One’s grief may hold many layers, but it is only in a safe space that a woman can allow this complexity to come forth. Here’s how the Red Tent helped one woman to finally understand the true scope of the pain she was left with after her mother’s early death…
After you’ve watched the episode, I’d love to know…
How have you dealt with grief?
I look forward to reading your comments.
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel & sign up for our free weekly episodes of Red Tent TV at http://www.redtent.tv/
“Women of Today” is the song in the trailer for “Things We Don’t Talk About”. The song was written by Faith Rivera of Lil’ Girl Creations & Beth Eichel Productions www.FaithRivera.com and www.BethEichelProductions.com
Lyrics
We are mothers
We are daughters
We are sisters
We are friends
We are teachers
We are leaders
We are women
Hear us sing
We are beauty
We are gracefulness
To all who
Come our way
Our hearts are soft
Our spirit’s strong
We are the women of today
We are the voices of today
We are the spirit of today
We are white
We are black
We are all colors
In between
We are young
We are old
We’re bound by
Vision, bound by Dreams
We are timeless
We are present
We’re the future
Here today
Our hearts are soft
Our spirit’s strong
We are the women of today
We are the voices of today
We are the spirit of today
We are the women of today
We are the Spirit of today
Today our love will heal our brothers
Bring us back to one another
Let us be the way back to the wonder
We are the women of today
We are purpose
We are perfect
We are present
We are here
To love you as you are
We are courage
We are passion
We are still
Our hearts are soft
Our spirit’s strong
We are the women of today
We are the voices of today
We are the spirit of today
We are the women of today
We are the spirit of today
We are mothers, We are daughters
We are sisters, We are friends
We are white, We are black
We are young, We are old
We are timeless, We are present
Our hearts are soft, Our spirit’s strong
We are teachers, We are leaders
We are beauty, We are grace
Lakota moon lodges provided women with a respite from their daily work, a place to learn and create together while they bled. Today’s Red Tents owe much to this legacy.
Join us in the virtual “Red Tent” for today’s episode of Red Tent TV.
After you’ve watched the episode, I’d love to know…
What would you do if you were in a moon lodge?
I look forward to reading your comments below.
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel & sign up for our free weekly episodes of Red Tent TV at http://www.redtent.tv/
¿Cuántas veces no nos hicieron sentir que nuestros genitales son sucios, pecaminosos, creadores de tentación, feos, olorosos…? ¿Cuántas mujeres no crecemos sintiendo que es la parte más fea de nuestro cuerpo, que hay que avergonzarse de ella? La realidad es que desde niñas, a las mujeres no nos enseñan nada de nuestra vulva y nuestra vagina. Es como si del vientre para abajo no existiera nada… Incluso muchas crecemos sin palabras para denominar esa parte de nuestro cuerpo. Y cuando las hay, son tan espantosas…
Enorme ha sido el acto de desaparición de la Vulva. Tan así que las mujeres empezamos a encontrar desagradables nuestros pliegues, su aroma, su textura, su color. A sentirnos incómodas por su existencia, a reducirlo, a no mirarlo, a jamás acariciarlo, a hacer que no existe. A marchitarnos.
En sánscrito, la palabra Yoni representa la vagina y la vulva. El Yoni representa el pasaje divino hacia la vida, el templo sagrado. Hace referencia a la divinidad femenina y al poder creativo de la naturaleza. El Yoni es la fuente de todo lo que existe, el origen de la vida.
Click on the images above to view full photos.
La manta Yoni es un proyecto que propone honrar la divinidad en nosotras a través de nuestras manos, nuestra creatividad y nuestro trabajo en hermandad. La manta Yoni es una aventura para crear consciencia sobre la importancia de amar nuestros cuerpos tal y como son, de recordar el fuego creativo de nuestros úteros, y de reconocer la divinidad que existe en cada ser humano y de celebrar la diversidad.
La invitación es a que juntas co-creemos La manta Yoni. Cada una de nosotras construirá un retazo (patchwork) que re-presentará nuestro Yoni, para lo cual usaremos la técnica que más nos guste (crochet, tejido costura, bordado, dibujo sobre tela, etc.). Posteriormente cada retazo será unido para crear la Manta – un símbolo de la hermandad femenina y del poder creativo en nosotras.
Todas las mujeres, sin importar su ubicación, son invitadas a participar en esta aventura creativa. Hasta el momento hemos recibido maravillosos y hermosísimos Yonis de mujeres en Chile, México, Estados Unidos, Costa Rica y Brasil. Recibir estos Yonis ha sido una experiencia increíble, porque nos muestran como cada mujer es única, es creativa y bella y portadora de lo divino.
