Hi! It has been a long time since I shared my pregnancy with you. (:-) Obviously, a lot has happened since then... and I have been deeply immersed in taking care of baby Kieran, being fully busy with nursing, sleeping, playing and helping this little being grow. He recently turned 6 months old, and I want to introduce him to you and share about ways that I am stepping back into work and creative offerings.
The first video is just me and Kieran saying HELLO, and the second video has more info about the projects I am involved with and how you can be part of that... I will be sharing more details about sessions in the coming months.

HoneyRoot's Summer Embodiment Retreat is an annual celebration of Women's Embodiment, Sisterhood, and Intergenerational Collaboration. It's a place to explore, expand, and truly inhabit ourselves as women. It's a full-spectrumed (re)treat, a body-deep remembering, and a powerful integration for the feminine soul. Oh yeah!!!

I have facilitated at HoneyRoot for a number of years, and it is one of my favorite events of the year.
Registration is closing in a few days, and I apologize for getting this to you so late... but here are still a few spots left. Use the coupon code JuneBee16 to get $50 off! If you can swing it, please do join us!
More info and registration >

I will begin offering some slots for Skype sessions and R-CS consultations sometime around September-October. I will not be re-opening an office for a while, but will be available for phone or skype consults. I will send more information closer to that time, I just wanted to let you know as folks have been asking... The book about the 7 Flavors of Love is also slowly coming back online, and I'll be updating you on that project soon.

In the meantime, please continue to use the resources on this website - the videos and the 7 flavors of love material... And I hope you have a wonderful summer, celebrating and enjoying your wonderful, beautiful self... :-)

Much love,
Deepika

In my many years of spiritual practice and personal development, I would hear different teachers promoting different paths to growth and awakening. Sometimes I got confused because sometimes the approaches seemed so different and often contradictory--and yet they all resonated as true.

When I began to train therapists, healers and leaders myself, I had to face the question, what REALLY makes people transform and grow...?

I came to realize that there are 3 central pillars of transformation. Each one is powerful enough on it's own to create profound change, but when all three are combined - magic happens and transformation really ‘sticks’.


 THE FIRST PILLAR IS AWARENESS

Just as there's no way to fight with darkness, there is no way to fight with unconsciousness. All we can do is bring in the light of awareness to dispel the darkness of unawareness. The motos here are, “just watch”, “be with…” or perhaps, “notice/observe your experience…”

Many spiritual traditions lean heavily on this approach, and most focus on being detached, watchful, and treating experience is transient and therefore inconsequential.

In body-based awareness work we use Mindfulness slightly differently. Instead of being aloof and distant from our experience, we pay attention to what is actually happening while staying engaged and curious about the experience. As we sense the texture, feelings, sensations, thoughts, memories or images that are being generated, we are simultaneously deep inside and holding a broader more expansive view on it all.

Regardless of how we apply Mindfulness, it is our capacity to be present with and aware of our internal experience that subtly transforms it.

With awareness habitual and unconscious habits become visible, and we discover a deeper richness inside ourselves. Without awareness we are blind and robotic, living old patterns and habits with no presence, depth or choice. Awareness gives us capacity to self-reflect, gain a broader perspective on who we are, and allows us to have a say in the experiences we create.


THE SECOND PILLAR IS LOVE

Love is one of the most powerful healing forces in the world. Most of what is frustrating and 'messed up' in our life and in our world is because of lack of love. So when we bring love back to where it has been lacking, it creates powerful transformation. Here we’ll find the recommendations to “accept yourself” or “open your heart to… x,y,z”.

In the arena of love we discover that acceptance, self love, supportive connections, and being acknowledged and welcomed are the keys to deep healing.

Love is to the soul like food is to the physical body. It's equally essential, and love helps us feel nurtured, empowered and loving. Loving the parts of us that have been rejected and hurt transforms them. We are healed through acceptance and meeting ourselves honestly and compassionately.

And the truth is that love is learned through relationship - we discover who we are and what we are truly capable of when we are seen through loving eyes. This is why being in a genuinely supportive community creates an environment in which we naturally thrive.

