Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to be exploring our pilgrimage and puja for this spring, and I thought we could just start with a little soft introduction, soft drop-in, I'll play some music.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… we can arrive just kind of as we are, with no need to be any different. So…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If you want to journal about anything, maybe it is how you're coming home to yourself, how you're returning to yourself, so… or reflect, or move in that way.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Let me play some music.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just dropping in, taking some time to come home to ourselves.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): However that feels or looks for you. Movements, journaling if you want.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming right here and now.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahanabawatu.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Am I in the shower head.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahana Babatu, sahanahu.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We fish our heads.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahanabawatu.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): He just read now what Hita must do.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahana wa-atu.
Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): He just be now what he thou must do.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Invitations, as we're continuing to drop in.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To welcome yourself just as you are.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Without having to… Prove, or do yoga, or be any particular way.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): welcoming yourself as you are. So if you would like, you can place a hand on your heart, maybe one hand on your belly.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Noticing your breath.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inviting, perhaps, a slightly longer exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe in for 4, out for 6, or any count that feels right for you.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And if you'd like… Welcoming a gentle pause at the top of the inhale.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So inhaling for 4, holding for 4, 5, or 6. Exhaling for 6, or 7, or 8.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Breathing on your own rhythm.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Knowing that you don't need to be perfect, you don't need to be calm or clear, or even feel spiritual or focused.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): That nothing ever disqualifies you from…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yoga as unity from an opportunity to practice.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So we're gonna take a moment to just scan around yourself, maybe taking a body scan, but also, like, an energetic scan of what is up for you right now. It is spring, we've had the spring equinox.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): There's so much happening in the world and in our lives, and so we're not leaving our lives to do yoga. We're kind of bringing our lives into the practice today.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Mmm…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I wanted to bring the theme of bhakti, of devotion, of practicing, you know, so many bhakti practitioners.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): They were rebels, and poets, and activists, and artists, and…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Eventually, many of them became saints, but they were just regular people living their lives, and some of them were very much in the world, and some of them were very much apart from the world.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And all of them were practicing devotion in only the way that they could do it. And so I wanted to bring everything, right, like, together.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, calling in, if you feel okay with doing this, you know, all the things, right? Work, family, health.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The state of the world. There's so much to hold.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And sometimes yoga feels like… Just another place we have to get it right, or another thing to do.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But it's not separate, right? It doesn't have to be practiced in perfect conditions. It's more for moments like this, when we're overwhelmed, or we're unclear, or we don't know what to do next.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, invitation, however you're being right now, maybe sitting or standing, lying down…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to feel, perhaps with your hands still on your heart, or maybe just anywhere on your body, to feel into your devotion. And devotion…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): could be spiritual, but it doesn't have to be. It could be, you know, commitment, or…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): surrender. One could be an atheist and still be devoted to something. Like, I'm devoted to being…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Kailash's parent, but that doesn't feel like…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): specifically a spiritual or a religious commitment. It's like a devotion of…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): role and duty and love, really. So, underneath all of it is love, and so…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): feeling into your devotion, again, not separate from the world, but, like, in the world, which is why I bring up my parenting role. It's very much in the world.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): takes care, and time and attention. And there are moments that, like, open.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To something far beyond even what that role is.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so feeling into your life, your world right now.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): how Bhakti is moving through you.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We'll take a little time to do a practice, and then we'll do some journaling and share in this vein of coming back to ourselves. I love that folks have your cameras off.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If you are also multitasking and you can put down the other things.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Please invite yourself into, like, a few minutes of practice.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If you can't, totally understand, take care of you.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so we'll inhale, and we'll take our hands and just kind of rotate them as much as you would like, like, spiraling them up, right?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Expanding them out… And maybe tilting your head up.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): My arms have become still.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then spiraling them down, so just doing a gentle expansion and contraction, but with a little bit of cyclical movement, forward fold, any amount.