Puja Sue Flamm joins Sacred Stories to share tender musings on grief after journeying through the recent losses of her father, mother, and close friend. Her gentle, warm presence invites us into a sacred opening: one of surrender and gentleness with ourselves.

Puja reminds us that we often reside in our heads; the spiritual call is a practice of continually coming home into our physical being. This loving check-in with what’s occurring physically is also a portal to Spirit. We can ask ourselves, “What does my body want to tell me?” as a way to connect to the wisdom of embodied living. For me, the tightness in my stomach takes me right back to childhood events. This tightness is a loving reminder to offer compassionate reassurance to younger Jessica that these are simply old coping patterns, and to come home to the truth that in this moment, I am perfectly cared for.

These are called practices because we continually come back to them--sometimes multiple times an hour! Puja and I are both deepening into them in new ways. We see our growing edges--hers the pressure to transition from in-person teaching to teaching online, mine finding peace within months of post-Covid symptoms--as an invitation to trust the wisdom of our bodies and allow the Universe to guide us through shifts in how we serve our communities and ourselves best. May our discussion inspire new ways to hear the guidance our bodies offer.

Puja’s story invites us to consider:

~ How does an experience of grief want to open me in new ways?

~ What are the “timelines” I have created for myself and how can I honor my body’s natural pacing?

{I have found that timelines often come with “should’s.” ie: “I should be over this by now”}. If something is taking longer than we think it “should,” we know it means something to us. There are ways to let emotion move through our body and help us progress, but arbitrary timelines tend to make us feel less-than.

~JOY as a practice of connecting to our heart-center. Listen to Puja’s beautiful JOY meditation at 40:52 in the recording. Smiling like a Buddha releases feel-good endorphins!

~The practice of putting our hands on our heart and repeating, “I am here with you” as a way of coming home to our bodies. I like to set a bell on my phone for 11:11 and 1:11 each day as a reminder of this practice.

About Puja:

Puja Sue Flamm has been a yoga teacher for more than 35 years. She is an author of two books, one on Restorative Yoga and one on Cultivating Joy and Inner Peace. She has taught around the globe in more than 10 different countries. She is a spiritual seeker and teacher walking the path of love.

Puja and I connected through Robin Wald, the very first Sacred Stories guest. Robin’s story can be found HERE. How wonderful it is to be part of such a loving and connected sacred community!

Connect with Puja:

www.sueflamm.com and www.pujayoga.net

Instagram: @pujasue

Facebook: Sue Flamm