What is Yoni?
According to Wikipedia, yoni translates to mean “womb”, “uterus”, “vagina”, “vulva”, “source”, “sacred space”, or “abode” in Sanskrit, and is, in its pictorial state, a “stylized representation of female genitalia representing the goddess Shakti in Hinduism. Within Shaivism, the sect dedicated to the god Shiva, the yoni symbolises his consort. The male counterpart of the yoni is the lingam. The union of the yoni and lingam represents the eternal process of creation and regeneration, the union of male and female principles, and all existence. In art and sculpture, this union is represented by a cylinder (lingam, often interpreted as a stylised phallus) resting within a spouted dish (yoni).”
Shiva and Shakti
In a further description, the Sanskrit term for the symbolic representation of feminine power is yoni, which is synonymous with the Hindu Goddess Shakti. The creative power, an aspect of the shiva linga, is also represented by Shiva and Shakti. At the base of the linga is yoni, symbolic for the female sex organ. The union of shiva linga represents the creative energies of both combined. Parts of the divine duo include Shiva, which symbolizes consciousness and the masculine principle, and Shakti, the activating power and energy, as well as the feminine principle. Yoni is considered to be symbolic for the divine mother or divine force, with Tantric texts calling it the source of life itself. And just as the Tantra regards yoni as divine power, Shiva, the god of destruction, is only all-powerful when he is present beside Shakti, the source of life and creation.
The Seat of Female Sexual Power
In her book,”A Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects,” Barbara Gordon Walker describes, “The signs of the yoni was meant to convey the shape of the external female genitalia, which the ancients clearly recognized as the seat of female sexual power. Tantrics viewed that power as the source of all creative action. Far from describing female sexuality as “passive” in the Western manner, Tantric Hindus regarded female orgasm as the energizing principle of the universe.”
There are over 8 million yoni forms
And also according to the Tantra, the origin of life, or yoni, is also a term used to refer to a form of life or a species. Within over 8 million yoni forms is the human species form of the manushya yoni, which is given according to good karma (or sufficient good deeds/living) after moving through assorted other forms like fish, insect, rabbit, dog, deer, etc. The opposite, negative or bad karma, leads to reincarnation into an evil form called raksha yoni.Continuous births and rebirths occur in various yonis, eventually ending with enlightenment or Mokshya, which ends reincarnation and allows the human to join Brahma, or the Hindu creator god.
The concept and purpose of yoni massage
For many in Tantric Yoga school, yoni is nothing new. Neither is the concept of yoni massage, since the yoni “holds emotionand tension and it can be helpful to have these released.” Such endeavors can be most helpful to women who have endured sexual trauma and responded with suppressed sexual energy. For this reason, beginning sessions may be emotional due to the suppressed feelings which are being touched upon and accessed during the process. Pressure points within the yoni are involved as well, with some being pleasurable and others not so much, requiring pressure to be released. Aside from the pressure points, the G spot, A spot, Kundalini spot, and cervix are also accessed during yoni massage. While some women find the procedure to be simply tension-relieving, others may find they have orgasms during the massage. This is not unusual and is most often useful in bringing about the desired re-connection to sexuality needed and deserved by the massage recipient. Another popular way to re-connect with yoni and heal the body is the practice of the ancient yoni steam bath, often done for detoxification, fertility, menstrual pain/discomfort alleviation and other health purposes.
Healing the yoni and re-energizing the woman
With the premise of healing the yoni, or sexuality of the woman, tantra combines the wisdom of several ancient traditions including not only Hinduism but Buddhism, Native American spirituality, and Sufism to create a series of healing and/or re-energizing ceremonies or therapeutic sessions. Essentially, this type of session heals the recipient’s sexuality through the combined wisdom and building of sacred connection through intentional breathing, movement, energy, and moves the life force through the chakras to open and/or re-energize them.
