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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Nice.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I just make sure I'm recording. Yes, welcome. And Hi! Everyone

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So good to see you. Oh, my goodness, it is

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): February already. I can't even believe how the time is going. And we're going to explore and practice. Today. I did an activity myself earlier today connected to loving kindness and Metta just for myself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so I thought we would practice with the Niyama of Santosha and cultivating joy, but also Ahimsa, and like self-care, and really take some time to care for ourselves, so we'll do that. That'll be our practice in a moment. But I'd love to, just if you'd like to share in the chat, how you're doing, or anything that's on your mind and heart.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Please share that and welcome.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yes, welcome everyone. I'm just inviting you to share

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in the chat, how you're doing any any words or thoughts.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sometimes it's helpful to put like the weather report. Sometimes it's helpful to just like share what's going on, whatever you would like.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I don't think I can share this. Let me. Just this is this file cool?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, so much inside and outside. So

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I feel personally like very grateful. It's a full moon today, still, a lot of big, big energy kind of in the world, and energetically. And

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): you know, from a yogic perspective, particularly in the United States. I don't know if everyone here is in the Us. I don't assume that you all are. But I also think that things that are happening in the Us. Ripple and impact the world too, you know. And so, just like remembering

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to practice like Yoga is. Of course it's meditation, and it's Asana. And sometimes we say, Oh, I haven't gotten on my mat, or I haven't gotten like on my cushion in forever. And that's okay, because there's so many other ways to practice like, yes, do those if they're supportive for you, and it can also be Pratyahara like not getting overwhelmed with the news. It can be tapas and karma yoga like the actions that you're taking in the world.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So there's just so much, many ways to practice, and so much that Yoga can offer us

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): at this time.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Dawn says, I'm healing from illness and celebrating the shining sun, also working to stay focused on what I can control. Yeah.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and welcome to everyone who's who's here. I'm just seeing folks coming in. So Carly. Caroline, Don Taryn, come.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and Juliana

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): so good to see you. Okay. So if you'd like, you can drop how you're doing in the chat, or you know, if you don't want to. That's okay, too, and we'll do a little practice. We're gonna do some meta like a Meta meditation, loving kindness, meditation, and then we will transition from that into writing a letter, a love letter to ourselves.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so, if you would like, I invite you to have a journal or something near you, remembering, as the Buddha has said, that you could search the whole world over and not find anyone more deserving or worthy of love than yourself? Right! And at this time

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in this moment it's really powerful to come back to and to care for ourselves and to love ourselves

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'll guide you through the process, but initially like when my friend suggested, because, like I said, I did it earlier this morning, I was kind of like whatever. And then, as I was doing it, I was like, Oh, this is really powerful and really helpful. And

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I found that it kind of took me to a deeper place of

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): being in relationship with myself and affirming myself like we're number one, right? Like we may really value our relationships with our lovers, partners, friends, animal companions, and also like we have a relationship with us, and so tending to that and caring for that

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): is so important. And

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): coming back to it. So I'm like, I want to do this every month at least, you know. So I'll guide us through that. You can also take the letter the love letter, as like

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): more general or broad, or it can be like specifically to you right now, right and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): like. It could be kind of more in this moment, especially if I think if it's like a hard moment, it can be like, you know, some of the things I'd found myself focusing on were like the good job that I'm doing as a parent or in my relationship. It was like specific things. So just letting you know, that's where we're headed, so we'll do a little meditation, and then some writing for about 10 min.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and then we'll open it up. There were no questions that came in this month, which is always fine. I'll open it up for folks to share about the process, and or anything on your mind or heart about what's going on with you in Yoga. So I dropped in the chat, the metaprases, and you can always change them to

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to fit you

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): if you would like, and later I'll drop the whole like handout that I'm working from that I need. But I think let's just have a practice. So anything on anyone's mind or heart before we move into a practice.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm!

