Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh, welcome!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Welcome!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 2 office hours on November.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Gosh! The 13! th
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hi, bonnie! Hi, Carly!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hi! Alda! Jessica! Wonderful to see you!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just what a world we are in. I feel like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So our work is so needed.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So we're gonna do a little practice. And then we got one question. But if anyone has any other things that are alive for them.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we'll reflect on it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I think.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just beginning with like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): we're so needed right in these. In these moments I can't think of like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a more powerful tool than a practice that brings us to unity and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): helps us harmonize our nervous systems within ourselves.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): This is like the path for this moment and forward. And so I just wanna like celebrate you and acknowledge you for being on it.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a lot of the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): wisdom that's coming out of the kind of political and spiritual leaders at this moment is to build community, you know, like the wisdom is like, start right here, where we are in this small community, where we're getting to know one another in your community where you live, if you can. With folks who you
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe have some similarities, some differences with, but just to really lean into that to to community, to Sangha.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So that'll be our our theme overall for today
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): before we go into a little practice, I just want to invite in any
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): reflections, maybe how you are. I I often ask, like 2 words of how you are.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I kind of want to bring forward like how you are, and also like something that you're bringing in, you know, like a seed that you're planting, or like a quality that you're bringing forward. I definitely feel like it's a moment of a lot of change and a lot of transformation. Not all of it bad right, like some of it on our personal in our personal lives, might be really nourishing or really supportive
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and so just inviting you to share, if you would like out loud or in the chat, and I'll take a moment.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So 2 words, or how you're doing. And anything that you're bringing in or cultivating
Carly Joelle: Hi! This is Carly, she her I
Carly Joelle: I'm feeling more settled, a little bit more settled now, more steady, and I'm
Carly Joelle: looking to bring in
Carly Joelle: patience and acceptance of what is, rather than catastrophizing what could be.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you so much, Carly.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm happy that you're here. I love that you like. Bring us with you on your.
Carly Joelle: I'm always running late is what it is.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, no, it's great.
Carly Joelle: I'll be home in 5 min. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): That's awesome.
Bonnie W.: Looks huge. I'm like, wow! She must have like a massive van.
Bonnie W.: It's cool.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm reading your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): notes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): All the feelings is how I'm doing. I'm going to continue to cultivate my work. I'm in this fight, and we'll keep fighting. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): absolutely. That's I'm feeling very similar. Jessica, I'm feeling resourced and hungry, working on making lunch. Glad to be in this space today.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Bonnie, contemplative. Nothing has really changed. The speed with which others can act against us has quickened. That's what's frightening. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): embody anything you're bringing in.
Bonnie W.: The thing I'm bringing in.
Bonnie W.: I think
Bonnie W.: Coalition Building is something I want to.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm.
Bonnie W.: Be exploring.
Bonnie W.: yeah, I'll just leave it there for now.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, I love that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Okay, and thank you for
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): sharing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that. And also your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): question.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think we'll practice a little and then reflect on on that. And for today, particularly because some of us are in movement, I think we'll focus on like subtle, subtle practice. So wherever you are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): sitting, standing, lying down, if you're driving or walking, keeping your awareness out on the world around you, but also, if it feels supportive, subtly beginning a little bit of rounding and arching the spine. So a little bit of cat and cow
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm inhaling.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): lifting your face up. Exhale rounding.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I heard Harpenter man. She has harpenter core man has a really lovely class on
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yoke, yoga for folks of color, and I want to share the thing that really struck me in the class here, because I know many folks here may not. Some might, but it might not be a class you would take, and she talked about when you're doing cat and cow when you have your body tucked like the lower spine tucked.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): That's like what animals do right? We're animals when they're anxious, or when they're trying to hide, or you know, when they're stressed right. But when our spine, when we're arched with our chin up and our
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): lower sacrum tilting back. There's like a kind of freedom in the body. And so, seeing if that resonates for you like, how does it feel to maybe wag your tail a little bit, or make little circles with your tailbone untucked.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and that corresponding bowl in the sacrum connecting to your shoulder. Girdle
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your jaw, oops I'm like, so focused someone's in the waiting room. Your jaw! And then even the the kind of bowl at the crown of the head. So, letting all of these bowls sacrum.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shoulder, girdle.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mouth, dome of the mouth, and dome at the top of the head, begin to spiral and circle and untuck right and become ungovernable and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): uncontrollable and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): powerful. And if you're circling in one direction.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe circling on the other, and welcome if you just came in, we're beginning a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a practice, subtle practice, so something you can do, perhaps at work or in your chair.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So, circling from the bowl of the pelvis.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the bowl