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And this time, as you come up, rolling from your shoulders, rolling them back and around… Back and around.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hand comes up, arms can come up.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Towards the sky.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then exhale, fluid movements.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming down… Folding forward, bringing your energy towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): On your next inhale, gently dropping one ear to one shoulder, and that shoulder down towards the ground.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): On your exhale, maybe sending the other arm, the side where your neck is being stretched, out to the side, or clasping a chair, opening and closing your jaw.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Softening your eyes.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And you can gaze down.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Or up towards the sky, maybe even stretching your eyes a little bit, so, like, looking up and around.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Rolling your eyes around.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): One way, and then the other.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale, and you can use the… your hands on the side that your ear is down to gently bring yourself up, and maybe giving yourself a little massage with one or both hands, especially if your eyes are tired or strained, it can feel good to massage around your…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Forehead… Eyes, cheeks… By your ears.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Taking a deep breath in…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And out, and releasing your hands and arms down, dropping your other ear to the other shoulder.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Other shoulder down towards the earth.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And sending opposite arm out towards the side.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Seeing how this side feels, knowing we're not symmetrical beings.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We don't live symmetrical lives, or have symmetrical sides.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so here, maybe you're opening and closing your jaw.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe… Sticking out your tongue, even.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Gazing up and down.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Tilting your head and neck.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And circling your eyes around with your breath.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): One direction… and the other.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And when you feel ready, bringing your hand up and gently…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Bring your head up back to center.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe clasping your hands and dropping them.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Behind the back of your head for a little traction.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As you come into a gentle forward fold.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You can stay right there if it's feeling good, or now going for a reverse of this pose, keeping the hands in traction behind your head, and just leaning your head back. So this is a very subtle kind of inner micro-movement.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And it feels almost like you're using yourself to lie in a hammock. So you're like, relaxing back.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But with support on your head and a little bit of engagement through your shoulders and down your forearms.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If it's not feeling relaxing, then finding a way to adjust to… Maybe release your hands, and…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Use a prop to rest on, or anything that is supportive to you, to just rest for a moment.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then we'll come… Back to center, releasing our arms down.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale, stretching to one side, twisting to one side, through your core.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Belly, chest, and chin.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Twisting your eyes around.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhaling, arms come up through center. Exhale, twist to the other side.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Belly, chest, chin, eyes twisting around last.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then inhale, coming back to center.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): From here…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Bringing the circular movements you're doing in our hands into our legs, so you're rotating perhaps your… and I'll just demonstrate with my hand, perhaps your foot.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You're… cough.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Your whole leg moving in a circle.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then… Circling the other way…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Opposite leg… Now, shifting sides, circling.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The other leg… One direction, and then another.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Moon's releasing… Your leg.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming into a soft and gentle cat and cow, so inhaling and exhaling. Inhale, arching.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And tilting your chin up, exhale, rounding your back.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Marjorie Asana, Bhattalasana, and you can bring a little bit of…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sound in with your breath, if you would like. Inhale.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And exhale,
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe sighing or releasing on the exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You're welcome to stay right here, or if you would like, circle your spine in one direction.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And the other…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you. So, taking a moment to let that movement go, and then move in any ways that your body needs.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Not needing to be perfect, not needing to do the yoga you think you need to do, but what you actually need, which might be…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just laying there. It might be yelling, farting… Growling, scowling.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Rolling around… Just being still. Whatever it looks like for you right now.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… when you feel ready, We'll come into…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Any shape that's supportive of your Shavasana. So that might be leaning back in your chair, might be lying down, might be, like, propping yourself up on a desk.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): practicing… Shavasana also in a way that's not perfect. You don't have to, like, completely…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You know, set up for… Yogic sleep or deep relaxation, although that's wonderful if you can and want to.