Eliza (she her ella): Hello! Hello!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm! Hello! And welcome. So good to see folks.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you for being here to practice
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to explore.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I wanted to begin with, some just some grounding practices.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I thought that we could maybe do A little bit of movement and a little bit of breath practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And the mudra that I wanted to invite us into today is your choice. This, if you'd like to do Mukala mudra like the small Bud. This might be, if you're like, there's something that you're creating or wanting to nourish
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this mudra or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): another option would be Padma Mudra. So Lotus Mudra. So the heels of your hands touching pinkies, thumbs, and then fingers out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So both connected. Right? Cause you've got the bud. and then you've got the flower.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and they are interconnected. as is the compost, the dirt, the earth, the challenges, the things in our lives that are.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that maybe are not always the ones we would choose.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But it's from those places that we can move into the bud of possibility, of courage, of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I himself, Satya, of caring for ourselves and nurturing ourselves so we can bloom right? So they're not disconnected.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So all are welcome, and you can choose which. Madrid, you would like to hold right now.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Invite the bell. and we'll also be doing some movement and working with our breath.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, whichever mode you're holding invitation to lift that mudra up over your head.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then release your hands and let them come out and around.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): leaning over to one side, so one arm down could be resting on the earth, or on your hip, or on the chair, another arm up and over.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, gazing up towards the ceiling the sky, your hands, and then exhale down towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and on your next inhale, lifting both hands up. holding that mudra again, whichever one you're holding.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then lifting it up towards the sky as an offering. and then switching sides. So other arm comes down opposite arm comes up towards the sky.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): breathing here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just checking in. Maybe this side is a little more tight, or a little more
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): loose or open. I like to look down towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): look up towards the sky, and I also like to rotate my hand kind of like up and down
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): opening up, and the unusual spaces.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): One more breath here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then inhale back up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): both hands coming up above your head and then exhaling down to that mudra, either locally, Mudra were Padma mudra lotus mudra, or, if you prefer something else.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we'll do a stretch now as we twist one direction and then the other, and you can do this, seated, standing, lying down, your choice inhale, lifting that mudra up once again.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhaling, twisting to one side. One hand goes back behind you, the other hand can be resting on the shoulder, or your hip, or the chair and twist from your belly.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then your neck and shoulders.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then your chin, and then your eyes twist around last
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): on your next exhale, softening just a little bit, and then twisting even deeper from your belly, so initiating the twist from your core.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhaling back on your next
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, holding that mudra above your head, bringing it down right to your heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): taking a moment there to breathe and pause.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then this time inhaling, lifting your motor up and twisting to the other side from your belly. chest, shoulders, chin.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and even eyes
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): testing around last.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): softening your jaw.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And if you'd like once again on your next exhale, just gently coming out just a little bit.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then initiating that spiral from your belly. twisting up through your core your upper body and around
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): more breath here and inhaling both arms up. find in your mudra.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and bringing that Madrid into your heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): connecting to interconnectedness
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of the bloom, the bud, the compost
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): an option here to on your next inhale, lift your arms up and exhale, fold forward, and so you can fold over your desk or table.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): standing seated in a chair, maybe, or folding forward over your own body. reaching down, not worrying so much about.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You know how far you get, but just the energy of coming forward towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then on your next breath.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): me into a squat so so option to squat on your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): legs if you're standing, or if you're on a chair, option to bring one leg up and maybe hold it in just a little stretch to the inner thigh with the other leg, or if you feel comfortable and like you can balance on your chair, you can bring both legs up and just kind of squat, but
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): on your chair, or another alternative would be bringing one leg up and just kind of cradling it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Holding that leg any any height doesn't really matter where where you are again. Here. We're just getting into some different muscle groups opening up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hips in our thighs. And for some of us, if we're sitting a lot through the day. This can feel really supportive and nourishing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then, if you're on one side releasing that side and opening into the other, if you're in a squat, and you're on the earth playing a little bit, lifting up one arm
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then the other, or moving from seated, or like a squatted squat up to a wide like standing squat right? So options
