Shakti Coloring Book: Goddesses, Mandalas, and the Power of Sacred Geometry - Tapa blanda

"Ellik is an artist, poet, and teacher of tantric yoga who is sought after for his detailed drawings of deities. Collectors of his work ask many questions about the intricacies of his drawings and he decided that the time was right to put that information, with the drawings, into a book. More than just a meditation exercise, coloring in the drawings is meant to acquaint users with the subtleties of each goddess and begin to connect them to the Hindu practice of deity worship. Traditional color ways for each goddess are provided in Ellik's written description. Of course, there's nothing to prevent customers from coming up with their own inventive color combinations. Beautiful, interactive, and filled with information, this will make a very special gift. Be sure to remind customers that they can read all about these goddesses before they gift the book to someone else." --Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight

"Ekbhumi's art is completely transcendent! Every line and shade reverberates with both ancient tradition and modern verve, topped with a grand dollop of love and devotion." --Jai Uttal, Grammy(R)-nominated recording artist and Kirtan singer

"In India, creating art is a spiritual act. When performed with concentration and devotion, crafting images of the Wisdom Goddesses invokes their special blessings. With The Shakti Coloring Book, India's ancient goddesses burst into our lives through Ekabhumi's lucid explanations and marvelous drawings. Want to join in? Start coloring!" --Linda Johnsen, author of The Living Goddess: Reclaiming the Tradition of the Mother of the Universe

"As a lifelong painter who has often worked with Hindu goddess imagery, I have never come across a book that rings as deep and true--both intellectually and intuitively--as Ekabhumi Charles Ellik's The Shakti Coloring Book. While remaining scrupulously respectful to the tradition's South Asian roots, Ellik augments and illuminates that tradition from within by the light of his own palpable devotion and love for his subject. He is an artist of words as well as imagery, his beautiful artwork enhanced by a thoughtful, subtle, and evocative exploration of both craft and subject matter. This is no mere 'coloring book' in any usual sense of the term: it is a guidebook to painting as prayer, to artwork as sadhana--an indispensable and inspiring reference work for generations of sacred art makers and admirers to come." --Devi Bhakta (Michael Bowden), painter and author of the forthcoming The Goddess and the Guru: The Life and Collected Works of Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati

"There is no book in the world like the one you hold in your hands. It took a great artist and student of Hindu iconography, Ekabhumi Ellik, to create it. For yoga teachers and students who are passionately curious about the meaning behind the vast symbolism of India, this book is a godsend. May it be a longtime companion for your deeper walk into the yoga tradition." --Eric Shaw, teacher of the history, philosophy, and practice of yoga

"Ekabhumi's newest offering, The Shakti Coloring Book, is a unique and rare contribution; it offers both the sacred art forms that are central to the classical Tantric paths and also a wise elucidation of the meaning of these forms. Readers may use this beautiful book as an embodiment practice by applying color to the images in a meditative manner that will inform their spiritual practice. This unique combination offers us a rare chance to engage our body, spirit, emotions, senses, and mind to open the very transformational potential that is at the heart of the Tantric Goddess-worshipping spiritual paths. I highly recommend this book for beginners as well as more advanced practitioners." --Aditi Devi, yogini and author of In Praise of Adya Kali: Approaching the Primordial Dark Goddess through the Song of Her Hundred Names

"This is a transcendent work. It transcends 'coloring book.' It transcends 'art book.' It transcends even 'book.' It is more like a subtle presence, as Shakti herself is, or can be, in our lives. Use it as a doorway into grace." --Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West

"This is no mere coloring book. It's an indispensable primer, an iridescent overview of essential Hindu goddesses and their adoration, and a tantalizing, nearly irresistible invitation to deepen your own devotional practice as you color both inside and outside the sacred lines Ekabhumi so beautifully provides. Working with these gorgeous images according to Ekabhumi's expert instruction will certainly provide hours of delight and deep pleasure. But if also performed with love, reverence, and a full heart, real transformation is available as well. Try that with a typical coloring book." --Mark Morford, yoga instructor, author of The Daring Spectacle, and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle

"The Shakti Coloring Book is not your ordinary coloring book, but a conscious way to unlock the mysteries within through the sacredness of ritual and reverence via the yantra. As a painter, the greatest barrier I see in my own students is the hesitation to begin the practice of sacred geometry. Ekabhumi provides the beautiful drawings as well as the sophisticated interpretations of the deities, which provide fertile soil for yantra-making and creativity to blossom. The true Shakti in this book is it's availability to everyone and the encouragement to explore your Self!" --Chanti Tacoronte-Perez, sacred artist and creator of The Yantra Wisdom Cards

"This coloring book is a delight! It provides not only informative knowledge about the mystical art of the Indian subcontinent, but also gives the budding artist the opportunity to understand the symbolism and experience of the yantras and goddesses on a very personal and intuitive level. Let yourself be guided into this secret world. Let your inner being be touched by the sacredness and be inspired . . . and in the epilogue lies the answers to the human quest." --Andy Weber, artist and coauthor of Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice

"The layers, depth, and reverence of every practice, story, and detail of this book make it a fully sensual experience. I love how it calls on creativity as a path to intimacy with each deity." --Liz DiAlto, creator of Wild Soul Movement

"Ekabhumi is, quite simply, one of the finest artists in his field worldwide, and the book you are holding is unparalleled in its combination of rigorous research, precision, and exquisite beauty. I know of no other resource for the sacred art of South Asia as powerful, inspiring, and accurate as this one. Ekabhumi's thousands of hours of care and attention show through--we are indeed profoundly blessed to have this masterpiece made available to the world." --Christopher Wallis (Hareesh), PhD, author of Tantra Illuminated

