Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So nice to see folks here for our December office hours, and I wanna just invite you to take a little time. Get
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what you need maybe some water, some tea, and I'm going to play some music.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and the invitation is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for you to reflect on something that has brought you. Joy recently
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): says anything that has brought you joy. The team of centosia or joy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): came up in some of the questions for today. So something that's brought you joy, and you can journal in your journals. You can write into the chat, and I'll play some music, and then we'll
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): start in a moment.
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Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Welcome as folks are coming in. We're journaling about something that brought you joy. And it could be a little thing. It could be a big thing just checking. Can you hear me over the music? Yeah. So I wanna kind of expand us a little beyond the usual gratitude, like, yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm grateful for white trees outside my window, but perhaps there's something challenging or something that it. You don't have to go to the most challenging, but something where you can see the gift in the challenge. Or maybe you don't quite see it yet, but you know it's coming or journaling about
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): something that brought you toy recently, and it can be something where some things
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Susanna Barkataki (she/her): welcome. We're reflecting internally about something that brought you joy. Recently.
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Susanna Barkataki (she/her): invitation to keep writing, if you would like. We're reflecting on something that has brought you joy.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I invited for the folks who are here a little earlier to to dig a little deeper, perhaps past, like the you know, water food like these are so important. And maybe there's something that's also like the challenge or challenging thing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in my life. I was reminded recently how like, if someone has critical feedback for me.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that there's a way that I can respond to that that's really like this, you know, distancing or walls or boundary, but there's also a way that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I can receive it, that it's such a gift, and of course I have to be in a place to be resourced and and be able to see that. But if
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm here in this life to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): grow and pull the weeds
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that are there that I may have. Then who knows that critical feedback might might help me pull some weeds right, and I don't have to be attached to them, and if it's a misperception, then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe we can have an opportunity to clarify, and if it's like a clear value difference, and we're not meeting.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then we have an opportunity to set boundaries and negotiate right. And maybe there's some other. You know, options that that don't exist. But I share this to say so. One of my recent joys and gratitudes is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the opportunity to have challenging conversations and deep conversations. So it's a little bit more, I mean, I really love, like. you know, my Bfs people in my life that are like we love you, Susanna, those those it's great, and it probably because I have those people. I also have
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the opportunity, you know, like my kid have said the other day, even when I'm not even when I'm upset, or even when I'm grumpy, or even when I don't feel like being around you. I'll always be there for you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Like, Yeah, yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that's very wise, coming from an 11 year old, you know. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and so there may be an opportunity today, as we're exploring some toshia to dig a little deeper in your joy. And if you're also at a place where you're like I am. I don't want to dig deep. I really am just barely here, and I'm barely making it. And so II need to focus on the sunshine. The fact that I have clean water like the fact that I have a blanket that's keeping me warm like, please please do that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so always find your own way, your own truth. With this
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): no one else gets to define your joy for you. No one else gets to determine
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what Sam Toshia is for you, and you also get to change
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like what you don't have to hold on to the things that brought you joy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): when you were little, or when you were medium or when you were big, I don't know this came from, but right like little media. But like whatever where wherever we're going in this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in this arc of existence. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): again, if you want to keep writing, please please keep writing. and if you would like to move a little bit. I wanted to bring in some movements.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and. as always.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): do what feels nourishing in your body. And so perhaps there's a way to start with movement that that brings you joy. I'm just trying to not like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): be comfortable here. So maybe you're making some little adjustments. Maybe it's a wiggle. Maybe it's standing. Maybe it's adjusting your seat or close.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and what's feeling like joyful to me is when milling my arms, I feel a little tension in my shoulders so just checking in with your own body and moving.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it might not be yoga right like it might not be official Yoga shape, so we'd be like a wiggle or jiggle, or a little shape, or maybe a little toe tap, or it might be stillness
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you're in your chair.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you want to, or you have a chair near you, maybe stretching your leg or holding onto a table and stretching through
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): through the lower body as well as the upper body.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then, wherever we are, I'll invite all of us to find a shape that's kind of inward folding that's like self tending self caring.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So maybe you're full forward, maybe for you self care looks like opening up, opening your heart back up to the towards the sky. You determine what that self care shape in this moment looks like, and it can change. You can move.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And now try another shape. If you would like that feels like self tending feels like self-care.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if you're not sure. then an option might be to forward fold.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): See some folks doing that, so you can make a little pillow with your hands on a table or desk, or stand and fold forward, or walk your hands down your thighs. If you're sitting in a chair.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deep breath in and full breath outfit through your mouth, releasing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and one more time deep breath in
and exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then swaying a little bit or moving side to side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then we'll take a moment
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): from that self-care. If you were kind of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): turned in and tuning in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to stretching up and out. So you're making yourself big, creating space in your body. And that might be like you might still be here. But you just are making it in a big shape, or you might be legs out, arms out, really wide.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Breathe as if you can take up all the space in the room that you're in.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then kind of titrate for yourself, like the care and the expansion. and so see where that lands today like what it feels like. And for me, I kind of end up doing a little bit of like a cat cow movement
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like curving over and then opening up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and just feeling like we're actually feels like a solid place of care, but also like a little bit open and heart heart expanded.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): When you find that shape will take a few breaths.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We'll probably hold this this shape.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): stillness or silence. If that feels right. If your movement feels better for you will hold this shape.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a shape that's self care, but also open.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): If that feels right for about
