Dowry
Close up of Dowry, Lily Michaud, fabric, tears, and transformation, Queen Size, 2023-2025. Available for purchase
We are becoming more aware that we are in a male violence epidemic. The desire to crush women’s spirits to feel superior or gratify oneself at the expense of another is nothing new. It is a pathetic expression of arrested emotional and social development, utter lack of integrity, and, these days, culturally spurred psychosis. The people who debase anyone for their own pleasure or to make them look relatively better (whether through rape, bullying, racism, classism, etc) are weak people, of little to no value—in the ant world, they would be ripped limb from limb—it often feels we would do better to follow this path. However, if you hear derogatory talk towards anyone, assess whether you can call the person in, Loretta J. Ross style, or if you need to stay away and warn people about the person. If that doesn’t work, what will be the progressive plan for cultural transformation?
Through this piece, I question how formative ideologies of the patriarchal era translate into physical world violence.
Close up of Dowry Quilt, “money Shot” with gun. 2025
When we won’t believe an accusation, but we will believe how unfortunately traumatized a survivor is, this weight this quilt contains is the dowry we cultivate.
Close up of Dowry, “Slut Bitch”, 2025
The left side of the quilt is stitched with more subtle forms of oppression and blaming the victim; on the right, overt oppression.
Top: Lilith wanted what?
Left: Shhh, just let it go | Sita Rama | What were you wearing? | No one needs to know | (the apple image from Eden) | Think of his REPUTATION | She’s so emotional
Right: CUNT | the PO-PO | Slut | Bitch | Whore | money Shot | Our $ LAW corrupt, right-wing or brainwashed JUDGES with unchecked power
Lily Michaud, Dowry, Queen Size, 2025.
Healing with the Kirtan Kriya
I had a lot of PTSD from this experience. I prayed and tried many things, and nothing seemed to help in an ongoing way. I prayed to Mother Meera, asking for her help. A few days later, wandering through the Iowa City Public Library I found A Woman’s Book of Yoga, by Machelle M. Siebel, M.D. and Hari Kaur Khalsa. I opened it up to the Kirtan Kriya. This was my first experience with Kundalini Yoga. It looked spot on, so I decided to try it.
Following the path’s recommendations, I did the exercises for 40 consecutive days. The kriya had such a profound impact in a short time (four minutes a day for 40 days). Out of a desire to manage ongoing stresses and curiosity about its potential, I decided to continue it. Gradually, it showed me many depths to relationships and the profound impact of sexual interactions, even on those who feel it is inconsequential. The Kirtan Kriya is very helpful for the stress of invasive incidents themselves; the ongoing impacts of cultural oppression and victim-blaming are harder to come to peace with. Like the moon with her changing faces, we can retract and shine our gifts to inspire growth and transformation—ie respect.
Here is my tutorial. In the video, I introduce myself by my spiritual name: Arati, pronounced more like art-y. The name was a gift from my meditation teacher, Shri Anandi Ma.
