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Rev. Xolani Kacela, Ph.D.

Centering Revisited

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Centering Revisited

Centering Revisited offers an update to the book, Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity, and Power in Ministry, edited by Rev. Mitra Rahnema. This video comes from the Centering Revisited webinar/workshop at UUA General Assembly 2021.

The excerpts are from updates spoken by Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Rev. Cheryl M. Walker.

The 2017-18 UUA Common Read

In October 2015, a group of distinguished UU religious professionals of color gathered together in Chicago to embark on a radical project. The conference was sponsored by the UUMA’s Committee on Antiracism, Anti-oppression, and Multiculturalism. It started with the premise that discussions of race in Unitarian Universalism have too often presupposed a White audience and prioritized the needs, education, and emotions of the White majority. The goal was to reframe Unitarian Universalist anti-oppression work by putting the voices, experiences and learnings of people of color at the center of the conversation. The resulting book, Centering, captures the papers that were presented and the rich dialogue from the conference to share personal stories and address the challenges that religious leaders of color face in exercising power, agency, and authority in a culturally White denomination. Centering explores how racial identity is made both visible and invisible in Unitarian Universalist ministries.

For the free online study guide click here.

Fat Liberation and UU

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Fat Liberation and UU

Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum, Rev. Molly Brewer, Rev. Julie Brock

Fat UU Clergy Against Sizeism Caucus Group
Taking Up Space: Fat Liberation and UU examines the following: Fat bodies are often viewed as bad bodies, even in UU spaces. A group of UU clergy will present a theological context that lifts up the worth and dignity of every body, of every size. Through facts, stories, and examples, we will equip congregations to question and transform fatphobia culture.

Sizeism (from https://www.definitions.net/definition/sizeism)

Size discrimination or sizeism is a form of discrimination based upon a person’s physical size, including but not limited to height and/or weight. Sizeism usually refers to extremes in physical size, as in an extremely tall person or an extremely skinny person. This can also be applied to discrimination against the fat and/or obese.

Definition of sizeism (from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sizeism)

: discrimination or prejudice directed against people because of their size and especially because of their weight … this is one way to dismantle the power difference society’s privileges grant us through such institutions as racism or classism or ageism or sizeism.

— Sarah Lucia Hoagland

… Hollywood horror stories about sizeism abound. Carrie Fisher said in 2015 that she had been pressured to lose 35 pounds before appearing in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

— Brooks Barnes

From (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sizeism)

Sizeism is aligned with the social construction of the ideal or “normal” body shape and size and how that shapes our environment. In the U.S. we can observe many public facilities shaped by this “normative” body including; telephone booths, drinking fountains, bleachers, bathroom outlets (sinks, toilets, stalls), chairs, tables, turnstiles, elevators, staircases, vending machines, doorways…to name a few. Design assumptions are drawn about the size and shape of the users (height, weight, proportionate length of arms and legs, width of hips and shoulders).[5]

Body-shaming, more specifically weight-shaming of men and women, is a widely known characteristic of sizeism, shown in the form of prejudice and discrimination can include both skinny shaming[6] and fat shaming.[7]

Justin Miles – Black & Buddhist

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Justin Miles – Black & Buddhist

Take On Faith – June 26, 2021

Justin Miles serves as a Black Buddhist teacher who also identifies as a Christian. He joined host Xolani Kacela on Take On Faith for a discussion about his spiritual work. The show airs on KTAL-LP 101.5 from Las Cruces, NM.

Justin Miles is a licensed mental health provider, hip-hop artist, and martial arts expert. He shared his journey to Buddhism and how he lives as Black person on many levels. He unpacked the challenges of living true to himself and being among an all-white spiritual community.

A native of D.C., Miles offered listeners several unique perspectives on being true to oneself, embracing imperfection, and keeping an open mind while dealing with today’s most pressing issues.

You can contact Justin Miles at milesinstitute@gmail.com.

Click the arrow above to listen to the audio or click here to download.

From Justin Miles’ website:

In 2010 I started the Miles Institute of Integral Living in order to help anyone that I could with challenges of the body, mind, spirit, self, culture, society and nature. The various ways that I assist others come directly from my experience as an imperfect human being, an educated and experienced Buddhist teacher, meditation instructor, psychotherapist, Hiphop artist and survivalist. My philosophy is to be of benefit to others by any means necessary, but especially by any means that others feel connected with. I will help anyone do anything that they think will provide growth and healing in their lives as long as it won’t hurt themselves or others. Whatever skills, insights and gifts that appear to be mine are shared freely with the world.

I began to realize that the only thing to do with my life is to be of service to others, not just through my education but through whoever I’ve learned to be on my human journey. I try to see the wisdom in everything and the world as teacher when i’m relaxed and receptive enough to allow that to happen. Personally, my sense of well-being comes from the practices of meditation, spiritual study, making Hiphop music, gardening, being alone in nature, facilitating therapy, raising my children, sweat lodges, vision quests, marksmanship, hanging out with friends and watching movies, but there is probably nothing that brings me greater pleasure than helping others.

Daniel Simpson

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Daniel Simpson

Take On Faith – June 12, 2021

Daniel Simpson discussed his new book, The Truth About Yoga. His book provides an in-depth look at yoga. The book is available on Amazon and wherever you buy your books.

Simpson joined host Xolani Kacela from his home in Oxford, England. It was his first appearance on Take On Faith on KTAL-LP 101.5.

Daniel Simpson shared his story about how he discovered yoga. Also, he talked about how he became a yoga expert. He discussed yoga’s roots and its early texts. Importantly, he explained yoga evolved from Hindu practice to modern day exercise.

He broke down how politics, religion, and culture changed yoga practice. Originally, it was a way to ease suffering. An established author, he updated listeners on the current state of yoga in the world.

Click on the arrow above to listen or here to download the audio.

From Guest’s Website:

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Subtitled “A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices,” this book provides succinct answers to almost any question about yoga’s evolution, putting teachings into context and dispelling misconceptions.

To quote the back cover:

Yoga is practiced by many millions of people worldwide and is celebrated for its mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. And yet, as Daniel Simpson reveals in The Truth of Yoga, much of what is said about yoga is misleading. For example, the word “yoga” does not always mean union. In fact, in perhaps the discipline’s most famous text—the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali—its aim is described as separation: isolating consciousness from everything else. And yoga is not five thousand years old, as is commonly claimed; the earliest evidence of practice dates back about twenty-five hundred years. (Yoga may well be older, but no one can prove it.)

The Truth of Yoga is a clear, concise, and accessible handbook for the lay reader that draws upon abundant recent scholarship. It outlines these new findings with practitioners in mind, highlighting ways to keep traditions alive in the twenty-first century.

Daniel Simpson teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, and at Triyoga in London. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and has a master’s degree from SOAS University of London.

Order a copy on the links below, at your local shop, or via Google or iBooks. An audiobook read by Tim Bruce is available on Audible.

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