Spiritual Grit

In this episode, I sit with down playwright, college professor, and spiritualist, Djola Branner, where we really dig into how meditation practice (and other practices, like writing) creates a solid foundation for us to navigate the unsteady ground of change. Hafiz’s poem “Dividing God” kicks off our conversation with the idea of courage. “It takes courage to be a black gay man.” And then we talk about how meditation creates a different sense of engagement with the world, detachment versus non-attachment, the physical stress of racism, and how it all comes back to the great I AM – that we are all connected. To close the episode, Djola performs his poem “For Robbie”, a tribute to Robbie McCauley, performance artist, playwright, and teacher. It’s not to be missed! * Hafiz’s “Dividing God”, Patricia Smith’s “Skinhead”, and Djola Branner’s “For Robbie” * https://www.hampshire.edu/faculty/djola-branner * http://robbiemccauleyncompany.com * Find me here: https://suryagian.com * This weekend: Goddess Vision Boarding Workshop for Empaths!

In this episode, I speak with Marguerite Harrold, poet, spiritualist, and traveler extraordinaire, about her recent travels through ten countries, many of which are known for their spiritual teachings, and what it’s like to travel solo as a Black woman. We have such a rollicking good time talking about her experiences (there might have been a few cackles) –from discovering what Black privilege feels like in Fiji to spiritual shifts clicking into place in India. She talks about the lessons we learn when we travel and how we can grow from them. So many great takeaways in this one! “Ask. Then, sit and listen. When we don’t listen, the messages just get louder.”, “Writing is a way to scribe the way out”, “You have a responsibility to help your people.” * Today’s poems: Hafiz’s “There Could be Holy Fallout” and lucille clifton’s “Blessing the Boats” * Where you can find Marguerite's work: https://thebluenib.com/poetry-by-marguerite-l-harrold/ * https://www.chicagoreview.org/62-463-12-web-companion/ * https://www.aseiarts.com/single-post/2019/02/03/What-inspires-you-A-dialogue-with-author-Marguerite-Harrold * https://vinylpoetryandprose.com/2019/03/marguerite-l-harrold/ * Healing the Decolonized Voice: a retreat for writers of color Aug 27-30 at Millay Colony in Upstate NY. More info and registration here: https:/suryagian.com/healing-the-decolonized-voice Deadline to sign up: Friday, August 14th @ 5pm * BIPOC-only yoga & meditation classes every Sunday @ 5:30pm in my zoom yoga room. Go here to sign up! https://suryagian.com/bipoc-class

Hafiz calls us to fill the wells of our hearts. And so what do I do? I try to teach you all the things. Haha! I think my subconscious said: okay, let’s fill everyone’s different wells with spiritual teachings and awareness practices. Of course, please know that these are gems to be considered over a period of time. Here’s a quick run down: Representation matters. Intention matters. ~ The balance of our spiritual identity, our very essence, with our material, physical identity is something to hold in intention. ~ Operating from the heart, from our intuition can help us achieve this balance. ~ Pay attention to connections. ~ Writers offer their souls to the world, and like the lover in Hafiz’s poem, use them –manifest as stories-- as a kind of protection, an act of service in love. Our writing bears witness and serves as a mirror; it’s so important to see and to be seen. Our writing does this for others. ~ Fill our heart wells with rest and nourishment so that we are able to continue the work of telling our stories with vibrancy. ~ Continue to dismantle racism. ~ And: it’s all about practice. Without judgment. // Today’s poems: Hafiz’s “Some Fill with Each Good Rain” and Rabia (of Rabia) “The Sky Gave Me Its Heart” * Healing the Decolonized Voice: a retreat for writers of color Aug 27-30 at Millay Colony in Upstate NY. More info and registration here: https:/suryagian.com/healing-the-decolonized-voice * BIPOC-only yoga & meditation classes every Sunday @ 5:30pm in my zoom yoga room. Go here to sign up! https://suryagian.com/bipoc-class

