I was interviewed this week by the Amazing Vanessa Halloum on her Blog Talk Radio Show, Feminine Soul Radio.

It’s a wonderful, 30-minute interview and was picked as a Staff Choice for this week!

We go into Soulful Topics like:

• Why the Goddess was suppressed for thousands of years
• What impact this has on us as women and our leadership today
• Why women have a particular path to awakening based in the body
• Practical steps you can take today to awaken into your feminine power

To check it out go Here.

I am also thrilled to introduce you to Vanessa’s Feminine Soul Community, an on-line network of women awakening the divine feminine in themselves and the world.

This is a wonderful resource if you want to be in an on-line community of support with other like-minded, amazing women!

And also this week, I’m featured in the online magazine: The Feminine Force Entrepreneur: for the Sensual Woman Warrior Ready to Shake Things Up and Make Money. Woohoo!

This on-line magazine was started by my friend Daphne Cohen, who I am always so impressed by in her authenticity and ability to say things like they are.

The Feminine Force Entrepreneur is for you if you’re ready to birth or grow a business built on passion, pleasure, sensuality and the power of your feminine energy.

Every week features a new goddess game changer with concrete, put-into-action-now, strategies. And this week I am your goddess game changer.

You can check it out here.

This is for the untamed, courageous, playful, gorgeous woman ready to quake and shake the planet!

And with that ladies, I wish you a delightful weekend of quaking and shaking

With Great LOVE,

Reena

Really take a moment and think about this.

What if I told you that you didn’t have to wait 10 years, but you could start manifesting your dreams and desires TODAY!

I’m serious. I’ve never been so serious, and this is coming from a detail-oriented, practical, somewhat skeptical, Virgo brain.

I welcome you to check out this week’s video, where I offer you a simple strategy (that you can do right now!!) to begin to turn your Long-Term Dreams into Short-Term Reality.

This strategy comes out of my years of experience in social movement organizing, where the trick is to be able to see far and wide in the future, while knowing exactly what you need to do right now to make your Long-Term Dreams a reality.

What begins to happen when you think so far in the future is that you have to stretch your brain and your conception of time and space shifts.

You begin to enter into a creative plane, without the usual limitations of daily life, which allows for deeper manifestation to occur in the here and now.

Here’s the thing. We are living in extraordinary times, where what we thought was impossible, is actually VERY possible and in fact is ready to awaken and happen if you are ready.

And I really want to challenge you to believe this and to EMBODY your power and leadership at a deeper level.

The feminine is Rising. The Goddess is here and she is operating through each and every one of us, because now is the time for women’s leadership in the world.

And this doesn’t mean one leader this means all of us as empowered leaders, whether this is in your family, with your children, at the workplace, in your community or the wider world.

These are the times to dream big, dream far and BELIEVE that it is all possible!

If you are a woman who feels an urge to go deep with your Mission and Calling in the world and are ready to start manifesting it today, I invite you to be the first to know about the 30-Day Program to TURN Your Long-Term Dreams into Reality and align with your Soul’s Purpose! Sign up to be the first to know!


This program will take you to the SOURCE of your power within your Body, combined with a step-by-step social movement strategy to carry out your Mission and Leadership in the world.

This is big Stuff and it’s TIME!

Because I am only able to offer a limited number of spots, by signing up on the page you are guaranteed to be the first to know when I announce the program next week.

Here’s the link again: reena-desai.com/mission

Cheers to you, to us and to all women, living in their Soul’s purpose!

I send you Great LOVE.

Reena

I thought I would share some reflections on this, as maybe it is also something that will resonate for you.

 
What does it mean to “Get Out of Your Own Way”?
 

For me it means not letting self-doubt and self-criticism stop me from TAKING ACTION on my Soul’s Mission.
 

And because the Universe likes to keep things interesting for us, it is often just at those moments when we begin to align with our soul’s mission and begin to REALLY find and speak our truth that we subconsciously start to block ourselves and Get in our Own Way!
 

“Who do you think you are?  You can’t do that?  What are THEY going to think?”
 

Can you relate?
 

As you know, I recently returned from an AMAZING journey to India, where I feel my soul is FILLED and ready to BIRTH my soul’s work and next offering. (Which I am very excitedly preparing now and will announce very soon!)
 

Well, as I am preparing to Birth my soul’s work, become more public again and speak my truth in a bigger way, all of my inner critics and doubts are popping up.
 

A voice inside of me says I should have stayed in India, where I feel more spiritually connected and don’t face my inner critic as much, but then I realize I am exactly where I need to be.
 

Because here’s the thing, BIRTHING my Soul’s Mission and purpose in the world, is directly connected to my own inner growth and development, as it is for all of us.
 

We are meant to be developing ourselves constantly, learning how to LOVE ourselves more and therefore have a greater capacity to LOVE others and extend this LOVE out into the world.
 

So the bigger we go into the world, the more our pain buttons and shadows are going to come to light.
 

