Doesn’t sound like the most holy of aspirations, especially when we talk about Silence for the purpose of connecting to the Divine, does it? Here’s what I mean…

When I had this conversation with my sister-in-law, I realized that I had not shared the power of silence is terms of clarity. And I don’t just mean spiritual clarity, I mean ALL clarity. And how clarity can 1. save you money, and 2. make you money. And most importantly when you make decisions from a place of clarity, you are happier.

We were hanging out at the beach, and I shared with her the Sacred Chalice Silent Retreat (which by the way, I am renaming as Shakti Silent Retreat!), her response was basically, That’s nice, Asha. I chucked it off to the misalignment in our priorities, and kept enjoying her company, my book and the beach. (And yes, kudos to my husband for facilitating this rare occasion of me relaxing on a sunny August day).

Somehow the conversation moved into the Sales & Strategy consulting that I do for a select group of people. And she said, “Now that’s something people would pay for!” My suspicion of her judgment now confirmed. The truth is that Silence has WAY more implications than just feeling good or seeking spiritual enlightenment for a weekend. There is more to this that affects our every day life.

As I continued my explanation of how I literally MADE money while in silence for 5 days, she started coming half way to meet me in this Silence thing. “Your right, there are studies showing how we are all too distracted and can’t focus or can’t stop for long enough to come up with a solution to a problem, ” she conceded.

In my 5 days of silence, I got a clear vision for my personal work and my joint husband-wife photography business. One of the many examples: I had wanted to expand our reach of clients, and so I started exploring this venture, and it was not exactly taking off, and it was obvious we really did not want to put the effort into it (and yes, it was starting to feel like a We should do this.)  We’d have to hire out other photographers, and it would just become another company to manage with very unpredictable, if not menial, revenues. But, it took for me to be in  Silence  to look at my previous efforts, my feelings around this, and my We should do this push that was dominating the vibe of the project.

In the Silence, I let go of it, and released it as the way to reach the next level in our business. There, released. Saved me money in the time  I would have spent directing the creation of all the marketing collateral (from website, marketing strategy, brochures, etc.) And I freed myself up so that I could do what  I really wanted to do: bring spiritual concepts to business or to people’s lives. That’s Money- I mean this in the most hip version of this word- Like, that’s Money. Haha, ok, maybe it’s time to give up the hip stuff and start realizing that I am almost 40, and possibly not so hip anymore!

I also sat in silence contemplating an issue I had in my business. I had racked my brain trying to come up with an answer as to how to solve this, brought others to brainstorm,  and could not come up with something that worked.. As I sat really listening to the Voice Within, the answer came practically dictated. And it felt right. I came home, implemented it, and like magic, problem solved. Money. (yeah, I know, I’m still trying. Next will be another tattoo)

And finally, the biggie for me… I heard “It is time.” Time for me to pick up where I left off 2 years ago. I had played with the Shakti (Sacred Chalice) Principles for two years, and had space to digest them. I had also brought a part time business to a full time income in two years, and it was time to begin to assist others in creating the same kind of life I have. More like their own version of a fulfilled life.

It is not just about Sales & Marketing strategies, it is about the person that shows up to put these strategies in place. It has to be someone who has released fears, and who is clear on what they truly want to create in their life. And this is where the Silent Retreat comes in.

In order for us to live a life that is connected and truly  happy (not one where you acquire  shinny object after shinny object without satisfaction), we have to release what is no longer working. We’ll do that at the retreat. . And you’ll have tools to continue this process even after the retreat. Because crap comes up, and you have to learn how to handle it. From a place of being truly connected, you will also get clear on what your Soul wants for you.

And then, after all that, we will sit with the Shakti Principles to see how we can embody them in a way that honors who we are as entrepreneurs, business owners, teachers, workers, people, women, girlfriends,  wives, moms, daughters, sisters.

I am committed to creating space so that this group of women can honor who they want to be. The fun part is when they bring themselves to the place where they see that they already are that, they just need to give themselves permission to seeing that.