Have you heard this one before? “This too shall pass.” It can be seen as a bypass for the challenges that we are experiencing right now in this PRESENT MOMENT. If I’m being real, there’s some crazy shiz going on out there! Some folks (not all) use this phrase as an opportunity to look away. How can we be fully present in the ever-shifting landscape of these wild times? Can we sit in the dark and just be in it? Can we allow for growth to unfold while fully present in the dark? Can we create even more awareness around how we are BEing in the world *right now*? You’ll be amazing at just how you can affect others simply by your BEing! If you’re low vibe, does it feel like everyone else is low vibe too? What if you shifted to high vibe? Will folks match your frequency? Try it out and see what happens! Oh! And get this: random acts of kindness have more impact than you’ll ever know! The sweetest ones are the undercover ones when folks don’t know you’re the source of the kindness they’ve received. * Today’s poems: Hafiz’s “Two Puddles Chatting” and lucille clifton’s “11/10 again” from her book The Book of Light * RETREAT! Healing the Decolonized Voice: a retreat for writers of color. Go here for more info: https://suryagian.com/healing-the-decolonized-voice * BIPOC-only yoga & meditation classes every Sunday @ 5:30pm in my zoom yoga room. Go here to sign up! https://suryagian.com/bipoc-class

What if you viewed your mind like a teenage girl? All awkward and lanky, carrying this belief that she knows it all. Could you approach your mind with compassion? Dana “rhymes with banana” Evans is my guest for this episode and we really get animated (or at least I do!) during this conversation about calming the mind with compassion so that we can turn up the volume on our inner voice. Join me for some great insights on how we can create more space in our bodies and in our heads when we listen more often to our inner knowing rather than spin into a frenzy of overthinking. And when that happens, an amazing peace can wash over us. There’s so much goodness in this one that I can’t choose one to highlight here. You’ll have to listen for yourself! BUT! I will say that I had a lot of fun AND beach balls make the best analogy! * Poems: Hafiz’s “I Saw Two Birds” and Oriah Mountain Dream’s “The Invitation” * Dana Evans’s 4-day challenge on turning up your inner voice: https://alignful.com/challenge * BIPOC-only yoga & meditation class Sundays at 5:30pm Sign up here: https://suryagian.com

In today's episode, I riff of Hafiz's poem "These Beautiful Love Games" and talk about the importance of play. How it can shape our experience of our lives. Many teachings tells us that suffering is a choice: you can choose to suffer or you can choose to learn. Play offers a way to grow that feels less painful. If we can rest and play like we did as kids, it can soften the discomfort of our learning, our growing, and our evolution (no one said growth was an easy walk in the park!). So go forth, my friends! Cartwheel in the grass! Take afternoon naps! Spin wildly in circles with your arms out until you get dizzy and fall down, laughing! See how your world will start to shift, how your suffering might start to lessen. * Poems: Hafiz's "These Beautiful Love Games" and Rumi's "Only Breath" * Join me for yoga and meditation just for People of Color at Onyx Yoga Studio! Sundays at 5:30-6:30pm www.onyxyogastudio.com/schedule * Check out my membership community for empaths and highly sensitive people: https://suryagian.com/membership-registration * My other offerings include intimate healing retreats and coaching. Check it out here: https://suryagian.com

Today’s guest is coming to you from Dubai! Neha Duseja is a yoga instructor, visual artist, and handstand/inversion/hand balance extraordinaire for whom yoga helped guide her out of one of the lowest points in her life when her "identity" was stripped away to nothing. She was faced with this difficult question: who are you without your roles? Our identities are often conflated with the roles we play: dutiful daughter, fiancée, advertising art director. What's the difference? Listen in on our conversation full of goodness as Neha shares her journey of self-discovery and the lessons she’s learned along the way, lessons that we all can use as we evolve as spirit-souls. A few key quotes: “Nothing can replace human contact.” “I’ve head to unlearn so many behaviors I’ve learned as a child that I had to imbibe.” “The universe is always challenging you to rise to the occasion to actually practice the yoga you’ve been doing on your mat: this is the practice. This is the REAL practice.” * Poems in this episode: Hafiz’s “Dividing God” and E.H.’s “Dandelion” * Find Neha on IG: @nehadusejayoga and YouTube: Neha Duseja Yoga * Yoga and Meditation for People of Color, Sundays, 5:30pm at Onyx Yoga Studio https://onyxyogastudio.com * Healing the Decolonized Voice Intimate Retreat in Upstate NY: https://www.suryagian.com/healing-the-decolonized-voice * Empowering Empaths membership community: https://www.suryagian.com/membership-registration * Reach out and let me know what you think of this episode and podcast. I’d love to hear from you! leslieann@suryagian.com