Many therapeutic approaches and community-centered healing schools focus on this pillar, with varying degrees of success at healing the wounds of love. 


THE THIRD PILLAR IS ACTION

Fro transformation to really take root in reality, it requires action. As coaches love to remind us with slogans such as, “if you want different results, you need to take different actions” or the simpler, “just do it!”.

Changing our actions can be very subtle - like taking a deep breath, shifting your body posture, or questioning a thought we’re having. Or it can be as dramatic as changing jobs, ending a relationship or asking someone on a date.

Action is the dimension of transformation that brings new possibilities into embodied, real-life experience. Awareness oriented teachings still use action - in the form of meditation practice, or noticing one’s breath - all of which are subtle acts of shifting attention. Love oriented teaching may suggest other kinds of action, such as sharing with a friend, talking to your inner child or self-care practices.

Transformation does not really become visible or manifest until it is embodied. Be it moving energetic blocks, speaking in a different tone, wearing fresh clothes, or creating a vision board, taking conscious actions brings our deepest intentions into form.

Coaches and consultants of all kinds tend to focus on this pillar, leveraging changes in outer behavior and inner dialog to create lasting change.

STRONGER TOGETHER

Each of these pillars can move us towards the deeper truth of ourselves. However, when we focus too much on only one side, we run the risk of losing perspective and getting out of balance.

Action without awareness is blind. Action without love becomes compulsive self-serving drive. When action happens without awareness or love, it's mechanical and can even be destructive. But when action is connected with awareness and is infused with love, then we feel empowered, purposeful and fulfilled.

Awareness without action is impotent. Awareness without Love can be cold and unsatisfying. Sometimes people focus on this aspect as a way of avoiding the pain they experience in personal relationships or the world. When awareness includes love and allows for embodied action, it becomes spacious and deep presence.

Love without action becomes self-indulgent. Love without awareness often feels stagnant and stifling. Love infused with awareness and compassionate action creates a sense of deep service and devotion that fills our life with meaning and joy.

The deepest and most lasting growth happens when all three principles work together.

At the center true freedom arises.

When you are standing firmly in all three of these pillars - in awareness, love and embodied action, then you're aligned, congruent - empowered, conscious and connected.

This, my friends, is where magic happens. Find out for yourself what happens when you hold yourself in the heart of the three pillars and treat yourself with compassion, honesty and faith.


And I also wanted you to know that these are the three pillars that hold the women's program I am co- creating called The School for Embodied Leadership. Living in freedom is what the School is all about... ;-)

I wish all leadership programs wove these three principles together... Some do, but unfortunately many do not. Often the idea of leadership propels people into frenzied action, or focuses on purely spiritual principles. Sometimes women's programs get bogged down in relational dynamics or forget the body in favor of goddess-y presence.

At the School for Embodied Leadership, we are committed to all three pillars of transformation.

We hold you in deep reverent love, explore with profound spaciousness, and work from the root up to embody who you are and bring that precious essence of you into the world. We start in early October 2015, and we only have a few spots left.
Get all the details at: http://www.honeyrootretreats.com/embodimentschool/

By far the most popular and watched video I have ever made is this guided shaking exercise. Thousands of people have viewed it over the years, and I get messages from folks all over the world thanking me for this little gem, telling me how effective it is to counter waves of anxiety and panic, get grounded before big meetings or just release the stress in their life.
But the old video quality was always kinda funky, so I finally created a BETTER QUALITY version of that video, and I am delighted to share it with you here:

The exercise is based on very simple, yet powerful principles. It helps loosen the holding patterns in the body and release tension and stress that can caught in an 'energetic closed loop' when our nervous system is dis-regulated. At first we focus on the downward flow, and allow the energy to ground. Then we invite life energy to move up and fill the body from the ground.

You can do this practice for longer or shorter then this video. However, I recommend to always take at least a few minutes to be still and center yourself afterwards.

I created it based on my experience with Bioenergetics and the breathwork method called Pulsation that I used to teach. In addition, Osho created a great active meditation called Kundalini Meditation that utilizes this shaking as a way of clearing energy and waking up Kundalini, your natural vital Life Force. I warmly recommend this meditation  for deepening your meditation and embodiment practice.

