May 20, 2025 • 33 mins
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In week four of the Deepen Your Practice Challenge, Dee and I are going inward—way inward.
This episode is all about the subtle (and often skipped) limbs of yoga: pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. These advanced practices invite us into stillness, deeper awareness, and connection to the Self. And honestly? In today’s overstimulating, always-scrolling, burnout-on-the-rise world… these might just be the most important tools yoga has to offer.
I’m joined by the brilliant Dee, and together we unpack what it really means to withdraw from the senses (pratyahara)—and why this can feel nearly impossible in our notification-filled culture. We get real about what happens when we finally pause long enough to hear ourselves again.
From there, we flow into dharana, the art of one-pointed focus. In a society that glorifies multitasking, this practice is a game-changer for the mind and nervous system. Think of it as a pathway out of overwhelm and back into presence.
We explore dhyana (meditation) not as something you “get right,” but as something you experience—a chance to witness your thoughts without gripping them. Giana offers a visual comparing thoughts to passing clouds or a freight train you don’t have to board. This leads us into a conversation about the parasympathetic nervous system and how stillness is essential for true healing.
And finally, we land in samadhi—blissful awareness, the ultimate surrender. Total enlightenment may feel far off (which is why this podcast is called Nearly Enlightened, after all), but these practices can absolutely bring you closer to your true essence.
✨ If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, scattered, anxious, or just deeply disconnected... this episode is your invitation to come home to yourself.
What we cover:
- How to practice pratyahara in a hyper-connected world
- Why multitasking is destroying our focus (and how dharana can help)
- Meditation as nervous system repair
- What samadhi really means—and how it shows up in everyday life
- Personal stories of how these limbs helped us reconnect with peace, purpose, and presence
🎧 Tune in now and rediscover yoga beyond the poses—as a radical path to inner freedom.
🔗 Share with a friend who could use some stillness.
📲 Visit nearlyenlightened.com for resources to support your body, mind, and spirit.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Nearly Enlightened Podcast, the high
vibe toolbox designed to helpyou connect to your body, mind
and spirit.
I'm your host, gianna Girusso,and I'm here to share tools,
conversations and insights tohelp you on your journey of
self-discovery.
This podcast is all aboutexploring what it means to live
a conscious, connected andnearly enlightened life, because
the truth is, the answersaren't outside of us, they're
(00:23):
already within.
Let's dive in.
Dee is back.
This is week four of our Deepenyour Practice Challenge.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
It's been so awesome podcasting with you weekly.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
No, it does feel very nice, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing this challenge with
me and doing this, and if youhaven't listened to the other
episodes, go back.
If you're curious aboutspiritual practices, ritual
community, yogic practices,yogic philosophy, go back,
listen to the first episode andthen come back to this one.
Then come back to this one.
(01:04):
Alrighty, this week we'rediving into um, like the back
half of, or I would say, the,the advanced practices.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
These are the advanced practices of the eight
limbs.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yes, um, so we're turning into.
I love this because we havethree limbs that are dedicated
towards cultivating stillness,and that just really goes to
show how important this practiceis, and all of the other limbs
really lead you to readyyourself for these limbs.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, exactly, exactly, very well said so we
are coming into pratyahara,which is withdrawal of the
senses, and this is what helpsus to really start to turn
inward yes, it is like the, thewithdrawal of senses, or the
(02:06):
control of senses, and I thinkthat this too, even like I mean,
just think about it plainlylike what do you do when you're
meditating?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
you close your eyes or you soften your gaze even and
I think about this in yogaposes too, because you can even
bring this back to the physicalpractice and think of a pose
like child's pose, or even downdog, where you're like a little
bit more active, like can youfind that place of like letting
go that there might be musclesensation, letting go of the
(02:39):
smells of the yoga room, lettinggo of your own armpits If you
use natural or no deodorant,like, yeah, maybe maybe it's
your own smell that you'reletting go of?
Yeah, maybe it's.
You know, I think about this alot because and it sounds mean,
but when I first startedpracticing yoga, the teacher
(03:00):
would tell you when you couldwipe your sweat and when you
could take a sip of water.
Oh, and I think about this alot because it was, it was a
practice of discipline and itwas also a practice of
disconnecting.
Like you might feel thirsty now, but it's temporary.
Like we're not gonna, we're notgonna take away your knee, your
(03:24):
water, forever.
It's just right now.
Like notice, notice that you'regetting uncomfortable, notice
that that that thirst is comingup.
Like can you detach yourselffrom that, knowing that it's
coming?
This too, shall pass.
So I think it's funny becausewe don't we don't really use
those practices in class anymorebecause it's labeled as like
(03:47):
mean or you know whatever.
And I try to bring thosepractices the way I flow.
It's like we flow through andthen there's like a little break
.
We take child's pose or anotherresting pose where you have a
moment to breathe, and I try no,no, not everyone listens but
you try to cue through, like letthe sweat drip, like notice it,
(04:10):
maybe even follow that beaddown, like notice the sensations
before you allow yourself a fewbreaths to let go of them.
Yeah, but people use it as adistraction of like can't quiet
the mind, can't find thatstillness, the distractions yes,
(04:31):
let me wipe that sweat.
Let me.
I mean now, the biggest thingthat I've been battling the last
couple weeks in the yoga roomis people cannot disconnect from
their phones for 60 fuckingminutes, and it's driving me
absolutely batty I okay.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So this is, oh, this is the hot take.
Okay.
Why are you even there then?
Yes, I are you even there, andeven, too, I feel like even it's
not even just the phone, it'sthe watch that goes with it the
smart watch that goes with itare you, even there also like,
(05:08):
can you allow yourself a littlebit to be disconnected from the
constant radiation that we'rearound?
Speaker 1 (05:12):
and I know it sounds hypocritical because I'm sitting
around a computer, a microphone, a headset.
Um, my phone is right next tome, yes, but like 60 minutes,
it's not going to kill you and Ithink I've said this in a
podcast past if you, if you arewaiting on that one important
phone call, you're waiting forthe job offer, you're waiting
(05:33):
for a doctor to call you back,you're waiting on whatever.
Like, yes, absolutely keep yourphone by you if you need to,
but like, be honest withyourself, like why the fuck
can't you disconnect from yourphone for 60 minutes?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
you there?
Yes to me, to me, no, like thisreally lights a fire under my
bum.
I love that.
Why are you even there?
Why are you going to practiceyoga?
And this is, I think, the whole.
This comes just like fullcircle, comes into the reason
why we are doing this challenge.
I should say why are you evenpracticing asana If it's just
(06:12):
for the workout?
