The Divine Feminine
SASP Retreat Program
May 20, 2000

At the May 2000 retreat held at the Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham, seven women offered a presentation on "The Divine Feminine". Each gave both similar and different versions of the embodiment of the Divine Feminine. Organ music was played of The Mother; quotations were offered from The Mother by Sri Aurobindo and from Beyond the Human Species by Georges Van Vrekhem; a history of feminism and the evolution of women was presented; a drawing tutorial was demonstrated; a piece of artwork in clay form with music was shared; a breathing exercise to demonstrate the use of divine feminine energy was facilitated; and a bhajan was sung. A synopsis of the discussions follows.

Some members think that all that is needed to bring the feminine into the Yoga is concentrating on The Mother and Her Will which will direct those to the path they are meant to follow. Others believe that directing one's energies to a place where one does not feel any difference between the feminine and the masculine is the ultimate goal. And still others feel that as a practicing sadhika [female practitioner of yoga] who is functioning in a world where inequalities exist for women, the role of gender and culture need to be shared and discussed in the hope that more consciousness is raised. In conclusion, while differing views were exchanged throughout the day as to what defines the Divine Feminine, these were shared from a place of respect, love, openness, and even humor.

Please have a look at two of the photos that were taken (click on the thumbnails below). Any questions or comments regarding the retreat may be directed to Nora Archambeau at narchambeau@hotmail.com.

Namaste to MOTHERSRIAUROBINDO