Shakti-Shanti

January 5, 2014 / No Comments

Shakti–Shanti

Peace that arises from experiencing one’s own Power

This course is about exploring the options to use the strengths you already have to feel safer.

***YOU ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED***

I’m Keen! Keep Me in the Loop!

 
Shakti-Shanti is a skills-based course which offers girls and women of all ages, cultures, classes, backgrounds, and abilities tools that build the confidence to feel safer in the world. It is based in the firm belief that females have the right to live free from violence and can cultivate the skills to identify, avert, and, if necessary, defend themselves from violence.

We use improvisations skills to explore the FUNdamentals of communication, verbal and non-verbal, in the context of social status and power dynamics, particularly within the home, where most violence against women and girls occurs. We’re going to make living in a peaceful world FUN!

Violence against females is a preventable global phenomenon with multiple contributing factors that create an environment in which assaults are pervasive.

Shakti-Shanti addresses many levels of the problem starting with the personal aspect of recognizing and accessing one’s own physical, intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual power. Participants will understand the factors that make one vulnerable to violence. Training will be given in alertness and awareness skills, including internal and external warning signals, as well as environmental clues. Experiments will be conducted in how one experiences oneself, and what one communicates through posture, gait, and appearance.

The interpersonal dynamics are practiced through role-playing with an emphasis on non-violent assertive verbal and non-verbal communication.  It is essential to understand that one has the capacity to possibly transform potentially volatile situations, or at least diffuse and avoid them.

The social, political, and economic aspects of violence against females are addressed through discussion of the myths and culture of violence against women. Antidotes to patriarchy as the global mainstream culture are shared through stories of successfully preventing, averting, escaping, and surviving violence.

Time is allowed to also explore the spiritual dimension of gender relations.

Simple physical skills to be used in self-defense will be practiced, including the basic balance stance, front snap kick, hold breaking, palm strike, on the ground defenses, knife hand, and throat jab. These physical skills are offered so that females can experience the strength they have, rather than thinking of themselves as weak.  However, the perspective of Shakti-Shanti is that there are many steps at which one can intervene to prevent a situation from turning to physical violence and defense.

The course is taught by women who can provide a good role model and ensure a safe space for females to share their own feelings and experiences about violence. Each course will be open to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 16 women and girls.

Core Values:

Listening.

Trusting one’s gut feelings.

Awareness of space and boundaries.

Assertiveness over Aggressiveness.

Appreciation for one’s own strengths, skills, talents, and non-traditional qualities.

Cultivate self-respect.

Clear communication without judgment.

Improvisation IS knowing what to do.

Awareness and understanding of societal conditioning of females and males.

Nobody is more interested in your safety than yourself.

Responsibility not Blame.

Shakti-Shanti draws upon the Chimera self-defense program, as well as the principles of Non-Violent Communication, Ki Aikido, Tantra, and Tango.

I’m Keen! Keep Me in the Loop!

13 Oct 2017
National Institute of Naturopathy
Pune, Maharashtra, India