Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think folks in. And just as we take a moment
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): getting present
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inviting us to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): connect to ourselves, I'm gonna guide a little bit of a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): drop in in just a moment, but I wanna
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): honor it is John Mastami which is like the celebratory time for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Krishna, Krishna's birth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and Krishna is one of those beautiful
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): symbols, like actually a deity who symbolizes
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): play and devotion and connection to the Yogic principle of Ishvara, Parni Dhana, so like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): surrendering to the divine.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): particularly through play
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and pleasure, and sometimes it can feel really hard to access play. And so I just wanted to invite us to. Each put something in the chat, or if anyone would like to share out loud something that's brought you a little joy or helped you play recently. So I'm gonna put that prompt. So what's brought you joy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and helped you play recently.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And if anyone would like to share out loud, you can. It's always nice to hear each other's voices. You can also type it in the chat if you prefer.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll take a moment.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so I'll share mine.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I have 2 dogs, Harmony and Bliss, who you sometimes probably hear barking or being active in the middle of our calls.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and Harmony is older. She's 9, and she's a rescue puppy, she is. You know, like more chill now as she gets older. But we go to the park sometimes, and there's this little 8 month old puppy named Sam, that somehow always gets Harmony up and running around and playing like she is still a puppy, and so it was the cutest thing, because last night we went to the park, and Sam was there. His owner was trying to train him.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and Harmony came up. And did that doggy bow, you know, like Otto Mucus vanessana, like the what I love about
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this shape is when dogs do
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): downward, facing dog.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Often, you know, sometimes they're just stretching like in the morning they do upward, facing and then downward, facing. But when they're doing it in the context of around other dogs. It's a really clear invitation
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to play.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so Harmony went up to Sam and did downward facing dog, and was just so excited. So Sam's order was like, Okay, and then the dogs ran off and like played around for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): probably like 45 min. It was so so sweet. So that was an invitation to me to like. Remember that no matter how old we are, one, we can have friends of all ages.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and that's, you know, kind of an interesting inquiry to think about, like survey or friend, group
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and notice like, are most of your friends right around your age, younger, older. Or do you have a span of age group friends, you know, friends from many different age groups.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and perhaps noticing. If you don't, you know, if they're like for me right now in my life a lot of my friends are younger that my age or a little bit younger. I don't have a lot of elder, like friends who are older. Teachers, yes, but not friends. And so that's an area that I could work on, you know, just if someone reaches out who is older, like taking the time to connect.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so that's 1 message that I got from from Harmony, whose bff is an 8 month old puppy, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): also
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the connection between
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Adamukas Fanasana downward, facing dog and play like it can be an invitation in our bodies
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to signal play. And what might that look like the next time you're doing Asana to when you go into downward facing dog to play, or to bring this story in right or your own version of playfulness into your practice or teaching.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Okay? And I'm checking the chat.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Music and dance are very playful for me. Swimming is another playful, joyful experience. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Aviano, one thing I do is slowing down and connecting with my kids. 7 and 9. It reminds me to lighten up and just play. Yeah, I love this, both of you. Swimming, music, dancing, playing with our children.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Juliana, my friends and I will make plans outside to play, and we'll call it
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this park, climb, walk, play games that's so cool, because as adults, we miss that time from childhood, I love that where you can just make
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): plans with your friends to be like, let's play outside, go to a park, climb, walk, play games. So so fun
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): playing with my pets. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you wanna
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): add yours, or if anyone wants to speak out loud, I'll just create a little space for a moment. You can unmute. But I'm getting the vibe that folks want to be filled up and kind of maybe depleted, and want want a little nourishment, and not to be talking or on camera. So that's
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): beautiful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But let's take a little space to see if anyone wants to share.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I think I'm just pulling up my notes for for us for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): our time together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So what I'm gonna invite us into is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a relaxing and easeful way to be so. However, you are today just finding, maybe, like 5% more relaxation or 5% more ease like, maybe you can
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shift a little bit to be a little more comfortable, or pull a pillow or a blanket.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to just drop into your your easeful, comfortable space.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll take a deep breath in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and a deep breath out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you can. I'll even invite you to lie down, or you know, if you're in your chair, maybe just like curl up to the side of your chair, rest your head in your hands or on your desk, so you can really really
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): ease like, bring ease and rest.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhaling and exhaling
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): releasing anything that needs to be released.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Let yourself visualize
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yourself when you were young.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): doing something fun playing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe playing in the trees or with friends.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if you don't have any memories.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or particularly joyful times from when you were young, allowing yourself to make it up, and you could also make it up for you as an adult.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, imagining yourself doing something fun and joyful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and noticing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): how you feel.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Often you can see in children
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or friends who are playing in their bodies. Their bodies tell the story of how they feel like they skip as they're running around, or their bodies are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): loose and easy, arms swinging, perhaps leaning towards one another over a pet, or towards a lake.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so, imagining yourself loose, limbed, easy in your body.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): joyful, playful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and this
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mode and way of being invokes
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Krishna.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): playful deity who