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): checking in with your body and the levels of heat or cooling that you would like
there.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And one more breath. Here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we'll come back to inhaling our arms up. holding your mudra.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll do a little resting with pan am first, and so you have some options again, as always, you can lean back against your chair, so, letting your back rest against the terror behind you, you can lean against the wall.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you can lie down and let your back rest on earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you can also sit and let your spine elongate towards the sky.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): As you're there. You can hold that Mudra as we practice, or if you prefer that your habs rest anywhere on your body or on any supports around you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): including the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll breathe in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and with our regular breath through our nose, and then breathe out in 3 small parts
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with a light and gentle kind of withholding or pause. It's very light. Sounds kind of like so it'll sound like this. Inhale, fully
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale. And third. next third final third
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, fully exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): continuing to breathe like this 2 or 3 more times.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): This is a pacifying breath, Veloma pranayama.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's used to diminish anxiety. It can help with stress to lower blood pressure, to bring ease and relaxation to your nervous system.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And anyone can do this breath the only contract indication would be if you feel uneasy, or don't feel good or feel like headed. Then please return to your own breathing. We'll all do
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 2 more like this long inhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhale 3 parts
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): through the mouth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): last one together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And now let your breath return to its own natural rhythm.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll rest here. So, allowing our minds, bodies, hearts, nervous systems, to integrate our short practice, and breathing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so precious, to share space in silence. and so allow that the practice our shared community.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your intention to nourish you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I'll guide us back with my voice in time.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): breath in. and a deep breath out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and checking in with your heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): noticing this moment. If there's any ways you can practice Ahimsa, care for yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): connect with your community
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and practice Ahimsa with those around you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then bringing your practice out into the world.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Maybe reflecting in this moment of any actions that you could take now or this week, or in the next
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): few weeks
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to close. We'll take the mudra.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): whichever you would like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Chance.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): One of the shanty mantras.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Lopez, Samasta, Sukino Vavantu.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's a mantra that is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): quite universal. Most spiritual teachings have some message like this in the Vedic
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): context. It's shared in Sanskrit, Polly, Maggie.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and practised in Jain, Buddhist, Hindu, so many different traditions. It's a universal wish for peace
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and for the relief of suffering. And we'll tant 3 times. first for ourselves.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): next for one person, specifically, someone else who could use some ease, some care, and then the last time you can choose a group, or a particular group of folks, or all beings.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and begin
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the deep breath in and a full breath out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh, ka semester suki! No
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): lupa summer star. Sukino. but 1, 2,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Celesta Sukino. 1, 2.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh. something something Shanti.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you practice, you can take a moment to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): orient yourself looking around, taking in form and shape and color.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And just wanna note, that was about 20 min of a little bit of Asana
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Mudra Panama mantra. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm interested to hear, maybe in the chat, or if anyone wants to share out loud.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): how that might have changed your state.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): because.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, it's such a challenging time in the world. There's so much happening that's just heartbreaking and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and like where I am sitting in my house.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's like if I didn't know the news. We didn't have social media like. There's there's beauty, and there's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): challenges here, too, right at home and and all around me.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so I've been reflecting on how Yoga practices
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): help me ground, and they help me center so I can be a better kind of change, maker and solution, Creator in my environment and in the world around me, and then also in taking actions
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for the world beyond just my immediate where I am.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So yeah, just inviting in any chairs, any reflections in the chat or out loud.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Caroline says, Thank you. That was so resourcing. I feel much more settled. Yes, it's such a challenging time and so heartbreaking. I feel more resolved, more resource to be able to take action. And I also appreciate the intent invitation to offer the mantra to myself, one person and to others. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah. thank you. Thank you, Caroline. Anyone else.
Jayce (she/her): Yeah. I feel really grateful for the opportunity to share the collective space. because I feel like one person alone.
