Dakini was originally the name of a Tantric priestess of ancient India who transported the souls of the dead into the sky. As such, a dakini is sometimes called a “sky dancer.” A dakini can also refer to an accomplished yogini, or the female personification of enlightenment and energy.

In yoga, the practitioner can unlock the energy of the dakini by meditating and practicing asanas that open the muladhara (root) chakra. The dakini also shows up in a practice called Dakini yoga, which is a daily Buddhist meditation practice for those who have achieved the highest yoga Tantra empowerment of Vajrayogini (a dakini known as the female Buddha).