The Shakti Shine - April 22nd, 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.
We are all connected.
Did you know that all trees are connected in an underground root/fungal network? And that they share resources & nourishment through these channels in order to collectively thrive?
I learned this from my therapist last week.
We talked about how in this network of trees when any tree is weak the stronger tree/s send nutrients to that weaker tree-- the trees take care of each other. The weaker tree chooses whether or not to receive the nourishment, and the strong tree/s cannot control that tree's choice. And they send the support anyway.
A strong tree is also the weak tree at some point in it's lifetime.
I have always been a strong tree, ready to support and take care of and provide nutrients in whatever necessary way.
I remember when my dad died, though, and feeling like I couldn't handle the weight of the sadness, but also feeling like I was being held in a web of support.
I was weak for a while, and now I'm strong again-- in that sort of way. In other ways I now recognize that I need more support than I am sometimes willing to receive. I've had to learn how to be honest when someone I trust says "How are you?" or "What can I do to support you?" It's easy to say, "I'm fine." and to try to handle everything alone.
It's courageous to say, "Thank you for being here. I'm really not fine. I don't even know what I need. Can I let you know?" and then letting that person/s nourish & support you through a weak time.
We all have weak times. We are all strong trees, especially when we are needed most.
Thankfully, we are connected.
When we truly accept that connection we give and receive without hesitation.
Together, because we are connected, we get to live life fully.
xx
Ruby
(You can read more about the tree phenomenon here: in this article by the Smithsonian Magazine )
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.
this week:
Kinda like bingo, but not... fill up as many spaces as you can in the month of April to be entered to win Shakti merch & classes.
Each completed column gets you an entry into the drawing. Get an extra entry if you tag us on social media with a photo of you in your fav pose of the moment!
coming up:
yoga + coffee
@ 1000 faces
This Sunday with Maggie! Start your day with a 45-min flow & a cup of batch brew! $10 - all proceeds go to the Get Comfortable Fund - Sign up on MBO
The Heart of Connection
@ Shakti w/ Molly
Explore your relationships and set boundaries for success! This is an inquiry-based workshop - $15 - Sign up on MBO
Spring Sale: Now - May 1
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Shakti Yoga University 200 hr Teacher Training
Our immersion program consists of two week-long intensives in Athens with a month off in between sessions.
JUNE 8-14 & JULY 13-19, 2019
Training days run from 8AM - 7PM.
Early Bird Tuition (Send in application and deposit by May 1 to secure this rate) : $2,750
...
I came into SYU because I wanted to learn how to empower others, but i didn’t expect it to empower ME as much as it already has. SYU has caused a greater shift in my life in the past 8 weeks than I’ve had in the last 2 years at all- it’s messy and challenging and sometimes really hard- but the good kind of hard where I can feel the growth happening. I already know it’s the best thing I have ever done for myself. - Sophie Levy
Inquiry Corner w/ Emily: Saucha
Hi everyone, Emily here! This is the start of Inquiry Corner, a place for you to engage in inquiry each week. 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!
For the next few weeks, I’ll be posting 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.
For me, purity (saucha) is a tricky principle. Mainly, this is because I so often think of purity as synonymous with, "clean, good, right, just, innocent, white." In reality, saucha is an idea. Saucha is inquiry. Saucha is a way of treading lightly.
I love the way Deborah Adele puts it: "Being pure with ourselves means we are not afraid of our thoughts or our feelings, and we do not have to hide anything from ourselves." In other words, saucha is honesty with _ourselves_.
Inquiry time:In other words, what weeds do you need to pull up from the ground to leave room for rose bushes, vegetable gardens, and daisies?
Saucha looks like shedding light on those shadow-sides of ourselves that feel... hard. Hard to look at, hard to believe, and hard to process.
This week, ask yourself:
+ What are the parts of me I don't want to see? (List five)
+ What are the habits, beliefs, patterns, expectations, and illusions I've learned throughout my life that aren't serving me any longer?
(List five)
+ What are some ways I can be kinder to myself? (List TEN!)