Shakti Collective is a sacred, multigenerational, monthly meetup
in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts,
-offering mutual support, activist organization, and collective care
-providing nurturance, beauty, hope and encouragement
-facilitating creativity, self care skills, community cohesiveness,
-fostering mutual-aid, collective care and Earth-stewardship
through the lens of the ancient Shaktis or powers of
Yoga, Ayurveda, and Sound
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Facilitated by two experienced, empathic educators of Yoga and Ayurveda:
Michelle Ryan & Joa Agnello-Traista
MAY 2025:
Sound and Soul
WHEN: Saturday May 10, 2025
WHERE: Outdoors in the Sacred Grove -Chesterfield, MA
WHAT: Sound Healing & Mantra
MOVEMENT/SOMATICS: Old Woman's Dance
Sound and Soul
WHEN: Saturday May 10, 2025
WHERE: Outdoors in the Sacred Grove -Chesterfield, MA
WHAT: Sound Healing & Mantra
MOVEMENT/SOMATICS: Old Woman's Dance
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Join Michelle & Joa (ideally outside at the Sacred Grove in Chesterfield) for connection through shared song, music and movement, the day before Mother's Day.
Together we will sing songs of renewal, connection, resilience and love of Mother Earth. We will learn simple movents and choreography and practice them together - creating rhythm within and without - in Nature, around a sacred fire in a beautiful and serene grove, weather permitting (if it rains, we'll simply move the class indoors at Michelle's!) ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND! |
Journal Prompts for May:
-What role does music, movement, or creative expression play in your daily rhythm? -What sound-related activities or practices bring you a sense of grounding, courage or joy? -How might you weave music and sound into your day or week? In keeping with the mutualized, collectivized nature of these offerings, these events are donation-based, to ensure that anyone can attend. Still, there is much unseen work and costs that go into these gatherings, as well as the necessity to compensate presenters for their time, expertise, years of study, scholarship and practice.
If you are able to/would like to make a donation in support, that would be highly appreciated! Suggested donation to attend a session: $15-$30 |
APRIL 2025
Ayurvedic Spring Cleansing
CANCELED DUE TO LOW ENROLLMENT :(
WHEN: CLEANSING HOW-TO WORKSHOP Saturday April 12, 2025 12pm-2:30pm (Lunch/Lunch Included!)
WHERE: 709 Main Road, West Chesterfield, MA
WHAT: Making Kitchari & Ayurvedic Spring Cleansing protocol
MOVEMENT/SOMATICS: Digestive-Enhancing Short Vinyasa Sequence!
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Ayurvedic Spring Cleansing
CANCELED DUE TO LOW ENROLLMENT :(
WHEN: CLEANSING HOW-TO WORKSHOP Saturday April 12, 2025 12pm-2:30pm (Lunch/Lunch Included!)
WHERE: 709 Main Road, West Chesterfield, MA
WHAT: Making Kitchari & Ayurvedic Spring Cleansing protocol
MOVEMENT/SOMATICS: Digestive-Enhancing Short Vinyasa Sequence!
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Join Michelle and Joa to be guided through an Ayurvedic Cleanse for Springtime. Together, we'll prepare a delicious version of kitchari, the Ayurvedic superfood made primarily from mung dal and basmati rice, along with healthful spices to support your gut health and digstion. Kitchari is a proven food used for millennia in India that helps to cultivate a vibrant and more robust digestive system - and overall health.
We'll provide you with written protocols for 3, 5 and 7 day options for cleansing - each designed to increase clarity, remove stagnation, and strengthen mental and physical digestion. Both Joa and Michelle are trained Ayurvedic Health Counselors AND experienced Ayurvedic cleansers - both have lead cleanses before and are veterans at guiding clients through Ayurvedic cleansing, self care and cooking, offering gentle, wise support along with delicious, nutritious recipes that taste great and leave you feeling satisfied!! Why do an Ayurvedic Spring cleanse? Because Spring (and Fall) - the transitional times of year - are the best and most effective times to free the body of excess stagnation, and clearing accumulated toxins from the body, as we move from the colder time of year to warmer. Ayurvedic cleansing also:
Joa and Michelle will also offer instruction on the most effective Ayurvedic self-care practices to enhance your cleanse - like garshana (dry brushing) and abhyanga (self massage with oil) which really help the cleansing process. We'll also share a very simple, short and accessible yoga somatics practice that helps remove stagnation from the lymphatic and digestive systems, too, and gets things moving down - and out! WHAT'S INCLUDED with the Workshop ONLY option: -Live in-person Shakti Collective workshop, where together we will prepare, cook - and enjoy - kitchari! -A booklet with recipes, and detailed cleanse protocol information - all the info needed to support your cleanse -A packet of the spice mix for kitchari that we will make together! -A shopping list, table of recommended Daily Routines, and blank daily planner forms for your cleanse experience -Guidance on both garshana and abhyanga, and the option to book sessions for Ayurvedic bodywork from Joa or Michelle during the Cleanse week. WHAT'S INCLUDED with the FULLY SUPPORTED CLEANSE - ALL of the ABOVE PLUS: -25% discount on Ayurvedic Bodytreatment 1 hour Abhyanga with either Joa or Michelle (book with us directly) -A video of the somatic/yogic gut cleansing routine to follow on your own to help support you as you cleanse. -Guidance on appropriate, simple Mantra practices to support your mental/physical cleansing -Guidance, encouragement and ongoing support from Michelle and Joa for the duration of your Cleanse (3-5 or 7 days) in a private What's App text Group. |
A Light exists in Spring Journal Prompts for April:
-What areas of your daily routine could benefit from a "spring cleaning"? -Write about a time when letting go of something made room for new growth. -What is something in your life that feels heavy or stagnant? How might you release it? Community Cleanse Dates: on or around April 14-21st On our around the week of April 14th -21st. You can choose a 3, 5, or the full week option Sliding Scale Fee - Two Options: Workshop Only: $25-45 Workshop PLUS Guided Community Cleanse: $50-$100* *MOST Guided cleanses cost two to three times as much! |
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March 2025 MANAGING CHANGE IN TURBULENT TIMES - COMPLETED!
