Yogini & Yogi

A male practitioner of Yaga is known as Yogi and the female practitioner is known as Yogini. Both, Yogi and Yogini, through the practice of yoga create union with God and enjoy the benefits of the Yoga.

The intrinsic differences between the feminine and masculine nature and complexity of their response behavior with the outer world means that there are significant differences between the practices of a Yogini and a Yogi.

There have been several references in the Hindu literature, which describe the  “Yogini”. The literal meaning of Yogini is "sorceress" or "angel of mercy." There are many faces of a Yogini, who is dedicated to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge and mystical insight – it could be devotional, demure, fiery or fierce.

The best model for a yogini's disposition and behavior can be found in the tantra yoga’s ten wisdom goddesses (dakini’s).  

Used to refer to advanced female yoga practitioners, the word Yogini in the mythological context may indicate a female who is an attendant of Durga. These yogin’s emanated from the body of Durga and assisted her in the battle against Asuras. The later literature increased the number of Yoginis from eight to sixty-four. These yogins represented various forces of vegetation and fertility, illness and death, Yoga and magic. In several Tantric cults,

Yogini refers to a female sexual partner, who may take part in tantric rituals. In general context, a yogini is a women who may possess supernatural powers, including the ability to transcend the normal aging process via internalization of the reproductive power known as urdhva-retas and even death, attaining divya sharira (immortal divine body).