Women we admire; Megan Callahan
On the winter solstice I opened an email that shifted my heart + brought joy to every cell in my body. Knowing Megan is not only inspiring but so affirming that this journey is meant to be shared. The more we open our hearts the more gifts we are open to receive from others. I am so thankful to call Megan my friend. A multifaceted woman (as we all are), Megan truly exudes a renaissance energy, basking in a glow of creativity and community, there is so much to admire about her. Her answers to these open questions brought tears to my eyes in the most gratifying way. When we gathered early this autumn to capture these images, Megan drifted away wherever her spirit called, like an effortless breeze in connection with her body. It never stops amazing me all the endless forms of beauty a woman can possess, in every single form. So here is more about a woman I highly admire...
Megan Callahan
Yoga Parkside
What drew you into the path you are currently walking?
There's a quote I've been 'wearing' for some time by Isadora Duncan. "You were wild once here. Don't let them tame you." For many years I've been growing into this quote, growing into personal sovereignty and what that means, how it feels, how to live it- particularly as a woman and in this particular time in the journey of our planet. The path I am currently walking is one of reclamation of sacred motherhood, sacred sisterhood and sacred personhood, not just my own, but of the fragments of the sacred feminine archetype that were deliberately scattered throughout thousands of years. There is a reanimation happening. This is the first time I'm speaking of it. I've had dreams for the past year, recurring themes of pathless woods and meeting others in clearings, with a feeling both ancient and incredibly timely. Yoga was always a constant companion, and one I may have taken for granted, first showing up when I was fourteen, and traveling the meandering path with me, but always there. Many years ago when I peered into the future, I saw elements that are now here- a center, community, healing, arts, the very young and those in the slowing down phase of life and everyone in between .. it is still unfolding and I am doing my best to listen to the guidance of how I am called and how I can best serve.
Have you always felt destined to create in the way you do currently or do you feel more fluid in your artistry?
I really resonate with the term 'renaissance soul.' When I first arrived in Buffalo, I donned the nickname 'jill of all trades' and even had a business card listing a bunch of things that I offered. I remember the reaction of some (only a few) at the time, and it was not positive. Part of my reclamation has been to honor my shapeshifting and multifaceted nature as a gift, and not a burden. A book I read talked about practical strategies for souls called to many things, and I still use these. Part of the sacred feminine both culturally, and individually, is letting the shakti part of our nature come flowing back in and following inspiration. We have and need a rigid, disciplined part of our being, but we each also have a spontaneous, ecstatic muse. It's about finding the balance. Having children especially has taught me about my power and strength and where I was at times giving it away and not honoring myself. I am grateful that I had many years performing and directing, teaching and traveling, and that now yoga and the studio can support time with my children while they are little and need so much of me. I don't feel as if I've given anything up, but that I'm just in a very particular and different phase of being. I now have a pot on a long simmer on the back-burner, and occasionally lift the lid. A dear friend and teacher once said to me 'it's a long life.' This has been medicine for me and has helped me welcome the shift in the way I create just now. The songs I write at this point are silly ones in the moment with my children, that my four year old co-creates with me. I take a full week and sneak in a theater class with wild and free home schooled children, and have some theatrical projects for next year in the works, sing some songs with friends, share carols on people's voicemails, but I'm letting myself focus on mothering, the studio and my own shadow work at the moment. This is deeply nourishing and creative.
What makes you feel most alive?
I feel most alive when I'm embodying the bridge between the ancient and modern times. We seek out groups of people and purposes to replace the lost tribe, to find something perhaps we don't even know how to name or identify, but some part of us knows is missing. I'm realizing as I age just how extroverted I am, and that we are not meant to be so isolated from one another. This has become more pronounced for me since motherhood. I work to create a work culture and home culture (not so different in fact) for myself and my staff that has elements of what I imagine our lives might have been like long, long ago. Children underfoot, taking time to center and check-in, share food, and be with each other as we work, healing through the modern craze of productivity, bottom lines and perfectionism. There is another way, and as we feel the feminine rising within all aspects of our culture, particularly business, and we can model how to to take care of ourselves and each other, and that there can be enough for everyone this way, then I light up. I love to hear people's stories, cutting past small talk to hear and see the truth of others, and then to also share my, truth.
When do you feel most you? Most beautiful?
Yoga and birth have both deeply healed my relationship to my body and spirit. It has been a long journey but I truly do feel beautiful more often then not, adorned or not, in a dress or not. My spirit is strong, and strengthening, and I feel beautiful as I continue to crack further open and grow into myself.
In what ways do you care for yourself, and what has self care done for your own growth?
This answer is the current journey, for recovering the self is a pre-requisite to self care. I care for myself when I go to bed a few nights a week with my one year old son, and gift myself with a nap, even if it means the work waits. I care for myself in acknowledging my limits and being gentle with myself. I am much better then I used to be at recognizing when I am weary and needing care. I have been nursing for over four years, and the entire time have been taking supplements, recently started experimenting with herbal infusions, and be-friending stress. Yes, you read that right :) Our bodies have a remarkable way to help us through tough times and acknowledging that as it's happening, a very specific form of mindfulness, has been life changing for me, and rewiring how I respond to even very intense challenges. My yoga practice evolves and unfolds each day, my children often my teachers, all of us learning and healing together.
What are you looking forward to the most in your next year?
I am going to travel internationally with the boys for the first time, and for a dream come true: leading my first ever yoga retreat abroad, and in a country that I've always wanted to visit, Costa Rica. And a dream I had planted long ago was to become fluent in Spanish. I speak conversational Spanish and broken Russian, and my older child is currently in love with learning language. I am looking forward to deepening this practice together, and to traveling with them, to my sisters wedding, and to reinvigorating and reimagining my own sacred practices in the coming year. Finding new ways of using my body, as well as my mind. I'm also very excited about directing again, which is slated to happen in the fall.
Tell us anything you want about yourself, your offerings in this world, your business, your passion...whatever you want.
For a long time I have felt called to write a book, and I've just recently started it. The spark is something I've touched on in this interview- how to connect with our ancient and intuitive ways of being and knowing in the challenges of this modern culture. I'm a mad scientist trying to live this, and then I share my findings. Our world needs us each to explore what we once had that we need to bring back, and what we currently have that we need to let go. The filter for me is often parenting, because it's what I'm living right now, but the message coming through is universal. And I feel that there are so many people who care so very much right now, who are waking up and want to connect and help each other and the planet in some way, in a big way, the way that is truly needed, and I want to support that however I can. I recently wrote a post about the Margaret Mead quote "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." As I wrote the post I realized the difference now, is the group of us is no longer small, so we must take heart, for each of us doing our parts will have a massive impact. We each deserve to be here, and we can create a world beyond our wildest dreams, provided we remember that it's a collective dream. Some of it is not going to be comfortable or easy, but we have ancient wisdom within us, and the support of our ancestors, and we are beginning to remember. And the remembering is the beginning of the path... and on we walk.
Photography by Lindsey Robinson
Wardrobe By 1864 Boutique + private collection Magnolia Pearl
Hair + Make up by Katie Mann, Trippy Chick Makeup
Skincare by Svanur
Sacred Space provided by Kathy Rybacki
1 comment
Thank you my beautiful friend. You ground me time after time.