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): whose birth was around this time. August 26, th is when we celebrate but all around that time.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and he represents the connection of the divine with the human.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the real, deep teaching of being embodied like, we're not just spiritual beings floating around. We're human beings.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as the saying goes, often having a spiritual experience. But we're truly embodied.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and Krishna is often seen in many playful and joyful and loving interactions, kind of like a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like the trickster of the Hopi and the indigenous stories. Krishna is like that. That character of the trickster playing with Gopis, cowherd maidens
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): playing with stealing butter from the local town that he lives in and eating so much, you know, really enjoying eating butter that even more than he's supposed to have.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so this time is a time for us to cultivate our playfulness. Our, you know, maybe, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): innocent or not so innocent but joyful tricksterishness like, how can we be embodied, and not deny
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the things that we enjoy, or that make us feel good, or even like the playfully petty parts of ourselves.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that is not less spiritual.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know. We don't have to like cut out certain parts of us to be wonderful. Yoga practitioners or teachers.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): To just breathing into that self-acceptance.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I will take some time
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to release and relax each part of our body
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so relaxing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm resting your head
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in your brain.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your face
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): not forgetting
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that we are embodied, but caring for our bodies, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if it feels supportive you can bring your hands to your head and maybe massage
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that part of you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): perhaps starting with your temples and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): moving through your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): head and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hair, neck
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): lower.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): lower back of your neck.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if it feels good, and you want to, and you can just visualize this, or you can physically be
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): touching your forehead, your cheeks, maybe giving yourself a little massage
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): round your nose, your eyes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): chin, and jaw
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): down to your neck, and I like to cross my hands and kind of stroke down
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): my neck from either side onto my collar bones.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And again, you can always just visualize and stay still, or, if you'd like, you could drop your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one ear towards one shoulder.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhaling up through center, other ear towards other shoulder, dropping that shoulder down to the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We'll move rhythmically
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with your breath as lazily as possible.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You can stay rotating
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): side to side, or, if you'd like, let your head roll around in circles
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in one direction.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bring ease and relaxation. Rest here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if you're circling around, circling your head the other way.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Once you feel
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): satisfied of movement there.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): pausing here
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and rolling your shoulders up and back and down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing ease and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): appreciation into your shoulders.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): There might be some cracking like there is in mine.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And let the movement be really subtle, like maybe going at
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 30%, 40% of your full
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): movement if you'd like, and you can stay there, or, if you'd like, bring some rotation into your hands and your elbows
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): circling around with each arm.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I like to go just in one direction, back and around, because my shoulders kind of curve forward.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but if you would like to go in both directions, maybe rotating the other way, rolling your shoulders forward. I'm gonna keep mine rolling back.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): imagining all of the play and the fun that your arms bring the trees that you can swing from, or the flowers that you can cup and smell
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the shapes that you can explore.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and when you're ready, releasing your arms, appreciating them and bringing your awareness into your trunk.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): If you're lying on the earth, maybe inhaling and arching your back away from the earth, and then exhaling and pushing it into the earth. If you're sitting in a chair, you can do the same thing with the back of your chair, arching away
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and exhale, rounding, pushing into the chair.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhaling
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and exhaling.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): If you'd like, you can start to move from side to side. So if you're on the earth that might be kind of banana.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a banana shape. With your body you can leave your arms down by your side if you're feeling easeful, or you can stretch them over your head and stretch your spine and towards one side and then the other.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): If you're seated in a chair.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you can see what I'm doing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): stretching your spine most like you're sloshing a pail of water from one side to the other.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): really, gently.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): really lazily.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you can circle around or move your spine in any way that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): feel supportive to you
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): now bringing this movement into your hips.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So if you're on a chair that might mean like opening your legs a little wider and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just kind of rolling from one head to the other. If you're on the earth, maybe you're dropping your knees from side to side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or inhaling and lifting your hips up off the earth, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm set to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Bundasana, so supportive and gentle bridge pose.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Bring some rhythmic, gentle, useful movement into your hips.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): perhaps making circles.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): This can be very subtle or more
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): pronounced
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in your chair on the earth, standing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wherever you are.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And now moving, letting the movement come down into your legs.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So if you're on the earth and you want to, you can always bend one knee and put the other foot across it and start to rotate your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): ankles and calves.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): If you're sitting in a chair, maybe have space to lift up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your ankles and calves, and rotate them in one direction
