Opening The CHAKRAS

Sahasrara chakra (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you don't want to go to a Reiki Master to get assistance with opening your chakras, there are some meditations (sometimes called Mudras) that you can try at home.  They have special hand positions, and the power to send more energy to the ailing chakra.

The sounds are chanted three to four times as you do a meditation for eight to ten breaths.  To open the Root chakra, the tips of your thumb and index finger should touch on both hands.  Concentrate on the base of the spine.  Chant the LAM sound.  To open the Sacral chakra, place your hands in your lap on top of each other with the palms up.  The left hand should be under the right.  The tips of the thumbs should be touching.  Concentrating on the sacral bone in the back, chant the VAM sound.

To open the Solar Plexus chakra, place your hands in front of your stomach, below the ribcage.  The fingers should join at the top, and point away from you.  Cross the thumbs and straighten the fingers.  Concentrate on the Solar Plexus chakra and chant the RAM sound.  To open the Heart chakra, you must sit cross-legged.  The tips of your index finger and thumbs should be touching on both hands.  Place your left hand on your left knee and the right hand in front of the lowest part of the sternum.

Concentrating on the heart chakra, chant the YAM sound.  To open the Throat chakra, cross your fingers inside your hands, no thumbs.  The thumbs should touch at the top slightly pulled up.  Concentrate on the Throat chakra and chant the HAM sound.  To open the Brow Chakra, place your hands on the lower part of the ribcage.  The middle fingers should be straight with the tops touching, The thumbs point towards you with the tops touching.  Concentrate on the Third Eye chakra and chant the OM sound.

To open the Crown chakra, place your hands near your stomach.  The ring fingers should point upwards.  Cross fingers with the left thumb under the right one.  Concentrate on the Crown chakra while chanting the NG sound.

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CHAKRAS And Flowers

Crown, Brow, Throat Chakras, Nepal 17th Century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How do you connect chakras, the energy centers of the body in the Eastern tradition, and flowers, pretty, ephemeral, bright, cheerful manifestations of nature?

…by way of color therapy.. yoga energy balancing techniques…meditation… and a simple way of making yourself feel better and reenergized even if you don’t really believe in any of the above.

There are seven main chakras (as well as several others) in a line from the base of the spine to the crown of the head and one more newly recognized chakra just above the head which I believe is important. Each one is associated with various areas of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. When the energy flow in one becomes blocked it can result in certain symptoms and vice versa. By keeping the chakras open and the energy flowing, we can maximize our body’s ability to keep well and heal itself.

One way of stimulating energy flow is by a simple visualization. Each chakra has a color of the spectrum linked to it. Focus on that color and imagine that color light pouring into the chakra and saturating it with pure colored light, then visualize the chakra as a spinning disc of color. Take 2 or 3 deep breaths as you do so. You can also repeat a mantra or affirmation to intensify the positive energy you are creating. Work through each chakra (see below for a summary) in turn from Root to Crown to rebalance your whole energy level.

So what about the flowers? Whatever you use to visualize the color would work, paint swatches, colored stones or crystals, an image in your mind's eye, but beautiful photographs of flowers saturated in the pure color of each chakra can bring some extra flower energy into your life as well. 

Flowers raise the vibrational energy around them, which is why they have long been associated with celebrations, brought as presents to new mothers, sick people, loved ones. Weddings and funerals are lavish with them. We are rarely aware of the spiritual connection these days, we just know that flowers cheer people up and make them feel glad. So flower photos as visualization aids make sense and are beautiful to have around. www.aflowergallery.com has a whole section devoted to chakra flower photos.

There are books written about the chakras going into far more detail than there is space for here, as it is a deep and complex subject, with infinite, individual interpretations, but here is a basic, brief summary of the chakras and their associated areas and colors.

1. Root - Red
Situated at the base of the spine.
Emotional grounding and ones roots. The excretory and reproductive systems and the immune system.
Mantra “I am in touch with the earth, my roots”

2. Sacral – Orange
A hands breadth down from the belly button.
Sexuality, creativity, financial issues, honour and ethics, one to one relationships.
Genital and urinary systems, bladder and prostate.
Mantra “I am a creative, sexual being”

3. Solar Plexus – Yellow
Over the solar plexus at the bottom of the rib cage.
Self-esteem, self-confidence and how you see yourself.
Digestive system, worries and fears, the stress of responsibility.
Mantra “I believe in myself”

4. Heart – Green
Over the heart.
Love, forgiveness, unconditional love. Relationships.
Circulatory and immune systems. Heart and lungs. Loneliness.
Mantra “I can give and receive love”

5. Throat – Blue
Centre of the throat
Communication, self-expression and will power.
Thyroid problems, sore throats, addictions(due to lack of will)
Mantra “I speak my truth”

6. Brow - Indigo
Centre of forehead
Intuition, intellect and mind, inner vision.
Brain and nervous system, eye problems.
Mantra “I see clearly”

7. Crown - Violet
Top of head.
Spiritual awakening, search for meaning. Our relationship to our spirit and God.
Central nervous system, overwhelming fatigue.
Mantra “I believe”

8. Soul star – White/crystal
Directly above the crown, about two hand’s breadths from the head
Awareness of ones soul and its connection to the conscious self.
Gives perspective on life and ability to see seemingly random positive or negative events as part of the soul’s journey.
Mantra "I transcend"

This is a personal, simplified interpretation of the chakras. Use it as a stepping stone to finding out more for yourself.

