The Shakti Shine - June 10th, 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.
Love only works if you let her in.
Last Thursday was my birthday. I love birthdays (& any reason to celebrate, really), so the festivities were a solid weeklong affair. I took time to connect, time to play, time to do nothing, not a lot of time to sleep, and time to r e c e i v e.
I've spent a lot of birthdays out of town, and I haven't ever really thought about why. Last year I was in Greece for my birthday with a few friends before a Shakti retreat.(The trip was amazing, and I highly recommend the island of Milos.) But I realized that being away from home on my birthday isn't something I want to do anymore. Still, I didn't know why.
This year I see why.
Our brains are wired for connection. At baseline, our most primal selves require food, water, shelter, sex & community. Our lower brain wants us to survive, and the probability of survival is much higher if we live in groups.
So, add the innate need for connection to our constantly striving culture of production & performance, and oftentimes my need for community gets overlooked. On the surface, I think I must produce & perform in order to survive & be loved. Deeply-wired is the need to know that I belong, and so I strive to be enough. But what if my performance isn't enough? Then I won't belong...
The twisted mis-informed translation in my brain goes like this: "If I don't let anyone in, I can't be 'not enough.'"
I think something that we often all miss out on is the practice of sharing with one another so that we can all get practice receiving. This requires taking turns, and it's the only way to unwire the mix-up in our brains that says, "Keep a safe distance. Give 150%. Earn your worth. Don't need anyone too much. Work for love."
Without even realizing it I believed like that for a long time. When something like my birthday came along I would separate myself from the majority of people in my everyday life, not giving myself the opportunity to fully receive or be seen. But now I'm tired of the run-around, and I refuse to take that kind of bullshit into the next year of my life.
So this year I showed up.
I let people celebrate me. I even reminded people that my birthday was coming up. I invited them to the celebration.
The rewiring sounds like this: "Let Love in."
That's it. Let Love in. Let Love in. Let Love in. Let Love in.
It's truly a practice. It's kind of uncomfortable. It requires me to let myself be seen, and that feels vulnerable. After a while, though, letting Love in becomes as natural as breathing.
Inhale, Let Love in. Exhale, Give Love out.
xx
Ruby
P.S. Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for loving me. I love you, too.
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.
~ June Events! ~
Inquiry Corner w/ Emily: The Chakras
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!
For the next eight weeks, we will focus on the chakra system, or the subtle/energetic bodies. This week is an overview.
The chakras are seven energy centers that sit along the spine of your physical body. The chakras start at your tailbone and move to the tip of your head: Root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. Each chakra has a specific location, energy, theme, action, color, texture, sound, and *quality*.
I like to think of the chakras as seven very different homes all lined up on the same street.
What does the house look like, smell like, how big is it, who's inside, what's the garden like?
Similarly, thinking about the chakras will feel like getting to know the qualities and characteristics of energy centers. (If you'd like more information on the chakras, check out Today's IGTV.)
Inquiry time:
Where do you hold tension in your body? In other words, where do you experience chronic pain/fatigue/tension? (E.g. Neck, shoulders, low back...)
Where do you feel blocked or restricted in your life? (E.g. brain fog, unable to voice your truth, creatively blocked, afraid of being vulnerable, lack of motivation...)
As we move through more detail about the chakras, you might notice some themes start to reveal themselves.