And so,  my sister-in-law’s comment allowed for this realization that I have been very secretive & mysterious as to what you will get in the Silent Retreat. The rewards go beyond a weekend. It is an initiation into a more intimate relationship with yourself and the Goddess within. Can I say it? Money.

And perhaps this helps you to see the importance in spending your precious money- you will get out of this exactly what you put into it. So, if you want to get a lot out of it, you will.

Because of vacations and since I have heard from a couple of  people about not meeting Early Bird deadline, I am extending it until Sept. 9. There, that should give you time!

Blessings,

Asha

p.s. if you have questions email me at info@reclaimingyourpower (dot) com.

Want to listen to the Sacred Chalice Principles?

I know it’s a lot of information in just a few days, but I wanted to make sure to address some of the questions that were coming in about the Principles and about the Sacred Chalice Silent Retreat.

So, listen… and if it feels right for you, remember that there is a Early Bird Special if you sign up by Sunday 11:59pm. I want to make sure I tailor the retreat for those who come, and so I want to know who you are as soon as possible!

I am going to go see Eat, Pray, Love tonight. I loved the book- it brought so much hope and let’s face it who doesn’t love a good Memoir. In contrast to this book, I am in the middle of The Guru Looked Good, about a woman who went DEEP into (the same Ashram as in Eat, Pray, Love) the politics and life of an ashram, and well, let’s just say she found out what really happens behind closed doors.

The contrast is fascinating to me. And the constant search some of us enter into to find Peace is inspiring and troubling all at the same time. We want to BELIEVE in something or someone. I recently watched a documentary about the life of the Buddha, and how he spent most of his life trying every religious, spiritual path to find an end to his suffering. He tried it all. If a guru has done it, the Buddha tried it. Ok, yes, some would argue he did not have Christianity and that’s where he went wrong. And I will tell you that I much agree. Mostly because I think hidden in the BS of the cultural modern Christianity, the Truth of Christ’s words are just that, Truth. And if you stick around this blog for a while, you will see that much of Buddha’s Truth is very similar to Christ’s. Check out Living Buddha, Living Christ sometime- awesome book!

And what the Buddha found is that suffering just is. It’s there. It is always going to be there. No mantra can take it away, no God can take it away. It is part of the human experience. And yet, the Buddha’s response to suffering is that we can begin to feel peace when we eliminate attachment. How do we eliminate attachment: practice awareness of the moment.

Many Buddhist believe that when they can stop feeling all the yucky feelings, they will have reached enlightenment. I am not in that camp. Feelings are part of the human experience. We can feel and still not attach to stories. We can use feelings as information about the moment or about Truth. I talked a lot more about this in Reclaiming Your Power two years ago.

In any case, I know we all want to bury our sorrows in someone. I know because I have seen first hand how guru followers do prayers, mantras, and marvel at the possibility of getting a darshan (blessing from a guru). And there is this culture propagated by the guru to continue worship. Not sure why enlightened beings want others to see Divinity in a guru and not their own person.

I’m sure there is some logic. There is always logic, baby, when you want to prove your point. But, I’m not buying it. And you know, it does not just happen in ashrams. It happens in any circle where there is a so, called teacher. Even the most kind, wise people like their ego being stroked. Let’s face it, we all want to be loved, and we’ll get it from wherever we can.

But the path of a teacher is one of selfless giving. And the ego really has to be checked at the door, or at least we need to set up security surveillance and check for weapons before entering.

It reminds me of the difference between a doctor (most- not all) and midwives (most- not all). A doctor is typically in charge of the delivery, and a midwife is there to witness a woman giving birth. Very different. With the midwife, the power is back on the woman. She gave birth, her baby was not delivered. Delivered sounds as if she was hangin’ back eating bon bons, and voila a baby appears by the grace of the doc. And well, we all know that it is by the grace of the body (baby and mom) and by the unexplainable Force Within and AROUND us that life begins.

