Heroine: The Shadow and Light in the Faces of the Divine Feminine

A journey into the heart of 6th century text, the Devi Mahatmyam

Welcome to the world of the Heroines!

An opportunity to step outside of old conversations, explore beyond the standard yogic texts, and to discover an exciting perspective that places the Devine Feminine tradition at it's center.

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Karina

Can you relate to this?

  • You know there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of texts within the yogic and tantric traditions, so why is it so hard to find a training that covers something other than Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra?!
  • You’ve noticed that many traditional texts focus on male deities and the male experience. You’re searching for texts, and a pathway of practice, that has the feminine principle as its anchor.
  • You resonate deeply with ‘the divine feminine’ (in all her power and glory) but have found it hard to find pathways of study where you can explore it in any real depth. You’re all for ‘feminine flow’ but suspect that ‘the divine feminine’, like you, has a little more to it than that.
  • Although you realise that the ‘divine feminine’ and ‘female’ are not the same thing, you also feel it would be empowering to see yourself reflected in the spiritual imagery you’re served.

just Imagine...

  • Immersing yourself deeply in a tradition of practice that not only celebrates ‘the divine feminine’ but places her at the center of everything.
  • Experiencing the first Tantric text to place a female deity at the center of spiritual practice and having an opportunity to develop your own practice around it.
  • Being one of the few teachers out there with a working knowledge of a text, and a pathway of practice, that’s not Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra or the Bhagavad Gita
  • Feeling held by a practice framework that anticipates where you’ll stumble and shows you how to rise, so those stumbling blocks become a source of growth (instead of an impediment to it).
  • Permission. What a big word, and what a big relief to have it. You finally realise that all of you are welcome here.
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heroine

Shadow and Light in the Faces of the Divine Feminine

A journey into the heart of 6th century text, the Devi Mahatmyam

The Devi Mahatmyam is the first Tantric text to formally put the "goddess" at the heart of spiritual practice. In this course exploring the Devi Mahatmyam you will discover:

  • Its mythology (who doesn’t love a colourful story populated with bombastic, and imperfect, characters who serve up some big life lessons as they go)
  • Its symbolism (the mythology is not just for fun, it’s there to teach you about studentship)
  • Its goddesses, which preside over the battles sagas in the text

You will also receive:

  • Full-length practices that help you explore the qualities of each goddess
  • Full-length practices to help you overcome the impediments to your growth, outlined in the text

join the waiting list!

complete the form below to be the first to know about the 2023 enrollment

Here's what previous students said about the introductory masterclass...

“Thank you so much for creating this masterclass…Explaining how the Goddesses are expressions of different kinds of energy makes it all so much more tangible. Also, I like the way that Shiva/Shakti need each other or assist each other in the unfolding of everything. You have such a cool way of explaining big ideas so they actually become easy/easier to comprehend.”

Durga Masterclass Student

“With your help it has finally made sense to me the dance of Shiva and Shakti in relation to our existence. Then the relationship of the goddesses and how the shakti flows and simplifying the way it expresses itself. Allowing me to have a clearer view now gives me more confidence to relax and work more intuitively with the deity’s. Such a beautiful exciting little lecture.”

Durga Masterclass Student

Give this some thought…

How often do you get the opportunity to explore a full-length text? Sure, you get small pieces of texts from here and there, but usually only in bits and pieces. 

Rarely do you have the luxury of exploring a text from cover to cover. And this isn’t just any text. It’s a key text with the Shakta tradition because it was the first text to put the feminine principle as the center of an entire path of practice. 

There’s something that feels significant about that, right? So, join me. 

For roughly the cost of a tank of gas, this journey will leave you feeling inspired, grounded and empowered as a teacher, and freer and braver as a human.

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your teacher

Hi! I’m Karina….

Once upon a time, there was a girl (me) in a jungle in Bali. She was rational. She thought spiritual stuff was for suckers and she had a vice grip on her behavior and emotions. 

She (as many of us do) had a self-image built around what others thought of her. Based on that image, she had a story about what she was allowed to feel and experience, and also what she wasn’t. Holding the image in place took a lot of energy because this girl, and that image, didn’t match.

One day she picked up a book on the Tantric goddesses. It was a bit of a stretch because, frankly, goddesses seemed a lot like ‘spiritual stuff for suckers’ and she was no sucker, her self-image said. But that book, and those goddesses, were powerful. She found that each gave voice to a part of herself; the parts she accepted, but more importantly, parts she rejected. 

She learned that her hope, her rage, her desire and her fear were simply energies that passed through her sometimes. She learned they were the very same energies that passed through everyone, and everything; part of a spectrum of experience that was universal in nature. 

