Remember being a kid and feeling alive in your whole being? Maybe while you were in Nature, maybe in the midst of some creative play….And when you first felt sexual energy in your body, was there a similar sense of aliveness, being fully embodied from root to crown? In total innocence and connection with Nature, our most natural first experience of our sexuality and our creativity is as electric, warm, pure pleasure; our shakti, or life-force.
In tantra sexual fire and creativity are a manifestation of Shakti; primordial goddess who generates the whole manifest universe. In the Hindu pantheon she is a multifaceted deity, known by many names and forms; Kali, Parvati, Durga, and Devi. She is lover, mother, destroyer, and Great Goddess. While women are said to naturally embody Shakti through our deep connection with womb-creation, men can also cultivate their inner shakti to become whole.
Shakti does not distinguish between sexuality and creativity. She is both. When you are creative, do you feel “on fire”? Have you ever “been hot” for someone? This is the same energy. Creative inspiration does not come from our heads—it comes from our genitals! Pay attention next time you have an “aha” moment—is it accompanied with a flush of passion?
Shakti is the snake, or kundalini, that sleeps, coiled around herself, at the root chakra in our perineum, and awakens to expand through the body with the practice of tantric dance. Her feminine wisdom teaches us through the flow of our own sexual/creative vibration, as our serpent self arises and descends over time in an organic flow of expansion and contraction. Sometimes she smolders, sometimes she is electric! But no matter what, Shakti and the sexual fire are profoundly healing and transformative. We are changed by Her every time.
Accessing and allowing the flow of shakti is often a goal of yogic practice, and much is made of the need to do this safely. In the devotional practice of tantric dance, softness & allowing, groundedness, containment, and development of the subtle body are all aspects which ensure a safe and pleasurable passage of energy through one’s core. As one deepens in their Dance, greater expansion and vibration of shakti becomes possible.
Tantric Dance is often called the “Yoga of Shakti” because following passion, pleasure, and primal energy is the path. No complicated breathwork or asana is necessary. The Dance is process-oriented, not technique-oriented. In the dance we honor contained, spontaneous, pleasurable, self-referential movement from our core, or womb-space, the container that holds shakti. Here I offer you some simple suggestions for accessing and circulating Shakti. This is for your pleasure in your body and being. You alone have the key to the temple. Enjoy!
1. Sit.
Sit cross-legged on a comfortable surface, like a pillow, sheepskin, or cozy rug. Breathe into your belly, feeling the breath opening your womb-space and releasing like a gentle tide. Ground. Feel your roots connecting deep into the earth. When your energy has descended into your pelvis, move on to step 2.
2. Move the bowl.
Imagine your pelvis is like a “bowl” holding your womb-space. Tilt it forward, lengthening the belly and filling with breath. Then tilt your pelvis back, contracting the belly and releasing the breath. Enjoy the sensations in your pelvis and womb-space. Play with this rocking motion, allowing it to be full, or subtle, whatever is most plesasurable.
3. Soften your root.
As you are rocking, allow your perineum and genitals to soften and open to the earth. At the same time, relax your face and jaw. Feel how this softening affects the sensations you are experiencing. Continue to breathe into your belly…
4. Circulate the energy.
After a few minutes of rocking, allow the energy and sensations in your pelvis to circulate throughout your body. Let your shakti fill you up. Allowing is the key here—don’t force movement. You may find that your energy stays in your womb-space, you may feel it in your torso or limbs, you may find it resting down in your perineum. Wherever it is, honor and thank Her for dwelling with in you. Shakti. Your creativity. Your life-force.
Tags: tantra · tantric dance