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then the other.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you can let that rotation come into your knees, your hips.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): eyes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you're rotating on one side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): biting in the other leg.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for both legs
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bring ease and joy and playfulness with your breath, with your movement.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): when you're satisfied of movement releasing your legs down into the earth or the floor.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Montula.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Progressive relaxation technique that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): was one of the earliest Yoga practices that my father taught me and his Guru. His teachers taught him
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to do, to allow
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for deep relaxation.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if at any time anything that I say doesn't feel good. Please just go back to following your breath or turn the sound down
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for this
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): practice, where
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): tightening and like pulling in the muscles, I imagine kind of like making a fist, but with different parts of your body, one at a time, and then releasing. So, beginning with your feet, curling your toes, tensing your feet, inhaling.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and on your next exhale
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): releasing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): doing that one more time, inhale, tensing your toes and your feet
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Now, moving this up your legs, so, including feet, toes, calves, knees, thighs, tensing, tensing, tensing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): other parts of my body. Kind of try to get in there, too, but holding it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): releasing your legs, and we'll do that one more time tensing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): tension into your legs.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): gripping all the muscles, and then exhale release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Now we'll move up, and you can include your legs or isolate around your belly and low back.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): pulling in, tensing, tightening.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhale. Release
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): once more. Inhale pulling in your belly, your low back sides of your body.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and exhale release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Now moving up to your arms, your hands so, making fists, tensing your arms, your shoulders, your upper chest under your collar bones
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): holding, holding.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale release
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): once more, making fists with your hands, tensing your arms, your shoulders
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): upper, test, upper back
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Now bringing this into your neck and face, scrunching up your face, making like a sour face, tightening every muscle that you can in your face.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Looks kind of funny, but don't worry, no one can see you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then exhale release
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): once more, tightening every muscle in your face, scrunching your face up like you're smelling something like onion
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhale
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll do 2 times with our whole bodies.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So, pulling everything in from the bottom of your toes to the top of your head.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): middle of the body, belly in hold, tightening everything tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight tight tight tight tight, tight.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then I'm
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with the sound and a sigh exhale everything out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): once more, scrunching up your face, curling up your toes, legs, tummy shoulders, arms, crown of your head.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): pulling everything in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And now from this place
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we'll take another deep breath in, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): oh.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deep exhale!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'll invite us into
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 5 min of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): easeful silence.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So you can fall asleep if you'd like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Let yourself connect
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with the divine Ishvara Panidana
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): through your breath, or just through visualization.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I'll guide us back with my voice in time.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Deep breath in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and deep breath out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): peeling.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the energy
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): A power
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of Krishna, if you would like to connect to him directly, or to the energy of divine love, play.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): joy.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): devotion.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Perhaps at this time in your life you're connecting more to the teacher Krishna, the teacher who shares his wisdom in the Bhagavad Gita
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to Arjuna.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shares the path of Yana Yoga of wisdom and knowledge as well as Karma Yoga.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Selfless action.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bhakti, yoga, joy and play devotion to the divine.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): All of these are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): powerful paths of practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So in a moment I'll invite you
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to gently shift.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): move in any ways that feel good, maybe making circles or
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): rotating around.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to move into a reflection journal reflection which you can type into the chat or write in your journal, or just think about.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I put the prompts in the chat for us.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): keeping the focus inwards
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): restful playful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): What insights or teachings from Krishna's life resonate with me the most right now.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and how can I apply this in my life.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): perhaps to overcome challenges.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deepen self-awareness.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): cultivate joy and play.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So you can begin to reflect on that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or prompt 2.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): In what areas of my life can I practice more surrender and trust in the divine or the universe, or Yoga.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and all kind of different ways of saying the same thing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So we'll take
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): about 5 min just to journal. Reflect.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I'll play some music.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then we'll share in a little bit.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Taking some time to finish up your thoughts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe finishing your sentence
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): invitation
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to open up and share, if you would like, out loud or in the chat.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We're exploring and reflecting on themes of the different yogas of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or the Yoga of devotion
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of Karma, the yoga of action
