Mission
Our mission is to reclaim a fierce feminine paradigm. We believe in the middle way, rewriting femininity beyond infantilization or over idealization of the masculine. Femininity that rises above the anatomy of gender. We stand for all the “girls like us,” who have been told they are crazy, too emotional, broken or out of control. We stand for those women who are too loud or too quiet, feeling like their voice doesn’t matter. For all the little girls who twirl in their lacy pink dress and those who enjoy punching people in the face. The ones who’ve known what a “mascara faced night” of rejection feels like and the sweet melody of butterflied love. The ones who are way more than a pretty smile, but can celebrate their sensuality.
We stand for all the “boys like us” who have been told to bottle up their emotions, don’t be weak, make more money, so you can provide and protect. We stand for those men who were told the pursuit of biceps trumps your nerdy love of comic books. The ones who always have to be in “charge” even when you feel like a shaky mess. The ones who habitually put the “game face” on, when all you really want is your mama’s tender embrace. The ones who are both strong and sometimes don’t have their shit together.
We stand for all of those in between who identify across the spectrum and we fight for our complex humanity that has the power to rise out of any black and white construct of “should’s” and “shouldn’ts.” We delight ourselves on braving the deep waters, so we can share the stories of our scars. However dark the night, we know the morning will always follow. Crawling is a path forward. Some days we are the broad shoulders, who have space for ten thousand tears to fall upon. Some days we reach out for all the hands to pull us back up.
We the people are the movement, and we are unafraid of the fall, because we trust our resilience to rise is ancient and trustworthy.
About Angela Meyer
Angela Meyer began this work because she understands whole heartedly what it feels like to be afraid as a woman in the world. She grew up not speaking, full of fear, and now has a lot to say.
Angela came to DC 15 years ago while attending Iliff School of Theology in Denver working on her Masters of Divinity. She was moved by her teacher Vincent Harding, a pivotal activist in the Civil Rights Movement. His teachings inspired Angela to take action, and that meant moving to DC and volunteering for a year at Joseph’s House AIDS hospice for homeless men and women. The plan was to return and finish her degree, but in “Angela fashion” she followed her gut and decided to move into Joseph’s House as a resident. Her relationship morphed into many different roles, Director of Volunteers, Personal Care Aid, Chaplain, Administrative staff. During this time period, Angela decided to do a Yoga Teacher Training. She initially did the training to be more grounded at Joseph’s House, but when asked to teach Yoga, she said yes. She hasn’t turned back and has now taught Yoga for over 20 years, and leads Yoga Teacher Training Programs regularly in DC.
Angela was “tricked” into the Self Defense/Martial Arts world. She had many mentors who suggested she do Martial Arts as a healing outlet for trauma. She wrote it off as just another “thing” she didn’t have time for. Then she stumbled upon Budokon, which was a blend of Yoga and Martial Arts. Angela went to a Budokon Teacher training and found herself striking, sparring, grappling, being terrible at all of it, and loving it! From that day on she was committed.
For the past seven years, Angela has been training seriously in Self Defense, Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and wrestling. She has competed in Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu and training for MMA.
Angela is a Black Belt in Krav Maga, a certified FireArmed Instructor, a Budokon Brown Belt, a Master Yoga Teacher and Teacher of Teachers, an End of Life Care Counselor through the Metta Institute, studied Buddhist Chaplaincy through the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, has her Masters of Theology, and writes for Elephant Journal.
She currently works with GJS, Global Journalist Security, training journalists and NGO’s going into high-risk environments. She is a security advisor for Reuters news agency, a Sports Envoy through the State Department, where she has worked with young women in Pakistan, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Poland, Mexico, and across the US, an actor through Studio Theatre and a life coach through the Wayfinder Program, also certified through the International Coaching Federation.
Above all, she loves people, being real, and sometimes the word, “f$@k.”