International Women’s Day is a date dedicated to celebrating Women’s rights and accomplishments. We very much deserve this day!
There are lots of resources talking about why March 8th is the day honoring women, so I’ll share something a little more specific about yoga and women.
Women have been practicing yoga for thousands of years, but women have faced a patriarchal society, therefor their practices were not always accepted.
Much of yoga traditions, the Vedic traditions for say, are patriarchal, so Tantra was “invented”, which is a yogic tradition that honors women without denying men’s values.
Quote from the Yoni Tantra, written about 500 years ago, and a classic of Shakta (a branch of Tantra) literature:
“In Kaula, every woman is thought of as a manifestation of the Goddess. No man may raise his hand, strike, or threaten a woman. When she is naked, men must kneel and worship her as the Goddess. She has equal rights with men on all levels.”
Having a daughter made me realize how much of women’s wisdom has been buried and/or pushed aside by society, and I want to make sure I do my part to provide Maria Alice with a better future.
I’m not sure how yet, I’m just confident in my desires.
Read below 2 great resources to understand the role of women in yoga.
https://breathetogetheryoga.
https://www.elephantjournal.
Love and aloha,
Maiara
Photo by a goddess herself @paula.com.808
