Spiritual Grit

I hate to state the obvious, but we live in a divisive time. Everyone is quick to pick a fight or react with sharpness, even harm. Everyone is in hyper-survival mode. So how are we supposed to create communities of care when we're too busy cutting each other down? How can softness help us remember our common humanity?In this week's episode, I share some insights I learned while laid up in bed for two weeks with the worst case of the flu I'd ever seen, including how we might connect with the simple kindness of a smile. Tune in! ===============Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card:  The Four of Pentacles “All the Hemispheres” by Hafiz=============== Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter:leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: leslieann@suryagian.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy Kundalini Yoga Classes: https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini

Discover how to uncover unconscious patterns and the importance of self-reflection during the winter months. Dive into the transformative power of darkness as a nurturing space for personal growth. Explore ancestral wisdom and the significance of the tarot, specifically the tower card. Learn how to navigate self-discovery in a fast-paced world and embrace personal growth in the age of Aquarius. This enlightening journey advocates for stillness and rest as essential tools for fighting against societal oppression.

Explore the challenges of speaking one's truth amidst societal pressures and the fear of losing connections. Delve into the importance of self-care and authentic expression for personal growth. Discover how individual truths can affect collective dynamics and relationships. Reflect on the risks of navigating divisive ideologies and the courage needed to voice uncomfortable realities. Lastly, consider how spiritual experiences can deepen compassion and responsibility in our interconnected lives.

How can we navigate in this very noisy world according to our purpose if we can't hear ourselves? How do we know what our soul's purpose is? Do we even need to know what it is? In this week's episode, I give you tips on how to listen deeply to your heart. I also talk about dreams and your heart’s desires. How they are a compass for you. How your purpose plays a role in the collective imagination during a time of disintegration. Tune in to find your way, your path amidst the chaos  =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Knight of Wands “I Vote For You For God” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: leslieann@suryagian.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy Kundalini Yoga Classes: https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini

In this week's episode it's all about connecting with the body. How can we stay centered and clear-minded during the crumbling of empire? How can we stay focused on our task at hand for liberation? It comes down to our relationship with our bodies and with each other.  Tune in this week to learn how we can walk through the ever-growing and deepening darkness of our time. And if you need practical support, sign up for my 4-week Kundalini yoga class starting on Friday, January 31st.   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Deep Cellular Healing “A Hole in the Flute” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: leslieann@suryagian.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy Kundalini Yoga Classes: https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini

As we enter a portal into more darkness, we need to remember that change equals growth. And while nobody really talks about this, growth is painful. How can we stay steady and endure the discomfort, knowing that change is inevitable? How can we reframe challenges in order to learn from the pain? To learn that we are not being tested nor are we being punished. We are just being pushed to grow. Tune into this week's episode to learn how to stay steady in the chaos. How to be like a seed in the earth.  =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Doors are opening for you:  you decide rewards and wildcard “I saw two birds” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: leslieann@suryagian.com Writing as Resistance: https://www.suryagian.com/writing-as-resistance  Kundalini Yoga Classes: https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini

Explore the essential nature of community during turbulent times, emphasizing deep listening as a foundation for connection. Discover how community dynamics play a crucial role in pursuing collective liberation. Personal stories highlight the importance of safe spaces and unity in social justice movements. Delve into the complexities of love and resilience through poetry, and embrace a meditative challenge designed to cultivate joy amidst chaos.

How do we prepare for this new year that promises to be full of upheavals? How do we keep going, keep fighting for libëration in the face of the Empïre’s indifference? Resilience, community, and creation. As I often like to quote “La Vie Boheme” from the musical, RENT: “The opposite of war isn’t peace - it’s creation!” In this week’s episode, I start off by talking about abundance, generosity, and compassion and how these are crucial for community. If we are to affect change, we must be in relationship with each other in these ways. And in the face of so much destruction, we must create. Listen in to learn how writing can be that mode of creation AND resistance. And then sign up for the 5-day writing workshop intensive, Writing As Resistance, because taking tangible action towards liberation feels good. It’s happening next week! Online, Jan 13-17, 2025. Register here: suryagian.com/writing-as-resistance  =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Six of Pentacles (Reversed) “The Hatcheck Girl” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: leslieann@suryagian.com Writing as Resistance: https://www.suryagian.com/writing-as-resistance

Discover the essence of community building and how it fosters a better world. Engage in discussions about mutual support, trust, and the importance of it over mere social media interactions. Delve into self-care within community dynamics and learn about striking a balance between giving and receiving. Explore how nurturing connections, likened to planting seeds, can yield long-term rewards. Plus, enjoy a reflective poem that celebrates life's beauty and the support we can offer each other.

How many of us give our power away? How many of us look to other people for the solution? How many of us let other people decide our fate? In this week’s episode, I invite you to reclaim your power and remember that words matter. What we say, how we say it, the language we use – it all matters, even when we feel it doesn’t. (See: “ceasefire”)  When we speak, when we possess the power to tell our stories and write our narrative. The challenge here is: are you writing it in integrity? Are you writing it with the truth of the heart? Too many lies are being manufactured by mainstream media and if we allow for that to pass as truth, then we’re in bigger trouble than I thought. Listen in to understand the power of words and the frequency they carry and how that affects us all.  =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Oracle card: Eight of Swords “Scratching my Back” by Hafiz Articles mentioned: “Klamath River Dam Removal Allows Salmon to Run Free for First Time in More Than a Century” ⁠https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/klamath-river-dam-removal-allows-salmon-to-run-free-for-first-time-in-more-than-a-century/⁠ “The Shapes of Grief: Witnessing the Unbearable” by Cristina Sharpe ⁠https://yalereview.org/article/christina-sharpe-shapes-of-grief⁠ ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: ⁠suryagian.com/subscribe⁠ and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠leslieann@suryagian.com⁠ Dig into Divine Darkness: https://www.suryagian.com/dig-into-divine-darkness