<h1 id="a066f119-8e77-4860-886e-695ed118a32e" data-toc-id="a066f119-8e77-4860-886e-695ed118a32e">Yoga &amp; the Divine Feminine: A Priestess Path Through Time</h1>Yoga isn’t only a set of postures or a stress-relief technique; it’s a living conversation with Shakti—the animating intelligence of life often called the Divine Feminine. When we follow yoga’s story with Shakti at the center, we discover something powerful for modern seekers: yoga is not separate from the priestess path. It is one of the oldest priestess arts—uniting breath, ritual, devotion, and embodied wisdom so that the sacred can move through a human life.<img src="https://ezycourse.b-cdn.net/3683/cmfiq69yr0324w39n1atobi5d.webp" alt="image" containerstyle="position: relative; width: 403px; height: auto; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px auto;" wrapperstyle="display: flex;"><hr><h2 id="96f6fee2-ba75-4d0f-888d-c0182e27c975" data-toc-id="96f6fee2-ba75-4d0f-888d-c0182e27c975">1) Before the mat: Vedic roots of voice, river, and wisdom</h2>Yoga’s earliest seeds sprout in the Vedic hymns (c. 1500–500 BCE), where feminine divinities are not decorative—they do things.<ul><li>Vāc, Goddess of Speech, is the creative Word. In priestess terms, she is the holy utterance that turns breath into blessing.</li><li>Saraswati begins as a river and becomes patron of knowledge, music, and eloquence; she irrigates both land and mind.</li></ul>Priestess thread: The yoga of sound and intention (mantra, prayer, chant) begins here. A priestess is keeper of language—naming, blessing, singing the world into harmony. Every centering “Om,” every invocation at the start of class, echoes this lineage.<hr><h2 id="35e2296e-4b18-4e02-a5ee-452ce8b625d8" data-toc-id="35e2296e-4b18-4e02-a5ee-452ce8b625d8">2) The Goddess steps forward: Devi as ultimate reality</h2>By the first millennium, Purāṇic literature and the Devi Mahatmya proclaim the Goddess—not as consort—but as the ground of the universe. Durga, Kali, and other forms of Devi are the very power that births, sustains, and transforms existence.Priestess thread: Ceremony devoted to the Goddess isn’t a “side practice.” It is metaphysics in action. Offerings, altar work, and seasonal rites become applied yoga—ways to recognize that consciousness is simultaneously transcendent (stillness) and immanent (creative power).<hr><h2 id="d9f432aa-1b48-4bd5-9d11-ccf14251b761" data-toc-id="d9f432aa-1b48-4bd5-9d11-ccf14251b761">3) Tantra &amp; medieval yoga: Shakti becomes the method</h2>From about the 7th–12th centuries, non-dual Śaiva-Śākta Tantra and related traditions articulate a bold vision: Shiva (pure awareness) and Shakti (dynamic power) are one pulsation. Liberation is not escape from the world; it is recognition of this living union within the body.<ul><li>The Yoginī temples (often “64 Yoginīs”)—open-sky, circular sanctuaries in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh—embody a mandala of fierce feminine wisdom.</li><li>Subtle-body maps emerge: nāḍīs, cakras, and kuṇḍalinī-śakti, the serpentine current coiled at the base of the spine, whose ascent dissolves fragmentation.</li></ul>Priestess thread: Tantric yoga is liturgical bodywork. Mudrā, mantra, nyāsa (placing mantras on the body), visualization, and breath become the priestess’s sacraments. The altar is inside the skin.<hr><h2 id="9c5e2b8f-6432-4b51-9fff-870c452d76d1" data-toc-id="9c5e2b8f-6432-4b51-9fff-870c452d76d1">4) Haṭha Yoga &amp; the rise of embodied practice</h2>Haṭha manuals (c. 13th–16th centuries) codify postures, locks, and seals, while insisting the real aim is energetic: marrying solar and lunar within, guiding kundalinī to the crown, and tasting the nectar of stillness. Posture is a doorway, not the temple.Priestess thread: Even your vinyasa class can be priestess craft when breath, bandha, and attention are offered to Shakti’s movement. Asana becomes an act of devotion—not performance.