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of Jan or Yana, the yoga of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wisdom and insight.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and so invitation to share
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): really anything that came up in the drawing, or anything that's on your mind or heart right now
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): can also share how the practice was for you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You can share out loud or in the chat, or we can also just be together in the energy of this practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, Don.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I think you might need to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): unmute.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): There we go.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hi! Oh, I don't think we can hear you yet.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Check your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your audio.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): There's a little carrot like a little arrow up that if you tick on it you can change your speaker.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): No, why can't we hear? Let me make sure my sound is up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yes, my sound is up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): no, we don't hear you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe try
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): reconnecting your sound. I really wanna hear from you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): can. You see that little carrot, the little arrow next to audio.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Then, if you click on it, you can choose
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): which audio
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to use like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it says, Select a microphone, and then you can choose whichever microphone
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is the right one.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Often it's same as system.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Or yes, you can type to us. Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your browser is not allowing you. Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So sometimes we have to restart or like re-enable permissions in zoom.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I'm sorry to hear that that didn't work.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Feel free to to type, Don, and I'll read aloud what you say
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): would anyone else like to share?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I mean, I can share. I really.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you know, as a teacher sometimes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I'm curious if other people relate to this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): even though my focus is on the experience of people practicing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I like to teach from a my own somatic experience, so I can be there with you right? So I was doing the.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm not just reading words or like reading off a script. I was doing that guided kind of relaxation, and then tensing and releasing myself, and even from when we started, just at the crown of the head and moving, you know, side to side. I was like, Oh, I actually really needed this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so I'm grateful, you know. Sometimes it's like the energy of the group is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): directs where we're going, regardless of what I've planned for the day. And so I was noticing how supportive that was for this moment, where I hadn't even realized I had a lot of tension up here, and being able to release it, felt really helpful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so then, when I was journaling
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the thing that felt most alive for me
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): was not really play or or joy, but more like surrender. In one of those moments where just a lot changing in my life and kind of like the material conditions, like some of the structures and like responsibilities, you know, kind of everyday life stuff. And so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): there's like grief, I think, associated with some of those changes, and just
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): being able to surrender into it like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): at home, household
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and work as well, you know. So surrender felt really alive for me, and I'm grateful to now have that awareness, because sometimes for me, when I'm in a moment of that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): where that's like what's needed.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Forcing myself to feel joy or playfulness isn't actually helpful. But being in the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I kind of think of it as like, you know, on rolling hills, or like on a roller coaster, or something being on the down part, but just allowing it to kind of go, allows for the momentum to eventually like, go somewhere else.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So yeah, that's my share.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'll read Don's. I wanted to share my joy in observing my grandchild and their cousins playing in an old growth forest on Victoria Island. Wow!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): They fell deeply into awe, and the impulse to be fully immersed, to move freely to discover pathways
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to move freely over fallen trees to challenge their balance. Wow! That's so beautiful!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you for sharing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): such a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a vivid image.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): anyone else.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and on the beach they discovered beauty in every pebble, and to share and gift each other through exchange, and then to leave all behind, as they were satisfied with the experience. I love that so much. There's so many metaphors in this for us, right? Like to really enjoy something, and then offer it up and let it go and not be attached
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you don
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and to the young
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): teachers, your grandchild and their cousins.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, it really opens your heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): That's so beautiful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We'll leave the space for anyone else to share.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then I did want to let you all know there's a free
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): challenge that I'm doing. That's a heart opener challenge.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that's coming up tomorrow, so it'll be tomorrow evening tomorrow at 5,
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and it'll be you can watch either on yo kyoga or on
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): on zoom. So you're more than welcome to join if you would like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and the link is in the chat if you haven't seen it. I wanted to share it there.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Then I think we can just gently
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): offer any insights or takeaways, maybe, to ourselves or in the chat.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We'll just kind of slowly move into closing our time together. I feel like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): transmission
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): is complete, like the offering of care and nourishment and release and joy and play.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if you have some water
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I have some in a bowl.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or if you have a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a water bottle, and you'd like to whisper
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): from your journaling anything that you're bringing forward. So your intentions for this time for yourself or for the world.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and sending some gratitude.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you like, you can take your ring finger
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and bring that water onto your 3rd eye in front of your head, your heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then either pour it into. You can leave it on your altar if you have it, or you can do this later as well. Put the bowl of water on your altar, or if it's your water bottle, drink the water.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you'll receive those self blessings.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So thank you to each of you, and I'll see you in a few weeks for our next gathering, which will be our office hours. You can unmute if you'd like, and say goodbye, or you can just float away, sending you so many blessings and so much care and joy. Today.