I guess that's a whole notherstory.
But if you're going to be onyour phone, like go run on the
treadmill and be on your phone,To me, just it doesn't make
sense and I think maybe that'sjust who I am, but I feel like
I've grown into a teacherpractitioner who really tries to
honor the roots of this yes,practice.
(06:34):
And to me you're not honoringthe roots, you're not honoring
your, you're not respecting yourteacher and you're not
respecting yourself if you'regoing to be connected others.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Like that's I mean, I guess that is part of the
practice is to like learn todisconnect and if somebody is
next to you and being on theirphone, their phone's going off,
whatever.
Like that's your time to reallypractice the deep yoga.
But, like you're right, it is arespect thing, because why are
you going to give your fellowstudent that like extra?
There's already so many thingsthat we're distracted from.
(07:08):
Like, why are you going to bethat person?
Like just a little bit ofself-awareness goes a long way,
and I know there's like aclassic Gemini fashion.
Like I kind of am seeing theother side of this too.
It's like okay, well, they'reat the practice, they're still
planting the seeds, so maybenext time they'll learn to like
put their phone in the fuckingcubby yeah, I don't know if I
(07:31):
were to own a studio.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I feel like that would be like leave your phone
at the door in the car wouldn'tbe allowed.
I don't know, and I feel likeit's just interesting, even like
, for as I just this year Istarted doing this teaching
class, I usually have, you know,music to go with whatever kind
of flow, whether it's a yinclass or you know, a vinyasa
class, and it's a little bitmore upbeat.
(07:53):
You know, whatever I always dohave a very like calm, slow
paced beats for like savasana,when we end our practice to
allow for integration.
And just this year I've juststopped doing that.
I have let it be completesilence.
Oh, I love that Because I feellike, can you, can you sit in
(08:16):
silence?
Can you?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
it's really hard and in a 60 minute class it's hard
to get a good Shavasana in.
So in a 60 minute class, reallylike it might be three to five
minutes and five minutes isprobably on the longer end.
But even like three minuteslike I yeah, you just watch the
fidgeting and the studios that Iwork at do like the cold
(08:42):
lavender towel, which is awesome, it's really nice, it's like a
great little treat, but againit's just like a distraction.
People are fussing with it andplaying with it.
It's like I feel sad because Iremember those good Shavasanas
when I first started yoga, whereyou would go to like you would
go to a place and you would getup from Shavasana and you'd be
(09:02):
like what just happened to me?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I've had people say like I will like slowly start
queuing to come out.
You know, begin to deepen yourbreath again.
People are like no, because you, just you, want it.
You get to the point where,like you just said, you go
somewhere.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah, I had a studio that I worked at that I really
loved.
They would put everyone inshavasana and they would cue and
say, like just be mindful ofthe people around you, but end
your shavasana when you're ready, like, but I think that that
flows into.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I didn't mean to cut you off there, but I think that
this, the idea of quote unquotegoing somewhere, flows into the
next limb.
Yes, it does finish what youwere gonna finish what you were
gonna say no, that was really.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
That was really it.
So after pratyahara we're goinginto dharanya.
I can never say this, dharansay dharana.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I think, I don't know if I say it with like a Spanish
accent, but like when I see it,I say like when you say, with a
Spanish accent, that's whatfeels right to me.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
But anyways, we're going into concentration and
that is one pointed focus.
And really that is what theasana is training us to do is to
have that one pointed focus.
And what is that one pointedfocus on?
Is it on the breath, is it onthe pose, is it on the movement,
(10:32):
is it on an object Like, Ithink, in the challenge here
we're going to be talking about,like candle gazing or, or you
know, you could do moon gazingor eye gazing.
You could look at yourself inthe mirror.
You can look at another person.
We actually did that in myfirst 200 hour.
We did too.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Powerful stuff, oh powerful.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
It's so powerful.
But just bringing it back tothat one pointed focus, and I
think this is a really importantpractice for our modern society
, because we have been soconditioned that multitasking is
like what we all need to bedoing, like that was such a
buzzword in the late nineties,early two thousands like you.
(11:20):
And then I remember likegetting my first jobs and it was
like, oh, you have to have onyour resume that you're like you
can multitask, you're a goodmultitasker and it's like it's
fucking ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
It is because can you focus on like just one thing,
Like even like as a mom livingon a farm and trying to cook a
million meals a day?
I'm like, living on a farm andtrying to cook a million meals a
day, I'm like, can I just standhere and just do the dishes?
Can I?
Because I, it is very hard forme to do that.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
And that is the yoga practice.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Like the yoga practice is right there, can you
just do the dishes withoutthinking about, like the laundry
that needs to be done or thatI'm burning on the stove Like to
be done, or that I'm burning onthe stone, like yeah, it's a
real thing, but yeah, that's apractice, and like, so if you,
if you can't do that, what areyour barriers?
Like ask yourself that's what Ithink that this limb is like,
(12:19):
maybe provokes or invites us toquestion ourselves.
Like, if we can't get there, ifwe can't find that
concentration, what are ourbarriers?
And then, like I don't know,like explore that a little bit
with yourself, be the observer.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
And this is what I talk about constantly in my
classes.
Whether I'm teaching meditation, whether I'm teaching breath,
whether I'm teaching asana, canyou be the observer of your body
and mind, like what ishappening, can you just observe
it without assigning anyattachment?
I mean, people have probablyheard me say this on the podcast
500 million times but like canyou observe it without the
(12:54):
attachment, the emotion, themeaning, the story?
Like can you just sit with it?
Can you just observe it Likealmost not detaching, but like
zooming out, looking at itthrough an observer's lens?
And how I explain it in myclasses is imagine that you're
lying on the grass, you'relooking up at the sky.
(13:16):
It's got like the sky is blue,it's got the big puffy clouds,
the sun is out and the cloudsare just like gently rolling by.
Like can you observe that waywhere you're just like laying in
the grass watching the cloudsroll by, like you're not trying
to assign any anything to it,you're just like literally
watching the sky, watching theclouds go by?
(13:36):
Like can you observe your bodyand mind that same way?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
That's the practice.
Exactly, it's very.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It sounds simple, but it actually I love um, justine
Harrington, owner of SoulSanctuary.
She's been on this podcastbefore.
She has a book called Journeyto the Heart or Journey back to
the heart, um, something likethat.
But she talks about itbeautifully in her book.
(14:07):
Because she was alwaysintimidated I don't want to tell
her story, but like I read herbook.
So, um, just like paraphrasinga little bit, but she always
thought meditation was likeclearing the mind.