If you're using this method to support the healing of trauma or anxiety, I suggest exploring another resource that is based on the same body principles and is very helpful for PTSD, called Trauma Release Exercises.

Please try it out. I would love to hear the effect and impact it has on you! You may be surprised at how relaxed and ALIVE you can be... :-)

Blessings and love,
Deepika

We are designed to play.
It's the natural way that we learn, grow, connect, and enjoy... and yet I find that playfulness is highly underrated.

Being playful is a way of being. The Free Online Dictionary defines playfulness as:
1. Full of fun and high spirits; frolicsome or sportive
2. Humorous; jesting

In other words - it's about having fun. When you watch young children, they are constantly following their impulses, and there's a natural pleasure that arises when we move with the flow of our energy. In nature, playing is not about winning or losing. There isn't a direct goal other than the pleasure of play itself. And when we play with others and the sense of pleasure and delight is multiplied, we also get connection. Anyone who's backpacked through a foreign land knows that laughing together is one of the most universal ways to connect; you don't need language to play.

In fact, when you bring more fun and silliness into your relationships, all kinds of dramas dissolve. Playfulness is sexy, juicy, and keeps any kind of relationship or friendship feeling fresh and alive.

Unfortunately our play and fun-oriented gene is often repressed by a society that values seriousness and earnest concentration. Our need for play gets displaced by entertainment, where we get to laugh watching someone else having fun.

So here are 3 simple ways to dust off that magical child-like fun-loving part of you, and rekindle your natural playfulness!

1. Do something different and FUN.
Get out of the mind-numbing routine, and do something you've never done before. Go to an theater improv class, sing in the shower, go for a picnic with someone you just met, or anything else that feels fresh, new and fun. Do things that were really fun when you were a kid, even if they're a bit embarrassing. Trampolines come to mind, as do tide pools, finger paints, and zebras.

2. Hang out with children.
According to Ron Gutman's TED talk, children smile over 400 times a day, way more than average adults...
You can reconnect with yourself as a happy child, or hang out with kids to help you remember what it was like. Visit a neighbor or friend with kids, or just camp out a playground nearby.

Don't watch the kids as protective adult, but let your inner magical child be awakened. In the world of therapy we tend to focus on the tragic, traumatic or painful parts of our past. But truth is that in between those genuinely tough moments, you were probably grooving along with a deep sense of wonder and joy.

3.  Move.
Playfulness and aliveness go hand in hand. Do anything that wakes up your mojo, gets you moving and into your body. Dance, shake, hula hoop, skip, jump, jog, jiggle or jam. Whatever it is, make sure it's not something that has a 'right and wrong way'. For a while, avoid competitive sports or yogic grandstanding. Just go for pure unadulterated movement...!

4. Here's an extra bonus tip... SMILE.
Neuro-scientists have proven that smiling begins in the womb, and that a genuine smile activates the brain's pleasure centers. Yep, it's sometimes that simple.

Try this simple Inner Smile method... It's pretty amazing:

1. When you get up in the morning (or whenever you feel like it), sit up and smile a big happy smile. Make sure your eyes are smiling, too. No fake smiles, please! Hold it for a few minutes, and breathe into the opening in your heart.
2. Then slowly let the physical smile go, while still feeling the smile living inside the center of your chest. If you feel it in a different area, just go ahead and breathe there. Breathe for at least 5 minutes, and with every breath spread this inner smile all over your body. Imagine each and every cell grinning in delight, and eventually the smile will radiate all around you.
3. Take a big breath and move into your day. Come back and visit your inner smile whenever you feel like it :-)
   

Share in the comments below what helps you feel more playful? How do you reconnect with your JOY...?

Spring always puts me in a romantic mood.
Maybe it's because my husband and I got married at the end of March, or because the bouquets of flowers everywhere make me feel like I'm attending a huge party... But certainly spring evokes a sense of abundance, lovingness and the fragrance of new possibilities.
 