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): How can you rest?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Even in micro-moments within your life.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What is devotion to rest?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Look like in your current moment?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We'll find our way into this resting space.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Receiving… And… we'll take about… 5 minutes here…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Is to truly rest and receive.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I'll guide us out with my voice when it's time.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that you offer to me.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): A leaf.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): A flower. A bowl of water.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Kind word, I will receive as your offering with gratitude.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to oneness.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that you offer?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that you have to offer.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Is a gift of devotion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to oneness.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Even this next breath that you take, see how it might feel to breathe.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To breathe as an offering.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In a moment, we'll move from this… Meditative space.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, meditative reflection, journaling in the chat, or…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We're continuing to reflect, or writing in your journal.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Where… As my yoga started to feel like pressure, or like something I have to do.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): These are all doorways, you can take whichever doorway is the resonant one.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What do I actually need right now?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): when I really go down deep, it's sort of like, if I were honest.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What do I need? Right now?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What does devotion look like in my real, current life?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And is there a small, true way?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I can return.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To myself, to my practice.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to home, within.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Today.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So I'll drop these questions in the chat. You can journal or reflect on one, or multiple.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Take a few minutes.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then come together to share.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I like to offer different doorways, because for some, it's helpful to think of, like, the challenge, right? Like, where my practice might feel like pressure.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Or what we need. Or, like, devotion…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Drop those in the chat. I'll play some music with no words, and then…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We'll take about 4 or 5 minutes to journal.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): This pilgrimage to the home within, your true home.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Taking a moment to finish what you're writing.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm… And… Welcoming any shares out loud or in the chat, and also inviting in…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): shares on anything, you know, I've really been feeling in this moment, this pull from…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): like, kind of the… wow, we're practicing in the midst of all of this? In the world, in our own lives, it's just like…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so, I want to invite in this as a space where
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We are not trying to be perfection. If you're like, I really need help with this, and I'd love to explore it together, this is the space for that as well.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It is all practice.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, welcoming in your shares, chat, or out loud.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm grateful for each of you.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hi, Karen. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Welcome.
Karen O'Lone: Hi, it took me a moment to find my unmute button, I'm on my… Phone today, so all the…
Karen O'Lone: Buttons are in different places.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah.
Karen O'Lone: So, talking about being imperfect, right? Like…
Karen O'Lone: Even within just setting up this… this meeting.
Karen O'Lone: So…
Karen O'Lone: I don't often share, because I am definitely an introvert. So it's gonna, like, just take me a moment to get this, this all out.
Karen O'Lone: That's what I appreciate about this whole practice, right?
Karen O'Lone: So… with the journaling, what I found myself talking about is, like, Right now, kind of being…
Karen O'Lone: In an intersection where my family is on the west coast of the United States, like, my immediate family.
Karen O'Lone: So it's me, my wife, and my son, and then…
Karen O'Lone: My parents and my brother's family are on the East Coast side.
Karen O'Lone: And so, right now, my parents…
Karen O'Lone: are not doing so well, so I've been kind of, like.
Karen O'Lone: Who's swapping? And so, like, you know, trying to get from that, like.
Karen O'Lone: Here, but wanting to be there, and then being there, but wanting to be here, kind of… all the things going on with that.
Karen O'Lone: And then, kind of, as you were saying, Witnessing some of the…
Karen O'Lone: the stuff in airports that you see, right? So there's, like, just…
Karen O'Lone: all of it kind of in this mixing bowl together. And so the thing that really resonated with me today in terms of the journaling was that I've been thinking a lot about that tail part, and how
Karen O'Lone: The exhale really allows you to be better prepared for the inhale part.
Karen O'Lone: And so I really loved that moment to have
Karen O'Lone: here when I'm in a week where I'm actually at my… my family's, my intermediate family's house, to just kind of ground and…
Karen O'Lone: get back to myself through being with my son and experiencing the world through his eyes. He's 10, and so there's a lot of different, really cool things happening with school now that spring has sprung.
Karen O'Lone: Really just kind of leaning on…
Karen O'Lone: Being a parent, while also,
Karen O'Lone: really trying to take care of my parents as well. So it's, again, that whole, like.
Karen O'Lone: mixing bowl, and I think that…
Karen O'Lone: Just the best way for me to…
Karen O'Lone: Come back, literally home, and then have that space for myself, is that exhale part, and being able to then
Karen O'Lone: Take a pause, and be ready for that inhale.
Karen O'Lone: So that's kind of where I was going with my journaling.