And she's like how the fuck doyou clear your mind, especially
as somebody who's like anoverthinker, like how, how do
you do that?
And the.
And she eventually came upon ateacher where it's like, no, the
(14:31):
point is not to clear your mind, it's to observe your mind.
So like, let that freight trainof thoughts go by, but like,
just watch the train.
Like where does it go?
Be the observer.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
The point is to be able to not attach judgment to
it, whether it's good or badjust to observe it and bring
awareness to it.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
And then eventually you do find those little, those
little points of like thenothingness in between.
That becomes the practices,finding that way back to, okay,
like these crazy thoughts arecoming up, this embarrassing
memory from third grade like,just observe it, let it go.
(15:13):
I mean that, tell me it doesn'thappen.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yes, I'm going to remember exactly what you said
on March 16th 2017.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And I'm going to still let it bother me, and that
just moves us right towardsmeditation.
And this is using those twopractices the turning inward,
the withdrawal of senses, theconcentration and letting
yourself find meditation diana,that's how I would say it diana
(15:55):
yes, that's, that's how I'veheard it said.
I mean, like we've said beforeon this podcast too, like the
sanskrit is so hard because,like I mean, india wasn't even
india then, but it was like Iforget what the name of it was
hind Hindu, something about thatbecause it was mainly Hindi
(16:16):
people.
So I feel like it's like Italy,where there's lots of little
dialects and you can say thesame word and it sounds vastly
different.
So we're learning it from abunch of white women that have
passed it down to us and so,yeah, the pronunciation can be
(16:37):
up for interpretation.
Yeah, we're giving it our best,and if there's anyone fluent in
sanskrit, please reach out.
Holla, let me know yeah, socoming into oh what?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
no, I was gonna say.
I think that this one is like abeautiful combo of the last two
, just kind of how we've beenspeaking about, as we've spoken
about all these other limbs.
It's really beautiful to seehow they all combine and flow
into each other yes, and evenasana was created to prepare us
for meditation.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
So if you go back to the history, the roots of how
yoga came to be, yoga is a 5,000year old practice that was
created for 12 year old boys andthe whole point was they were
trying to get these 12 year oldboys to be able to sit and
meditate for six to eight 12hours.
And like, how do you get littlechildren, boys, to concentrate
(17:37):
their energy?
It was asana was a way to movethat energy out, so that it was
preparing the body to sit andmeditate.
So I think it's important toknow that that, like, yes, all
these limbs there's, there's areason why they come in a
specific order, and I think it'simportant to honor that.
And I know that that'spartially why this challenge was
(17:59):
born.
Yeah, and meditation is wheremy heart is because, yes, asana
was what pulled me into thepractice, but meditation is
really what shifted things forme.
Yeah, I would me.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
It was.
I would agree.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Yeah, it was, that was you know.
It really is the advanced work,it really is the hard work.
Yeah, it's easy to go through akick, you know, an ass kicking
flow, but, like we've said, likeasking people to sit for a few
minutes and and be in stillness,it that's, that's the hard work
(18:37):
.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
And allow for the integration to happen through
your whole body.
You know, and like this is towhere you can also combine with
pranayama and you know yourbreath and something that our
body does for us subconsciously.
It just our body does that forus, we don't even have to think
about it.
But when you're sitting andjust breathing with yourself and
(19:02):
connecting with you knowperhaps a higher power if that
feels comfortable to you andjust that and just being
yourself and having thatconnection with and to and for
yourself is something that Idon't think any of us make
enough time for.
I think we would all be kinderhuman beings if we did that to
(19:23):
ourselves and others.
Exactly, yeah, and I think it'sjust, it's an incredible.
I mean, I've shifted things.
Even I like don't want to soundsilly here, but I had some
pretty gnarly cystic acne allover my face five years ago and
(19:44):
five, six years ago now, and oneof the things that allowed me
to push past a threshold wassitting in meditation every
single day and allowing mybreath to work from my brain to
my gut.
You know it.
All this all ties into thingsthat I love and allow for that
(20:06):
release and sense of freedom.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yes, because really, I mean, so many of us spend so
much time in fight or flight andthe body doesn't have a chance
to have these detox processesthat are natural to the body if
we're in fight or flight.
So just a few moments, andthat's why they say like a few
minutes of meditation is worthlike four hours of sleep.
(20:29):
There's a reason for that.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Yeah, I was able to shift my face.
I was able to clear up my acne.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
It's because your body was really being able to go
into a place of rest and digest.
You were resetting yourparasympathetic nervous system
and that's why I love using thebreath and movement to get us
there.
And you know I've talked aboutthis on the podcast too.
Like I teach a class on Mondaynights and Thursday nights that
are really about the hardestthing we do is tabletop, and
(20:57):
really the point is to findthese little meditative States
in between these breath linkedmovements, to find this
nourishment of theparasympathetic nervous system.
And I think that as a society,we we really need that.
That's why we see so muchillness, so much disease.
It's because we're spending somuch time in fight or flight
(21:19):
when our body was meant to be inrest and digest.
That was like a protective,that's a protective mechanism.
So we're, if we're always inthat protective mechanism and we
, we can't, we can't heal.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
You can't, you can't, yeah, yeah, exactly, it's
called that because you,literally your body, cannot
absorb nutrients.
If your cells are thinking,you're being chased by a tiger.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Right and your body doesn't know the difference
between like real physicaldanger, like somebody is going,
somebody or something's going toattack you, versus like what's
happening in your mind.
And that's why these practicesare so important, because if you
learn to hone in and be theobserver of your mind, then you
learn to let it go, then youlearn to change those thoughts,
change those patterns, changethose subconscious beliefs into
(22:05):
something else.
And you, you do.
You spend more time in thesemore peaceful States, which
leads us to samadhi, or blissfulawareness, and, you know,
nearly enlightened we talkedabout this before we were
recording, but, like nearlyenlightened was born because it
probably won't happen on thislane of existence, it probably
won't happen on this planet, butmaybe it will for you and
(22:27):
that's great, um, but youprobably aren't listening to
this podcast, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Unless you're the Buddha.
Isn't, like the Buddha, theonly one that got here, or
something?
Speaker 1 (22:38):
I think Jesus too, like I would say that he did it.
I mean to overcome death andbecome you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it ispossible.
And there are accounts, likeancient accounts I don't know
what this is like.
I guess I will preface thiswith allegedly this is what has
been passed down to me that,like these ancient gurus and
(23:02):
sages, they would get there bymeditating and doing all the
practice, um, all of the yogasutras that are so beautifully
given to us by patanjali, um.