Jayce (she/her): I don't find the same sense of
Jayce (she/her): peace. And
Jayce (she/her): there's there's a definite felt sense of community here, and I really appreciate the collective practice.
Jayce (she/her): Thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you, Jase. I noticed that as well like, it's easier to go deep in my meditation when we're all practicing together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hmm.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Katie. Second, sat Rachel. Feel so important to be centered, focused, and settled in relationship with self and community. Yeah, I mean, right now, it's what's it's devastating, too. Because I feel like we're like, we're arguing within ourselves and online and like feelings are so high and heated. And I even
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like someone sent an email like a general email. And I wrote back out of anger and frustration, and it's like, Oh, right
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like that's not helping anything that's not helping my like like meet my knee, jerk, response. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and yet there's so much to do right. There's always so much to do. There's so much suffering in so many places like it's it's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): everywhere. And and maybe for some of us in our homes and our families, and ourselves right and and out in the world, you know, in Ukraine and in Afghanistan, with the earthquakes
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in Israel and Palestine right like. There's just no end to the suffering, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for me it's very helpful to have a practice that brings me into that kind of inner alignment, so I can take the next
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): best step, the next most aligned step. And that's what I turn to.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I can act right, because I also think just saying like, I'm sending energy, and I'm sending light. I'm sending love like it's something. It's not nothing absolutely not nothing. But for me is like what are the aligned actions that I can take, and we may not all have, you know, even in the space where we share our yogic values. We may have different actions
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that are right for you as a leader, as a change maker, as someone sharing love and Yoga with the world. We may have different action steps to get to that shared value.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And and that's okay. Right? That's actually part of what it is to be a diverse group of of humans. and the practices help us
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): be our most aligned in integrity self.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So yeah, I'm looking at
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): notes, Bonnie, we've actually had a pretty challenging month as a family. I haven't even begun to deal with everything happening in the outside world. I've been in another Yoga community where we dive into the subject matter without practicing, it's been throwing me off. Thank you for the centering and the community. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I mean, so even from the early days like when I was a baby activist and spiritual practitioner like in my teens and twenties. I would gather with folks, and we were in person, you know, but it's same principles, I think. Apply. And we would always have spiritual space. First, we'd have spiritual space. We usually like do something else to nourish us maybe eat, and then we would organize and plan.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it would. It made everything flow. And we were also a very diverse group. You know, there were people who practice Efa different indigenous African practices, or people who practice Buddhism and Hinduism, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know Christianity and and Islam and Judaism like we were and are so diverse. And yet we would bring a practice that could be universally
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): experienced.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then move to the like. Okay, and what are we doing like for the bail fund that we need to create, or for you know, the fighting, the homophobia, whatever the thing was that we were working on.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I think that model
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is so supportive, because then we could be clearer
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as to our why right? And also centered as we were moving to to create change?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So there were a few questions in the in the chat
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the question
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): questions that folks submitted. I'm gonna answer them, and then I'll just open it up for any questions, or just shares how you're applying, how you're practicing Yoga in your life right now. Anything from the class curator that, you know, maybe have questions about. And then and we'll just
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): chat. So couple of these, I just wanna know if in case you're we've been at everything. I also mentioned in the last pilgrimage in Puja. But I do wanna answer it here because this is specifically office hours. And so the one of the questions was around.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): gendering in yoga space like women's empowerment goddess spaces. and the person felt and you're welcome to share if you want to out loud. I think you said yes, yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that they feel uncomfortable with that, and it feels like another manifestation of gender bias and kind of like new age feminism in a way that's not inclusive. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I would say this right? Like women as a group.
