Yoni Shakti is women power, the cunt power as my teacher Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, describes it, claiming back dignity of this word.
Shakti is the power of life itself, it is the feminine force. Shakti is the source through which Shiva materializes his seeds. Shiva is the supreme consciousness the pure being and Shakti is the power to action, the power to become.
Yoni is a Sanskrit word that indicate the cosmic womb, the source, the female sacred space of the womb. The symbol of the feminine generative power.
This space is sacred. And yoga teaches us to respect it.
I am sure that you have already heard about the chakras, the spinning wheels situated along the spinal column, which are places of power, strength and life energy.
In most of the literature about the energetic body, the womb is associated with the second chakra, Svadisthana. This is linked to the water element, that makes us experience the flows of the female energy. However, although menstruation and female organs are definitely made of fluids (menstrual blood, mucus and amniotic water), it is also important to acknowledge the presence of the earth.
A less common explanation of the womb sacred space is investigated by my teacher Uma in her amazing book Yoni Shakti, A women guide to power and freedom through Yoga and Tantra. Uma locates it between the first chakra, the Muladhara (representing the earth element) and the second (water) energy lock.
The womb is the mother, it is the land where life grows, it is the fertile space that nurtures our existence. The source of inspiration and creativity. It is the energetic space that strengthens our roots and stability and our intuition.
Yonishtana chakra is the “junction” between earth and water, where the fluidity of water meets the firmness of the earth (Yoni Shakti). It is mud.
The lotus flower begins to sprout under water in the mud. The lotus may appear fragile on the surface, but it is flexible and strong, securely anchored under the surface of the water.
Practicing yoga with this awareness, will open way to a deeper understanding of cultivating the female energy. By recognising the presence of the earth and the water we create an intimate connection with our womb, accepting and honouring its real nature.
Practicing a feminine yoga, integrating awareness of the womb as a physical organ and energetic space, offering love and respect to her, we can reconnect with our womb cycles, feel empowered and cultivate freedom.
As Maya Tiwari says in her book Women’s power to heal through Inner Medicine:
“In essence, your Shakti is the Mother Consciousness on planet earth”.
Photo by Marina Logvin