WHEN: SUNDAY MARCH 16, 1-3+PM WHERE: 709 Main Road West Chesterfield, MA MOVEMENT/YOGA: Ding Namaskar (Protective, somatic ritual practice ) AYURVEDA: Developing Daily Ayurvedic Self-Care Habits PLUS Ayurvedic Elixir for the Winter to Spring transition SOUND: Ayur Mantra - Nourishing ALL Life Mantra - with Nyasa www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yrh9ScHBmY Join Joa and Michelle in West Chesterfield for a delicious experience of sensibly caring for your sense organs so that you can perceive reality more clearly and wisely, make better choices, and act and be from a place of stability and resilience. Learn a dinacharya/daily routine that helps to ease disruptive times, keeping you grounded, strong and supple - not only as the days swing from cold to warm, but through life itself - learning how to promote greater resilience in body and soul for challenging times ahead. We'll also chant a powerful, nourishing mantra, the Ayur Mantra, accompanying it with a ritual namaskar/movement practice that literally draws a forcefield of protection around you and the world you love, and can be done every day. This and all our circles are intended to be a means of connecting and organizing for tough times together. Join us! ALL ARE WELCOME REGARDLESS OF GENDER IDENTITY! |
Journaling prompts for March:
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Donation-based offerings
In keeping with the mutualized, collectivized nature of these offerings, these events are donation-based, to ensure that anyone can attend. Still, there is much unseen work and costs that go into these gatherings, as well as the necessity to compensate presenters for their time, expertise, years of study, scholarship and practice.
If you are able to/would like to make a donation in support, that would be highly appreciated!
Suggested donation to attend a session: $15-$30
(with the exception of the Cleanse Week; suggested recommendation for that enhanced workshop and week long offering is $30-$65)
If this suggested donation inhibits your attendance, no matter!
We want you to be a part of this collective.
Please reach out to us to find out how you can help in lieu of paying any fees.
If you are able to/would like to make a donation in support, that would be highly appreciated!
Suggested donation to attend a session: $15-$30
(with the exception of the Cleanse Week; suggested recommendation for that enhanced workshop and week long offering is $30-$65)
If this suggested donation inhibits your attendance, no matter!
We want you to be a part of this collective.
Please reach out to us to find out how you can help in lieu of paying any fees.
JOA AGNELLO
About Joa
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MICHELLE
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DO YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE?
Are you a woman who has knowledge, skills, understandings that can benefit other women or your community?
Would you like a means to help sustain and keep that knowledge alive?
We are seeking others interested in developing a women's collective care group, rooted in an anti-capitalist, non-patriarchal approach towards giving, sharing skills, and helping each other thrive as we navigate living in the Anthropocene.
Whether you are an artist, craftsperson, herbalist, grower, farmer, tracker, outdoorswoman, self-defense expert, forager, survival skills expert, etc -
we welcome other women who would like to share their knowledge and skills with the collective.
Click the contact button to reach out and learn more:
Would you like a means to help sustain and keep that knowledge alive?
We are seeking others interested in developing a women's collective care group, rooted in an anti-capitalist, non-patriarchal approach towards giving, sharing skills, and helping each other thrive as we navigate living in the Anthropocene.
Whether you are an artist, craftsperson, herbalist, grower, farmer, tracker, outdoorswoman, self-defense expert, forager, survival skills expert, etc -
we welcome other women who would like to share their knowledge and skills with the collective.
Click the contact button to reach out and learn more: