Sahasrara Chakra.

Sahasrara (Sanskrit: सहस्रार, IAST: Sahasrāra, English: "thousand-petaled") or crown chakra is the seventh primary chakra, according to Hindu tradition. The Sahasrara, or white lotus, is located either at or slightly above the top of the head. The Sahasrara is described as having 1,000 multi-colored petals, which are arranged in 20 layers, each layer with approximately 50 petals. The pericarp is golden and within it a circular moon region is inscribed with a luminous triangle, which can be either upward- or downward-pointing, imagine it like a chandelier on top of the head. The Sahasrara Chakra symbolises detachment from illusion; an essential element in obtaining higher consciousness of the truth that one is all and all is one. Often referred to as a thousand-petaled lotus, it is said to be the most subtle chakra in the system, relating to pure consciousness, and it is from this chakra that all the other chakras emanate. When a yogi is able to raise his/her kundalini, energy of consciousness, up to this point, the state of Nirvikalpa Samādhi is experienced. This stage is said to bring about rebirth or the siddhis - occult powers of transforming into the divine, and being able to do whatever one wishes. In some schemes of chakras, there are actually several chakras, which are all closely related, at the top of the head. Rising from Ajna, we have the Manas chakra on the forehead, which is closely associated with Ajna. Above Manas there are Bindu Visarga at the back of the head; Mahanada; Nirvana, which is located on the crown; Guru; and the Sahasrara proper, located above the crown. ahasrara is related to the crown of the head. It is sometimes related to the pineal gland and also to the pituitary gland. Its colour is whitish-lavender/golden. The element of the Sahasrāra Chakra is ĀDI TATTVA (aatma/soul) or ĪSHVARA TATTVA. It is the source of creation, the pure light and one reality – God. This Tattva is Ādi Anādi. Ādi means “without beginning”, Anādi means “without end” – therefore infinite. As soon as this Tattva unites with a quality (Guna) it is bound and therefore limited – just as pure water has no taste of its own, but is modified by and takes on the taste of whatever is added to it. In the Cosmos there are diverse manifestations of this one Tattva with various qualities and functions – such as fire, water, air and earth – but the basis is always the same, the pure essence. The deity is adi Shiva/Shakti (depending on the method) and the beeja mantra is “OM”. An inexhaustible stream of energy radiates from the Sahasrāra Chakra – MEDHĀ SHAKTI. It is one of the most influential and important forces in the body; mental power, intelligence and memory depend upon it. Medhā Shakti is “food” for the memory and all other functions of the brain. It is of great importance to preserve and strengthen the Medhā Shakti.

When your Sahasrara is in balance you will have a great intuitive knowledge, and will be very wise. You will be aware of your spiritual self and be selflessly devoted to the well-being of others because you see them as a part of you, rather than as separate. If your crown chakra is over-active you probably will not be able to control your encounters with other realms of existence. You may be considered “far out” there and will have trouble grounding yourself, making it hard for people to take you seriously. Because of an over-activity in this chakra, you may possess a god-complex and consider yourself better than others in the world around you. If under-activity or a blockage is happening in your crown chakra you will probably feel like you lack a purpose in life. You may think that it is all meaningless, and in this thinking, will develop a mental “disease”. You may feel unloved, or angry at God, and blame life circumstance on something that is outside of you. Co-ordination difficulties, clumsiness, or poor balance may result from an underactive crown chakra. New ideas or newer, positive out-looks on life will be hard for you grasp, if you except them at all. You will probably lack spiritual exploration and have no desire to discover your inner self. You may also be excessively afraid of dying. Physical Symptoms of an Imbalance in Sahasrara: Muscular disease, chronic exhaustion that has no medical explanation, sensitivity to light, certain sounds or environment (commonly found in autism).

