Women, Mothers & Feminine Power

Each woman, and every mother, expresses womanhood and motherhood in an utterly unique way. Like wildflowers growing on a mountain meadow, no two are ever identical.

There are, however, commonalities and shared experiences among women and mothers. In particular, there are powerful ways that we can embody and share the blessings of nourishment, love, beauty, and compassion.

Even when we understand clearly that who we are most deeply—the spiritual essence in the core of our being—is neither a man nor a woman, still the experiences born of a woman’s body-mind offer unique perspectives, with uniquely valuable insights.

The physical and psychological experience of carrying and then birthing a child; and/or being primarily responsible for the care of a child—are experiences of profound intimacy and deep nourishment. The sacrifices in terms of physical discomfort and emotional challenge, along with the sweetness and joy of motherhood, draw forth and reinforce a unique skill set, and a particular form of wisdom.

These skills and this wisdom can benefit not only our children and immediate family, but also our larger communities and, ultimately, our entire global family.

SACRED SYMBOLISM OF THE WOMB

Birthing and motherhood are not only tangible experiences, but also potent symbols of fertile receptivity and creative potency. The womb, in particular, carries symbolic meaning in many spiritual traditions.

In Hindu traditions of India, the yoni (Sanskrit for “womb” or “vagina” as well as “abode” and “source”) is a symbol of the goddess Shakti, who represents feminine creative power. In this context, the yoni/womb is the symbolic source of all phenomena—of every “thing” in the universe! The dance of Shakti with her consort, Shiva, represents the eternal cycle of creation and dissolution, appearance and disappearance, birth and death.

In Buddhism, our Buddha-Nature—i.e., our true identity and potential for spiritual awakening—is referred to as Tathāgatagarbha: the womb (garbha) of the Buddha or realized ones (Tathāgatas). This symbolism carries the insight that our Buddha-Nature—our inherent perfection—is the womb of our spiritual realization. In this sense, we give birth to ourselves!

So, in both Hindu and Buddhist contexts, the womb is a symbol of great power, which perfectly unites wisdom and compassion—and evokes the miracle of the birthing process.

Exploring symbolic representations of conception and birth highlights the fact that creative energy is not exclusive to women. Men and women alike can, for instance, give birth to a poem, to a symphony, to a mathematical theorem, or to a flower garden—all of which are expressions of the feminine energy of creativity.

MOTHERHOOD AS A YOGA PRACTICE

While the word “yoga” may evoke images of donning a t-shirt and pair of tights, and then traipsing down to the neighborhood yoga studio to join a yoga asana class—yoga, at least potentially, can go way beyond this. Any activity that we engage in mindfully can be considered a yoga practice.

And, as you may already know, motherhood offers a fertile field for mindfulness. It offers abundant opportunity for the cultivation of kindness, compassion, patience, protective fierceness (a lioness protecting her cubs). In the same way that yoga asana supports physical strength and flexibility, being a mother supports mental-emotional strength and flexibility.

Motherhood also provides fertile ground for contemplating the dance between self and other, between dependence and independence. It’s the perfect opportunity to notice how we are both separate and not-separate from our children. And this is a profound aspect of yoga practice!

And, finally, being a mother offers an opportunity to rekindle our childlike innocence, enthusiasm, and wonder—to see, anew, through the eyes of a child. As we nourish and protect our children, they can remind us of the beauty and freshness of the moment; the joy of slowing down enough to notice a ladybug; to enjoy the scent of spring blossoms; to revel in playfulness; and risk the opportunity to learn and grow, perpetually.

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