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Carly Joelle: I'm grateful to come together and kind of counteract some of the other energies that are out there.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you for sharing that.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, feeling the heaviness and the joy at the same time.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So much so.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): all right. So inviting yourself when you practice, Meta. It's helpful to like, get really comfortable. So wherever you are finding a way to really be comfortable, you can keep your camera on or turn it off, whatever is more supportive for you. I think I'll spotlight myself. So folks watching the recording can see me. You can change to the gallery view. If you want to see the folks who are on camera, too.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and if you have other tabs or other things open, just letting yourself put close those, tune them out. Let yourself focus in for now.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and we'll come into that easeful way of being starting with yourself, affirming yourself, loving yourself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): knowing that self-love can be the most radical revolutionary act that we perform.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and can be a foundation for all of the work that we do.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and to be of service. We can practice. Ahem! Said Love ourselves, bring kindness to ourselves.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then from that foundation, sharing love with the world, and if it's supportive, you might place a hand, or both your hands on your heart, or anywhere that feels good to you.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To Metta, or loving kindness is the meditation on universal love.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and it's taught in many different traditions. Buddhism.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It's practiced in the Vedas and Yogic texts.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and these particular phrases are cultivated often by

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and have been written in Buddhist text, but also in Vedic texts as well.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So you can modify the phrases, though, to suit you

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): you can keep your hands where they are. If it's feels like you want to. Just let your hands rest down. Please feel free to do that.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It can be helpful to begin by noticing your breath as you inhale and exhale.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and then finding a spot or a place on your body that feels some ease or some

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): warmth, or just feels kind of like comfortable or comforting, and amplify that area, let it grow

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): feeling ease and warmth

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): reverberate and fill through your whole body.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and it can be also helpful to focus on a being or a place, real or imagined, maybe a

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): pet or someone that brings you a lot of joy, something, someone, a place.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): you can make it up as well, maybe holding that being in mind.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): feeling the warmth, the smile that lifts your lips.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): feeling the joy, the happiness, the warmth.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and then, if you can, holding on to the feelings, but letting the place or person.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): you can thank them and let them go.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm holding the energy of love.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and we'll repeat these phrases, holding ourselves

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in our mind's eye or in our heart.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be happy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be happy? We can internally repeat this for yourself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be safe and free from harm?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be safe and free from harm?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be free from suffering and the roots of suffering.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be free from suffering and the roots of suffering?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be healthy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be healthy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be full of everlasting joy.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be full of everlasting joy!

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be happy!

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be safe and free from harm?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be free from suffering and the roots of suffering.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be healthy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be full of everlasting joy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Now you might like to call to mind yourself, could be you now seeing yourself in your mind's eye.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): or you as a different stage, as a younger person.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): or even you in the future.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): can be really powerful to know that earlier you is sending love

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to later. You right. So, holding yourself, maybe as a young person, or now, or some time

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in your heart, in your mind sending love to yourself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be happy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be safe and free from harm?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be free from suffering and the roots of suffering.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be healthy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): May I be full of everlasting joy?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): This next round can call yourself to mind at any point.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and we'll repeat the phrases, or whatever you remember of the phrases or your own phrases, silently for a while to ourselves.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If you don't want to hold on to the phrases, you can just simply feel, care, feel, love, and send that to yourself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Send yourself warmth

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): if you get distracted. Don't worry. Just bring your awareness back to sending love to receiving love

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): practice in silence for a few minutes, and then I'll guide us

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): with my voice when it's time.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything in breathing out.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): knowing that even if it was difficult to receive love, or hard to give yourself love, that

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): this is a practice, giving yourself care, giving yourself love.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and that the benefits are without measure.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and you can come back to it at any time.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So we'll gently begin to move our focus outward. But keeping that meditative energy towards our journal.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And to begin, you can just start writing. You know yourself like, dear, your name, and begin writing a love letter to yourself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It can be. If it's hard to

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): know where to start, it can be nice or just one tool you can use

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): is, if you'd like, like, choose a word that has the same

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): starting sound. Is your name. So mine might be like dear shining Susanna, or Sassy Susanna, or whatever you know. If that's helpful.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Some of us might have names where