<hr><h2 id="dd6c8f09-934b-4aa5-89d7-3f34893b9df6" data-toc-id="dd6c8f09-934b-4aa5-89d7-3f34893b9df6">5) Bhakti’s women: Devotion as spiritual authority</h2>Medieval India also gives us women saints—Āṇḍāl, Akka Mahadevi, Mirabai—whose poems render love of the Divine as a radical claim to spiritual agency. They disobeyed social scripts to obey the heart.Priestess thread: The priestess path includes holy refusal—the courage to say no to what dims your inner fire and yes to what keeps you God-intoxicated. Your song, your poem, your vow is valid scripture.<hr><h2 id="bc18367d-b524-48e8-a0f8-9adeb844236f" data-toc-id="bc18367d-b524-48e8-a0f8-9adeb844236f">6) Modern transformations: what was lost, what returns</h2>Colonial disruption and global modernization shifted yoga’s public face toward health and posture, often sidelining the Goddess. Yet women like Indra Devi carried yoga to new audiences; Geeta Iyengar articulated practices attuned to menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause; and Yoga Nidrā reclaimed deep rest as potent sādhanā. Today, teachers and scholars re-center cyclical, inclusive, trauma-aware approaches that honor bodies as wise.Priestess thread: The modern priestess restores the whole spectrum—rest and rigor, flow and form, lunar and solar—refusing to reduce yoga to exercise or spirituality to escape.<hr><h2 id="bc0b7885-63df-40b4-849e-bc3288c44a4b" data-toc-id="bc0b7885-63df-40b4-849e-bc3288c44a4b">7) “Priestess” is not a costume: ethics, appreciation, lineage</h2>To walk the priestess path within yoga is to hold responsibility:<ul><li>Cultural appreciation, not appropriation. Learn, cite, credit, and support living lineages and teachers from South Asian traditions.</li><li>Yamas &amp; Niyamas as vows.<ul><li>Ahimsa (non-harm): consent-centered touch, trauma-sensitive space.</li><li>Satya (truth): integrity in marketing, in claims about training and results.</li><li>Asteya (non-stealing): honor sources; avoid lifting rituals or mantras without context.</li><li>Brahmacharya (wise energy): boundaries in student-teacher dynamics.</li><li>Aparigraha (non-grasping): teach from sufficiency, not scarcity.</li><li>Saucha, Santosha, Tapas, Svādhyāya, Īśvara-praṇidhāna (purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender): your daily operational code.</li></ul></li></ul>Priestess thread: Your ethics are the temple walls that let the sacred circulate safely.<hr><h2 id="54320948-1284-4a5b-8ef1-32451b292bc7" data-toc-id="54320948-1284-4a5b-8ef1-32451b292bc7">8) The Priestess Toolkit: embodying Shakti in practice</h2>Here’s how yoga becomes priestess work—in a studio, at your altar, or online.<h3 id="3ec3c030-2133-45a1-9bd1-17bd8f7fa421" data-toc-id="3ec3c030-2133-45a1-9bd1-17bd8f7fa421">A. Daily rhythm (30–60 minutes)</h3><ol type="1"><li>Threshold (2–3 min): Light a candle. Whisper an intention to Vāc—“May my breath speak blessings.”</li><li>Mantra (3–5 min): Choose one:<ul><li>Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah (wisdom, voice)</li><li>Om Dum Durgayei Namah (protection, courage)</li><li>Om Sri Mahalakshmyai Namah (abundance, harmony)</li></ul></li><li>Prānāyāma (5–8 min): Gentle nadi shodhana (alternate nostril) to balance lunar/solar.</li><li>Asana (10–20 min): Slow flow with three “sacraments”:<ul><li>Womb-bowl (pelvic-bowl awareness in Cat/Cow &amp; low lunges)</li><li>Heart-altar (thoracic expansion in Sphinx, supported Fish)</li><li>Crown-lamp (elongated spine in Fold/Tadasana to “set the flame”)</li></ul></li><li>Mudrā + meditation (5–10 min):<ul><li>Yoni Mudrā (creation/grounding) or Hridaya Mudrā (heart)</li><li>Rest into Yoga Nidrā or silent witnessing.</li></ul></li><li>Offering &amp; closure (2–3 min): A flower, a note of gratitude, a drop of water. Blow out the candle: “May this practice bless my community.”