The Shakti Shine - May 20th, 2019

Shakti Love Notes 

We are always growing. I love that! And the more I grow, the more I recognize how important it is for us all to share what we're going through-- even (and especially) me.

So these Love Notes are a space for me to share with you each week-- about the studio, my life, how our community is growing.

I am a nerd for words.

I always have been. My zodiac, Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, you-name-it all confirm it. Clear communication is my love language, so naturally it's something we talk about within our Shakti team regularly.

There's a term that I learned in a yoga teacher training years ago that really speaks to what we practice: Essential Language.

According to Google dictionary,
'essential' means 'absolutely necessary; extremely important.'

For us it means '

On our team it looks like, 'How can I lead and interact with clarity, sharing the absolute necessary with directness & compassion?'

In the yoga room it looks like, 'How can I say the least in order to make the biggest impact? How can I make space for 'we'?

In my relationships it looks like, 'What can I say that speaks truly of what I need, feel, want, wish, or intend?'

When I use essential language, everything I say is energy worth spending, because the words I use clearly get my point across. This also creates consistency.

A friend once taught me that 'Consistency is Honesty.'

I think about this often, and I consider the responsibility of consistency in my interactions in order to stay honest and therefore teaching the people in my life that it is safe to TRUST me.

I believe that essential language leads to trust. When I am essential, others learn to take what I say seriously, and I learn to trust myself to get really clear on what I mean.

When I was a kid my mom would always say,
"Say what you mean, and mean what you say, Ruby."

And while my love of words can sometimes get, well, wordy, I have learned that to say less is to say more, especially when I keep it essential.

xx
Ruby

Beyond the mat...

We love Athens.
And we love you.
So let's have more of that-- together.

Here's where you can see what we're up to outside of the studio.

Have ideas about where we should be / what we should check out / how we can show up?
Reply to this email to let us know.

last week:
Shakti Strength Pop-Up
Our last one at the Athens Farmers Market for the season! See you in the fall <3
Yoga & Coffee
This is always so lovely. The next one is June 23rd @ 9am! Sign up.

coming up:
Heartfelt
in Blue Ridge, GA
hosted by the Duality Project
1 space available - Check it out!

Adjusted schedule for Memorial Day
Be mindful of a few changes.
Check MindBody for the holiday schedule

1. Go somewhere cool this summer. You may have an international trip planned... you may escape to the beach for a few days... you might go on a day hike with friends... or you may simply retreat to the neighborhood pool all weekend long...

2. Post about it! Take a photo on vacay showcasing the beauty of your location + your yoga practice.

3. Tag @shaktiyogaathens in your photo + #shaktilovetravels in your post.

4. Be entered to win! For each post tagged you will receive one entry into our Travel Challenge raffle. If shown wearing Shakti merch, that post gets you 2 entries! Enter as many times as your traveling yogi heart wishes.

(Bonus entries: 1 for every class you take on Shakti @ Home—
no post necessary; just practice ‼️)
5. Win! On August 15th we will draw for 1 MONTH OF *FREE* YOGA. So the more entries, the better chance you have to win!

SHAKTI @ HOME
Go with the flow wherever you roam

Only $9.99 per month!
$5.99 per month for Shakti members
or for $2.99 rent any class for 24hrs

Practice Now

*New Blog*

NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION:
THE SUPERPOWER WE ALL HAVE
by: Annie Marcum

When we are triggered, we are more likely to react emotionally or try to educate instead of finding a connection of empathy.

Giving yourself empathy can happen in many ways, the important thing is finding a way that works consistently for you. One of my favorite methods is a simple phrase that Judith repeated many times. You recognize how you are feeling, then say to yourself,

“HOW HUMAN OF ME.”

Read more

Inquiry Corner w/ Emily: Svadhyaya

Hi everyone, Emily here! If you’re new to inquiry, this looks like moving through questions, prompts, activities, and conversations that help you learn more about yourself. I’m excited you’re here!
...

Svadhyaya, or self-study, is back for another week!

Get a piece of paper.

On your paper, write down your name.

Write down all the ways in which you identify. All the titles you hold. All the things you call yourself.

Write it allll down. (E.g. Happy, sad, daughter, sister, woman, bloated, hungry, yoga teacher...) Do that for 5 minutes.

And then go back and cross off all of the things you do, all the things you have, and all of your "ways of being."

*There should be nothing left.*

Think of this as all the ways in which you identify and all the boxes you put ourselves into, at the end of the day, aren't you. And you operate within those boxes.

The work is: Can I know that I'm more than the boxes I put myself into?

*Check out my videos on the yamas + niyamas on Shakti’s IGTV. The yamas and niyamas are part of the foundation of yogic philosophy, and they describe various tenants to living a yogic and ethical life.*

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