From Hiding to Rising 🔥 Becoming a Dharmic Yōgini (True Story)

Let me share a story ... You’ll love it, as it is encapsulates slightly uncomfortable feelings while giving inspirational windows of ways to overcome them.. :)

Years ago, my husband asked me to grab the mic and sing as the lead vocalist for our family band at a bougie art show in Columbus, Indiana.

There were two problems with this: 1) I only sang in the shower, and 2) I never sang on stage.

At that time, I had been managing our family band—handling all the behind-the-scenes tasks like bookkeeping, acting as the booking agent for shows, and managing/parenting our little lioness child (who had become a part of the show with the stage name MC Fireworks!), making sure fame didn’t get to her head. Oh, and I danced sometimes- mostly in the crowd to get others dancing. Although I was an integral part of our band and a founder, I had no desire to perform.

But when the lead vocalist missed their flight, the show had to go on. My family needed me, and in that moment, we all realized that because I could sing in the shower, knew the songs, and the show would’ve been canceled, I had to come out of my hiding (my comfort zone) and get on that stage.

This was definitely a trial by fire experience—and 🔥 in Tantra is Divine. It is considered the elemental force of the rise of Kundalini. It is the desire of our Soul and Mother of the Universe that says…

HEY YOU! RISE!

So... I had to overcome my doubts and rise above my fears. I had to essentially "kill my ego" and let my heart lead. And that’s exactly what happened.

The mystical fire that sparked this crucial shift for our family was Love Incarnate—meeting a need and trumping (yes, I’m normalizing this word) my mental limitations and fears.

This crucial day, I not only performed but was transformed.

I was able to sing and dance in a way that felt natural, joyful, and even beautiful. I felt seen, and enjoyed it. The response from the audience (and eventually down the road from our family and community) to have all three of us on stage, was HUGE. But Grrrrllllll, stepping out of my comfort zone was no joke.

This is the call that you feel, too— in your body, in your soul... that moment when you know it’s time to step up. Your rise is inevitable. Let’s tap into that sacred fire together. Let me share a bit more...

In that moment - new on my path of working intimately with the practices of Tantrayoga - I stepped into my dharma, supporting my family in a way that felt completely unexpected and deeply beautiful.

This experience taught me that Tantra’s practices don’t just help us transcend our fears; they also unlock talents and skills we didn’t even know we had.

This is where my practices and herbal allies had my back in such a strong way.

Once I stepped into the role of being on stage, I knew I couldn’t back down. My husband (and I) recognized that I had something—a talent—and soon enough, when gigs started coming in, I found myself performing at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Winnipeg Folk Festival, LEAF Global Arts, and more (!!!).

But it wasn’t easy. After the initial trial by fire (and the momentary ecstasy of having accomplished something so big), I had to figure out ways to keep myself strong, capable, and uplifted, while mitigating my weaknesses—like a tendency to want to hide, doubts that my voice would do what it needed to do, and fears of the public.

The practices I chose—simple but deeply grounding—helped me balance my household responsibilities with my performance role. Many nights, I found myself silently practicing my mantra sadhana at the foot of a hotel bed while my family slept. These moments helped me recalibrate and protect my mind, especially when feelings of doubt, fear, and frustration tried to take over.

My yogasana, particularly practices around the navel, helped awaken my Kundalini, which sparked dormant, powerful Śaktis within me. These forces of energy guided us, giving me the strength and presence I needed to continue performing and supporting my family’s mission.

Although my ultimate dharma has always been to be a yogini—a path that eventually led me to create The Wild Temple—during this time, I strengthened my knowledge of yoga + herbs by weaving them daily into life. My practices and herbal remedies aided myself, my family, as well as the musicians we toured with.

This journey—of embracing my fear, leaning into Tantric practices, and aligning with my family’s greater purpose—led to a rippling into the capabilities of my family and our band—ultimately leading us to win a Grammy in 2015.

And this experience taught me invaluable lessons.

Which practices to do and when.

I worked with:

• Specific Devi mantras from the Durga Saptashapti to overcome fear

• Practices to boost healing from the Netra Tantra

• Variations of Guyatris to clear obstacles, tend to karma and uplift the consciousness of those around me

• Specific Saturn mantras to mitigate external challenges (like not getting to a plane on time...)

Herbs and Flower Essences

I worked with

• Adaptogens like Maca, Shatavari and Ashwaghanda

• Nettles for mineral boosts

• Homemade tincture blends with Shizandra, Hawthorne + Ginger syrup to aid motion sickness while boosting the immune system

• Sweet nourishing bitters to balance the travel belly (digestion) without drying the system

• And more...

Practices Dedicated to Awakening Kundalini

This is a domain of TANTRA! These practices are SO effective when done correctly!

I worked with my navel center- invoking the fire with a specific weaving of physical practices (mudras + bandhas), mantras and visualizations. I started to implement the codified system of Tantric Alchemy so that my "awakening" (which lifted my courage, capacity, patience and joy both on and off stage) was smooth and viable.

And I watched how these formulas supported my own practical and mystical badassery!

You don’t have to memorize all of this—what’s important is learning how to tailor practices and remedies like these to your unique needs, just as I did, so that you can empower yourself and your community with the wisdom of the plants and Tantric practices.

Drawing from these experiences of Tantrayoga + herbal formulas that worked for me and others, I crafted The Sage Apprenticeship in 2009. Still on the road, I was offering this Apprenticeship with my colleague Daisy Marquis. It was designed to guide one toward more embodied wisdom and mastery.

16 years later, the program is stronger than ever, and offers professional certification as a Tantra Yoga Therapist to boot.

Why am I sharing this story now?

It is to give you a practical (but extraordinary) example of how Tantra Yoga plus Plants can aid YOU.

And these skills, codified by the ancient Tantric practitioners, are perfect for these times.

You don’t have to keep fighting the same internal battles or feel like you’re constantly overwhelmed or need to hide. It IS your time to be empowered! It IS time to claim your energy, your wellbeing, your voice, find your center, and step into your power with clarity.

The Sage Apprenticeship, may be just what you are looking for, to learn the herbs, the techniques, and how best to weave them together to Ignite 🔥 Your Dharma.

I can’t wait to see you on the inside. RSVP for upcoming programs, or check on our site here: Level 1 Sage + Level 2 Sage.

Level 1 begins February 13, 2025. Click to learn more or ENROLL.

Love, Brooke 🌿