are, we experience oppression.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): gender based depression. And that doesn't mean we can't turn around and then enact depression
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in other spaces or in other ways, particularly around, like gender normativity or or anti-transness. Right? So so it's really important, I think, to hold the both end of like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yes, maybe there are specific spaces that we need or that we ourselves are are comfortable, holding that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): can be for a particular affinity group like women.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And if we say women, it can be
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one received as like, exclusive of non-binary folks or trans folks, unless we're explicit about that like women, you know, non-binary folks trans folks trans women.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And if we do say that I think it's important that we're prepared to hold the space. So there's not harm in those spaces
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for non-binary folks or trans folks. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then, in the tradition there is a lot of precedent for a gender, expansive way of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): relating right that many of the Goths, Shiva, the Adi, adiogie
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): switches, genders, changes genders right? There's fluidity. And so there isn't really so much precedent. For like this is a goddess space right like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But that's exclusive. That's just for a particular group.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so I think there there is like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's it's like, how can we be thoughtful and caring with who we say a class is for who an experience is. For while also honoring ourselves, and what we're prepared to to share and to hold right. So it's not, I mean an answer to to your question for me. It's not really either, or cause because
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): because I wouldn't wanna say, Oh, we all need to be gender inclusive. If we're not actually prepared to, then truly be inclusive for non-binary folks or trans folks, because that from just beloved to my life.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's really harmful. My first business that I ever had wasn't incorporated, or anything, but I called it healthy, hot goddess right.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and that I got some feedback from some trans folks in my life who were like, I don't like that name. It feels exclusive. And then there were some other people who were like this is a weird name, because I also feel like it's like objectifying and I took in that feedback, and I changed it after I think a year or 2,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and but my intention had been like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): empowerment. Right? I feel not as powerful disempowered like. I want to create an empowered space and my languaging. And my programs was like femms.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You know, anyone who identifies wh. As a famer with feminine energy. Right? So. And I was somewhat prepared to hold space, but I'm certain I could have done it better right. And it eventually became really clear to me, after just a couple of years, that I wanted to shift that name for the exact reasons that you brought up. So II think it's also like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what's in integrity for us.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I agree with you now. I don't really resonate with spaces unless they're.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, trans. Inclusive and non-binary, inclusive. They don't feel grounded, I guess, in in a kind of accessibility, or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the kind that I want to experience when I'm in a space, and that I want for the people that I love, because I think about how, if I was to host or anyone was to host a women only space that's very exclusive from from like half of the people who I spend a lot of time with, and that doesn't feel good, you know. And and those folks holding the space may not even realize
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what they're doing. And so when I'm resourced, II talk to other folks, and I ask them questions.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So opening it up for for you to share Bonnie if you'd like to or say anything about this
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as well. Hi.
Bonnie Abbott: thank you so much. I appreciate that was my question.
Bonnie Abbott: but yeah, I've been seeing an increase in
Bonnie Abbott: so much women empowerment spaces, and usually, like goddess workshops or so divine feminine
Bonnie Abbott: thumbs up a lot.
Bonnie Abbott: And I honor the spirit of it like I get the spirit of it, but the language around it seems extremely like you are a woman, and this is how you had defined your worth, and it a lot of times has to go with like boom energy. And so then it's like, Oh, I'm only useful as a woman. If my womb is functional. Or if I have a kid, you know what I mean, like, what are we trying to say? So I was hoping to find more resources in like, what does Yoga actually say?
Bonnie Abbott: And not all the other voices out there. If that's making sense like, where? Where can I find like? What? Yoga? Actually.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, that. Thank you, Bonnie and I, just as you were talking, help me like. draw the connections, because that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is so much connected to like essentializing gender and gender roles
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I do think there's a right wing kind of like it's connected to lack of bodily autonomy for particularly for birthing folks or folks with with who are identified as feminized.
Bonnie Abbott: And it's patriarchy, right? But it's weird, because it's under this guise of female empowerment. But it then is. Yeah. So forcing that stereotype of like this is how you can be worthwhile in your home and your life. And whatever you're a nurturer, you're a caregiver, and it just ends up feeling really gross to me.
