SAN DIEGO−With a growing number of young women in modern society falling victim to addiction, depression, and emotional turmoil, Shakti Rising acts as a beacon of light.
Taking a somewhat different path than most traditional counseling and rehabilitation programs, Shakti seeks to resolve the problems at the root, evoking a cultural renaissance in each of its visitors.
Incorporating nearly everything from counseling and massage to dance and meditation, and even to financial and relationship classes, Shakti Rising is a San Diego based, non-profit organization which helps young women overcome issues such as substance abuse, body-image issues, interpersonal violence, and depression.
"This is not just a class. They learn fundamental values and characteristics, how to cultivate them, and then how to actually live them out in their lives. The other thing that has made us so successful is that we view transformation as a way of life," said Shannon Thompson, founder of Shakti Rising. "So they don't just come in here and learn about behaviors. They come in here and learn an entirely different way of living where our philosophy is that you are whole and that you have something brilliant to bring to the world."
In the days before Shakti, Thompson had spent much of her time involved in the community, and had run a statewide juvenile delinquency program when she was just 25. Yet, Thompson said that she always felt limited in many of the existing programs as, oftentimes, they only solved the problems on the surface.
"I felt a lot of the services that are provided to youth who have gotten into any kind of trouble were geared to just getting them onto a straight arrow road and that alone was acceptable," said Thompson. "I came to understand that the helping system itself was broken and that it had become, in a sense, somewhat entrenched in the welfare system. In some ways the non-profit system and the county government had become just as dysfunctional as some of the things we were trying to address."
Disappointed, and with a goal to truly make a difference, Thompson ventured into studies of holistic medicine, massage therapy, as well as other alternative healing practices. Eventually, young people started coming to her and asking her to mentor them. Thompson laughed a bit, as at the time she wasn't actually trying to create a program.
"So I just started, in my own home, teaching them to cook and to shop. Then I started running groups and teaching them different exercises and helping them with their homework and helping them get into college−that's how Shakti started, and I didn't know it was starting," said Thompson.
Now, just ten years later, Shakti has grown and flourished. Walking into the colorfully decorated home one might catch a glimpse of a quiet yoga or meditation session. Grains, herbs, and spices fill a warm kitchen, while in the backyard, a garden filled with fruits and vegetables offers a place to reconnect with nature. On the second floor live the women who have engaged themselves in the programs, while other buildings serve for workshops and classes.
With a long list of varied programs, Thompson mentioned that one reason the structure has been difficult to duplicate is the approach taken is very down to earth and varies from person to person: "We draw from a huge well of wisdom, but all of that has come together into what our unique model is. That's what makes us work and there's no real way of describing it."
Having first come to Shakti due to an interest found during an open house, Angela Moran, now the director of Shakti's community volunteer program, said that one of the major lessons that she learned there is to not judge others. Moran explained that one element which helped her in this area was the practice of being more present. "We practice living in the moment. It's very different when you live like that. You become really engaged with yourself and others and it really helps us to do what we do here."
Tarja Stoeckl, co-executive director at Shakti, said that they look at things case by case and treat it in a compassionate manner, rather than following a rigid system as found in most other programs.
"That's much harder. Most of us live in a society where we want to know that 'A equals B equals C,' as opposed to having to really think, respond, and be attentive to, in the moment, and what is the best thing to do right then," said Stoeckl.
"With every woman who comes here, we cultivate presence of heart, so that you're really in a relationship with that person."
With a success rate of around 90%, Thompson mentioned that Shakti's ability to help people goes beyond mere structure as it is community, encouraging each-other, and helping each-other to rise above issues that had, at one time, seemed insurmountable. With great hopes for a still brighter future, Thompson explained the changes which she would like to see take place.
"Most of us are too busy, there's too much information, we have a hugely consumer society, and people feel lonely, depressed, disempowered, and disengaged. So what are some of the things we can do to change that right away?" said Thompson.
"Belonging to something bigger than yourself; being in a community where you care for people and are cared for, and where you are seen and noticed. A place where you can grow and where you can have a talent to contribute so that at the end of the day you know that what you do matters and that you matter."
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