Help Identifying this Hindu Goddess

Who is this Hindu Goddess? We have had some difficulty identifying who this Goddess is. We are looking for help in identifying her. She holds a noose in her left hand, a parot in her front right hand and an axe in her rear right hand. Her front left hand is in a downward facing abhaya mudra.
Please make a post to tell us who this is.
Thank you,
Kyle

How India Has Changed My Life

My name is Tim. I have had the pleasure of working at Lotus Sculpture for about 9 months now. I was drawn to the job because of previous travel experience; I spent a semester during my junior year of college on a study abroad program called Semester at Sea. I had the opportunity to sail around the world on a floating university making 11 stops at various locations along the way. Of all the countries I was fortunate enough to visit, India stood out the most. It was enormous, there were people everywhere. I learned more in one week in India than I had in any other country on the trip. One thing that I saw and learned about, which stood out among everything, was the influence of Hindu Gods. Everywhere I looked there were Shiva statues, Parvati paintings, and carvings of Hanuman and Vishnu carved in the sides of the Elephanta Caves. These gods that I knew little about in my life as an average American teenager were all around me. I wondered how and why there were so many gods in Hinduism.

As my stay in India progressed I found myself paying more attention to each and every carving or statue that I saw. As I boarded my boat I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that I had purchased numerous souvenirs of these Gods (2 statues and 2 shirts). My point is that not only did India as a country have a huge impact on me but also the Hindu Gods that I knew so little about had managed to have enough influence on me subconsciously that my souvenir bags were full of them. Years later after college was completed, I was unhappily working selling office supplies, the Hindu Gods managed to influence the course of my life and help get me the job of my dreams. I knew from my semester at sea that I wanted a career that would have me traveling all over the world doing something that interested me. I stumbled upon the Lotus Sculpture warehouse in Greenwich, CT and was privileged enough to meet the owner, Kyle. He graciously brought me inside and showed me the amazing collection of beautiful Hindu statues he had been working on for about 5 years at the time. Immediately I was taken back, I had flashbacks to my time in India. Shiva, Vishnu, Saraswati, Parvati, and my favorite of them all Ganesh, were all around me again. Right away I felt at home, it was the power of the Hindu Gods!!! It still amazes me to this day, after seeing all the statues for 9 months straight, how these wonderful Gods have the ability to overpower me in the best way possible. As I said earlier there was something about them I noticed when I was in India, something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

This blog is probably the closest I could ever get to fully explaining what these Gods mean to me as someone who is not a follower of the Hinduism faith, or of Indian Decent. The Hindu Gods are the best experience of my life. From my trip around the world, to my current job and future career, the Hindu Gods will forever have power over me and help guide me to a happy and healthy life!

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Gods or India having such a profound impact on their lives?

Creating Heaven on Earth

Would anyone in our community be interested in joining in a spiritual energy experiment over the next few weeks? The results should include increased daily energy, more effectively manifesting goals and improving relationships. I also suspect that it would help create some powerful positive shifts in the world (and why I'm asking for your help).

The practice is called staying in sushumna. It's a daily mindfulness practice where you consciously focus your energies into the central energy channel that corresponds with your spine.

My guru, Dattatreya Siva Baba, has talked about all the above benefits happening when doing this practice. He also has talked about how we can create Heaven on Earth (the Golden Age) in our lives and the world right now. One of it's hallmarks is less access, and eventually no access to negative thoughts and emotions because we're in higher states of consciousness (and therefore, enjoying all of the above benefits!)

Anyone willing to try staying in sushumna to see what we can create for ourselves and the world? We could even update each other and share experiences here if you'd like.

In Love and Service, Shekinak

Shakti in the Air

Have you every walked into a new yoga studio or meditation center that you've never been to before and felt a vibration or thickness to the air?  Well, for me that is shakti.  Shakti is primal energy.  Shakti is the goddess whose consort is Shiva.  Their union is an expression of the Absolute. The shakti is everywhere, but when its concentrated, you can really feel it.

 It happens to me when I see my spiritual teacher, Amma (Mata Amritandamayi) when she is on tour in the states.  You walk into the hall and boom, the air is so thick, you can hardly move.  Any true master has shakti that pervades the air, and they can also create a stillness so conducive for meditation.

Just the other day, I visited a new account and went into the studio and it was if the entire room was vibrating. Sometimes, I get this intense feeling from artwork, statues, or music.  Especially, when I'm playing music that expresses love for the Divine.  I felt that way the first time I walked into Lotus Sculpture's showroom.

I'd be really happy to know your experiences.  Feel free to comment or describe what you have felt.

Thank you.

Dave from devotionalarts.net