But there are accounts thatthey would be when they were
ready to, like, leave thisplanet.
They would basically like gointo a cave, meditate and they
(23:23):
would burst into light particlesand, just oh, their soul would
go to the next, whatever thenext thing is that's beautiful,
because I think too there is inour, in our society.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
We have this such fear around death.
Imagine if it that's what itwas.
If that is truly what it is,you wouldn't be afraid of it.
I wouldn't.
I want to burst into a millionlight particles.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I know it sounds beautiful.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yeah, I mean I'm not ready yet.
I'm not ready yet universe, butwhen it is time, like, take me
in a thousand light particles.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I don't think we would fear it that much.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
No, and I mean death is always something that I
really love talking about.
I had Kaylin Talley on here, um, like maybe last year and she's
a death doula and I mean I grewup in a family.
My uncle and my two cousinswere funeral directors, so like
death is something that wetalked about all the time.
I also experienced death at ayoung age, like when I was eight
(24:30):
my brother passed away, so, um,like I had the big questions
young about death.
So, and because of who myfamily was, death was like that
was like a dinner tableconversation but I think that's
beautiful.
I really think that that'simportant and I think that
you're really blessed that youhave had that, yeah, it is, it
(24:51):
really is, and I think it makesyou look at also elders
different.
You know, like something thatI'm noticing in my, my elder
millennial status, now that I'veseen people get old and and and
pass away um, my train ofthought, it'll come back um,
(25:14):
yeah, it's beautiful because somany of us don't know what to do
with grief or don't know.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Oh, that's what I was we don't respect our elders.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
We kind of like put them in a corner and tuck them
away, but like I think if werespected our elders more, like
different cultures do, likethere's so much wisdom to be
gained, to be gained stories,yeah, and like lineage history.
Just you know, I remembersitting with my grandmother.
I was like very fortunate tolike spend some time with my
(25:42):
paternal grandparents throughcollege because they lived in
the same building that I livedin and love that yeah, so funny,
very italian, um, and she wastalking about world war ii a lot
through like the lens ofliterally being in italy, like
(26:02):
in pretty much the thick of theaction, like talking about how
she remembers the fighter planes, like flying over their fields
and having to literally hit thedeck and wow, and just like like
tons of stories like that andum, yeah, I think it's important
.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I think it is important to sit with that and
to know your history, to whereyou came from and yeah, and I
think that that's a beautifulthing, too, to say to when we're
speaking about this, because italso is about like connecting
all of these limbs together.
To me, that's like what thismeans, but you know, the union
of it all together, the ultimatesurrender yes, the ultimate
(26:43):
surrender, that is yeah, oh, ohthat's.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I know that's like a great place to to like wrap it
up the ultimate surrender yeah,put that on my tune.
Okay, I know um, I think aboutthis often.
I, like I've changed my mindover the years.
Like I used to be wanted,wanted to be donated to science,
(27:11):
but I don't think I want thatanymore.
But I would become a tree.
Oh girl, same.
There's.
There's, this amazing Italiancompany that will put you into
like a pod and you basicallybecome a tree, and that sounds.
That sounds lovely.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Yeah, put me in a maple grove and then like, have
the maple syrup.
Yeah, come on, love that, weare nature, nature.
Let's go back to it um I you'reshowing your new england roots
I mean, it's one thing here thatwhere I live in central america
that I don't get very often,and when I do it's like, oh,
(27:49):
it's so good put it ineverything I know.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Uh, it's funny because one of my best friends
is from Vermont.
So last year I was like can youbring me up some, some maple
syrup?
She brought me up one wholegallon.
I was like that is great.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Well, that's not as a .
You know, it takes 40 gallonsto make one gallon, 40 gallons
of sap to make one gallon ofmaple syrup.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
I know it's crazy and the boiling down process is so
long and lengthy and like,laborious, like yeah, I've done
it.
It's so much fun, it's so muchfun um, my brother went to a
place that they still do it allby hand, and in Vermont um, I'll
have to ask him the name of itbut he said it was like the most
unbelievable thing and thetaste is different.
(28:36):
Like you, a thousand percent.
The taste is different becausethe energy that goes into it is
different and those people arepracticing yoga like that.
That is stillness, yes, andthat, that honing of your craft,
and just like the discipline ittakes and the breath, the, the,
(28:57):
the just being there in thatmoment of like this is what
we're doing.
Like you have to watch thatshit.
Like if it burns, you lose thatwhole.
Like you said, it takes 40gallons to make one gallon of
maple syrup.
Like there's no room for error.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
No and it, but there is a lot no room for error.
No, but there is a lot of roomfor party.
Let me tell you In the sugarshack.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
That sounds very fun so quintessential.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Yeah, I was like this is my kind of conversation
Yogurt and maple syrup.
The fact that we tied thattogether is that's guess.
Literally couldn't ask foranything more.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
well, it's funny because like uh, like I'm
running low now and thenseptember I have her wedding, so
I'm like very excited to go andstock up because that's the
perfect time oh my gosh, I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Okay, now my mouth is watering.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Yes back on track.
So that kind of concludes the30 day deepen your practice
challenge.
Well, we still got.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
We don't know what day is it, I don't even know on
day 19 right now in if you'relistening to this, not live and
on the day.
So we still have, um, the restof this week, obviously, and um,
yeah, I, I mean, I'm just, Ican't believe we are here.
It's been, yeah, we have thisweek and then next week we wrap
(30:25):
up.
So it's just been an incredibleexperience, like we were just
saying before we got on todayhow I actually pulled out some
of my books that I went totraining with and you know it
was like, oh yeah, so it's been,even as someone leading this
challenge and as a teacher, it'sbeen.
(30:47):
I feel like I've beenbenefiting from it so much.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Just as any participant we keep going back
to.
This challenge was for us andlike I really do believe that,
because coming back to these andbeing like, oh, this is why,
like it's, you've beenpracticing for so long, it's
like it's just, it becomes apart of you and you kind of
don't think about it anymore,but to get a reminder on the
(31:11):
reason why we do all of thesethings has been very grounding
for me.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, I wouldn't say the same.
It's been almost like I don'twant to say validating, but just
kind of like yes, no, this islike because I think it is
important, especially as ateacher, that we were walking
our talk.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Yes, yeah, I know, yes, so it's.
It's helped remind me of like,why we walk this path and to be
as embodied as I can be,embodied of a teacher as I can
be.
Yeah, yes, like I'm speakingfrom I these, this is my way of
(31:49):
life.
This is why I do it, because,yeah, eventually I do want to
reach Samadhi.
