WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.850 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. 2 00:00:12.990 --> 00:00:20.879 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… we can arrive just kind of as we are, with no need to be any different. So… 3 00:00:20.930 --> 00:00:35.499 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. 4 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:38.090 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Let me play some music. 5 00:01:17.400 --> 00:01:22.809 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just dropping in, taking some time to come home to ourselves. 6 00:01:23.670 --> 00:01:29.620 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): However that feels or looks for you. Movements, journaling if you want. 7 00:01:30.170 --> 00:01:31.769 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming right here and now. 8 00:02:51.730 --> 00:02:54.050 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahanabawatu. 9 00:03:04.370 --> 00:03:07.639 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Am I in the shower head. 10 00:03:18.190 --> 00:03:22.529 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahana Babatu, sahanahu. 11 00:03:30.860 --> 00:03:33.519 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We fish our heads. 12 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:46.590 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahanabawatu. 13 00:03:49.210 --> 00:03:56.569 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): He just read now what Hita must do. 14 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:15.019 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sahana wa-atu. 15 00:04:15.910 --> 00:04:22.730 Audio shared by Susanna Barkataki (She/They): He just be now what he thou must do. 16 00:04:43.180 --> 00:04:47.659 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Invitations, as we're continuing to drop in. 17 00:04:48.370 --> 00:04:52.110 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To welcome yourself just as you are. 18 00:04:53.210 --> 00:05:02.280 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Without having to… Prove, or do yoga, or be any particular way. 19 00:05:04.090 --> 00:05:12.350 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. 20 00:05:13.330 --> 00:05:15.340 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Noticing your breath. 21 00:05:20.370 --> 00:05:24.840 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inviting, perhaps, a slightly longer exhale. 22 00:05:29.610 --> 00:05:36.290 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe in for 4, out for 6, or any count that feels right for you. 23 00:05:48.110 --> 00:05:55.650 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And if you'd like… Welcoming a gentle pause at the top of the inhale. 24 00:05:56.550 --> 00:06:05.499 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So inhaling for 4, holding for 4, 5, or 6. Exhaling for 6, or 7, or 8. 25 00:06:26.770 --> 00:06:29.820 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Breathing on your own rhythm. 26 00:06:44.140 --> 00:06:54.550 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. 27 00:06:55.300 --> 00:06:59.840 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): That nothing ever disqualifies you from… 28 00:07:00.340 --> 00:07:04.979 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yoga as unity from an opportunity to practice. 29 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:24.640 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. 30 00:07:25.900 --> 00:07:27.200 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… 31 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:38.029 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. 32 00:07:39.550 --> 00:07:40.225 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Mmm… 33 00:07:44.810 --> 00:07:53.589 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I wanted to bring the theme of bhakti, of devotion, of practicing, you know, so many bhakti practitioners. 34 00:07:55.270 --> 00:08:01.019 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): They were rebels, and poets, and activists, and artists, and… 35 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:11.189 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. 36 00:08:12.410 --> 00:08:22.709 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. 37 00:08:26.260 --> 00:08:34.729 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, calling in, if you feel okay with doing this, you know, all the things, right? Work, family, health. 38 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:38.929 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The state of the world. There's so much to hold. 39 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:47.299 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And sometimes yoga feels like… Just another place we have to get it right, or another thing to do. 40 00:08:47.840 --> 00:09:01.089 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. 41 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:10.439 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, invitation, however you're being right now, maybe sitting or standing, lying down… 42 00:09:10.870 --> 00:09:20.770 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… 43 00:09:21.010 --> 00:09:29.370 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): could be spiritual, but it doesn't have to be. It could be, you know, commitment, or… 44 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:37.830 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): surrender. One could be an atheist and still be devoted to something. Like, I'm devoted to being… 45 00:09:38.390 --> 00:09:42.300 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Kailash's parent, but that doesn't feel like… 46 00:09:43.900 --> 00:09:48.950 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): specifically a spiritual or a religious commitment. It's like a devotion of… 47 00:09:49.790 --> 00:09:58.249 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): role and duty and love, really. So, underneath all of it is love, and so… 48 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:08.599 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. 