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A 10th century sculpture of a Yogini from the Smithsonian Institute

A "yogini" is the female equivalent to a practicing male "yogi.” Both enjoy the benefits of the disciplined pursuit of union with God through the practice of yoga. The intrinsic complexity and multi-faceted nature of the feminine finds a yogini embodying an array of archetypical energies—female aspects of the divine—that significantly differ from the pointed-focus practice of a male yogi. Yogini is a term that finds reference in several texts related to Hinduism, where its literal meaning is "sorceress" or wisdom seeker, a definition that could just as easily be interpreted as “alchemist,” or "angel of mercy." A woman dedicated to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge and mystical insight has many faces, from devotional to demure, and from fiery to fierce; all of these can be embraced under the rubric of a yogini. In some branches of tantra yoga, ten wisdom goddesses (or dakinis) serve as models for a yogini's disposition and behavior.

The word is used to refer to advanced female yoga practitioners, and in the mythological context, it may indicate one or more of the following:

• A female who is an associate or attendant of Durga.
• In several Tantric cults, the term refers to an initiated female sexual partner, who may take part in tantric rituals.

In a wider and general context, a yogini is a woman who may possess supernatural powers, including the ability to transcend the normal aging process via internalization of the reproductive power known as urdhva-retas (upward refinement of the seed-force) and even death, attaining divya sharira (immortal divine body). During Durga’s battles with the demons (asuras) eight yoginis are described emanating from the body of Durga, and they assisted her in the battle. In later texts, the number of Yoginis increased to sixty-four. All these yoginis represented forces of vegetation and fertility, illness and death, Yoga and magic. All yoginis are worshipped collectively and together, each one is enshrined in an individual position in a circular temple open to the sky (Sri Yantra).

One of the most impressive yogini temples is the 9th century Chaunsath yogini (sixty-four yogini) temple is located at Hirapur, Bhubaneshwar district, Orissa. Other two important yogini temples are the 10th century monuments at Khajuraho, near Chhattarpur and Bheraghat, near Jabalpur, both in Madhya Pradesh.

• Buddhanature.com A meditation on visiting the land of the Yoginis

Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry
Female Deities: Saraswati | Mariamman | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more...
Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Ayyanar | Indra | Surya | more...
Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda
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