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): like, oh, no, I don't want to use any of the letters, or that just might be too forced. And that's okay. So the other kind of guideline is to keep writing. We'll write for about 10 min, which seems

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): maybe long to some or short to some, but we'll write for about 10 min, and then, and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): if you find that you kind of pause or not sure what to focus on, maybe just focus on a sensation you feel, or something happening in your life or world right now.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): that can be more general love letter to you, or a more more specific, and I'll guide us

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in about 10 min. I'll give us a 1 min.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): note, and then we'll move to the next thing. So happy writing.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): just taking a minute to wrap up your thoughts.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to let your writing come to its natural conclusion.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): For now.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): not just looking at what you've written, noticing

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): any themes or anything that arose, and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in a moment I'll share my screen and just share kind of the practice

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): that you can take with you and and take out into the world. This has been a practice taught for thousands of years.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and I'll drop the link in the chat. And then here are

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): the Meta phrases, if you can just let me know. Do you see that?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So this just has the phrases. It's often the chant in Sanskrit. Loka, Samasta, Suki, noba Bantu.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and then the practice of Metta can be done anywhere. Anytime.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Traditional categories can be for oneself a benefactor or teacher, friends, family, a neutral person, even a difficult person, or the category sometimes known as the enemy

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): community, or all sentient beings, and then the phrases you can always modify and develop your own. The ones I shared are here.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): so I'll stop sharing.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I just wanted to make sure you had those resources, and then just invite folks in to share. You know we have some time in the chat or out loud anything you notice, you know noticings about practicing Ahimsa, about practicing self-love and gratitude for oneself, care for oneself.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): or and also you can move into. I'd love to invite 1st a few shares on what we just did. But if you'd like to share more about just what's going on in your life, or ask us like for some support with Yoga, and how to how to support you. Please bring that forward, too.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, Carly, I noticed I got very sleepy while writing myself a kind letter. Sleepiness hits me hard also during meditation practice. Yeah.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So just giving yourself that space to like sleep. And maybe writing isn't the way like, maybe for you. It's a voice note, you know, like leaving calling yourself and leaving yourself a nice voicemail, or you know I use the voice note app on my phone or

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): it could be another way. That's a bit more engaging like doing it while you're taking a walk. So when you're not in a sleepy of a space, I noticed that too, honestly this afternoon. Maybe it's just like a sleepy moment, and we can practice in that like.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Give yourself some care, give yourself some nourishment cup of tea. Whatever is whatever is supportive to you.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm! I did lay down with my dog on the couch. That's perfect. I love it

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): anyone. Oh, oh, my goodness! So cute. Let me stop spotlighting my

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): video. How do I do that? Remove spot?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So then we can see your puppy. And you so cute?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Oh, hmm!

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anyone else. Wanna share.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yes, Don. Hi.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): wait, Don. Why can't I hear you?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah.

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Dawn Heywood: Better.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yes, I hear you now.

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Dawn Heywood: Oh, yeah, I hear better. My zoom does strange things when I

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Dawn Heywood: use different devices. So 1st of all, thank you. I love

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Dawn Heywood: Meta. It's 1 of my favorite meditative practices, part of the Yoga, and for me I had the opposite of Carly. I actually feel more centered, more energized

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Dawn Heywood: more. And because I feel that this exercise this opportunity was a

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Dawn Heywood: great way to remind myself that even when

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Dawn Heywood: times are challenging or in dealing with a difficult situation

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Dawn Heywood: that I still can always turn inward

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Dawn Heywood: and remind myself to, to love myself and then shine my heart forward, and it'll be

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Dawn Heywood: Make everything just that much better.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you, Tom. I love that. Love yourself and shine your heart forward, that just I love the way you put that.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Tara, and I feel so held and cared for. Oh, that's lovely.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm, yeah, Caroline. Yeah.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hi.

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Caroline (they/she): Then, yeah, 1st of all, thank you very much. Just yeah.

