Spiritual Grit

If you missed this great conversation, now's the time to press that play button and listen to this meaningful and worthy episode. In today's episode, Leslieann shares about her recent experience in a writing community she’s part of where she offered a program for writers to help them avoid emotional hangover. Then the (white) gatekeepers came for her, demanding she show her credentials, which was really a guise for “who do you think you are?”. This incident is an example of how systemic racism puts high expectations on folks of color, where we have to prove time and again that we are capable and competent human beings. It also highlights the VERY unaware people who reinforce this oppressive system. In the instance of people of color, how many qualifications do we need before it’s enough? Statistically, we usually need way more than our white counterparts. They have one bachelor’s degree? We need two bachelor’s degrees, a few masters degrees and at least one PhD. And who gets to decide all of this? So, how do you respond to these kinds of aggressions? Well, it’s all about building nervous system resilience and leaning into self-trust. Listen in on Leslieann as she shares her own experiences of dealing with these kinds of not-so-obvious racist attacks online and how she dealt with this condescension. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “A Root in Each Act and Creature” by Hafiz The Body Keeps the Score - a book by Bessel Van Der Kolk “Easter Sunday” by Shin Yu Pai * Courses/Exclusive Content Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe

“One way to fight the system of oppression is to not participate in it. Step away and rest your mind, body and soul.” - Leslieann Hobayan Today's podcast is about creating spaces for Women of Color. We live in an environment where we experience suffering and pain because of who we are. We feel like we do not belong. Creating safe spaces only for WOCs gives us the opportunity to freely share our experiences. No judgement, no explanation. It’s important to celebrate who we are being, hold each other up, and step into our power. How can communities of WOCs support our healing journey in a world designed to harm us? And how can rest--our rest-- disrupt this system of harm? (Thank you The Nap Ministry for leading the way in rest as rebellion!) Listen along to the full episode as we strive to step away from oppression and make a safe place for women of color. *Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “She Responded” by Hafiz Magical Urbanism by Mike Davis “Dear Puntan” by Craig Santos Perez

Today’s episode is about self awareness and being a work in progress, being better about balancing the doing and the being. Are you doing enough? The whole personal development is a kind of work in itself, a lifelong journey but you have to remind yourself to be gentle. Ask yourself, what is it that you want in your life? Examine what is happening from within. How can we get back to our authentic selves? Listen along to the full episode as we unfold the intention of being self aware. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “Damn Thirsty” by Hafiz “Dirt by the Old Creek ” by Preeti Kaur Rajpal The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and Spirit

Some folks might have missed this important episode where I talk with Noah Weisman about the problem of so-called gurus who bypass the real issues of today's society, opting to use spirituality as an excuse to not take responsibility for their actions that bring harm to others. One such example is our former teacher Raghunath Cappo. Listen in on our discussion as we try to bring attention to the real work of building an anti-racist society. For today’s episode, we have a special guest, Noah Weisman. A little bit about him: growing up biracial in the predominantly white communities of Vermont, he began his study of the body and mind through mixed martial arts in 2003. Diving headfirst into the physical, mental and energetic practices, he discovered a wealth of knowledge in the philosophy of yoga and became a certified yoga teacher. He and his wife, Priscilla Rybicki founded Sukha Yoga School in 2015, and continue to offer classes and training all over the world. In today's conversation, he shares some insights about his racial relationship between his friends/colleagues and social justice. We also talk about the dangers of popular and visible white teachers who fail to see the racism and sexism of their ways, perpetuating the very problem we are trying to solve, including one specific teacher, Ray Cappo. These so-called gurus who bypass their own spiritual teachings only create more harm for communities of color. Listen along to this full episode to know more about Noah Weisman and how yoga changed his life. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each LIVE class is just a half-hour. All this week at 1 pm ET. If you can't make the live classes, you'll get the recording to learn a few things in your own time. And don't worry about missing yesterday -- you'll get the recording for that too! Five classes just for $11.11! * Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “Muhammad's Twin” by Hafiz “Where Everything is Music” by Rumi Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation

“We are coming to a close of that potent energy that magnified the shifting of our lives, what else needs to be let go of?” - Leslieann Hobayan As we approach the end of the year, let’s take a look at what worked and what didn’t. I start this episode by consulting my oracle deck and the Autumn card came forward. It’s an invitation to release what’s no longer serving us. What’s holding you back? Is it doubt? Is it fear? Fear of the unfamiliar, of the unknown? Are you willing to release your old identities that you are used to? There is the gap between the familiar and the place where you are called to. You can’t be in two places at once. You have to decide. Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and take the leap? With the winter solstice approaching and the new calendar year on the horizon, what can you let go in order to create a new chapter in your life? Listen to this episode to take a look at where you are now and how you can take the leap into the next chapter of your life! This is the last episode of 2021 as we will take time to rest, recharge, and plan for a stellar 2022! Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, be well, breathe deep, and get groovy with the grit! * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today’s poems/ Books / Oracle mentioned: Deck by Kyle Gray “Angels and Ancestors”, artwork by Lily Moses Courses/Exclusive Content Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe

“My intention was not to make them accept me, my intention was to be there and have them work to be accepted by me.” - Elise Guadalupe In today's episode, we have Elise Guadalupe. Elise is an Aerial Yoga Educator. ​​her personal practice is by quieting the mind, making it possible to hear and see one’s real truth. Her teaching style is authentic to who she is as a person, compassionate and straightforward. In this conversation, l talked with Elise about her yoga journey, how she turned to yoga after the death of her husband after 9/11 when she entered a period of deep grief, sadness, and depression. She shared that yoga was the key for her recovery from the darkest moment of her life. She also told of her journey and struggles of being a black woman from Queens in a predominantly white yoga community in suburban Pennsylvania. We also talked about being childlike in certain ways: being fearless, playful, creative and flexible. Listen in to this great conversation where two yoga teachers of color share their journey and growth experiences to bring them where they are now. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “The Body, a Tree” by Hafiz Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali, 1.14 “Black Workers” by Langston Hughes Courses/Exclusive Content Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe

“The deeper you look into your ancestry, you will see both.” - Lisa Factora-Borchers In today's episode, we have Lisa Factora-Borchers, a Filipinx American writer, activist, and co-publisher of Guernica magazine. She was recognized by Rewire. News as one of the five revolutionary Asian American activists who are leading the fight for reproductive freedom. She is a board member for Zora’s House, an entrepreneurial think tank and haven for women of color, and a political thought leader for OPAWL (Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership). She cofounded and cofacilitates a healing justice group Feminist Grounding where AAPI women and nonbinary folx reflect upon the intersecting points of identity, trauma, and liberation. Lisa is also the founder of The End Writers Collective, a decolonizing-in-practice community space for BIPOC writers finishing their literary manuscripts. In this conversation, Leslieann and Lisa talk about what love really is, about Catholicism and indigenous spiritual practices, the friendships that die, and how ancestral inheritance--both trauma AND abundance-- ties it all together. When one’s ancestor survives being a prisoner of war, what is passed down? How can we carry forward the abundance and transmute the trauma into ways that can uplift our descendants? Listen in to this very rich conversation between two Pinays who live in the Diaspora and understand the world and the idea of home from a “neither here nor there” perspective. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “I Want Both Of Us” by Hafiz “Elegy For A Song Between” by Jennifer Kwon Dobbs Courses/Exclusive Content Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe

In today's episode, Leslieann talks about Free to Move, a movement workshop for people of color with Rahnee Haskins, and about how crucial it is for folks of color to be in community with each other. How powerful it is to be in a space where you feel like you belong, to be seen for who you are, to let your guard down. To be among your people. You don’t have to explain a thing. You don’t have to apologize for your accent or your thick thighs. You get to be you. That kind of magic is potent! Leslieann shares a few stories from the event to illustrate just how powerful we can be when we come together in community. Listen in to understand how important it is to create a safe space for people of color and to unravel all of the conditioning that has separated us from our inner knowing. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “Sometimes I Say To A Poem” by Hafiz “Nate Brown is Looking For A Moose” By Matthew Olzmann Courses/Exclusive Content Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe

In today's episode, Leslieann shares about her recent experience in a writing community she’s part of where she offered a program for writers to help them avoid emotional hangover. Then the (white) gatekeepers came for her, demanding she show her credentials, which was really a guise for “who do you think you are?”. This incident is an example of how systemic racism puts high expectations on folks of color, where we have to prove time and again that we are capable and competent human beings. It also highlights the VERY unaware people who reinforce this oppressive system. In the instance of people of color, how many qualifications do we need before it’s enough? Statistically, we usually need way more than our white counterparts. They have one bachelor’s degree? We need two bachelor’s degrees, a few masters degrees and at least one PhD. And who gets to decide all of this? So, how do you respond to these kinds of aggressions? Well, it’s all about building nervous system resilience and leaning into self-trust. Listen in on Leslieann as she shares her own experiences of dealing with these kinds of not-so-obvious racist attacks online and how she dealt with this condescension. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “A Root in Each Act and Creature” by Hafiz The Body Keeps the Score - a book by Bessel Van Der Kolk “Easter Sunday” by Shin Yu Pai Courses/Exclusive Content Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe

“We forget who we are. We are love made manifest.” - Leslieann Hobayan In today's episode, Leslieann talks about joy and trying to find it in the middle of an argument or struggle. At our core, we are all divine light but because of the conditioning we received as children, we’ve forgotten about that light. So many messages from our external world tell us that who we are is wrong. So many expectations are placed on us to perform as people we are not. As a result, out of protection, we hide our true selves. And if trauma enters the picture, it’s that much harder to find our innermost selves. Can we tap into the joy of our essence? Can we radiate out the very being-ness of ourselves so that others might be inspired? And more importantly, HOW can we do this? Listen in on Leslieann as she shares her own experiences of dealing with the layers of conditioning and expectation to excel on things that she was expected to do while suppressing her true Self.  Also, learn how to find and live with Joy. * Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing, poetry, AND play: @leslieannhobayan or email me at leslieann@suryagian.com * Sign up for Joyful Meditation, a 5-part introductory series to meditation. Each recorded class is just a half hour. Five classes to create self-awareness and inner peace-- for just $11.11! Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “Two Giant Fat People” by Hafiz “The Music” by Rumi Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation The Story of Joy: https://suryagian.com/subscribe