Whether you call it Shradh, Samhain, Día de los Muertos, All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, All Soul’s Day, cultures across the planet believe this moment half way between fall and winter is a time when the veil between worlds grows thin, allowing us to connect with the souls of the departed. We will come together creating a safe community to make peace with the past, honor our grief, and connect with our ancestors, both known and unknown.
In Hindu culture, Shradh is celebrated during a 15-day period called Pitru Paksha. During this period, the devout honor their ancestors by cooking their favorite meals, engaging in acts of community, and offering puja. Shradh is not just an opportunity to connect with our direct biological heritage. It is also an opportunity to honor mentors and teachers, our intellectual and spiritual ancestors.
For many of us, emotions surrounding ancestors can be complicated. Modern nuclear family structures, immigration and dislocation may mean that we are unaware of our larger familial histories, our collective strengths and struggles. As we come together to sit with our emotions of loss, we will honor our ancestors, both known and unknown. This meditative gathering will include a mirror meditation, mantra chanting to honor the souls of the departed, and meditation to connect with our infinity. We will conclude with a soothing puja allowing us to appreciate the gift of the present moment.
Participants are invited to bring with them a small mirror, a journal, and any objects which remind them of a departed beloved.
Cost: $50
Manju Sadarangani teaches Kundalini and Nidra yoga at Lighthouse Yoga Center in Washington DC. Bringing her journey as an artist and diplomat to her classes, her yoga practice is grounded in a desire for equity, justice, emotional and mental well-being. She brings a spirit of play, body positivity and radical self-love to classes.
Born in India to a yoga-teacher mother, Manju resists the problematic cultural appropriation surrounding yoga and is committed to authenticity in the studio. She connects deeply with the feminist Advaita philosophical foundations of yoga. She relishes creating a safe space for all using pranayam, color, naad, and mantra in her classes.
Manju invites you to consider yoga as a tool to recharge, resist and rebel.