I think it’s the same with Spirituality. I know some people NEED the grace of the guru, but many of us want to live an authentic, substantial life. And if we keep giving power to someone else, we are probably never going to live a life that is full, beautiful and empowered. Just sayin’. Teachers are here to be Spiritual Midwives- to provide a safe/ sacred place and to encourage the Seeker to find their own path, their own answers. We all have access to this, we just think someone else knows better. They don’t! If we can sit in quiet, we will hear the answers. Trust this Truth.

I have gotten a few questions about my upcoming Retreat. Part of the reason why I didn’t “sale” my retreat as the ticket to heaven on earth is because I know first hand that nothing can save you, only your constant awareness and deconstructing &n reconstructing of beliefs and choices can bring you peace in each moment.

I have dedicated my life as a life of Spiritual Practice. I’m not a nun, I’m a mother. I don’t run a non profit, I have built a successful business. I am not a Teacher but a Spiritual Midwife ready to see some babies being born! (I love live births, but I am speaking figuratively this time!). If you are struggling right now and something about this feels right, take the leap of faith and commit. If you are curious, wonderful, and I invite you to move further and commit. Not for me but because you are ready to experience a path of Truth.

I hope you will join me Sept. 17-19 for the Silent Sacred Chalice Retreat in the Berkshires. And just a quick reminder that if you sign up by tomorrow (Sunday 8/29) you get the Early Bird discount.

The energies are building for these dates and for the transformation that will unfold. It is my intention that a VEIL will be lifted and those who open their eyes, will be able to KNOW Truth. And the Truth is that God resides within you. And if you are ready to live that, I can’t wait to see you!

Blessings,
Asha

Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God

This verse in the Bible comes to mind when I think about the Silent Retreat that we will create. It is created already, really. Your soul has already responded. You are curious and you know you need something. You didn’t quite know what it is you needed, until this moment. And yet, you want to keep reading to really see if this is for you.

RESISTANCE:
I realize that this is coming up very soon, and some of you feel like you can’t pull it off- schedule wise or financially. And yet, I ask you to put that resistance aside. Focus first on whether this is right for you, and know that all the details will unfold if you say YES.

(Yes, payment plans are of course an option- I want to make it work for anyone who feels the YES!)

It happened to me. I said YES to hosting it, and I tried to push it to look a certain way, in a certain location, and the organic nature of God (or The Divine) unfolded in it’s own way because I exercised my FREE WILL to say… I step aside and allow you to create this. This retreat is not for me (the small me that is- my soul is jumping up and down with joy because are doing this!), it is for YOU and for the Divine Nature within you.

So, if this is what you know you need, step aside, say YES if it feels right, and allow for the miracles to unfold to make this happen.

Ok, now that we have addressed the resistance, let’s talk about the retreat.

NUTS & BOLTS
It will take place in a very simple, rustic, BEAUTIFUL, expansive space. This retreat center has been dedicated to spiritual work for the past 40 or so years. There’s even a lake to swim in ! (Yay!)

The place: Temenos, in Shutesbury, MA (~2.5hrs from Boston and NYC)

The name Temenos is taken from a Greek word meaning the sacred space surrounding a temple or an altar. Carl Jung used this same word to refer to the inner space deep within us where soul-making takes place.
Check out the webpage: http://www.massretreats.com/temenos.html

Why this space? because I am being guided to invite you into a state of communion with Nature. To practice what it would be like to live as close as humanly possible to pristine lands and to remember the ancestry of being in community with women. Don’t you at some deep level long for that deep soul searching space created in women’s circles? Sure, we all have our girlfriends, and without them we’d be lost, and this opportunity may provide new friendships, but this goes beyond that. Sacred communion is well, exquisite and divine!

This is about creating sacred space to find our Soul Voice. In silence? I know, ironic, but it is exactly what happens! Trust me on this one.

The group: 5 women

To apply or for questions: call or email me. 617-869-5000 or ashastories@gmail (DOT) com

What exactly happens at the retreat: We will contemplate each of the Sacred Chalice Principles and see where they lead us in our consciousness. Basically, we will meditate, dance or do some exercise for each Principle, and then see the revelations YOUR soul brings up for you.

