Hope From The Lab (Part 1)

Many youth in the throes of homelessness have found a haven in Berkeley, California. They are proof that homeless does not mean to be without hope. Today, Youth Spirit Artworks Lab Club shares affirmations.

If you were to check the website you would find that the Youth Spirit Artworks of Berekeley, California is

"...is an interfaith “green” art jobs and job training program located in Berkeley, California which is committed to empowering homeless and low-income San Francisco Bay Area young people, ages 16-25. However, if you were to walk through the door you would that it is so much more. In fact, you might say that it is the soul of a community that has been decimated by both gentrification and the ravages of generational poverty. YSA, as it is known is a shelter from the storm for young people who are familiar with the cold winds of homelessness and material depravation. Sally HIndman, the organization's founder, a former chaplain has created a home for youth where creativity is the order of the day. Each mornings as the shelter closes its doors, youth find their way to the warmth of YSA.

Sally Hindman, Founder and Executive Director of Youth Spirit Artworks

I serve as the writer-in-residence for the "Lab Club", so named after a song by hip hop great, Rakim called, "Microphone Fiend." Three times a week, I gather with the youth to create new worlds on paper. In the near future, the Lab Club will have its own blog. Today, they've allowed me to share some of their thoughts with you. Before we go on, I should tell you that most of the youth are hesitant to use their images or even their real names. To protect their safety, most of the youth will heretofore be known by psuedonyms.

Together they wrote:

"We are a youth community encouraged and committed to make a change for ourselves through expressing ourselves through reading and writing.. We hope to encourage and inspire; to promote the best of ourselves. As one of our members just said, "We are a writing group...BAM!"

"We have a message for you today. Do not be afraid to express yourself. Write it down! Create something that will inspire. There is so much power in words.

"Affirmations are credos that express positivity. Let us share our affirmations with you.

"Our first affirmation of the day is "Breathe" Breathe consciously every single moment of your life. Breathing is life. It is serenity. Breathe to relax. Keep calm. Breathing is harmony. Breathing is concentration and meditation; two of the limbs of yoga (Daharana and Dhayana.). God is in the air. When you breathe, you are breathing in God. You can't breathe without God. With every breath, worship God. The heart's mission is press oxgen to the body.

Suppressed emotions can give you heart attack.

"Whatever is bothering you, you can overcome because is only relative to the obsever. You can let it effect you if you like but it will only hurt you if you let it hurt you. Drop the ego.

"A lot of people when they think about love, they thinking about infatuation. What is universally projected as love is the heart. You don't have to feel any emotion, nothing is attached to the heart beat. Love is creation. Live a life of light. If you can live a life without love, you can live a life without hate.

"Even if you don't believe in God, what is life without focusing on love? Your life is meaningless without love.

"Hearts rip, they don't break. Sometimes they crush like an egg shell. That's bad. If you're heartbroken today, remember after the storm comes the rainbow. If you are hurting, I will stand by you until you're ready to verbally share your pain."

Stay tuned for Part 2. For more information, check out: http://youthspiritartworks.org/