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): at your collarbone
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): tome of your mouth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): crown of the head.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then, even noticing that there's like an arch, a kind of bowl at the bottom of our feet. And so, if you're somewhere where your feet can also circle one direction
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and the other nice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): continuing to breathe
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and feeling into as you move, tucking and untucking with an untucked spine. How you can move like a free animal, right? Like we really are, as we're practicing Asana connecting to these natural rhythms, and that includes the reminder that we, too, are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): animals. We are
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): free. We are also like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): embodied. So, feeling into your body couple more circles here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Nice welcome.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then, if you'd like inhaling and stretching your arms up, making yourself really big
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and exhale, roll your shoulders back and down. I'm bringing my hands to cactus arms, just because it kind of feels good there. But you can open your arms out if you have space and roll your shoulders back and down
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): with your breath.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhale, clasp your hands underneath one so one arm goes back behind, and then the other one goes to the side. So I'm going to the
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mirroring you. So the left side, and then from here you're stretching especially through your left and right, shoulder and neck. You can drop
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one ear towards
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): the arm that's curled behind you. So for you, maybe over to your right ear, right shoulder.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): opening and closing your jaw.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): looking down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): looking up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe making little circles here with your torso, just noticing any differences
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): once again, untucking if it feels safe in your body right like. So not the biggest untuck, but untucking your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): tailbone here
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one more circle.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then inhaling.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhaling, expanding your arms out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): up towards the sky, down towards your heart.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale arms. Come up again
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): out to the side cactus arms.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll do the other side. But before we do, if you would like to build a little bit of heat. This can really work on your abdomen, so, exhaling one direction, inhale back to center, exhale to the other direction. So if you're especially if you're feeling kind of overwhelmed with
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): frustration, anger, grief, rage, allowing yourself to feel it, and then also like breathing it out so it might sound like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, exhale strongly through the mouth or the nose as you turn to each side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Kind of an organic natural breath of fire.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Few more breaths each direction.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then, letting the mechanism slow down, come back to center
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): arms can expand out or clasp around yourself, giving yourself a gentle hug.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then expanding out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and hugging the other way, other arm on top.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then exhale, lifting your arms out and up, and this time bringing the other arm back behind. So if you are mirroring me, then your left hand is coming down behind your back, and your right hand is clasping like at your right waist.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and any amount of you know connection there is good. And so dropping left ear to left shoulder.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): whatever is the opposite side that you already did for you, and then exhale breathing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as you look down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): softening your jaw.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): going up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): circling on the side. If it feels supportive, untucking your tailbone here
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just a little bit like maybe just 5%.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I'm kind of bringing a gentle wave to my body so like waving my neck
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): around
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as my torso circles.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): allowing yourself to do what feels good for you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhale coming back up, inhale arms, up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale arms, down, cactus, and they could stay here, or like I saw some of you doing so cool. You can clasp your hands, place them behind your neck, and this is another way to get into that same heat building, exhaling, shifting your shoulders in the opposite direction from your elbows, and going side to side with your breath so it can be quick, or it can be warm, slow, meditative.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): using your breath to deepen and fire up
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one more each side
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then inhale release. Actually, let's traction our necks a little bit, so exhaling, tilting your face forward towards the earth, letting the weight of your hands. If it's supportive to you, bring a little bit more
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): energy towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then on your next inhale pushing back into your hands kind of like your head is resisting your hands. This engages the muscles and then exhale
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): release. I've really been loving this
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): subtle.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): engaging
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and releasing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then one more deep breath.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): full, deep, exhale release.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe making any faces at the earth
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): he wanted to make all week
