This March, I celebrate the anniversary my first sound bath facilitation—a milestone that represents not just a single event, but a testament to resilience and the unwavering support found within the most unlikely spaces. It commemorates the day I stepped into the unknown, sharing my healing journey through sound with others for the first time. That moment was not just a personal triumph; it was the beginning of a path filled with deep healing, meaningful connections, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Before I discovered sound healing (or rather, before it discovered me), sound itself was my greatest challenge and limitation. After sustaining a diffuse axonal injury to my brain and spinal cord in my early twenties, my sensory integration systems were severely damaged, leaving me hypersensitive to sound in ways that caused immense pain, vertigo, nausea, and disorientation. The injury also disrupted my ability to process verbal communication, driving me into social isolation, and deteriorated my mobility to the point where I relied on a wheelchair and was unable to navigate the world independently.

For years, I underwent intensive physical and occupational rehabilitation alongside seemingly constant medical treatments, but rarely experienced signs of improvement or symptoms of relief. Despite my efforts, my team of healthcare providers ultimately instructed me to prepare for a lifetime in an assisted-living facility, bound to a wheelchair and dependent on institutionalized care for life—a prognosis that felt like the final stripping away of my autonomy and the future I had once hoped for.

After years of rehabilitation efforts, my body was failing me, and my spirit was worn thin from relentless pain and isolation. Then, when I had nearly lost all hope, I felt an undeniable pull toward a place I had never been: The Spiral Goddess Collective. The journey to the city of Bangor was agonizing, the urban noise overwhelming, and my body resisted with every step. When I finally reached the building, my heart sank upon the realization that I could not simply walk up the seemingly endless flight of stairs. I didn’t know why I felt so called to that particular workshop, but I sensed deep within that it was important, so I decided to crawl, my limbs trembling, my breath shallow. And then, in a moment that still feels like a miracle, I crossed the threshold into that strange, unfamiliar space — I felt entirely overwhelmed and out of place, terrified my disabled body would not be accepted in a “Yoga Studio.”

When the owner greeted my arrival, I could barely understand what she was saying amid the sensory input my brain struggled to integrate. Yet, she remained patient and warm-hearted, kindly assisting me in finding a comfortable space to sit. And then, just as the workshop began, a sound I’d never heard before reverberated throughout the room. A single, delicate chime rang out. Instead of pain, I felt something shift deep within me. The relentless cacophony of the city, the unbearable sensory overload—it all fell away. The noise that had once felt like a blunt force to my body disappeared, and for the first time in years, I felt stillness. For the first time in years, I sensed relief. In that moment, I realized that sound—something I had feared and avoided for so long—might actually be a tool for comfort and healing.

That single moment changed my life forever. That night, I began researching sound’s effects on the nervous system, discovering that sound could be my ally rather than my adversary. Through deep study, I learned how frequencies, amplitudes, and resonance could support my nervous system, ease my pain, and reconnect me to life beyond my injury. Despite my limitations, I returned to the Spiral Goddess Collective week after week, immersing myself in embodied healing practices. That fall, I took my first steps toward studying sound healing, earning certifications in The Fundamentals of Sound Healing, Sound Healing with Tuning Forks, and Sound Healing with Crystal Singing Bowls.

In January 2024, I received my first set of crystal singing bowls through a small grant from the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and began playing daily, noticing profound improvements in my sensory processing capabilities, pain levels, and energy. Soon after, a fellow Curator at the Spiral Goddess Collective stepped forward to collaborate on a brand new program: Sonic Yoga Nidra, a fusion of sleep meditation and sound healing. I started with only a set of crystal singing bowls and a handful of borrowed instruments, but each month I have reinvested my earnings back into my practice to share with the members of my community. Over the course of the last year, my humble starter kit has transformed into a professional collection, incorporating ten Nepalese singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, crystal singing pyramids, Koshi chimes, flow chimes, a temple wind gong, Native American-style flutes, and a selection of drums from around the world.

With the incorporation of these instruments into my daily life, my health has improved in ways I never thought possible. My pain has lessened, my energy has increased, my mobility has improved, and my sensory integration systems continue to heal over time. I can now navigate the world with greater ease, no longer trapped in a cycle of unbearable sensory overload. I now have the pleasure of living in an active suburban neighborhood, engaging in a loving and supportive relationship, and working part-time—things that felt entirely out of reach in the not-so-distant past. Most importantly, I feel deeply connected to my path, my purpose, and my community, surrounded by people who uplift and support me. Every step of this journey has been hard-fought, but today, I stand in a place of profound gratitude, knowing that healing is possible and that my story is still unfolding in ways I never could have imagined.

