Two years ago, we spoke with Tracee Stanley, founder of the Empowered Life Circle, about her book "Radiant Rest," and it was one of the most memorable interviews we’ve hosted on this podcast. We are honored to have her on again to talk about her new book, "The Luminous Self," which comes out in October. Tracee’s new book paints from a palette of her decades of study of the traditions of the Himalayan Masters and Sri Vidya Tantra as well as from personal stories that make the knowledge both practical and relatable. In this episode, we get the hear Tracee tell some of these stories firsthand as well as hear her describe some of the practices she outlines in her book for reconnecting to our deepest selves. We discuss all the ways in which thinking of life as a sacred ritual infuses life with intention and purpose. There are so many incredible gems of wisdom from Tracee in this episode. And for those who preorder her book at Shambhala.com before the launch date of October 9, you get 30% off with the code LUM30 as well as free entry into her book club with live group sessions, practices, Q&A and sacred community.  Show Notes: 1.15 Rituals2.15 “If we want to think about life as a sacred ritual, if we want to be able to weave our practices and our devotion throughout our days. Then we have to become more intentional with the things that we do and why we do them. Because a ritual is really meant to mark a moment in time when you take a pause, you do something intentionally to create an effect or an opening for something new to emerge.” Tracee7.45 Timeline practice11.00 How The Luminous Self came about 14.27 “I am deeply listening to what needs to come through.” Tracee 16.50 Opening up the humanity18.00 Sanskara : The moments we think hold us back propels us to our own growth “The crack is where the light comes through. This idea of discomfort is the portal to your healing. And it’s sometimes the very thing we want to avoid. Whether it’s because we don’t have the support, or we don’t have the practices or we don’t have the trust or the faith that it’s even possible. And so, I really wanted people to be able to see through my lens that it absolutely is possible.” Tracee 19.30 The Yoga Sutras25.00 Internal Practices “This idea of internal practice is a strengthening of the remembering. Because we have so much beautiful memory from our spiritual lineages, our ancestor lineages that live in our DNA. When we are in a place of deep rest and deep listening that that remembering rises to the surface as well”. Tracee 27.00 The elements and our connection to them  “When we think about this idea of returning to our true nature, our true nature is not separate from nature. The more we are separate from it, the more we are separated from ourselves. As above, so below. What is in the macrocosm is in the microcosm, there is a universe inside of us. There is a sun, there is a moon.” Tracee 31.00 “There is not a reciprocal relationship with nature. And once we are in that reciprocity with nature, that is when the healing starts to begin.” Tracee 31.30 The connected roots exercise  Ted Talk: Suzanne Simard 36.00 Yoga is not a feel-good practice – it’s a face your truth practice “When I first started practicing yoga it was like -oh I want to feel better, I want to look better, I want to be stronger, I want to be more peaceful and then when I started reading that first translation of the yoga sutras, it was like oh there’s a place in my that is beyond all sorrow. Then that means there is sorrow that I am not acknowledging, I am bypassing the sorrow so that I can be in the feel-good.” Tracee  37.00 Bhakti – Devotion39.00 Upgrades in consciousness “I needed that upgrade. It was excruciatingly painful until I realized what was happening. And then it was like -oh, let me be in the lila, and let me watch and let me experience. And it took on a completely different turn.” Tracee  Discount Code: 30% off the book if you preorder at Shambhala.com with the code LUM