Wk 142 – Granthis, Shiva, Shakti

The past three sessions we have focused on the Granthis, these physical, energetic and mental/emotional knots located at the lower torso, upper torso and head. Unravelling these knots so that Prana channels can flow and lines of communication can travel throughout. Working with Self-Awareness and Prana Powers or Siddhis to ultimately become Self-Realised and FREE!

The deities Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra offer the lesson of impermanence, that everything has a beginning, middle and end. We are drawn to Yoga to interact with this time and time again learning deeper and more potent truths to our purpose to practice slowly recognising not just who we are but what we are at our essence. The very foundation of Yoga is based on constantly observing and working with polar energies, hence the common meaning of Yoga is union. The union of two being one; sun and moon, consciousness and form, mind and body, male and female, inhale and exhale. This intimate relationship and union is what we seek to discover in ourselves internally, through an inspired practice. And externally, by how we interact with the environment around us. Through the union of polar energies we use the experience to seek and to discover truth. 

Throughout history, Yoga has been a practice of seeing absolute truth explained as we become Self-Realised and these insights are passed on through these teachings. Hatha Yoga translated from the ancient scriptures, means forceful yoga, forcing the mind to relate to the body, breath to the body, energy to the body and consciousness to the embodiment. Bringing these polar energies together through asana, pranayama, Mudra, kriya, mantra and meditation. Shiva and Shakti are deity aspects of these polar opposites. Shiva is the male aspect of consciousness and awareness. Shakti is the female aspect of the creative potential of form and matter. We can use the image of a Pranic Flame to explain them. So Shiva is the light, she is the flame and they heat things up as the find each other again. You can’t separate the light and heat from the flame or it wouldn’t exist.

By himself, Shiva has no place, no qualities and is without the ability to act, pure consciousness. He can only be present when united with Shakti where consciousness can take form and action. Shakti is the creative expression of energy, thought and form. She is everything and Shiva gets to be conscious through her. Performing Yoga, Pranayama and Kriya techniques to balance these two energies alights a practitioner to the middle path and the divine feminine and masculine have an equal part to play within this journey. As the awakened Shakti moves from her dormant state in the base of the subtle body Muladhara Chakra (pelvic floor) and ascends up the central channel to her beloved. Shiva at the Sahasrara (crown of the head) descends to find her at your heart. When the two meet, they spark the creation of everything in the manifested world, not only for it to exist and to create the natural cause of things, but for us as sentient beings to experience this Divine play. 

These stories are internal and external maps to the ultimate goal of Yoga – to be re-awakened to the known absolute truth said to be at your heart centre. It is there that they unite in the sacred partnership, the intrinsic oneness is revealed, the manifestation and dance that tell the stories of creation as illuminated bliss within one’s own heart, play out. We experience this sacred partnership as Prana Shakti powers we attain through practice – awareness, joy, intention, knowledge, and action, these are the 5 Shaktis within us that open us to the infinite field of potential that is boundless, limitless, endless that we experience as Consciousness as it takes form as the universe and all things in it. This is the expression of SHAKTI herself in play on the macrocosm and microcosm of you, me and Shiva is experiencing it through her in you. 

• There is a light within me (Shiva)
• That light the whole universe (Cit Shakti)
• That radiates absolute truth – Pure Joyous love (Ananda Shakti)
• Boundless will and power to fulfil your hearts desire, intention and purpose (Iccha Shakti)
• It accesses skilful wise action (Kriya Shakti)
• And is the source of all shared universal knowledge and wisdom (Jnana Shakti)

Yoga is then ecstatic play of consciousness, a constant renewal of our sense of wonderment and curiosity for life, to clarify and create a rich expression of the deep purpose we cannot ignore. We begin to refine and manifest purposefully leading to lasting fulfilment, contentment and liberation. Our Yoga practice is like heartfelt prayers or expressions of what matters to us, what brings us joy, what we truly desire. We enter a place where all prayers are answered, that place within that bring us deeper into our own hearts and bodies. That we practice these principals in all of our affairs on and off the mat. We make this practice sacred. Our Serenity from the practice of yoga is a remission on a daily basis contingent upon our daily dedication to ourselves to our own unfoldment, listening attentively to the whispering wisdom of our intuition (buddhi) that guides us to know what is our true nature. What we are when we are trying not to be somebody. A part of a sacred love affair between Shakti and Shiva. When they meet (through Yoga practice and meditation) in your heart, the Union occurs, the magic happens and capturing that moment is just about every Yogi’s life-long goal.