To balance and clear sahasrara, energy healing techniques like Reiki and IET can help. To maintain the balance, yogasanas such as Shirshāsana (Headstand), Vrikshāsana (Tree), Khatu Pranam (Greetings to Khatu), Singing OM,  Kriyā Yoga and meditations can be practiced. Please do not practice yoga without consulting your doctor if you have any health issues. DO not go about activating any chakra/s without guidance from a guru who has achieved the awakening already, it may lead to serious hospitalization. Meditation on the beeja mantra is the best method to balance and clear this chakra. Crystals which can bring balance to this chakra are Amethyst, celestite, obsidian, selenite, blue sapphire, peacock ore, clear quartz, apophyllite quartz, spirit quartz, moldavite, danburite, goshenite, petalite, fuchsite, stilbite, sugilite, cacoxenite, cavansite, phenacite.

Try this meditation and see you feel:

Sources: Wikipedia.com, oneworldhealing.com, chakras.net, video: youtube.com image: indigourlaub.com

Ajna Chakra, Chakras contd...

Ajna, meaning "command") or third-eye Chakra is the sixth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition. The Ajna chakra is located in the pituitary gland, directly behind the center of the forehead. Its kshetram, or superficial activation site, is between the eyebrows at the position of the "third eye.”^] The deity Ardhanarishvara/Hakini. Ajna translates as "command", and is considered the eye of intuition and intellect. When something is seen in the mind's eye, or in a dream, it is being seen by Ajna. It is a bridge that links gurus with disciples, allowing mind communication to occur between two people. The sense organ and action organ associated with Ajna is the mind. As Hindus believe that spiritual energy from the environment enters their body through this gateway, they take great care to protect it with spiritually positive protecting forces. The various religious marks on the foreheads of men and women belonging to the Hindu faith (like holy ash, namam, vermilion etc.) are the blessed spiritual prasadam of their respective forms of the Hindu gods. Meditation upon Ajna supposedly grants siddhis, or occult powers, to quickly enter another body at will and to become omniscient. He realizes unity with Brahman; and he has the ability to create, preserve, and destroy the three worlds. Ajna is associated with the third eye on the forehead. It is also sometimes associated with the pineal gland, which regulates the circadian rhythm, and is related to an actual light-sensitive 'third eye' (Parietal eye) found in some lizards, amphibians, and fish. It is also sometimes associated with the pituitary gland, which is major endocrine glands. The ajna chakra is associated with light. The seed syllable is “OM”, or "Pranava Om," the supreme sound. The colour of this chakra is Indigo/Purple.

As you work with ajna, you may want to see the third eye as access to a cosmic vision, illuminating everything as it is without the filter of your past, your expectations, or your judgment. You can use your inner sense to ask for guidance to make the right decisions. Taking into account your mind, intellect, and ego, you are now including your soul in the decision making process. Just as you turned to the third chakra in the area of the solar plexus to guide you with comfort or discomfort, you will pay attention to a hunch or a subtle feeling of moving forward or holding back. If you are conflicted, ask for your sense of intuition to be opened to you in order to help you make the right choice.

When your Ajna is in balance with your other chakras, you will begin opening up to Universal Knowledge and truly understand that you are the Creator in your Reality! You will experience higher states of consciousness, allowing you to astral travel, have out of body experiences, and receive messages from your Spirit Guides, Angels and other Enlightened Beings. You will be very intuitive, have a great memory, and will be able to learn without a problem. If you have an over active third eye you may experience stress accompanied by frequent headaches that happen in the forehead or temples. You may become delusional and create circumstances in your mind that are not really happening (a mental disease). An individual with over-activity in this chakra may also tend to be judgmental, unsympathetic or over-intellectual in their thinking. If your third eye is under active you will probably have difficulty in understanding the spiritual side of the world and the connection between your inner and outer reality. You may lack empathy for the people in your life, lack common sense, or intuition. Memory and learning can be affected if the third eye is not balanced. Brain cysts, tumors, strokes, blindness, deafness, seizures, insomnia, learning disabilities, spinal dysfunction, panic, depression, addiction, migraines, headaches, dizziness, nausea, sinus problems, ear aches, hormonal imbalance and equilibrium dysfunction. There are many ways one can begin to balance their Chakras, below you will find several useful methods, and a video that includes sound, colour and positive affirmations that pertain to the Ajna!