Today, I am honored to pursue a Practitioner’s Diploma in Integral Sound Healing at the International Sound Healing Academy, expanding my knowledge and refining my skills in this practice. This education is not just for me; it is a gift I hope to share with the Spiral Goddess Collective community and beyond: In the last few months I’ve been honored to offer my first individualized sound healing sessions with members of my community, facilitate a heart-centered drumming meditation at our monthly Community Practice for Radical Careworkers, participate in Wellspring’s Engaging Life Fully Program at the Bangor Area Recovery Network, and offer free community drumming circles twice monthly at the Wilson Center in Orono. Each of these offerings have created a unique opportunity to foster healing, connection, and empowerment through community building and sound.

I am especially grateful to Kate Mikkelsen for her collaboration in Sonic Yoga Nidra. Her support, presence, and dedication have been invaluable in shaping my practice into what it is today. I am also profoundly grateful to Sarah Hentges for offering me the space to learn, grow, heal, and transform within The Spiral Goddess Collective, a place that has become a sanctuary for me. Her unwavering support, along with the kindness and encouragement of the Spiral Goddess Collective Community, has allowed me to develop my personal sonic healing practice and share this work with others. To be embraced by a community that believes in my healing, my vision, and the power of sound is a gift beyond measure—one that continues to shape my path every day.
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My journey is a testament to the profound power of sound, not just as a tool for healing but as a bridge to a fuller, more vibrant life. It has allowed me to move beyond survival and step into a place of joy, presence, and service. Through sound, I have rediscovered a sense of agency over my own healing, unlocking possibilities I once believed were lost forever. Each vibration, each tone, has guided me toward greater connection—with myself, with others, and with the world around me. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue learning and sharing this work, and I look forward to seeing how sound can bring transformation to others, just as it has for me.

Recently I was named an expert in a Rent. article. Check out the featured article: How To Create a Peaceful Home | Rent. 

​This article provides a variety of thoughtful suggestions to help create a calming ambiance, achieve tranquility with visual elements and music, maintain your space’s energy, make an altar, utilize calming scents, avoid sensory distractions, incorporate natural fibers, prioritize comfort and self-care items, add personal or inspirational items, and more.

It is wonderful to have a space to call your own and to shape to your needs, and even shared spaces can be shaped to your needs. But reading this article also reminded me how important our space is at The Spiral Goddess Collective. In fact, we only exist because of this space in the Clark Building at 16 State Street in Downtown Bangor.

Before I discovered this space and grew SGC here, I taught dance, yoga, and embodied movement practices in all kinds of spaces (I still do). I taught high-octane fitness classes at the Bangor Region YMCA, free yoga classes on the UMA-Bangor campus and via Zoom, and I taught many other practices that I have further developed since opening SGC in 2022. And we have grown because of our amazing, talented curators and teachers who have expanded our offerings.

Our offerings—weekly classes, workshops, and retreats—are unique and empowering. And they are even more impactful because of our space.

The Spiral Goddess Collective space—our Spiral Studio—is a sanctuary, a haven a home away from home, a community center, a safe space, a brave space. It is a space to connect with yourself and to connect with other people in our community. And it is a space to connect with ideas that are bigger than we are—all of the knows and unknowns of our universe, all of the richness of our world.

As I read this Rent. article, I was struck by how many suggestions are elements of our Spiral Studio.

The plants help breathe life into us as we move our bodies and minds.

The soothing sounds from our stereo or from Sen’s sound healing instruments create a calm atmosphere for rejuvenation. (Or the eclectic music in our dance classes that provide motivation to leave it all on the dancefloor!)

The art—on the walls, in our oracle deck collection, and in the sacred objects—inspire introspection and conversation. Many of the objects hold special significance for me—my grandmother’s tea set and my mother’s paintings, for instance.

Our bolsters, blankets, blocks, and other tools (like our Neuro Balls!) help us to take care of ourselves and each other.
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Our healthy snacks, teas, and treats—the very popular ginger chews and Andes mints—provide sustenance and joy.

The natural light on sunny days, the fading and shifting light in the evenings, and the colored lights that fill the space in the darkness provide a variety of seasonal sensory experiences depending upon the time of day and the time of year. And all year long, the view of downtown Bangor and the Kenduskeag River remind us of our shared past, our present moment, and our hope for the future.

