Week Four - Shiva + Shakti, A Relationship of Balance

Hello everyone,

I am sending so many blessings your way in anticipation of the full moon that will light up the sky tonight, the last full moon of the year...and a massive super moon! In December, the full moon is called the 'cold moon' - a beautiful symbol of letting go and the deep sleep of winter. But this one is extra special, as every 18.6 years the moon rises at an extreme angle, heightening its physical power through gravity over our tides, our sleep, our behaviours, and our emotions. Tonight will be the highest moon we will have in our sky until 2042!

As we near the winter solstice and the end of the year, a super high super moon is certainly an invitation to settle into ourselves with some courage and a quiet honesty. It feels like a not-so-subtle nudge to look at what's hiding within, accept it with a loving kindness, and choose to release what's no longer needed. I'm hoping that this will be the perfect energy for our yoga practice this Sunday the 7th, as our theme will be to balance the two opposing forces of sun and moon in the body, and observe any areas where you might be leaning off kilter. 

*Drop-ins are always so welcome for Sunday 5pm Hatha practice, by the way! It is worth noting that all of this term yoga philosophy is primarily shared via this email - so there is absolutely no experience or understanding necessary to come along and enjoy the yoga practice at Thrive. It is all levels friendly through and through. Simply get in touch to inquire or save your space :) 

If you have been following along with me throughout this winter nadi term, you'll know that in week one we stabilised and observed the energy of the spine as a way to understand the concept of prana and these yogic nadis (energy channels) around which the term is themed. In week two we were then introduced to the mystical ida nadi, the feminine quality of flow that moves around the left hand side of the spine and is associated with intuition, coolness, and fierceness. Last Sunday, we embraced the heat of pingala nadi, the powerful sun energy that moves in opposition to ida nadi and is widely thought of as a more masculine quality. 

Now, before we look at the final and most powerful nadi next week which is sushumna, I am excited to introduce a balancing practice for this Sunday - a hatha yoga sequence where we will work to bring the energy of ida nadi and pingala nadi into a gentle union. I've often seen these styles of yoga practice advertised as 'yin and yang' flows, which is a lovely way to think of them. I personally like to call them Shiva + Shakti practices...you can keep reading to learn why :)

Yoga, while not inherently religious, is closely linked to Hinduism and Hindu mythology. In fact, almost every yoga pose is tied to a mythological story in some way, with intentions to steer the practitioner towards understanding the practice in a deeper way. When we talk about ida nadi and pingala nadi, the two flows of energy associated with feminine and masculine qualities, in many ways we could be talking about the complicated romance of a certain Shiva and Shakti, the ancient god and goddess twin flames who we are all rooting for (and who really need to make it work...for the sake of the universe). 

In Hindu mythology, Shiva and Shakti are two characters representing a fundamental universal principle; the duality of all living things. There is not a culture or people in the world that does not recognise this duality. Jungian analysts and many modern day psychologists will talk about animus and anima and the pursuit of unifying opposites within the psyche for the sake of individuation. A doctor or a biologist might tell you that in the function of a healthy cell, the principle that balances permeability is stability. Any little kid will know that the summer is warm and the winter is cold, and that the sunshine means play and the night time means sleep. Everywhere we look, things are dancing around each other in a balance of total opposites, looking for ways to come together.

Shiva and Shakti are mythical deities in yogic philosophy and Hinduism, but their story and relationship intentionally illustrates the tentative balance between creative energy and consciousness, stillness and movement, emotion and logic - and the ultimate goal of unification as liberation - in ways that we can understand and relate to. Who doesn't recognise a relationship problem between two lovers as an indication that something is seriously out of balance?

In the stories, Shiva is wise and thoughtful. He is known to be a great destroyer and also a transformer. But without Shakti, he becomes a corpse. This is a metaphor that awareness without energy is lifeless. On the other hand, when Shakti, who is a fierce warrior and a kind mother, does not have Shiva by her side, she becomes lost and chaotic; a wild creative force without direction or focus.

When Shiva and Shakti are together in peaceful union, they represent a balanced universe. Within each person, it is believed in yoga that there is a shiva and shakti relationship going on. The goal is to consciously bring these two inner forces into harmony, with love. The word yoga, after all, is widely interpreted to mean union. On a spiritual level, this inner relationship of union is the moment where the universal consciousness (shiva) comes together with the individual soul (shakti). In other words: enlightenment. The big one. It's what it's all about. 

There is so much more to say here, but let's leave it there for now :) Thank you so much for reading and for being a part of this practice with me. I can't wait to see you this Sunday for yoga at Thrive! 

The time will come 

when, with elation 

you will greet yourself arriving 

at your own door, in your own mirror 

and each will smile at the other's welcome, 

and say, sit here. Eat. 

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart 

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you 

all your life, whom you ignored 

for another, who knows you by heart. 

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, 

the photographs, the desperate notes, 

peel your own image from the mirror. 

Sit. Feast on your life.

Love After Love by Derek Walcott

Le grá,

Macha