Normally I try to stay vaguely politically neutral DURING classes. You are probably chuckling as you read this, and all I can say is that I am not saying all the things I want to say.  A student was surprised recently to discover I was married. “But you are such a rabid feminist” which made me beam for the rest of the week. 

This recent coalition government has shattered all notions of me holding my tongue and playing nicely neutral. It feels like we have been slammed into reverse at speed and heading into all the dark stuff of the 70’s. As you know I am all for flares, disco and hippy shit, but really not into racism, exploitation of the environment and poverty shaming. Somehow with 40 days of squabbling and the stroke of a pen we find ourselves in a new and rather bleak world without a Maori Health Authority, smoking now a new tax revenue, plus the sadness of having exploration for oil and gas, Te Reo/Treaty trashing and live animal exports all back on the menu. If you work in any way that is community funded, then the future is uncertain…

Layered on top of all that is happening in our country, is all the awfulness of what is unfolding far beyond, in Gaza and the Ukraine, and the steep slide into climate change with 2023 being the second hottest day on record. We are living in a time of intersection – where all the problems of racism, colonialism, capitalism, sexism ( all the “isms”!), peak oil, carbon emissions and pollution have all converged. It is like trying to untangle a toxic ball of wool. Some days it feels like it is time to put the Wonder Woman bangles back on and stick it to the man. However, here is the thing – if we get into fight mode then we burn out very quickly. Instead we need to take good care of ourselves so that we have the endurance to make healthy changes. We need a calm nervous system so that we have the patience to have difficult conversations with people, write endless submissions, and above all stay in love with the world. 

This coming year I am offering a new program that you can opt into and out of as you wish. You can be there for the whole year or take a break as needed. While there will be class rates I also want to offer koha for anyone who needs it, as I believe everyone should have access to tools regardless of what they can afford. It is called the Revolution Cauldron! The aim is to nourish and strengthen yourself so that you can have the capacity to stay present, speak up, and create community. It is for anyone needing support, not just those feeling political “meh”ness.

We start by building a healthy home base and restore the natural cycles of our bodies. We re-learn how to breathe, improve our digestion and hormonal balance, and reclaim our natural sleep patterns from the industrial model. We learn how to stay informed and take action without becoming overwhelmed with a simple 3 step process on a daily basis. However the key ingredient is reclaiming rest, pleasure and connection as necessities of life that should be abundant to all beings.

Like all things cyclical, the programme will also interweave with other modules I am running such as Love your Tum, RHB’s and a new series of sessions for Endometriosis and pelvic pain. When we are in pain or hormonal upheaval the world can seem all too much, but giving support to these issues expands our capacity to stay connected to self and others.

The latter part of the year is a deep exploration of yourself, your lineage, your ancestors, your history and creative biography, because we need to understand the past in order to create a better future. My hope is that the connections we forge will spread like mycelium pathways and lead to a fresh start with a clear mind brimming with ideas. This cauldron might serve up the most delicious soup.

If that all sounds too much then simply sign up for a free weekly email “Micro revolution – tiny steps we can take each week to chip away at the monster” These are small acts of defiance, a teensy thing you can do that might have a big impact for people and the planet. They can be as simple as investigating who/what your kiwisaver is invested in, using your consumer power when doing your weekly shop, or even just planting a few radish seeds. Sign up here

We start the revolution with Breathe Easy – a 4 week module to learn how to breathe for a calm and steady mind. The first class is on Wednesday February 7th 7-8.30pm. You are welcome to be here in person, on zoom or receive a recording.  Sign up here

As my favourite Fermentalist Sandor Katz says “The Revolution will not be microwaved! See you in the cauldron.