Our Spiral Studio includes so many peaceful elements and an array of colorful inspiration. It is truly a space like no other. It is a space for movement, for connection to ourselves and others, for community building, for resourcing ourselves and supporting causes like Bangor Pride, mental health awareness, and healing and recovery that meets you where you are.

I think we have created the perfect home away from home—the third space where you set aside work and embrace play, finding joy and comradery, peace and presence, well-being and balance. When you climb the four flights of stairs, the sanctuary that greets you is worth the effort. It kind of feels like home.

One of the reasons that I wrote Demystifying American Yoga is an attempt to make yoga more accessible amidst a sea of flashy promises, inaccessible images, and dangerous myths.
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Pretty much every yoga teacher has heard the myths and excuses people make about why they can’t do yoga: I’m not flexible, it’s too slow (or too boring), I don’t have time, it’s too expensive—and many more reasons that I explore in my book.
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Because there are many different kinds of yoga—many different approaches, different practices, different goals—yoga’s diversity quickly squashes pretty much any excuse. But, we have to find the right kind of yoga, and that’s often the hardest part.

It’s easy to make excuses and sometimes these excuses reveal what’s under the surface, which are even better reasons to try yoga. Here are some of the most common excuses:

I’m not flexible—while flexibility is not a requirement for yoga, this excuse reveals more mental inflexibility than physical. Yoga can help foster both of these kinds of flexibility.

it’s too slow (or too boring)—I took Imke’s Vinyasa Flow Yoga class after not doing this style of yoga for a long time and it was neither slow nor boring!

But this excuse also reveals our inability to be in stillness, to be with ourselves without all of the distractions that our culture provides. Yoga helps us cultivate a relationship with our self and when we slow down, we help to renew and rejuvenate our mind/body/spirit.

We can choose a slow flow, like my Spiral Flow Yoga, or we can choose a yoga workout—both bring a variety of benefits. And there's so much more to discover at Spiral Goddess, and beyond!

I don’t have time—this is not untrue for many of us. We are expected to always be on the go, to be productive, to not waste time on things that don’t have an immediate, measurable impact. We spend time doing things for other people, sacrificing time for ourselves.

But yoga doesn’t have to take a lot of time and when we make time for ourselves to practice yoga, we might find that our ideas about time, our perceptions of time, and our priorities of our time shift. We might find that we make better use of our time and enjoy our time more.

It’s too expensive—again, not untrue. Some yoga is very expensive, perpetuating many other myths about who belongs in a yoga studio. But there are many affordable outlets for yoga, including online videos and other resources.

And at The Spiral Goddess Collective we offer Accessible Pricing options as well as scholarships. So, here, yoga is not too expensive.

However, this excuse also reveals the edge of what we value—what we choose to spend our money on speaks to what we value in ourselves and in our world. When we choose to invest in ourselves by buying (and attending!) yoga classes, we reap many rewards in the short and long term. When we practice regularly--on and off the mat, in and out of the studio--the benefits are even more profound and impactful.

When you choose to invest in classes and workshops at The Spiral Goddess Collective, you are also investing in your community and providing the opportunity for others to benefit from yoga as well.

Strength, flexibility, balance, emotional regulation, pain management, better sleep, a nervous system reset, better circulation, authenticity and so many more benefits can be found through a regular yoga practice. If you aren’t sure where to begin, just reach out and we’ll help you find the kind of yoga that will inspire you to keep investing in your self-care and wellbeing.

Stepping into a new space and/or a new activity is scary, stepping into a new life—a new version of you—is seemingly impossible. Until it’s not.
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We are each on our own healing journey, and to heal—and thrive—we need to be with ourselves. But lasting, transformative healing is bolstered, supported, and sustained by, and in, community.

On my own journey, as an introvert, and from amidst a sea of shame and fear, the need to ask for help and the need to connect to a community felt impossible. It was difficult to face the truth that connections with other people are key to healing, let alone embrace this fact.

What I have learned about trauma and healing is that we have to move our bodies and learn practical tools for emotional regulation. And we need to participate in mind/body, somatic, embodied practices consistently—yoga and dance are the most impactful practices for me.

There is no magical pill or one and done miracles; there is only hard work. And it’s worth it.

While there are many approaches to healing, to movement, to embodiment—the practices that we offer at The Spiral Goddess Collective are thoughtfully designed and curated toward sustaining healing and transformation. Our community—and the classes and workshops that we offer—welcome each individual just as they are, providing tools and resources and a brave space for exploration.

