Series

Meditation for Climate Activists

Tue, Jun 4, 2024 –

Tue, Jun 10, 2025

Meditation for Climate Activists and the Climate-Conscious is a two-year, monthly meditation series led by trans* poet, artist, and meditation teacher Anaïs G. Duplan. “We are in dire need of heightened attention and action around the climate crisis, particularly the way it manifests as environmental racism. By engaging in collective breath work and tending with delicate urgency to our inner worlds, climate activists can both build an inner resilience and tap into an energetic harmony with the earth in order to support their efforts at addressing these life threatening issues.”

This meditation course will center embodied wisdom around ecojustice, racial justice, and mindfulness. Anaïs will lead participants through a series of meditative postures, exercises, and knowledge sharing/production, guided by scholars and practitioners studied in these disciplines.

Through the series, the Center for the Humanities hopes to enact and advance new forms of creative, activist, and scholarly care that more effectively supports the people and organizations leading on the frontlines of climate change.

This meditation series is organized by the Center for the Humanities at the CUNY Graduate Center in collaboration with the NYC Climate Justice Hub, and Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative generously supported by Engaging the Senses Foundation.

Fall 2024 Schedule

This 60-min monthly online meditation series hosted by Anaïs G. Duplan will take place on a bi-weekly basis from November to December, 2024. Each meditation session will begin with a talk by Anaïs G. Duplan, followed by guided yoga postures (yin, long durational holds), breathing techniques (pranayama), and a discussion and Q&A session. Starting this season, the meditation sessions are open to all people and organizations leading and working on the frontlines of climate change activism.

This season will focus on the following themes: (1) Connecting to your breath and body, (2) Noticing tension and inviting release, (3) Witnessing another and being witnessed, and (4) Breathing through conflict, inspired by Jennifer Patterson’s The Power of Breathwork. We will engage the following pranayama techniques:

Yogic deep breathing: Incorporates three levels of breathing through the diaphragm, chest, and collar bones, to utilize the full capacity of the lungs in the process of breathing.

Skull shining: Rapid, diaphragmatic breathing, forcefully contracting the abdomen, expelling excess buildup of energy.

Humming breath: Humming sound to create vibration throughout the head and out the crown chakra, enabling concentration.

Bellows breath: Helps with breath retention as a compliment to the skull shining, but has more to do with retention of energy, grounding back into one’s core energy.

To join this season of the mediation series, please fill out this registration form. Zoom links will be sent out prior to the start of the series.

SPRING 2024:

This 60-min monthly online meditation series hosted by Anaïs G. Duplan will take place every month from April to July, 2024. The guided meditation sessions will be recorded and the video and audio recordings will be available here for anyone who who would like to follow along and participate in the practice. The guided meditation sessions will reflect on the four virtues of the Brahamavihara.