practice is in its ability to strengthen our personal and collective power, so we can rise up against injustice. That’s why as a yoga guide I strive to help the dreamers and doers of liberation to maintain hope by practising in community. 

The current student encampments we’re seeing appear globally may seem just like a group of tents set up on university premises, but they are strategically places as a way of protest. The students based on these encampments are calling for their universities to recognise their complicity in the genocide being committed by Israel and to divest from Israeli and all weapon-based investments. 

The University of York claims that it is a ‘University of Sanctuary’ where it “welcomes those who are displaced”. It also attracts human rights defenders and radical activists to the university through their Centre for Applied Human Rights which “hosts Human Rights Defenders, who risk their lives to fight global injustice and strengthen democracy, to York to share their expertise.” It is hypocritical for the Vice Chancellor and the university’s senior management to promote the radical work by academics and administrators whilst also contributing to the sales of weapons that are harming the people and their families that they claim to support.

The students at The University of York remain on their encampment with the following demands:

  • Cut ties with the arms trade

  • Support Gaza’s education sector

  • Scholarships for Palestinian students 

  • Statement condemning genocide

  • Support for Fadi Hania a University of York Alumni, & help rebuild his life.

By remaining on the encampment the students hope to begin negotiations with senior management. Students are taking on a significant risk as they may be expelled from the university and as we’ve seen at Oxford University, there is also a risk of the university enacting further violence by calling the police to arrest students. 

With all this comes heightened, distressed and anxious nervous systems. The students are having to be hypervigilant due to the risk of violence. They have developed shift patterns so that one person is always awake during the night as a protective measure. This hypervigilance and stress causes disharmony in the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is a way to harmonise the nervous system, to bring ease in times of distress.

These are the tools of yoga which I offer to the encampment and which I also  share here, so that student organisers protesting in encampments across the country can practise together and be aware of caring for themselves and each other. This six-part sequence is to be practised with loved ones who long for a Free Palestine, with friends who long for the death of all empires and with comrades who long for collective liberation. If you are a student in these organising spaces, it is my hope that you are able to honour your mind, body and spirit when practising this sequence. Feel free to take what resonates with you and leave the rest.

Images by @nadas.captures taken in May 2024, at the Sheffield University Encampment (Like York, Sheffield University also claims to be a ‘University of Sanctuary’)

A note on accessibility: You may do this practice seated on the ground, on a sturdy chair, a wheelchair with the brakes on, or standing. 

1. A self check in. 

Activity: 

To begin, I invite you to consider, how was your sleep last night? The act of staying overnight in the encampment is a vital part of this student-led resistance, but noticing how we slept - or didn’t sleep - can help us to start each day being present with our bodies. 

Reflections: 

  • Were you cold, hot, comfortable, or uncomfortable? 

  • Did any emotions arise for you in the night, or when you woke up? 

  • Do you feel rested? What does rest feel like for you? 

Share your reflections with your camp.

2. A Co-Creating Activity 

Activity: 

Next, I invite you to notice where you have aches, pains or tension from sleeping in a tent. As a group identify these parts of your bodies and explore moving your body in ways which may ease this. Feel free to search online for guidance. 

Reflections: 

  • Are there similarities between people in the camp? 

  • What may these parts of your body be telling you? 

  • What does your collective body wish to say? 

Share your reflections with your camp.

In preparation for our next pose, I invite you to roll your ankles, stretch your inner thighs, quads and hips. 

3. Utkata Konasana 

Once you have completed your stretches I invite you to explore an asana called Utkata Konasana. In yoga an asana is translated from Sanskrit as a pose, shape or movement. Utkata Konasana is an asana which builds heat and activates the body. It is often understood to be a goddess pose, or a fierce angel pose.  

Activity:

Find a comfortable position, you may be seated, standing or squatting. The invitation is to imagine you are a tree.  Your feet are rooted into the earth in a wide stance, with your knees parted. Lengthen your spine, gently raising your chest towards the sky. Then, reach your arms out into a 'T' shape, and bend your elbows so your fingers are reaching the sky, like branches.

Stay in this pose for a few breaths. Please feel free to move in and out of this pose, shaking or stretching where your body needs extra care. 

Reflections: 

  • What does it feel like to harness the energy of this shape?

  • How is your breathing after exploring Utkata Konasana? 

  • Do you feel any changes in your mental state?

Share your reflections with the camp. 

A note on accessibility: You can also explore the fierce, goddess-like energy that is the essence of this asana without movement, through visualisation. 

4. Pranayama 

Pranayama is the Sanskrit word for breathwork. Pranayama invites us to focus on our breath using different techniques, where each technique will have an effect on your mental, emotional and physical state. For this sequence our pranayama is a practice of presence. Through tuning into the breath we bring ourselves into the present moment. If your mind is full of thoughts, focusing on your inhale and exhale can bring you into the present moment.

Activity:

Now, bring awareness to your inhale and your exhale and pay attention to the way your upper chest, the centre of your chest and your belly expands and releases. Meet your breath with compassion. There is no right or wrong way to be here. 

Reflections: 

  • How easy or difficult was it to focus on your breath?

  • Do you feel any shifts in your mental or emotional state after this practice?

  • Were you able to experience the present moment? If no, why not? If yes, what was it like?

5. An Affirmation

As a closing practice I invite you to close your eyes and say the following liturgy written by Cole Arthur Riley, creator of Black Liturgies. Repeat this liturgy three times, and collectively connect your breath to the words. This can be said aloud or to yourself. 

Inhale 

We resist

Exhale 

We remain

Once complete, gently open your eyes, bringing some awareness back into your body. 


6. A Reflection 

To seal in the learnings of this practice, a helpful activity may be to take some time to explore some final reflections in relation to this practice as a whole before you re-enter your day.  

Reflections: 

  • Can you notice a change in yourself compared to the start of the practice? 

  • Has this practice taught you anything new about your body?  

  • How can this practice help us harness our collective wisdom so that we can continue moving toward a liberated Palestine?

Return to these answers, when you need a reminder of why you do the work. 

Return to this practice when you need a re-energising reminder of how to do this work. 

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