​But you have to be willing to take that leap...

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I survived for decades using yoga and dance as a way to mitigate my trauma and attempt to stay sane, but it wasn’t until I started to better understand trauma and embodiment that I was able to actually start to heal and transform—to stop using these practices as a way to avoid myself and to use them as a way to connect to myself.

The way I practiced and taught dance and yoga transformed as well.

Talk therapy helped and daily yoga and dance practices helped, but JourneyDance was a game changer in so many ways. Training to be a JourneyDance facilitator was something that I did for myself, but now it is something that I am driven to share with others, especially those who don’t know that they need this kind of medicine or those who fear what embodiment might bring.

We need practices designed to help us ground, center, explore, and release.

We need a brave container and a supportive community—space and support.

And we need consistency. We need to return to the dance floor or the yoga mat (or, ideally, both!) over and over again. We return to ourselves again and again, finding love and compassion for ourselves.

And each time we do, we not only experience the benefits of these somatic, embodied practices, we also build resilience, access joy, flex our muscle memory, and create new pathways in our brains. We become mentally and physically stronger, more embodied, more self-regulated, and more able to respond rather than react to the stress in our lives and the chaos in our world.

The path toward healing and transformation is long and winding. There is no magical destination, but there is comfort and ease and a better quality of life.

So, if you are standing at the edge of the precipice—frozen and frazzled and fearful and insecure, numbing your senses (with alcohol or drugs or social media scrolling or shopping or whatever) because you don’t know what else to do (and because this is the norm of our culture)—maybe it’s time to take that leap. It feels impossible, but once we do, we find that it’s just what we didn’t know we were looking for.

I’ve been an “entrepreneur” and “small business owner” for over two years now, and from the beginning I have treated both of these terms like dirty words. I have proclaimed how very bad at business I am, and I when I signed the lease for my third year in business I wondered if this might be the last year that I could maintain the time, energy, and financial support that has sustained The Spiral Goddess Collective. I don’t give up easily, but fear and doubt are insidious feelings.

And then I met Christine Hakkola of Hakkola Horizons and I began to shift how I see my business and the role that I have played in imagining, creating, and sustaining this business. As I described how I came to open The Spiral Goddess Collective and what I am trying to achieve, she immediately understood and echoed back to me that I am running a heart-centered business. I had heard the term, but I had not really stopped to think about what it meant—and, more so, that there was a category of business that fit what I was struggling to conceptualize and sustain every single day.

With Christine’s heart-centered business recognition in the back of my head, a few days later I turned to my oracle cards for clarity and guidance. (Check out my past blog about the "woo-woo" I discovered through my JourneyDance training. And check out our vast collection of oracle and tarot cards!)

When I first drew the Desire and Devotion cards from The Awakened Soul oracle deck, I was struck by their romantic and sexual overtones. After all, I had asked what I needed to keep in mind as I take the next steps on my business journey. Two people locked in an embrace and two ballet dancers locked in a dance were not exactly what I expected.

But one of the things I love best about oracle cards is that the meaning is always more than the surface appearance. And, in this case, the two cards that I drew—that were stuck together and fell out of the deck and into my lap—could not be more accurate to the juncture where I found myself in need of insight and guidance.
And these two oracle cards—Desire and Devotion—also echoed this heart-centered understanding.*

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Desire—passion, fire, connection, motivation
Desire is the driving and motivating factor that helps us complete creative work and bring new things to life. What is important is the “why” of the work we do. On this particular card, two individuals’ passions are aligned with a desire for connection, success, and feeling that spirals upward. If you feel it in your body, the card proclaims, you can create it in your life.

The Spiral Goddess Collective emerged from an embodied vision and the why has always been embedded in passion and fire: because I can’t not follow this dream of bringing embodied movement and opportunities for healing and transformation to my community.

And the shadow meaning—abandoning dreams & goals—is exactly what I had been grappling with.
Desire is further clarified through Devotion—discipline, commitment, loyalty, and support.

It is no surprise that this card features two ballet dancers who have been devoted to their art (a field where success is found when completely committed), working together and separately with open hearts. While dance is something very different to me—embodied, empowered, transformative movement—I am just as devoted to my art.

The card description reminds us that when we devote ourselves to something—when we allow ourselves permission to do what we love and what we need to do—it often takes more work and commitment than we thought it would. Heard. It’s exhausting and overwhelming to keep stoking that fire.

More importantly, I need to remember how much loyalty and support I have found trough The Spiral Goddess Collective Community. My commitment to this dream isn’t only a commitment to myself. Here, the shadow meaning of the card comes into play: giving up when things get hard, letting people down, not following your purpose.

Devotion is living a passionate life, being who you really are and shining fully in the world. And the kicker: Don’t be afraid to allow others to see what you are capable of. This is certainly a fear I struggle with as I often downplay my success and all that I have achieved—in my head and in my interactions with the world.

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As I read and pondered these two cards, once again, the synchronicities on this path are difficult to deny. I have always been driven by desire and devotion, even if I have not used these two words to describe my dreams and ambitions. (Ambition has also been one of those dirty business words.) I often describe this drive and ambition as “positive obsession” (a concept that comes from Octavia Butler). I have often wondered where my energy, commitment, and discipline come from.

I have experienced fear when I have shown my light too brightly. I have doubted and dimmed and dumbed myself down. I have refused to give up and have worried about letting people down, especially those who believe in me and who have supported me in this Collective dream.

So, message received. Rather than abandon my dreams, giving up when things get hard, letting myself and others down, and not following my purpose, I have to recommit to myself by investing in my business, which is also investing in myself. I need coaching. I need someone who can help to guide me along my path, who understands my goals and dreams and is just as devoted to her art as I am to mine.

I am grateful that my path has led me to Hakkola Horizons and I am excited to discover where this heart-centered journey of desire and devotion will take me—but not just me, the entire Spiral Goddess Collective Community... and beyond!
 
*I paraphrase from these cards though some of these phrases should definitely be in quote marks!

At our 2-year anniversary, as we take stock of where we’ve been, we are also looking toward the future and thinking about what we want The Spiral Goddess Collective to be. We have grown enough that we can begin to shape our offerings—especially our events, workshops, and projects—around the central tenants of embodiment, movement, connection, empowerment, and transformation.
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We want everything that we offer, from meditation to dance to yoga to events—everything that we put our time and our hearts, minds, and bodies into—the be centered around embodiment. Embodiment connects our mind, body, heart, and spirit. It allows us to feel and perceive with all of our senses. It requires us to pause, to slow down, to experience our whole body and whole being. It helps us to live more authentically.

In our culture, it is not easy to be in our bodies. So much in our lives keeps us disconnected from ourselves, separated from each other, and chasing myths. We live in our heads, and on our devices, sometimes forgetting that we even have a body, except when it inconveniences us, or when it is a body devalued and devoured by our systems and structures, or when we don’t have the resources or support to live fully in our bodies.

To be embodied is to live fully and freely and it is not easy. Like anything else—healing, learning, connecting—embodiment is a non-linear process. The embodied practices that we offer are somatic—they encourage us to embrace our wholeness as well as our interconnectedness. We focus on the process and the present moment, not the desired end result. We focus on how we feel, not how we look.

While any activity can be done mindfully, in embodied ways, with somatic approaches, what we offer are mind/body practices that help us to be more mindful, embodied, and somatic in everything we do. We offer a safe and supportive space, a beautiful space with a view—a sanctuary for our practice.

We encourage embodied, somatic movement because we all move too little. We sit and work. We sit and play. We sit and rest. We sit and we don’t move our bodies enough. And when we do move, we often do so in ways that punish our bodies. We want to encourage freedom of movement, joy in movement, pleasure in movement—movement for mind, body, and spirit. Move and Be Moved!

We encourage authentic connections to ourselves and to others. We spiral in to know ourselves better and we spiral out to connect with our community. Many of us are introverts. We come to SGC because it is a safe space to be ourselves and engage with others in a space that is held and curated for both introspection and interaction.

We empower people to replace old stories and old patterns, old ways of thinking and being, with new stories, new patterns, new ideas, new movements of the mind and body. We want to tap into our power to heal ourselves and to live more fully and more authentically. We want to remind ourselves that we are powerful beings in so many ways.

And we transform ourselves to transform the world. We want to embrace change, to roll with it, to find new opportunities to move and breathe and learn and grow.

When I opened SGC, I had a vision of a Collective. I knew if I built it, they would come. And many people who need what we offer have found us. We have positively impacted so many lives, including our own. At our September Radical Careworkers meeting, Kate was talking about how one of the things that she loves about the work she does for SGC is that she is able to give and receive. She is able to offer her curated movement and meditation practices, and she has been able to grow personally and professionally through the programs that she has attended and the mentoring she has received.
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This is exactly what I wanted for SGC to do and be. And as Kate was talking, I realized that this is exactly the benefit that I get as well. I have learned and grown so much from both the embodied movement experiences that I curate and facilitate as well as from the events that I attend at the SGC. We have so many talented curators and teachers and what we offer is, I think, unique in our community and maybe even beyond.

It is easy for me to give, but it is often nearly impossible for me to receive. I am working on that. At that same Radical Careworkers meeting, I angsted about the pressures of “owning” SGC, which comes with a lot of financial stress and obligations. I try not to let it get to me. I try to stay focused on the fact that SGC is my community service, my laboratory, and my art studio. Still, it is difficult to carry all the weight all of the time. In addition to managing the entire enterprise, I teach 4 to 5 times a week and I do not pay myself. All of the money I make from teaching goes directly back into the business.

I am fortunate to have support from SGC curators and teachers as well as the regular feedback and reinforcement from many of our community members who remind us that the SGC makes a difference in the lives of our Collective Community. So, thank you!

And in the spirit of keeping the doors open for another year (and growing into all we want to become!), we also thought it would be nice if we gave our Collective Community an opportunity to more directly support our mission and vision—an opportunity to give a little extra if you are able to. What you give need not be financial, though we certainly appreciate financial support!

Here are a few things you can do that don’t cost any money (and during our October celebration we will offer 20% off of any purchase if you do any of the following):
Post a review on Google Business telling people about what you love about SGC

Bring a friend. Their first class is free. You can even send them the promo code on your fitDEGREE profile to help us track the connections our community makes.

Make a commitment to share our Fb or Instagram posts for a week (or more!)

Tell your coworkers about what we offer or ask your workplace to support the well-being of their employees by opting into one of our new Professional Development Packages

Attend our 2-yr Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, October 12 from 4:00-6:00pm

If you have extra money to give, you can contribute to help supplement the many operating costs:
If you pay an extra $5 a month, you help us pay for a month’s worth of toilet paper

If you pay an extra $10 a month, you help us pay for ½ hour of cleaning

If you pay an extra $15 a month, you help us pay for 10% of the monthly cost for the fitDEGREE App

If you pay an extra $20 a month, you help us pay for 3 months of ginger chews

If you pay an extra $25 a month, you help us pay for a month of internet access in our space or a month’s access to Canva where we design our advertising and social media posts.
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We are so grateful for all that we receive through our work. We are grateful that we can give back so much to our community. We want to keep on giving and growing… and it’s good to receive your support as well! Just reach out or stop by if you have any questions about how you can give back or pay it forward.

As I take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished at The Spiral Goddess Collective in the two years since we opened, I am overwhelmed. It’s always good to look back and take stock. Because there is so much that I want to do, it is easy for me to forget the magnitude and depth of what I have done. And what we have done together is even more powerful!

We have offered a wide variety of weekly classes, unique workshops, and dynamic events and we have solidified our mission and vision as a community center that offers trauma-informed yoga, dance, meditation, and embodied movement.*

Since we started using the fitDEGREE app, 314 people have attended our weekly classes and events.**

We have awarded approximately 25 SGCCF scholarships for 5 free weekly classes (a value of approx. $1800)

We have given approximately $1500 of sliding scale discounts on events since February

We have supported other community organizations and causes:
We have donated money to OUT Maine, The Together Place, HEAL (Health Equity Alliance), Downtown Bangor, Third Space/Bangor African Festival, Wabanaki Health Alliance, Tandem Mobility, and Robinson Ballet.

We have donated time and services to Partners for Peace, PACE alternative sentencing program, UMA-Bangor, Maine Women’s Lobby, Bangor Chamber of Commerce, UMaine CHAARG, UMaine Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund, MAPIL (Maine Association for Public Interest Law).

And all of this is only what my not-so-perfect record keeping reflects. Our weekly class schedule has grown and we are regularly reminded about the positive impact that we have made in people’s lives.

We are asking you to help us celebrate our 2-year anniversary through attendance at our special events on October 12th (Art + Transformation open house) and October 19th (Radical Careworkers with a special offering from artist Edner Fago and an opportunity for chakra-inspired, transformative art through embodied movement). We also have a variety of special deals and opportunities, with more exciting events coming in November!

​I appreciate all of the support from our community, and I hope that all of you will help us to not only keep the doors open, but to serve more of our community for years to come!***
 
*We will be sharing more information about our mission and vision over the month of October (and beyond). Did you know that our website is a rabbit hole of information about who we are and what we do? I update it as often as I can to reflect our growth and evolution.
**Did you know that you can use the fitDEGREE app to: communicate directly with our curators and teachers, purchase a class or event for a friend or family member, register for your favorite classes ahead of time?
***My second blog in this 3-part anniversary blog series has ideas on how you can help us to survive and flourish.

The Spiral Goddess Collective stands as a beacon of Radical Community, a space where diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment are found at the heart of everything we do. Rooted in feminist principles and the celebration of divine feminine qualities such as collaboration, compassion, empathy and flow, we aim to challenge oppressive structures and foster a community where all individuals can thrive authentically. Cultivating a radical community within this unique space involves intentional practices that uphold our core values and drive meaningful change for our minds, bodies, spirits, and the world around us.
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At the Spiral Goddess Collective, we embrace intersectional feminism, recognizing that wellness and healing deeply intersect with race, class, disability, sexuality, gender, and other aspects of identity. We offer something to our community that is rarely found in other places and spaces dedicated to fitness, wellness, dance, or yoga—a space that is inclusive of all bodies and identities, not just in word, but in practice. Our approach to yoga, movement, and community is queer—unconventional, radical, inclusive, trauma-informed, creative, and deeply rooted in connection.

Radical queerness is about more than identity—it’s a revolutionary approach to life that questions and subverts traditional norms and binaries. In the quest for authentic healing and personal growth, embracing radical queerness offers a powerful catalyst for transformation. Radical queerness goes beyond the surface-level acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities; it challenges normative assumptions, disrupts oppressive structures, and celebrates the full spectrum of human experience. By integrating radical queerness into our communities, we foster environments that are truly inclusive, dynamic, and just.

Radical inclusivity is the foundation of the Spiral Goddess Collective. It involves creating a space where all identities are honored and celebrated, and where diversity is seen as a source of strength rather than division. Cultivating radical inclusivity at the Spiral Goddess Collective involves a multifaceted approach that embraces all body sizes, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, and socioeconomic class levels. By fostering a space where all individuals are empowered to be their authentic selves and to work towards a more equitable world, we serve as role models for radical community building. Through our intentional practices and unwavering commitment to these core values, the Spiral Goddess Collective not only enriches the lives of its members but also contributes to the broader movement for social change.

Cultivating relationships and connection outside the arrangements that our current culture presents to us can be a radical act in and of itself. Here, we recognize and emphasize the importance of interconnectedness, recognizing that true community is built on radical acceptance, radical inclusivity, and the authentic celebration of diversity. We recognize that diversity is not just about representation; it's about cultivating a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the collective well-being. We invite you to come as you are and to discover that you are so much more than you’ve been allowed to be. We invite you to start healing your wounds so that together, we can participate in healing the systems and structures that cause these wounds. Transformative healing happens form the inside out and the outside in. When we move our minds/bodies together, we are stronger—we are a collective of power and potential!

In addition to radically queer yoga, dance, meditation, and mind-body movement, we imagine our space as one of boundless possibility, where differences are not merely tolerated but cherished as vital components of a vibrant and dynamic community. In January, we initiated our Radical Careworkers Coven, bringing area healthcare practitioners, healers, and careworkers, together for networking and support. And here we are, co-creating CommuniTea Connections, embodying the essence of community building through the shared ritual of tea. Tea rituals, steeped in tradition and mindfulness, provide a space for individuals to engage in meaningful conversations, share personal stories, and build relationships across diverse backgrounds.  This initiative brings people together in a serene and welcoming environment, where the simple act of brewing and sharing tea becomes a powerful tool for fostering connection and understanding.

My personal hope is that opening space for these rituals and connections will help foster and  encourage connection, diversity, inclusivity, personal growth and empowerment. My hope is to provide a safe space, a brave space, to explore one’s identity, express oneself freely and authentically, and regularly reflect on progress so that together we can create vibrant, resilient, and enriched space where everyone feels valued and empowered. By creating these intentional gatherings, CommuniTea Connections promotes a sense of belonging and solidarity, transforming the communal tea experience into a cornerstone of vibrant, understanding, and radically inclusive communities.

Even though I am relatively successful, I can’t help but feel like I am bad at business. In October of 2022, I opened The Spiral Goddess Collective, a Center for Mind/Body Movement. I cringe when I am referred to as the owner. I want to jump out of my skin when someone calls me an entrepreneur. Both of those terms are accurate, but they don’t feel like a good fit. They make me feel dirty, manipulative, and like an imposter.
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I call the business of The Spiral Goddess Collective a not-for-profit because this too is an accurate term, even if it is not sanctioned by the world of business as such. My tax man instructed me that I have to make profit, otherwise the IRS will see my business as a hobby. But my definition of profit is different. I make profit so that I can give back to my community.
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My business is not-for-profit because everything that I earn goes back into the business. While I pay a portion of the money that comes in to the instructors and curators who teach classes and hold events, the money that comes in from the classes that I teach goes directly to business expenses (rent, internet, supplies, printing, software, etc) and my full-time job supplements the costs of operating The SGC. I don’t (yet?!) make money through my business, but we keep growing! Maybe someday I will make back my initial investments in this grand experiment, this dream, this community hub for embodiment and connection.

The Spiral Goddess Collective is a business, but it is also my community service and my activism. It is my laboratory and my art studio that complements my academic work as a Professor of Transdisciplinary Cultural Studies. It is where I put theory into practice. The classes I teach and the workshops and events I offer are a part of this, but providing a space for others to offer their classes, events, and workshops is another big part. And providing this space and all of our offerings to our community at Pay What You Can/Sliding Scale prices is the whole.

My university views my work at The SGC as a conflict of interest, and I have been trying to make the argument that this conflict is actually a benefit to the university, the community, and to our students. But the truth and reality of what The Spiral Goddess Collective is and what it does is not in alignment with policies written to attempt to limit greed, exploitation, and business as usual.
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My mother told me that I should not tell people that I am bad at business. Maybe it is not that I am bad at business as much as it is that I don’t like to play by the rules that most businesses play by—the rules set by capitalism and intertwined with other oppressive systems and structures.

And there are some business things I am pretty good at. In less than two years I have learned two different class management software systems. I’ve learned how to use a variety of other software programs and how to navigate a maze of aspects related to owning a business. I have built upon my skills, experience, and knowledge from my dual careers in academia and the world of fitness. I am highly organized and really good at making and managing schedules. I’m pretty good at website design and social media and program development. I’m good at communicating and valuing people. I can do a lot with very little and I am a multitasker in all things, but there are a lot of details to manage.

There are too many things that I want to do for the business, but time is never on my side. Thus, the biggest reason that I am bad at business is that I have a full-time job as a professor—the kind of job that has no boundaries and a million expectations (and is particularly dangerous for people-pleasing overachievers who tend to lack boundaries!). It is the kind of job that can never be left at work; it always follows me home.

My “real job” bleeds over into my work at The Spiral Goddess Collective, and it has threatened my health and well-being many times over the years. My job in academia is one of the reasons why I teach movement, dance, yoga, and fitness classes and preach self-care and embodied social justice. It is an attempt to find balance.
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In my work at The SGC, I’ve tried not to confuse my desire to provide access with the martyrdom that sometimes comes along with preaching Pay What You Can/Sliding Scale options and offering full and partial scholarships. I want to offer everything for free, but there are bills to pay and friends in the business have told me that people can’t wrap their heads around free. Free means that something has no value. Free means that they are unlikely to invest in themselves. Free means that I don’t value my own worth.

And what they tell me is evident in our culture: too many people want to buy into myths about weight loss. They want to be told that they can reach all of their impossible goals. They want to know how many calories they will burn; they want to see the results on their Fitbit or Apple watch. They want it all to be quick and easy. They want to punish themselves. They want to fit in and they want to stand out. They want superficial transformation—a body to envy. This is not what we are offering.

I want to have more faith in people. I want to think that there is a different way of doing fitness and business as usual.

And I think that we are beginning to see cultural shifts that will make what we offer at The Spiral Goddess Collective more valuable. I think that people are tired and need more rest and relaxation, deeper restoration, and support for their mind/body/spirit. I think people are disconnected—from themselves and from each other—and that they are looking for authentic connections and opportunities for embodiment. I think that people are searching for meaning and purpose and that they are looking for something different than fitness as usual and business as usual.
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For all of the struggles, my work at The Spiral Goddess Collective makes me happy. Teaching what I want to teach, the way I want to teach it, in line with my principles and values, and supporting other people’s teaching makes me happy. When I opened The SGC I envisioned it as a collective and it has become more and more of a collective every month. I have generous, supportive instructors and curators who often give their time, money, and energy as well. And we have grateful members of our collective (aka: clients, participants, customers) who love our space, our vision, our mission, and our offerings. I am grateful for all of the people who make The SGC what it is—a unique center for mind/body movement.

I want to believe that there are ways of doing business as not so usual, and I see the evidence of this possibility every day.