It is a staple of so many religions that there is a "higher" and "lower" expression of existence. The higher is typically associated with consciousness and pursuits of abstraction and transcendence, whereas the body, emotions and the material world get the shaft as the "lower" realm of existence. Naturally, there is a not-so-subtle sexism built into this hierarchical distribution, as the feminine has often been the energy of the body and emotions, thus seen as an inferior force in the face of the more masculine practices of thought, abstraction and transcendence.
Even the yoga of
Patanjali (considered the first formal organizer of yoga philosophy) makes this distinction in the form of
Purusha (consciousness) and
Prakrti (matter). The incarnations of
Purusha and
Prakrti always posit
Purusha as a masculine deity and
Prakrti as feminine. According to
Patanjali, the path of yoga is to purge oneself of
samskaras
This is Member-Only Content
To access, click here to activate a Digital Subscription with a 2-Week Free Trial (no credit card required).