The Mahdi Times The Mahdi Times, Issue #27, February 2015 | Page 44

and guide us toward consciously living from that sacred place of Divine Union. Developing a deeper relationship with our self and being ok with being alone is an important tantric practice. Tantra teaches us to accept all of our experiences without judgment. It encourages us to embrace what life deals us as an opportunity for spiritual and emotional growth as well as expanded awareness. From the tantric perspective, whether we are in a romantic partnership or not, we always have the opportunity to explore our partnership with the Divine. In the Shakta Tantra tradition of South Asia, the Divine is presented as Shiva and Shakti in sacred union. While Shiva and Shakti are expressions of the Divine upon which we can meditate, Shiva and Shakti actually represent qualities that make up our existence. Think yin and yang — however their properties are reversed in the tantric worldview. Shiva is the expression of the passive, receptive, lunar, cooling, masculine and grounding energies, while Shakti is the expression of active, dynamic, solar, energizing, feminine and creative energies. We all carry both Shiva and Shakti within ourselves. When we pay attention, we can witness how these energies play out in the world around us. We may even begin to experience how the dance of these energies can benefit or become out of balance in our relationships with ourselves and with others. How can we keep the sacred dance of Shiva and Shakti flowing within us?