A Quick Practice for Getting Back into Alignment

Thirteen years ago, when I was naming the center, I considered “Shakti Power.” I wanted the center’s name to convey the benefits of connecting with and using Shakti energy. Even though I chose a different name, the intention behind “Shakti Power” continues to inform the work I do at the center.

Imagine my delight when I discovered Nilima Bhat’s and Raj Sisodia’s book, Shakti Leadership and read the following passage:

Shakti, the power that is latent in your being, gets unlocked when you become whole, flexible, and aligned with your unique purpose. Shakti is an evolutionary force, moving you toward fulfillment. The more you put yourself in accord with your purpose as a being and as a leader, the more energy starts rising up in you to move your forward. There is a beautiful reinforcing pattern there: the more you are on purpose, the more power you get to meet your purpose. (p.xix)

Bhat’s and Sisodia’s leadership model, which is grounded in the belief that there is an infinite source of energy or power which wants us to be on purpose, aligns with the mission of Shakti in the Mountains. The trick, of course, is learning what you need in order to connect with this energy, and therefore, stay on purpose.

Aligning with Shakti energy is a life-long practice which includes navigating impatience, confusion, and fear and which requires us to learn how to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving of ourselves.

Below is a quick but effective practice to use when you are feeling out of alignment with your power and need a tool to support your journey back to self.

If you are interested in learning more tools, like the one below, and you desire to step more into your power, then you may be a good fit for the Shakti Stewardship program. Last week’s Visioning Workshop was one such example of what you can expect to receive in the Shakti Stewardship curriculum.

Thank you to all the folks who participated in last Saturday’s Visioning Workshop!

I will offer another stewardship workshop on February 4 (details released next week), so mark your calendar if you want to learn more about connecting with and using your Shakti energy.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy and benefit from the practice below.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

Love,

A Quick Practice for Getting Back into Alignment

1. Find a comfortable place to sit. You may also complete this practice standing. Remember to keep a gentle bend in your knees if you choose to stand.
2. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly let the breath out of your mouth. Feel free to make a noise as you breathe out. Then find an easy pace of breathing: a pace that feels natural to you.
3. Cross your arms over your chest so your fingertips touch the outside edges of your armpits. Begin by gently tapping your fingers, alternating hands. (Right fingertips tap, then left fingertips tap.) Tap for at least a minute. You can tap as long as you wish.
4. When you are finishing tapping, slowly slide your hands toward your heart. Place your right hand over your left and hold. Keep your breath slow and steady.
5. Sit with the question: “What am I feeling in this moment?” Give yourself as much time as you need to answer this question. Your answer can reflect a physical sensation, an emotion, or a visual (a color, a specific image, a memory). You may notice multiple answers. Stay curious.
6. Once you acknowledge what you are feeling in the moment, ask yourself: “What is the feeling/sensation/visual telling me about what I value or find important?” Consider the answer to this question a clue to what you need to know in order to find alignment.

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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