Let My Body Be a Vessel

This week was one of fullness, in mirror of this solstice: of dream collaborations, projects and rituals. From Rooftop Kundalini, to holding a ceremony in the Poconos, to digging a labyrinth for Litha, to all the spaces and moments between.

I’LL BEGIN WEDNESDAY MORNING… the morning after sending you my last post about the New Moon / New Month / Tammuz. Because wow, it’s been a portal so!

It was an early rise for me, which I do love… For there is a particular quality of summer morning sun that doesn’t get spoken about enough.

By 7:30am, she is already high. Already full. Not the soft pink of sunrise — but the bright, mineral-rich light of a sun that means business.

Where was I? To lead a Kundalini class on our sister’s rooftop in philly.

The timing of this class, really becomes potent with the morning light light. As if we can let our third eye and crown drink directly from the source. It is a different kind of morning ritual. Not gentle. Activating.

That was Wednesday. That was how this week began — crown open, body awake, already being prepared for what was coming.

Are you joining us this Wednesday morning? → SEE ALL EVENTS

After the rooftop, I packed Willow up to prepare for what the following days were asking of me.

Gina and I had been called to hold a private ceremony in the Poconos. A sister of ours — someone who had already sat with us in group ceremony, who knew the container we build together — had asked to go deeper. Just her, the medicines and Gina and I as our duo.

She found a property. We brought the traveling sanctuary: our tools, our altars, our instruments and the medicines.

The drive itself was a grounding. A preparation. I was traveling toward the role of space holder, and my body knew it.

Each ceremony Gina and I hold, we don’t know what content will come. We can sense it. The moment we say yes, the body begins to adjust… Opening, unwinding, tuning the channel… all in preparation: as if the body knows before the mind does.

I am finding that that magnet that we feel in ourselves: to be, experience life, learn with: comes from our body, as direction of where is next for us to heal in community. It’s as if the root of the ceremony is the magnet that draws us together for that moment: and we can’t guess what will arise to be worked through.

All we can do is listen, then follow our instinctual intuition.

This one, brought forward Lilith. And she felt divinely orchestrated.

I will share more about this story with my paid subscribers, so if you wish to continue reading once the free article has ended: upgrade yourself!

THE NEXT DAY AFTER RETURNING… WAS LITHA:

The dance produced by myself and my sisters, referring to ourselves as Ancestral Rhythms. If you feel called to follow along — FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM.

We have announced our LIONS GATE CAMPOUT as well as the ability to just join us for the dance (that link will be coming soon enough!)

Litha: The Green Man. The fullness of the sun. The longest day of the year — that moment at the top of the rollercoaster when gravity goes a little too unreal. So much buzzing. So much growing. So much already asking to be released.

When I arrived I heard: trust and surrender. Let the body do what it needs to do for the collective.

What my body needed to do was dig.

My brother Ben and I spent hours building a labyrinth together — raking and molding a spiral into the earth, a mound rising at the center for an altar. We fell into a trance. We took water breaks and asked each other questions about life, beliefs, where we come from, where we want to go. We unraveled ourselves a little into the swirl as we dug. Whenever my mind said isn’t there other things to do? my hands held the rake with more purpose.

As we finished, others had already arrived and started setting up with their offerings. Lightray with all his lights and sound, Jason with his ice plunge, vendors with food, community with their hands. The Ancestral Rhythms team weaving into the core of it all.

I felt myself smile as I heard my heart say again, “Baruch Hashem, my community is so beautiful: where everyone simply wishes to be in contribution and collaboration for the highest good of all.

What I needed to do, was move around dirt all day, as I continued to unravel the ceremony a couple of days prior: with my own body and the earth.

That day time was weird: like we thought we didn’t have enough time, yet we were able to create so much, in not so much time…. because of the amount of community we had involved in building and holding.

I am so grateful for Ben, so we could build this thing together. it wouldn’t have been this magical without him.

As we opened the space, our natural weaving of sisterhood and gifts just felt… simple. Jayme Rose opened the circle. Allie led a mugwort ceremony. Gina led a soul flow warm-up. Our sister MK DJed the dance. I stepped into the space between movement and stillness — to breathe, to be, to hold the transition. Jayme then led the sound bath to lead us to close the space.

During the closing, as I looked around at all of us, I felt it: how seamless our gatherings have become, because we have all allowed our ego to be released in the name of being a humble servant. For me, it was surrendering to the task of moving dirt all day in the name of the collective.

When we took space for people to share gratitude, reflections, anything arising: there were acknowledgements of the experience they were able to have with the labyrinth. It was beautiful to feel into making a difference, by leaving a piece of art for people to interact with.

What I keep learning about holding space: we never know whether it’s the drum, the prayer, the plant medicine, or the woman who isn’t afraid to get in the dirt with the ants and the ticks and the rocks and the roots.

All we can do, is offer ourselves to be a vessel.

May we let the body lead with devotion, and trust:

that where our skin temples takes us

to be - to create - to express - to collaborate - to ceremony:

is for the highest good of all.

If something in this is calling you — if you’ve been sitting with a knowing that you’re ready to go deeper — Gina and I are now offering private plant medicine journeys. Just you, held by both of us. Evening of preparation, full day of ceremony, morning of integration. An intention-setting zoom before we begin, a debrief after we close. Investment is $600 for our time, plus medicine costs and nourishment we source together. Reach out: shalom@thiswhollylife.com

Our next group ceremonial retreat is also being born. Stay close.

🌅 Rooftop Kundalini — Wednesdays, 7:30am, Andorra neighborhood, Philadelphia. Donation based ($20–30), Monica’s drink included. Location given upon RSVP

🌀 Kundalini Yoga at Thyme Travelers — Tuesday evenings, bi-weekly. Next: June 23, 7pm, Mt Laurel NJ

🔥 Direct Energy Like a Witch — June 25, Clark Park, Philadelphia. A Women’s Collective workshop with Tati Lions

🌸 The Flourishing — July 9, virtual. A sacred women’s council

🌕 Anahata’s Purpose — September 24. Vending + Moon Ceremony with Gina

SEE / RSVP / REGISTER FOR ALL EVENTS

If you wish to work with me in another way — from photography to branding, to a tarot reading, to consultation/mentorship, or to a somatic reading + reiki/theta healing — please feel free to reach out.

If you are looking to collaborate in creating an event, please reach out as well!

For those who are paid subscribers, I will go back to sharing more about the private ceremony and my experience (let it be known I am sharing my experience, none of hers).

Sending so much love to my email readers and free subscribers — as well as to all.

Humbly, Simcha