I think Charlotte’s ready, I think we’re ready, ya’ll. We are ready to elevate this city together, as a whole, as a loving community, as this super hip, amazing coveted city that we call home. We’re ready to take yoga off our mats, into our jobs, our loves, our friends, and our challenges and to start talking about it, supporting each other and living it. We’re ready to have conversations about our higher-selves, something bigger and even (the sometimes for some people the cringe worthy word) GOD. … Insert hand over mouth.
I wasn’t baptized until I was in 5th grade. My mother forgot when I was a baby, but we had to keep up with the Jones’ so I put on my embarrassing white lacey dress, let the guy put water on my head, and watched my mother paint her fingernails in the pew.
When I was little, I always wondered about what God was. I was never told and when I asked I would get laughed at, so I stopped. One night, I think I was around 6 or 7, I was trying to fall asleep. I couldn’t. Is that called “kidsomnia”? Anyway, I kept feeling a presence over my bed. It felt weird and beautiful and almost scary because it was so foreign to me. I thought, “Who the haaalll is in my bedroom”. Every time I would close my eyes I could feel it hovering and felt like it had wings. Finally, around 2 am, I leapt up, ran downstairs and found my mother cutting coupons for the grocery store the next day (4 kids one blue collar salary). I felt so weird and curious. I asked my mom what God and angels were. She gave a lighthearted chuckle and said, “ Grab some scissors.” And that was the end of that topic for the night.
Then, one day lying in my backyard looking up at the sky trying to see the bottom of Jesus’s Birkenstock. I never saw them. I mean, the picture in my hallway that was collecting dust damn sure looked like he was sitting in the clouds so I thought for sure I would see something. I was wrong.
That being said, I definitely did not grow up in a religious or spiritual household. Our religion was a little different, more like pizza, steak ums and a whole lot of yelling. Even with all of that chaos, a part of me always knew and could feel that “something bigger,’ usually it was through music or singing at the top of my lungs with my bedroom door locked. Cut to age 18 and insert the Celestine Prophecy (a spiritual book that is now showing my age) and WHOO hoo I now DEFINITELY knew there was something out there that was invisible and so much bigger than me. I felt in my bones the energy of people, the energy of nature and the complete connection to it all. I remember one time I was lying in a cemetery with my friend. We lay there for HOURS just staring at a tree. A simple, locally grown Syracuse, New York tree that people probably have walked by a million times and have never noticed. It was so very green, and beautiful, and strong and perfect. I felt like I could feel what it was feeling, I felt like I was a part of it. So, thank you Timothy Leary, and I AGREE about your theory! I think what I felt was simple. It was love… not cute puppy love, not The Notebook love, but universal love, universal connection. It’s always there. It’s always around us. We just forget, or get in the way, or believe the fears.
In 2009 I got certified to teach yoga the Asheville Yoga Center. This was the beginning of a wild ride into me chasing the light, figuring out my shit, being accountable and then doing the work it required getting myself together. Yoga has changed my life, brought me a ton of friends, a limber body and an amazing community BUT did you know the physical practice of yoga (asana) is one of 8 Limbs that make up yoga? So, if you do the math asana is only 12.5 % of what yoga really is. There is so much more: breath work, meditation, non-violence, non-attachment, devotion to God and SO much more.
I know some very amazing people that do live a yogic lifestyle, and I try to but it’s a damn practice (and I love Titos), but I feel as a whole that this beautiful city of Charlotte, North Carolina has mastered the asana. We have taken the physical practice, the fast flows, the heat, and the yoga bods to another level. We are insane about asana and it’s a beautiful thing but I think we are ready to grow and evolve…. as a community, as a city, as a tribe.
What I want to talk about is how to take all of yoga into the workplace, into a relationship, into challenges that break us down and bring us to our knees. I want to be a part of going inside ourselves and see what it is that is blocking us and holding us back (cough F E A R) from understanding we are powerful creators. I want to dive in to our community and talk about how life is energy. Life is LOVE. All else does not exist.
I was talking to one of my bff’s and teachers recently. Her name is Dana Childs and she is a rock star of a healer and intuitive. I asked her if she felt that there was an underlying theme nowadays of people coming to her, of people seeking healing. Her answer was “Yes, there is a theme, it’s all rooted in a disconnect from God.” Wow, just wow. Can it be that simple? We just need to be connected to the big G O D? What is God/Spirit the Divine? That’s for you to decide but my hunch is you may have an idea.
To me, being in alignment with your higher self/ the Divine/ your Spirit is using all you got to come from love, using all you got to be accountable, to recognize what beliefs aren’t serving you, listening to your body, and listen I mean really listen to that voice in your head that doesn’t shout but whispers all the while not taking shit too seriously and finding joy.
I’m ready to be an open book, to walk the path of using the word GOD and not just in my Sunday clothes. I’m ready to be a part of Charlotte, hold it’s hand and align with that something bigger, with love, to talk about it, to work on it and to elevate together. I’m ready to laugh at our imperfections and keep going anyway.
We are ready Charlotte. Lets grow together.
I’m a yoga teacher and energy healer Charlotte. I teach studio classes, healing workshops, private yoga and private energy healing sessions, trainings and also stay tuned for a podcast themed around spirituality, light-hearts, and some laughs.
**This post is completely 100% my opinion. Although this is 100% my passion and I’m excited to share all I’ve learned, I completely understand I still have so much work to do. I try and “do the work’ (as I like to call it) but I am not perfect and sometimes listen to that voice that tells me I am not worthy. Not only do I like Titos but I LOVE Diet Coke…shamelessly. Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram (@jjbusco) or Facebook anytime with any feedback.
I love you Charlotte XO,
Jennifer
Photography by Carianna Lynne.