Theme: Igniting our Inner Star so we can
Check our Outer Star Projections of Privilege
{and Prejudice}
~with Dr. Seuss’s Sneetches, as our guide.
Theme
Yoga
In the story The Sneetches, written by Dr.
Seuss, yellow bird-like creatures have green
star symbols of discrimination and privilege.
Yoga teaches us that that we all have false
stories that can lead to unhappiness, and like
the Sneetches, we often refuse to question
or even acknowledge them: we accept views
just because everyone else does. When we tap
into our inner star, our inner light, our inner
knowing, we are less likely to get caught in
outer stardom, outer projection, outer privilege.
The Sneetches that live on the beaches. While
all the Sneetches are the same, one small
difference causes a huge gap between them:
some have star on their bellies, and some do
not. Thinking the star-belly Sneetches are better, the non-starred Sneetches pay money to
go through the Fix-it-up Chappie (a machine
that will take off/put stars onto bellies).
Once the star-bellied Sneetches see this, they
pay to have their stars taken off. Without realizing, all of the Sneetches keep paying to have
stars removed/applied...and in the end realize
they can’t tell who started with or without
stars. They realize they have been scammed,
and finally agree that “Sneetches are Sneetches… and no kind of Sneetch is the best on the
beaches”
Alignment Action
Heart Action
Acceptance and Compassion
Tune In
Press your belly button in just like
you would press an elevator button to
turn on the power.
Tune into your lowest part of your
belly. Lift both sides of your belly up
like 2 flames.
Warm Up
just breathe
Sequence
th
bble gum brea
breath of joy
mountain
forward fold
Tune into lower belly and lift up in each pose to lighten up your heart
dark
t
seed ligh
oom
pa
bu
a
loomp
o
bec
ause I said s
tak
e
sh
out the tra
no table yes
wa
sh
e
ing machin
dark
t
seed ligh
do
at
n’t r
ock the bo
rock and roll
cat
r
scratch feve
Sequence (continued)
for
t
r
de
pigeon surren
nic
tree friends
e ne
u
e to meet yo
rgy circuit
an
g
n
ula
ti o
r pressing rela
pla
ying with fire
Cool Down
calm down
u’
re
n
e
id
it from your s
d
up t
hen you’re
ow
soa
pbox freedom
sh
ip
ct
re
ef
Is
ee
wa
rrior II decide
yo
o
bec
ause I said s
lean on me
I am
what I am
network
bridge
Sprinklings
lighten up
Rest
Lie on your back with your legs out long
in front of you. Allow your feet to fall
open…Fill up with breath and melt behind
your knees,… behind your belly,… behind
your heart….put both hands on your belly
and tune into your inner sun…your true
star…go to a place that causes your outer
star to surface… see yourself filling up
with breath and igniting your inner fire..
Now focus on your day tomorrow… pick
the first event that you are most likely
to feel like a star belly or plain belly, …
Picture yourself filling up with light and
smiling in your heart. When you go out into
the world off of your mat you can do the
same thing: say yes to expanding into your
own inner star, and no to outer plain belly
or star belly reactions.
baby
got back
* The Sneetches clearly reflect just how
silly prejudices really are. They are just
stars on tubby tummies. Why are the StarBelly Sneetches getting so uppity with their
frankfurters? *What stars do we carry
around in the real world? * Those stars
weren’t so big. They were really so small
/ You might think such a thing wouldn’t
matter at all. (Sneetches.5-6) * They never
invited the Plain-Belly Sneetches. / They
left them out cold, in the dark of the
beaches. (Sneetches. 19-20)
Elevate
Draw a picture of your inner star inside of
you. How many points does yours have?