LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I acknowledge that I currently live and work on Canarsie / Munsee Lenape and Lenni Lenape territory. I am learning how to live in right relationship with the land here in New York City through regular communion with the land, gardening, and education. I also have chosen to support justice and healing for Native peoples here through annual contributions to the Manna-hatta Fund, which supports Native lives through the American Indian Community House.
BRAIN GYM ORIGIN APPRECIATION & REPARATIONS
Brain Gym was created by Paul and Gail Dennison, a white man and white woman, who took information from many disciplines, including practices and wisdom from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that was passed down through the Touch For Health Kinesiology Association - founded by white men.
While Traditional Chinese Medicine has always been acknowledged and appreciated in the Brain Gym community, the individual teachers and their legacies have been lost in the appropriation of this information as part of the umbrella of Touch For Health. I take responsibility for any harm caused in this process, especially as it happened during a time when Asian Americans suffered greatly due to racism and white supremacy here in the United States.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years and proposes that there is Qi, or life force, that moves through the body. This Qi is made up of two opposing and complimentary forces: Yin and Yang. Any imbalance of these creates illness. TCM also sees the human body as interconnected with nature and its forces - earth, fire, water, wood and metal. TCM offers acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, massage, herbal remedies and movement and concentration exercises to help each individual find harmony. Brain Gym acknowledges these same elements and the movement of Qi throughout the body. It offers its own movement and concentration exercises as well as acupressure techniques (and other practices as well) to support the balance of harmony of each individual.
In honor of the wisdom gained for the practices from which I teach and benefit and for due reparations, I make annual contributions to Asian Americans For Equality, an organization that advances racial, social and economic justice for Asian Americans here in New York City where I currently work and live.
ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE
I pledge to continually learn and show up for anti-racist and de-colonial work. I pledge to invest in, include and uplift Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BI&PoC) as part of my courses, books and other offerings. I pledge to reduce my carbon footprint in the ways I am able both in my home and in my business and advocate for environmental justice. I pledge to honor and uplift diversity in gender and sexuality through my education, offerings and use of language. While I know how to offer tools to all ages and abilities, I pledge to continue to learn how to improve disability access both in my courses and as part of my online content. Finally, I pledge to stand against white supremacist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, ableist or other oppressive policies, practices and ideas both personally and professionally, knowing that this is a lifelong endeavor. I know I will not be perfect in these practices, but I pledge to continually listen, learn and grow.
WHO I’M LEARNING FROM ON THIS JOURNEY
There are so many incredible humans teaching workshops, writing books and sharing wisdom both online and in person. The following have been most helpful in my journey thus far:
FEEDBACK
Receiving feedback along this journey is essential. Your voice is welcome as there is so much to learn and unlearn. You can send me an email at love@kelseyfoxbennettboyd.com with any feedback or fill out the form below (with your email address for me to respond directly or without if you prefer to remain anonymous).