Outreach and learning

Giving Helping others Selfless Yoga off the mat Educating Reaching out Community Extending Engagement Open

These are all things I think about when I think of the concept of outreach. My initial thought for the "outreach" pillar Moksha project was to volunteer my time at a Cancer Society in Toronto. Teach yoga and give of myself to others, in this case, to bring yoga to a care centre that does not have yoga on a regular basis. This was proving difficult to coordinate, mostly due to bureaucracy and red tape (type of liability insurance, length of time for criminal check, etc) and as this was happening, I realized that I felt I was doing this project to complete this project, which was not at all how I’d intended this giving to be. It was a tough admission but when I took a step back, I realized that I was (and am) feeling rather loose around the edges. Like I was running on fumes for a little while and needed to catch my breath. That I wasn’t going to benefit others by continuing to give a version of myself that is not the full version of myself. And that there is nothing selfless about having any feeling of have tos.

So I went back to our assignment sheet to look at the topic ideas. One of them was to watch inspiring documentaries and inspire others, raise awareness about these causes, documentaries, etc. I immediately thought I wouldn’t want to do it as it seemed like an easy alternative. And then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a challenge it would be for me and how much I could actually benefit from it in order to achieve the adjectives and descriptors above. For one, I seldom take any time to sit and listen by myself. To fully engage and develop new perspectives. To form a strong opinion. By doing this project, I’d be achieving these things while also developing patience towards myself. Limiting my ability to multi-task and really opening myself up by sitting and contemplating. Second, the thought of all these communities I always want to learn more about, to engage with, to outreach to, that I don’t actually know much about – I started to think that I would be much more aware and genuine giver if I better understood their perspective. And lastly, it would allow me to learn how to develop my voice. I’m someone who (and I’ve never admitted this), dislikes taking any side other than the middle of the road. I root for the underdog, I get uncomfortable by debate, politics and anything with a strong view. I find difficulty in expressing my view point and where I stand/what I believe in. And with this admission, I hoped (and do hope), that by branching out on the perspectives I see life through, and by trusting my words and thoughts in encouraging dialogue and critical thought when engaging with others about these documentaries and other topics, that I’d be better placed to give of myself confidently and sincerely.

I ended up vlogging about these films and was really caught off guard by how disjointed my thoughts were when they weren't written down and thought through. But that was all part of the learning process. You don't have to be the best all the time. You can just be you. And passionate. And open. As long as you act with integrity, everything will fall into place. And no, I am not posting these vlogs, they were private! But I have posted a list of the films I watched below, in case you are inspired to watch.

(Most of the films can be viewed for free at the National Film Board -150 John Street) or online).

Films watched:

Hubert Davis, Invisible City - this was by far the film I was most moved by; I highly recommend it. Trailer below

This documentary is a story of two boys from Regent Park crossing into adulthood. Their mothers and mentors root for them to succeed but their environment and social pressures tempt them to make poor choices. Turning the camera on the often ignored inner city, the director aims to show the disconnection of urban poverty and race from the mainstream.

Neil Diamond, Reel Injun

This documentary traces the evolution of cinema’s depiction of Native people from the silent film era to today, with clips from hundreds of classic and recent Hollywood movies, and candid interviews with celebrated Native and non-Native film celebrities, activists, film critics and historians.

Katerina Cizek, Drawing from LifeThis documentary follows a group therapy workshop for people who have attempted suicide more than once. The film is a candid portrayal of 12 people who together, for 20 weeks, take on their fears, their behaviours and their ghosts to move towards life and away from suicide.

Mark Pancer and David Hoffert, OCD: The War Inside

In this documentary, director Mark Pancer, an OCD sufferer himself, and David Hoffert documented personal stories from several individuals who fight to survive a war inside their minds. They show us the faces of OCD. They don't look any different on the outside. But inside, as they show in the film, it is a daily war is waged for survival.

Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsey, Tapped

This documentary examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil. The movie focuses on both the“manufacture” of the water itself, and also where the bottles come from, where they go after use and how they influence our lives while they’re with us.