I do want to burst into lightwhen I'm ready to leave this
planet.
Heck, yes, and it might not beperfect and it might look a
little different every day, butthat's the goal.
(32:11):
Yeah, that's where we're headed.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, so thank you for being here.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for having me on andthank you for or to anyone who
is still listening challengingwith us, who's going to
participate in the future.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Just been, it's been a really wonderful experience
and stay tuned for some excitingthings from from d, and this is
just the beginning.
Oh yeah, just the beginning.
Thank you so much for tuninginto today's episode of the
nearly enlightened podcast.
If this conversation resonatedwith you, I would love it If you
shared it with a friend or aloved one.
(32:48):
Leave a review or reach out andlet me know your thoughts.
And if you're looking for moreways to deepen your connection
to body, mind and spirit, checkout my meditate to elevate
guided meditation portal orvisit nearly enlightenedcom for
more resources.
Until next time, stay curious,stay connected and remember
answers already lie within.
Welcome to the Nearly Enlightened Podcast, the high
vibe toolbox designed to helpyou connect to your body, mind
and spirit.
I'm your host, gianna Girusso,and I'm here to share tools,
conversations and insights tohelp you on your journey of
self-discovery.
This podcast is all aboutexploring what it means to live
a conscious, connected andnearly enlightened life, because
the truth is, the answersaren't outside of us, they're
(00:23):
already within.
Let's dive in.
Dee is back.
This is week four of our Deepenyour Practice Challenge.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
It's been so awesome podcasting with you weekly.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
No, it does feel very nice, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing this challenge with
me and doing this, and if youhaven't listened to the other
episodes, go back.
If you're curious aboutspiritual practices, ritual
community, yogic practices,yogic philosophy, go back,
listen to the first episode andthen come back to this one.
Then come back to this one.
(01:04):
Alrighty, this week we'rediving into um, like the back
half of, or I would say, the,the advanced practices.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
These are the advanced practices of the eight
limbs.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yes, um, so we're turning into.
I love this because we havethree limbs that are dedicated
towards cultivating stillness,and that just really goes to
show how important this practiceis, and all of the other limbs
really lead you to readyyourself for these limbs.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, exactly, exactly, very well said so we
are coming into pratyahara,which is withdrawal of the
senses, and this is what helpsus to really start to turn
inward yes, it is like the, thewithdrawal of senses, or the
(02:06):
control of senses, and I thinkthat this too, even like I mean,
just think about it plainlylike what do you do when you're
meditating?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
you close your eyes or you soften your gaze even and
I think about this in yogaposes too, because you can even
bring this back to the physicalpractice and think of a pose
like child's pose, or even downdog, where you're like a little
bit more active, like can youfind that place of like letting
go that there might be musclesensation, letting go of the
(02:39):
smells of the yoga room, lettinggo of your own armpits If you
use natural or no deodorant,like, yeah, maybe maybe it's
your own smell that you'reletting go of?
Yeah, maybe it's.
You know, I think about this alot because and it sounds mean,
but when I first startedpracticing yoga, the teacher
(03:00):
would tell you when you couldwipe your sweat and when you
could take a sip of water.
Oh, and I think about this alot because it was, it was a
practice of discipline and itwas also a practice of
disconnecting.
Like you might feel thirsty now, but it's temporary.
Like we're not gonna, we're notgonna take away your knee, your
(03:24):
water, forever.
It's just right now.
Like notice, notice that you'regetting uncomfortable, notice
that that that thirst is comingup.
Like can you detach yourselffrom that, knowing that it's
coming?
This too, shall pass.
So I think it's funny becausewe don't we don't really use
those practices in class anymorebecause it's labeled as like
(03:47):
mean or you know whatever.
And I try to bring thosepractices the way I flow.
It's like we flow through andthen there's like a little break
.
We take child's pose or anotherresting pose where you have a
moment to breathe, and I try no,no, not everyone listens but
you try to cue through, like letthe sweat drip, like notice it,
(04:10):
maybe even follow that beaddown, like notice the sensations
before you allow yourself a fewbreaths to let go of them.
Yeah, but people use it as adistraction of like can't quiet
the mind, can't find thatstillness, the distractions yes,
(04:31):
let me wipe that sweat.
Let me.
I mean now, the biggest thingthat I've been battling the last
couple weeks in the yoga roomis people cannot disconnect from
their phones for 60 fuckingminutes, and it's driving me
absolutely batty I okay.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So this is, oh, this is the hot take.
Okay.
Why are you even there then?
Yes, I are you even there, andeven, too, I feel like even it's
not even just the phone, it'sthe watch that goes with it the
smart watch that goes with itare you, even there also like,
(05:08):
can you allow yourself a littlebit to be disconnected from the
constant radiation that we'rearound?
Speaker 1 (05:12):
and I know it sounds hypocritical because I'm sitting
around a computer, a microphone, a headset.
Um, my phone is right next tome, yes, but like 60 minutes,
it's not going to kill you and Ithink I've said this in a
podcast past if you, if you arewaiting on that one important
phone call, you're waiting forthe job offer, you're waiting
(05:33):
for a doctor to call you back,you're waiting on whatever.
Like, yes, absolutely keep yourphone by you if you need to,
but like, be honest withyourself, like why the fuck
can't you disconnect from yourphone for 60 minutes?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
you there?
Yes to me, to me, no, like thisreally lights a fire under my
bum.
I love that.
Why are you even there?
Why are you going to practiceyoga?
And this is, I think, the whole.
This comes just like fullcircle, comes into the reason
why we are doing this challenge.
I should say why are you evenpracticing asana If it's just
(06:12):
for the workout?
I guess that's a whole notherstory.
But if you're going to be onyour phone, like go run on the
treadmill and be on your phone,To me, just it doesn't make
sense and I think maybe that'sjust who I am, but I feel like
I've grown into a teacherpractitioner who really tries to
honor the roots of this yes,practice.
(06:34):
And to me you're not honoringthe roots, you're not honoring
your, you're not respecting yourteacher and you're not
respecting yourself if you'regoing to be connected others.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Like that's I mean, I guess that is part of the
practice is to like learn todisconnect and if somebody is
next to you and being on theirphone, their phone's going off,
whatever.
Like that's your time to reallypractice the deep yoga.
But, like you're right, it is arespect thing, because why are
you going to give your fellowstudent that like extra?
There's already so many thingsthat we're distracted from.
(07:08):
Like, why are you going to bethat person?
Like just a little bit ofself-awareness goes a long way,
and I know there's like aclassic Gemini fashion.