Energy healing like Reki and IET can clear this chakra and balance it and by regular practice of meditations on the seed chant/beeja mantra or on colour Indigo/Purple or on light which is the element of this chakra the balance can be maintained. Following yogasanas and pranayamas can help in maintain the balance third eye chakra.Balasana, Garudasana, Trataka, wide-leg Balasana, Upavista Konasana (wide leg forward fold), Yoga Mudra or Maha Mudra, as well as Halasana (plow), and poses that create more focus and balance, such as Vrikshasana (tree pose), Virabhadrasana 3 (warrior 3), and Natarajasana (king dancer pose).Pranayama that is beneficial for the ajna chakra include bhastrika, nadi sodhana and simhasana (lion’s breath). Kapalabhati is a helpful kriya and bandhas that aid the 6th chakra include jalandhara bandha and mala bandha. Do not start any yoga practice without your doctor’s consent if you have any medical condition and do not go about activating any chakras without the guidance of a guru who has done this already. Activating any chakra without supervision of a proper guru may lead to serious hospitalization. The practices of clearing and balancing this chakra can be enhanced by the use of a one or more following crystals: Purple fluorite, sugilite, lapis luzuli, amethyst, aquamarine, clear quartz, lolite, azurite, angelite, sodalite, aqua aura crystal, blue aventurine, dumortierite, axinite, chiastolite, blue argonite, cacoxenite, lazulite, merlinite, Ulexite, blue tourmaline, phenacite, stilbite.

Try this meditation and see how you feel:

Sources: Wikipedia, chopra.com, .oneworldhealing.net, whitecrowyoga.com, Image: iloveulove.com, video: Youtube.com

Vishudhhi Chakra, Chakras contd...

Vishuddhi/Vishuddha chakra is the fith primary chakra in the chakra system. The name Vishuddha means especially pure. Vishuddha is positioned at the throat region, near the spine, with its Kshetram or superficial activation point in the pit of the throat. Due to its position, it is known as the throat Chakra. According to Hindu tradition, this chakra is described as having a "white color" with sixteen "purple" or "smoke-colored petals." Within the pericarp is a sky-blue downward pointing triangle containing a circular white region like the full moon. This represents the element of Akashi or "ether." This region is represented by the deity Ambara/Sadashiva/Shakini. This chakra is located in the neck and the throat. Due to its association with hearing, it is related to the ears, and due to its association with speaking, it is associated with the mouth. Vishuddha is often associated with the thyroid gland in the human endocrine system. This gland is in the neck, and produces hormones essential for growth and maturation. Excessive stress, namely fear and fear from speaking out, are said to affect the throat chakra, and thyroid problems may occur. Vishuddha chakra is known as the purification center, where the energy is split into a pure form and a poison. In its most abstract form, it is associated with higher discrimination and is associated with creativity and self-expression The success and failure in one's life are said to depend upon the state of this chakra, whether it is polluted or clean. Meditation upon this chakra is said to bring about various siddhis or occult powers: vision of the three periods, past, present and future; freedom from disease and old age; destruction of dangers; and the ability to move the three worlds. The Beeja mantra of this chakra is “HAM”. The colour of this chakra is sky blue.

With the help of the Vishuddhi Chakra we can rid ourselves of the toxic substances that are absorbed from the environment, as well as mental impurities. An important and life-supporting function of the Chakra is the purification and detoxification of harmful substances that accumulate in the body and primarily come from the food we eat and the air we breathe. This detoxification is brought about by Udāna Prāna, which has its seat in the throat. Udāna Prāna enables us to swallow. The food that is broken down by saliva is purified of toxic substances by this Prāna and is then passed on to the digestive system. An active Vishuddhi Chakra united with a strong Udāna Prāna contributes substantially to the preservation of health. It is not just the external world that is extremely polluted, but also the psyche and consciousness of many people. For as long as the pernicious, toxic qualities of discord, rivalry, envy and resentment eat away at our mind, the light of God consciousness cannot shine through.

