I feel this week has been full of divisive rhetoric. This idea of identity was initially escalated with the President’s words around sending elected leaders back to where they came from, and then reinforced with media coverage of a rally, where some attendees were chanting, “Send her back!”

Sometimes our identity, or our grasping for identity, is a means for us to find a sense of community. An in-group can be desirable when you’re looking for connection, to be heard, seen, and respected. But not all of the qualities of that identity group apply to you. Not everyone has the same understanding of what it means to be X, Y, or Z. These labels can be as much of a constraint as they are a means of community.

When you desire community, ask yourself, “How do I feel?” In those moments, are you brave enough to voice your own feelings and thoughts to both yourself and another; create that opportunity for connection, and have the understanding from someone else, seeing you in your moment? This respect… this true understanding or NAMAS (reverence) of TE (another person i.e. YOU) is how we set intentions around NAMASTE.