In September 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by Iran’s Morality Police while visiting Tehran with her family, and later died in custody after several witnesses described seeing her assaulted during her arrest. Mahsa Amini’s killing has sparked protests across Iran and a brutal crackdown in response by the government, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people, including children and teenage girls. On today’s episode, I discuss this situation and how it relates to the global rise of the Sacred Feminine with Iranian-American educator, writer, artist and conscious community builder Priya Assal With nearly 30 years of practice and training in yoga, personal transformation and healing work along with an academic formation in Fine Arts, Priya Assal’s approach to self-care is artistic and feminine. In 2020, she launched Inner Journey Practices, a non-profit organization providing accessible self-care and empowerment online education to Farsi speaking women worldwide. Her organization’s mission is to restore and protect the dignity, sovereignty and safety of Farsi-speaking women, and the programs she offers are designed to awaken the sacred feminine as a pathway to bring healing and balance in the values that shape Iranian culture and society. On today’s episode, we discuss: • Priya Assal’s spiritual background, and how a seemingly random moment of eye-gazing with a stranger on the street at age 17 led to a spark of recognition of the Sacred Feminine • How her experience with art helped her deepen her understanding of the Sacred Feminine, and why it’s still hard for her to pray to a Divine Mother sometimes • The current situation in Iran and what the protests mean, both for young women and all Iranians • How Western women can lend their support to Iranian women without centering themselves • Priya Assal’s not-for-profit, Inner Journey Practices, and her vision for supporting Farsi women worldwide in their evolution and healing • The power of intentional eye-gazing among women as a means to build connection and shared understanding of the collective burden so many of us feel we’re carrying