Karen O'Lone: I'm not sure if that will make sense to everybody. I'm not sure if it makes sense to me yet, but…
Karen O'Lone: That's what I have to offer today.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Karen, thank you so much for sharing, and especially because, as Juliana said, you mentioned you're an introvert, I just feel like it's so…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It's so… it's like a huge thing when we share.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Right, from that place, so acknowledging that. And then I also would love to just see… you might not be able to see this, but you might… if folks can… does anyone relate to that pull, or, like, being squeezed between…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): either places, or, like, caring for a young being, and older beings, or… because I, for sure… so invita… inviting the…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): little react buttons, if you relate to this, or in the chat, and then, Karen, you can just see, that you are really not alone. Yeah, I'm seeing hearts come through, and
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, so many directions.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Something in what you were sharing, it made me reflect on when I first became a parent, because my kiddo is around the same age as yours. He's 13, they're 13, and
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But… so it's been many years since they were an infant.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But when they were an infant, I was like, oh my gosh, there's literally no breaks. And so I started to see…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): going to work, right, because I… I live in the U.S, I only got 2 months off, like, that was lucky, right? Not paid, or, like, very partially paid. So I went back to work quickly,
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I started to see work as a break from parenting, and then parenting as a break from work. You know, it was almost like everything could be a break from everything else, even though
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Of course we need, like, break breaks, you know, for us, like, we should be a part of that, but there are moments in our lives where it's harder to find, except in micro moments.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so, in your share, I was remembering, like, oh yeah, I can practice that. Because the other aspect of practicing that is it really invites presence, right? Like, you're sharing, like, being with these joyful moments.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): with your son, and not being, like, pulled to… because I'm noticing myself, you know, with my kiddo, like.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm thinking about all the things I have to do, but, like, no, just be there. Like, be in the silly jokes, or whatever, whatever it is that's coming up.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then the other piece that what you were sharing reminded me of is, I also… I'm not now, but I used to be bi-coastal with my family and my parents, and
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I noticed vata dosha, like, you know, the, the air and space dosha, really getting…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): kind of aggravated, which our world is very vata dosha aggravating, so this might resonate for others as well.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But especially when we're traveling, or moving, and through time, you know, time zones, places, that…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): doing very little things from an Ayurvedic perspective. It doesn't have to be huge, but, like, walking barefoot, you know, in whatever land you're on, touching the earth, doing a very grounded practice, like laying on the earth, legs up the wall, oil…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): abhyanga, like, where you take oil and you massage your own body with a natural oil. Just doing anything that… that kind of grounds you,
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And maybe inviting in Karen, if you want to share, or others that want to share things that help you, like.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): almost more than we kind of can imagine that we need to do, that it's like it goes together, right? Like, we're being present, everything is a break from everything else, and we're grounding ourselves. So I'm gonna be bringing these into my life, and yeah, just Karen, coming back to you to see if any of that resonates.
Karen O'Lone: Absolutely. So, I… Probably barefoot, like… 98% of my day.
Karen O'Lone: So, yes, absolutely, but I love,
Karen O'Lone: So, I'm in Southern California as well, I'm in San Diego, so, like, I like… That we have…
Karen O'Lone: The different surfaces to walk on, so, like.
Karen O'Lone: the hardwood in the house, and then there's a little bit of tile, so we get that, like, cool feeling, or going out into the grass, especially, like, right after, we've had some sprinklers on, or in the morning or late evening when there's some… some dew.
Karen O'Lone: I even, like, like, we have, like, the… the small river rocks, like, just kind of…
Karen O'Lone: Going on that, and just kind of feeling…
Karen O'Lone: whatever it is, right? So whether it's, like, in the warmer part of the day, when the rocks are a little bit warmer, but just really, like, tuning in to just those, like, differences in terms of,
Karen O'Lone: The different surfaces that…
Karen O'Lone: that I do have available to me, I am so grateful for that, absolutely. Kind of on the opposite end of things, I really have found it helpful for me to…
Karen O'Lone: Like, when I'm drinking water, especially.
Karen O'Lone: To, like, tune into the temperature of the water, like… how it feels…
Karen O'Lone: entering and, like, kind of traveling all the way down, so I have found that to be…
Karen O'Lone: really helpful, too. So, kind of akin to what you were saying, just taking those… just those little moments and seeing it as a little reprieve from all of the outward sensory stuff, and being able to, like, think about what really, nurtures
Karen O'Lone: Ground up, and then… Hydration, which is so important anyway.