49 00:10:09.110 --> 00:10:15.129 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): takes care, and time and attention. And there are moments that, like, open. 50 00:10:16.160 --> 00:10:19.720 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To something far beyond even what that role is. 51 00:10:22.210 --> 00:10:27.029 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so feeling into your life, your world right now. 52 00:10:27.590 --> 00:10:31.719 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): how Bhakti is moving through you. 53 00:10:36.350 --> 00:10:37.430 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… 54 00:10:38.890 --> 00:10:49.630 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. 55 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:54.469 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If you are also multitasking and you can put down the other things. 56 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:59.539 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Please invite yourself into, like, a few minutes of practice. 57 00:10:59.640 --> 00:11:03.000 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If you can't, totally understand, take care of you. 58 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:13.599 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? 59 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:18.979 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Expanding them out… And maybe tilting your head up. 60 00:11:19.280 --> 00:11:21.820 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): My arms have become still. 61 00:11:21.950 --> 00:11:32.650 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. 62 00:11:34.090 --> 00:11:41.669 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And this time, as you come up, rolling from your shoulders, rolling them back and around… Back and around. 63 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:45.579 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hand comes up, arms can come up. 64 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:48.280 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Towards the sky. 65 00:11:48.750 --> 00:11:51.900 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then exhale, fluid movements. 66 00:11:52.060 --> 00:11:57.790 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming down… Folding forward, bringing your energy towards the earth. 67 00:12:00.330 --> 00:12:09.079 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): On your next inhale, gently dropping one ear to one shoulder, and that shoulder down towards the ground. 68 00:12:09.940 --> 00:12:22.190 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. 69 00:12:26.630 --> 00:12:28.740 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Softening your eyes. 70 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:33.120 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And you can gaze down. 71 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:40.999 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Or up towards the sky, maybe even stretching your eyes a little bit, so, like, looking up and around. 72 00:12:41.910 --> 00:12:44.279 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Rolling your eyes around. 73 00:12:44.910 --> 00:12:47.229 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): One way, and then the other. 74 00:12:50.070 --> 00:13:07.789 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… 75 00:13:07.970 --> 00:13:15.140 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Forehead… Eyes, cheeks… By your ears. 76 00:13:18.260 --> 00:13:20.689 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Taking a deep breath in… 77 00:13:21.040 --> 00:13:28.429 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And out, and releasing your hands and arms down, dropping your other ear to the other shoulder. 78 00:13:29.470 --> 00:13:33.160 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Other shoulder down towards the earth. 79 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:39.769 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And sending opposite arm out towards the side. 80 00:13:41.270 --> 00:13:45.820 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Seeing how this side feels, knowing we're not symmetrical beings. 81 00:13:46.040 --> 00:13:49.839 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We don't live symmetrical lives, or have symmetrical sides. 82 00:13:50.230 --> 00:13:54.189 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so here, maybe you're opening and closing your jaw. 83 00:13:56.180 --> 00:14:00.229 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe… Sticking out your tongue, even. 84 00:14:04.570 --> 00:14:07.519 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Gazing up and down. 85 00:14:08.170 --> 00:14:10.169 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Tilting your head and neck. 86 00:14:12.950 --> 00:14:16.240 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And circling your eyes around with your breath. 87 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:25.289 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): One direction… and the other. 88 00:14:28.790 --> 00:14:34.070 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And when you feel ready, bringing your hand up and gently… 89 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:38.330 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Bring your head up back to center. 