When divine intelligence spins a universe out of itself, much the way a human mind creates a dream or a fantasy on its own screen and manifests into form, this is creative life force energy! Yogic seers experience this energy not simply as vibration but as the expression of the divine feminine power, called Shakti.  

The practice of tuning into energies of the Goddesses is a form of sacred feminism to be practiced and respected, this balance of energy is essential to all life... We need to rebalance this reality in society and lift and elevate the power of the feminine, this year's theme for IWD 2024 is to #InspireInclusion. 

International Womens Day #inspireinclusion campaign 

To elevate our sisters, embrace our feminine nature, feminine traits of caring, kindness, nurture, communication, sharing support and more balance in ourselves and our realities. #celebrateshakti

As a female founder, I have been on a journey of discovery, business really is a masculine dominated arena, most of the businesses in the shared office space are male founded with male workers, the qualities of the masculine are celebrated. Working my way up through the fast-paced fashion industry it was very much the same story, pushing down those feminine qualities to be respected and seen by others especially the boss. Even with empowered female bosses at the helm, being aggressive was encouraged, 'We're Type A people here Kati' my boss would often say... and I would think to myself 'My dear god, who are these people...'

The more difficult traits that come with a Type A personality definition include:

• Chronic competitiveness
• Impatience
• Aggression
• Hostility 

I was not a type A personality, perhaps I had a little of A, but mostly B. I learnt pretty quickly that having much of one personality mix in a stressful environment was a recipe for disaster and I really did struggle to work around a lot of A's all competitively out-pacing and stressing each other to impress... hiding thread and colour books from each other, hiding samples, slamming doors in arguments, I mean the Devil wears Prada is true - I would watch an assistant be torn apart and fall into tears for choosing the wrong colour and would think to myself, Jeez - these people are mad! 

Having been a right tomboy as a child, I had done my utmost to bury the feminine, my mum sending me to dance classes as I refused to wear dresses or do anything girlie... I just wanted to be one of the boys! Of course school changes things and I was soon in those dresses, forced into tutus and loving a prance around, expressing myself through dance. I’m sharing this because I want you to understand how odd it feels for me to be working with the ideas of “feminine energy”. It’s such an alien concept — interesting, but what does it really mean?

I found the more I buried the feminine aspects of personality - the more stressed out and unhappy I became. It is part of everyones soul, no gender required. It really was embracing my own Shakti energy later in life, when I had buried certain personality traits enough to survive life, but maybe not joyfully. By reconnecting with my soul, through my innate creativity within, art and channeling the feminine part of me, Yoga, using my power to communicate emotions, lift and elevate others is close to my heart.

I also realised a few things on that journey, in my big time of reflection, one of them is not everyone is made to 'fit' inside a square peg and that is OK. We are not all Type A's and that is OK. My brain might think and work a little differently and that is OK. But also, It is OK to be female, it is OK to embrace your feminine qualities and celebrate them, to use the power of the feminine in your being to uplift and elevate others. The feminine owns and garners as much power as the masculine, it might feel a quieter energy, it might feel like something you have buried to get ahead at work, in your family dynamics, but re-learning to embrace the feminine or your personal feminine energies, which can be an incredible journey and in that you might just fall in love with that side of your psyche. 

You may find painting and switching off the critical mind, incredible freeing for your energy, and just learning to let go and free yourself with water colours and pens. This can be a great space to start, to just sit in quiet or with your favourite music and watercolours to paint, you could paint a landscape, a place in your mind, your memories, a leaf or flower that captures your eye. Flow freely. 

Erytheia Original Artwork, feminine Shakti and heart-centred colour work with oil on canvas and palette knife use to carve out mark-making and expressionist flows.  

We are, in our essence all made of Shakti. The feminine powers of consciousness, ecstasy, will, knowing, and acting are constantly at play both in ourselves and the world.

This week it is the feminine on earth we celebrate, from Mother's Day channelling Shakti energy to elevating the mother, the goddess and those cycles, to International Women's Day, a day to reflect on women's rights around the world right now and how we can embrace sisterhood in our own smaller worlds, we need to encourage the feminine and celebrate it, within ourselves and within our communities. 

Shakti Yoga

Yoga and meditation can be a great way to plug into those feminine energies stuck within, Shakti yoga is a unique style of yoga that emphasises smooth flow between poses to embrace the divine energy residing in each of us.

In the context of yoga, Shakti is seen as the active, expressive aspect of consciousness, while Shiva represents the passive, pure awareness.

Practicing Shakti yoga involves tapping into this primordial energy to awaken and empower oneself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Here are some inspirations and meanings behind Shakti yoga practice:

1. Connection to Divine Feminine: Shakti yoga honors and celebrates the divine feminine energy within each individual. It encourages practitioners to embrace qualities such as intuition, nurturing, creativity, and receptivity.

2. Balancing Energy: Shakti yoga aims to balance the masculine and feminine energies within the body and mind. By doing so, practitioners can achieve a state of harmony and wholeness, promoting overall well-being.

3. Awakening Kundalini: Kundalini is often depicted as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine. Through Shakti yoga practices such as asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathwork), mantra chanting, and meditation, practitioners aim to awaken and raise the Kundalini energy from the base of the spine up through the chakras, leading to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

4. Creativity and Transformation: Shakti yoga fosters creativity and transformation on both the personal and collective levels. By connecting with the creative force of Shakti, practitioners can unlock their innate potential and manifest their desires in alignment with their highest purpose.

5. Empowerment and Liberation: Shakti yoga empowers individuals to reclaim their personal power and liberate themselves from limiting beliefs, fears, and conditioning. Through practices that cultivate self-awareness, self-love, and self-acceptance, practitioners can break free from the constraints of the ego and experience true freedom.

6. Union of Shiva and Shakti: Shakti yoga emphasizes the union of Shiva (pure consciousness) and Shakti (creative energy) within oneself. This union represents the integration of the transcendent and immanent aspects of reality, leading to a profound sense of oneness with the universe.

In summary, Shakti yoga is a transformative spiritual practice that honours the divine feminine energy and empowers individuals to awaken their inner potential, achieve balance and harmony, and experience union with the divine. Through dedicated practice and devotion, practitioners can tap into the limitless power of Shakti to live a life of purpose, joy, and fulfilment.

Try adding more flow and femininity into your expressive practices today! And Inspire Inclusion in all your communities and work of all personality types, all disabilities, learnings, and all genders.  

Is shakti yoga only for women?

Of course not! Since the term Shakti refers to the feminine energy, and in Hindu mythology, the divinity of the goddess, people often attach a gender specification to shakti yoga. So let’s clear that confusion once and for all. Shakti yoga is not just for women but for both genders. 

It is a common mistake to confuse the feminine and masculine energies, with the feminine and masculine gender. But in reality, both genders have both energies. And shakti yoga gives you the ability to establish a balanced connection with both the energies, that make for a successful being.

Shakti yoga will help you tap into your feminine energy and establish a conscious connection with it. This establishment of the connection is much needed for people who are governed mostly by their masculine energy. But also serves as a gentle reminder of both sides of your own psyche, and also to support your sisters, being at a disadvantage from birth is no easy feat to challenge societal norms, to get ahead, to make a difference, female equality brings balance to the workplace, to our communities, our parliaments and politics, gone are the days of few paths for women, a secretary or teacher, homemaker or wife.

These changes only happen if we start to look around our own communities and inspire inclusion for all. If you work somewhere with no women present, ask why is that? No women on the board, why? It is time to stand together for equality and that really starts at home and encouraging young women.