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 1012 breaths, so I'll guide us. You don't have to count, but if you would like, you can inhale self care
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and exhale love.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or any other 2 words that feel supportive to you in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this shape.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): One more breath here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deep breath in deep breath out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): moving in any ways that feels supportive to you. looking around your space.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then we'll come back to our circle
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): virtual circle.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And the quotes that I wanted to share with you. I put it in the chat. Maybe some folks who just got here, though let me put it again.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): By Banda Scaravelli, Yoga is a way of life. It changes you, and therefore changes the way you relate to other people
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and influence your environment.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And this quote really speaks to me, I think, because
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): especially right now for so many of us, it's like the holiday time for some folks. It's winter for many of us in the northern hemisphere.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): There's a lot happening. There's like global wars pandemic continuing. You know, it's it's a really hard time. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I really wanna be here as like the cheerleader to say, you get to take care of you. In fact, we need you to take care of you because you, caring for you allows you to then have those interactions where you have a little more patience, or have those moments where you can organize with your community. And you know for mutual aid, or show up to teach a class and not be burned out, because
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): again, I'm I don't know yet, cause I haven't done a kind of vibe check, and I wanna invite you to like share how you're doing vibe check in the chat.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But in my world people are burned out, exhausted, devastated like grieving and tired and overwhelmed. Some people are hopeful and joyful, and you know we go in and out have moments.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but I really wanna normalize like, if you're feeling challenging feelings
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and experiences, then you're
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that is welcome. You are welcome. It's this is not a good vibes, only kind of place, you know, like I know, I smile a lot. It's a coping mechanism slash.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think some sort of spiritual, you know, tool like to be able to bring joy even in the hardest moments for me is a practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And that's why I asked you, not in a kind of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Pollyannaish way, but like what brings you joy, and maybe it's not easy joy, you know. Maybe it is. Maybe it's the surface level like for me
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): watching a fun show with my family we're watching
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as a colleague. It's a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a musical high school, musical, right like. And then it's about theater kids.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And my kiddo is coming up a lot, because one of those relationships where we're really working on stuff right now. And instead, like, Oh, do your homework? No, but I wanted, you know. And so it's like, What if we played a theater game? And we said Yes, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then, so that change me being resource right? This fun thing helped bring
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): something that shifted our dynamic, you know, from that oppositional to like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): how can we work together? Improv? Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. So that's been bringing me to. So I'd love to invite folks to share how you are, and also, if anyone would be willing to unmute.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): want to talk about your joy. to share in the chat.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I'm gonna pause to open it up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you, Justine. And I also wanna honor folks feel more quiet today. that that you don't have to share out loud or in the chat
Carly Joelle: I can do a quick share. My name is Carly, she her and I I run a a small business, but it's big enough that there's or maybe this is just life. These like there's always a million things to do always.
Carly Joelle: And I feel like my brain only really
Carly Joelle: can focus in on those things, maybe once a month. And so I really harness it when I can. And yesterday felt like one of those days I was motivated, and I had the time. But one of my dear friends.
Carly Joelle: her fifth grader, had a recital, and she, just just in passing mentioned it, and something just II felt right away like I need to go to that. And and when you asked what brought joy like that was. It was surprising, this fifth grader by showing up for them. And it was just it was really, really cool. And then I got up early this morning, and I got some work done, and it's gonna be okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you, Carly, sharing in your joy. Love that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hmm. Dominique.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm.
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): hi! My son had a birthday a couple of weeks ago.
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): and
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): He was sharing with me all the things that his friends were sending him
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): and their love for him, and these are friends that he's had since he he just turned 24.
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): These are friends that he's had since elementary school.
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): high school. And
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): I just felt really good cause I was beat myself up that maybe I'm not. I didn't do a good enough job, or that I wasn't. I mean, it's not true. He's a great person, but I always beat myself up because I was a single mom. So I felt like, maybe I didn't do enough, or I couldn't provide enough
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): where he had friends that had 2 parent homes, and they lived in these big houses, and I always felt like not enough
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): to hear
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): his friends, and how much they loved him and validated him. I was like oh.
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): he turned out to be a good person like
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): I did a good job, and that, really like felt good for me, that he was loved too.
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): and that that was being reflected to him by his
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): male identifying friends, you know, and they outwardly showed that to him, and he could receive that. And I just felt like
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): he's a good person. II nurtured him well, and made sure he was in good community, and he has his lifelong friend. So that brought me a deep sense of joy like over the last couple of weeks. I've just been like, he did good
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): and I, just I felt good about that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hmm
Dominique Lynch (she/her/hers): that's it
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you so much. I'm just really feeling your share, too, because it's like that feeling of not enoughness.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I mean it. I wanted to say how many of us of us had felt that today or yesterday, or like recently this week, I certainly have with something doesn't have to be parenting. It could be anything. But I think it's so universal, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for me, at least, it's often something that I feel ashamed of, and so I don't talk about it. And so I also just wanna honor and acknowledge and like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): celebrate you for sharing that because I feel like he'll heal something in me, too, you know. Thank you, Tommy.
Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hmm. anyone else?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, there's a few folks that's your first time in the space. And so normally, what we do is practice a little bit like I guided us. Sometimes we'll journal or reflect before or after.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and and then we share, and then I'll address some of the questions that have come up. But yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Caroline.
and
Caroline: thank you. Hi.
Caroline: yeah. I, too, was
Caroline: really appreciative of
Caroline: hearing about. You know.
Caroline: this child, my child, is 12 now, and having a real struggle and just kind of like I was talking to them today about like your 15 year old self. you know, is going to be talking to, you know, like so just hearing
Caroline: this 24 year old is lovely. And yeah. the joy for me this week has.