Like I kind of am seeing theother side of this too.
It's like okay, well, they'reat the practice, they're still
planting the seeds, so maybenext time they'll learn to like
put their phone in the fuckingcubby yeah, I don't know if I
(07:31):
were to own a studio.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I feel like that would be like leave your phone
at the door in the car wouldn'tbe allowed.
I don't know, and I feel likeit's just interesting, even like
, for as I just this year Istarted doing this teaching
class, I usually have, you know,music to go with whatever kind
of flow, whether it's a yinclass or you know, a vinyasa
class, and it's a little bitmore upbeat.
(07:53):
You know, whatever I always dohave a very like calm, slow
paced beats for like savasana,when we end our practice to
allow for integration.
And just this year I've juststopped doing that.
I have let it be completesilence.
Oh, I love that Because I feellike, can you, can you sit in
(08:16):
silence?
Can you?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
it's really hard and in a 60 minute class it's hard
to get a good Shavasana in.
So in a 60 minute class, reallylike it might be three to five
minutes and five minutes isprobably on the longer end.
But even like three minuteslike I yeah, you just watch the
fidgeting and the studios that Iwork at do like the cold
(08:42):
lavender towel, which is awesome, it's really nice, it's like a
great little treat, but againit's just like a distraction.
People are fussing with it andplaying with it.
It's like I feel sad because Iremember those good Shavasanas
when I first started yoga, whereyou would go to like you would
go to a place and you would getup from Shavasana and you'd be
(09:02):
like what just happened to me?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I've had people say like I will like slowly start
queuing to come out.
You know, begin to deepen yourbreath again.
People are like no, because you, just you, want it.
You get to the point where,like you just said, you go
somewhere.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah, I had a studio that I worked at that I really
loved.
They would put everyone inshavasana and they would cue and
say, like just be mindful ofthe people around you, but end
your shavasana when you're ready, like, but I think that that
flows into.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I didn't mean to cut you off there, but I think that
this, the idea of quote unquotegoing somewhere, flows into the
next limb.
Yes, it does finish what youwere gonna finish what you were
gonna say no, that was really.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
That was really it.
So after pratyahara we're goinginto dharanya.
I can never say this, dharansay dharana.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I think, I don't know if I say it with like a Spanish
accent, but like when I see it,I say like when you say, with a
Spanish accent, that's whatfeels right to me.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
But anyways, we're going into concentration and
that is one pointed focus.
And really that is what theasana is training us to do is to
have that one pointed focus.
And what is that one pointedfocus on?
Is it on the breath, is it onthe pose, is it on the movement,
(10:32):
is it on an object Like, Ithink, in the challenge here
we're going to be talking about,like candle gazing or, or you
know, you could do moon gazingor eye gazing.
You could look at yourself inthe mirror.
You can look at another person.
We actually did that in myfirst 200 hour.
We did too.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Powerful stuff, oh powerful.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
It's so powerful.
But just bringing it back tothat one pointed focus, and I
think this is a really importantpractice for our modern society
, because we have been soconditioned that multitasking is
like what we all need to bedoing, like that was such a
buzzword in the late nineties,early two thousands like you.
(11:20):
And then I remember likegetting my first jobs and it was
like, oh, you have to have onyour resume that you're like you
can multitask, you're a goodmultitasker and it's like it's
fucking ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
It is because can you focus on like just one thing,
Like even like as a mom livingon a farm and trying to cook a
million meals a day?
I'm like, living on a farm andtrying to cook a million meals a
day, I'm like, can I just standhere and just do the dishes?
Can I?
Because I, it is very hard forme to do that.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
And that is the yoga practice.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Like the yoga practice is right there, can you
just do the dishes withoutthinking about, like the laundry
that needs to be done or thatI'm burning on the stove Like to
be done, or that I'm burning onthe stone, like yeah, it's a
real thing, but yeah, that's apractice, and like, so if you,
if you can't do that, what areyour barriers?
Like ask yourself that's what Ithink that this limb is like,
(12:19):
maybe provokes or invites us toquestion ourselves.
Like, if we can't get there, ifwe can't find that
concentration, what are ourbarriers?
And then, like I don't know,like explore that a little bit
with yourself, be the observer.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
And this is what I talk about constantly in my
classes.
Whether I'm teaching meditation, whether I'm teaching breath,
whether I'm teaching asana, canyou be the observer of your body
and mind, like what ishappening, can you just observe
it without assigning anyattachment?
I mean, people have probablyheard me say this on the podcast
500 million times but like canyou observe it without the
(12:54):
attachment, the emotion, themeaning, the story?
Like can you just sit with it?
Can you just observe it Likealmost not detaching, but like
zooming out, looking at itthrough an observer's lens?
And how I explain it in myclasses is imagine that you're
lying on the grass, you'relooking up at the sky.
(13:16):
It's got like the sky is blue,it's got the big puffy clouds,
the sun is out and the cloudsare just like gently rolling by.
Like can you observe that waywhere you're just like laying in
the grass watching the cloudsroll by, like you're not trying
to assign any anything to it,you're just like literally
watching the sky, watching theclouds go by?
(13:36):
Like can you observe your bodyand mind that same way?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
That's the practice.
Exactly, it's very.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It sounds simple, but it actually I love um, justine
Harrington, owner of SoulSanctuary.
She's been on this podcastbefore.
She has a book called Journeyto the Heart or Journey back to
the heart, um, something likethat.
But she talks about itbeautifully in her book.
(14:07):
Because she was alwaysintimidated I don't want to tell
her story, but like I read herbook.
So, um, just like paraphrasinga little bit, but she always
thought meditation was likeclearing the mind.
And she's like how the fuck doyou clear your mind, especially
as somebody who's like anoverthinker, like how, how do
you do that?
And the.
And she eventually came upon ateacher where it's like, no, the
(14:31):
point is not to clear your mind, it's to observe your mind.
So like, let that freight trainof thoughts go by, but like,
just watch the train.
Like where does it go?
Be the observer.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
The point is to be able to not attach judgment to
it, whether it's good or badjust to observe it and bring
awareness to it.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
And then eventually you do find those little, those
little points of like thenothingness in between.
That becomes the practices,finding that way back to, okay,
like these crazy thoughts arecoming up, this embarrassing
memory from third grade like,just observe it, let it go.
(15:13):
I mean that, tell me it doesn'thappen.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yes, I'm going to remember exactly what you said
on March 16th 2017.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And I'm going to still let it bother me, and that
just moves us right towardsmeditation.
