That Divine Feminine

Many Eastern philosophies view the dynamics of the world as two opposing powers: yin and yang, shakti and shiva or, what is probably easiest for us to understand in concrete terms, feminine and masculine energy.

These two energies are present in every human being, regardless of our sex. To feel whole and do well, we need to give space for both energies.

There is much more wisdom and depth to this philosophy but I will try to explain it shortly. In a nutshell, the masculine in men and women alike enjoys forward motion and being in charge – plans, goals and reaching them. Most of the businesses and Western societies operate on masculine energy.

The feminine enjoys the flow of life and love. It enjoys surrender and breathing in everything that is delicious: being in nature and exploring textures, colors, scents – beauty in general. Feminine energy is a creative force yet in our work mode, we tend to bury it under the more controlling and forward-moving masculine.

In her great book The Wild Woman’s Way psychologist and intimacy expert Michaela Boehm focuses on these energies, how they affect our life experience: our bodies, minds, careers as well as our relationships.

She writes about how important it is for women especially, why not men as well, to nurture the feminine in us. Let go of the unnecessary “push” and tension, and by doing that, become more relaxed and lead a fuller, happier life.

Many of us hold a lot of mental and physical stress simply out of habit. By learning to release it on a daily basis, we can better access all the creativity and joy and fun and feeling that we tend to hold back because we need to get, things, done. Asap.

Making things happen is a masculine energy. Letting things happen is a feminine energy. And things will happen without effort! It’s not magic so much as life force. You just need to learn how to use it.

If you want a more thorough introduction to Michaela Boehm’s ideas, have a look at these Goop articles.