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): all weekend.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): sticking out your tongue, snarling, scowling.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then gently lifting your head back up, maybe bringing your hands to your neck for a soft massage.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll move down into our hips a little bit today because I feel like we're sitting a lot. So many of us are holding our emotions in our hips. I'm not sure. I think you'll be able to see me, but I'm gonna move back so you can.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and invitation to bring one leg up and place it on the other, or another. Option is to rock the baby like cradle your leg, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): kind of just bring those circles into your leg right here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then when you're ready, place it down on top of the other.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so your foot on top of your other thigh or knee.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then we'll inhale our arms up and exhale in the same direction as your knee. So, just twisting to one side, moving with your own breath, inhale through center. Exhale, fold forward over your leg.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and if you're
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): seated or standing, you can. If you want more fire. Here you can do this actually as like a modified brick or a modified chair
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale, twisting in the same direction as your foot
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): center.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise, exhale, twist.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): flowing here, inhale, rise, exhale forward, fold.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise, exhale, twist, other side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale, fold forward.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise, exhale other, side, and we'll just do each side one more time, inhale rise, exhale, fold forward.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale right last time on the side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise, exhale forward.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and he'll rise last time on this side. Now
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise and exhaling, folding forward and holding there, so you can be any amount forward that feels supportive to you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Perhaps if you're seated. You're pressing into your knee a little bit or your ankle for stability, and also to deepen the stretch.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): But it doesn't matter how far forward you come, what matters is
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): bringing your energy towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Inhale gently walking up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): if you'd like taking your pie and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): leg and your hand rocking the baby, seeing how that feels
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): little circles here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and maybe massaging your foot if you would like, or your calf your ankle, giving your leg some love as you place it back down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm!
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And as we go into the other side, just reminding yourself, you know, we're not symmetrical, right? So this side might be different, might be more tight, might be less. I personally have a little
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): strain like a muscle strain. So this side is lately it's a little tighter. So, just
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): noticing that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and pulling up your other leg, maybe giving it a little love.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Little rock. The baby
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): being
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mindful and grateful of what you can do right. What a privilege it is to be able to
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): have
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): legs that we can move, that move for us, that move us.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then, bringing your foot onto your thigh.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale arms, come up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale towards the direction of your knee.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale through center, exhale forward full
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, rise, exhale other side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale center.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): moving with your own breath. Rhythm
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale, we'll do one more on each side. So, exhaling to one side last time here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale through center, exhale forward, fold.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale last time on this other side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale back up to center.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and exhale, folding forward and down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe pushing down on your knee
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for a little more depth into the stretch.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): finding
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your earth based
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): connection here in this shape
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in this moment.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): One more breath here, and then inhale, coming up gently, bring your leg with you, rocking the baby on this side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): giving yourself all the care, all the support.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe massaging your leg, your thigh, your calf
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): as you bring
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): your leg back down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll come into
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): heated
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shape so many options. Here, you can sit back, sit forward on your chair if you would like, and stay just on the edge of your chair, or push your feet into the earth, lift your arms up, hover your body off the edge of your chair for chair, pose
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale, and just like we were shifting, twisting side to side. You can exhale if you'd like palms, come together, twist to one side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale through center chair
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale, twisting to the other side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So continuing to ground while we build heat
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one more each side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and on your next you'll inhale, lengthening out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): straightening your legs and forward fold so you can sit back down in your chair if you would like, or if you prefer to stay standing, just exhale, folding forward over your body
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and rocking your torso left and right, maybe letting your arms cross and hang.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): nodding your head. Yes.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shaking your head. No.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): my stangle.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then gently, slowly.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): finding your way back into Tadas. And then this could be seated or standing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): mountain shape.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and our last
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shape that we'll do
