Marla Ericksen, empowering the masses.

Marla Ericksen graced us with her presence here at Shanti for another retreat into silence this past weekend. With a Thursday start to the weekend, guests got a chance to settle in early before committing to a long weekend of silent exploration for 61 hours. The Shanti family supported the group behind the scenes by also entering the Temple of Silence on Thursday evening at 9:00pm.

It is such a gift to give yourself some silence. Inside it, there is inevitably more space free for self-inquiry and observation. You give yourself an opportunity to witness your thoughts, your feelings and behavioural patterns in a way seemingly unavailable while living a busy day-to-day life. If a thought or feeling arises that feels unpleasant, there are distractions in the world that we tend to lose ourselves in, neglecting the sensations that surface. These sensations that we sometimes resist are important, though, for they are indicators of where we are at in our lives, and are opportunities in disguise for personal growth and life lessons to be learned. In the silence, we grant ourselves the chance to see where it is that we resist life, to then breathe into it, to feel it all in its intensity, creating more room for love and lightness, which then filters through into our daily lives, almost absolutely.

Guests this weekend definitely got the chance to partake in some important work. Together in a sacred women’s circle, fifteen courageous women were guided through exercises, techniques, processes and pathways that were emotionally challenging and at times demanding – but only of self-love. Blockages were acknowledged, felt, healed and cleared; resistances were noticed, accepted and passed through; self-imposed limitations were confronted, loved, and transcended – and all in a weekend. The work on the mat, however, is only where it all begins. The most important work in yoga, some say, is the yoga that takes place off the mat, into the world.

At the closing circle on Sunday morning, when voices were rediscovered, these ladies really expressed their sincerest gratitude, recognizing how blessed of an opportunity it was to really dive deep down into themselves. Tears were shed and hearts were cracked open, all around.

This is why Shanti exists. This is why we continue serving as we do to keep the space open and available for such growth to take place at. We too feel blessed to be apart of such a process, one that is always in motion, always perfectly imperfect. C’est la vie – that’s life, always rolling forwards, always unfolding right before us. Thank you, truly, Marla, for offering such a space, for freedom, for healing, and for love.

By Andrew Burrows