Bonnie Abbott: just as a person. And again, like II know a lot of these people are coming from the best space in the world. But I'm I want to know what is actually yoga. So I can make sure.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. And Bonnie, you wanna Bonnie Walker, you wanna jump in. Yeah. Hi, heather bonnie
Bonnie Walker: So for my age group, there's also it's all Menopausal, too. So there's an an ageism thing that like. Now that you're in your fifties, you must be in menopause. And now you're a goddess, cause you're not using your wombs. So yeah, it's it's there's all these weird angles. And I had a friend who was calling her workshop
Bonnie Walker: the goddess workshop, and somebody got offended that she was calling herself a goddess. So then she changed it to matriarch, and then I was like, Well, I don't want to be a matriarch. But yeah, it's it was interesting. Now that I'm in my fifties, everybody just assuming that I'm put reprod, I mean, and I am not gonna have any more kids. But I also
Bonnie Walker: haven't started menopause. And so I am also in a weird
Bonnie Walker: other angle that this is coming at women at both our our value for our age, and you know, not using your room. But you're of the age where you can. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wow, yeah, there's so many layers to it. And I've seen this a lot in the coaching world in space, which
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga isn't really part of, but is because of the way that that capitalism works, and the way that Yoga is interpreted and understood in the West. And so there's this movement for this sort of I forgot now the words they use, but like the real man, right? Or like the masculine man. And then the woman in in our divine feminine leadership, the woman is supposed to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): be submissive, and like that's actually helpful to the like, our true power. It's very all gender, essential and very concerning.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And it's definitely not yoga. Right now
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I will say Yoga, over the last. at least 2,000 years. has
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): evolved under also bream andical patriarchy. Right like early early Yoga wasn't was Earth based. It was indigenous. And you know there were women practicing children, men, you know, anyone that that wasn't really as much of the focus. It was more like connection to the to nature, elements of nature, to Earthwater, air, fire, space, all of those things to animals, to our energies.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as it as Breamnico, patriarchy came in and kind of took those practices away from the masses and from access to all of us, and said, The only way to access it is through a priest, which is a male and only way to access the divine, and through certain rituals that you have to pay. And you know so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga also is not immune from patriarchy? Absolutely not. And so you can find texts. I mean, there's some really problematic texts that that uphold the caste, you know, caste system and cast depression and uphold gender based
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): norms and oppression. So it is there. It's not that it's separate from it. It's, you know. You can find justification for it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And there's also many evidence, many moments in text that are like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): around an expansiveness around gender and non essentialism. So it's tricky because II don't think we can say like, Yoga, is this one way because it's been. It's been interpreted by humans, you know, and practiced by humans.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But the whole gender essentializing thing is pretty clearly in permitical, like patriarchal
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): context. Yeah. And the practices that I that we're doing so in terms of the lineage of the Shankrataria lineage.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's one that's radically gender inclusive. And there are female leaders, you know, female heads of of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like teaching sex all through through India, and there have been for a very long time. So so it just kind of depends on which school or which training, or which kind of like branch you're connecting to, and when we say, Embrace the roots of yoga, it's like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's tricky because we don't want to say appropriate. But we do have to be selective about which routes like, we're not
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing back the patriarchal caste roots.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. Don asked. How can we connect with others in the group specifically, who's practicing near Boston?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so I just wanna put out there again. Is there anyone practicing near Boston in or near Boston? And we don't yet have like a bigger community space, mostly just because it takes a lot actually to facilitate that and have it be
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): good and supportive and not harmful, and I'm working on it. So that's coming with the with the yoke. Yoga app. But
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in terms of me providing anything and teacher trainings right like. That's a way to go deeper, and we meet every week. And there's group spaces there that's that's from our side. And then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Alison asked in the Satya asset, what are some variations of the serpent flow.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and let me pull up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so for Satya Asana, we're doing a lot of the cross-referencing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so like us show you so like where we're standing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you've got your legs crossed. Can't really see me, can you? But your legs crossed, and so couple of options would be moving the skin out of the way like the flesh out of the way, and then also widening your stance. So you're kind of like on the the wide edge of your mat rather than close together. So let me go back so you can see. So here I might move the flesh of my thighs out of the way, lift it up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then step over, and then, if there's not, it's not comfortable, or there's not space there. Then I would step my front foot forward. So I know in the video, I said, have your feet, you know, lined up next to each other, but they don't have to be. They can be. One can be up here online, could be up here right? So you're finding a way where there's space in your body. Like this, right like maybe