It’s part of the path, and it’s a path of great courage and fierce compassion, for ourselves and others.
 

And it’s a path that we as women, with BIG Hearts and Missions are being CALLED to walk down right now, whether we want to or not!
 

So when I say, “Get out of Your Own Way,” I mean don’t give up, keep believing in yourself, in your Mission and how much we need you and the world needs you.
 

Because you are a WOMAN, and it is your TIME to SHINE!!  The Universe says so, and you can’t really argue with the Universe
 

So before I leave you, I want to offer some tips that I use “To Get Out of My Own Way,” that might be helpful to you.
 

•    Do things that make you feel GOOD, that inspire you and bring you joy
•    Feel, Feel, Feel and accept those feelings as mere sensation without attachment or suppressing them.
•    Put energy towards your dreams, your purposes, your highest Vision and Mission
•    Invite the Divine into Your Life, ask for help and support, commune with spiritual community and establish a daily practice that will “hold you.”
•    Put intention to stay in a place of Gratitude and Service, which brings perspective.
 

Thank you for reading.  I’m truly so excited for all that awaits us!

As you know, I recently returned from India, which was an incredible experience on so many levels.

One of the most endearing experiences was the level of intimacy and love I experienced in my relationships with my Indian sisters and brothers.

India is such an incredible country, built on a very strong social fabric and deep bonds between people.

As an example, one thing that touched me so much in India was how men and women referred to each other on the street or in shops.  In my ancestral state, Gujarat, men were referred to as “Kaka”, meaning ‘my father’s brother’ and women were referred to as “Masi” meaning ‘my mother’s sister.’

It is common throughout India that children would refer to any elder as Uncle or Auntie.

People greeting each other as family without even having met before, how beautiful is that?!

This level of intimacy was present for my whole trip.  I was treated as a daughter, sister, and most dear friend even after meeting someone for the first time.

So upon coming back from India, I have been CRAVING for this intimacy like never before.

It’s an intimacy in relationships that is built on deep care for one another, where you actually begin to feel that friends or community are family.

Your girlfriends turn into sisters, sisters who support the best in one another, who you can share anything with and not be judged, who have unconditional love for you.

Do you crave that?  Ask yourself how much having intimate sisterhood could change your life or maybe already has.

Studies show that when women are in circle with one another and really listening to and supporting each other live longer and experience so much more fulfillment and happiness in life.

It’s time and it’s so important and something I am even more committed to building as I settle back into Los Angeles.

One big insight has come out of how darn confusing it has been to be back.

I was really ready to come back, but then in being back I didn’t want to be back, but I didn’t want to be in India, and then I didn’t want to feel sad to be back, but I did feel sad, but I also felt happy and grateful and then it was day here and night there, so I felt tired during the day, and I forgot how to dress here and I didn’t really like my cooking anymore (need more spices) and, and, and…

You kind of get where I’m going with this?

So out of all this THINKING, here’s the insight. I just had to BE! Oh my Goddess, I just had to BE, without judgments, without labeling my feelings, thoughts, emotions, desires, experience as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. I just had to BE.

Ah….

Do you ever have experiences like that? When there is so much going on at different levels in your life that you can’t really do anything but simply be?

It’s deep transformation of the Being and so it is in simply Being that the transformation can take its course.

And this is where All Beauty Contains Darkness comes in.

We are human and to be human and living a human experience in its totality is beauty. By totality I mean going beyond the labels of duality, ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, “I should feel this, NOT that…”

In my example, I had to go into the depth of what it felt like to be back; sad, longing, grateful, relieved…and sit with all the range of feelings to experience the beauty of BEING ALIVE.

If I held on to what it “should feel like to be back” and kept thinking and analyzing, I would have gone crazy!

And so, upon my return back, one of the deepest teachings I return with comes from India’s ancient teachings of Tantra, which is, Everything is Divine. Let go of labels, identities and allow yourself to unfold into the beauty of ALL of what is and who you are.

It truly is a gift to simply be alive.

I leave you with a quote that speaks to the heart of this teaching and resonates so much for me right now. I invite you to relax and tune into your breath and body as you read.

“In Tantra, we throw our entire beings in, endlessly, without distinguishing between pure and impure, beauty and ugliness, good and bad. All the pairs of opposites are dissolved in the divine. The deepest urges, the most sublime capacities-no one lacks them. We begin to communicate with the divine when we totally accept the complete spectrum of our thoughts and our emotions. All beauty contains darkness. In trying to obliterate it we dry ourselves up.”
~Daniel Odier, Tantric Quest

Thank you for reading. I am so thrilled to continue on this journey of life with you!

Here are some pics of Auroville, check out the most amazing banyan tree ever. All the tree trunks that you see are actually branches of the tree that have grown to the earth. It is the official center of Auroville and close to there is the big dome, called Mother’s Temple, a place to meditate and concentrate on the divine. Jai Ma!!
Keep reading for one of my favorite passages from The Mother

A Dream (of Auroville)

There Should be
somewhere on earth
a place which no nation
could claim as its own,
where all human beings
of good will who have a
sincere aspiration,
could live freely as citizens of the world and
obey one single authority,
that of the supreme truth;
a place of peace,
concord and harmony….

