Wouldn’t it be interesting to see a Venn diagram positing together the concepts of Midwestern politeness and radical compassion? Where would the intersections be? Which determining factors of those intersections might be controversial for the creators to navigate? How would the concepts challenge each other? Where might nuance allow them to hug each other, or even just shake hands? What’s the spiritual speed at which the Midwest is actually evolving toward more equity and intersectionality? Given that yoga means “to yolk” in Sanskrit, isn’t it funny how much a Venn Diagram looks like two yolks yolking?
Believe it or not, all of this food for thought and spirit runs conceptually through the tiny Northeast Iowa river valley in Decorah, Iowa, converging at a few special local spots, including the Driftless Yoga Center. Launched in 2022, the center strives to join together commonly held Midwest principles like neighborliness and generosity with evolving ideas of radical compassion. According to the Midwest Mindfulness Alliance, “Radical compassion means total compassion – nothing is excluded.” Philosopher Khen Lampert describes it as a specific type of compassion which includes an inner imperative to change reality in order to alleviate the pain of others universally, rising at the root of the historical cry for social change.
In other words, radical compassion is about social responsibility and the common good. Insight meditation teacher Tara Brach identifies radical compassion as an embodied experience – “a felt sense of tenderness, that is inclusive of all beings, and naturally moves us to act from a caring heart.”
So, when Driftless Yoga Center owner Laree Schouweiler (she/her) launched a brand new center post pandemic (having shuttered a previous space to carry her family through COVID), she aimed to create a brave new neighborhood spot embodying those radically compassionate tenets (ahimsa) and bring to her small Iowa town a practice setting which would be free of commonplace cultural detritus like diet culture or gossip.
This new outlook on a movement space was a direct result of studying with distinguished social justice yoga teachers Michelle C. Johnson and Susanna Barkataki. “It was an incredible unlearning experience,” Schouweiler shared. “One that required a deep dive into what I thought I knew about yoga and transformed it into an invitation to create a space that broadened accessibility and leveraged community to support organizations supporting the under-resourced.”
Driftless Yoga Center turns no one away for lack of funds as part of its serious commitment to equity and inclusion. In addition to putting on edifying events, Driftless Yoga Center puts its prominent double entendre ‘movement for change’ philosophy into action by annually raising thousands of dollars for organizations in support of the liberation of all people. The donations are derived as a percentage from events and merchandise sales and have helped support the missions of outfits like Decorah Pride, Emma Goldman Clinic (reproductive justice), and MedGlobal (supporting Palestinians). At this juncture, DYC raised over $18,000 and isn’t looking to slow down anytime soon.
The birth of the Driftless Yoga Center followed a significant transformation of Schouweiler herself, much of which happened during a professional pause where she began to investigate her own ideas and her relationship with both yoga and community. She ensured access to movement practices remained at the forefront of the business model when she reentered movement spaces. Sure, Schouweiler boasts upwards of two-thousand hours of physical teaching experience in yoga spaces, but she’s adamant the true practice of yoga happens off the mat. Filled with dynamic movement that unites with breath, Laree infuses classes with the notion that yoga isn’t something we do, it’s something we are.
It’s clear that the little world Schouweiler is building here in the middle of everywhere is a call-in, an invitation to share growth, an acknowledgement of privilege that doesn’t invite shame, and a vehicle for paying privilege forward. Laree insists it’s the community that makes DYC so special. “The way they redistribute resources is a natural part of the culture here,” she emphasized. “They’re thoughtful and generous. You can feel it in the studio as they meet for the movement, but stay after class for the community. They’re asking ‘What are we focusing on for the next fundraiser?’ or simply offering to ‘keep the change’ to be put in the pot to the next organization. I’m so grateful to be here giving what we can, together.”
It’s a concentric offering that seems to innately flow together through a palpable knowing of the real heart in this heartland. The ideas driving the work seem to float alongside an informed assumption that right here in the Midwest, our communities can do this work. We can see each other. We can stand for each other, whether we’re in big cities or small towns. We can raise awareness and raise money. We can raise ourselves and each other. We can create spaces where self care and community care collide. We can let multiple concepts of kindness from different but similarly spirited schools of thought ripple through our people, run through us like water; and we can watch as those ripples merge into the overlapping circles sustaining us and carrying us forward.
For more information on visiting the driftless and the Driftless Yoga Center, visit: www.driftlessyoga.org
Cerrisa Snethen-Murphy is an author, professional organizer, solutions seeker, writer, public speaker, human-being-in-process, and student of joy. She lives in northeast Iowa with her three amazing kids.
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