Shakti has many healing energies in nature from the qualities, properties and powers of everything that makes up nature but also up to the metaphysical.
Shakti is an important Sanskrit term. Several meanings are there. These different meanings are essential to understand how the powers of the universe work from the biological level to the cosmic level, that is to say of life and existence.
Shakti mainly means power or energy.
To be more specific, Shakti is a reference to the power of decision making, or execution.
In the West, Shakti is best known as the creative and transformative feminine energy of Nature and the Earth in general.
Shakti represents the special powers of Nature, the powers of the nature of the Self, Atma-Shakti, and the nature of the world or Prakriti Shakti.
Shaktis: the powers of nature
What places do nature’s Shaktis occupy in Ayurvedic treatment?
To obtain healing, it is necessary to have the knowledge and preparation to obtain healing.
We need to identify and use the right Shakti according to the condition and the context, which can change, in order to use the right force to heal.
Each object or force has a unique power of Nature
For example, Dahana Shakti is the power to burn and purify like fire. It is used for various purposes, good or bad, from cooking food to setting fire to a building.
Kledana Shakti is the hydrating, moisturizing, and nourishing power like water. She can also drown.
For there to be healing, the appropriate shakti must be activated to deal with or balance the pathology or disease.
Nature has many healing Shaktis contained in the 5 elements:
– the powers of the sky and the atmosphere,
– minerals, plants, herbs
– Food,
– mountains, rivers and forests.
It is important to also consider that everything that Nature offers must be used appropriately. As much as it has this power of healing but also of destruction if used clumsily.
Shaktis and Ayurveda
Our food has its nutritious properties which is called Anna Shakti.
Herbs also have their healing energy or Aushadi Shakti
If we take an example, spicy herbs like ginger, cinnamon, sage or tulsi have a diaphoretic (perspiration) effect, called Svedana Shakti. This is useful if we wish to practice sweat therapies that are particularly effective in countering Kapha dosha.
For the power of oleation or Snehana Shakti, oils such as sesame, coconut… are particularly used for effective massages against Vata dosha.
Plants have Ayurvedic energy which give special actions. For example, tastes or rasa can have heating effects (virya) or special actions called prabhava. They are also forms of Shakti.
I can still mention the Shakti rasayana with rejuvenating, healing and regenerative powers such as ashwagandha, shatavari, bala, amalaki, haritaki, … They help at the deepest level of healing and revitalization.
The forces of Shakti and its powers are also present at a more subtle level and described in Yoga and bhut vidya (Ayurvedic psychology). These forces we find in the mantras.
Kriya Shakti is related with the beej mantra Kreem and Goddess Kali and Akarshana Shakti with the beej mantra Kleem and Tripura Sundari Devi. Mantras have the power to shift energies and heal the mind and emotions.
Dhyana Shakti is the power of meditation derived from the force of concentration called Dharana Shakti.
All these Shakti forces are activated by the regularity of the practices, the detachment and the internalization of the spirit.
Shaktis of the healer
The healer must have this healing power to be able to help others towards lasting well-being.
It develops Prana Shakti or life energy through connection to cosmic Prana through Pranayama and sattvic living. This is how he receives the Shakti of healing.
It also needs strong ojas, which is the power of physical immunity, patience and calm which is Kshamatva Shakti.
To be a healer one must also be wise, experienced with a sattvic intellect (buddhi). It is the Prajna Shakti necessary for proper diagnosis and treatment.
The powers of Nature are within us and surround us. They are part of the whole Vedic science of the powers or Shakti of healing, which must be learned in order to be able to heal.
These healing Shaktis come to us from Nature called Prakriti, itself connected to ParaShakti or ultimate and universal force.
References
Om Shakti