Para acompañar a la Manta, crearemos un libro electrónico, una especie de Registro Poético-Visual que incluirá textos, fotos y más inspiraciones que surjan en el camino. Las participantes son invitadas a enviarnos sus fotos e inspiraciones.
“We can feel the stories of the women in the fabric.” Much more than decoration, the fabric of our Red Tents bears witness to all that happens within our communities. Year after year, it helps us to remember…
Join us in the virtual “Red Tent” for today’s episode of Red Tent TV.
After you’ve watched the episode, I’d love to know…
What does your Red Tent look like? Can you describe it and the way it makes you feel?
I look forward to reading your comments below.
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel & sign up for our free weekly episodes of Red Tent TV at http://www.redtent.tv/
“Close your eyes and breathe into your yoni,” my instructor said. I thought: “crap, another yoga pose I don’t know.” I opened one eye to spy on what the other women were doing. But, they were just sitting on the floor with their legs crossed, breathing the normal way. So, then, what exactly is yoni breathing? First, I needed to learn what “yoni” meant. Here is what I found: yoni is the Sanskrit word for vagina that loosely translates to mean ‘sacred space.’
A whole universe opened to me when I learned that there were honorable names for that part of my body that had nothing to with a cat. How come I had never heard that term until my 30’s? I come from a mother, father and grandmother who taught me to embrace my body without shame. In fact, when I reached puberty and was embarrassed about starting my cycle, my grandmother said: “girl, lift your leg up in front of the mirror and see what God gave you.” Yes, I was mortified. However, after decades of looking in the mirror at everything God gave me, I became comfortable with me from head to toe.
So then, over two decades after the lifted leg in the mirror thing, why did I still not know what God gave me? Here are 3 things that I was surprised to learn about that formerly feline named universe between my thighs that I call my ‘yoniverse.’
1. Yonic symbols are everywhere.
From rockets, to stick shifts, to hot dogs, men love to build things that remind them of their penis (i.e., phallic symbols). Little did I know that men also built things that were reminiscent of the vagina. These structures also had a name (i.e. yonic symbols). In fact, the church dome I sat under to learn that vaginas were an “off limits” dirty topic was full of yonic symbols, itself.
From cave openings, to river beds, to flower petals, yonic symbols are bold, colorful, and hard to miss. They occur naturally and man made in equal proportions to phallic symbols. So, how many women like me never noticed them until after age 35 – or never? Even as I type this, my spell check is telling me that “yonic” is not a word. However, it recognizes the word “phallic” with no problem. Here is a neat video that shows how both yonic and phallic symbols are represented in, fruit, religion, and nature.
2. The yoni has reflexology.
Marvin Gaye’s “sexual healing” was more than just a hit song. It was insight into the concept that sex can be healing. In current Western society, poorly informed by porn videos, we are taught that sex is for orgasms. Yet, 60 % of women aren’t having orgasms. Contrastingly, Chinese medicine has a whole school of genital reflexology whereby certain positions are ideal to stimulate nerve endings on the penis and vagina that heal organs or simply keep parts of the body healthy – with or without orgasm.
The reflexology of the vagina is exactly opposite of the penis. For example, a woman’s heart and lung stimulation points are directly below her cervix. While the heart and lung stimulation points of a man are on the tip of his penis. When a penis is fully inserted into a vagina, face to face, the organ stimulation points match up whereby a man and woman simultaneously heal each other at every point. In fact, the “insertion method” whereby a man simply inserts his penis into a vagina face to face with little to no movement is recommended to prolong life, health, and emotional connection.
3. The yoni is naturally acidic.
A woman during her reproductive years, has a vaginal pH level of 3.8 to 4.5. A pre-pubescent girl, is pH 7 (neutral) and a menopausal woman has a normal pH level of 6-7. Higher pH levels can make a woman more prone to infection. Sperm, naturally alkaline with a pH level between 7.2 and 7.8, raises the pH level of the vagina. When a woman menstruates each month, she is cleansing. Her blood is pH level 7.34-7.45 – very similar to the pH level of semen. Therefore, sex during menstruation can lead to infection because both blood and semen reduce vaginal acidity.
Prolonged raised pH levels allows bacteria to grow and increases the likelihood of infection – which often occurs with pH levels above 4.5. We are then sold, toxic chemicals, alkaline soaps (often pH levels 9and 10), and bath oils to remedy the problem. However, those alkaline products should be avoided. Sea salt baths are one way to bring the pH level into balance and coconut oil substituting for bath oil works to eliminate bad bacteria.
