The Cycle: Creation, Destruction, Sustenance

#meditationmonday for Yoga Mamas!

Without going into great detail of Hindu mythology, the Hindu Trimukti (trilogy if you will) is Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu. Brahma is the Creator. Shiva the Destroyer (read: Transformer, but NOT the toys your kids play with). Vishnu the Sustainer (read: Nurturer).

The trimukti represents the cycle that is ever-present in our lives. From the physical realm to the experiential and spiritual.

At any given moment, we can see all three within our selves, or we might identify more closely with one.
When I teach Prenatal Yoga Teacher Trainings, I tell the students that the act of becoming a mother is Creation - a Brahma state. (We probably all agree with that!)

In order to make the transition from Woman to Mother, takes an amount of Destruction of our former self - Transformation, if you were. A Shiva state.

Being a Mother is essentially a Vishnu state - a state of Sustaining, or Nurturing.

So as mothers, we embody all three. And all three are necessary to maintain balance. Neither being better or worse, yet too much of one creates imbalance as well. Shiva stands between Brahma and Vishnu to represent the
Destruction that creates room for Creation.

Take a moment to consider these three deities, and what they represent. Does one stand out to you more than another? Are all three present for you in this moment?

Take 5 minutes to sit and ponder. Is that aspect in balance for you? 

In my own life, and reflecting back a few years, I have realized that I recognized most with Vishnu, the nurturer, in too much abundance, to the point that the relationship I was nurturing became harmful.

So I called in Shiva, some destruction power, to open up the path for new creations.

Just one way to look at a challenge!

I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Sharing in vulnerability is a beautiful way to acknowledge that sometimes life is difficult, and that we are not alone.