5 ways to increase feminine energy

My heart goes out to this reader who posed the following question on https://www.facebook.com/ApsaraAlive page-

I am actually suffering from pcos(polycstic ovarian syndrome). I have a masculine body type. What are the yoga postures you would suggest me to build up a feminine body shape and a more feminine voice? My voice is quite deep because of the high testosterone level and I don’t like my voice
thank you Charu

——-

Wow! How much this reader must suffer.. and I really want to do everything I can to share with her on how to increase feminine energy.

But first- What’s masculine and what’s feminine anyway?

Here’s a checklist for you to go through. You’ll probably notice that you are a blend of both energies. And that’s how yoga sees the soul. No gender, just energy. Some of us are strongly feminine while others are strongly masculine. In yoga we hope to become whole by balancing our unique mix of masculine and feminine energies.

Masculine Energy	Feminine energy
doing	being
Ego	humility
aggression	surrender
analytical	intuitive
concrete	abstract
impatient	patient
rushing	nurturing
assertive	receptive
left brain	Right brain
thrusting	receiving
organization	synthesizing
logical	creative
busy	calm
hard	soft
controlling	allowing

In western society where I now live, Masculine energy is competitive and likes to win. Checklists, getting things done, action oriented tasks are all masculine energy. Masculine energy is great at initiative to conquer worlds. Masculine energy is hard, driving and strong because of this conquering nature. Business can be seen as a very masculine act. It looks at the bottom line, looks at number crunching and to a large degree is all about making money, keeping it and making more money. Masculine energy is associated with the head, it is thinking energy and practical. It is successful in building empires. Masculine energy is courageous and has a lot of common sense. It has strong self-esteem and is more risk taking. Masculine energy is outward focussed. Masculine energy is prized in the industrial world and in general the world has more masculine energy than feminine.

In eastern society where I was born and raised, feminine energy is nurturing, creative, listens, is artistic, is intuitive, likes to feed and nurture others. Receives attention and compliments from others with grace. Dresses in flowing clothes, is protected and taken care of by community. Feminine energy is enthusiastic about life, open and easily receives praise, gifts, and compliments. She is also generous about acknowledging others around her, recognizes interdependence and likes to work collaboratively. Will do everything she can to keep a group together in harmony. Feminine energy loves people and is confident about interacting with others socially. Feminine energy is childlike and has her heart open to reach out to others easily. Feminine energy is soft and emotional, receiving and giving. Feminine energy is associated with the heart, it is feeling energy. Feminine energy is inward focussed. It is the spiritual battery for each of us.

Clearly each of us needs both energies in balance.

I’m sure you are wondering where I weigh on the scale. Just like everyone I am also a blend of feminine and masculine energies. I have a pretty strong feminine side and am very right-brain dominant., I can easily think in abstract. I have to confess I do love being a woman :). I love receiving compliments. However like everyone I also have a mix of masculine energy in me, I like to think in balance.. its what helps me go out into the world and work for a living and get things done in time. I see my feminine energy surface in my daily work, in the way in which I love to work in collaboration with my coworkers. I love to bring them food and treats. And I love creating whether its recipes, or writing unique blog posts, by synthesizing knowledge in new and creative ways. And I love to play dress up, using different fabrics, textures and colours to bring vibrancy to life.

Here are my 5 ways to help out this seeker who asked how to increase feminine energy:

1. Yoga poses – In yoga observing yourself makes you come to the conclusion which side of you is more active and which side a little less. this one is easy for you to spot your stronger side. Try this neat tip.. a fun yoga pose to not only get into focus 
    but also figure out your dominant energy.
2. Hanging out with women – ever seen a bunch of women together. We can really bring the estrogen level up in the room. Women typically nurture each other. We don’t like to confront and fault find. We like to soothe egos, and nurture and we do this quite well when we are in a group of women. Hanging out with a group of women will really help bring out your feminine side more.
3. Move – movement of any kind will typically always increase feminine energy. Maybe dance to your favourite music, get up from your desk, do some yoga, do something, anything to move. Dance freely without being conscious of who is watching you, make it seductive.. feminine energy gets activated by movement.
4. Face pack – make a thick paste of chickpea flour and yogurt and apply this to your face. When semi-dry, rub the face pack in circular motions, going against the direction of the hair growth. If you’d like to naturally bleach your facial hair, try adding honey and lemon juice to this mixture. Do this at least twice a week for at least over a year. I do this everyday, minus yoghurt and have been following this no soap regime for a long time now. I started in my teen years so I have a bit of head start, but its never too late to take care of your skin, so go on try this out.
5. Eat the right foods – since the growth of facial hair is usually due to increased levels of testosterones, drink spearmint tea instead of your regular tea. Spearmint is known to control and lower testosterone levels. A Turkish study showed that PCOS(polycystic ovarian syndrome) women who drank 2 cups of spearmint tea every day for a month showed a significant reduction in the level of excess androgen. Add Foods rich In Omega 3’s like flaxseed. Omega 3’s can minimize the levels of testosterone in women. Flaxseed is a great source of these omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, vitamin B1 and fiber. I keep a bottle of ground up flax seeds and add a teaspoon everyday to whatever I’m having for breakfast- cereals, smoothies etc.

I’m sure you will agree that we need both energies in balance to be in harmony.

What we hope to get through yoga is a balance between our masculine and feminine energies, so we are all complete in ourselves. And then we can attract complete beings just like ourselves into our life 🙂 but often times we get too out of balance. In western society, the masculine is emphasized, running around getting things done and being action oriented is considered a virtue. And Indeed it is, the civilization wouldn’t have made strides if previous generations hadnt’ worked so hard to get things done. But in all this getting things done, feminine energy of intuition, of play, of nurturing took a back seat.

So this note from a viewer on Apsara Yoga facebook page was I believe a  timely reminder to all of us. So dear reader, I know I got a bit carried away in sharing all this.. i hope you find it helpful. Let me know after you try these tips consistently on how things go. You have my full and complete support in wanting to reclaim your feminine side and I’m always there to help you if you have any questions.

I haven’t forgotten that this reader asked for tips to make her voice more attractive. watch out for a future post. Meanwhile I’ll leave you with my kirtan on invoking the feminine goddess Durga

–charuyoga–

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