90 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.250 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe clasping your hands and dropping them. 91 00:14:43.430 --> 00:14:47.360 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Behind the back of your head for a little traction. 92 00:14:47.460 --> 00:14:50.730 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As you come into a gentle forward fold. 93 00:14:59.350 --> 00:15:14.779 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. 94 00:15:14.790 --> 00:15:23.230 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And it feels almost like you're using yourself to lie in a hammock. So you're like, relaxing back. 95 00:15:23.750 --> 00:15:29.720 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But with support on your head and a little bit of engagement through your shoulders and down your forearms. 96 00:15:34.540 --> 00:15:42.410 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): If it's not feeling relaxing, then finding a way to adjust to… Maybe release your hands, and… 97 00:15:42.530 --> 00:15:50.129 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Use a prop to rest on, or anything that is supportive to you, to just rest for a moment. 98 00:16:03.460 --> 00:16:10.749 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then we'll come… Back to center, releasing our arms down. 99 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:19.790 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale, stretching to one side, twisting to one side, through your core. 100 00:16:20.460 --> 00:16:23.340 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Belly, chest, and chin. 101 00:16:24.630 --> 00:16:27.159 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Twisting your eyes around. 102 00:16:34.970 --> 00:16:41.859 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhaling, arms come up through center. Exhale, twist to the other side. 103 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:57.070 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Belly, chest, chin, eyes twisting around last. 104 00:17:03.520 --> 00:17:07.560 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then inhale, coming back to center. 105 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:11.849 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): From here… 106 00:17:14.589 --> 00:17:24.399 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. 107 00:17:24.730 --> 00:17:27.069 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You're… cough. 108 00:17:27.210 --> 00:17:30.870 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Your whole leg moving in a circle. 109 00:17:33.280 --> 00:17:37.170 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then… Circling the other way… 110 00:17:40.840 --> 00:17:47.100 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Opposite leg… Now, shifting sides, circling. 111 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:53.700 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The other leg… One direction, and then another. 112 00:18:10.300 --> 00:18:13.500 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Moon's releasing… Your leg. 113 00:18:14.320 --> 00:18:23.219 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming into a soft and gentle cat and cow, so inhaling and exhaling. Inhale, arching. 114 00:18:24.300 --> 00:18:29.480 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And tilting your chin up, exhale, rounding your back. 115 00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:35.479 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Marjorie Asana, Bhattalasana, and you can bring a little bit of… 116 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:40.979 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Sound in with your breath, if you would like. Inhale. 117 00:18:41.270 --> 00:18:43.380 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And exhale, 118 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:47.909 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Maybe sighing or releasing on the exhale. 119 00:18:53.460 --> 00:19:00.800 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You're welcome to stay right here, or if you would like, circle your spine in one direction. 120 00:19:03.370 --> 00:19:04.929 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And the other… 121 00:19:58.800 --> 00:20:10.850 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. 122 00:20:11.170 --> 00:20:23.870 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… 123 00:20:27.120 --> 00:20:36.040 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just laying there. It might be yelling, farting… Growling, scowling. 124 00:20:36.270 --> 00:20:43.080 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Rolling around… Just being still. Whatever it looks like for you right now. 125 00:20:44.730 --> 00:20:46.690 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm… 126 00:21:00.930 --> 00:21:06.480 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… when you feel ready, We'll come into… 127 00:21:09.170 --> 00:21:21.000 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. 128 00:21:26.130 --> 00:21:33.600 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): practicing… Shavasana also in a way that's not perfect. You don't have to, like, completely… 129 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:42.119 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You know, set up for… Yogic sleep or deep relaxation, although that's wonderful if you can and want to. 130 00:21:43.810 --> 00:21:46.350 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): How can you rest? 131 00:21:47.020 --> 00:21:50.840 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Even in micro-moments within your life. 132 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:56.820 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What is devotion to rest? 133 00:21:56.970 --> 00:21:59.930 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Look like in your current moment? 