This is all done with the intention to bring you closer to your Divine Essence or closer to God.

You will be supported with Healing Energy that connects you to the Divine.

You will enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds us and rest.

Dates: October 1 – 3 (notice date change)

Cost: $599 includes retreat, lodging, food.

To reserve your spot: $100 deposit

After the Retreat:
As a special Thank you for those who sign up to this First Silent Sacred Chalice Retreat, I will also be gifting 3 months of support calls. Where we can gather on the phone after the retreat so that you are not lost in your momentum into Peace. We all know what happens when we get home from a retreat and feel like we loose the energy of what we started creating, so there’s the antidote to that! You will be supported.

Special Bonus:
If you sign up by Sept.11,  you will save $100, so the retreat will only be $499. I paid over $1700 to receive the energetic training I will be sharing with each of you, so this is an amazing deal. And yes, you will walk about being able to give yourself this healing energy called Grace Blessings.

Please note that this retreat is an introductory rate and next retreat will be $999. So, if you are feeling the YES from within, and a higher rate would not be financially doable, I invite you to take action.

SACRED CHALICE PRINCIPLES:

#1. You are a seasonal being; accept it.

#2. De-construct & Construct; it is your nature.

#3. You are here to be and express the highest form of who you are and nothing else. Love that.

#4. Compare yourself to no other.

#5. Connect to a Sisterhood; it will strengthen you.

#6. “Permission” is no longer needed. You are here to create with free will. Expand this awareness.

#7. Your needs and soul wants are provided even before you know you need or want them. Embody this intention.

If you are feeling the YES from within, awesome, please contact me right away.

I look forward to witnessing your transformation. I am fully committed to holding space for you to worry about nothing and just focus on enjoying your own presence. Yes, it’s possible. You are amazing. It’s time for you to know it.

Blessings,

Asha

p.s. Because of my training & background, PREGNANT MOMMAS are super encouraged to attend. Perfect for them!

p.s.s. and if you don’t feel the YES! but you think someone you know will, I would be so appreciative if you would share with that person this information. Thanks!

As I think about what happened to me in the middle of a shower two years ago, I am a little bit in awe, I have to say. I mean, I know it happened to me, and I know I’m not making it up, but still… it’s kinda amazing.

Here’s the story… I was in the thick of teaching my Reclaiming Your Power Teleclass, and was beginning to write a book based on women’s stories. I started noticing that while I was teaching this incredible wisdom started flowing through me, as if I could really hear and feel what people were saying, and the messages I was giving hit each participant’s core. They were telling me how transformed they felt, and I was completely humbled.

At the time, I figured I was allowing my Soul’s Voice, from it’s wise perspective, to speak through me. And then, the shower incident happened…

I heard, “Hold these Principles to be Truth and to live by”. Man, I barely got a towel around me and rushed into my bedroom where I had my journal and pen. As I dripped water unto my notebook, I paused awaiting for the Principles to be dictated.

And here is what I heard:

Sacred Chalice Principles

#1. You are a seasonal being; accept it.

#2. De-construct & Construct; it is your nature.

#3. You are here to be and express the highest form of who you are and nothing else. Love that.

#4. Compare yourself to no other.

#5. Connect to a Sisterhood; it will strengthen you.

#6. “Permission” is no longer needed. You are here to create with free will. Expand this awareness.

#7. Your needs and soul wants are provided even before you know you need or want them. Embody this intention.

And so there it is. I don’t live by everyone of them, but I feel their Truth every time I say them. I invite you to sit and contemplate  them, and see if you want to live with these Sacred Chalice Principles.

My soul’s song to me: It’s been several hours and fifteen days, nothing compares to you…. (haha!) In all honesty, it’s more like my melancholy when I walked closely with my Soul Voice, and so because I have missed being the Spiritual Midwife, I’m coming back this fall…

I will share more in September. Hint: Oral transmission of this information via radio show is coming and a Silent Retreat to explore this gentle, Feminine way of living.

