Shakti - The Dance with Creation

​Spring is here, bringing with it more warmth and sunshine and a felt sense of incredible energy EVERYWHERE. In this spirit of aliveness, our monthly theme is Shakti, and I must confess this inspiration first rendered me speechless. Shakti, often translated as power, is the primordial energyof creation itself and represents the divine feminine. In our bodies Shakti takes the form of Kundalini energy, which can lead to an awakened state, referred to as Samadhi in the yoga tradition.

No words can truly describe the embodiment of Shakti; it is something to be experienced. We may feel it in the peaceful melting sensation when resting in Savasana or the deep ‘ahhh’ when graced by the magnificence of a rainbow. Shakti is the energy that births all creation. Rather than seeking to connect to this source for external benefit, which implies separation, we can cultivate the awareness that WE ARE this essence. When we learn to open and receive, we become a vessel for pure energy to move through us for the benefit of creation, without attachment to personal outcomes.  

One of the most profound expressions of Shakti in my life has been the creation of the Dayaalu Center. Understanding this helped bring clarity to why I was uncomfortable when people would say to me, “Sue you must feel so proud to have manifested your dream.” At first, I mistakenly thought I was having difficulty receiving praise, but on a deep level I knew my discomfort was something else. 

The truth is, I did not have a long-term dream to create a Center. One day driving down Madison Avenue I heard a voice say loud and clear, “YOU MUST MOVE.” Hearing voices wasn’t a regular occurrence for me, and though I wasn’t looking to move, I knew I had to listen to this deep guidance. 

Within the week I found myself looking through the window of an unappealing building for sale. Initially I had no interest but something made me peer through to the backyard where I saw the most magnificent Magnolia tree in full bloom. It was love at first sight, and in that moment I knew I’d begun an adventure that would require many leaps of faith.  

Grounded and wise people advised me to develop a full business plan. With our son heading to college and our daughter soon to follow, using our family’s home as the primary asset and resource to build the Center was not exactly logical. This needed to be financially viable. Yet as I tried to create a “plan” I felt instead a deep knowing… what would take place in the Center could not yet be known, and to define it would limit the possibilities of what needed to emerge. From the outset, clearly, my job was to cultivate receptivity rather than make a plan. My intention is AND MUST BE tied to being of service rather than to any particular outcome. As long as I stay connected to this intention the path unfolds with clarity. Sometimes the path offers great ease and other times abundant lessons that are just what I need, albeit not always easy. 

I now understand my discomfort accepting praise for the Dayaalu Center. Because the creation was and continues to be hand in hand in with Shakti and is never me acting alone. It feels like a dance with grace. A dance not created from a strong lead and obedient follow, but from a deep listening and responding with synchronistic co-creation. I didn’t know when we started, nor do I know now, exactly what we are creating. I do know. with all of my heart, that Dayaalu is emerging as a place of service, infused with the energy of Shakti.

It is my delight that every day we offer opportunities to dance with this primordial energy and support how it moves through you.

With deep love,
Sue

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