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): before we do. A little bit of resting is inhale, bringing your arms up above your head so you can do the seated or standing, clasping one wrist with the other hand, and then exhale half Moon one version of Half Moon stretching over to one side, and you can stay right there or like down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Look up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): See what it's like to circle a little bit over here on this side.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Another option, if you would like it, is to reach back
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in the opposite direction from the one you're bending, and reach down with your hand and clasp your foot. So, turning this into a balancing pose, if you're feeling still particularly activated.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It can be helpful
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to balance and bring your gaze to a point of focus. However, you're in the shape
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): finding your trusty
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then exhaling out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): arms, come up through center hands come down to the middle.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhaling everything out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale arms, come up.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale around and down half salutation, inhale arms! Rise.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and taking that stretch on the other side
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): when you're ready.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So, stretching through the other
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): part of your side body, gazing down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): rooting through your feet or through your hips.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): whatever is your point of contact with the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and you can stay right here, or, if you'd like, stay arched a little bit in that direction, and then reach down with your
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): top arm, clasping your foot.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Dancer.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): inhale.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): exhale
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): one more breath here.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then slowly coming back out
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and bringing your arms down with control
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and palms come to Heart Center. You can
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): sit back down or find a meditative space. So whether that's sitting standing, lying down.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and we'll allow our bodies, minds, spirits, to take in some of that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): energy and effort and ease from practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So maybe the eyes are gently closing, shoulders are dropping.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): feeling the support of the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deep breath in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): full breath out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): truly thinking yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): perhaps, placing a hand on your heart, or anywhere on your body that's supportive.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): We're in such a unique position
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to make a huge difference right now
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and into the future.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So through your practice, through your being, through living Yoga as unity as
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): a pathway to personal and social change.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You are doing
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): this essential work of creating a better world.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): deep breath in
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and full breath out gentle bow.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you so much for your practice.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you for your presence.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And then coming back into the space that you're in, maybe looking around you, noticing color.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): shape, form.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): perhaps
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): looking at something that's supportive or grounding.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm! I'm seeing sunlight, but also the sunlight in the structure of the window frame.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So just
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): connecting to something that's supportive and grounding around you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And we'll come together.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Hmm.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and I think I wanna invite in. Actually, yeah, we have time. So I actually like to invite a little time of
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): journaling or reflection could be into the chat
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): maybe on like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): anything that came up. So if there's anything that emerged for you. But if
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): you would like a prompt, I feel like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): what does unity
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): actually look like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or feel like right now.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and what's giving you hope
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I heard
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): secondhand through one of my colleagues who was on a call with the working families party, and I'll just put that in the chat that one of the speakers I think it was.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm not sure actually, which speaker but talked about that like that this time, like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): they're not this time is not going to take away hope, right? Our ability to hope, to vision, to dream, to create.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And there's a lot of details, specifics that are actually very hopeful.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): which is heartening.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so that's where that kind of prompt comes from. And also
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): reflecting on ourselves as Yoga practitioners right? Yoga, as usual, as joining as unity. It doesn't mean we're all the same right? It's unity and diversity.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so what is that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): showing up as right now in your life.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and then we'll take some time to journal, maybe
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): 4 or 5 min, and then we'll share, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): taking a minute more, just like winding up your thoughts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And are y'all hearing my sound nice? Okay, so cool. I finally figured out how to share sound again. I'll share who the artist is.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): How can I stop sharing?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Nice?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so I wanna open it out in general. But 1st I wanna address a question that came in. And were you comfortable with me, saying who you were?