Caroline: or to day yesterday has. I've been really.
Caroline: really practicing, trying to really listen to what my own insight is, and and what my own inner wisdom is telling me, especially around parenting and around kind of those kind of key
Caroline: parenting decisions. And
Caroline: and it's been a real switch of just trusting myself
Caroline: really, really, deeply. And then today, I just had this kind of joy of
Caroline: like, I have the
Caroline: the relief of some boundaries that did work out. Okay. But but more, there was. This kind of it felt like this kind of weird surge of energy where to? Suddenly everything just felt so aligned. And I just really felt like the way I was communicating because I because I was really
Caroline: aligned all the way through going. Now, this is really what I think. And this is, you know, like I. You know this. This is just genuinely what I think. And and this is how I want to lead you through this and and that felt very different to how it's felt for the last kind of 15 years. Really? So
Caroline: yeah, so thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you for sharing that. Caroline. Wow. yeah, that kind of inner wisdom and self trust.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I've really been reflecting on that. That's one of my personal themes for this coming year. Is that self sovereignty and trusting my inner wisdom, because so often I think we outsource.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it doesn't mean we can't have advisors right like I come here and I'm guiding the space right. So I share something helpful. But if I don't, I don't. But I also know, and I don't bear a responsibility for it in the sense that, or I feel responsible to creating a space. But I know we all are hold pieces of that insight and that wisdom, and that often it's about awakening our own and our wisdom.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I also see places where I can trust my own inner wisdom more and more deeply in parenting. For sure, and some other places in my life. So that that really resonated.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah. anyone else.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Sonya, I don't know why. but I'm seeing that maybe you have something to share.
Sonya Marquez: Oh, my goodness, you call me out! Yes, I do. I was a little late, and II said, I was thinking about
Sonya Marquez: today and then forgetting that today was the day that I had the opportunity to speak to you and the community
Sonya Marquez: because I haven't been able to be on. And this time. And so today, when I got the email, I'm like, Oh, my God! And of course driving kids. And so I felt badly that I'm late. So thank you for your patience, and thank you for welcoming me into this space. And I was just. It's
Sonya Marquez: it's not funny. It's very.
Sonya Marquez: I find these are synchronous moments where? What you I just walked into, and the discussion was exactly what I needed to be hearing at this time. So I have been holding back with my
Sonya Marquez: with my teaching. I mean, I've side kind of stepped. I have 3 teenagers, and I think for me it's about
Sonya Marquez: being being this space for them as well in the home, but also wanting to expand and go beyond, and not wanting to
Sonya Marquez: stay small, you know, like really reach more people and help more people. And so as I start thinking through
Sonya Marquez: where I want to focus, I think it's really with these kind of young teens. And I want to. I want
Sonya Marquez: to share authentically. And I also know that sometimes that age is
Sonya Marquez: is maybe not as open to receiving. And so I guess I wanna ask. and how would you? How would you start just with small groups, with friends, children of friends
Sonya Marquez: just to kind of gauge, like
Sonya Marquez: kind of form format, a class that's kind of authentic but accessible to them express accessible. Everyone and my 3 happen to be athletes. But I don't wanna say athletes and exclude others. So I have a lot of questions around that I'm just trying to, as I think things like write them down kind of think of different ways to format. But I just need to start. I know I just need to start.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, no, that's great. I'm so glad you showed up. Also, II think I might have said this on another office hours. But my one of my teachers, my Yoga teachers, Trinity Capillary, who
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): led the 300 h that I did that I did way back when she doesn't do them anymore. But she used to say, You know, imagine you're at a party, and you bump into someone right? And it's like good vibes like yay, party, right? It's like that. Excuse me for partying like it's cool. You never have to apologize. We're not worried. If you come late. If you need to leave, please leave. You know something little you could be like. Excuse me for partying, you know, and and I always loved that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): phrase because it just helped me reorient from
you know, even if the party is like shuttling teenagers
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): kind of as a party in its own way. Right? I love your question.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I love it. I also used to teach teams high. I taught high school, English and history. Then I taught middle school and elementary school, and so I've a lot of experience, sort of educationally with this age group. So I'll just share some insights there. I have not yet been a parent of a a teenager, so I also just wanna qualify because I have, though, taught my own child, but when he was much younger in a group of kids doing yoga after school.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I've also taught in school. So I think your intuition is really right on. I think it's like, start with something. I actually like the Yoga for athletes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Because it gives a kind of focus. And I. And I think when athletes. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in my experience, and of course.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): some teams are different than this. But most of us kinda wanna know why we're doing something. And when we're teenage, and this is why I love this age. They're a little like cynical, right? So you can be a little snarky and sarcastic, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I love that about that age. But it helps to be like, Hey, so this thing really worked for me in my anxiety, or like. I'm super not flexible, even though I'm a yoga teacher. But these things helped me be a little more flexible, which helped me in my running cause. I'm a, you know, used to run all the time.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): What do you think? Should we try it, you know, and I kind of take that like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is, set it up, explain the benefit why you might want to practice it, what the benefit is, and then they're also really wanting autonomy and independence and like self sovereignty, but they're still so young, and they're so dependent on us. But they resent that, you know. So it's kind of like giving them that space to be like, Hey.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): let's try it. Let's see, you know.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And and if you have a group who's like, Oh, no, we're athletes. We understand. We know this is good for us. We know it's gonna improve our game. Yes, sometimes I'll tell a story like you could tell the stories of. I think it was Phil Jackson and the Lakers was it who had the team meditate? And they're like, bring data right? Like, I don't remember the data. I just know this anecdotally cause. People in my life love the Lakers, but I know they got better. Personally, I learned how to shoot baskets at a monastery, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so focused cause I was meditating all day. The monks are super fun, right? So they play games. We're playing basketball. And I kept like switch swish switch like, because