</li></ol><h3 id="e6259ec4-493e-4c05-a304-097b568d13e7" data-toc-id="e6259ec4-493e-4c05-a304-097b568d13e7">B. Lunar &amp; seasonal priestess rites</h3><ul><li>New Moon: Sankalpa ceremony—write a vow, place it beneath your candle; practice forward folds, hip openers, and Yoga Nidrā.</li><li>Full Moon: Illumination circle—chant, journal, restore (Supta Baddha Konasana, supported Bridge), then release by burning what you’re done carrying.</li><li>Equinox/Solstice: Weave simple rites (grain, seeds, or flowers) into class; honor Demeter/Lakshmi for harvest, Durga for courage, Saraswati for learning.</li></ul><h3 id="6d41012f-2542-4a9b-8b50-a67c3b0fea86" data-toc-id="6d41012f-2542-4a9b-8b50-a67c3b0fea86">C. Priestess journaling prompts</h3><ul><li>“Where is Shakti asking to move in my life today—voice, boundaries, grief, joy?”</li><li>“Which feminine quality (fierce/protective, soft/receptive, wise/clear) is under-expressed right now?”</li><li>“What vow—small and doable—would make my practice a blessing to others this week?”</li></ul><hr><h2 id="b396f4cf-2bd2-4762-84f4-7714609015a5" data-toc-id="b396f4cf-2bd2-4762-84f4-7714609015a5">9) Archetypes &amp; asana: five Goddess doorways</h2>Use these as themed classes or personal sequences. Pair a simple mantra, a focal area, and suggested shapes.<ol type="1"><li>Saraswati — Flow of Knowing<ul><li>Mantra: Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah</li><li>Focus: throat, tongue, shoulders, hands (writing/creating)</li><li>Sequence: Cat/Cow with bee-breath (bhrāmarī), Half-Camel, Gomukhāsana arms, Supported Shoulderstand, Seated forward fold with journaling.</li></ul></li><li>Durga — Boundaries &amp; Brave Heart<ul><li>Mantra: Om Dum Durgayei Namah</li><li>Focus: core, legs, clean lines in standing poses</li><li>Sequence: Warrior II → Peaceful Warrior → Side Angle; Plank variations with strong exhale; Lion’s breath; supported Savasana with a stone at the navel.</li></ul></li><li>Lakshmi — Enoughness &amp; Reciprocity<ul><li>Mantra: Om Sri Mahalakshmyai Namah</li><li>Focus: pelvis/low back, gentle backbends, receiving breath</li><li>Sequence: Low Lunge heart lifts, Bridge on block, Supine twist; end with gratitude meditation (naming three exchanges of giving/receiving today).</li></ul></li><li>Kali — Honest Release<ul><li>Mantra: Om Krim Kalikayai Namah</li><li>Focus: hamstrings, back line of body, exhalation as clearing</li><li>Sequence: Standing folds, Wide-leg fold, Squat (Malāsana), prone rest; optional primal sound (stomp, sigh, hum) to move stuckness.</li></ul></li><li>Lalita Tripurasundari — Sacred Joy<ul><li>Mantra: Aim Klim Sauh (softly, with respect)</li><li>Focus: fluid spine, soft jaw/eyes, pleasure as prayer</li><li>Sequence: Gentle undulating vinyasa, supported Fish, Reclined Butterfly; close with sweet chanting.</li></ul></li></ol>Note on mantras: Learn pronunciation from qualified teachers where possible; engage with humility and context.<hr><h2 id="ad558a67-3011-4e13-8a33-d514fbdd5b5d" data-toc-id="ad558a67-3011-4e13-8a33-d514fbdd5b5d">10) Yamas/Niyamas as priestess vows</h2>Transform the ethical limbs into vows you can actually live:<ul><li>I vow to practice medicine, not magic tricks. (No over-promising results.)</li><li>I vow to ask and honor consent. (Verbal, visual, or consent cards for touch.)</li><li>I vow to credit my teachers and sources. (In classes, posts, and products.)</li><li>I vow to price with fairness and offer access pathways. (Sliding scales, scholarships where possible.)</li><li>I vow to rest as devotion. (Yoga Nidrā and Sabbath-like pauses are part of the altar.)</li></ul><hr><h2 id="c03a5735-f31c-4d0e-9a1b-c543f8e42e68" data-toc-id="c03a5735-f31c-4d0e-9a1b-c543f8e42e68">11) Frequently misunderstood (and why it matters)</h2><ul><li>“Feminine” ≠ “for women only.” Shakti names a mode of power (relational, cyclical, embodied) available to everyone.</li><li>Tantra isn’t a euphemism for sex. It’s a sophisticated body of philosophy and practice; some lineages include sacred sexuality, many do not.