"Too many of us look at art as something other people do. This delightful book entices the latent artist in each of us to wake up to our own power of creation. Ellik masterfully weaves the meanings of goddesses and symbols into an entree to our own innate abilities that these symbols represent. We gain power from creating with intention. And this book draws readers into their own ability to manifest by harnessing the ancient and often overlooked power of making art--creation itself." --Lauren Walker, author of Energy Medicine Yoga

"The Shakti Coloring Book enables us to participate in the transformative tones and moods of Shakti in her myriad forms and manifestations through the great Yoga Goddesses of India. Ekabhumi beautifully brings out the power of sacred geometry, mandalas, and Devi depictions through luring us to experience the Bhavas and Rasas of his mystical art forms. Every reader must experience this artistic manifestation of sacred art as a visual celebration unfolding divine grace. Shakti is the essence of beauty, passion, and delight as a spiritual practice." --Yogini Shambhavi Devi, author of Yogic Secrets of the Dark Goddess

"The Shakti Coloring Book is more than a coloring book; it is an artist, seeker, and practitioner's guide to spiritual and creative wisdom. It is a beautiful introduction to the goddesses of the Hindu pantheon in the complexity and fullness of their attributes, meanings, and forms. The Shakti Coloring Book is filled with sacred and well-researched information and shows how to apply these tantric and yogic teachings through devotional art and practice. Ellik's inclusion of the ten Tantric Wisdom Goddesses and Matrikas--little known deities in the West--is an essential contribution to the body of Hindu and Tantric literature and scholarship. This magnificent work will inspire, educate, and empower many. It is a book on Shakti that is Shakti--and one we have been waiting for." --Laura Amazzone, MA, author of Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power

"Ekabhumi Charles Ellik's new work offers a deep practice that is expertly designed to awaken the spectrum of potential within each of us. Through engaging with these striking images of the Goddesses, yantras, and mandalas, we are inspired to ignite our own inner myths and unlock the symbolic truths these representations hold. I particularly enjoy that this sacred work is called a 'coloring book' because--although the book includes concise and transformative philosophy--it simultaneously inspires the wakeful, childlike wonder we can bring to devotional practices. This coloring book lovingly guides the conceptual mind and intellect to quiet down, allowing us to enter into a space of bliss, peace, and energetic interconnection with the presence of the goddess, here and now." --Cindy Lee, international teacher of dharma, meditation, and yoga philosophy workshops and retreats

"Radiating with the same vital energy that is its subject, this book is a wonderful experiential guide to the many Tantric goddesses who represent aspects of Shakti, the one primordial energy that creates and sustains all of life. In eloquent prose and exquisite renderings, Ekabhumi illuminates the many attributes of the goddesses and explores the deeper layers of their iconography and symbolism, enabling readers to understand, access, and engage these sacred energies that exist within them. With devotion, reverence, and insight, Ekabhumi offers an invaluable introduction to an extraordinary spiritual tradition, at once reviving knowledge and worship of the Goddess Herself and evoking a deep respect for the power of sacred art." --Swami Khecaranatha, founder and spiritual leader of TrikaShala, Berkeley, California

"The Shakti Coloring Book is filled with esoteric gems that are difficult to find elsewhere. Ekabhumi presents the inner aspects of yoga, tantra, and yantra together with a fun way to experience the sacred feminine through coloring and art. I cannot think of a better way to learn about the often misunderstood Goddess energy." --Nicolai Bachman, author of The Language of Yoga

"Ekabhumi has risen to the call of yogis and yoginis around the world with his new book, The Shakti Coloring Book. This book is a triumphant manifestation of the Universe that serves as a profound portal into the realms of devotional yoga and sacred Goddess art. Ekabhumi soulfully invites us into a world of mythic consciousness and artistry where every Goddess reveals to us aspects of our innermost nature and opens our heart to the creative flow of life. This book will be an essential resource for all my yoga teacher trainings and for generations of yogis to come. Jai Ma!" --Sianna Sherman, yogini, storyteller, visionary of Mythic Yoga Flow, and cofounder of Urban Priestess

The term Shakti refers to the creative power of divinity—what artist and teacher Ekabhumi Charles Ellik calls "the electric juice of life." Shakti is personified by an array of revered goddesses who represent universal virtues and archetypal energies we all share. The Shakti Coloring Book was created to help you begin to activate the transformational currents of this sacred power in your own life—even if you’ve never considered yourself an artist.

With The Shakti Coloring Book, Ekabhumi invites you to a serious yet thoroughly enjoyable practice. This comprehensive guidebook begins with "Recognizing Shakti," a survey of the goddesses and their traditional attributes along with the origin and purpose of mandalas, yantras, and sacred geometry. Part two, "Embodying Shakti," discusses the creation of mystic artworks and the making of art as a spiritual practice. Part three, "Coloring Shakti," presents 21 stunning images of goddesses paired with 21 mystic diagrams to color and meditate upon as portals to new insight, transformation, and, ultimately, self-realization. The book concludes with "Manifesting Shakti," a step-by-step training in creating a simple yantra (or "realization device") to be used for purification and as a foundation for higher-level yogic practices.

"Making sacred art is a type of meditation," explains Ekabhumi, "helping us to come into stillness, focus our attention, and align with the principles portrayed in our artworks." Is there a virtue or trait that you would like to cultivate or strengthen? Are you looking for a way to deepen or expand your spiritual practice? Do you feel compelled by the beauty, mystery, and power of the goddesses? If so, The Shakti Coloring Book gives you a resource you will turn to time and again for inspiration, support, and self-expression.