The Goddess

Yoga philosophy is just a lens for explaining how the world might work. And these figures and statues that sit before you in a yoga room are not something other than you or what you are not; they mirror all that is you.

 

The Masculine energy forms are associated with consciousness. Shiva, the dancer of extremes, can be thought to represent the extreme variation of thought and fluctuation in your mind. He is the force that destroys one thought to allow for the flow of the next. Shiva is not manifest; he's the voice/chat bubble in your head. You can hold a lot of dancing in your head.

 

The Feminine energy forms are associated with the physical world. Shiva's consort is Parvati. She is "Uma," literally the breath of life. She is the force that gives Shiva--and his big ideas--form. She brings that complexity out of your head and into your world. She is your ability to navigate those complexities and do something about them. She is response and activation.

 

Shiva and Parvati are together always. You can't have action without thought nor thought without action. You never are a spectator in the arena of your life. You are center stage.

 

Yoga class is an affirmation of the goddess. You literally breathe your own complexity alive; you make it manifest through your body. It is a visceral exploration in embodiment. In class, you experiment with leveraging your physical body for success in the world. Yes, you need your Shiva thoughts; then, we enact them. Note your ability to transmute thought into experience. Wherever you land along the way shows that you are beautifully alive.

 

The goddess tradition represents the inherent power and engagement that you already possess. She is your ability to act and respond. Consider all the skills and tools that you hold. Find support in your ability to be. May your movements affirm your ability to be alive and respond to the world with efficacy.