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your arms. You're moving your arm over in this arm here, but there's space in between your 2 arms. Right? So so just creating that room for for yourself. And then.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you don't want to do cross referencing, or just doesn't work for your body or your mind that it feels distracting. Then it would be doing this, the shapes without crossing right. So, standing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a downward, tracing Togg, without crossing over. So that would be another option. And let me think
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): there's one other question.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then, does anyone else actually, before I go to our last question, have any
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): other thoughts about options in the Satya sequence and and cross-referencing like that, or the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): crossing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): finding a way into the benefit of what that experience does
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in a different way.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Is that late? Later in the Yoga class curator, I'm on him. So yeah, it's the next one. So you'll get it. You'll get it next.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I don't have my
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Let me just share my screen. I have my notes right, because everything before it goes into the beautiful platform that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Let me let me just show you I have my my own notes. It's in the Google Doc before folks make it pretty, but basically it is some side stretches.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then a lot of movement. But with with your arms and legs crossed.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the benefit of that is, it kind of gets our brains out of their their usual pattern, because we've all of a sudden got our left hands on the right side and our right hand on the left side, and same with our feet right? So we're having to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): do a lot more in our brain to think about what foot is moving, where and even like the sensation of that is, it's like expanding and stretching our nervous systems and our neurological function to be able to move in that way. So I think.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Say, you didn't want to do the shapes cross reference. You could still like, cross your arms on your body right, and maybe move or hat either side of your body. So there's ways to just stimulate the kind of what's happening.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Where am I right like getting our brains moving in that bilateral way that don't have to be cross-referenced. So those are some some options and some thoughts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then the last question, was this, this might be too much for office for Ycc, that's great. Have you heard of the world? Yoga Federation? They're offering a lifetime. Yoga, teacher certification, no renewal fees
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and wanna take the profit motive out of registering, certifying Yoga teachers. They seem to be from India. They recently wanna laws you in the Us. In the EU from Yoga Alliance. Interesting. I'm curious about your thoughts on them, if any. So I did. I only looked at this question
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just before we came in. So I did a little bit of research. But I would need to do more.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): They look interesting, right? It looks interesting. I'm always a little wary of 2 things
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hindu nationalism I look for.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then I also look for so like one of the schools I've trained at it. That's in India. Fiasa. I did an online training, but I would not go there in person. Because of sexual harassment and assault right because of knowing that that has occurred there, and not wanting to open myself up to to even being in that kind of environment.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so I would say, with any school, anywhere where I'm going in person. I'm always looking for that. What? What are the practices? How are they.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know? Is it?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Is it safe right to go in and practice there and then in terms of teaching methodology I'm looking for like, is it liberatory? Is it consent based, is it? Trauma informed, and I don't see any of those things clearly indicated on the website. So for me, that's like a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): question mark of again. Maybe they don't know. Maybe they don't use that language, but it could be that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that they're just a little bit more kind of normative. And then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just again given the context of verminical patriarchy, and all of that is like, what does that mean in terms of the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): quality of the teaching, the experience of the student in that environment. So those are the things I look for when I go to to train or to learn anywhere. And just because something is Indian to me doesn't mean, you know, it has a stamp of approval. Right there, there can. There are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 2 things like there's all that like patriarchal and kind of normative stuff, even in India, Hindu nationalist stuff. And then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): there's kind of this dumping model of education
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that comes from British. The British, like colonial way and mode of educating where some of the teacher trainings I've taken in India have been. Not that fun because we're sitting in class, and they're like, you must learn this mantra, and you must recite it exactly right. And if you don't, you're gonna have to say it in front of everyone until you get it right, you know, and I'm like, that does not
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): actually feel good in my body, my soul, my spirit in terms of learning yoga
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I have personally had to learn that the hard way and get clear on what spaces and what I want in terms of learning, and you know what what I value. And so it looks in many ways good. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe it's a yes, and right, like, I need to learn more. I need to understand more. And since I haven't had direct experience with them. I'm not sure. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): oh, yes, Jason, it's in the Satya model. Yeah, yeah. Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Anything else on that, bonnie?
