The Shakti Shine - July 13, 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.
It's really hard to care.
I went for a walk with a friend mid-week, and as she was sharing about the current dilemmas in her small business and her life I stopped her mid-sentence: 'It's really hard to care,' I said.
That's the thing about being on this journey of awareness, growth & self-compassion. It doesn't go away. You can't unsee it. And you're going to feel like you're the one going against the general grain 95-99% of the time.
It's tough, and there's no way around that.
What feels challenging is that even caring has somehow ended up to mean politicizing.
I don't know about you, but I was taught not to talk about politics with people and certainly not in a public way. As I've gotten older I've realized that 'they' ('we'?) call everything politics. So there's nothing substantial left to talk about. Unfortunately caring is political because of the society we're living in. But this isn't about 'politics.'
This is about compassionate care.
The kind of care that says 'hey, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.'
Even when it gets tough.
I've lost students, support, and money for caring.
I've had to ask students to leave, let students leave without trying to explain or 'win them back.' Once I had a student say 'I didn't know this had become the social justice studio' after being asked to abstain from sexist language toward my staff. Just last week we had two trainee sign ups back out because part of our intro work (for white folx in training) is acknowledging what it means to be white and how to respectfully show up in a mixed-identity environment.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm self-sabotaging my business (from a capitalist point of view I probably am) and what people must think. I worry about being labeled as too intense.
I share this so you know that in some ways, on some level I know and understand what it's like to care. And what it costs. I imagine you've had your own losses along the way because of something you care about. It's really hard to care.
AND your caring matters.
More than you know!
When we care, it's contagious. The other people who care are drawn together. It's still tough, but having a team makes it feel less cumbersome. Something I've noticed, too, is that when I'm vocal about what I care about I get some pushback but mostly I get a chance to band together with people who also care about what I care about. And that feels like we're getting somewhere.
So while it can definitely be tough to care, it's really really worth it. Much more than you probably know.
Here are some suggestions for what to do when it's feeling really tough to care:
- Keep caring!
- Celebrate the smallest victories
- Take extra good care of yourself (What would compassion say? Feel like? Do?)
- Find the few friends you feel safe with so you can vent with, support each other, and move forward encouraged
- Take tangible action
- Rest & refuel- Do the things that fill your soul
What else do you do to stay connected and committed to the things you care about?
Thank you for being someone who cares. Knowing that you're reading this makes me feel less alone and excited to be doing the very work I do every day.
I'm sending you so much love.
xx
Ruby
July Theme: COMPASSION
get the workshop
The Weekly Work
This is where we bring yoga off the mat together
1. Journal:
+ What does Compassion sound like? What does it feel like?
+ When have you felt that way?
+ Can you locate a moment from the past week when you could have been more compassionate to yourself or others? What would that have looked like? How might that have changed things?
2. Research about treaties between the US Govt and Native nations - like this article or this one
3. Subscribe to Anti-Racism Daily, a dailly email newsletter, a Reclamation Ventures brand founded by Nicole Cardoza and support her work via Patreon.
Fall 2020 Teacher Training!!!
THIS TRAINING WILL PREPARE YOU TO: + TEACH YOGA IN PERSON & ONLINE,
+ TO HONOR THE ROOTS OF YOGA IN YOUR PRACTICE & TEACHING,
+ & HOW TO HOLD SPACE FOR DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, NO MATTER YOUR BACKGROUND
This program consists of 8 weekends with
lead facilitator Ruby Chandler
and co-facilitators Maggie Scruggs & Emily Unwin.
+ 4 weekends will be in person at The Studio in Athens, GA
(pending health & safety precautions due to COVID-19)
+ 3 weekends will be online
+ 1 retreat weekend with the Duality Project in Blue Ridge, GA
Dates of training:
SEPTEMBER 12-13, 26-27
OCTOBER 10-11, 24-25
NOVEMBER 7-8, 21-22
DECEMBER 5-6, 12-13
"My Shakti Yoga University training was exactly everything I wanted and also so much more than I could have imagined. The value of this training is unparalleled. The training fundamentally changed the way that I practice yoga while also equipping me with the tools, resources, and support that I need to teach yoga moving forward."- EMILY N
Listen to our collaborative Teacher Training Hype playlist and add your fav bangers!
*Make sure you're signed up for classes this week via our app: Shakti Yoga; we'll be live-streaming classes from training in the studio :)
We have our own app!
This is the easiest way to stay up-to-date & connected with all things Shakti. Download the app now for easy scheduling & account management :)