KAMAKHYA PUJA

The Menstruating Goddess

KAMAKHYA PUJA

A TANTRIC RITE OF PASSAGE

22-23-24 June | Full Moon Ritual

20:oo-23:oo CEST | 19:oo-22:oo GMT
*A recording will be made available,
if you were unable to make the exact date/time.
Just get in touch.
"The unconscious bindings
are mirrored in the physical and psychic worlds
by the object of desire.

Kamakhya is the Goddess of desire
She is at the very essence of desire.

Those who seek the Goddess,
undertake Tantric pilgrimage
across landscapes both inner and outer
to receive the blessing of Kamakhya."

This Tantric ritual will take place over the course of three evenings, although it will be possible to join for single evenings also.

Kamakhya is the Goddess of desire. Kama in her name means desire, and Puja means ritual. Her ritual is celebrated for three days following the Summer Solstice. This ancient Tantric festival celebrates her menstruation as a way to honour the passing of the lengthening days and welcoming the introverting cycle as the nights start to lengthen.

It is a ritual time for honouring
the dark internal space of the womb.

Following the solstice, the nights start lengthening and nature starts to make her descent into the womb. These ritual nights are a time for internalising and addressing the feminine for both man and woman. This includes work of accessing our receptive feeling nature as well as working with issues of the womb and sexual area. The female menstural rhythms are brought into focus also at this yearly junction. The Kamakhya ritual can create a lot of movement in reproductive and sexual health, on both physical and spiritual levels. Chanting the Kamakhya Mantra’s within her Mudras, brings the whole area of desire and sexuality into focus.

Those who seek the Goddess, undertake Tantric pilgrimage across landscapes both inner and outer to receive the blessing of Kamakhya. Many reclusive yogis who usually live in states of samadhi (meditation) only come out on these 3 days each year to perform the ritual dedicated to Kamakhya, which highlights the central place of this ritual within Tantra.
As well as a fertility festival, it represents to the Tantrics a time of insight into the root of desire.

THE EARTH BREATHS & MENSTRUATES

During the nights of Kamakhya by focusing and listening within, one may observe in themselves the suspension of the object of desire, and find that a strange and unfathomable spiritual longing arises and takes centre stage in the usually dominating forces of desire and the movements towards its fulfilling. The suspension within is reflected in the suspension without. There is a pause between the light half of the year and the dark half. Kamakhya is that pause. She is the place that houses the essence of desire.

The darkening half of the year following the solstice is the exhalation of nature. On the solstice day, nature had reached the full extent of its inhalation. Which by the laws of polarity, must be followed by the exhalation following the pause between. Suspension and interludes are times of catching the great mystery that can evade us in the louder and brighter shades of life. Having crossed this transition, the poles of nature switch into the introverted state. It is for Tantrics the time for addressing and empowering the Feminine, as the Goddess of desire has her yearly menstruation.
Welcome to Kamakhya Puja.

THE RITUAL

THE DOOR TO THE TEMPLE

The Kamakhya sequence of moves is an ancient Tantric formula and is most favourable for working with the sexual energy and womb centres. Kamakhya practice relates to the menstrual cycle, sexual health on both psychic and physical levels for both genders. This particular branch of practice rules desire the area of creation in general. Kamakhya mudras often involve intimate use of the hands upon sexual zones of energy on and in the body. These mudras can sometimes be arousing. The main action and effect are, that they create a movement of the Shakti energy from frozen states. This is healing on both physical and psychic levels. Kamakhya practice is heating in nature. Through the force of desire she creates diamonds – a stone much desired and resulting from the powerful force of the Earth’s desire.

The Heerchalana Mudras are strong yet simple forms of Mudra in motion. They represent physically and psychically the compressing of a diamond by the forces of the Earth in its creation. We shall engage in this important and usually secret Mudra which is one of the Gupt Mudras (hidden practices of initiation).

The positions that open the feet and toes bring the currents of sexual Shakti force into motion through the physical and psychic self. Work on the toes, along with moon positions like Chandra namaskar, open the channels so the feminine currents can open. Chandranamaskar a central asan in Tantric practices. We will combine this asan with Kamakhya (Desire) and Heer (Diamond) Mudras.

 

22 June – FIRST NIGHT OF KAMAKHYA | WATER AS SHE POURS DOWN


The first stage of Tantric Kamakhya practice in the 3 day festival begins with the journey of the Rise of Kundalini Shakti that is wound up in the unconscious realms and seeks Union. The Shakti within us only finds this reflected union with that which she is bound by. The unconscious bindings are mirrored in the physical and psychic worlds, by the object of desire – the desire being reflected back in its opposite. In the case of Sati, as the story shows (read Blog), she is the pure manifestation of Shakti, unbound and expressed upon the Earth. Her opposite is Shiva, the one who seems barely to sit upon the Earth and has his vision above in the higher Chakras.