So I thought I'd share with you my (latest) 10 commandments for a great relationship. I prefer to think of them as guidelines. If you apply these principles in your relationships, especially romantic ones, love will blossom and thrive.
 
So whether you're looking for a partner, are learning to love yourself, or want to refresh a long term relationship, try these out to bring some fresh juice to your love life!
 
1. Take responsibility for your own happiness. Nobody else can give it to you.
 
2. Listen.
 
3. Let your partner to be different. Your partner is completely different than you - a unique person, navigating his/her life by different maps, values, memories, etc.
 
4. Everybody has needs. Our needs as human beings are universal, simple and real. Your partner wants to love and be loved; wants to be respected, appreciated, seen, touched... just like you.
 
5. There's no such thing as always and never.
 
6. Learn the difference between drama and vulnerability. Choose to be vulnerable.
Drama runs the same emotional ride you've been on thousands of times before. you know the script by heart. You know in advance what the other person feels/thinks/will say… The energetic focus is outside yourself, angry at the other, afraid of them, etc.
 
In true vulnerability your focus is internal, on your truth (I feel sad). You are not defending, you're opening yourself, allowing what's true to be seen. Emotions are raw, fresh, unscripted, and you have no idea what happens next.
 
7. Learn to open your heart. You have the key.
 
8. Let love breathe. Intimacy naturally flows between togetherness and aloneness, pulsating like ocean tides.
 
9. Stay curious. It's all a big experiment, and you can't fail as long you keep paying attention.
 
10. Make LOVE more important than you. More important than being right. Let love open you, stretch you, surprise you, confound you and call forth who you really are.
 
 
People have printed these out and hung them on fridge, others share them with friends and family... I'd love to hear your feedback, insights and suggestions to help refine and improve this list.
Post your comments below!

It's that magical time of year, when we shed the skin of the past and dream the new dawn of what is emerging.

For me, 2013 was a year of bold steps and exciting projects. I led my first 6-month Life Mastery program, and have been moved to tears when I hear people share how much they have transformed.

I also worked really hard this year, exhausted myself and reached the limit of what I can do alone.
I'm done.
All my strategies and self-reliant swagger have crumbled, forcing me to remember trust and rekindle my heart.

In 2014, I hope to lead with my feminine, receptive side; to create alliances that feed my soul; to be even more in service to the heart. It's a year of being, not doing. A year of fertile possibility and ease.

I created this New Year's greeting for you using a photo from my wedding. It's one of the little lights that surrounded the altar during the intimate ceremony (in our living room!) that brought Sarit and I together.

Today I can feel how through all the ups and downs of my relationships over the years, my commitment to LOVE itself remains steadfast. This image represents that inner glow ... and I hope this new year brings even more light of love, compassion and delight in who you are....!

Feel free to download the image, share it, enjoy it, pass it on... ;-)


My Favorite Heart Meditations to Kick Off the New Year:
I hand picked some great, easy, simple heart meditations from this blog. Tune into your heart before making any big plans for 2014. The FIRST step is to get aligned with your self, your heart, and your deepest truth. It's also a great way to ward off any seasonal blues... ;-)

Enter the Gateway of Gratitude >
Release Stress and Nourish Yourself >
Nuerologically Proven Ways to Have More Connection in Your Life >
Does Your Heart Breathe? >

Enjoy...! And most of all, have a wonderFULL 2014!!!

In the midst of all the tinsel, blinking lights and Christmas songs jingling on the radio, I find myself longing for darkness. For peace, silence and rest.

The winter solstice is a beautiful time for following this natural movement into stillness. Years ago I lived in the foothills of the Swiss Alps. I used to go for long walk in the chestnut forests, enraptured by the soft silence of the trees as nature went into deep slumber.

But in our culture we are obsessed with light. Brightness, activity, fun, excitement, bigger, brighter, louder..!!! Even the word 'darkness' gets a bad rap. It's often associated with the forces of evil, death or depression, and we are told to stay away from it as much as we can.

But in doing so we miss out on something essential, without even realizing it.

Part of the confusion arises because there are two types of darkness.