Copyright Kit Heathcock 2005

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CHAKRA MEDITATION Basics

Sahasrara chakra
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chakra meditation is one of the more popular meditation techniques used today. Its philosophy is based upon the discovery or the search of the charkas. A chakra can be considered as an energy point or force in the body that tries to govern different physical, mental and spiritual functions in an individual. It is the practice of awakening the charka in the body that is the aim of chakra meditation.

According to the practice of chakra meditation, there are seven chakras located in the different parts of the body. Each one governs different bodily functions and may also provide different benefits when awakened through meditation. One of the chakra is the Mooldhara or the "root place". This chakra is located somewhere in the cervix in women and in the perineum in men. It is said to govern the skeletal and the excretory system of the body. The Mooldhara may also affect the sense of smell as well as the legs and the cervix. Attributes to it include the basic life force, material attachment, procreation, and response to stimuli of labor for women.

Another of the seven chakras is the Swadhistana or "place of one's abode". It can be located somewhere at the tip of the spinal column. It is said to affect the urinary system such as the kidney and the bladder. Other bodily systems that this chakra may affect include the reproductive system such as the ovaries, fallopian tube and the uterus in women and the testes and prostate gland in men. Attributes connected to this chakra include the sense of taste, the ability to analyze, a balanced sex drive, high fertility and no fear of water.

The third chakra is the Manipura or the "city of sparkling jewels". This chakra is located in the spinal column somewhere in the lumbar junction of the L1 and T12 vertebras. It is said to affect the digestive system, the adrenal glands as well as the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems of the body. This chakra is attributed to power, ego, self-confidence, strength and good assimilation and digestion.

The fourth chakra is the Anahata or "unstruck". This chakra is located in the spinal column somewhere in the center of the chest. It is said to affect the cardiovascular, respiratory system as well as the muscular system. This chakra is attributed to a person's emotions, relationships, love, and ability to express oneself through the arts. If this chakra is afflicted in the body, it is said to lead to respiratory disorders, heart problems, and low immunity. It may also lead to a person having fear of loneliness, experience some form of emotional imbalance and the inability to maintain friends

There is also the Vishudh chakra or "purification".     It is located in the spinal column somewhere at the C7 vertebrae. It is said to affect the thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as the function of the throat including the voice, ears, sense of hearing. Attributes to this chakra include the transformation of thoughts into speech, better ability to speak or sing, and the acute sense of hearing. If afflicted, this chakra may cause thyroid imbalance, restriction in the voice as well as the inability to comprehend and understand.

The Ajna, or "command" chakra is said to be located in the mid-center of the brain somewhere at the top of the spinal cord. It governs the autonomic nervous system, pineal gland, and the pituitary gland. This chakra is also said to be attributed to the sense of intuition, higher level of mind and wisdom that is beyond normal intellect.

The Sahasrara or the "one thousand" chakra is said to have various positions according to different ancient texts but is usually found at the base of the scalp. It is said to control no specific bodily system but has the overall control of the brain. The knowledge of the seven chakras is the basic in better understanding chakra meditation.

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The Seven CHAKRAS

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning spinning wheel.  These are a system of seven energy centers located along the spine.  Each chakra corresponds to an area of the body, a set of behavioral characteristics and stages of spiritual growth.  Practicing yoga and focusing your energies during different postures can help you to align your chakras and get all the wheels spinning in the same direction and speed.  Understanding how to fine tune and control your chakras through yoga and meditation can help bring balance and peace to your mind, body and spirit.

Chakra picture (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are seven chakras, each associated with a different part of the body along the spine from the perineum to the crown of your head.  Each chakra is associated with a particular body location, a color, a central emotional/behavioral issue, as well as many other personal aspects including identity, goals, rights, etc.

The seven chakras are:

• Muladhara- base of the spine; 
• Svadhisthana- abdomen, genitals, lower back/hip; 
• Manipura- solar plexus; 
• Anahata- heart area; 
• Visshudha- throat; 
• Ajna- brow; 
• Sahasrara- top of head, cerebral cortex.

Through the movements and postures of yoga, you can learn to focus your concentration and energy to and from the various chakras in your body.  This can allow you to compensate for areas that may be out of synch with the rest of your body or not active at all.  By balancing the energy among all seven of the chakras, balance can be achieved.  This spiritual energy is known as Kundalini energy.  In its dormant state, it can be visualized as a coiled up snake resting at the base of your spine, the Muladhara chakra.

Since the chakras act as valves or pumps regulating the flow of energy through your system, controlled and purposeful movements such as yoga can be extremely beneficial in realigning your chakras in a way that can cause great benefits to you in your physical and emotional wellbeing.

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