I’m sure by now you’ve all see the bumper sticker or sign somewhere, W.W.J.D.? with the original meaning “What Would Jesus Do?” Interesting slogan and it has seemed to have caught on. Just the other day my friend saw a car with the bumper sticker “What Would Janet Do?” Janet who? Jackson? Her personal friend named Janet? These WW_D? slogans can take an interesting twist by filling in the blank. I personally have decided to make my own version: W.W.S.D.?
I’ve taken notice that some of my favorite people I am blessed to have in my life with qualities I’d like to emulate all have their first name beginning with the letter “S”. My Maha teacher, Shiva Rea, my business partner Soma, my local teacher, coach mentor and friend Shannon Schneider and my long time therapist Shana. All these “S” women have ways of being, ways of communicating, ways of devotion, ways of teaching that I strive for, dream of, and desire for myself. Maybe not so coincidentally they all have characteristics of the paramount “S” Shakti, the personification, of divine feminine creative power!
When I’m in a tough spot I try to ask myself what would S_____ do? When I am in my habitual reactionary place, how would “S” handle this? More often than not I don’t have a clear answer, primarily because I am not them and I don’t really know, BUT I have a pretty good idea and even just that pause, that extra breath, that inquiry within, between my response or reaction sometimes that question is enough to have my name begin with an S. I may not know for certain how my “S”s would handle certain situations but here are my best guesses.
Soma, beautiful Soma, she would turn to devotion, Bhakti, worship, meditation. She, of course, is the one pictured above in the Ganges river. She would look to her spiritual guides in all their forms. She would get on her knees and pray, bow, offer. She has very little doubt. I so admire her skill in dedication, her unwavering, and all with such an incredible love and very old maternal wisdom.
Shiva, fierce, soft, gorgeous Shiva. She would devour, dedicate, inquire, swallow whole, embody, study, embrace and exemplify all with such love and tenderness mixed with fierceness and strength. She would move it and bend it and twist it through her body with power and ease. Should would breathe and embrace it, all the while touching every soul in her 100 mile radius, changing their lives. She is an incredible example of strength in a extremely feminine form. She is beauty, love, power incarnate in a blonde fierce fairy package of intelligence!
Shannon, poetic musing moving Shannon. She speaks, writes and bends and turns her words into song and poetry. She then takes those words into form in movement and leadership. She takes her poetic thought, imagination, and creation, together with eloquence of expression and turns all that somehow into the most moving soul stirring of yoga classes. She is the muse.
Shana with her tousled head of black curls radiates femininity, knowledge and power through her communication. Her “white witchy-ness” is mesmerizing and empowering. Her way of placing words, thoughts, emotions and feelings into graspable, tangible terms is astounding. Most admirable is her ability to speak to men in a way that seems to stir them., almost like a spell has been cast.
And Shakti, well Shakti, she is the divine mother of it all. Not only is Shakti responsible for creation, she is also the agent of all change. Shakti is cosmic existence as well as liberation. She is the sacred force of empowerment, all in all a very multi-dimensional goddess!
With my cast of “S” women to call on I will always have a profound answer to “W.W.S.D.?” As Shannon often quotes “we ARE the company we keep.” You can refer to me as Skaryn from now on.....
Bali Malas that adorn my “S”s:
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Shiva Rea wears often our Rudrani/Pearl mala and Citta Seeds designs and even has her own collection with us! - Shana likes anything with lava, like our Strength choker
- Shannon is a self proclaimed “mala-holic” and lets her mood rule her mala of the day
- Soma is of course the creator of them all!
