Spiritual Grit

“It's important for each person to find their own way of connecting beyond our current reality.” - Kazim Ali Welcome to another episode of Spiritual Grit Podcast! In today's episode, I have a very special guest, Kazim Ali! Kazim was born in the United Kingdom and has lived transnationally in the United States, Canada, India, France, and the Middle East. His books encompass multiple genres and he is also an accomplished translator of Marguerite Duras, Sohrab Sepehri, Ananda Devi, Mahmoud Chokrollahi and others, and an editor of several anthologies and books of criticism. In this conversation, we talked about how books including the bible were being translated differently, depending on the agenda of those in power since access to sacred texts were usually controlled by the authority. Ultimately, it is our personal conversation with sacred text that guides us through life… a kind of choose-your-own-adventure journey. Speaking of which, Kazim also talks about what inspired him to write his newest book, The Citadel of Whisperers, an actual choose-your-own-adventure book! Listen in on Leslieann and Kazim’s chat about a wide range of topics, including the importance of our conversation with texts, sacred or otherwise. * 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: “Burglars Hears Watchdogs” by Hafiz “Recite” by Kazim Ali Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation

“Interpretation evolves. It changes with the people who are changing.” - Leslieann Hobayan Welcome to another episode of Spiritual Grit Podcast! In today's episode, I talk about my recent Catholic mass experience (thankfully I attended virtually for reasons you’ll soon find out). The new priest gave his homily, stating his beliefs plain and simple: marriage which is for only a man and woman only; being gay/homosexual is a sin; divorce is also a sin. He really jammed all the hot button issues into one foaming-at-the-mouth speech. There was no nuance, no room for discussion. Needless to say, it felt abusive and I was activated. This experience raises the question: what is the role of religions like Catholicism in a world that is quickly evolving to show that it doesn’t matter what religion you practice, but how you love? What is the role of the old stodgy dogma of Roman Catholicism--which feels very distant from Jesus’s message of love-- in this rapidly-changing 21st century ? Are practices like Catholicism useful in spiritual growth? In our overall evolution? Listen along to this full episode to learn more about how I continue to be disappointed (but, unfortunately not surprised) by the American Catholic Church. Original Translation of Homosexuality reference: https://um-insight.net/perspectives/has-“homosexual”-always-been-in-the-bible/ * 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: “Trying to Wear Pants” by Hafiz “Easter Bonifacio High Street” by Joseph Legaspi Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation

“Yoga in itself through self-reflection, you’re also able to learn other people as well and to put yourself in their shoes.” - Noah Weisman Welcome to another episode of Spiritual Grit Podcast! 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

“There seems to be no purpose to your meditation if you don’t set the intention” - Leslieann Hobayan Welcome to Spiritual Grit Podcast! New name, new logo but same topics, with just a little more edge. Today's podcast is about intention. Intention is everything -- it is the thing that makes the difference where it allows us to evolve and grow out of our old versions. Ask yourself: Is setting the intention helping you grow? Is it helping you evolve from the place you were when you started? Why sit in meditation if you just end up being in the same place? These are just some questions to ponder. Listen along to this full episode as we figure out ways to take action for social justice while deep in our spiritual work, how to bridge both of them through the power of intention. * 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 1pm 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: “I saw two birds” by Hafiz “UnAmerican” by Hafizah Geter Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Joyful Meditation : https://suryagian.com/joyful-meditation

“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 Membership(s)/Retreat(s) Mentioned: Brown Girls Breathing : https://suryagian.com/brown-girls-breathing

“We are born perfect. We are living our own human design before conditioning starts” - Leslieann Hobayan Today's podcast is about practicing devotion and sacred action in your everyday life. In this episode, you will learn that everything is a learning experience. This is our journey: to continually learn lessons to become better human beings and more connected with each other.  How can you use devotion as a practice to being present in your life? How can you keep the everyday sacred? Self-awareness is a part of the process. Leslieann offers ways to evolve, dive deeper, and grow spiritually in our daily lives. Listen along to the full episode as we set the intention to peel all the layers and to get down to who we are at our essence. * 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: “Like Passionate Lips” by Hafiz

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

In this Best of Vinyasa in Verse podcast episode, we will take a look at the experiences we went through that gave us some valuable lessons. Life is unpredictable and each day is not promised, something that most people are really being made aware of now in these pandemic times. // Lessons are all around. Sometimes we learn them right away, other times we don't. But all are made to help us grow. // We all have this divine light within us. // People come and go but they come into our lives bearing the gift of life lessons. // You have the power to choose how to respond to things that are not within your control. The only thing you have in control of is your response to things, your mindset. // Accepting the things we cannot control and learning from them is really powerful. Remember to be grateful for whatever or whoever comes because each has sent as a guide from beyond. // When you're thinking about your humanness as a guest house, to allow for the experiences to flow through you, learn whatever lessons you need to learn, and then continue on where you left off. Continue forward in your journey and experience the growth as uncomfortable as it may seem. // Follow me on Instagram for some real talk about healing AND play: @suryagianyogi Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “The Guest House” by Rumi “Owl at Home” by Arnold Lobel “She Responded” by Hafiz

In today’s episode, I am joined by Ruth Forman, an acclaimed poet, writing mentor to many, and author of children’s literature. Her most recent children’s books are Curls and Glow from Simon & Schuster. We talked about ways in which we can connect with ourselves, including saying a prayer in the morning when you wake up, and how the connection with nature is so essential to our nourishment. // Remember to just give yourself a little bit of time to write and let the divine just come through. // Give yourself space to respond to others because it speaks to your own practice of staying connected to yourself. // Talking to somebody doesn't necessarily change their behavior or their thinking, but the example you set, by staying connected to the power within yourself, can create change in people’s lives.// Connect with the divine in our own ways. // Follow me on Instagram for some real talk about healing AND play: @leslieannhobayan Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: “The Sky Hunter” by Hafiz We Are The Young Magicians (poetry book) by Ruth Forman “The Vintage Man” by Hafiz “May You Take Your Pen In Your Hands and Never Stop Writing” by Ruth Forman

In this week's Best of Vinyasa in Verse, I had a talk with one of my favorite people and oldest friends, Ross Gay, award-winner poet, professor at Indiana University, baller, gardener, and all-around big-hearted human. We were poetry babies together in college with Lee Upton, poet and professor extraordinaire, as our poetry mama (Ross mentions her here). We talk about the practice of poetry and presence, about being part of a collective (both physically as people and spiritually), and how to “unfix” a poem. We also explore how we hold each other’s memories and minds, that what constitutes our minds are held, not just by us, but also by others (enter the story of Negative Nelly and Positive Polly - haha!). People, this conversation was so much fun! You GOTTA listen! (We might even do a Part 2!) Also, he mentions a few folks I’d like to identify: Pat is NJ-based poet, Patrick Rosal. Nora is a CA-based writer and editor, Nora Issacs. * 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: “That tree we planted” by Hafiz The Wisdom of No Escape (book) by Pema Chodron “To the Young Who Wants to Die” by Gwendolyn Brooks