And, yes, finally, I learned to breathe into and expand my yoni – which was my original assignment. In doing so, I learned yet another thing we don’t talk about. Thank you, Dr. Leidenfrost, for creating a forum where we can talk about it.
The Sisterhood of Body Acceptance needs you. Are there more things you would like to learn about your amazing wonderfully made body? Join Dr. Felicia Clark’s forum at BodyShameBS.com and get your copy of her hit journal: “I Like My Body: A 52-Week Journal to Honor and Appreciate My Body” – on sale in over 120 countries. Women claiming and accepting their body AS IS is a worldwide movement. Enroll in the online support course that helps you complete your “I Like My Body” journal by giving you countless reasons to love your body from head to toe.
The Red Tent is a great place to get out of your head and into your body, and have fun doing it! Women in Red Tents have come up with some creative, often laughter-filled, ways to connect and express themselves (as you can see in the film). This video, on incorporating moving meditation into your Red Tent, encourages you to try a few things you might never have thought of to help bring you and your sisters home to your bodies.
Join us in the virtual “Red Tent” for today’s episode of Red Tent TV.
After you’ve watched the episode, I’d love to know…
Got any examples of moving meditations you’ve tried?
I look forward to reading your comments below.
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel & sign up for our free weekly episodes of Red Tent TV at http://www.redtent.tv/
In March 2014, twenty-three culturally diverse women, representing every decade from their teens to their seventies, honored the call from deep within to gather in York Pennsylvania’s first Red Tent Event. Coming from as far away as Philadelphia, these women gave themselves the gift of time—time to connect with other women & precious time to reconnect with their highest Selves.
The actual Red Tent event only lasted a few short hours but the vortex of positive energy it created lingered for weeks after. Responses from many of the women showed that it was powerful, provocative, & nourishing.
A year ago, I led a discussion of Anita Diamant’s book, The Red Tent, when participants repeatedly asked, “When can we have a Red Tent here?” Good question. I found Dr. Isadora Gabrielle Leidenfrost’s Red Tent Movie website… where the quote “A Red Tent is a red textile space where women gather to rest, renew, & often share deep & powerful stories about their lives” motivated me to action. The time was ripe to join the movement that has fast become an international phenomenon.
My intention was to provide a safe, nurturing environment where women could rejuvenate body, mind, & spirit. I wanted to create a place where they could be in the company of like-minded women & disconnect from the outside world for just a few hours. No demands, no obligations, no expectations. Just take the time to listen & give your Self what you need.
Synchronicity is when the universe hears your heart & answers in mysterious, unexpected ways. Our first Red Tent never could have happened without the many kindred spirits who offered their support. Women helped me set up the space & a couple of men even stopped by to marvel at it & say thanks for what we were doing for the women in their lives; one even said he was jealous that men weren’t invited!
I deliberately scheduled the first Red Tent Event to coincide with the Vernal Equinox, a time that symbolizes new beginnings. While many Red Tents don’t have a theme, ours did. I chose “Embracing Change” because so many women expressed that they were in periods of transition—mothering new babies, facing the possible loneliness of an empty nest, & caring for aging parents. By sitting in council with one another, I called it our Sacred Wisdom Circle, most of us realized that what we were experiencing was not new. We ALL had wisdom to share.
Yes, I created a sacred space for women to gather in community with one another but it was the women who created the magic!
More about the author: Susan Korsnick facilitates Red Tent events in York, Pennsylvania. This post was adapted from her blog post “Red Tent Reality” dated 4/8/14 on http://www.awakenpureyou.com
Spread the Word: It all begins with one person...YOU. Imagine how many wonderful things we can accomplish if your friends new about the Red Tent.
Deep within, women hold a knowing of what the Red Tent is. Sanctuary, sacred place, healing home: we know it when we see it because it is already inside us. Though it may feel uncomfortable and strange at first, the more we return to it, the more we return to ourselves.
Join us in the virtual “Red Tent” for today’s episode of Red Tent TV.
After you’ve watched the episode, I’d love to know…
What does the Red Tent mean to you?
I look forward to reading your comments below.
If you liked this video, subscribe to our channel & sign up for our free weekly episodes of Red Tent TV at http://www.redtent.tv/
Welcome to the Red Tent Movie blog. Here, you can learn more about the Red Tent, hear stories from and by women who create and participate in Red Tents, and absorb visions of what this woman space is and could be. Like the Red Tent Movie, this space offers you a virtual taste, a glimpse, a brief immersion in the world of the Red Tent. May you be inspired to find the place inside you that resonates with these words.