The first kind of darkness is the dark of unconsciousness. Our shadow. This is darkness that is created when we exile parts of our selves and hide them away in the basement.
This is the darkness of our jealousy, greed, fear, depression, loss or shame. Usually a shadow part has a sense of weight and energetic presence to it. Like the heaviness in your chest, the pit of fear in your stomach or the shame that washes over you.

This first kind of darkness is transformed by the light of our presence. With awareness and compassion we illuminate the basement of our being, and we begin to have choice. As we transform the energy stored on the shadow and release it into life, we become more mature, alive and loving.

All the stories, songs and movies of light vanquishing darkness are relevant to this realm.

But there's a second kind of darkness, that which is deeper than our unconscious 'stuff' . This is the darkness of the night, the backdrop upon which all of life is created.

Generating light requires some energy. Light flares up and dies down, it cycles like the sun and the stars.

But when everything stops, darkness remains. It's effortless - always there, present, empty and vast. This is the darkness of the womb and the fertile soil in which life begins. This is the darkness of deep sleep, where we get our physical and psychological rejuvenation. It is the essence of Yin - pure potential.

My name, Deepika, means 'a light of love'. It has always been easy for me to connect with images of light - luminous sunrises, fiery torches and glowing divine love. Darkness was uncomfortable, scary and confusing for me.

I used to get lot of joy and satisfaction from doing big things and connecting with people..., which was great for a while..., but then I'd get burned out. Sometimes I'd completely crash. I guess that's what it took for me to surrender...!

But slowly, with the help of meditation, I discovered the exquisite nourishment that comes from resting in stillness. I began to seek out the silent spaces, the gaps, the emptiness. As I made friends with darkness, I gained an inner sense of peace I had never known before. I finally learned how to rest.

And yet, over the years I've needed to be reminded of this again and again. Especially when everyone around is going full speed ahead, it can be really challenging to find the inner quiet place.

In the last few weeks, with the help of wise friends and guides, I reconnected with what those ancient trees in the forests had taught me. That this is nature's time to rest. We all need to drop creating and just be. Wait. Fall back into the effortlessness of darkness.

Ahhh... what a relief! Even though I am still seeing clients, preparing to move house, and planning 2014, I am much more present and calm. I feel my roots resting deep in the warm, dark belly of the earth. I am supported and held.

So I'd like to share with you one of my favorite meditation practices that really helps me connect with the rejuvenating energy of darkness in the most nourishing way possible.

I recommend setting an alarm to call you back after about 20-40 minutes, plus some time to transition back out.

STEP 1: Find a place that's pretty dark, where you can sit or lounge comfortably. No holding yourself up or effort required.

Put your hands on your lower belly, connecting with the core of your body. Let your breath be slow and easy. Eventually it may become almost imperceptible, that's fine.

Close your eyes and notice the darkness behind your eyelids.

With your intention or imagination, pull all your energy away from the periphery into the center. Imagine all the energy spread to other people or projects flowing away from them, back into your center. The energy in your eyes, head, heart, feet, all the energy in your thoughts and emotions, all of it coming back in to you.

REST.

If your mind gets busy, don't try to make your thoughts go away. Just notice the space around the thoughts; the darkness behind your eyes; the silence between the words.

STEP 2: After the bell rings, or whenever you feel ready to come back into movement, do this simple rejuvenation breathing to oxygenate and refresh your system.

Take 6 rejuvenating breaths: Exhale slow and deep, but without forcing the air out. Pause after the exhale and wait a while, without any strain. When the inhale comes, your body will naturally take a deep breath. Allow it, no forcing. Simply linger in the gap after the exhale as long as is comfortable, then breathe in.

After 6 rejuvenating breaths breathe normally for a couple of minutes, then do another 6 rejuvenating breaths. Three cycles should get you feeling refreshed and alert.


" All forms arise out of darkness and dissolve into darkness. Worlds come, are created out of darkness, and they fall back into darkness. Darkness is the womb, the cosmic womb. The undisturbed, the absolute stillness is there ... Darkness envelops you, accepts you without any definition. Put aside your fear and become one."
Osho, from The Book of Secrets