Happy New Moon & Friday beautiful,
How are you doing this new moon?
New moon can be a great time to be quiet, to sit with yourself, reflect and introspect.
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Did you know that Yoga is not all love, light and unicorns?
True story.
It’s also about persistently showing up to our practice, and being with whatever arises, including our shadow sides.
Our shadow includes all our resistances, our challenging moods, excuses, and all those aspects of ourselves that we don’t fully love, accept, or that we judge or feel shame about.
The parts that we often want to hide from other people or even our own conscious minds.
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This week, we had the privilege and honour to welcome Malaika Darville, a true master of shadow work processes to our Yoga Teacher Training. (Just one more week to go!)
With love, wisdom, experience and 5Elements Dance Activation, Malaika helped to crack our students hearts, bodies and minds wide open. She helped hem to break down their ego barriers, limiting self-beliefs, and helped empower them to create and re-shape the stories they tell themselves about who they are, to support more confidence, clarity, and most importantly, self love and acceptance.
(You can learn more about her work in the podcast below)
Not easy work. Yet so powerful, and so worth it. Wow. Gratitude.
Whether you’re a yoga student, a teacher-to-be, or just a person in the world committed to personal growth, I do believe shadow work can truly benefit you. It is a necessary process of awakening, and can really help you find more clarity, self-honesty, self-compassion, and self-confidence..
There are many ways to go about it, and nothing beats working with a pro, or in a safe container with a trained facilitator.
Today I invite you to do one very simply form of shadow work:
– Make a list of 5 negatives – things you don’t like about yourself. Be honest with yourself.
– Make a list of 5 positives – take those 5 things and transform them into positive statements about yourself.
– One list at a time, read both lists aloud to yourself several times.
– Notice the sensations, and where you feel it in the body.
– Notice how it make you feel in your heart and in your mind.
– Journal the experience: What comes up for you? is it surprising? Interesting? Empowering?
When you’re done with the activity, BURN your negative list! This will help bring that energy to a close, and help support that energy of transformation. Plus it just feels soooo gooood! 🙂
What kind of work do you do to be-friend your shadow? How does it feel? I’d love to hear from you.
Here are some fresh inspirations for your weekend ahead!
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Quote:
Wisdom is knowing I am nothing. Love is knowing I am everything., and between the two my life moves”. – Nisargadatta Maharaj
Song on Repeat:
All Related – Nessi Gomes – Temple Step Remix
Interview with Malaika:
Malaika Darville: Walking the Beauty Way
In this episode of the Pure Flow Yoga podcast, Malaika explains:
the Rise of the Feminine, Shiva & Shakti principle, Ecstatic Dance & Community healing,, Emergent Culture and the rise of festival and retreat culture, the Importance of Ancestors, Tribe & Ceremony, Indigenous Wisdom – Ho’oponono – conscious relating to bring freedom from the trauma / drama cycle, Elemental Awakening and the benefits of planting seeds for exploring our shadow as well as our light, Going with the Flow & why we need to have experiences timelessness for our inner evolution
Podcast for YogaTeachers:
Upward Facing Yoga Career Podcast – with Alanna Kaivalya
Helping Yoga Teachers Make More Impact and Step into their Role as Spiritual Leaders.
Yoga teachers and Yoga teachers-to-be, you are going to love the simplicity, wisdom and tools shared o this podcast: from myth and philosophy to teaching and the business of Yoga, Alanna has got us covered.
Film / Documentary:
Samadhi: Part 1- Maya the Illusion of Self / Part 2 – It’s Not What You Think
Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this beautiful growing Pure Flow Yoga Tribe,
and inspiring us to inspire you!
We LOVE you!
With Love & Blessings
XOXO
Francie
P.S. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? Sharing is Caring. I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it.
P.P.S Ready to dive deep into Yoga, Nature & Community? Sign up for our spring season retreats with our epic new teachers Nadia (April), Michael, (May) and Daphne (June), and receive a FREE NIGHT before or after your retreat @ Bamboo Huts with promocode “hellospring” 🙂
P.P.P.S Know someone who needs a break? Check our our awesome referral program. Your friend gets $25 off their retreat, and you get $25 USD cash. Win win win!
Instagram Post of the Week
Come flow with our YTT students as they blossom into teachers! ? Next week our teacher trainees will lead Vinyasa Flow at 9am Monday-Friday, by donation?? ✨@izaviola@claudia.mclellan @martin_malmstrom