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I was so mindful. And so now, when I'm out at the Park, you know, years later, like almost 20 years later, from when I first learned. I can tap into that same focus.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it's not as good as when I had been meditating for 2 weeks straight and learn how to play, you know, because I'm not in that flow state in the same level.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But I can get most of the way there, and my game is better, right? So even you can use my story and say, my teacher, like she's funny. She's not even an athlete, but she can do could do this, and I'm still decent, a decent shot.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): sort of giving you benefit. I do actually like the focus. I think it's okay to exclude cause. You can always later open up it. Oh, I've been doing this with athletes. Here's a generally yoga class for anyone who wants to come, but there's something nice about people who have, especially at that age, something in common, where they kind of know why they're there.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and they can also have an external reason like it's not because of my mental health. It's not because of my anxiety. It's cause I wanna be a better athlete right like it gives them a little distance where they can show up and not be uncool.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And again, some teams may not need that at all, and some it might be great to directly go for Yoga, for anxiety, right like. And if you were saying, Oh, actually, I have people who are young people in my life who want that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then you could do that. But
Sonya Marquez: how does this sound? That sounds amazing. I thank you for everything you've shared. I love. I love that you learned how to play basketball, a monastery. That's a fascinating story. And your yes, I think sometimes I
Sonya Marquez: hold backs. I wanna do it the right the appropriate in terms of right like not exclude. Make sure it's authentic to the roots of Yoga. Make sure, you know. And so I really like. Now, what do you think about a shorter class. For what was your experience with teenagers and their ability to focus?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, when I taught fifth and sixth grade, I would do like 30 to 40 min.
Sonya Marquez: great enough. Maybe I, honestly, I would probably start with 30 to 40. Yeah, yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think it's yeah. It's tough. I even
the other thing for me was
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): classroom control, right? Like that's what it's called. It's so weird to call it classroom control. But I had to figure out my way of building trust with students. And there was the things the Administration said, and then there was like what my way was, and they would be like. Don't smile till Christmas, or whatever like that's not. That's not gonna happen with this face I'm not really smiling, but but
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): where the way I built trust was over time, right? And some of those things, and sharing my own stories and relating and also creating the space for them to have choices like choices make a big difference for young people.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): They get so few and they're so controlled and so restricted and so even like creating a little curriculum. I don't know you could do a 6 week, Yoga, that for athletes right or 8 weeks something like that you could have like, you know, things you're working on upper body, lower body, whatever you know. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then say, Hey, y'all like this is what I've planned. Does anyone have anything they really wanna work on? Or is there something that you're and then give them some opportunity to contribute to the curriculum and the plan?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And that goes a long way to getting by in. And then, if there's someone who's really disruptive, like always when I just taught general classes, there always was right. Someone who was uncomfortable on their body, and would just be poking people and poses with those folks. I go aside before after class, and I just try to build a relationship and kind of get them on.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): See? Have them see? I'm on their side. Get them on my side, and if it's just not working for them like they can go, you know, whatever like, be it in like, they couldn't use tech right? But they could go journal, or they could go take a walk outside or cause Yoga is all these things
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I want to speak, though, to what you said about do it right, and honor the roots of Yoga. There are a million opinions about this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and ultimately you have to come to your own truth. So what I say isn't the final answer. What you believe is.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I was taught, and I also truly believe.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that anything you can do to bring these young people, your colleagues or friends, yourself closer to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): ease, harmony, peace, joy, freedom, that is yoga.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so I wouldn't say this on a general stage, right? I'm not gonna be like, Go do a bunch of appropriate things. But you're bringing people joy. So that's yo, you know. And I wouldn't say this if you were like, I wanna teach, I mean, you wouldn't to teens, but like substances and and yoga.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that's different. But when you're like. I want to help these young people like, it's okay. Whatever you do is going to be helpful. And so you don't need to use Sanskrit, you know, if it's something where, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): they're new to this practice, it's not going to help them to hear. Oh, yoga philosophy! Blah! Blah! Blah! It's going to help them to hear things that relate to them. And then you form those bridges, and once, you know, maybe you've been meeting a year or 2 years, you can bring in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): some of those things. We don't have to do it all at once. You don't have to take everything class Curator, right like that's not good. The stories about the gods and the goddesses.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): II don't think I ever told
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to the high schoolers, to the elementary school. I did because they love to learn to to story, but in high school I talked a lot about like the the feats and the cities of the aesthetics, like the the meditators that can sit and melt the ice in places where, if we sat, we would freeze. You know, we get really cold, and they can melt. And they're like, Huh, like, huh!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): What are these powers you're talking about? Like what? Because they're just.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): They're learning about the world. And they're curious, you know, even if they want to sometimes pretend they're not. And so it's okay to find your way in.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to trust yourself, and goodness knows how many times I felt like a fool in front of those teams, you know. Make fun of me every day. Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you for listening and being part of this community. Yes, and thank you, I know, like, I get very excited about teaching kids. So I could talk to you about this all day.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I also wanna say, for folks who are new here, cause we have a number of folks who join us recently. We you can drop questions in ahead of the call, and there's a couple that I'll I'll address in a moment.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But also we talk organically. So if you, you have questions as you come, and that's you know we're just gathered together, then you can share those in the chat, and it's also very welcome to just come and receive. And if you're here and you're like, I don't know, really know. Like, let let the nuggets of wisdom the one that's supposed to be there are ones like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): drop in, you know, something someone else says something. You feel right. It might, and you might receive something. Justine. Hi!