In this episode, I take you on the road with me —literally. I’ve been working at keeping things fun and this idea popped in my head: why not record while taking Bailey for a walk? And so I did! Hah! Today, I talk about manifestation —what it is, what it isn’t, and how we can approach it in ways that are intentional and intuitive. It’s not just thinking, “I want a million dollars” and then suddenly voila! A genie appears. It’s about frequency. What’s that? you say! Take a listen to find out! // no poems today since I was on the road! // James Wedmore: https:/jameswedmoretraining.com // Yoga and Meditation for People of Color, Sundays, 5:30pm at Onyx Yoga Studio onyxyogastudio.com // Learn more about me and what I offer: suryagian.com // Reach out and let me know what you think of this episode and podcast! leslieann@suryagian.com

In this episode, I explore the understanding of self-love in contrast to the story of not-enoughness. Often, we tell ourselves stories about our worthiness, about what we deserve, what we are capable of, what is good enough. Often, those stories have us falling short. We forget that there is a mine full of holy rubies inside of us, waiting to be excavated. Today, I take the take the time to ask questions that might bring awareness to the stories we’ve long told ourselves that, up until now, have gone unquestioned. What patterns have we ingrained into our brains? Into our bodies? How can we let those stories go and create new neural pathways for stories that allow for self-love to emerge from those layers of illustion (also known as maya)? And then can we ask: who are we BEING? And HOW are we being? Can we be the person we’ve always wanted to be simply by BEING it? Consider how these questions can not only create awareness but also expand one’s perspective of life! // Poems in today’s episode: Hafiz’s “Don’t Die Again” and Rumi’s “Polishing the Mirror” // BIPOC-centered yoga & meditation classes every Sunday starting THIS Sunday, June 28, 2020 @ 5:30p ET at Onyx Yoga Studio in Warren – both in-person/outdoors AND live-stream. Save your spot at: onyxyogastudio.com // Early Bird membership is now open for Empowered Empaths, a membership community of healing, growth, and support for empaths and highly sensitive people. Get more info and register at https://suryagian.com/membership-registration Doors close on THURSDAY JUNE 25 @ midnight ET! After that, membership won’t open again until late August at full-price rates. Sign up today! Got questions? Email me at: leslieann@suryagian.com

Lots of folks think yoga is all love and light. But that’s just a part of the picture. No one really wants to think about shadows or the messiness of evolution. In today’s episode, I look at some questions I’ve been turning over in my head since the protests demanding justice for George Floyd and an end to police brutality began. If we’re not the body or the mind, but spirit-souls, how do we reconcile the very real material work of social justice with the more intangible work of spiritual evolution? Can you compartmentalize? Do they have to be mutually exclusive? Can we see this discomfort of the messiness of racial justice in our yogic spiritual spaces as opportunities for growth? How are we using our life experiences to grow, evolve, and to deepen our spiritual practices? If we are at all? If we’re a spirit-soul having a human experience, does fighting for social justice matter? It’s not all love and light. The hard work of yoga is to love everyone, to see everyone as a spirit-soul, even the hateful ones (yeah, I said it!). We’re not as different as we think we are. So how can we move to create something that recognizes this, that honors this? What will you do about it? // Poems in today’s episode: Hafiz’s “Trying to Wear Pants” and Rumi’s “Someone Digging In the Ground” // BIPOC-centered yoga & meditation classes every Sunday starting THIS Sunday, June 21, 2020 at Onyx Yoga Studio in Warren – both in-person/outdoors AND live-stream. Save your spot at: onyxyogastudio.com // Free resilience training to stop energy drain and overwhelm Saturday, June 20, 2020 @ 12noon ET / 9am PT. Register at https://suryagian.com/free-resilience-training