In the Vishuddhi Chakra we are challenged to reflect on our situation in life and to put the following questions to ourselves: “What do I want to realize? What obstacles need to be overcome to realize this? What problems are confronting me and how can I resolve them?” Through meditation we attain clarity about ourself and our innermost desires and motives. We often prevent the resolution of our problems through our own prejudice and our own fixed or one-sided thinking patterns. Through MANANA (reflection) and meditation we can find possibilities for the resolution of issues that we were unable to discover before.

However, before you dive into the Vishuddhi Chakra, examine yourself honestly as to whether you are really ready to look in the mirror of your own reality.

If throat chakra is in balance he/she will have no problem expressing him/herself. He/she will be very creative, helpful, and may be good at offering people sound advice when it is asked for. He/she is not afraid to express weaknesses and people respect him/her for this. He/she is truly free when you can speak your truth. If throat chakra is over-active he/she is more than likely be over-opinionated, perhaps very critical of others and how they are performing in life. He/she may be verbally abusive to those around you, and may find him/herself yelling a lot when not necessary. He/she won’t allow others to “talk back” or voice their opinions about certain situations, it will be his/her way or no way. When under-active, he/she will be unable to express him/herself and will often be misinterpreted or misunderstood by others. He/she will probably be “wishy washy” or considered “flakey” or unreliable by the people in his/her life. Telling the truth and being honest with him/herself is something he/she probably have a difficult time with.

To balance and clear Vishuddi, energy healing modules like Reiki and IET can be very helpful as they can clear up major blockages in a session or two and the maintenance of this chakra can be done through meditation and yoga practice such as Sarvangasana (shoulder-stand), pranayama, Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock), and Khecarī mudrā. This chakra can be cleaned or opened by vocalization as well. Please do not start any yoga practice without getting the consent of your doctor if you have any health related issues and please do not go about awakening/activating the chakra without proper guidance of a self-realized guru who has achieved it already. Going about awakening the chakra without guidance may lead to serious hospitalization. Few crystals which help in cleansing and balancing the chakra are, angelite  aquamarine, chrysocolla ,Larimer , Tibetan turquoise, lapis lazuli, blue agate (lace agate), blue chalcedony, and blue sapphire

Try this meditation and see how you feel:

Sources: Wikipedia, Chakras.net, oneworldhealing.com, sunnyray.com, Video: Youtube.com, Picture: srk1948.wordpress.com

                                                                                           

Anahata Chakra (Heart Chakra), Chakras Contd...

Anahata or heart chakra is the fourth primary chakra, (according to Hindu Yogic, Shakta and Buddhist Tantric traditions) In Sanskrit, anahata means "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten".  It is here where love resides. Love which is all encompassing and liberating.  Anahata Nada refers to the Vedic concept of unstruck sound (the sound of the celestial realm). Anahata is associated with balance, calmness, and serenity. The chakra is located in the central channel of the spine at the heart. It is represented by a lotus flower with twelve petals. Inside there is a smoke-coloured region made from the intersection of two triangles, creating a shatkona. The shatkona is a symbol used in Hindu Yantra, representing the union of masculine and feminine. Specifically, it is meant to represent Purusha (the Supreme Being) and Prakriti (Mother Nature) and is often represented by Shiva and Shakti. Deity is Vayu (air god)/Isha/kakini. The vrittis which arise here are indecision, repentance, hope, anxiety, longing, impartiality, arrogance, competence, discrimination and defiance. Anahata is said to be near the heart. Because of its connection to touch it is associated with the skin, and because of its connection to actions of the hands it is associated with the hands. In the endocrine system, Anahata is said to be associated with the thymus. Beeja mantra of this chakra is “YAM”. It’s colours are green and pink.

