Over the course of the last month, I have been working with an amazing group of people to create a fall schedule that will support, nourish, and honor our Shakti energy. In order for an event or activity to land on the fall schedule, it had to meet the following criteria:
- The activity had to reflect the season of fall. The Feminine honors natural cycles, and so too, must the Shakti calendar.
- The event had to align with one of the following domains: 1) School of the Lost Arts or 2) Shakti in the Mountains’ Leadership Program.
- The activity had to build connections, to serve the community, and/or to foster creativity.
- The amount of offerings had to be sustainable for the people facilitating and administering them. No overextending the administrators or ignoring the needs of facilitators! #NoBurnout
I am happy to report we seem to have found a nice balance: a balance which also includes economic accessibility.
One of my goals for 2022 was to develop an infrastructure which applies the principles of conscious capitalism.
Conscious capitalism’s purpose is “to elevate humanity through the practice of business as a force for good.” (Shakti Leadership, p.xvii)
Conscious capitalism means a business or organization commits to:
- Uplifting humanity: “meeting real needs, providing meaningful work, spreading prosperity, and enabling more of us to lead more fulfilling and more fully human lives.”
- Focusing on stakeholder integration: creating value for everyone involved – not just for the owners or shareholders.
- Creating nurturing and life-enhancing cultures: where values such as trust, transparency, and accountability are upheld.
- Reimagining leadership: supporting people who want to lead from a conscious, whole, congruent self.
One way Shakti is practicing conscious capitalism is by recognizing there are multiple ways to exchange energy.
For this reason, the School of the Lost Arts (SLA) is accepting three different energy exchanges or forms of payment: monetary donations, in-kind (material) donations, and time or service donations.
So far, we have received all three types of donations and it is very exciting. I am sure you won’t be surprised to learn that people are naturally generous with their donations. We are truly building community wealth while having a wonderful time.
Another way Shakti is practicing conscious capitalism is by offering a leadership program designed to support people who want to create meaningful and fulfilling work as well as to cultivate power-with relationships.
This summer I recruited volunteers to participate in a pilot leadership program. I am so grateful to these women. They helped me fine-tune an offering which will support everyone from the veteran administrator to the community activist. The first Shakti in the Mountains’ Leadership class begins this fall on October 19 and lasts until December 14. More details are forthcoming, so stay tuned!
If you are interested in learning more about conscious capitalism which includes cooperative businesses as well as community wealth building, then I encourage you to participate in a FREE event sponsored by the Langston Centre.
My friend and colleague Adam Dickson and I are guiding a Community Building Discussion and Potluck this fall. We are using Jessica Gordon Nembhard’s book, Collective Courage, to inform our conversation. Our first meeting is September 14 at 6:30 pm at the Langston Centre. Please come even if you do not have time to read the book. We consider the book a resource: not a must-have.
I am looking forward to being and engaging with you this fall.
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
The Shakti in the Mountains’ Cookbook is almost complete!
This e-book will be available for download in mid-December and is full of yummy recipes and heart-warming stories. All proceeds from the sale of this cookbook go to a new Shakti Scholarship fund, which will provide financial aid to folks who need help attending the Shakti Stewardship Program. Minimum donation of $25 will grant you access to this beautiful e-book. You can now pre-order the cookbook here.
A big THANK YOU to Christen Minnick for collecting the recipes and stories and to all the folks who contributed.
P.S. The Shakti Cookbook makes a great Winter Solstice gift!!
NOTE: Your e-book download will be sent to the email you use to donate. Please be sure this is a working email.
Kim Bushore-Maki is a soul-driven entrepreneur who understands the undeniable urge to create a business and a life filled with meaning and purpose. Her vision of opening a center where people could heal and grow led her to open Shakti in the Mountains in Johnson City, Tennessee: a place where the creative, feminine energy is nurtured and valued.
Kim is a licensed professional counselor and a yoga teacher. She completed the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy program as well as the Shake Your Soul Yoga Dance program. Kim is very interested in somatic expressive therapy, archetypal psychology, gardening, herbalism, astrology, wisdom traditions, and regenerative economics.
Kim continues to build and to support inclusive, vibrant communities. She spends most of her time mentoring leaders, guiding healing programs, and providing mental health counseling.
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