The Shakti Shine - April 27th, 2020
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.
This is a reminder to us all.
I have a tattoo on my right arm that says 'yes, and.' as a reminder for moments like this.
Yes it's ok to feel deep grief, and feel deep gratitude at the same time.
Yes it's ok to enjoy yourself, and worry about the state of the world.
Yes it's ok to get angry, and hold onto hope.
I know you know this, but read this as a reminder for yourself:
It's ok if life looks really, really different right now. It's ok if life feels tough, heavy, and dense. It's ok if all of your routines have fallen away. It's ok if you kind of like it. It's ok to cry. It's ok to laugh. It's ok to say no. It's ok to do nothing. It's ok to do nothing. It's ok to do nothing.
It's ok if you come to your mat and don't feel like moving. It's ok if your practice feels like cement. It's ok if it feels light, too. It's ok if your meditation practice is 30 seconds long. It's ok if your meditation practice is a nap. It's ok if your inquiry today is 'What have I done to nourish myself today?' and it's ok if the answer to that is 'I ate a piece of banana bread' or 'I took a shower.' It's ok.
Your practice is here as a space for you to check in, not in the way that a supervisor checks in with their employee on the job but in the way a mother checks in with her seven-year-old child before bedtime.
How are you?
How is your heart?
I've been thinking a lot about the arc of this pandemic and the way we collectively move through things.
I was listening to 'Dispatch #5' from Leandra via @manrepeller on instagram (One thing I've been doing more of is using social platforms for entertainment.) and she was candidly talking about how the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in America felt like survival mode- confusion, upset, unsettling. And while those things are definitely still present, over time there has created more space for acceptance.
Every day that goes by is a reminder that this isn't over yet and I might as well ease up on myself.
That space is surrender.
In surrender there's a chance we'll surprise ourselves.
(Some things I've done this week that surprised me: baked biscuits for dinner, colored with crayons, watched silly/funny movies, woke up and immediately started reading, pruned my rosebush, wrote a poem, walked in the rain, took a nap)
I was texting with a former Shakti member who now lives outside of Nashville, and I loved the way she put it:
"In the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about how all of us are doing the best we can. Connecting however we can, finding and sticking to our comfort levels, and being kinder. And I’ve just been trying to do all those things and being intentional about connection, comfort levels, and kindness."
Surrender looks like being able to see what's important.
Usually it's really simple.
When I notice myself thinking 'this (how I am right now) is not ok,' I realize that I need to write a permission slip.
I learned about permission slips from Brené Brown, and they help me to surrender.
It's simple: I give myself permission to ________________.
None of us can know what's going to happen next. ~ Isn't that just the way life is? ~
As things may start to pick up and as they will inevitably change, you can always give yourself permission for what you need.
I give myself permission to rest.
I give myself permission to feel everything.
I give myself permission to stay home.
I give myself permission to ask for help.
Surrender feels like deep rest.
Savasana.
It makes room for grace.
If it feels hard to access, lay on the ground- see what that's like.
One last thing--
Put your hand on your heart, close your eyes, and say to yourself
(Your Name), I'm here for you.
(Your Name), I love you.
I'm here for you.
I love you.
xx
Ruby
What would be possible if you could access rest?
What do you need to give yourself permission for?
What have you done that's surprised yourself?
inquiry corner / IGTV
This week, Emily guides you through the arc of a yoga class, from integration to deep rest, highlighting the importance of savasana.
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