Karen O'Lone: Yeah, so just… just those two things that really offer life, the earth and then the…
Karen O'Lone: The, the water that we all need.
Karen O'Lone: But I really also appreciate everything that everybody said in the… in the chat, so thank you for… for that as well.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you so much, Karen.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anyone else? And I'm seeing… I'll read out some of the things that were in the chat, just because I know for folks watching the recording.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Laura says, to be specific, I love reflecting on the exhale, truly being essential.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to then receiving the inhale. You can't just keep inhaling or only exhaling only. It reminds me to be where I am, even if that does sometimes fluctuate frequently or rapidly, like the breath. Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Joanna says, for me, grounding. I sit on the floor as much as possible and just sit on the ground, get close to the earth, even if I'm inside. I like massaging my feet with oil and putting on cozy socks and drinking warm tea.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The sensory mindfulness is helpful for grounding me, too.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, I love this, because circling back around to everything is devotion, it's all a pratyahara practice. Like, everything that we're naming is pratyahara.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And in a way, like, a form of dhyana, too, right? So it's sensory focus, and then can even be very meditative, like dance, or cooking, or singing, or, you know, play.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anyone else?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that came up for you in journaling?
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The lift… Yeah, Jenna, I love the idea that everything is devotion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): That makes it seem so much more attainable and accessible.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, every single action can be devotion. So everything we do, you know, like drinking.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The work that we do, the play that we do, the lovemaking, the relationships, right? All of it can be devotion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm kind of feeling like it might be nice to end with another gentle meditative practice.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We have just a few minutes, but quite enough to do a meta practice. And this will be less like saying… maybe we'll say some praises, but I'm gonna guide us in a way that just invites us to receive nourishment and care, come home to ourselves.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So I'll invite you to turn off your camera, and I'm gonna turn mine off as well, just to really drop into that space.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Wherever you are.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Invitation… To care for yourself, even just 5% more.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So maybe that's a sigh and a resting back, or a little blanket over you, or whatever you need.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm calling yourself… Into your mind's eye, and maybe…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It's helpful to place a hand on your body, on your heart, or anywhere that feels good, or can be helpful to visualize yourself as a little child.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Visualizing yourself as you are now.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And remembering…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): that so many spiritual teachers have said that you, even starting with the Buddha, who said, you, just as you are.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Are as equally deserving of love
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As anyone else in this world. As everyone else.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And sometimes it can be hard to offer ourselves love.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So also giving yourself a lot of spaciousness and compassion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Especially if it feels a little tricky to receive.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm trusting that it's sort of like the rain falling on seeds, that those seeds inside are getting watered.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And that the… The beautiful, self-loving seeds will sprout into flowers when it's time for them to do so.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Without a rush or hurry.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm breathing in… Care and compassion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): For yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm breathing out, relaxing and receiving love for yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And compassion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Out… Love.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I am home.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Out. Just as I am.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Without needing to change or make myself different.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale… Exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale, receiving love.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Exhale.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Dropping in…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Budding yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Come home.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just as you are.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In devotion to yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As part of the whole… Loving…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Receiving love.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Now centering your awareness on maybe one act of devotion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Can be very small, like a 1% act, or it could be, like, a 10% or a 100% act.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Of devotion and love that you might do for yourself today or this week.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything at all, from… Some of what's shared here, sensory, mindfulness… Drinking warm tea.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Walking barefoot.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Mindfulness of water as it moves through our bodies.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… again, without any need for perfection, just connecting to what you might do.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In devotion.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To loving yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming home to yourself.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And we'll drift away and close our pilgrimage in Puja now.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The invitation, if you'd like to share what you will do in the chat, or speak it out loud.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And thank you so much for your presence, and so much for your practice.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I bow to you in our practices.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Come to a close.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What if you'd like to share…
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Your loving devotion to yourself, please do.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then I'll invite the bell.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you so much.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You can unmute if you'd like, and say goodbye.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I love the… Ways we're caring for ourselves.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm.
Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you to each of you.