Last night, as I prepared for bed, I quietly spoke the word “Goddess”.
It was a deliberate choice because today is International Women’s Day. I wanted to contemplate what this word meant to me. I began to repeat it slowly to myself.
I found myself reveling in the sound of it. The completeness of its composition enticed me. The firm ‘G’, the open ‘O’, the staccato-like ‘D’. All of it ending with a soft and seductive ‘S’.
The word itself is soft and strong.
The “Goddess” pose in yoga is a perfect mix of soft strength. The feet are planted firmly on the ground, and yet hips and inner thighs need to be open to maintain the wide stance of the legs. The arms are brandished in the air, flexed and ready for action. Feet are to the earth, arms to the sky, the face is gentle, and breath is plentiful.
These two traits of soft and strong are not exclusively female. Each person has an inner capacity for softness and strength. The willingness to embody both is what makes us truly powerful. We need both to lead a full life.
Every active yoga practice needs a savasana
A vigorous vinyasa needs a child’s pose
Every posture that brings heat, requires a moment to cool down.
Masculine needs the Feminine.
Woman or man, by practicing yoga we all learn to express both the gentle and firm parts of our bodies and minds. We stretch and strengthen, we grip and let go. Each practice is a grace-filled ebb and flow between the two extremes, leading us back to a more centered existence.
To me, “Goddess” means complete. It is a person who is learning to live in the harshness and holiness of life. A “Goddess” is someone who allows themselves to be broken and beautiful, sweet and strong, happy and sad, female and male.
To be a Goddess is to be human. To be human is to be soft and strong. I hope we can learn to accept our humanity, and in doing so, accept the Goddess within.