Bonnie Walker: No, I was having the similar concerns to the Hindu Indian nationalism like really popped out at me first, but I just thought it was interesting that they are trying to come up as a alternative to Yoga alliance for teacher registration.
Bonnie Walker: just with a different trying to take the profit model out of it, because that is one of my big concerns about Yoga Alliance is
Bonnie Walker: the perpetuity of paying Yoga. So yeah, I was just it came across my radar, and I thought, Oh, that's interesting, and I just was wondering if anybody else had heard of them, and like it's not like, I expect everybody to jump out of yoga like platform. But yeah, I think we need an alternative to Yoga Alliance. We really do. And and the fact that it's there. It's like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe they'd be. Oh, but I it's also like it's one Swami, one person versus a collective
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I don't see any cause. I always look up the Swannis name, and me, too, right? I don't see anything, so I I'm just sharing sort of real time, like what my process is when I look at any educational institution, whatever it might be, whether that's, you know, like I'm going for a masters in teaching, or I'm going, for you know a deeper yoga training. As I look at all these things and try to talk to grads and other people who've who've gone through the training
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just to see what their experience is. Right? So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): could be really cool, it could become a global alternative, which might be, you know, it's very much needed.
Bonnie Walker: Yeah, yeah, I think it's worth keeping an eye on. And and yeah, and looking for all the things that you were looking for, I totally agree. So thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, absolutely
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so. Any any questions, anything on your mind or heart, any challenges with practicing or ways you want to explore
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): applying Yoga together.
pīkake: Hello! I'm Pekaki.
pīkake: I have a question. Whenever I do Asana, it brings up a lot of
pīkake: like pain.
pīkake: not physical pain, but emotional. And I was wondering,
pīkake: like self soothing techniques
pīkake: like while in Austin.
pīkake: did it cut out at all?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): No, I heard you. Yeah. You're wondering about stuff, sir, soothing.
pīkake: Yeah, like I noticed that it helps me to stay like low to the ground. And I do like
pīkake: like happy baby and child's pose. And I do the little Bingi cot where I like pull myself into myself.
pīkake: And
pīkake: I think another question I have is like.
pīkake: does it get easier? I know with
pīkake: emotional pain, like, you just have to move through it.