Kam Kam Ka Meh Kha
Kam Kam Ka Meh Kha

This is the Mantra that relates to the mudras of the first night of the Kamakhya Puja.

23 June – SECOND NIGHT OF KAMAKHYA | FIRE AS THEY BOTH BURN


The second night opens the practice of mudras that relate to the second part of the myth, in which Shiva is distraught by the loss of his beloved Sati and becomes mad, possessed by destructive force. The second night of Kamakhya Puja is Tantricly worked out by the Mudra of Tandav, the dance of destruction. Restlessness and anger are addressed and brought to the Tantric altar for healing, by these inner and outer mudras. We will dance the Tantric Tandav of Shiva’s play of Yog, through the forms of Rudra and Bhairav.

Kamakhya Ree
Kamakhya Raa

This is the Mantra that we will chant on this night. The Tandav strotram is a 30 verse poem honouring the dance of Shiva, and is also sung to invoke the spirit of the eternal dance of longing.

24 June – THIRD NIGHT OF KAMAKHYA | THE UNION OF SHAKTI-SHIV


The third and final night of the Puja sees the conclusion of the myth, in which, through compassion for the devotion of Shiva, Sati reincarnates as Parvbhati. Pharbati represents Tejas, the calming fire which cools the heat of longing that burns Shiva to the point of destruction. The mudras of Shakti and Shiva are Tantricly practiced as the conclusion of the Kamakhya Puja. These are the mudras that relate to the Union of the Goddess and God within us. The practice of these Mudras, begins on the psychic level as Antar Mudra (inner Tantric invocations) The practice of such mudras have the effect of spreading out to the manifest level. They begin an alchemical reflective process of harmonising the polarities in our manifest lives.

Kam Kam Kamaksha
Kam Kam Kam Kamaksha

Is the final Mantra that relates to the completion of the ritual. It is the mantra that instills the mystical union within us and within our outer lives.

WHERE & HOW: It’s all Online.
MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE

The rituals takes place ONLINE, from 8pm until ±11pm Central European Summer Time (CEST).
A recording will be made available, should you be unable to make the exact date. Get in touch with us if this should be the case.
To find out how to register and what you will need to follow the practice online, click on the button below.

REGISTRATION

BLOG

Kamakhya Puja

Kamakhya Puja is a ritual time for honouring
the dark internal space of the womb,
proceeding the solstice the nights start lengthening
and nature starts to make her descent into the womb.

To read more,
CLICK HERE

WHAT IS 'WORKING WITH THE SHADOW'?

A short interview with Boonath.

ANCIENT & SACRED

On these healing circles you will practice a form of Yoga that is rarely available and accessible even in India today. You will take part in a sacred Yogic tradition that roots itself in India’s native shamanic wisdom & Tantric lineage handed down orally between generations of Yogis, Babas, Sadhus and Fakirs.
You will be exposed to the old tantric ways of seeking profound healing and spiritual awakening, including practicing in darkly-lit spaces to quieten the mind and awaken the senses to the body’s subtle energy currents, holding simple postures for long periods of time, and engaging in powerful breath-work to open-up the body and take the mind into altered states of consciousness.

GENTLE

The practice draws on postures seldom used in modern styles of yoga, ancient sequences that honour the mother and the divine feminine, gently opening-up the body to its highest levels of flexibility through minimal effort.
Integral to this experience will be the exploration of sound-currents present in the body (Nada Yoga) – perhaps one of Yoga’s greatest secrets and one of the most powerful vehicles through which the karmic patterns stored in the chakras can be accessed and released in pursuit of profound healing.

UNIQUE

Unique to this tradition is its simultaneous employment of Asanas (postures), aerobic & anaerobic Pranayam (breathwork), Mudras (gestures), and Mantras (sacred sounds).
The synergy created by the employment of these various yogic tools will lead you into altered states of consciousness and dream-like experiences aimed at facilitating a greater openness to inward journeying and an easier access to your subconscious.

UNBOUND

Because we are going to play with shamanic yogic traditions, the practice will take place outside of clearly time constraints. Generally, the practice will last about 6 hours, but if the group is ready to practice longer we might carry well into the night.

INCLUSIVE

The Circle is open to those interested in the healing path.
Tantra and Yoga practitioners, and those seeking healing, practitioners of the mystic arts. Both advanced and beginners will find a place in this circle.
If you have had or are having psychosis please get in touch directly with us as this is important to know about in this work. The same goes for those with strong mobility issues. Drug and alcohol users also need to inform us of their condition. Thank you.

The practie usually takes place in the dark or darkly-lit spaces.
The pictures below were taken in daylight to capture the flow of a practice.

