Guided by Yogini, Priestess, Author, and Scholar Laura “Ambikā” Amazzone, we embarked on a sacred journey into the heart of Shakti (Śakti, Goddess, cosmic energy/power at Maha [Supreme] level).
An inward voyage, a Yatra (pilgrimage) to nurture and deepen our sacred inner knowing, Buddhi, connecting to Her, and our own Shakti (feminine power, energy, movement, force, strength) through preparation, purification, deep sadhana, and temple visits. Remembering Maha Shakti and our own Shakti is non-dual, not separated.
Oh, and the joy of meeting and making new friends, from all around the world, devotees of the Divine Mother in Her many shapes and expressions, was simply delightful. After months of specific Sadhana preparations (this was not a Yatra for beginners), here we were.
After years of studying with my teacher, Laura “Ambikā” Amazzone, it was such a blessing to finally meet her in person. We all arrived with hearts full of anticipation and joy. And waiting at Bhubaneshwar airport, Odisha (formerly Orissa) there was Laura radiantly smiling. Oh, we all cried of joy, yes seriously; we boarded the bus and soon the bus was bursting of laughter and song as it took us to our accommodation, and base, a naturopathic and ayurvedic wellness centre located an hour from Bhubaneswar.
During this Yatra we chanted, meditated, laughed, sang, danced, dreamt, and shared stories, experiences and dreams (oh and so vivid sleeping dreams during this transformative Shakti infused time). We literally felt and experienced Her presence in every temple visit and meditation, Shakti Maa in Her many expressions. She shook, played and nurtured us, imprinting profound experiences, emotions and feelings to last lifetimes, while letting us burn samskaras (emotional and mental patterns from our collective and own psyches, from this and past lifetimes and/or ancestral lineages, that bind and may hinder us from growing spiritually).
In preparation, we purified our bodies, opening ourselves to deeper sadhana and temple worship. We received nourishing treatments and supported our physical cleansing through massage, sauna, mud masks and packs, acupuncture, foot baths, and more. We also practiced internal cleansing with vibrant, prana-filled nourishment — fresh juices and soothing vegetarian and plant-based meals, lovingly prepared from the wellness centre’s own gardens. It was a blessing to step away from the hustle of Indian traffic and the rhythm of daily busyness. Though India is home to almost 1.5 billion people, it still holds precious pockets of quiet and stillness.
Rising before sunrise, listening to the sounds of dawn and softly gazing through the green foliage while enjoying my cup of coffee with a splash of freshly made coconut milk (from real coconuts, no cartons in sight), how spoilt was I. (yes, I drink coffee, it is morning ritual I enjoy but normally do after my meditation). My coffee was followed by a short slow walk through the nectar filled air and met by the sweet scent of lotus incense in our sacred space, our mandala, our morning circle. This is how each day started.
We invited, welcomed, embraced and connected with the 64 yoginis, the Sapta (seven) Matrikas, several Maas, Bhuvaneshwari, Chandi, Varahi and many more divine forms. Some fierce (ugra) divine mothers invited us home to “self”, where we are not our thoughts nor these bodies, and She sometimes shook us to our core; we humbly bowed our heads in recognition.
The sights, sounds, and subtle energies of the temples touched us deeply, each one carrying silent whispers of the Divine. We visited the sacred Chausath (64) Yogini Temple in Hirapur twice — once in the morning and again at dusk. Built in a circular formation, open to the vast sky above and the earth below, each Yogini shines in Her own radiance, adorned with jewels and accompanied by Her Vāhana, the spiritual, often animal, vehicle that carries Her. One of the rare surviving Yogini temples in India, it still echoes with devotion, the memory of ancient ceremonies, and the wild, radiant energies of the Yoginis, once invoked through dance and ritual. We bowed to each Yogini, silently chanting Her names and offering flowers at Her feet. Our guide, Dr. Adyasha Das — author of The Chausath Yoginis of Hirapur — even blessed us with song, weaving sound into the sanctity of the moment.
We also journeyed to other sacred temples — just to mention a few, for there were more. Finding the Sapta Matrika Temple in Puri carried us through wild autorickshaw rides along narrow lanes, our laughter rising with the bumps and turns. At Maa Charchika Temple, one of India’s oldest Shakti temples, an electrifying presence. At the Dakshina Kali Temple in Satyabadi, some of us sat in quiet meditation, letting the screeching gongs, bells and drums played by the priests wash over us, my inner chant followed its shrill rhythm. And at the hidden 9th-century Tantric Varahi (Barahi) Temple in the Chausari district of Puri, we entered a well-preserved sanctuary where time itself seemed to pause.
Guided by the wisdom of priestess, author, and Yogini Laura “Ambika” Amazzone, and by listening deeply within each temple’s garbagriha (innermost sanctum, womb, heart), we journeyed on a sacred voyage — moving not only through temples and landscapes, but also through the hidden portal of the heart. A living thread of devotion wove us together, binding each one of us Yoginis in a mandala (circle) of remembrance. Some mysteries revealed themselves in silence, or in force, and cannot be carried into words — they belong to the Goddess and mandala alone, etched within the souls. What we bring back is Her blessing, the grace of connection, and the knowing that this sacred journey continues to unfold within us, quietly and eternally. For this, and for the guidance of our teacher, our companions, and the Divine Mother Herself, my heart — and the hearts of all who journeyed — overflow with gratitude.
To clarify, in modern Western yoga, Yogini (Yoginī) is often misunderstood as simply the female counterpart of a yogi. In truth, the ancient Yoginīs were powerful, independent women with profound spiritual insight, revered as embodiments of the Divine Feminine (Shakti)—as they continue to be in Tantric and Shakta/Sākta traditions. The term Yogini also refers to celestial, spiritual beings in Tantric mythology, including the 64 Yoginis of Hirapur mentioned above.
