Among other things, the recent popular movie, “Barbie” is a hilarious commentary on the male/female roles that society has instilled in us. In general, gender issues are very much in the political spotlight these days as well. The yoga teachings have an interesting perspective on this that goes beyond our surface identities. Yoga addresses the feminine and masculine in terms of balancing these energies within us. Through meditation and connecting with our inherent soul qualities, we can honor the outer reality from a clearer perspective with no need to feel threatened or to defend. The result is a harmony and peace that begins within each of us.
Swami Kriyananda puts it this way:”We have emerged from a male dominated era (Kali Yuga) when physical force seemed the only way of attaining one’s objectives — and already are being swayed by the fresh spring breezes of the Age of Energy (Dwapara Yuga). There will be an increasing awareness of the need for feminine inwardness as a balance to masculine outwardness; for inner inspiration as balance to outward conquest; for feeling as the very essence of consciousness itself. In the struggle to adapt to these changes, it will be increasingly necessary to distinguish between calm feeling, which is intuitive, and the disruptive feelings of raw emotion. There is a need—now, today—to recognize the importance of inner peace as the soil in which alone the plant of true happiness can flourish.”
Kriya Yoga is a yogic method that gives us an effective way to see with new eyes how we can contribute to the well being of the planet as souls in balance with our feminine/masculine energies, neither attached nor rejecting of our gender identification. We come to more and more see each other as simply beings of light finding our way together through this challenging assignment of Planet Earth.
Together in the Light,
Ananda in Texas