Spiritual Grit Leslieann Hobayan

I’m gonna let you know: this is a messy low-quality recording. So much is unfolding at once and in some cases, escalation is building quite rapidly that I didn’t have time to set up my usual mic – I just used some plug-in earbuds with a mic. This is an indication of how urgent and important it is for all of us to understand that “normal” no longer exists. That in order for us to integrate the shifts happening around us (because there’s *no way* we can avoid these shifts at this magnitude), we need to root down into our bodies and to hold fast to our spiritual practices in order to remain centered during these tsunami-like waves of change.

In this week’s episode, I’m asking: how do we balance between our personal daily lives and our larger activist work? How do we make sure we don’t get consumed by both and burn out? I talk about the importance of grounding ourselves and of taking rest and how to do that in ways that feel safe. Remember: we keep us safe. It’s crucial so that we can sustain ourselves for this long fight. Liberation doesn’t happen in a day.





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Today’s poems/ Books mentioned:


“Cucumbers and Prayers” by Hafiz



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 Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned:


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Email: leslieann@suryagian.com

To put it simply: there's a hell of a lot going on right now and activism is growing exponentially. There is an urgency in the air that cannot be ignored. And with that urgency, momentum swells and we activists tend to forget that it's necessary to fill our own cup.



We MUST take time to nourish ourselves, to replenish our energy, to rest and restore. This is the long game. And we must remember that we are not doing this alone. When we work in community, we can lean on each other for what we need in order to sustain this movement towards liberation. When you need to rest, know that someone will be there to pick up where you left off and will welcome you back when you are rested. This is what we need to work on remembering. Tune into today's episode for why it's important to pause and take rest –and to learn how!





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Today’s poems/ Books mentioned:


Oracle card: Water your garden


Poem: “Why Aren't We Screaming Drunks?” by Hafiz



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 Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned:


Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com

Instagram: @leslieannhobayan 
Email: leslieann@suryagian.com

How many of us stuff down our feelings when it comes to sadness or grief? How many of us try to hide our tears or look away when we are not able to? Our society has taught us to repress the emotions that make people uncomfortable. It has taught us that we are wrong or weak when we experience things like rage or grief. What happens when there's a buildup of these emotional energies that stay trapped in the body? When there's nowhere for them to go, the body starts to break down. Tune into this week's episode where I talk about how to discern between qualities of fear that might be haunting you from expressing yourself. And how you might move through that in order to open a valve to release tension and creates softness in your body, which leads to overall well-being.





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Today’s poems/ Books mentioned:


Oracle card: The Suit of Swords


Poem: “Wow” by Hafiz



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 Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned:


Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com


Instagram: @leslieannhobayan 

Email: leslieann@suryagian.com

In case y'all didn't know, eclipses are portals of transformation. Everything you hide in your shadows comes to the surface. So for those of you who watched the solar eclipse, how do you feel?

In this week's episode, I'm posing some questions for deep inquiry. From looking at what stories we are addicted to about ourselves to examining the relationships of our lives, asking if they are worth nurturing or if they are draining us. Break out your journals when you listen to this one! It's time for a deep dive. 

We're living in a time where our masks can no longer hold. Curtains are being pulled back. Veils are being torn down. There's no more hiding from yourself or from the truth of yourself. Everyone is showing themselves, whether they intended that or not. Pales-tine is helping us see that. So how do we deal with the loss and ensuing grief of the lives we used to know? The ones in which we had so many friends who understood us and now are no longer aligned because they continue to insist on holding on to how things used to be when really, that's not possible. Not in the face of gen0cide. Tune in to this week's episode to find out how to move on in life without the people you thought would always be there.

There's a lot of talk about one's purpose in life and often, in the West, it is individualistic: what will fulfill one's desires? How can one manifest the car/house/partner that they want?



In this week's episode, I'm talking about what your purpose in life actually is and how you can get closer to figuring it out. Also, if your life's purpose isn't about you, then what is it about? Who is it for? And is anyone paying attention?



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Today’s poems/ Books mentioned:


Oracle card: The Ten of Cups


Poem: “A Great Need”by Hafiz



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 Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned:


Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com
Instagram: @leslieannhobayan
Email: leslieann@suryagian.com