Episode 96: The Luminous Self with Tracee Stanley
“Honouring the past connects us to the future and gives us a momentum on how to move forwards.”
Tracee Stanley is the author of the bestselling book Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity and the forthcoming The Luminous Self: Sacred Yogic Practices & Rituals to Remember Who You Are - Oct 2023 by Shambala Publications. Tracee is the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings inspired by more than 20 years of study in Sri Vidya Tantra and the teachings of the Himalayan Masters. As a post-lineage teacher, Tracee is devoted to sharing the wisdom of yoga nidra, rest, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence. Tracee is gifted in illuminating the magic and power found in liminal space and weaving devotion and practice into daily life. Find out more about Tracee at traceestanley.com.
In this episode, we talked about:
Tracee talks about herself as a ‘creative resource’ and a ‘creator of nothing and acknowledges that the teachings of yoga are thousands of years old.
Tracee was trained in a 3000 year old lineage that has been passed down teacher to teacher.
The original rishis and rishikas (seers) of yoga received or downloaded these practices and shared them with their students who would repeat them to develop and then pass forward an embodied practice.
Tracee feels connected to her lineage of teachers, and considers herself to receive rather than create in an open way.
Receiving, channeling and remembering practices and then sharing with others.
Indigineous and ancestral wisdom - that has been stolen and repackaged in the West.
Slowing down in order to feel more.
Honouring the past connects us to the future and gives us a momentum on how to move forwards.
Ancestor reverence as a theme in ‘The Luminous Self.
The guru is the ancestor of a spiritual lineage, but bringing ancestors into your heart in spiritual practice connects you to them and the wisdom they had.
Our ancestors are part of who we are as shown by the science of epigenetics.
Connecting with the cycle of life keeps us connected to nature.
Birth as a creation. Death as a re-creation.
The idea of a garden - and the necessary cycles - being in acceptance of these changes and being able to wait for whatever comes next.
The discomfort of loss and death.
“We are the earth, the earth is us”.
If we are going to survive as a species, then we need to shift our relationship with the earth.
“Who am I? What part of me dies and what part of me remains?”
Sri Ramana Maharishi posed the questions to himself and became enlightened by ruminating.
Vichara- the practice of deliberating on something until you arrive at the source of it.
Contemplating and sitting with the pain of grief. Being witnessed.
The pandemic - waking some of us up to the reality of being closer to dying.
Change can be confronting and unforgettable.
Tracee used to work in Hollywood and became aware of the impact her films eg of violent films would make on a person’s psyche, nervous system, mind and spirit. She followed the desire to make something more uplifting.
Discomfort as an opening to something greater.
Making practice accessible.
Sadhana - 40-60 days of consecutive practice.
Life as a sacred ritual - weaving practices throughout the day so it’s in flow and less overwhelming eg yoga nidra, meditation.
Rest allows the truth to rise to the surface, including the truth of our discomfort, grief and despair.
Partner with rest.
Digital amnesia -where we’ve externalised our attention with the overreliance on smartphones. We’re missing experiences of beauty and joy as well as grief and pain because of this.
“We’ve outsourced our memory to devices”
Yoga practices impact our smriti, which translates as “that which is remembered” or the memory of the true self.
Tracee takes long breaks from social media and questions the common fear that people have about being less relevant if they’re not on it. “Fear of missing out” Another portal to explore more deeply.
Instead of scrolling, using the time to meditate, breathe consciously or go into nature - reclaiming time that’s being taken away from you.
Scheduling rest helps to improve efficiency of other things that need to get done.
Practices like rest and yoga nidra change your relationship with space and time.
Portals and liminal spaces - in-between -between being awake and asleep - hover in that space whilst remaining awake and aware.
Wisdom and deep, timeless rest available in the liminal space.
Another state of consciousness - beyond deep relaxation.
The feminine aspect of the goddess- nurturing, holding and supportive.
There’s peace available for us.
Remember the practices you do are cumulative. Remember your most profound and sublime practice. Bring back the sensations from that time. Pull the thread forwards into the practice you’re about to do. Accessing awe and beauty and other uplifting experiences in nature.
The body as the microcosm of the macro, “as above, so below”.
Connecting to the internal universe by practicing in nature.
Nature as a teacher.
Ancestral connections to and experiences of nature.
The reality of reciprocity with nature.
Reciting the Gayatri Mantra at sunrise, anchoring into devotion and remembering the beauty of the earth.
The Gayatri Mantra:
Om bhuh, bhuvah, swaha (Aumm Bhoor Bhoo-va Su-va-ha)
Tat savitur varenyam (Tat Sa-vee-toor Var-ayn-yam)
Bhargo devasya dhimahi (Bar-go Day-vas-ya Dhee-ma-hee)
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat (Dhee-yo Yo Nah Pra-cho-da-yaat)
Resources:
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll enjoy our previous conversation “Radiant Rest with Tracee Stanley”
More about Tracee Stanley
Tracee’s new book, The Luminous Self
Get 30% off the book when you order at Shambhala.com with the code LUM30
As Above, So Below substack
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