La Dolce Vita

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Hi beautiful souls,

I’m a couple weeks back from my holiday in Italy, where I was immersed in pleasure, beauty and love as the Italians know so well how to savor. If I didn't have pictures of me jumping out of tiny cars to prove I was there, I may indeed have believed it was all a dream ;)

As I strolled the streets of Rome on my last evening, letting all the magic of the week sink in, I was reminded of one of my favourite mantras that exemplifies and open crown chakra. Located at the top of our head, our crown chakra is the energy centre that connects us to the divine. As the crown chakra truly opens, we begin to understand we are not human beings having spiritual experiences, but rather spiritual beings having a human experience.

We come to this earth plane to learn, to grow, to help each other and to push forward all our evolution. But my time in Italy reminded me we also came to play. To get up and dance without inhibition. To enjoy delicious food without guilt. To kiss under the stars. To marvel at the sunsets and sunrises and all the beauty mama nature has gifted us with. To laugh with each other. To take care of each other. To honor and celebrate love in all its forms. To revel in all the pleasures of this being human.
 

Sweet + simple

In the most serendipitous and unplanned of ways, Italy reminded me that the simple and easy pleasures can be as beautiful, illuminating and soul-nourishing as the deep and complex depths. That the highest truths can be found in both closing our eyes and journeying inward and in opening them and journeying outward. That while all our practices, rituals, studies, and connection to ourselves must be honored, so too should play, laughter, rest, and connection to each other. It’s all divine. It’s all beautiful. It’s all an integral piece of a richly full life.

As many of you know, I’ve spent the last few years diving into some very deep depths, and close with the energy of Kali, the goddess who cuts no corners in helping us clear what we no longer need (especially the bits of our ego!) and isn’t afraid to give us tough lessons to show us our strength and our truth. Italy was a refreshing rest, a chance to relax and float for a bit amongst all those strengthening swims. While I’m certainly not shying from the depths, I’m reminded to find more space to enjoy life’s simple and sweet pleasures and joys. It's been beautiful to weave these into my teachings, healing sessions and my own practices, finding a little more levity amongst all the depths. And who couldn't do with a little more dance parties, luscious dinners, and beautiful flowers? :)  
 

Let's find joy together, shall we? 

It's the summer - what better time to revel in joy, pleasure and beauty? I hope you'll join me in weaving in more sweet and simple pleasures into your day-to-day this month. Our seat of joy is our swadisthana (sacral) chakra, the place that connects us to our creativity, sexuality, sense of joy, and freedom with our emotions. Dive in to some of the practices at the bottom of this email to reconnect to this centre of sweetness!
 
This month, you can catch me at my regular classes at Good Space in Parkdale and The Quiet Company in King West at the schedule below, and as always, for healings + private instruction at my West Queen West studio, remotely, or in your home. I'll be on retreat with my teacher Amma from July 8 - 13, which is sure to be a whirlwind of healing + awakening, as time with her always is! Official New Moon Ceremonies will be back in August, though we'll cover some new moon magic at the Thursday, July 13 Move Light class at Good Space and full moon magic on my Thursday, July 27 classes at The Quiet Co (midday) and Good Space (evening).

I’m encouraging all this talk of sweetness and simplicity because we’ll need this balance with the intense astrology this month. Mars is retrograde from June 26 to August 27, Mercury goes retrograde for a few weeks on July 26, and we have a Solar eclipse on July 12 and lunar eclipse on July 27. All of these events will help us shake up to the surface whatever we have buried. If you want to learn more on how these will affect you, I encourage you to check out my fave astrologer Chani Nicholas and the astral insights curated by Mystic Mamma. If any of these transits or any other circumstances are affecting you intensely, you know where to find me for extra support.

Even amongst this intensity, may this summer remind you of the simplest and sweetest of pleasures. May you make time to laugh, dance and play. And may love, beauty and joy find you in the most serendipitous of ways.

With love, 
ayah