pīkake: And so I'm just curious about yeah, specific poses for like self soothing
pīkake: And then, like, I mean, like experiences that others may have related to this if they want to share
pīkake: Mahalo. Thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you. And if folks can just raise your hand or drop in the chat, if you've also ever experienced that, and I know I have. So you're not alone
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and absolutely. There are practices that you know, self soothing practices, I think
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): often in our world we're told. If we're grieving or we're feeling pain so sort of like 10 up and pretend like we're fine. But it's the opposite of that right? It's like your intuition and the practices of poses that you're going towards or right on. It's the curl in the 10, the hold, the yeah. Like, for me, Balasana or on a pillow.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So lots of supports, but like curling, holding being on the earth, laying on my belly. Sometimes, if there's rage or frustration with this sadness and grief
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or anger. I need to move strongly
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and like quickly, sort of with my breath through a more warrior like sequence, and then like cry and grieve and tend and be on the earth and and hold
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I'm just looking cause I was making a sequence for myself. Actually,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's I have Tadasana Uttanasana. Forward, fold
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): squat, because it's helpful for me to get into my hips, too, like I feel like my inner growing and like inner like addictors get really tight when I'm upset or feeling emotional suffering. And then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a lot of time on my belly, so like Salabasana locusts
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Balasana child's pose.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): half pigeon.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I usually try to end with a guided meditation or guided relaxation, so I don't do it for myself. If I'm feeling a lot of a lot emotionally. I'll I'll turn on a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): someone else's voice right through like a recorded meditation and and let that hold me. And then the other thing I would say is like, Yes, I think it does change, and and Yoga can bring up a lot
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for me. I've needed to bring in other resource providers so like for myself, I go to a therapist, and at times I've gone to like somatic experiencing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one on one. I also did some like I don't know even what you would call this, but someone who, like had me sound like make sounds while moving to help release
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what was there and and so and then Emdr, which is that like looking left and right or left and right stimulation right? So I was. Just gonna look up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Think we have a list of therapeutic practitioners there? Let me see if I can find
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that just to kind of put out there that that could be it could be helpful for moving through. For moving through like the things that Yoga brings up right? Cause it's bringing up something that's moved and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm not sure that yoga alone.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): II just don't know, cause I've always I've utilized other modalities, and I have this this sense that for me Yoga alone wouldn't have been enough to shift what I was experiencing. But obviously we're we're all different. So I'm dropping that list.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's different
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): therapists and groups that offer online online therapy. So some individual therapists and then energy healing. There. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): let me look at what you said.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I just want to say, yeah, like, I feel you.
Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah. Bonnie says, I experience it, too. Oh, in triangle. Hmm.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Rachel, crossing over the heart and giving gentle compression to my arms.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, holding my hands on my heart and belly rocking, I find that so comforting. Yeah, yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): upside down might help. Oh, interesting Laura!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): External versus internal anchors coming back to things that are concrete in this moment. But I can touch here. See.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I spend a lot of time in child pose and on my side cuddle into a pillow. Yeah, with a blanket or sweatshirt or hood over my head. Yes, kind of think about it as like making ourselves a burrito, or like a sushi roll, you know, like really
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): close, close in Bonnie. Yes, it gets better. I spent a lot of time in Yoga classes curled up in a ball, but that was needed. Totally understand what you're experiencing, and you are not alone. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it does get better, and Yoga alone might not be enough. I'm still working through a lot related to why I left teaching Yoga so almost daily struggle with rage and despair on the mat. Oh, yeah, and I have a therapist.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Having your feet above your head can activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Yes, thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then also, I do wanna say, like, if you're wanting not so much traditional therapy, you could do yoga therapy right like a yoga therapist would be able to work with you in terms of shapes and movement and practices that also
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): also work with balancing or harmonizing our emotional state.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I hope that's supportive and helpful, and I will be on November second. I'm gonna do a like a free community. I just feel like right now we need Yoga for grief and rage, you know, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so I wanted to offer a community-based Yoga retreat
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and, you're more than welcome to come. You'll probably see an an email come through about it. If you're on my list or follow me at all on social media
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): will be doing the practice that I just described, cause I've been doing it for myself. They wanted to offer it out for for others.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So we're at time
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): our lovely
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): office hours. I just feel always so nourished by being together with you all.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I wanna offer my deep, deep gratitude to each of you
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for being here, and also for your practicing in your life. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and maybe if there's one thing you're taking away, you can drop that in the chat, and then we can unmute and say goodbye. Yes, ma'am.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. Landed in my body. There's no need to push through. Feel the pain. Yeah. Invitation to go gently.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Connection, love.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): gratitude, breathe.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we can unmute and say goodbye and thank you so much to each of you.
Bonnie Walker: Bye, everyone. Thank you, everyone.
pīkake: Thank you.
Caroline: Thank you very much.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I know.