Blessings,

Asha

We are always so concerned about this detail, that detail, are we recycling enough, is my pantry stocked with enough gluten-free goods, are the bills organized enough, am I disciplining correctly, did the kids have too much sugar or no sugar (a win for sure!), did I teach them the value of money, did I forget to put on the sunscreen (not on them, me! yes, I tend to come last), did I actually send out that proposal I worked on all night, and sometimes it all just about one thing… did I show up. With love and compassion.

I was recently shocked by the news that a man in a leadership position, who cared deeply about sustainability, growth, education, was dealing with a very very dark secret, a secret that propagated a horrible industry and how his secret energetically affected his constituency and destroyed their hearts as the secret came into the light.

The Truth is. Many think they won’t get caught, and many don’t. But in this era of Authenticity and Truth, we are not surprised at the fall of leaders. Clean house, my friends.

So, I got to thinking about how we can be concerned about peripheral things and sometimes forget (or escape) from going to our core and asking the questions. Is the fruit inside green, ripe or rotten. Big breath. What we do on the outside world is a true gift, but when our internal fruit is not ready to be savored, it’s time to pay attention to the garden within.

We all have our dark side- it’s part of being human. May you take a moment to look within and see if your fruit needs attention.

The most amazing opening presented itself to me today– as I congregated me, myself and I for day 2 of the 9 day Hear-it  event. All happening in my own head, by the way. A real circus right?

The message that came very clearly today was to be in a state of YES. Not like saying yes to everything in an out of balance way, but a Soulful Yes. And through this Yes, Heaven on earth is possible.

I was guided to pick up this book about Amma (the Hindu saint). I revere this woman, but I don’t really jive with the worship of her, or worship of anyone else for that matter. But I will say that the first time I saw her I could recognize that she was a woman dedicated to the service of humanity, a Mother Theresa type. Anyhow, the book said that Amma shows up to be whatever people need her to be. When people are suffering, she shows up as Divine Mother, or when people are ready to be a disciple, she shows up as a Teacher. She does not define herself as ONE thing.

And so too can I follow this example. To be what is needed for me to be in the moment- with my intention to be of service, I show up in the form that the person in the room or on the phone needs me to be. I’m not talking about having no backbone or being controlled by what others dictate, it is more about letting go of all those ideas we have of what we need to be, and just be present. I find that it takes a lot of Wisdom to not attach to a persona we play, but to be in the empty space of being truly present.

And in saying YES, I also open up to the possibility that the Universe says Yes to me.

So, what do I want? What do you want? Can you say YES to your soul?

Just a quick note from Asha:

A few people emailed me really connecting to the last post- about having a tough time right now. No problem. Remember, this is temporary, and to maximize the productivity of the challenges (always trying to work smart around here!), I have a suggestion.

Take the next 9 days to let go of what is no longer working for you. Or if you want something, a new job, career, life, or like many spiritual people, trying to follow your Life Purpose (loaded word, I know, but we all get what it implies- that we live a connected life), then make this 9 day commitment.

Every day, maybe only for 5-10 minutes, create a sacred space, where you breathe in and out mindfully, and then write (or do whatever your soul calls you to do) with the intention that for the next 9 days you are kicking this habit of not living fully to the curb. Each day, see what comes up.

I want to do my Spiritual Midwifery work and so I am consciously opening up to what wants to be healed (not really HEALED, but more like it wants to be HEARD within me). Like there’s parts of me that does not want me to do this.

So, in hearing this morning, I was ready to confront ANGER- and yet, I was taken somewhere else… I was taken to a time in my childhood when I decided being a tomboy was better. I was only 9! I had been somehow been sexualized by my older 12 year old neighbor, and his little brother (10) was heart broken because he had a crush on me. Oh, boy, love triangles really do happen early! Anywho, that little girl just wanted to be heard for this moment, and I cleared ancestral sexualization of women.

Weird stuff. I get it, and I am trying to type this fast, so you have something to work with during these crazy days.