134 00:22:06.770 --> 00:22:11.009 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We'll find our way into this resting space. 135 00:22:13.280 --> 00:22:20.349 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Receiving… And… we'll take about… 5 minutes here… 136 00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:24.389 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Is to truly rest and receive. 137 00:22:24.500 --> 00:22:27.999 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I'll guide us out with my voice when it's time. 138 00:26:54.850 --> 00:26:58.489 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says… 139 00:26:58.870 --> 00:27:01.969 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that you offer to me. 140 00:27:02.330 --> 00:27:03.510 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): A leaf. 141 00:27:03.630 --> 00:27:06.850 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): A flower. A bowl of water. 142 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:14.909 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Kind word, I will receive as your offering with gratitude. 143 00:27:15.470 --> 00:27:16.770 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to oneness. 144 00:27:19.730 --> 00:27:22.119 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that you offer? 145 00:27:22.340 --> 00:27:24.960 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that you have to offer. 146 00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:28.500 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Is a gift of devotion. 147 00:27:29.530 --> 00:27:30.850 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to oneness. 148 00:27:33.270 --> 00:27:34.759 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to yourself. 149 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:44.400 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Even this next breath that you take, see how it might feel to breathe. 150 00:27:46.750 --> 00:27:49.069 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To breathe as an offering. 151 00:28:08.270 --> 00:28:15.250 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In a moment, we'll move from this… Meditative space. 152 00:28:16.420 --> 00:28:21.600 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, meditative reflection, journaling in the chat, or… 153 00:28:22.800 --> 00:28:26.499 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We're continuing to reflect, or writing in your journal. 154 00:28:33.280 --> 00:28:43.070 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Where… As my yoga started to feel like pressure, or like something I have to do. 155 00:28:44.560 --> 00:28:49.239 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): These are all doorways, you can take whichever doorway is the resonant one. 156 00:28:50.130 --> 00:28:53.560 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What do I actually need right now? 157 00:28:54.080 --> 00:28:59.960 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): when I really go down deep, it's sort of like, if I were honest. 158 00:29:00.580 --> 00:29:03.360 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What do I need? Right now? 159 00:29:14.820 --> 00:29:19.929 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What does devotion look like in my real, current life? 160 00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:29.550 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And is there a small, true way? 161 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:32.110 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I can return. 162 00:29:32.320 --> 00:29:35.459 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To myself, to my practice. 163 00:29:36.740 --> 00:29:38.619 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): to home, within. 164 00:29:39.020 --> 00:29:40.050 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Today. 165 00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:51.169 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So I'll drop these questions in the chat. You can journal or reflect on one, or multiple. 166 00:29:53.650 --> 00:29:55.650 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Take a few minutes. 167 00:29:56.410 --> 00:29:59.370 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then come together to share. 168 00:30:02.850 --> 00:30:11.799 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. 169 00:30:12.460 --> 00:30:16.530 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Or what we need. Or, like, devotion… 170 00:30:19.610 --> 00:30:24.160 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Drop those in the chat. I'll play some music with no words, and then… 171 00:30:25.070 --> 00:30:27.910 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): We'll take about 4 or 5 minutes to journal. 172 00:30:29.590 --> 00:30:34.349 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): This pilgrimage to the home within, your true home. 173 00:35:56.220 --> 00:35:59.639 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Taking a moment to finish what you're writing. 174 00:36:04.030 --> 00:36:18.940 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm… And… Welcoming any shares out loud or in the chat, and also inviting in… 175 00:36:21.340 --> 00:36:28.559 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): shares on anything, you know, I've really been feeling in this moment, this pull from… 176 00:36:30.080 --> 00:36:37.550 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… 177 00:36:37.870 --> 00:36:41.460 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And so, I want to invite in this as a space where 178 00:36:41.600 --> 00:36:50.569 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. 