The role of a women, and feminine energy, in a home is tremendous. I didn’t really understand this until I became a mom. Even though my husband and I share pretty equal responsibilities in the house (and sometimes he gets the heavy end of it), if I’m away for any extended period of time, my husband and son gradually begin to decompose. The opposite doesn’t seem to hold true as much. 😊
In the Ayurvedic tradition, the feminine energy in nature is a powerful creative force known as Shakti. Shakti is literally what makes the world go around — it powers all of nature and all of the planets. It is the creative intelligence that organizes life. My spiritual teacher in India, Amma, always says, “Shakti can live without Shiva, but Shiva cannot live without Shakti.” Shiva is the masculine energy in nature and is also present within each one of us, albeit generally more concentrated in men. I always thought Amma’s comment was referring to cosmology, because the universe originates only when Shakti begins to vibrate. But this principle is very much at work in our homes, as well as the rest of the cosmos.
Women are naturally built with more Shakti energy because of their ability to have children — we need concentrated amounts of Shakti to create another human being within our wombs. Although Shakti is an energy that both men and women have access to, women’s biology allow for more of it naturally without having to do the extra work of cultivating Shakti through spiritual practices. Even all of our mitochondria, which are the batteries for each cell in your body, are inherited exclusively from our mothers. Women literally power the world, cell by cell, and when their Shakti energy is honored and nurtured, they are able to support and uplift the entire family spontaneously. In fact, in ancient times, when a nation wanted to destroy another civilization, it began my weakening the women, who held the Shakti of the entire population.
But most women today — mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, etc. — tend to focus on taking care of others much more than themselves during the holiday season. With all of the family events over the holidays, much of our attention is focused outward rather than inward. Also, women as a whole, tend to have more Vata and Kapha dosha due to their hormones. This means that we are generally at greater risk for an imbalance during Vata and Kapha season, which happens to be during the holiday season — it’s a double whammy! This leaves us exhausted by the New Year, and when we’re exhausted, the Shakti in the entire house is depleted.
Protecting my Shakti energy is a sacred act that supports my well-being, and the well-being of my entire household. I have seen it year after year that whenever I get frazzled during this time of year, my son and husband follow suit pretty quickly. Staying grounded and balanced is the greatest gift I can give to my family. I encourage you to see the ultimate value of your Shakti energy this holiday season and to honor that by taking a daily 20-minute pause to meditate and rejuvenate. Give thanks for the amazing gift to be the vessel of this Shakti energy and honor it my nourishing yourself so that your energy naturally flows to uplift the ones you love. If you need extra support at home or at work, ask for it. Just like the sun can’t help but kiss the flowers and tress when it is shining bright in the sky, we women spontaneously radiate our Shakti to the world when we’re healthy and happy. 😊
#shakti #selfcare #ayurveda #ayurvedalife
GreatCosmicMothersUnite 