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Who sent in question? Okay, cool.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I'm gonna read it. And then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just a moment. Okay.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): supporting my Yoga Yoga students and me.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): who may be afraid to bring politics up during yoga class, but who are deeply hurting and afraid, right now empowering women, especially those who may lean toward avoiding conflict by default.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): to empower them, to deal with the discomfort of standing up for their own rights.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So a question around
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): how we do that. And I feel like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's like such a good question. You know, I I
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): think a lot of us are probably wondering that in various ways in our different communities.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And so I kind of wanted to open it up as a
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): like a group inquiry or group reflection like, What are, How are you doing this and and keeping it focused on? Kind of like, what are you doing? What's working for you, and understanding, too. We all have very different circumstances, right and different experiences and different conditions, and also different power differentials. So what's working for one person may be helpful in some ways for another, but also like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): understanding that we're not all all the same.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So I'm going to drop the question in the chat and see if anyone would like to share about this.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, Justine.
Justine (she/her): What actually naturally comes up because at work I'm in an elementary school lunchtime. Anytime there's food.
Justine (she/her): I think I think it could be put outside, it could be put in a class, but maybe outside of a class more in a natural setting. When there's food. If people want to come together for food. I don't know the situation or the what this
Justine (she/her): studio is
Justine (she/her): like. So if you're talking about that particular setting, but anytime there's food.
Justine (she/her): Food is all it must be because I'm hungry right now. But if you don't mind, I'm gonna take a snack, too. But anytime there's food.
Justine (she/her): it's it's like it's like, that's where the kitchen. It's the hearth, you know. That's where things come up. A lot is during when people are eating and
Justine (she/her): sharing food together, so.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): So much wisdom in this, Justine. I just wanna like, yeah, it's kind of like, I imagine. I don't know if you've seen that image. Maybe someone can pull it up for us and figure out how to drop it in the chat. But a burning man.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I've never been. But this image is like so powerful. It's 2 big sculptures facing away from each other. But inside, like makes me emotional, even just talking about it. There's like the little kids reaching their hands out towards one another. And so the things we can do to basically like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): hold the hand
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): of someone.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): in all the ways right? It might be someone whose family members voted for Trump. It might be someone who
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): understands why people voted for Trump. It might be holding the hand of someone who has no understanding, and is, like, you know, kind of who you're describing. Bonnie like, who's hurting and doesn't even like feels disempowered right, like, what are the ways we can form those bridges and food, I think, is such a great way movement.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): probably so many other things. Art, music right like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): leaning into those ways to to build bridges and being creative and like leaning into what brings you joy, you know, and and how you nurture like I'm not a super, I mean, I have a kid, but I don't think of myself as like a super nurtury type of like cuddly, you know.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but if I want to connect with you like my version of it, I'll go on a hike with you, you know. I'll be like, let's go. Let's go on a hike or like. Let's sit in silent meditation and then have a Dharma circle, you know, and then we'll get real and deep. That's me, you know. And and so that's also like on my terms. But if I'm trying to connect with someone on their terms, it's listening for what their their space is. And, like Justine said, for so many of us food is so so nourishing.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I love that. Thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Other folks.
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): I can share a little bit.
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): Yeah. Hi, good to be here
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): again. My schedule on Wednesdays has changed. So it's been some time since I've been able to attend, live so sticking in the faces. For me, I think I just really speak more in in generals
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): when I'm teaching to a Yoga class like this world that we live in is full of darkness and suffering
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): right? And, thank goodness, we're all here to come together in a Yoga practice that's designed to help us face the suffering.
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): And yeah, I really appreciate using
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): the the Yamas and the Nyamas kind of as like a
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): something to lean back into.
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): like, we're all here because we want something else.
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): Dang it,
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): And I think building that those little
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): moments of community
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): really helps like create a little bit of space after class for the like, how are we really doing, or how do we really feel differently now that we've practiced together.
Jessica Jacovitch (she/they): so I think I just start there and hope it really leads to to feelings of empowerment or remembering, you know, the Yoga practice when we're in, like the hard meeting or the community organizing and and things like that.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you so much, Jessica. You're making me think of like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah, like the belief that
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): even though we may have different visions of how to get there, that we are all more
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): similar than we are different. And so going into those.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): those themes more
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): generally, especially in a Yoga class, and I think it's super important to like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I understand that someone might come to that class and be like Susanna. You are spiritually bypassing, but it's like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it. Every tool is useful for a different situation. Right? So if if I'm in a situation with people who are like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): afraid to have a political conversation, or it just isn't the appropriate environment. Then I am going to talk more more like on philosophical or like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): kind of general themes, and I think it is powerful. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): yeah. So I love that.