179 00:36:51.040 --> 00:36:53.459 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It is all practice. 180 00:36:54.060 --> 00:36:58.119 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, welcoming in your shares, chat, or out loud. 181 00:37:01.950 --> 00:37:03.870 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm grateful for each of you. 182 00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:15.090 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hi, Karen. Yeah. 183 00:37:15.510 --> 00:37:16.290 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Welcome. 184 00:37:18.180 --> 00:37:23.019 Karen O'Lone: Hi, it took me a moment to find my unmute button, I'm on my… Phone today, so all the… 185 00:37:23.720 --> 00:37:25.659 Karen O'Lone: Buttons are in different places. 186 00:37:25.660 --> 00:37:26.210 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah. 187 00:37:26.670 --> 00:37:29.440 Karen O'Lone: So, talking about being imperfect, right? Like… 188 00:37:29.600 --> 00:37:32.379 Karen O'Lone: Even within just setting up this… this meeting. 189 00:37:33.580 --> 00:37:35.610 Karen O'Lone: So… 190 00:37:36.260 --> 00:37:44.740 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. 191 00:37:45.020 --> 00:37:51.770 Karen O'Lone: That's what I appreciate about this whole practice, right? 192 00:37:52.170 --> 00:38:03.120 Karen O'Lone: So… with the journaling, what I found myself talking about is, like, Right now, kind of being… 193 00:38:03.300 --> 00:38:10.460 Karen O'Lone: In an intersection where my family is on the west coast of the United States, like, my immediate family. 194 00:38:10.740 --> 00:38:12.980 Karen O'Lone: So it's me, my wife, and my son, and then… 195 00:38:13.450 --> 00:38:18.580 Karen O'Lone: My parents and my brother's family are on the East Coast side. 196 00:38:19.090 --> 00:38:21.279 Karen O'Lone: And so, right now, my parents… 197 00:38:21.510 --> 00:38:24.959 Karen O'Lone: are not doing so well, so I've been kind of, like. 198 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:31.569 Karen O'Lone: Who's swapping? And so, like, you know, trying to get from that, like. 199 00:38:32.010 --> 00:38:39.690 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. 200 00:38:40.270 --> 00:38:45.420 Karen O'Lone: And then, kind of, as you were saying, Witnessing some of the… 201 00:38:45.540 --> 00:38:50.259 Karen O'Lone: the stuff in airports that you see, right? So there's, like, just… 202 00:38:50.800 --> 00:39:03.680 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 203 00:39:03.920 --> 00:39:09.820 Karen O'Lone: The exhale really allows you to be better prepared for the inhale part. 204 00:39:10.050 --> 00:39:14.779 Karen O'Lone: And so I really loved that moment to have 205 00:39:15.050 --> 00:39:25.109 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… 206 00:39:26.980 --> 00:39:40.919 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. 207 00:39:41.330 --> 00:39:45.190 Karen O'Lone: Really just kind of leaning on… 208 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:49.910 Karen O'Lone: Being a parent, while also, 209 00:39:50.460 --> 00:39:55.930 Karen O'Lone: really trying to take care of my parents as well. So it's, again, that whole, like. 210 00:39:56.050 --> 00:39:58.479 Karen O'Lone: mixing bowl, and I think that… 211 00:39:59.130 --> 00:40:02.290 Karen O'Lone: Just the best way for me to… 212 00:40:02.460 --> 00:40:11.750 Karen O'Lone: Come back, literally home, and then have that space for myself, is that exhale part, and being able to then 213 00:40:11.880 --> 00:40:15.619 Karen O'Lone: Take a pause, and be ready for that inhale. 214 00:40:15.950 --> 00:40:19.970 Karen O'Lone: So that's kind of where I was going with my journaling. 215 00:40:20.120 --> 00:40:25.509 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… 216 00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:28.270 Karen O'Lone: That's what I have to offer today. 217 00:40:31.730 --> 00:40:41.739 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… 218 00:40:42.010 --> 00:40:45.760 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): It's so… it's like a huge thing when we share. 219 00:40:45.870 --> 00:40:58.750 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… 220 00:40:58.910 --> 00:41:09.879 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… 221 00:41:09.970 --> 00:41:22.699 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 222 00:41:25.470 --> 00:41:28.280 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So, so many directions. 223 00:41:29.020 --> 00:41:41.429 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 224 00:41:42.020 --> 00:41:45.109 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But… so it's been many years since they were an infant. 225 00:41:46.020 --> 00:41:52.710 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… 226 00:41:53.940 --> 00:42:06.629 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, 227 00:42:07.370 --> 00:42:19.029 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 228 00:42:19.140 --> 00:42:29.389 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. 229 00:42:29.450 --> 00:42:43.109 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. 230 00:42:43.140 --> 00:42:51.550 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): with your son, and not being, like, pulled to… because I'm noticing myself, you know, with my kiddo, like. 231 00:42:52.190 --> 00:43:00.289 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. 