Justine Ferguson: Sorry. My ears perked up when she was saying she was working with the with the kids and everything. So
Justine Ferguson: so I was. My calling had grabbed me, and so I apologize. If I missed that part.
Justine Ferguson: may I add some 2 cents to that, too. please. Okay,
Justine Ferguson: So I've worked with K. Through 12, but mostly with elementary middle schoolers, too. They'll always be honest with you.
Justine Ferguson: thing that I
Justine Ferguson: found that helps me is to have, and this only. Well, this works for me is to have a routine, a very specific routine, and a structure. And that way it's creating this container for the students. They know what to expect. Expectations is really important, especially feeling safe.
Justine Ferguson: With something with, if it's something that's new for them. But having the same routine, so decide on for yourself over like I decided what I what would be, what would I want to do in the beginning? You have, like.
Justine Ferguson: you know, ice melting intros, or just just having people saying Hello, and
Justine Ferguson: and then making sure you have guidelines and expectations, and have them clear, and have them on a visual, and have it there all the time, and then have people maybe contribute to that. I don't know how long you have them or how many meetings you have.
Justine Ferguson: so if it's a short time, amount of time, make sure you have those guidelines already written up, and that expectations and agreements are agreed to as a group
Justine Ferguson: having group agreements for safety, and then that are age appropriate, of course, and then that am the thing about the safe container. Safety is, the routines are very important. It's
Justine Ferguson: same routine every time you're in, and it could, if
Justine Ferguson: you can tweak it as you get more comfortable with them.
Justine Ferguson: Thank you. I had to say that. and if it was already repeated, I apologize.
Sonya Marquez: No, that wasn't. Thank you so much. That's huge. I appreciate that feedback.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes. yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I really appreciate that, too. It helps me, you know, set as teacher setting the routine and having the plan. And just, you know, wanna just call out your comment before I'm having a wondering being here means we're going against the status quo in this culture which means to ignore the body, mind, and soul. That status quo and push past, push through, push down the things that bring me joy is escaping with a series and being with the cats.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, I also understand that this is an enormous privilege to have the ability to check out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah. And you know, I I've been really reflecting on privilege and how it actually doesn't help anyone
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to try to disown our switch. It's more like being with it. And then, like you're, you know. teaching or working with young people is honestly some of the hardest, most frontline work that I know, and it's some of the most important work.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so to be able to do that and to like, give yourself the space to check out when you're with people all the time. It's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so necessary. And so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is it a privilege, you know, or is it actually needed? It's kind of both right? It's like a privilege. Yes, but also it's so needed to then be able to go back and do the work that you do that has so much impact. And you also don't need to do anything to earn or deserve rest. We're feeling good. I learned that from, I think Tricia Hersey and both Tricia Hersey and Octavia Raheem say it in various ways.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'll put their names in the chat in a second. But that was such a revelation of like. Oh, the fact that we think that we need to earn
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): rest. That is capitalism.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): That is an extractive system. and it's the same with privilege, like all of us have immense privileges, right? But we don't actually need to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to diminish ourselves because of that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's like we get to enjoy those things and appreciate those things and and work to unpack like the ones that are unjust, that we have privilege because someone else has disprivileged.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But we also get to yeah to rest and feel joy. And in fact, I haven't seen folks stay
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in the work
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): are. I see folks burn out when when they're just constantly UN like giving away their privilege or undoing their, you know. And and so it's actually not helpful. What is helpful? Is this self care?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah. And then I wanna say Nana.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): tell me if I'm pronouncing that right, or how to. You can write it phonetically if you don't want to speak. But I'm feeling enraged and exhausted. I just moved somewhere to small town. There has been 0 community action around Palestine, and I'm feeling like I need to step up and start organizing, and don't feel necessarily ready for that. Yeah, I'm really feeling you and let me know if you want thoughts or you just wanna be witnessed.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 2
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): think maybe they let they had to leave.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I've started connecting more with
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): organize like organizing. And one of the things that's been helpful. I just want to name this, for anyone else who's feeling disconnected
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is starting small like it could be a small group. It could be not like putting it up on social media or publicly, but just reaching out. Hey, friends, do you wanna gather for a circle where we talk about this, and resource each other and share our grief. Or, you know, action steps
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that has felt really good and and empowering
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and helpful like. Really, I kind of finally feel like myself again. Actually, after doing that this last weekend because I hadn't been able to. And then now II did
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so. I wanna transition to some of the questions in the in that we're sent in. And Bonnie said, after working through the Sentosa materials, I still feel like I could use a little more understanding or background on the relationship between contentment and the moon.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): contentment and the Guru mudra, or all 3, if they are connected also with reference to the moon and its energy. Should the Centosia Mudra, or Centosia Asana sequence be practiced at night. Ideally.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Ps. You can mention me by name, and I will be at work. Okay, no problem. So I wanted to give a bit of a detailed answer to this. Not just a a surface answer. And so let me pull up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so where the connection comes from.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You see, it's only half
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): This is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): from a handout from my 300 on. What is Ayurveda, right? So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Vedic systems there's the understanding that we've got the doshas which you may have heard of, which are like Kappa pitta vata, right, and these are the most gross, and we are all made up of some combination of these
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): they go back to like in a more subtle form, would just take us and Prena.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and those come from
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the even more universal and subtle energies of Soma agony and volume.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so moon is actually one form of Soma, the moonlight. Water, beauty, joy, bliss, right? The moon is understood
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): when we're
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we're way back now, like 2,000 3,000 plus years ago, with the understanding that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that Yogi's had, and for some here, you know, you may be like that. It doesn't resonate for me. I'm more scientifically based, not not
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): something I want to connect with, but their understanding of the world was moonlight actually
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): nourishes us like one could go outside
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in, receive the moonlight, I mean in their context, many of the the Yogi, you know, Yoga practitioners were not indoors, so they were receiving these energies all the time, and that they could nourish themselves and fill themselves up by