Bonnie W.: Do you wanna say, Hi! You're the star now, this is Stella. She wants a belly rub.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Oh, he's like.
Bonnie W.: Clearly. I don't give her enough attention.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Bonnie any thoughts on like your particular, like the.
Bonnie W.: Yeah, I am. Yeah. I'm really grateful. You invited this as a discussion. That is kind of what I was hoping for. And and why I brought it up because I was guessing I wasn't the only one whose students maybe brought this stuff to their classes.
Bonnie W.: so. And I guess the other thing that was coming up for me was
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Bonnie W.: I had been reading on Npr. About all of the women who are voting for Harris secretly, and I just thought, you know.
Bonnie W.: we've got to like like reach into that more and and make it maybe not feel like a secret. I mean, your ballot is secret, but they still feel like logistically, they still had to do all of it secretly. And
Bonnie W.: yeah. So that was also on my mind. And then I had people coming to class. And just, you know, clearly, just really distraught in pain. And
Bonnie W.: and yeah, we do chant in my classes. I
Bonnie W.: I've kind of just been like, you know we chant in my classes. You don't have to join in, but it's just we just we chat. I it's just too ingrained in me. I can't be like, Oh, the mainstream doesn't like it. I have to cut it out. I'm like, sorry I know.
Bonnie W.: so yeah. And I was thinking of, you know.
Bonnie W.: yeah, working in the philosophy. It's my class is a community class. So it's kind of
Bonnie W.: I guess. I, as the Master's degree in education have to get over the fact that it's not gonna be like A, BCD, and everyone's gonna take a final and pass at the end sort of where I get stuck when I see, like different faces every week, and just knowing, like what material to bring each time, and how repetitive do I be for the people who are there every week? But I guess I just have to start, and then
Bonnie W.: maybe let the students help guide as well.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I love that. And I think
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): that's tricky when it's like we're evolving people. But the anchor, you know, I often
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): just pick like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for years. Actually, I taught like just a few simple things. Yoga is more than a workout.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yoga is unity. It empowers us and our communities right? And then I might bring a different theme or a different like today. We're focusing on love. Or you know him said today we're focusing on joy, you know whatever, but I would always kind of come back.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And I think it's actually nice
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): for, especially with a changing population, or people who are in and out to to understand the like, whatever those core whatever for you are your one to 3 core themes, and then it helps. You understand, you are kind of progressing because you're layering in different ways, you know, because all the others support back to those things.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but everyone's kind of getting what they need. And there is some progress in depth, and I don't know if it's possible to do workshops like if that's something you would want to do or the community would want. But it sounds to me like you would really enjoy that, you know, like a like an 8 week on the eightfold path, you know, or the 8, you know limbs, and then
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): or 10 week on the yamas and yamas like that could be fun for you, and also, like a subversive way to organize the women in your community.
Bonnie W.: Yeah, there's a lot of territoriality in my community. I mean, I've been kicked out of groups for having the 1st name Bonnie so I just
Bonnie W.: well, it's too confusing. If there's more than one bonnie, there could be 20 Jennifer's, but only one bonnie, and it wasn't me. So
Bonnie W.: yeah, I guess I'm working through all of that in in organizing. And I also, you know, I dove in really quickly in 2016, and I got burnt out and disillusioned, really fast. And I'm feeling like I'm putting the brakes on this time because I really want to do something sustainable.
Bonnie W.: and maybe that I feel like I'm making an impact.