232 00:43:01.360 --> 00:43:12.680 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 233 00:43:14.230 --> 00:43:22.880 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I noticed vata dosha, like, you know, the, the air and space dosha, really getting… 234 00:43:23.410 --> 00:43:30.420 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): kind of aggravated, which our world is very vata dosha aggravating, so this might resonate for others as well. 235 00:43:30.690 --> 00:43:38.390 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): But especially when we're traveling, or moving, and through time, you know, time zones, places, that… 236 00:43:38.970 --> 00:43:55.040 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… 237 00:43:55.340 --> 00:44:05.849 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, 238 00:44:06.050 --> 00:44:12.920 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. 239 00:44:14.430 --> 00:44:32.769 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. 240 00:44:34.650 --> 00:44:44.400 Karen O'Lone: Absolutely. So, I… Probably barefoot, like… 98% of my day. 241 00:44:44.520 --> 00:44:48.239 Karen O'Lone: So, yes, absolutely, but I love, 242 00:44:48.370 --> 00:44:57.250 Karen O'Lone: So, I'm in Southern California as well, I'm in San Diego, so, like, I like… That we have… 243 00:44:57.380 --> 00:45:01.280 Karen O'Lone: The different surfaces to walk on, so, like. 244 00:45:01.510 --> 00:45:18.319 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. 245 00:45:18.750 --> 00:45:25.850 Karen O'Lone: I even, like, like, we have, like, the… the small river rocks, like, just kind of… 246 00:45:26.800 --> 00:45:29.849 Karen O'Lone: Going on that, and just kind of feeling… 247 00:45:31.310 --> 00:45:45.090 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, 248 00:45:45.220 --> 00:45:47.359 Karen O'Lone: The different surfaces that… 249 00:45:47.470 --> 00:45:59.550 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… 250 00:45:59.690 --> 00:46:03.970 Karen O'Lone: Like, when I'm drinking water, especially. 251 00:46:04.150 --> 00:46:09.889 Karen O'Lone: To, like, tune into the temperature of the water, like… how it feels… 252 00:46:10.470 --> 00:46:16.889 Karen O'Lone: entering and, like, kind of traveling all the way down, so I have found that to be… 253 00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:33.530 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 254 00:46:34.260 --> 00:46:39.859 Karen O'Lone: Ground up, and then… Hydration, which is so important anyway. 255 00:46:40.080 --> 00:46:44.849 Karen O'Lone: Yeah, so just… just those two things that really offer life, the earth and then the… 256 00:46:45.040 --> 00:46:48.400 Karen O'Lone: The, the water that we all need. 257 00:46:50.090 --> 00:46:57.050 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. 258 00:47:01.650 --> 00:47:03.809 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you so much, Karen. 259 00:47:06.190 --> 00:47:14.290 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. 260 00:47:14.530 --> 00:47:21.540 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Laura says, to be specific, I love reflecting on the exhale, truly being essential. 261 00:47:21.630 --> 00:47:35.070 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. 262 00:47:36.580 --> 00:47:50.619 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. 263 00:47:50.800 --> 00:47:54.319 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The sensory mindfulness is helpful for grounding me, too. 264 00:47:54.490 --> 00:48:03.990 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. 265 00:48:03.990 --> 00:48:14.740 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. 266 00:48:16.270 --> 00:48:18.090 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anyone else? 267 00:48:32.050 --> 00:48:34.809 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything that came up for you in journaling? 268 00:49:05.970 --> 00:49:07.640 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm… 269 00:49:11.450 --> 00:49:17.990 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The lift… Yeah, Jenna, I love the idea that everything is devotion. 270 00:49:18.700 --> 00:49:22.410 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): That makes it seem so much more attainable and accessible. 271 00:49:22.570 --> 00:49:29.180 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah, every single action can be devotion. So everything we do, you know, like drinking. 272 00:49:29.480 --> 00:49:37.399 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. 273 00:49:37.700 --> 00:49:38.660 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Yeah. 274 00:49:42.750 --> 00:49:49.449 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm kind of feeling like it might be nice to end with another gentle meditative practice. 275 00:49:50.020 --> 00:50:06.870 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. 276 00:50:07.150 --> 00:50:14.589 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. 277 00:50:14.970 --> 00:50:16.280 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… 278 00:50:20.530 --> 00:50:22.310 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Wherever you are. 279 00:50:23.640 --> 00:50:30.760 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Invitation… To care for yourself, even just 5% more. 280 00:50:31.140 --> 00:50:40.739 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So maybe that's a sigh and a resting back, or a little blanket over you, or whatever you need. 281 00:50:47.690 --> 00:50:54.070 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm calling yourself… Into your mind's eye, and maybe… 282 00:50:54.590 --> 00:51:05.130 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. 283 00:51:08.850 --> 00:51:12.480 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Visualizing yourself as you are now. 284 00:51:14.850 --> 00:51:16.650 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And remembering… 285 00:51:18.730 --> 00:51:27.790 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. 