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): drinking the Soma.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But you don't actually need the moonlight to drink, Soma. You can receive Soma and receive that energy of joy, a bliss from the ether from the world around us, right? And so that energy comes into us in the form of a subtle, the subtle quality of Odess which is our capacity for strength, for patience. It's also the quality that
it's like what makes your nails shiny and your hair shiny and your eyes bright. And for birthing people it's what allows us to nourish and then birth a child right? It's kind of like that life force.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then that translates into Kappa, which I think is really powerful, because often in the Dosia system Kappa is like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): kind of shamed because it's body-wise in our Western civilization, like or Western culture. It's like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bigger body, bigger bone, right? But actually like, there is some incredible power here, and and that is, perhaps we even have that because it's like undoing people's abilities to tap into their their inner power and strength that is available everywhere. And so that's the background and foundation
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for the moon and the connection with the moon with joy. Right like our our joy comes from
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this inner power that we can cultivate.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I love that the word structures here, since we just had Justine and Sonia talking about the power of structure right like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that, where? What are the ways? We can structure in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): joy and connection to joy.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So let me stop sharing, and just look back at your question. Make sure, answered all the pieces for it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So that's the connection between contentment and the moon with the Guru mudra.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): When we're practicing the gurumuja, which I'll pull up. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): actually.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I don't have my
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I don't have the picture of it, but it's when you have both hands resting on your thighs, and then all 4 fingers fold together towards your palms, and both thumbs lift up towards the sky. Right? So so like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that. So we're practicing for that self-soverety
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): because no one gets to determine your joy. But you right, and you, of course, from a yogic understanding, there's the little S self, and there's a bigger S self. So we're in a kind of harmony there. But there's a guru within.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you're seeking, and you're
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): sometimes even the joy that you feel is like it's like the breadcrumbs or the the steps that we can follow to our inner teacher our inner truth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So that's the connection there and then the question around, should you practice at moon at nighttime? It's gonna depend on who you ask?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Because there are different, you know, lineages and different systems.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I happen to come from a very irreverent lineage in the sense that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): there's always been the more ritualistic practitioners and teachers. And then there's always been the ones that are more on the like critical thinking and like internalize the ritual. So it's just you you don't need anything outside right? And so the answer I'll give you is more from that perspective. But I just wanna say, take it
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and check it by your own truth. If it helps you to practice at night, or to actually go out and receive the moonlight. Please do.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And my teacher said, We don't like when you we.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): these energies are all around us, and they're within us, so we can tap into them anywhere at any time in, you know, day or night, and we don't need the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the form. But I do want to say. Sometimes the ritual in the form can be helpful. Right? So if it helps you connect
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to that power that then later you're like, Oh, I've internalized it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Great, you know. So so there's no absolute answer there. And then think I answered a question. Jackie asked where to begin to start to teach online to offer ceus like continuing education.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Jackie, I don't know if you want to type in the chat or share more, but I'm I'm curious.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what you would like to teach, and then continuing education, for what right cause? There's so many different paths, but particularly for Yoga. I think we're supposed to do 30 h every 2 years, maybe someone's more up to date on that cause. They changed it recently, but about 30 h of continuing education. So if you want to teach that, and you want it to specifically connect to say Yoga alliance, or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like the CIA YT. The Yoga therapist
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you apply through their site, and I think you have to be a registered teacher of a certain level to then be able to offer ceus, and then you just set up a class register that class on on the site, and then people can get ceus for for taking your class.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Would you like to ask anything more specific, Jackie.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): Hi, thank you for addressing that. Yeah, I've been teaching Yoga for a couple of years. I have my 500 h.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I do a lot with trauma, informed yoga and I love it, and about 6 months ago I broke my foot. So I've been kind of down.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I also do personal training. So I've I've contemplated doing
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): offering online things to reach more people and to be able to kind of control my schedule a little bit more. And where I was teaching
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): II love, I love what I do, and I love the connection. I love the community, but they're very much
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): They're more into that bottom dollar and the sail and the push, and I
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I don't love that part of it, and II understand that there is, you know. There is the financial aspect of it, of course, but
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I I find it a lot more fulfilling to really just make those
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): genuine bonds with people.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): so I'm seeing maybe this broken foot is a doorway to explore more and maybe being able to offer continuing education through Yoga, I'm a part of Yoga Alliance.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): but it feels overwhelming.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, okay. yes. So I definitely can answer this. And I want to just note, because we're almost at time. So I think, what I'm going to do
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): anyone who wants to stay. Can you say, Jackie? I can. Yeah, and it will be on the recording. If you can't is we'll formally close, and then so folks can feel comfortable to leave. And then I wanna just kind of break down the business side because I can't answer it. Well, in 2 min, and I wanna honor folks time. But I really really wanna try to do my best, offer you what I know to help set you up for for success, and it might help some other folks, too.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So so let's just take a moment and stretch.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and maybe noticing something else, giving you joy. And it could be anything.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Well, I'm actually seeing you probably can't see outside my window. But the trees are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): little yellow little red. In California. We don't get the same kind of colors that you do other places sometimes, but
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): well. that change that transition.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then taking with you maybe on a ha or an insight from our time together today, you know, really wanna emphasize.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know. Take what you're taking, and also
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): please take care of you. It is not selfish to care for yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and perhaps