And this is using those twopractices the turning inward,
the withdrawal of senses, theconcentration and letting
yourself find meditation diana,that's how I would say it diana
(15:55):
yes, that's, that's how I'veheard it said.
I mean, like we've said beforeon this podcast too, like the
sanskrit is so hard because,like I mean, india wasn't even
india then, but it was like Iforget what the name of it was
hind Hindu, something about thatbecause it was mainly Hindi
(16:16):
people.
So I feel like it's like Italy,where there's lots of little
dialects and you can say thesame word and it sounds vastly
different.
So we're learning it from abunch of white women that have
passed it down to us and so,yeah, the pronunciation can be
(16:37):
up for interpretation.
Yeah, we're giving it our best,and if there's anyone fluent in
sanskrit, please reach out.
Holla, let me know yeah, socoming into oh what?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
no, I was gonna say.
I think that this one is like abeautiful combo of the last two
, just kind of how we've beenspeaking about, as we've spoken
about all these other limbs.
It's really beautiful to seehow they all combine and flow
into each other yes, and evenasana was created to prepare us
for meditation.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
So if you go back to the history, the roots of how
yoga came to be, yoga is a 5,000year old practice that was
created for 12 year old boys andthe whole point was they were
trying to get these 12 year oldboys to be able to sit and
meditate for six to eight 12hours.
And like, how do you get littlechildren, boys, to concentrate
(17:37):
their energy?
It was asana was a way to movethat energy out, so that it was
preparing the body to sit andmeditate.
So I think it's important toknow that that, like, yes, all
these limbs there's, there's areason why they come in a
specific order, and I think it'simportant to honor that.
And I know that that'spartially why this challenge was
(17:59):
born.
Yeah, and meditation is wheremy heart is because, yes, asana
was what pulled me into thepractice, but meditation is
really what shifted things forme.
Yeah, I would me.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
It was.
I would agree.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Yeah, it was, that was you know.
It really is the advanced work,it really is the hard work.
Yeah, it's easy to go through akick, you know, an ass kicking
flow, but, like we've said, likeasking people to sit for a few
minutes and and be in stillness,it that's, that's the hard work
(18:37):
.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
And allow for the integration to happen through
your whole body.
You know, and like this is towhere you can also combine with
pranayama and you know yourbreath and something that our
body does for us subconsciously.
It just our body does that forus, we don't even have to think
about it.
But when you're sitting andjust breathing with yourself and
(19:02):
connecting with you knowperhaps a higher power if that
feels comfortable to you andjust that and just being
yourself and having thatconnection with and to and for
yourself is something that Idon't think any of us make
enough time for.
I think we would all be kinderhuman beings if we did that to
(19:23):
ourselves and others.
Exactly, yeah, and I think it'sjust, it's an incredible.
I mean, I've shifted things.
Even I like don't want to soundsilly here, but I had some
pretty gnarly cystic acne allover my face five years ago and
(19:44):
five, six years ago now, and oneof the things that allowed me
to push past a threshold wassitting in meditation every
single day and allowing mybreath to work from my brain to
my gut.
You know it.
All this all ties into thingsthat I love and allow for that
(20:06):
release and sense of freedom.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yes, because really, I mean, so many of us spend so
much time in fight or flight andthe body doesn't have a chance
to have these detox processesthat are natural to the body if
we're in fight or flight.
So just a few moments, andthat's why they say like a few
minutes of meditation is worthlike four hours of sleep.
(20:29):
There's a reason for that.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Yeah, I was able to shift my face.
I was able to clear up my acne.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
It's because your body was really being able to go
into a place of rest and digest.
You were resetting yourparasympathetic nervous system
and that's why I love using thebreath and movement to get us
there.
And you know I've talked aboutthis on the podcast too.
Like I teach a class on Mondaynights and Thursday nights that
are really about the hardestthing we do is tabletop, and
(20:57):
really the point is to findthese little meditative States
in between these breath linkedmovements, to find this
nourishment of theparasympathetic nervous system.
And I think that as a society,we we really need that.
That's why we see so muchillness, so much disease.
It's because we're spending somuch time in fight or flight
(21:19):
when our body was meant to be inrest and digest.
That was like a protective,that's a protective mechanism.
So we're, if we're always inthat protective mechanism and we
, we can't, we can't heal.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
You can't, you can't, yeah, yeah, exactly, it's
called that because you,literally your body, cannot
absorb nutrients.
If your cells are thinking,you're being chased by a tiger.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Right and your body doesn't know the difference
between like real physicaldanger, like somebody is going,
somebody or something's going toattack you, versus like what's
happening in your mind.
And that's why these practicesare so important, because if you
learn to hone in and be theobserver of your mind, then you
learn to let it go, then youlearn to change those thoughts,
change those patterns, changethose subconscious beliefs into
(22:05):
something else.
And you, you do.
You spend more time in thesemore peaceful States, which
leads us to samadhi, or blissfulawareness, and, you know,
nearly enlightened we talkedabout this before we were
recording, but, like nearlyenlightened was born because it
probably won't happen on thislane of existence, it probably
won't happen on this planet, butmaybe it will for you and
(22:27):
that's great, um, but youprobably aren't listening to
this podcast, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Unless you're the Buddha.
Isn't, like the Buddha, theonly one that got here, or
something?
Speaker 1 (22:38):
I think Jesus too, like I would say that he did it.
I mean to overcome death andbecome you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it ispossible.
And there are accounts, likeancient accounts I don't know
what this is like.
I guess I will preface thiswith allegedly this is what has
been passed down to me that,like these ancient gurus and
(23:02):
sages, they would get there bymeditating and doing all the
practice, um, all of the yogasutras that are so beautifully
given to us by patanjali, um.
But there are accounts thatthey would be when they were
ready to, like, leave thisplanet.
They would basically like gointo a cave, meditate and they
(23:23):
would burst into light particlesand, just oh, their soul would
go to the next, whatever thenext thing is that's beautiful,
because I think too there is inour, in our society.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
We have this such fear around death.
Imagine if it that's what itwas.
If that is truly what it is,you wouldn't be afraid of it.
I wouldn't.
I want to burst into a millionlight particles.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I know it sounds beautiful.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yeah, I mean I'm not ready yet.
I'm not ready yet universe, butwhen it is time, like, take me
in a thousand light particles.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I don't think we would fear it that much.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
No, and I mean death is always something that I
really love talking about.
I had Kaylin Talley on here, um, like maybe last year and she's
a death doula and I mean I grewup in a family.
My uncle and my two cousinswere funeral directors, so like
death is something that wetalked about all the time.