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Caroline (they/she): It was a real gift to be able to just be in that space

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Caroline (they/she): when we were doing the Meta. 1st of all, I just wanted to say, like, I'm here in the Uk, and like, obviously, we're witnessing

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Caroline (they/she): what's happening in the Us. And kind of getting daily updates. And obviously the impact around the world. And

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Caroline (they/she): and plus, I just acknowledging that the with the Meta meditation.

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Caroline (they/she): normally shy away from this idea of being happy, but actually that was really resonating of like.

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Caroline (they/she): how can I be lighter even in these, you know, without

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Caroline (they/she): without changing anything on the outside, you know, like nothing else changes, you know, like what's happening in the world is what's happening in the world. It's like, you know, whatever's happening with my kids is what's happening with my kids, been a really difficult weekend for them. And but can there, just when it comes, can there just be more lightness

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Caroline (they/she): rather than kind of getting stuck down to that.

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Caroline (they/she): and just permission that you could just do that.

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Caroline (they/she): And with the journaling when you said 10 min, I was like, Oh, no, that's so long.

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Caroline (they/she): I'm never going to manage it. But actually it really flowed. And

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Caroline (they/she): It's been a long time since I've written a letter like this, so it was really nice

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Caroline (they/she): to see what came through. Having got into

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Caroline (they/she): having been meditating on it. Anyway, it felt like there was a deeper wisdom coming through. It was less up here.

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Caroline (they/she): and it kind of came from somewhere else.

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Caroline (they/she): And always just aware of

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Caroline (they/she): kind of taking action like.

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Caroline (they/she): it's good to know it's good to rest. But we need to keep taking action, you know, and

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Caroline (they/she): but I also like then balance, then actually, just personally, just feeling really exhausted and very stuck quite often.

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Caroline (they/she): So there was just quite a lot about self-compassion, of my own fallibility of just being like that, like all you can do is just have compassion, for where you're at. Do your best.

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Caroline (they/she): Do it badly, you know. And you know, let's just try and do some things badly, and then and then kind of get going like.

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Caroline (they/she): so yeah, so thank you.

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Caroline (they/she): And there was a bit about joy and just being allowed to laugh, and I can still laugh. I'm allowed to see my friends. I'm allowed to going outside and

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Caroline (they/she): and that I could maybe allow myself to think that that's useful rather than

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Caroline (they/she): just the useful things to do.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, thank you.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, thank you so much.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm!

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything else coming up for folks, or that's arising.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Now that you want to explore any questions or anything like

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): that you want to hold with a a yogic perspective together.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As we kind of close this part on

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): the love letter reflection. I'll read the quote by

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): 2 quotes. I think they're both so powerful. Grace Lee Boggs, who's a Asian American activist past now, ancestor to make a revolution. People must not only struggle against existing institutions, they must make a philosophical spiritual leap and become more human human beings.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In order to change, transform the world they must change, transform themselves.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): She was for many people. I didn't know her directly, but for in that quote is on the handout that I shared. She was for many people. I think this like

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I think of, like a compass like a compass guiding a lot of activists that I know. So like, it's like a secondary, or that, like relationship, guiding them to not forget to center their own

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): spirit, their own joy, their own healing, their own care, even as they were doing all the work to change the world.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And she also is the one who, I think, she said. You know. Look at what time it is on the clock of the world like what time is it on the clock of the world? And then like, do that right respond to that?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And the clock of the world is the world. But it's also like

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): you in relationship to the clock. And so there are so many things, and part of what's going on. And the United States is this like overwhelming kind of like

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): flood? The system too many things to handle? And so it's like, what can we do? What can I do? You know what are the things I can focus on? And so it's been interesting for me. I'll just share, like going back to. To. Also, I think, the line being drawn clearer between the technocrats of like Amazon and Facebook. And you know, Musk, all these people

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): who were at the inauguration, not an accident. And so