I have had the opportunity to spend the past ten days with my amazing mother, who has come to India to dive deeper into the next phase of her life to create social change in the world.

For her this means carrying out her dream to help poor children and families who are living in and around the slums of Mumbai to have access to education, clean water and proper sanitation.

Inspired by my mother and my own desire for social transformation, my question to you this week is what is your vision of social change and how do you see yourself carrying this out?

I have created a short video that offers a simple and practical framework and exercise to begin to implement the change you want to lead in the world.


Through my past experience in social movement organizing, and subsequent burnout, and turn to feminine spirituality, I have understood that the most effective way for us as women to bring about social change is through our own inner empowerment and combination of the feminine and masculine to practically carry out our missions with grace and ease.

It’s one thing to think about the change you want to lead in the world and it’s a whole other experience to dance, express and embody that change!

I hope you will watch this video to get down and dirty with the change you are meant to lead! I will love to hear any feedback you have.

I will be spending the last few weeks in this special journey here with my mom. She is supporting me in recovering my health and I am supporting her and her mission to begin philanthropic work in India.

After more than 30 years as a practicing physician in the US, she wants to give back in the country of her birth. Yesterday, we visited a wonderful organization called Door Step School. This organization helps poor children in Mumbai and Pune slums to go to school. I remember visiting their first school in a Mumbai slum when I was six. It was a make-shift room built of tin panels. Since that time they have blossomed to over 200 school sites and 500 staff under the leadership of the amazing, dynamic woman you can see her in the picture. She has so much energy!!

As we learned yesterday, their work is now focusing a lot more on serving the children of migrant workers. Migrant workers migrate for work and in many cases are construction workers. All throughout India there is a HUGE construction boom going on…malls, high-rise apartments, industrial parks, you name it. And most unfortunately the construction workers, or migrant workers (many of who are women), are very poorly paid, live in horrible conditions and migrate along with their children who will never have the opportunity to go to school because they go from construction site to construction site.

So Door-Step School has set up mobile bus schools to go to the construction sites teaching the children to read and write and then facilitates their enrollment in a proper school. They have had a lot of success and achieved a lot, and there is so much more to do, as always. What was so inspiring for me was to see the children, really so eager to learn and to see the most amazing passionate staff of mainly all women and to be here with my mom ♥. Jai MA!! http://www.doorstepschool.org/

For me devotion has saved my life, it has brought me closer to understanding the love and power that exists within me and all beings. It has brought me into a place of peace, humility and deep service in Birthing my Mission and calling in the world.

In this week’s video I offer you a definition and four simple steps you can take to go deeper into your path of devotion in order to birth your Mission and Movement in the world.

As I mention towards the end of the video, there is nothing that can compare in this material world than developing a relationship to the divine.

The grace of the divine will carry you through the depths of turmoil, the heights of ecstasy, through the good, the bad, the ugly, the real and surreal.

There are little words for the grace. It must be lived and experienced with an empty mind and a wide-open heart.

I welcome you to unfold and unfurl, dance, devote, love, become empty and full along with me.

It is often said that India is the land of paradox, and if you make up your mind that “India is….” it’s exact opposite will be also be true. This is my experience here, on any given day there are moments that my heart expands and breaks, expands and breaks…

I left my ancestral state of Gujarat and got to spend the last couple days with my dad who was visiting. It was special to connect with him in the place he grew up and help his movement to uplift the village. He’s a great man. I will carry the memories, the students, the AMAZING WOMEN, my grandmother’s spirit, family, neighbors, healing, MA with me and through me until I return again soon.

I wanted to share some photos of the wonderful memories. I had an opportunity to address the community the last day and spoke especially to the women. I brought back the messages of Gandhi who came from the same state and who’s legacy of India’s independence we were celebrating. Two of his greatest messages were of non-violence and to be rid of the caste-system, that no people should be treated as ‘second-class’ citizens. I pointed attention to the fact that today it is women on which the most violence is inflicted and who are the ‘second-class citizens’ of the world, and this is what has to CHANGE NOW in order for the entire village, state, country and world to develop.

I was so touched by the women who came up to me after who were inspired. It was powerful because it was mainly all men who spoke, and usually are, and so I was their voice. I have never become more aware of how much our empowerment simply starts with breaking the silence and speaking! I leave you with a quote from Dr. Nanubhai Patel, who is the Director of the high school. He wrote this on a small piece of paper and handed it to me, which I keep with me now. He writes, “Heart of Education is the Education of Heart.” Jai MA! And for now I travel onwards in the pilgrimage to Kolkata, Khamakya, Varanasi and the Kumbh Mela. Kali Ma has my heart <3