4 Simple Steps to Feeling the Presence of Shakti
There are many accessible energies available to conscientious practitioners. We previously covered chakra, and now, as we delve deep into yoga on a daily basis with the 30 Day Breakfast of Champions Challenge, we’d like to discuss shakti.
Shakti is the subtle energy that means “power” or “empowerment,” the primordial cosmic energy, and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti embodies the active feminine energy of Shiva and is identified as Mahadevi or Parvati; this is why it is often referred to as “she” and “her” rather than “it.” However, shakti is present in both men and women. In Taoism, shakti is known as chi.
In a less overarching sense, shakti is the energy within everything. It is credited with governing our spiritual evolution, opening up the inner world of meditation, and unfolding the state of union, or yoga, between body, mind and spirit. If yoga is an ingrained part of your lifestyle, it’s definitely worth tapping into.
Yoga Journal published four steps to getting an immediate sense of shakti’s presence. Give them a try and let us know what you experience!
4 Steps to Feeling Your Shakti
- Hold your hands two or three inches apart and feel the energy between them. Move your hands apart another few inches, keeping the sense of the energy connecting them. When you lose the connection, move your hands closer until you feel the energy between them again.
- Bring your attention to the heart. Inhale and exhale with the feeling that your breath moves through the heart and out the back of the body. Become aware of a subtle energy behind you, supporting you like a backrest. Let yourself take the support of that energy, as though you were leaning into it. Feel as if the energy flows out and surrounds you on all sides. With long, slow breaths, breathe the energy into any places in your body that feel stuck or tight. Recognize that you’re inhaling and exhaling shakti.
- Become aware of the area at the base of the spine. Sense the presence of a subtle channel of energy running through the center of your body from the base through the crown of the head. With the breath, let your attention flow from the base of the spine to the heart, and from the heart to the crown, and then back again. Be aware of the gathering of energy moving in this inner channel. You may feel it as expansion, tingling, or a subtle feeling of electricity. Again, recognize that this feeling is shakti.
- While you’re doing your asana practice, bring your attention to the flow of your breath. Gently guide your focus into the core of the body, the subtle channel running from the base of the spine to the heart. As you practice you may notice subtle physical or energetic sensations, such as shivers, feelings of expansion, heat, a sense of lightness or heaviness, even a change in heartbeat. It’s not uncommon to notice the sensations in Savasana (corpse pose) because it’s easier to notice subtle energy when you’re still.
For some, a tangible shakti experience takes a long time, anywhere from a few months to a few years. It can have uncomfortable ramifications, as well, from intense emotions to self-judgment. According to Yoga Journal, this is all part of the release that shakti triggers as the energy clears you from the inside out. It suggests just riding out the storm as you would a detox, and you will feel a calm right after.
Become a student of the process and discover all the ways it can manifest, and what it is trying to tell you about your body, heart, and mind. You can learn incredible things about your essence and your own subtle energy through what’s called shakti dialogue. It’s hailed as being a great way to release emotions or discomfort in body or mind. The more connected you to shakti, the more you can invite it to help you through physical and emotional problems.
5 Step Shakti Dialogue
- If you notice a part of your body that feels tight, painful, or stuck, tune in to the pain. Notice how big the area of tight energy is, how it feels (sharp or hard, prickly or achy), what shape it is. Recognize it as being a bundle of energy.
- Consciously welcome the energy sensations, even if they are uncomfortable. Welcoming invites letting go.
- Speak to the energy gently. Try to use suggestive words like “ease” or “open.” You can even ask the stuck energy what it has to show you.
- Imagine a light-filled circle of spacious energy around the stuck places. Breathe, allowing your attention to flow between the energy of your pain and the spacious circle of shakti.
- Breathe with a thought like “ease” or “open” to detach difficult emotions or problems; shakti is inherently healing!
Stay dedicated and connected to your inner shakti. Peace and light to you!
About the Author
The Legend of Garuda; Half-Man, Half-Bird
Chances are, if you’ve ever found yourself on your yoga mat, you may have experienced Garudasana, or Eagle Pose. Many are unaware of the origins of the yoga pose, or the story behind the legendary Garuda. I love Garuda because I went to high school in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the main airline in those days was called Garuda Airlines. I also remember seeing many statues of Vishnu in Bali riding on top of his trusty friend, Garuda. I soon became infatuated with the stories of Garuda and what he exemplifies for us as yogis.
Garuda, half-man/half-eagle, was the vehicle for Vishnu. Vishnu is known in Hindu mythology as “The Protector” or “The Sustainer” and is one of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity consists of Brahma (Beginnings), Vishnu (Middles), and Shiva (Endings). The beginnings, middles, and endings represent the eternal ebb and flow of all of our experiences. We soon learn they are the only constant in an ever-changing world. Vishnu as The Sustainer is much like our breath that sustains our life. He is also the love that sustains our souls.
Garuda was known for his propensity for eating poisonous serpents. The full yoga posture binds the arms and legs around one another and provides compression. Once any compression posture is released, we generally experience a fresh new outlook and energetic exchange. Garuda loved to eat poisonous serpents for his meals. His body knew how to transform the serpents into nutrition in order to feed, sustain, and nourish himself.
When Garuda was first born he was massive. The egg he hatched from was enormous, and his wingspan was unlike anything any deity had ever seen before. The other deities were very intimidated by his size and knew he would grow even larger over the year, so they huddled together and came up with a plan. They asked Garuda to make himself smaller. Because Garuda was new to the community, he acquiesced. Being a newborn, he didn’t want to offend anyone. He also wasn’t so proficient at standing up for himself yet. But he did realize that even though his frame was smaller, he still had a bigness of spirit. He promised himself he would always let his spirit shine as big as he could.