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that is actually a lie of of capitalism and of systems of supremacy that we put in the category of selfish.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): actually things that are self care. And when we practice those things that are self care. We are not only more joyful, but we're able to be there for our community, for our world. So I hope that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I hope that that supports you as we move into this holiday time, some of us and yes, Carly, give from your overflow, not your depth. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And for folks who need to leave, I'll say goodbye
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and deep gratitude.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): then, Oh, wow! That's cool, and then we'll talk a little business.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So setting up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): setting up your yoga business online, particularly.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I'm gonna say a few things. And then I'm gonna ask you some questions.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So any good business is always pretty much doing 2 things, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we can look at them at in our way and make them fit our integrity. But we're always marketing. and we're not always. But we have some way that we can sell right. There's something we can sell.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so at base you need a way of. And and I look at sales as a heart felt connection, conversation. Not that I like. I don't do these calls anymore. Where people get on the phone and they're like, Oh, I'm thinking about your ytt.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But when I did do them
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I was never trying.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I was never thinking of that person
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or a conversation as a means to an end. I was thinking of it as
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): how can I support them and help them in their journey with Yoga, and if it is right, and if it's truly right for them to do the training, they'll do it. And if it's not or not now, that's totally fine.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so it was, you know, and there, I probably, you know. actually know my conversion rate, like because people talk about conversion rates like, say, 50 or 80, or whatever. But I
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that didn't matter, because what mattered to me was that the person left the conversation feeling more inspired, more hopeful, more empowered to deepen with Yoga wherever it took them, whether it took them into my training or not, and the moments, especially early on, when I was a smaller, really small business these moments. Don't go away, though. I just wanna be honest right. They go over a time that they come back, and it was like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh, my gosh! How am I paying my rent? You know I had to do the personal work to never.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): ever show up to one of those conversations and put that personal stress
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): on that person. So it's not fair. Then it becomes like it sounds a little bit like the space you are in is working transactionally. And when we're in Yoga, I think it's you know we have to charge. We're in a world where that's part of our world, you know.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but we can do that work to be kind of clean and our energy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of being clear that we're there to support. If it is right, they will join a program. If it's not, you know, more power to them. You'll give them whatever resources maybe send them to another program, whatever it is right.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So marketing and sales you can call them a different name. I like to think of those calls as like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): part conversations, right? Or and then marketing is like letting people know what you do. And so a couple of basic things would be setting up a website. Having a place, we can deliver the class right, or let people know that you're delivering the class.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then having a payment gateway like a way that people can pay you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And an email list where you can gather the emails of the folks who you can share about your workshops with.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I love the idea of Ceus. I actually wonder if you should pursue Yoga alliance. And also you said, you're a physical trainer. Is that right?
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): Yeah, I am. I'm a personal trainer as well, and I do a lot with corrective exercise, or people with injuries like rehabilitation.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): It's kind of my whole thing. Sorry. My dog is just losing her mind over a box. It's kind of just the whole my whole basis is kind of. If if you think you can't do something. There's a way that you can. There's a there's always a way to feel better. There's always a way to work through
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): whatever horrible thing has happened is happening, there is always a way through it, and let's just find it. Let's just figure it out.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): so so I kind of blend things in in my day to day basis when I am working it kind of blend things. It's a lot to do with the personal training and the movement of muscle. And then there's a lot to do with
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): the Yoga movement and just the mindfulness around everything. And then
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): just the rehabilitation part of working around injuries or physical challenges.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Jackie, I love this. And and I just want to say, and yeah, folks, please drop your thoughts and suggestions in the chat, too. But first, please go back and watch this specifically everything you just said like, there's a way, you know, it's there's like that part needs to be on
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your website wherever, everywhere you're sharing what you do because I heard that. And I'm like, because I've had a chronic Achilles entry, right? So like everyone in my life. We're all in our mid-forties to 50 s. Whatever. And so this stuff. Now, you know, we've broken things. We're dealing with things. When I was younger. There was stuff.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's so needed.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And the only thing really standing in the way, I think, between people not signing up and signing up is just knowing what you do and knowing how to work with you. And so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm going to ask you in a second where it feels challenging or or where you're stuck. But my suggestion would be like focus on one or 2, maybe even just one thing, and it might be like the rehabilitation and the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, having private clients, or it might be general classes for a particular issue, or it might be cause see? User for Yoga teachers. So then it's like educating Yoga teachers to teach on this, but you may or may not. You might want to start there. You also might cause you've already been doing the work, one on one. But you might want to start one on, or group with an issue like Yoga for mobility, or Yoga for back pain, or whatever the issue is.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or you could do it in tandem.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then you just need the site. You know the offer. And I would suggest for the deep kind of work you're doing. You can tell me how long, but not like a one off class. This is like a package, right? They're buying
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a series. And then maybe you have pricing that sliding scale, or it could be like, you know, community rate. Again, you you tell me. But say, it's a 6 week class.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and that's 250 is the community rate. And then, like the actual rate, is 500, and the supporter rate is 7 50, you know, and you're meeting 6 times or something. And then they get video from you, plus the live calls. Whatever. However, you set it up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you just set it up, make it so. People can understand what they get, and the timing and everything real easily, and then a way to pay you and and then you just enroll folks, and I usually give myself
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if I can
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): minimum 3 weeks. But if II in a nice spacious launch of an online thing is like 3 months for me, you know, because it's it's some work to put all that together, and and then to share it with folks and figure out how.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So? Thank you for enabling closed captions. I forgot to do that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I apologize. questions. Where are you? Where are you in that? Is there any particular place you feel stuck?