</li><li>Asana is not the goal. Without breath, attention, and reverence, it’s choreography. With them, it’s liturgy.</li></ul><hr><h2 id="a09e2396-9340-4351-a512-8ff5df24f0e3" data-toc-id="a09e2396-9340-4351-a512-8ff5df24f0e3">12) A simple Priestess-of-Yoga ceremony (15–20 minutes)</h2><ol type="1"><li>Prepare: Candle, small bowl of water, flower or leaf, journal, and a comfortable seat.</li><li>Ground (2 min): Hands to heart/womb (or lower belly). Three slow breaths.</li><li>Invoke (3 min): Whisper, “Shakti, move through me for the good of all beings.” Chant your chosen mantra softly.</li><li>Move (6–8 min): Cat/Cow → Low Lunge (both sides) → Child’s Pose → Sphinx → Seated forward fold. Breathe as if anointing each shape from the inside.</li><li>Offer (2 min): Place the flower by the candle. Touch water to forehead and heart: “May my knowing serve.”</li><li>Seal (3–5 min): Sit quietly or lie down for brief Yoga Nidrā. Rise slowly; write a one-sentence vow for the day.</li></ol>Repeat weekly and notice how your life organizes around what you truly honor.<hr><h2 id="ad4b2e99-2ce2-4d6a-9cac-651cb5e90c2b" data-toc-id="ad4b2e99-2ce2-4d6a-9cac-651cb5e90c2b">13) Reading, study, and next steps</h2><ul><li>Foundational texts: Devi Mahatmya (Goddess as ultimate), Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (energetics of practice), selections from Kashmir Shaivism (on awareness and power).</li><li>Modern works: thoughtful histories of yoga’s modern evolution; scholarship and practice guides on Shakta/Tantric traditions; resources on trauma-sensitive, consent-centered teaching; Uma Dinsmore-Tuli’s Yoni Shakti on women’s health in yoga.</li><li>Lifelong study: Seek teachers with living lineage ties. Support South Asian voices. Engage community accountability.</li></ul><hr><h2 id="ec04d277-658d-4153-bd0b-f037d92c682b" data-toc-id="ec04d277-658d-4153-bd0b-f037d92c682b">Final word: Yoga is priestess work</h2>A priestess tends the threshold between worlds. Yoga—when practiced as breath, vow, ethics, ritual, and embodied love—is threshold-tending. It lets you meet the sacred not as an idea but as sensation, courage, and kindness moving through your nervous system, your words, your choices.You don’t have to add “spirituality” to your yoga. You can remember what yoga already is: a devotional technology of Shakti. Light your candle, place your hands, speak your vow. Then step onto the mat (or into your day) as the temple you already are.<h5 id="0f3865dc-b218-48ed-8e27-fe008bdaf56b" data-toc-id="0f3865dc-b218-48ed-8e27-fe008bdaf56b"><a target="_blank" href="https://yourcosmicconnections.com/pages/bertena-varney">Join me each Tuesday night at 6pm on Zoom for Somatic Yoga for only $10. Register here. </a></h5>&nbsp;

Yoga isn’t only a set of postures or a stress-relief technique; it’s a living conversation with Shakti—the animating intelligence of life often called the Divine Feminine

Yoga & the Divine Feminine: A Priestess Path Through Time

1) Before the mat: Vedic roots of voice, river, and wisdom

2) The Goddess steps forward: Devi as ultimate reality

3) Tantra & medieval yoga: Shakti becomes the method

4) Haṭha Yoga & the rise of embodied practice

5) Bhakti’s women: Devotion as spiritual authority

6) Modern transformations: what was lost, what returns

7) “Priestess” is not a costume: ethics, appreciation, lineage

8) The Priestess Toolkit: embodying Shakti in practice

9) Archetypes & asana: five Goddess doorways

11) Frequently misunderstood (and why it matters)

12) A simple Priestess-of-Yoga ceremony (15–20 minutes)

Join me each Tuesday night at 6pm on Zoom for Somatic Yoga for only $10. Register here. 

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Yoga & the Divine Feminine: A Priestess Path Through Time

Yoga & the Divine Feminine: A Priestess Path Through Time

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