As for my creative project, I have been thinking a lot about what would be fun for me. I am working with the idea of creating something that could be shared/used for possibly like sex workers or those who are facing housing instability. I have a long term project with an organization run by sex workers and will be visiting again for some education soon. They often speak of how both the staff and the clients are just so burned out right now and struggling, so I am still trying to discover what it might look like, but I’d like to share something with this community that I have been working with for many years.

I think Saucha may be one of the concepts I personally struggle with the most. I do like the idea of decluttering and clearing things out, having ADHD I find I have a busy mind and so I often keep a lot of "things" around me to help keep me calm with options. That may sound counter productive, but it helps me personally. I do practice the idea of keeping things that are important or serve a purpose. If there is a way to preserve something without holding on to the object is something that I will try and do. 

I do think the checking in with yourself/ grounding to check in with that gut instinct is key! 

Purity can bring up icky feelings/memories for me from a childhood of very very organized religion. I liked the reframe of seeing Saucha as clarity because I think clarity also reminds me more of trusting our intuition or gut. I also really appreciated learning about the Enteric nervous system and was shocked to learn it has more neurons than our central nervous system. It has been paradoxical for me in my own life to realize that it took me walking away from organized religion where there was so much talk of the Divine for me to actually connect with a Divine within myself and I think Saucha and the Divine are very connected. This has allowed me better insight into my deepest knowing. It has shown me who to keep in my circle, where I need to stand up for myself and where I may need to work harder. 

I appreciated seeing Duncan as I was doing the asanas with my two pups by me. Thank you for your teaching Jen!

I've been feeling under the weather this week and a bit lackluster/low-motivation, but looking at all of the creative final projects really inspired and rejuvenated me. I could've probably kept looking at examples for the rest of the class. I particularly appreciated the different poems and creative writing examples. Stevie's "A Prayer to be Bold," particularly the reflection that a river "knows the brutality of being and still chooses to flow" and asking the earth to teach them to "rise without regret." That caught my attention and later resonated with the discussion of purity/clarity, as well as rest and relaxation. In the past month or so, I've been struggling to know when I really, truly need to honor rest and relaxation and when I am retreating away from presence and avoiding the hard things. I'm working on slowing down and developing self-trust, knowing when to rise and be brave/bold and when to soften and allow. My movement practice has really helped me tune into an inner voice that I feel like I've lost touch with, but lately even that has felt a bit muddy. Even so, I want to notice the muddiness without judgment and meet myself there. Although I, too, carry a lot of (Christian, patriarchal) baggage around the word "purity," a phrase that came to mind was "pure of heart," this idea that you know when your intentions are pure. This showed up during the movement practice when I gained clarity around an inner desire to be "fixed" by the movement. I reminded myself that, while I might be uncomfortable in my current emotional and nervous system state, i don't need fixing, nor is my yoga practice intended as such. 

Seeing the final reflections was a relief to me, because I can always produce some creative stuff of this topic that is so close to my heart :-)

The perspective to this topic is fresh. How it is more about the gut instinct and natural stage of things, than some externally ruled cleanliness one must achieve and maintain. Even some feelings can be paart of purity. When one is honest to oneself,  one allowes oneself to feel what naturally arises as a response to injustice (among other things).

The nervous system of the gut - the second brain. I´ve heard about it but now I understood it more clearly. This is playing a big part in my life and I´m struggling with it. The digestion. The purity of food, and the clear connection between my conscious mind and this deep gut feeling, intuition of the stomach. Been covering it a lot by eating, specially sweet things (with lots of poisonous chemicals). And now as a middle aged, I´m suffering of bad teeth and stomach. But that´s just life. Trying to accept it and live in the here and now, with my body and not against it! 

Restful practice has brought tons of good in my life. Practising this way helps me stay strong and mobile in challenges. I know where my core is and when it´s time to return to practice. At least much more than before the regular practise!

Thank you for this wonderful practise and learning opportunity! <3

The discussion focused on synonyms of purity certainly adjusted my perspective because, as a woman living in a Christian patriarchal culture, I certainly had a one-dimensional understanding of the word and it’s meaning. I really appreciated the assertion that we must do our own inner work because Saucha isn’t simply about judgment we level against others. The way we take care of ourselves directly translates into how we can sustainably show up in the world and how we sustainably show up for others.  

I wish brother Duncan stayed because I have no doubt he would be an excellent facilitator assistant. Overall I appreciated watching and hearing the instructions for this sequence, especially the directions for ways of sitting during the twist at the beginning, and transitioning/adjusting foot placement and knee directions for goddess.