Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day: Embracing Connection and Communication On and Off the Mat October 12 2025
- rockbriarfarm
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Over the past few years, I have written frankly in this blog about Indigenous Peoples Day. I am troubled that many states and the federal government still honor Columbus on this day. I have heard conversations where people become indignant and want to stick with “tradition”, many years ago I felt the same way. When, however, does tradition deserve questioning? I believe that we should not be afraid to address our history frankly and openly through a lens of updated information. While it is factually correct that Columbus was a brave sailor and led perilous voyages across uncharted waters, we also know that he betrayed the Taino people who welcomed him to their shores and forced many into slavery. European settlers that followed brought diseases that wiped out many Indigenous people and brought warfare, colonization, enslavement, and torture of these people.
Conversations around this topic could help spread understanding about why celebrating this holiday can feel disrespectful and cruel to many of our neighbors and friends. During this fractured time in our country, opening dialogue could be impactful and feels critical to me. The conversations must always be had with respect and open ears. It is always helpful to try and understand what motivates people’s positions and human nature makes most of us resistant to changing our ingrained thought patterns. So instead of combative dialogue, let’s remember Epictetus’s (Greek wisdom that when we speak we should remember we have two ears and one mouth “so that you can listen twice as much as you speak”.
Thinking about holidays that can cause division or celebrate one group’s domination over another, brings me back to thinking of practicing our yoga off the mat. The Om symbol, one we invoke and chant often in our yoga practice, represents oneness and the interconnectedness of all beings. As we approach Monday, October 13, let’s remember that yoga’s roots are as a spiritual road map, a moral code and a holistic health approach that came from the indigenous people of India. The fact that India had 80,000 tribes with many different belief systems and could still attract people across these faiths to the practice, exemplifies the definition of unity and living our yoga off the mat. Let’s take inspiration in that.
I am attaching links to two articles. One I have shared before which is one yogi’s discussion on how she honors Indigenous people in her practice. The other is a new article I found which discusses cultural similarities beween the Ancient Hindu and Indigenous People in the Americas.
Warrior 2 - (Virabhadrasana II)
I love this pose; I always invoke it around this weekend. In this pose we can feel strong and grounded in it. It brings on feelings of empowerment.
In recent years I read a bit about Crazy Horse, an Indigenous warrior for good. He was born in 1840 as a member of the Oglala Lakota on Rapid Creek about 40 miles northeast of Thunderhead Mt. (now Crazy Horse Mountain).
He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight American settlers who were encroaching on the land of the Indigenous people and to preserve the Lakota peoples’ traditional ways of life. Crazy Horse responded by putting the needs of his people above his own and fought hard for them.
Practice Tips: In this pose, too far forward leaning reminds us of aggressive warriors. Leaning too far back in the pose suggests shrinking warriors. Even distribution of weight, gazing over the front middle finger signifies a balanced, strong warrior for good.
We honor Crazy Horse’s legacy and all warriors for good when we practice this pose.
Meditating on Unity
“The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers; and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit); and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this. The second peace is that which is made between two individuals; and the third is that which is made between two nations. But above all, you should understand that there can never be peace between nations until there is known that true peace, which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.” – Black Elk
Black Elk or Heȟáka Sápa aka Nicholas Black Elk Oglala Lakota, South Dakota (1863-1950)
Black Elk was a follower of Crazy Horse and an educator of many about his culture. For more about him see link below:
Nurturing with Food – Apple Pie
As I have mentioned in prior recipes, while my pie recipe is vegan, it is not health food. I make my grandmother’s pie recipe, and I shamelessly (well almost shamelessly) use Crisco. Nothing suggests a fall day better than the smell of apple pie baking.
Link to recipe:
See you on the mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne