Love's Refuge: Recent Episodes
Shakti Sutriasa
Love’s Refuge offers guided meditation and spiritual sustenance.
Tap into your true nature and experience love, joy, and universal connection. It is time to release fear, anxiety, shame and unworthiness, old patterns that no longer work and have brought only suffering and pain. Decide differently and choose love. And as you choose love for yourself, you extend it to others, healing yourself and the planet.
Love’s refuge was born in March, 2020 out of a conversation with Tom Carpenter, beloved Course in Miracles teacher. When the magnitude of the coronavirus was coming to light, Tom was adamant that we provide a sanctuary for those “choosing love instead of the dictates of fear.”
Seek refuge here, stay awhile. Let love envelop, caress you, and hold you in its arms.
Shakti Sutriasa LCSW is an internationally known meditation teacher and host of Love’s Refuge, an online spiritual community. Learn more at Shakt-S.com
All of us want to feel safe, but how do we do that in a genuine way? There is a line from A Course In Miracles that says, “In my defenselessness my safety lies.” I know this sounds counterintuitive, but if we can really step into the truth of the statement, it holds the crux of our answer.
I’m a huge fan of Louise Hay and have been listening to her affirmations for years. “Life loves me” is one of my personal favorites. Let’s use this affirmation as an orientation as well as a way to unhook any fears or misperceptions we may have about the world.
Summer in the northern hemisphere is winding down. The weather is cooling and plants are beginning to die. Let’s take a moment to recognize and honor the changing season, and explore what’s calling to you.
Peace can feel so elusive, especially given the discord, violence and chaos of the world. Part of why it feels this way is because we tend to look for it outside of us. But what if real peace was only found within?
What if the voice for truth, for light, for Divine Intelligence was always trying to speak to you? How can you hear it? Use this meditation to quiet that inner noise and more easily hear the voice of true guidance.
A major part of my daily spiritual practice is to return to the flow- of grace, love, God, infinite intelligence. Lately I’ve been experiencing this space as an ocean of possibility. Join me.
Did you know that joy – actual blissful happiness- is your true nature? Yes, it can be hard to believe, but we can access it when we choose. Are you ready to try?
One way to open your heart is with conscious breathing. In this session, we call in the power of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god known as the servant to God/ or love, to help crack away whatever pain is preventing you from opening your heart right now.
Are you ready to go on a journey to heal a wounded part of you? Together we will meet the Black Madonna. Her essence is incredibly loving, and she accepts every single part of us, even the ones we reject. Join me on a healing adventure so you can return to wholeness.
Has life been feeling like a slog? So heavy that it’s weighing you down? Sometimes it’s collective and sometimes it can be us trying too hard. What if, instead, we stepped into the flow of life and allowed it to take us? Join me and experience the difference.
Many of us walk around carrying shame, like a secret inside that says, “if you really knew the truth of who I was you would reject me.” But what if that story isn’t actually correct? Together, let’s step into the space where we move beyond broken-ness so you can experience the totality of who you really are.
Discover a simple breathing technique that will offer you immediate relief from anxiety or stress. One you can do at any time, in any location.
Use this guided meditation to stimulate the flow between your 2nd and 4th chakras, or between your lower and middle dantian. This will help with physical healing as well as ancestral healing, and support you in connecting to and opening your heart center.
In the sacred text, A Course In Miracles, we are reminded that our only problem, our basic challenge, is that we believe we are separate – a body separate from everyone and everything.
Let’s take a journey and go beyond duality where we can return to oneness, to the space of infinite possibility. Ready?
The psychologist Erik Erikson is probably most famous for his 8 stages of human development. The first one occurs in infancy: trust versus mistrust. Since it is foundational, occurring so early in our lives, it commonly presents a challenge for those of us who have wounds going back to infancy. Let’s go on a healing journey together- to our first chakra- as we open to the concept of basic trust.
Many years ago, I read the Dalai Lama’s autobiography Freedom in Exile. One of the practices he encourages is to look upon every being as your mother (or as someone you deeply love.) This practice is formally known as the 7 Point Instruction on Cause and Effect and helps foster compassion and forgiveness. Let's do it together.
In this session, let’s explore our deep connection to the divine. In particular to the divine feminine. The incredibly loving, nurturing and supportive energy that permeates the world. We forget that it is there, that we can connect to it. Yet its loving presence calls to us constantly. Ready to tap into that?
The world situation may feel like it’s pulling you in a million different directions or creating too much distracting chaos. But the true work of your life is to step into self love. Not only will you feel vibrant, connected and whole, this work will actually help the world too! Ready to give it a try?
Isn't it time to remember to have fun? To delight in life regardless of how bad things might appear, and see the beauty, the grace, and the miracles that are all around us?
Use this guided meditation as a mind reset to go back to when you were a child, when you looked at the world through the eyes of innocence and wonder.
We've just experienced the equinox, signifying a move into a new season. What does that mean for you? In the northern hemisphere we’re opening to spring (autumn for those of you who live in the southern hemisphere). Let’s explore what wants to awaken in you with this change of seasons.
Harnessing the power of your mind requires practice and repetition. Like all the muscles in our bodies, our minds need exercise too. Then we can have more control over our thoughts and feelings.
Use this guided meditation to practice mindfulness and hone your focus. Experience more clarity, focus, and creativity!
In A Course in Miracles, it teaches that we are either experiencing love or fear.
How can we know the difference?
Together we will explore this idea, as we focus on a mantra my friend Linda Carpenter used to say, “love is the answer regardless of the question.”
And then we will share an experience of abiding love.
We are continually reminded that the point of power is in the present moment. How can you experience that fully? Let’s do it together right now. Join me.
If you are ready to release an outdated story or dis-belief from your past, this is the guided meditation journey for you.
Take this opportunity. Heal whatever it is from your past that is preventing you from fully stepping into the present and experiencing all the gifts and abundance that life wants to give you right now.
One of my favorite new year traditions is to choose a word or phrase to act as a theme for the year. Use this guided meditation to help you uncover what that word/phrase might be for you.
January is the ideal time to envision the upcoming year. Have you ever tried doing this from a place of deep contemplation? That is our invitation. Use this guided meditation to explore what your soul wants this year. As I speak, follow along and at any point pause the recording to jot down ideas or inspiration that comes. Have a pen and paper, your phone notes or Ipad ready!
Are you ready to go beyond what you perceive? Ready to connect to the essence of who you really are? Let’s go on a journey together to experience the mystery that is the divine.
Have you ever wondered how to connect to your inner wisdom? Do you hear it sometimes but not always? Spirit is always willing to communicate with us, but it is us who often block that connection.
Join Shakti and cleanse your chakras, become the conduit for light and true guidance. Once you do, you will more easily hear the voice that always wants to support you.
It can be so easy to fall into negativity, don’t you agree? Scroll through the news feed, pop onto social media and you can be there instantly.
But is that really how you want to live this day and your life? Are you ready to choose again and decide differently?
Sometimes the world and its cruelty can feel overwhelming. Globally there is famine, war, flooding, fires... but even locally. Perhaps you've experienced small skirmishes or disagreements in your neighborhood.
When we experience these upsets, it can be easy to shut ourselves off, to want to numb out or escape. And while that can work for awhile, we can also do something else. We can choose kindness. So how about it?
Tired of feeling alone in a scary world? Ready to shift your perception and come back to truth? Join Shakti and reconnect to divine union which is your true home and original essence. Recharge your batteries in the refuge of love and feel the support that is always available.
The world feels extremely turbulent lately! The good news is that peace is always available. Honor yourself this moment and return to that refuge. Allow your inner focus to shift and see the outer world reflect that. For in actuality, the world is a projection from our minds. Use this track to refocus, to remember your true nature, and return to peace.
The pandemic has highlighted loneliness in a way humanity has never experienced before. People are sequestered, unable to see loved ones or be together in community. And yet we are never truly alone. Join Shakti and have an experience of being surrounded and supported by love, divine intelligence, and peace.
A common response to stress, anxiety or fear is to emotionally check out. Your body might be standing in the same spot but your awareness is somewhere else completely. Yet healing occurs in the now. Join Shakti and ground back into this moment and return to your body. Allow yourself to experience presence in a way that will enable you to hold space regardless of what or where you are in the world.
One of the best ways to experience greater peace, happiness and wellbeing is to practice affirmation. In this session, we will use a variety of affirmations – some from Louise Hay, some from Shakti Sutriasa- to release anxiety, uncertainty and fear and assist you in returning to a place of wholeness, clarity, and peace.
Are you feeling overly anxious lately? If so, you aren't alone. Many of us are struggling right now. Use this guided meditation to help quiet those racing thoughts and tense body reactions. Then allow yourself to reconnect to a place of stillness and safety.
Do your hopes and dreams feel unattainable? As if they will never happen? Ready to change that?
The good news is you can, by shifting your thinking. Because your thoughts are creating your reality! If you're ready to shift your thinking and attract all the beauty, well being and prosperity you deserve, listen now.
Have you noticed your mind chatter lately? What is it saying to you? Is it being nice or mean? Loving or spiteful? Let’s work on resetting it right now so it supports you!
The world situation feels tenuous and uncertain. Covid lingers with new variants, and summer in the northern hemisphere is bringing severe drought and high temperatures never experienced before. One way we can support our healing, is to shift our paradigm. Instead of thinking we are separate beings, apart from one another and the world, we can acknowledge and celebrate our interconnectedness. Let’s feel into that space of oneness, and join together to collectively pray for healing.
Doesn't it seem that we've been programmed to do? To work work work and be active. We often get questions like, what have you done today? But here’s the thing, we aren’t human doers, we are human beings. Let’s reconnect to what it feels like simply to be.
Sometimes it’s hard to feel loving or compassionate in the world. Maybe you’re overwhelmed, stressed or afraid. Or maybe the pain of it all weighs too heavily on you. This powerful breath, the Chitakash, known as the heart space over the head, is one that I learned from my guru. It will help you feel clear, centered, loving and detached in any situation.
Are you tired of judging yourself, others, and the world? There is another way - acceptance. When we accept, we free ourselves. We return to a state of peace and receptivity where we truly feel aligned and centered. Join me and settle into what it feels like to live from this place of deep abiding acceptance.
Did you know that being kind actually has health benefits? It increases your natural dopamine and releases oxytocin which has a variety of positive effects including actually lowering your blood pressure and reducing inflammation. Kindness is contagious too! So let’s spread some kindness by doing the loving kindness or metta bhavana prayer together.
Is there something inside that’s holding you back from reaching your full potential? Ready to release it? Identify the image or feeling associated with it and join Shakti as she guides you on a journey of self discovery and healing.
A powerful way to help us access abiding joy is to forgive. In part 2 of our series, we’ll go on an exploration of forgiveness. Is there a specific person or situation that needs forgiving? Perhaps it is yourself. Call whatever it is to mind as we embark on this journey.
It's time you felt more engaged, happy and present in your life! In session 1 of this 2 part series, Shakti shares 3 different ways we experience happiness, then offers strategies to help you experience more joy, aliveness and peace every day. After a quick talk, she leads a meditation to help you have an experience of deep abiding joy.
Life is ready to give you everything you desire, only something is holding you back! Shakti shares some strategies to assist you in releasing any lingering feelings of lack or unworthiness. Then she will lead you in a deep meditation where you can confidently step into the fullness of what life has to offer, the prosperity, success and love that is waiting for you.
As our world shifts, we are being called to step out of fear and into kindness. A powerful way to do this is to tap into the energy of the goddess Tara. In her many forms, she teaches how to embody compassion & loving kindness. Join Shakti and awaken Tara’s love in you.
Are you feeling stuck or unhappy in your life? Have you heard the call? You know, the one that is beckoning to your soul, promising adventure? It’s time to stop ignoring it. It's time to listen and arise from the doldrums of your existence. It’s time to awaken to who you really are.
The world can often feel chaotic or scary, the future uncertain. We manage these challenges by anchoring into basic trust. Join Shakti as she defines what basic trust is and why some of us never had it. She will provide ways to re-establish trust in your life and then support you in having an even greater experience of trust (in God/Source) which is your innate right and inheritance.
Don’t you think it’s time to release whatever is holding you back from experiencing wholeness, peace and prosperity? Use this guided meditation to let go of your blocks so you can open to all the goodness that wants to show up in your life. Get ready to receive everything you deserve!
The word "love" has many meanings and connotations. So what exactly does it mean when we refer to divine love? In this recording, which was a live talk and meditation, Shakti begins the session by defining this love. After that, she invites you to join for a deep experience of this divine love.
Your access to spirit lies within you, only for most of us, it’s dormant. According to Hindu tradition, Kundalini-your spiritual energy- is a snake asleep in your 1st chakra. Join Shakti and awaken that sacred energy to truly light up your life.
Did you know you are here to “create the good, the beautiful and the holy*?” Access the sacred that dwells in you and awaken to your own magnificence. Clear away any blocks that hold you back from experiencing happiness, abiding love, presence and peace.
above quote is from A Course in Miracles*
Feeling weighed down by emotion that you're either ignoring or avoiding? Want to try another way? Use this guided meditation to safely feel your uncomfortable emotions. Allow yourself to experience them and then make peace. Once you have, see if there’s a gift for you.
What exactly is a miracle and how can you access them? Shakti will define a miracle and share some simple ways you can transform your life by using principles of miracles. Aren’t you ready for a better way to live, to love, to be?
The world can often seem chaotic and full of uncertainty. How can we feel safe or find peace and a sense of clarity? Use this meditation and be gently guided back to the space of the silent witness, to the refuge within, your true home. This place where you are completely safe, held and nurtured.
Take a deep dive into dive into purpose. Why are you here? What are you supposed to do with this life of yours? Use this meditation to discover what that is for you.
How do we fulfill our desires, goals and dreams? We can work hard to do this on our own. But we are infinitely more powerful and ultimately genuinely successful when we allow spirit to co-create with us. Use this meditation and align with infinite intelligence so that your deepest wishes may come to fruition.
Is there a fear or worry that’s preventing you from stepping into your life in a bigger way? Ready to release it? Identify that feeling, then go on a journey of self-discovery and healing.
As we begin a new year, consider choosing a word or phrase to act as a theme, touchstone, and inquiry. Once you have chosen one, use this meditation to anchor it in and see what arises!
The solstice can act as an invitation to re-ignite the light that is inside of us. Be gently guided through your chakra system as you awaken each power center with your breath and fill it with light. Guaranteed to be uplifting and energizing.
The chaos and uncertainty of the world can engender fear. Allow yourself to interrupt that cycle right now and choose again. Use your breath, it will guide you back to the truth of who you are and what is real. Enter into this place of total peace, acceptance and love.
Connect to the Divine Mother as you settle into the rich space of creation - the womb chakra- a place that is available to all. In this primordial place, your deepest dreams can be birthed. What is calling to you?
What if instead of fighting we listened? This meditation is focused on seeing the "other" and allowing ourselves to be fully present with them. To see, hear and extend love. The path of true compassion.
The world we experience can often feel challenging, difficult. And while we feel that, there also exists an undercurrent of grace, of divine love that is ever present, reminding us what is real. Instead of being caught in the chaos, the invitation is to return to this grace that is always there.
Gratitude moves us from feeling like something is missing in our lives to the recognition of all the blessings and good we have this moment. It is an instant reset. Deepen into your gratitude practice and consider using it as a lens through which to see and experience the world.
This guided meditation is keenly helpful if you find yourself feeling stressed, anxious, angry, afraid or are experiencing any other "negative" emotion. Normally when we feel these, we push them away. Instead, see if you can make space for them to be here with you, and as you do, you neutralize their affect. Then, you may even receive a new gift or way of seeing the world.
This is a potent time of change and transformation. Rather than allowing the uncertainty to bring us into fear and anxiety, we can channel this potency and create, birth something entirely new. What is calling to you?
A balanced life can feel elusive especially when there is turmoil in our surroundings. But we also know we feel better, clearer and more grounded when we are in balance. This guided journey with Shakti will help you return to a place of equilibrium, peace and clarity, and was recorded during a Love's Refuge live session.
What would happen if you said YES to life even more? If, regardless of what life was offering you, you said yes? And by saying yes, you opened yourself up to receive even more happiness, prosperity, insight, guidance and love? This is a recording from Shakti's online spiritual group, Love's Refuge (but only the guided meditation part) which has been put to music.
Ready to foster more patience, generosity and kindness towards others? In this meditation, Shakti guides you through the stages of the Buddhist practice, the Metta Bhavana. As you move through each one, it will help you experience good will towards yourself and others.
Allow yourself to be wrapped in the arms of the Divine Mother in this meditation journey, and reconnect to the place of refuge that is always available to you. Use these powerful affirmations as well to anchor into remembering that you are always safe.
Ready to experience prosperity, abundance and joy? Open to Source in this guided meditation and allow yourself to receive all the goodness the universe wants to shower down upon you. You deserve every happiness, every dream fulfilled. It's your time.
In times of chaos and confusion, it's easy to feel uncertain about life and the future. Use this guided meditation to restore yourself to a place of equanimity, and return to that abiding place of peace, safety and tranquility that is always available.
Awaken your kundalini in this guided meditation. Kundalini is the spiritual energy that sleeps in your 1st chakra. Awakened, it moves up your spine and out the top of your head! Join Shakti for this energizing and empowering journey.
Connect to your inner joy - which is your true nature - and is always available to you. Relax and deepen into this space, opening up to experiencing all the happiness, bliss and freedom awaiting you. Feel joy anoint your body from head to toe, and as it does, allow it to then radiate out from you and bless the world.
This guided meditation was recorded during a live session of Love's Refuge, only it's put to soothing piano music! Settle in and discover the cave in the center of your heart, the refuge of love that is always available to you.
Experience clarity of mind as you tap into your inner knowing and connect to your personal guru or guide. Once you connect deeply with this space inside of yourself, ask the questions your soul yearns to have answered, and receive divine guidance.
Use your breath to ground into your body scanning it for tension and anxiety. Then focus on your thoughts, as they arise and subside, dispelling those causing discomfort. As you relax into this space, you will open to the place of grace that is always available to you.