In many Indigenous traditions, and specifically the Q’ero lineage that I am honored to work with, medicine people describe spiritual energy in the form of feminine and masculine. We view feminine and masculine, not merely at the human level of gender, but beyond it, as spiritual energies that we all must encompass to be in harmony and balance with self and all of creation.
I recognized at a young age that when I expressed myself in ways that were seen as ‘different’ it wasn’t received well. As a trans kid in this world, you learn pretty early on what folks around you believe to be right and what they believe to be wrong. Because difference in the Western world is often used as a substitute for wrong, I knew that to survive I’d have to hide parts of myself away. This experience, unfortunately, is not exclusive to me. There have been moments in all of our lives where we’ve sacrificed pieces of who we are for fear of being seen as different or ‘other.’
Oprah fave and much-loved author Dr. Shefali Tsabary is making a case for revolutionizing the concept of "femininity."
In a world that is constantly telling us who we should be, to hurry up and wait for the manifestation of that narrative, it is no wonder it took a pandemic to slow us down and provide us an invitation to become. It was, and has been, a harsh and yet necessary pause; a diversion in this road of life to bring to our attention what has been wholly out of balance and what is looking to be birthed, nurtured, and manifested in its place.
As we embark upon our personal journey inward we’re often met with the concept of connecting to our inner voice. We all have a unique way of connecting with and expressing our voice and no matter how we get there, we feel it once we arrive. This voice is a calling that transcends what words are capable of, it speaks in the language of our heart.
I grew up in a home where we learned a lot about Hindu mythology. It seemed there were an endless number of gods and goddesses and it was easy to get caught up in a literal interpretation of their stories. In all honesty, it never really resonated with me. In my analytical mind, I never connected to the idea that worshipping a particular form would somehow bring things into my life. And the representations seemed flat and simplistic. Were these actual beings? What did it mean that Saraswati was the goddess of knowledge? And couldn’t I have knowledge without making an offering to her? I didn’t know how this all fit into my life.
"Only when Shiva is united with Shakti does he have the power to create." - Soundarya
My consistent spiritual practice began about six years ago, after I gave birth to my son Genesis. Like so many new moms I was exhausted, but the depletion was more than physiological; my spirit was shot. I needed to do something so I could continue to be a good mother to my children, partner to my husband, and friend to myself. My homegirl Erika suggested a Kundalini yoga and meditation retreat. She explained that kundalini energy rests in the base of your spine, and this practice would help creative, healing Divine Feminine energy rise through my body. Well – okay!
We’re living in a time that is reflective of imbalance at every level, whether it be in physical and tangible space, or reflected in the depths of energies within us. What the Western world has created is a society that favors specific qualities, often related to masculine energy, and shies away from other qualities, related to feminine energy. This carries out into our personal lives, in our relationships, actions, and interactions, and can also be seen on a much larger scale. The Western world has defined narrow lanes of existence, for all of us to participate in, through the lens of imagined binaries.