Shakti is Not a Concept - Rosalind Atkinson & Mariana Garcia Flores

What if everything you were taught to fear is actually sacred?

In this intimate, resonant conversation, I sit down with Mariana, a dear friend and fellow teacher whose life story continues to unfold in powerful ways. Raised in a strict Catholic school environment in Mexico, Mariana shares how years of religious repression shaped her understanding of sexuality, embodiment, and spirituality and how the practices of Yoga, meditation, and humanistic psychotherapy helped her unravel those beliefs and come home to her own sacred aliveness.

This episode is not a theoretical conversation. It is an embodied testimony to the power of Yoga as life itself as Shakti, as descent, as the energy that we are. Together, we question the cultural scripts that pit spirit against flesh, and remember what it means to live in a world where the seen is the source.

Subjects Explored

• Growing up Catholic and the repression of the body

• Unlearning religious shame through embodied practice

• How Yoga reunites what doctrine divides

• The holiness of desire and the wisdom of William Blake

• Why the feminine can never be denied, only exiled

• Shakti as the undismissable truth of nature

Key Quotes

"Shakti is what we are. There's no denying Shakti."

"It was as if I had finally placed the needle on the right record, and the music began to play in rhythm with my own heart."

"The body is not a shell to the soul. It is the soul."

"Religion told me that the closer I was to God, the further I should be from the body. Yoga showed me they were never separate."

"The repression of nature is not safety. It's suffering."

Key Takeaways

Embodied Awakening – True spiritual life begins when we reclaim the body as sacred.

Shakti Cannot Be Denied – The feminine principle is life itself—wild, wise, and ever-present.

Beyond Duality – Spirit and matter are not in opposition. Yoga reveals their unity.

From Shame to Sovereignty – Dismantling internalized doctrine opens the door to freedom.

The Holiness of Desire – As William Blake taught, energy is delight. To feel is divine.

Intimacy is the Practice – Yoga is not an escape from reality but a deep participation in it.

Resources Mentioned

Mariana’s offerings: https://www.aliveaslife.com

IG @aliveaslife

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Opening and Mariana’s Catholic upbringing

[00:04:05] Leaving Mexico and the search for freedom

[00:08:17] Early messages about sexuality and sin

[00:12:00] Confession culture and fear of the body

[00:15:48] Yoga, psychotherapy, and reclaiming desire

[00:19:55] William Blake and the holiness of energy

[00:23:40] From shame to sovereignty

[00:27:12] The myth of ascension and the truth of descent

[00:31:06] Shakti as nature, not a concept

[00:35:30] The body is the soul

[00:39:45] Mariana’s current offerings and final reflections

You are the beauty. You are the intelligence. You are already in perfect harmony with life. You don’t need to seek it. You need only participate in it.

Learn more and access the course at https://www.heartofyoga.com. Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation. This podcast is sustained by your donations.