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): actually, how can I divest more like I didn't really go shop at target now they're rolling back all their Dei policies. But when I did go to box stores I would go to target right? So, not going there.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I use Amazon. I do. The convenience has been helpful. And so, okay, even if it takes me more time, where can I go? Or can I go straight to manufacturers? Right? So like very basic things, or like even more, perhaps more powerfully, more impactfully.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What can I repair? What can I reuse? What can I barter or trade, or, you know, like going really simple like. So instead of actually being like, oh, it's the time for everything on the call. It's like, well, let me darn some socks. You know what I mean, like, it doesn't have to be

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): the biggest things. And that's what that quote

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): for me right now is really, really

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): bringing forward, and also just the theme of how I'm applying this. And then the quote, I want to read, too. We have to come back to ourselves and have confidence in ourselves. We shouldn't beg for crumbs from others.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): All the things we learn and listen to must have the capacity to bring us back to ourselves and increase our capacity to be free to be happy, to be solid.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And that's from Zen Battles commentary on the teachings of Master Linji by Thich Nhat Han. And I love this quote because you know, he's like that sweet, like kind of poetic teacher who will like say something very sweet, but then hit you with like, don't beg for crumbs.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): like, okay, if there's a relationship, if there's a job, if there's a you know, something that's just like where you're begging for crumbs like, really like, really, do we have time for that right now, like all the care, all the self-love like? Let's fill ourselves up, nourish ourselves, and so bringing in Brahmacharya to Metta right like the energy management, letting your your

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): energy be center, front and center so that that one there's so much there, but I really like it also, when he encourages us to like focus on things that help us right and increase our capacity. And he is the 1st to say, and always has said, I've always loved him for his engaged Buddhism, you know he's not saying like, Don't look at suffering, but he is saying, look at suffering

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): in order to be able to respond to it, not to like, get overwhelmed right so like.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): listen and learn in a way that brings us back home and then increases our capacity for freedom, for happiness, for solidity, and you know, for action, and that changes that, like the titration of that changes, and for me we're just another. I'll share one more concrete way. I'm taking that in my life is I'm trying not to get my news so much from social media. Because it is. There's a lot of like

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): sensationalizing. I mean, understandably right when the when the

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): they're trying to flood all of our systems. So we're like overwhelmed. Then the news picks up on that. And does that job so to really listen to and go to like theorists and look at. And so, if anyone has any resources that you're like people who are

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): thoughtful and building strategy, and not just like responding in the moment like but more like building building a clear like analysis and framework. And so some of the people I've been looking at on substack, for example, are Scott.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We'll put his name there. Nakagawa, who's been a

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Like activist and theorist for a long time. There's someone else. I'll drop their name.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm just looking at my notes

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): so I don't forget, but just sharing like, you know, Adrian Marie Brown, right like people who are looking at. Oh, Rebecca, solnit write their name. She's been an activist for a long time.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And Jessica Craven Top would carry water and working families party

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): who sometimes their stuff can be a little sensational because they're like trying to motivate us to take action. But I do think their actions are important, and they'll work a lot with indivisible. And like the 5 calls up so for people in the Us. Outside of the Us. Obviously can't necessarily call like our representatives, but

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): having those people who are framing. And there's probably many more people. But these are just like the folks that I'm learning from and reading and choosing to put my energy towards and watching what they're saying about what's happening. Scott, Nakagawa particularly, has been helping me like frame. You know the playbook of fascism, and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and not to comply in advance. Or oh, that's 1 other person, because that Aoc Alexandra Ocasio could she?

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): She has been doing some really helpful videos about things like not complying in advance. I think Yoga helps us with these things right, like building the inner strength, the inner care. So then we can act in the world.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anyone else thoughts, reflections.

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Caroline (they/she): I had a kind of question that's not related to

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Caroline (they/she): this. What you were just talking about was really helpful. I just wondered if you could either share or give me, I should have given this in advance. Sorry.

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Caroline (they/she): the the Brahma mudra. I think we do it in the Satya. Course, Satya, where we're moving our head from side to side, up and down.