This over-emphasis on feeling attractive to others has stopped me from my Spiritual Midwifery work. In more ways than I can comprehend. And truth be told, a huge part of me, does not get why this would stop a person from assisting other people in coming into their True Self, but I just go with the flow and trust that this was what I was supposed to focus on hearing today.

In some ways, I feel as an observer right now. I don’t think there is truly anything to heal, just parts that want to be heard (have I mentioned that?!)

Could you do 9 days of hearing parts of yourself? And after you listen, you can visualize what you truly desire from this place of being totally connected.

Hope this helps. And if you feel you need assistance- let me know!

Blessings,

Asha

Maybe it’s true that when you look for red cars all you notice is red cars. Well, I’m in a red car, only this car feels like a freight train going through what seems like precarious rails built lifetimes ago. I remember wondering how with the chaos of India trains would run so efficiently. Of course seeing the big hole which was supposed to be the “toilet” in the filthy bathrooms of our moving Experience-the-culture-of-the-real-India was a bit daunting.

And then you’d see the hundred’s of people we would pass who were repairing, hiding from the sun for breaks, or just plain watching the NRI (Non Resident Indian) with her blue eyed kids as if they were mesmerized by the possibility of such an occurrence. And you knew by seeing them, and they seeing you, that it was a safe ride. Even if a bucket of Purell could not cure all the germies on the train, we were safe.

I have to remember the chaos of India this week. Yes, I had a birthday. Almost 40. I love getting older, but there was something funky about this birthday. Not what I did, but how I felt. Unsettled. And honestly, it’s not like me. The week before I was boasting on facebook about how grateful I was for my life. And I meant it. But something happened on July 11.

Don’t know if it was the solar eclipse, the new moon, who knows, but I silently fell into an abyss of miscommunications, landscapers cheating us of money and most sadly, feeling like I’m loosing a few friends. (It’s time, but who deals well with break ups anyway)  All the while I borrowed a book, named “Anger” by Tiht Nan Han. Great. Ok, so as I live this roller coaster, I remember our trip to India.

Oh, India is incredible. So incredible, but NOTHING could prepare me to the shock of Mumbai, and how my little one would react to it, or how my fears would creep in the middle of the night, as I watched people taking their 4am strolls through Juhu Beach, while watching my seemingly dying husband (he had dengue- mosquito infected due to his travels in the slums- joy).

I got through it. We all get through it, right? We breath. We feel the feelings. Think supportive thoughts. Seek good friends. Cry. Hope for the best. Know that it is temporary. And we get through it. Some with grace and some in shitty ways. (Like me tonight yelling at my husband). Oh well. That damn book taught me nothing.

The truth is that it is uncomfortable to feel this way. And I have to be honest, it’s been a long time since I have felt this way.

And what I am keeping close to my heart this from a newsletter called Currents of Change–

this powerful new Moon time is a call to come into right relationship.  This means initially that we need to be in right relationship with ourselves — to integrate the light and dark, the mortal and immortal aspects of ourselves.  Then, this lunar cycle is a portal for healing in our closest relationships.  It is a time for healing old emotional wounds regarding relationships and a time to enter into more whole relationships in which the fullness of each person is honored, allowing a deep mutuality and respect.

Whether you believe in astrology or not, it does not matter. What this is saying is that it is a time to look within and open to being loved by ourselves and beyond. And in doing so, all relationships are healed.

I hope this has helped. I’ve been hearing that many are having a challenging time right now. We are in this together. Let’s Open to the Divine. Right now.

Blessings,

Asha

I am finally a U.S. citizen and so this day has a little more meaning than years past.

I’m the first person to scoff at made up holidays, but this one, aside from the pretty colors, fire works, parties, beach, has something for me this time around. It’s all about FREEDOM. Freedom to be who I am. Not because I live in this country, but just because.

I’m beginning to think that Happiness and Peace are possible when we feel free. Like that song, Free To Be You and Me. I tear up every time my daughters sing this song.

And so YOU and me are free to be… you and me. I celebrate that today and this weekend.

Blessings,

Asha