Bonnie W.: so yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): That's very.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): very wise.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I think.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I wanna read out what Carly said, maybe slightly indirect. Here, I think it's so
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): great. Actually, then we'll come to you, Dana. I try to encourage embodiment of being empowered to do what you want and need for your own self in a Yoga practice. That is, it's like the Meta lesson, right? Because
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): many folks, especially folks, conditioned to do what the what other people say will override their own body again and again and again, and so I don't think we can do what you're suggesting enough. I think we could do it all day, every day for the rest of our lives as Yoga teachers.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And it's like, Oh, that's the lesson like they got to listen to themselves. So this looks like a breeding again, offering lots of cues, maybe guiding through each of those options to as best as folks can participate, and then guiding them to return to one that feels most beneficial to them in the moment I love this. It's like scaffolding autonomy. Thank you for describing that out.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): And Tina.
dana: I really I love what people are sharing, because it's I just I like like when Bonnie, when you were saying just you chant, and if people don't like it they don't. They don't need to come to the class. I haven't been offering classes. I got certified
dana: last year, and I haven't offered classes because I've grappled with like, I really think that our bodies are political.
dana: And so now I feel like is a really awesome time to share my practice with others in as a teacher. Because I it really is the premises, and it might not be everybody's cup of tea.
dana: and really like Carly, what you were
dana: just sharing about empowering people, to feel what resonates for them, and that that's a part of
dana: the entire practice that I'm sharing is, there's actually Susanna, you had one of
dana: it. Was it was this beautifully worded queue that you had in the Ishvari Pramadanna monthly monthly focus where you were saying.
dana: I'm offering suggestions, but let your body be the guide. It was just like such beautiful language, and just saying like, if you don't want to be here. That's okay. I I'm
dana: I'm good with being in anger in warrior pose. And that's what I'm practicing. And I offer other people, too, because we're not. We're not socialized oftentimes to be okay with anger. And that's a central experience right now.
dana: And it's not a bad thing.
dana: It's not a bad thing to experience anger and want justice.
dana: So like, what do we? How do we do that sustainably is the goal like? How do we engage sustainably and use our practice
dana: as an invitation to sustainably be organizing.
Bonnie W.: Yeah, just as an anecdote. I taught them Vajrasana with Kali Mudra. And I told them Holly was actually really liked that. I was like, it's okay to be angry. I mean, we wanna
Bonnie W.: we wanna regulate. And so that we don't burn out and we can.
Bonnie W.: I don't know. Come to yeah, that you find that unity. But also, it's okay to be angry and to use that as your impetus to get out there and do stuff. So yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Yeah, I love that. Oh, my gosh, I have chills, cause I just am like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): okay, as we wind up, cause I know there's probably more to say, but I do have a hard stop. So I wanna just pull this back.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): It's not the 1st time that we've been in struggle like this for many of us, right if we've lived through the last decades, and
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): it's certainly not the 1st time Yoga practitioners have dealt with oppressive forces. Tyranny right like that's kind of what the practice has been built for. And so I've been really heartened to see movements
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): leaning into like
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): acknowledging emotions, feeling emotions, processing emotions, and then, like grounding, they use the term, regulate a lot which I don't love, but it's still it's a helpful term. It's used in our world, so regulating, harmonizing, and then moving into the action which can be no longer. Is it like burnout action? It's joyful action, it's resourcing action. It's community building action. So
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): so just like the kind of like homework I feel like, if you want to take it for the week is like.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): do something that you love be in joyful community. Whatever that looks like to you. Your community might be people, or it might be like animals, plants, you know, like it might be Yoga practices. It might be sacred texts.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): but really leaning into into those things. And
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): thank you so much. To each of you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): I'm so grateful for this time.
Bonnie W.: Wise. Thank you, Susanna.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): Thank you all, and I'll see you in 2 weeks. Just taking a moment to bow to each of you and invite you to bow to one another and to yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): and thank you.
Susanna Barkataki (she/her): You can unmute, if you like, and say goodbye.
dana: Thank you.
Bonnie W.: Buh-bye! Everybody.
Justine (she/her): Thank you. Everyone rest. Well.
Bonnie W.: It's a.
Justine (she/her): Bye.