That book had handed her a permission slip, an opportunity to embrace a fuller spectrum of herself, which is all any of us really wants, right?

Turns out, sometimes spiritual stuff for suckers is the very thing you need to move you out of your own way 😉

In this spirit, I’ve created Heroine: The Shadow and Light in the Faces of the Divine Feminine, to facilitate a journey, grounded in the age-old wisdom of the Devi Mahatmyam, to give you a framework for a journey like this too.

 

Much love,

Karina

You know that feeling of curling up in your favourite chair with a cup of tea and great book? That’s what this course is like, only the book is the Devi Mahatmyam, and it will change you inside and out.

Inside the program you will find:

A detailed exploration of the Devi Mahatmyam where you will learn:

  • The mythology that lies at the center of this text (the battles that play out between the gods, goddesses and demons are truly something to behold…Game of Thrones has nothing on this!)
  • The deep teachings that are hidden within the battle scenes (the mythology of the Devi Mahatmyam is replete with symbolism that is precise in the lessons it communicates)
  • An exploration of the gunas (you’ll learn why they’re important when you explore the text) including how - in excess - each one can manifest as an impediment to our growth (the stuckness of tamas, the ego and distraction of rajas, the spiritual identity of sattva). You’ll learn how to overcome them.
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Karina

You’ll also:

  • Explore the three goddesses presiding over the battles in the text (Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati) as well as Lalita Tripura Sundari who sits at the center of the stream of the Shakta tradition that I happen to practice within.
  • Have access to six full-length practices (inclusive of asana, pranayama and meditation), designed to give you:
  • An embodied experience of the qualities of each of the goddesses we explore
  • The tools to accompany your exploration of the gunas so you can move more seamlessly through the challenges you encounter on this path.

Warning: Side effects may include….

  • You know that feeling of curling up in your favourite chair with a cup of tea and great book? That’s what this course is like, only the book is the Devi Mahatmyam, and it will change you inside and out.
  • You know that feeling when you see someone being unapologetically themselves and you’re like, ‘how do they do that?’ and simultaneously you realise that being in their presence makes it easier for you to be your whole self too? If that person were a book, they’d be the Devi Mahatmyam.
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  • Being confident that, as a teacher, you can bring something to the table that’s not a rehash of something everyone else learned in their teacher training. You have a point of difference and a direct experience of the teachings so you can offer its insights from both a place of knowledge and embodiment.
  • Upgrading your understanding of the Shakta tradition from vague to specific.
  • Sitting with the realisation that the feminine principle is something that can be both powerful and gentle, ruthless and loving, chaotic and compassionate (just like you, I imagine).
  • Feeling held by a practice framework that anticipates where you’ll stumble and shows you how to rise, so those stumbling blocks become the source of (instead of the impediment to) your growth.

More happy students...

"Karina has such an articulate and beautiful way of explaining those sometimes tricky concepts in the tradition..." - Alice, Student

"Such an interesting and delightful introduction to this subject.. I'll look forward to dive deeper with you leading, and a great practice too!"

- Heroine Introductory Masterclass Student

FAQ

I NEED A PAYMENT PLAN, IS THAT OK?

Yes, of course! You’ll find all the payment options outlined, above.

I’M BUSY! WHAT’S THE TIME COMMITMENT?

The course is broken into ‘bite sized chunks’ to accommodate busy schedules. Some videos are as short as five minutes, others are longer (30-45 minutes) to make moving through the course easy. You don’t have to have hours free each day to finish the course.

HOW LONG WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO THE COURSE?

You’ll have access to the material for 12 months.

WILL YOU RUN THIS COURSE AGAIN?

The course will run once a year, with the next intake being in 2023. Scroll up to join the waiting list and be the first to fine out about the next enrollment.

HOW IS THE COURSE MATERIAL DELIVERED?

Within the course you’ll find a combination of talks and yoga practices (inclusive of asana, pranayama and meditation) as well as journaling and contemplation prompts. You can reach out to me with questions at any time, using the comments section under each video.

DO I HAVE TO BE A TEACHER TO DO THIS COURSE?

No! Although existing teachers can use the program to meet their continuing education commitment to Yoga Alliance, anyone who is interested in this text will benefit from the course.

IS THIS COURSE ONLY PHILOSOPHY OR WILL I GET TO PRACTICE TOO?

You’ll get to practice! There are seven full-length asana classes woven throughout the course.

I’VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED YOGIC PHILOSOPHY BEFORE, WILL THIS BE TOO ABSTRACT FOR ME?

No! Yoga philosophy isn’t supposed to be abstract. It’s supposed to be practical. Its purpose is to help you be the best human you can!

I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS. WHERE CAN I DIRECT THEM?

karina@karinaguthrieyoga.com