Navarātri & the Aṣṭamātṛkās: A Depth Cycle of Directional Devotion

Aṣṭamātṛkās — the Eight Mothers who are themselves forms of Durgā. Each day is devoted to one Matrikā, guided by the Aṣṭamātṛkā Stotram. Through mantra, visualization, journaling, and contemplative practice, we will aim to align with specific archetypal potencies — wisdom, sovereignty, ferocity, resilience, vitality, destruction, protection, and integration. This cycle is designed as a self-led process, with two live gatherings (opening orientation & closing reflection) to anchor our collective energy.

Learn the Aṣṭamātṛkā Stotram – Familiarize themselves with its verses, phonetics, and devotional power.
Encounter the Eight Mothers as Archetypes – Experience each goddess as a directional and psychological force, embodying different dimensions of śakti.
Practice Directional Devotion (Dikpāla Bhakti) – Align daily practice with the cosmic mandala of directions, attuning body, space, and awareness to the protective circle of the Mothers.
Cultivate Archetypal Integration – Explore how each Matrikā corresponds to lived experience: wisdom, courage, sovereignty, clarity, preservation, ferocity, and transformation.
Bridge Cosmic & Personal Energies – Learn how these goddesses function not only in myth and ritual but also as mirrors of inner states and spiritual powers.
Anchor Navarātri Practice in Daily Life – Leave with tools for self-led sādhanā beyond the cycle, integrating mantra, visualization, and journaling into ongoing practice.

Textual Anchor – a hymn, stotra, or philosophical text that becomes the heart of the cycle.
Daily or Rhythmic Practice – recitation, contemplation, journaling, or visualization that unfolds step by step.
Archetypal Focus – each session or day highlights a different facet of the theme (such as the Eight Mothers during this Fall 2025 Navarātri).
Collective Container – live gatherings at the opening and closing provide orientation, integration, and communal reflection, while the intervening days are largely self-led with guided materials.

Jacob Kyle is a meditation teacher, writer, philosophy educator, and the Founding Director of Embodied Philosophy. His guiding mission is to re-imagine the modern function of the yoga teacher in alignment with the teachings, texts, and traditions of yoga's profound history. He believes that by building a network of teachers who share a commitment to disseminating the deeper teachings and practices of yoga, we can build a world based on wisdom rather than ideology and divisiveness.

Jacob is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, researching Abhinavagupta's Philosophy of Language and Meditation with advisor Diwakar Acharya. He holds an MPhil in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford (2023), an MA in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research (2017), and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics (2007). Jacob is a passionate advocate of Kashmir Śaivism and a devoted practitioner of the Śaiva-Śākta Darśana.