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Caroline (they/she): Just

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Caroline (they/she): I just sense that there's a there's a story behind. Why, that is Brahma. And what what are the meanings behind, where we're looking, and the different layers to it? And I was just really interested

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Caroline (they/she): to learn more. And I just wondered if you could direct me to some resources, or we could do it. Look at it another time when we come together.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, thank you for that. I love that practice. This is just so. We can kind of embody it and feel it inhaling and looking up.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Exhale back to Center Inhale. I'm looking down.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Exhale back to Center Inhale, looking to one side. I'm looking to the right.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Exhale back to Center inhale, looking to the left.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): exhale back to center, and then doing that 4 times. And so Brahma is the 4 faced god. He actually has 4 faces, and so each of these directions is like one of his faces, and also the Brahma viharas. Right? So Brahma vihara, the abodes of the divine, the divine abodes, and let me see if I can remember them off the top of my head. But

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Actually did I write this in the journal I have right here. Let me just see if I have it here, so I don't get it wrong.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe I maybe I'll just have it. Let me just think I can find it.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I have it right here.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I love when this happens. This is just like the little synchronicities. So see how I and you probably it's probably backwards. But I'll put it in the in the chat in a second. So

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): gazing up, inhaling up is joy.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and then exhale down is Upeca equanimity, and back to the right, Meta, love.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and to the left, Karuna, compassion. And so, as you're looking in each direction, you can be cultivating joy right on a foundation, all of these on a foundation of equanimity, looking to the right with love and the left

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): compassion.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so there may be other, you know other breakdowns or other meanings of it, but that

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): that was one, and I actually I will be honest and say I'm not sure

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): where I got that I do know that I learned Rama Madra from

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): my goodness, what's the name of that wonderful teacher

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to look up her name. She's doing a lot of work on long Covid, Yoga and Long Covid. And so this Mudra is particularly helpful, because anything that helps kind of like move

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): energy and move the muscles here in the neck and the connection between the neck and the head. So she refreshed me on Brahma Mudra. I'll look up her name in a second, and then I think that I made the connection with the 4, but that probably from my guess, would be. It's from what Shankarji had taught me when I was practicing of just like the elements of

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): the of Mata and of of the Brahmaharas with

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): the movements. So I'll look for actual sources

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): for that and bring it next time. Because, yeah, like, sometimes, I need a little more time to prepare those things. But let me just what's her name? Long Covid

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yoga Monisha Raja she's the one who taught me or reminded me of

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Nisha Raja with Brahma. But she's more using it yoga therapy right? And so the Yoga philosophy part, and the yoga like mythology part. I'll get back to you on

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): love that question and let me write it down. So I have it written kind of like a

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): like a like this, which it's not gonna show up like that in the chat. But

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): up is joy. Ludita.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Down is upeca equanimity.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Right is Meta love and left Karuna compassion

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): oops. And it changed Mata into meter.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So hope that's supportive, and I'm gonna make a note for myself to pull some some more on the

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): phrases. I feel like we're at a beautiful stopping place.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just drop this in the chat from or in the in my notes.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Rama, Madra and

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): actions.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Okay, perfect anything before we close.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe just something you're gonna take away

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): through this time. I'll see you in 2 weeks for our pilgrimage in puja.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I think I'll be taking away working with

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): yeah, especially over here. There's a storm coming on the coast that I'm on, and so just I often get like tight up in

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): my head, but can, and so I don't always take the time to do you know the different movements, but connecting it to like joy. Right? Wow! Looking at joy, equanimity, love.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): compassion. That's a really like that will get me to do this practice. So thank you, Caroline, for asking about it

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): and sending each of you lots of care you can unmute and say goodbye, and I'll see you soon.

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Dawn Heywood: Bye, thank you so much.

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Carly Joelle: He's always.

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Taryn (she/they): Thank you.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thanks.

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Caroline (they/she): Bye.

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Carly Joelle: Okay.

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Caroline (they/she): Thank you.

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Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Bye, nice Juliana? Quick question, are we good for.