286 00:51:28.130 --> 00:51:31.410 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Are as equally deserving of love 287 00:51:31.580 --> 00:51:35.980 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As anyone else in this world. As everyone else. 288 00:51:39.410 --> 00:51:43.410 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And sometimes it can be hard to offer ourselves love. 289 00:51:43.890 --> 00:51:48.549 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): So also giving yourself a lot of spaciousness and compassion. 290 00:51:48.820 --> 00:51:53.160 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Especially if it feels a little tricky to receive. 291 00:51:53.690 --> 00:52:01.489 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. 292 00:52:01.930 --> 00:52:11.519 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. 293 00:52:12.210 --> 00:52:14.349 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Without a rush or hurry. 294 00:52:20.810 --> 00:52:26.249 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm breathing in… Care and compassion. 295 00:52:27.980 --> 00:52:29.670 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): For yourself. 296 00:52:30.230 --> 00:52:37.100 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I'm breathing out, relaxing and receiving love for yourself. 297 00:52:44.790 --> 00:52:47.130 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And compassion. 298 00:52:49.430 --> 00:52:52.490 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Out… Love. 299 00:53:03.370 --> 00:53:06.120 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I am home. 300 00:53:07.980 --> 00:53:11.489 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Out. Just as I am. 301 00:53:16.050 --> 00:53:20.539 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Without needing to change or make myself different. 302 00:53:22.980 --> 00:53:28.790 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale… Exhale. 303 00:53:36.220 --> 00:53:39.490 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Inhale, receiving love. 304 00:53:42.120 --> 00:53:43.620 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Exhale. 305 00:53:46.300 --> 00:53:47.750 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Dropping in… 306 00:54:05.390 --> 00:54:07.170 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Budding yourself. 307 00:54:10.480 --> 00:54:12.170 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Come home. 308 00:54:12.510 --> 00:54:14.180 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Just as you are. 309 00:54:15.320 --> 00:54:18.110 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In devotion to yourself. 310 00:54:18.770 --> 00:54:25.910 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): As part of the whole… Loving… 311 00:54:31.820 --> 00:54:33.500 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Receiving love. 312 00:54:40.040 --> 00:54:45.369 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Now centering your awareness on maybe one act of devotion. 313 00:54:46.450 --> 00:54:53.479 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Can be very small, like a 1% act, or it could be, like, a 10% or a 100% act. 314 00:54:53.940 --> 00:54:59.569 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Of devotion and love that you might do for yourself today or this week. 315 00:55:00.900 --> 00:55:11.299 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Anything at all, from… Some of what's shared here, sensory, mindfulness… Drinking warm tea. 316 00:55:12.150 --> 00:55:14.270 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Walking barefoot. 317 00:55:14.520 --> 00:55:20.159 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Mindfulness of water as it moves through our bodies. 318 00:55:29.270 --> 00:55:36.720 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And… again, without any need for perfection, just connecting to what you might do. 319 00:55:37.110 --> 00:55:38.730 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): In devotion. 320 00:55:39.630 --> 00:55:41.420 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): To loving yourself. 321 00:55:41.850 --> 00:55:43.909 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Coming home to yourself. 322 00:55:46.550 --> 00:55:52.239 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And we'll drift away and close our pilgrimage in Puja now. 323 00:55:52.480 --> 00:55:59.600 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): The invitation, if you'd like to share what you will do in the chat, or speak it out loud. 324 00:56:00.490 --> 00:56:05.810 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And thank you so much for your presence, and so much for your practice. 325 00:56:08.160 --> 00:56:11.910 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And I bow to you in our practices. 326 00:56:12.170 --> 00:56:14.399 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Come to a close. 327 00:56:14.770 --> 00:56:16.850 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): What if you'd like to share… 328 00:56:18.110 --> 00:56:21.859 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Your loving devotion to yourself, please do. 329 00:56:46.600 --> 00:56:49.299 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): And then I'll invite the bell. 330 00:57:45.540 --> 00:57:47.470 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you so much. 331 00:57:53.780 --> 00:57:57.539 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): You can unmute if you'd like, and say goodbye. 332 00:57:58.360 --> 00:58:02.779 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): I love the… Ways we're caring for ourselves. 333 00:58:04.950 --> 00:58:05.780 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Hmm. 334 00:58:08.580 --> 00:58:10.849 Susanna Barkataki (She/They): Thank you to each of you.