When it comes to empowering postures, goddess pose, also referred to as ‘horse stance’ or the Sanskrit Utkatakonasana could be in the top ten; legs grounded and strong, arms spread and muscles of the back engaged; the body taking up space and the mind therefore feeling more confident and powerful. Yes, when researchers and psychologists said body language changes our state of mind, they were right. Amongst the myriad of yoga postures both ancient and modern, all of them have a different affect upon how we feel. Ustrasana or ‘camel pose’ is a big expansion of the chest and heart-felt emotions, often leading to emotional outbursts too, whilst forward folds and postures like balasana or ‘child’s pose’ initiate quietness and rest, a pause amongst the movement.
When we combine a physically powerful posture with body language that enhances feelings of power, we stumble across an asana that could really make an impact upon the mind and body. Add to this the fact that the Sanskrit name Utkatakonasana actually translates as ‘powerful’ or ‘fierce’ angle pose, then we’re able to see that the original intention of this posture was to inspire elegance and almightiness, unapologetic confidence and pride. Read on to discover how the Hindu goddesses help inspire these feelings of power, and the important life lessons we can learn from them.
Goddesses & Girl Power
Goddesses in Greek and Roman mythology are usually gentle, pretty and soft, with long flowing hair and white wafting clothes, and images show them to look a lot like our modern idea of a princess. In Hindu mythology the goddesses are beautiful, but they’re fierce too. Durgha, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kali all have major roles to play. Durgha is the mother goddess, shown with ten arms, riding a lion. Also referred to as the warrior goddess, she battles evil forces, and anything that threatens peace and prosperity. Images of her often depict a battle, with Durgha equipped with a sword and shield, bow and arrow, an axe, a spear, as well as the Sudarshan Chakra, a spinning wheel around her index finger representing that the entire world is at her command. If that doesn’t say girl power, I don’t know what does….
Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity and wealth, and is highly revered amongst those who own businesses or are keen to earn a lot of money. Festivals are devoted to Lakshmi, and in the tradition of Vaishnavism, she is seen as the supreme being. Saraswati is the goddess of learning, knowledge, music, art and poetry, and worshipped throughout India and Nepal. Those of Buddhist and Jain beliefs also revere Saraswati, who has been written about since the ancient Rig Veda texts, and is still spoken about today as a major goddess.
Kali or ‘Kali Ma’, is one goddess you really wouldn’t want to mess with, much like the mother lioness protecting her young. Images of her portray a deep blue figure with blood dripping from her sharp-toothed mouth, three eyes, ten arms and ten legs, a mala bead of severed heads around her neck, a man’s head in a hand, and a bow and arrow, sword, axe and spear in the others. In a pre-feminist time, she’s even standing upon her husband, lord Shiva. Kali is the goddess of time, death and destruction. What is most interesting however, is that she’s also revered as the mother of the universe, like a ‘tough love’ mum who only wants the best for us.
Goddess of Destruction
We cannot escape time, no matter how ‘off-grid’ we might live. The pattern of birth, life and death comes to everyone, and Kali is there to see us through it. Kali isn’t the goddess of meaningless destruction, but the sort of destruction that clears the path for new beginnings. She’s in charge of removing the old to make room for new, in the same way that old belief patterns must be released so we can grow and change through life. Kali is known as a fierce yet caring mother because her actions help to destroy the ego. In the world of Hinduism, and especially Tantric philosophy, the ego is the one thing that separates us from Samadhi or bliss. Throughout all philosophies – even Freud’s work – the ego is the thing that gives us a sense of ‘I-ness’ and is what causes us to compare ourselves with others. It separates me from you, yourself from all the other selves, and especially all of us from all of nature and creation itself.
It is said that when we overcome the ego though devoted practice, selfless service or spontaneous occurrence, we reach a state of unity, a deep knowing that we’re completely at one with the world around us. Kali isn’t here to make us fear death, but encourages us to overcome fear of anything. Kali is here to push us to be our best, to release the old things that no longer serve us, and discover our true potential – something which can indeed seem scary. Importantly, Kali is here to tell us something many modern goddesses probably need to hear – that you are not your body. You’re so much more than that.
Becoming The Goddess
Once we can begin to understand that the physical body and its appearance are not our only assets, we expand our possibilities and experiences of life. Staying locked into a mindset of ‘I, me and my’, however, means we focus on ourselves constantly, comparing ourselves to others and making ourselves even more separate from the world around us. Goddesses don’t become goddesses by playing small or caring about what others think of them. They let themselves shine, they help others, they’re wise and they aren’t afraid to be themselves.
When we release the grip of how much we weigh, what clothing size we are, whether we look like someone in a magazine, or how we compare to others on social media, we therefore let go of all the things that were covering up who we really are underneath. All those shallow, material and temporary things are what the ego needs to maintain separateness and ‘me-ness’, essentially causing more and more life suffering. When we dive beneath the material and most external layers of ourselves however, (via a yoga and meditation practice, simple quiet time, a walk in nature, or baring the truth to ourselves through a journal), we glimpse who we actually are, the true self beneath. We see the freedom that comes with being authentic and the empowerment that comes when we don’t need to compare ourselves to others. We need not fear our potential and our true selves by playing small in the world, but realise what it is that needs to be released and removed, in order to make room for how infinitely powerful we are underneath, how fiercely authentic we could be.
If you haven’t already heard this passage by Marianne Williamson, take it with you today:
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others’.
