The energy of the divine feminine is present within all beings. By building awareness around this often-suppressed strength, greater balance can be brought back into our lifestyle to create a more harmonious state of being, both internally and externally.
Feminine strengths are often measured by the heart, and such soothing, playful, mysticism is important to avoiding monotony, stress, spiritual-emptiness, and burn out. In masculine cultures where productivity, ambition, leadership, and competition are praised, the subtlety of feminine strengths may tend to be shadowed or overlooked.
The following attributes of the divine feminine revive color and zest into life and can be exercised to cultivate well-roundedness in our experiences.
Join Alicia Keys and Deepak Chopra in the 21-Day Meditation Experience, Activating the Divine Feminine: The Path to Wholeness to bring healing to your life and our world, available now in the Chopra App.
Feminine strengths are often measured by the heart, and such soothing, playful, mysticism is important to avoiding monotony, stress, spiritual-emptiness, and burn out. In masculine cultures where productivity, ambition, leadership, and competition are praised, the subtlety of feminine strengths may tend to be shadowed or overlooked.
The following attributes of the divine feminine revive color and zest into life and can be exercised to cultivate well-roundedness in our experiences.
Beauty
Beauty is the universal expression of divine feminine energy. By letting go of judgement and social conditioning and simply observing, the beauty in all places, people, and circumstances becomes evident. With each unique combination of characteristics, beauty is expressed in infinite ways. When our internal state is beautiful, our vibration is beautiful and thus our presence will be beautiful. Beauty is a divine expression of love, and it should be experienced with all five sensory faculties.Softness
Softness counters the quality of rigidity and creates the space for which we can be approached. This quality also creates an environment in which nourishment can happen, such as soft soil being a fertile ground for a seed to sprout. Within softness, one can hold space for others to heal and process, without the need to provide a solution. This feminine quality allows vulnerability to be present in order to accept imperfection and witness the beauty in flaws.Surrender
Surrender entails acceptance and having faith during times where we are not in control of the situation. Control is a masculine trait; thus, all beings are said to be feminine in relation to the Divine Controller (Īśvara). One of the five Niyamas of yoga is Īśvarapraṇidhāna, surrendering to a higher power, and it is a preliminary step to yoga practices which requires feminine principles. Within this practice it is not necessary to understand everything, just to trust the process. Individual will and effort can still be practiced simultaneously along with surrender. When there is a sensitivity to the subtle signs and signals of the universe, intuition will be perceptive. Keen intuition paired with surrender can lead our will and effort in the smoothest direction towards a larger plan.Creativity
Creativity allows infinite opportunities for the soul’s expression of bliss. It is within the womb of Shakti, feminine power, that all material existence can manifest and be born. The earth, where plants, animals, and the elements are created, is feminine in nature. Feminine energy is innately poetic and has a free-flowing spirit which is playful in nature. While masculine energy keeps rhythm, it is the role of the divine feminine to dance creatively in the melody of unstructured expression.Feeling
Feeling, as opposed to doing, is a gift of the divine feminine. Emotional awareness plays an important role in the choices we make to ensure we are staying in balance. Often times, we busily run about our days without having a clue how we feel about what we are doing. Being in touch with our own emotions --along with the ability to empathize with others-- is a feminine skill that keeps us connected. When those around us feel happy, we feel happy. Therefore, this feminine strength can elevate us from a self-serving attitude to selflessness.Nurture
Nurture is the nature of the divine feminine. By tapping into the eternal source of abundance present in the universe, we can be available to support others to let them grow, without expecting anything in return. Stability, protection, and nourishment are other qualities through which the divine feminine energy nurtures the world.How to cultivate roots in your divine feminine:
- Keep a feelings journal.A Feelings Journal is a way to check with yourself and exercise emotional intelligence. Jot down a few words that describe how you felt in response to a situation, such as getting stuck in a traffic jam or receiving a compliment. Each entry should use 1-3 emotion adjectives, a label for the trigger for those emotions, the date, and time of day. When this exercise is done regularly, you will notice patterns and sharpen emotional perceptivity as a means of acting in harmony with emotions, instead of reacting to them.
- Selflessly serve a cause. A mother gives without expecting anything in return. This divine feminine quality can be developed by treating the world as our metaphorical child, for whom we want to provide love, nourishment, and a positive growth-environment. Try volunteering at a shelter, tutoring at a library, or donating blood.
- Feed someone. All beings are in search for a place to live and something to eat. The divine Mother is the shelter for these basic needs. Whether it is your family, neighbor, or pet, preparing a meal with love and sharing it will strengthen this energy.
- Plant a seed. Because the Earth is our home, it is important to honor, interact with, and cultivate a relationship with our source of food, oxygen, water, and life. Creating less disposable waste is another way to honor and protect this form of divine feminine which exists as Mother Earth (Bhū-devī).
- Be soft with yourself and others. Practice non-judgment, active listening, and forgiveness. Chose to hear and see others and accept them for who they are. Be flexible in your disciplines when full precision is not feasible. Rest when necessary and recognize the positivity in imperfections.
- Practice Chandra Bhedana Pranayama, Left Nostril Breathing. The lunar energy channel of the body, Iḍā Nāḍī, is feminine in nature, and can be activated by inhaling through the left nostril. To do this breathing exercise, block the right nostril and inhale through the left, then block the left nostril and inhale through the right. Repeat this cycle for 1 to 3 minutes. This pranayama will quiet the mind and create cool, stillness in the body.
- Display an image of a Goddess. Chose a Goddess form or female archetype which calls to you, such as Sri Radha, Durga Maa, or Lakshmi Devi. Print and frame a photo of the Goddess and display it in a special place in your home, like your meditation area. Acknowledge the qualities of this Goddess that you find attractive. You can offer a fresh flower to the Goddess every Friday.
- Chant a mantra. The mantra “Jai Mā” can be chanted 108 times in the early morning to honor and invoke the energy of the divine mother. Mala beads can be used to keep track of the repetition of this mantra.
- Create something artistic and beautiful. A dear teacher of mine once said, “if you are confused about what to do, make beauty.” Creativity is often placed on the back burner while we keep up with the daily grind of the responsibilities of life. Creating beauty through dance, paint, song, and more, reminds us of the essence of life and energizes us to be able to carry out our daily duties with joy and inspiration.
- Love, unconditionally. Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and the divine feminine is the cause of this ever-expansive force. Loving unconditionally means recognizing spirit in the heart of beings and honoring them to our best capacity. We simultaneously give and receive blessings when we love. In the same way that Radha’s love for her dear Krishna is the source for his energy, sharing love with the world recharges both the lover and the beloved. The current state of the world is dominated by solar energy, so to bring back the balance of masculine and feminine, by we must bring back love.
Join Alicia Keys and Deepak Chopra in the 21-Day Meditation Experience, Activating the Divine Feminine: The Path to Wholeness to bring healing to your life and our world, available now in the Chopra App.