I also experienced death at ayoung age, like when I was eight
(24:30):
my brother passed away, so, um,like I had the big questions
young about death.
So, and because of who myfamily was, death was like that
was like a dinner tableconversation but I think that's
beautiful.
I really think that that'simportant and I think that
you're really blessed that youhave had that, yeah, it is, it
(24:51):
really is, and I think it makesyou look at also elders
different.
You know, like something thatI'm noticing in my, my elder
millennial status, now that I'veseen people get old and and and
pass away um, my train ofthought, it'll come back um,
(25:14):
yeah, it's beautiful because somany of us don't know what to do
with grief or don't know.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Oh, that's what I was we don't respect our elders.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
We kind of like put them in a corner and tuck them
away, but like I think if werespected our elders more, like
different cultures do, likethere's so much wisdom to be
gained, to be gained stories,yeah, and like lineage history.
Just you know, I remembersitting with my grandmother.
I was like very fortunate tolike spend some time with my
(25:42):
paternal grandparents throughcollege because they lived in
the same building that I livedin and love that yeah, so funny,
very italian, um, and she wastalking about world war ii a lot
through like the lens ofliterally being in italy, like
(26:02):
in pretty much the thick of theaction, like talking about how
she remembers the fighter planes, like flying over their fields
and having to literally hit thedeck and wow, and just like like
tons of stories like that andum, yeah, I think it's important
.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I think it is important to sit with that and
to know your history, to whereyou came from and yeah, and I
think that that's a beautifulthing, too, to say to when we're
speaking about this, because italso is about like connecting
all of these limbs together.
To me, that's like what thismeans, but you know, the union
of it all together, the ultimatesurrender yes, the ultimate
(26:43):
surrender, that is yeah, oh, ohthat's.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I know that's like a great place to to like wrap it
up the ultimate surrender yeah,put that on my tune.
Okay, I know um, I think aboutthis often.
I, like I've changed my mindover the years.
Like I used to be wanted,wanted to be donated to science,
(27:11):
but I don't think I want thatanymore.
But I would become a tree.
Oh girl, same.
There's.
There's, this amazing Italiancompany that will put you into
like a pod and you basicallybecome a tree, and that sounds.
That sounds lovely.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Yeah, put me in a maple grove and then like, have
the maple syrup.
Yeah, come on, love that, weare nature, nature.
Let's go back to it um I you'reshowing your new england roots
I mean, it's one thing here thatwhere I live in central america
that I don't get very often,and when I do it's like, oh,
(27:49):
it's so good put it ineverything I know.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Uh, it's funny because one of my best friends
is from Vermont.
So last year I was like can youbring me up some, some maple
syrup?
She brought me up one wholegallon.
I was like that is great.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Well, that's not as a .
You know, it takes 40 gallonsto make one gallon, 40 gallons
of sap to make one gallon ofmaple syrup.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
I know it's crazy and the boiling down process is so
long and lengthy and like,laborious, like yeah, I've done
it.
It's so much fun, it's so muchfun um, my brother went to a
place that they still do it allby hand, and in Vermont um, I'll
have to ask him the name of itbut he said it was like the most
unbelievable thing and thetaste is different.
(28:36):
Like you, a thousand percent.
The taste is different becausethe energy that goes into it is
different and those people arepracticing yoga like that.
That is stillness, yes, andthat, that honing of your craft,
and just like the discipline ittakes and the breath, the, the,
(28:57):
the just being there in thatmoment of like this is what
we're doing.
Like you have to watch thatshit.
Like if it burns, you lose thatwhole.
Like you said, it takes 40gallons to make one gallon of
maple syrup.
Like there's no room for error.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
No and it, but there is a lot no room for error.
No, but there is a lot of roomfor party.
Let me tell you In the sugarshack.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
That sounds very fun so quintessential.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Yeah, I was like this is my kind of conversation
Yogurt and maple syrup.
The fact that we tied thattogether is that's guess.
Literally couldn't ask foranything more.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
well, it's funny because like uh, like I'm
running low now and thenseptember I have her wedding, so
I'm like very excited to go andstock up because that's the
perfect time oh my gosh, I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Okay, now my mouth is watering.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Yes back on track.
So that kind of concludes the30 day deepen your practice
challenge.
Well, we still got.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
We don't know what day is it, I don't even know on
day 19 right now in if you'relistening to this, not live and
on the day.
So we still have, um, the restof this week, obviously, and um,
yeah, I, I mean, I'm just, Ican't believe we are here.
It's been, yeah, we have thisweek and then next week we wrap
(30:25):
up.
So it's just been an incredibleexperience, like we were just
saying before we got on todayhow I actually pulled out some
of my books that I went totraining with and you know it
was like, oh yeah, so it's been,even as someone leading this
challenge and as a teacher, it'sbeen.
(30:47):
I feel like I've beenbenefiting from it so much.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Just as any participant we keep going back
to.
This challenge was for us andlike I really do believe that,
because coming back to these andbeing like, oh, this is why,
like it's, you've beenpracticing for so long, it's
like it's just, it becomes apart of you and you kind of
don't think about it anymore,but to get a reminder on the
(31:11):
reason why we do all of thesethings has been very grounding
for me.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, I wouldn't say the same.
It's been almost like I don'twant to say validating, but just
kind of like yes, no, this islike because I think it is
important, especially as ateacher, that we were walking
our talk.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Yes, yeah, I know, yes, so it's.
It's helped remind me of like,why we walk this path and to be
as embodied as I can be,embodied of a teacher as I can
be.
Yeah, yes, like I'm speakingfrom I these, this is my way of
(31:49):
life.
This is why I do it, because,yeah, eventually I do want to
reach Samadhi.
I do want to burst into lightwhen I'm ready to leave this
planet.
Heck, yes, and it might not beperfect and it might look a
little different every day, butthat's the goal.
(32:11):
Yeah, that's where we're headed.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, so thank you for being here.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for having me on andthank you for or to anyone who
is still listening challengingwith us, who's going to
participate in the future.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Just been, it's been a really wonderful experience
and stay tuned for some excitingthings from from d, and this is
just the beginning.
Oh yeah, just the beginning.
Thank you so much for tuninginto today's episode of the
nearly enlightened podcast.
If this conversation resonatedwith you, I would love it If you
shared it with a friend or aloved one.
(32:48):
Leave a review or reach out andlet me know your thoughts.
And if you're looking for moreways to deepen your connection
to body, mind and spirit, checkout my meditate to elevate
guided meditation portal orvisit nearly enlightenedcom for
more resources.
Until next time, stay curious,stay connected and remember
answers already lie within.
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