Shiva and Shakti: The Divine Energies Within Us All
Based on the principles of Shaivism, a major yogic philosophy, every individual—regardless of gender—houses both a divine masculine energy, manifested as Shiva, and a divine feminine energy, manifested as Shakti. It is said that the feminine resides on the left side of our being, while the masculine resides on the right. Accessing both natures is enlightening, and uniting them brings about complete balance, presence, and joy within.
The Nature of Shiva Energy (Divine Masculine)
Shiva represents Absolute Reality or Absolute Consciousness; he is the transcendent "Source of everything and all that is" that makes up the cosmos. Often called the Lord of Yoga, Shiva's power brings great inner strength and spaciousness. His nature is steadfast, stable, peaceful, strong, and characterized by complete, unmoved presence.
Shiva energy is centered, grounded, and compassionate, representing a state that is unmoved by external pain or suffering. While Shakti is "pure becoming," Shiva is "pure being in its stillness". He holds deep wisdom, infinite awareness, and purpose, providing the direction for Shakti's flow and holding space for her movement.
The Nature of Shakti Energy (Divine Feminine)
If Shiva is the formless, Shakti is seen in everything manifest that lives. She is exquisite, fluid, and powerfully flexible, with a shape-shifting quality that embraces reality as a dance. Shakti energy can be raw, expressive, and wildly sensual. It embodies dance, movement, power, and the freedom "to become," birth all things into creation.
This energy within us can take the form of prana—the life force flowing through subtle energy channels—or kundalini, the coiled energy dormant at the base of the spine. When awakened, Shakti moves through the central channel and chakras, causing deep cleansing, healing, and transformation.
The Shiva-Shakti Union
These two divine energies are equal and opposite forces that cannot exist without one another. In the tradition of Shaivism, Shiva is forever in union with his divine feminine consort, Shakti. Their integration within our consciousness transforms our very being, bringing about a "mystical wholeness".
This union is visually represented as Ardhanarishvara, the "half-woman lord," an androgynous figure depicted as a muscular yogi god with a peaceful face on one side, and a delicate, dancing goddess on the other. This image conveys the complete balance of sacred masculine and feminine consciousness that lies within us and throughout the Cosmos.