BOONATH

ben2

BOONATH was born into a life of yoga. He grew up between Europe and India and was introduced as a child to yoga through his grandparents who were on both sides yoga practitioners.
His grandparents took him on his first Himalayan pilgrimage when he was just seven years old and he has been exposed to the world of yogis ever since.
Boonath has taken  initiation into the left hand path (that’s the path of the heart) and specialises in the branch of Chandra Parampara, that is a secret style of Moon practice that works with the night forces. It is a style of tantra that goes very deep into the subconscious roots It is first and foremostly a Healing System. Most of his family still lives in India and he has been travelling there regularly throughout his life  in pursuit of yoga. He has worked closely in apprenticeship with elders in the line of Siddha systems of healing and holds much knowledge in the use of rituals, mantras and body/spirit healing methods among other things.
Boonath has been working in this line and helping people with the implementation of these techniques for over 25 years to successfully overcome mental and physical problems, from chronic pain to addiction.
Boonath’s healing and yoga work sees him travelling across the whole of Europe to give workshops and healing sessions.  His travels and yoga workshops
continue to benefit people in deprived circumstances.
In recent years Boonath has been living and teaching yoga in Germany where he has a network of students. It was in Berlin that Boonath met Kim, with whom Boonath co-founded Working with the Shadow in 2014.

Formal studies and encounters have all left their impression on Boonath, but his teachings are deeply rooted in the Shamanic traditions of the mystical Babas and Fakirs of India, with whom Boonath has been studying closely since childhood to the present day.

KIM

KIM is an Eco-Activist turned Yogi and the founder of Healing in the Willows, the retreat company hosting Working with the Shadow, which he developed in 2014 in collaboration with Boonath, who he assists with the teaching. Kim discovered Yoga in 2005, following a burn-out at work that brought him onto the path of ‘Yog’. Kim had spent over 10 years coordinating international environmental campaigns in Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin for major environmental NGOs, including Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth, ActionAid, and many others.
Kim practiced Yoga with many teachers from several modern styles of Yoga (including Iyengar, Astanga, Vinasa, Bikram, Sivananda, Scaravelli, Kundalini) all over Europe, India and further afield. In 2011 Kim set up a first yoga collective in Berlin, which he then expanded to a new location in 2013, in one of the economically deprived areas of town that was undergoing gentrification. The collective brought together a variety of local teachers to promote yoga on a donation basis within the surrounding community unable to afford the increasing cost of living. It was there that Kim met Boonath and, through Boonath, that his understanding of what Yoga is and what Yoga can do shifted entirely. Boonath’s rare and ancient Tantric lineage revolutionised Kim’s understanding of Yoga and initiated him into a mystical healing journey that impacted strongly also on Kim’s activist work.
Since then Kim has been collaborating with Boonath on developing Working with the Shadow through the retreats, workshops and online classes.

“It shifted my understanding of what Yoga actually is,
on a fundamental level”

Joe
Farmer & Activist | UK

REGISTRATION.

TO BOOK A PLACE ON THE ONLINE SESSION…

STEP 1 | Make the payment
either via Paypal or bank transfer (see below).

STEP 2 | Send a proof of payment
(a screenshot will do) to info@healinginthewillows.com

We will then:

STEP 3 | Send you a confirmation email confirming your registration.

STEP 4 | The day of the event, we will send you an email containing:

– all the technical details to connect to the class online,
– suggestions on how best to prepare for the practice (foods and drinks to avoid),
how to set-up your room for the practice,
props you might need during the practice (blankets, cushions, etc). 

PANDEMIC-FRIENDLY PRICE

FEES VARY ACCORDING TO INCOME
Please choose the amount matching your current economic situation,
whether you are unemployed, low income or high income.
Please remember that we depend entirely on peoples’ fees for the carrying out of this work:

UNEMPLOYED

€25 / €65

One Ritual / All Three Rituals

LOW INCOME

€35 / €95

One Ritual / All Three Rituals

HIGH INCOME

€50 / €120

One Ritual / All Three Rituals

PAYPAL

kim.bizzarri@gmail.com

BANK TRANSFER

Account holder: Kim Bizzarri
Iban: IT91A0200870691000003926096
Bic/Swift: UNCRITM1CEC
Bank: Unicredit

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PAYMENTS ARE TO BE MADE BEFORE
& NO LATER THAN NOON
ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT

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THE SESSION WILL HAPPEN ON ZOOM
We will send you the links and passwords necessary for joining the practice.
All your need your end is a computer / tablet with a camera (preferably, but not essential – it’s important that you can see us), a microphone (so that we can hear you, but it’s not essential) and good speakers / audio,
as it will be fundamental that you hear the instructions.

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IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

T: +39 3298456532
@: info [at] healinginthewillows.com

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