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I think it's just that bridge like II have ideas on what I want to offer out, or what I have offered out, or what I'm confident in offering now.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): And I'm not at all in my comfort zone with any sort of online or the technology of it. Has been what's
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): held me back for a couple of years in this thought process.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): and I just want to kind of get over that fear. And I'm I'm trying to again see? Like, okay? Well, I broke my foot. Maybe this is another Avenue, and I don't want the universe to kind of shake me up so down. I want to see the graceful signs first.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): Totally. So I'm I'm
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): you know, deep rooted fear of failure, of course. But
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I guess just just bridging it together.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): you know exactly how to go about bringing it online. And and I, you know, I've done little things where I've gotten, you know. community groups or friends together. And
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): but I'll I always prefer to kind of go off, and I actually have one of my old clients who was asking if I was back to work. Yet. She's battling breast cancer at the moment, and she's like, I just wanna come in and lay on the mat and be in the space. And I said, I'm not there, but if you'd like to zoom, I will.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): So that was kind of like a you know thing. But I think
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): I yeah, just bridging that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, okay, that's really helpful. So a resource I can drop in the chat right away, and I will look, for I had built out a whole series right when we went into the pandemic that was free that was on this is just a video that was like that digital divide like helping Yoga teachers go online.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And it has a list of resources on another sheet. Let me see if I can find it. It was like tech resources.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Tech recommendations. There it is for speaking online teaching online
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and and then the other thing would be, it doesn't have to be. I don't generally do one on one consulting
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But obviously, if someone from within
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga class curator needed, you know, from our community needed or wanted that, I'm happy to help. But there are people who you could
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like work with, or I'm sure maybe even folks who are teaching online that you like. I know, for example, Jacobi Ballard, who's a colleague who does a lot of teaching online.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): He does mentor sessions, or they. Joel has a setup process to do mentoring sessions, and they can walk you through their process. Right? So,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, Justine, it's a massive task of marketing and lack of executive function. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yes, it can be. It can be really daunting. Think
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yes, it can be so Jacobi valor.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then dayjil patel so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and again, you would. Just if you wanted to set up with me, you can just email booking at or hello at the emails that we send, you can just reply to cause this is something I do with folks. But but I also don't. Wanna you know, there's other folks out there who who do it, too. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it is some work. But
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): really you're just making connections and helping people know how to connect with you and learn with you and setting up that process right? So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): did I drop the tech recommendations. No, I don't think. Oh, yes, I did. Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I have to jump off because I have a mentor meeting with the mentors for the 300 h and 200 h that starting. So I need to head out. But I hope that gives you some great beginning things to think
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I would say a good like next step would just be. If people are asking you for something. then maybe
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): figuring out, Do you wanna do group? Do you wanna do one on one? Do you wanna do direct service to the people who have the need? Or do you wanna train teachers? And I would say, jumping to training teachers.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's it's good if you want to do it, and you feel ready for it. But that's a big leap like I did the direct service first for a long time before I started doing training teachers because they're gonna have lots of questions for you that you learn to answer through doing the direct service thing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): now, that said, though, if you have teachers coming to you saying I need help. Help me learn how to teach, you know, in these ways. Then then, yeah, right? Like, if you haven't people in need, you set up a way to to serve them
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): definitely. Think what you do could be really, really successful and really impactful online.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Now, have I offered things where no one showed up or one person showed up? Absolutely have I done that even recently? Yes, you know what I'm saying, so there is no guarantee. You won't fail. In fact, there's probably a guarantee that you will fail. So just being okay, like, I cancelled an in person workshop
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this month. you know what I mean, like. there's no guarantees.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And yeah, that was a bummer.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it's okay. It doesn't mean I'm a bad person, or people don't like me, or people want to learn from. It just wasn't a good time. Wasn't you know what things in the line? And so, having that, whatever you need to do to get to that place where you're like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe I'll do it, and it'll be a little messy, and it won't work that great. What if it does, you know, cool, and if it doesn't, it'll be okay, I'll just keep keep trying, you know.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So just a lot of encouragement and support for you.
Jackie Esposito-Newton (She, Her): Yeah, thank you. I appreciate that, and thank you for your time going over as well.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, of course. Jackie says I do. Cunning and consulting around. Yes, of course.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, yeah. Yeah. This is so great. That's what we're here for. Is supporting each other. So yeah, exactly.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I know
that's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it's a I've come a long way to be able to say it without feeling like shame about it. I'm like, it's okay, you know. And I was lucky I had another teacher who I really looked up to tell me like not everything I put out there, Phil's, you know, and I was like, Oh.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): now I don't feel so bad, you know, so if I can do that for you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It it is a process. It is always trial and error. I almost feel like it's a video game of personal growth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And and you'll be helping folks, you know, along the way. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I know at least 10 people who need what what you described you do. So yeah, I I'm excited for you, and I hope you get support
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and thank you all, and we'll see you. We'll see you next time we gather
Sonya Marquez: alright. Thank you, everyone, thank you. Bye.