Anahata is associated with the ability to make decisions outside the realm of karma. In Manipura and below, man is bound by the laws of karma and fate. In Anahata one makes decisions ("follows one's heart") based on one's higher self, not the unfulfilled emotions and desires of lower nature. It is also associated with love and compassion, charity to others and psychic healing. Meditation on this chakra is said to bring about the following siddhis: he/she becomes a lord of speech, he/she is dear to women, his/her presence controls the senses of others, and he/she can leave and enter the body at will. This chakra is said to be purified by the bhakti (total devotion). A supreme embodiment of total devotion can be no other than our Hanumantha. His devotion to lord Rama was and still is to this day incomparable. Many great souls have found their enlightenment through this way. Love which arises from raising awareness to this chakra in incomparable to any love that we experience with any relationships we have. The ability to love and feel fulfilled from it is due to this chakra. The love in this chakra is liberating, uplifting, unconfined and just beyond the words beautiful. We all in our lives would have experienced this love at least in a burst. For example, when you see a picturesque scene, the way your heart fills up and sometimes, the way eyes tear up to take in all that beauty is the LOVE in this chakra. It is completely unattached but deeply feeling. You just enjoy the scene as long as you can and you move on (when you enjoy anything very deeply, believe me, you will forget to take a photograph or a selfie). You do not say you will own that scene, no, you live in that moment completely take in all the beauty , appreciate it in its totality and let go of it and continue with your life. There may be moments that you may recall that beauty and feel joyful all over again, but you won’t attach yourself to it to feel greedy or anything else. It is said that this beauty in this chakra may cause a person seeking realization and cause hindrance in his path to enlightenment. The challenge of this chakra is attachment and a sadhaka should learn to detach.

With a balanced Anahata chakra, person will feel a great compassion for all living creatures, and will recognize their amazing intelligence! He/she will be kind, caring, understand, joyous and outgoing, feeling completely at ease with himself/herself and the people in their life. They will understand others and accept them for who they are; they will not judge or be critical of their actions. Spending time alone is something she/he do not mind, and he/she is not rushing into one relationship after another, infact, He/she would rather wait for the “right” one to come to him/her – because he/she knows it will come to you when the time is right. If Anahata is Over-active he/she will be ruled by emotions; sadness, anger, grief, despair, greediness and happiness will come over you with no or little control. He/she may be manipulative, over critical, and judgmental of self and others. His/her love may have conditions and would more likely than not a “people pleaser”, afraid that he/she will not be liked or accepted by others around you. He/she may find themselves in a relationship with a partner where he/she is always giving but not receiving, always forgiving, and “cleaning up” after them, whether it be emotionally, or physically. Co-dependency can result from this, and he/she may find it hard to let go of any relationship that no longer serves his/her highest Good. When Anahata is under-active he/she will probably be very negative in thinking and may find it very difficult to keep a positive out-look in life. He/she may feel unloved, unworthy and unappreciated, and this will manifest in the world around them only confirming these “beliefs” about themselves. He/she have a hard time trusting others, and may have a difficult time “letting” them in by keeping themselves at a distance. If you have an imbalanced heart chakra you may experience the following symptoms that have manifested in your body: Heart Palpitations, chest pain, poor circulation, high/low blood pressure, and in more serious cases, heart attack.

To Balance Anahata Chakra Energy healing like Reiki and IET are very helpful and maintenance can be done through yoga practice with pranayama Kapalabhati and asanas like Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) and Utrasana (Camel Pose).Doctors permission must be availed before starting any yoga practice if one has any health issues. Meditating on the Beeja mantra “YAM” by chanting it loud or in the mind can also clear and balance the chakra. Or meditating on colour green and/or pink along with the beeja mantra is also very helpful. Crystals Aventurine, emerald, green calcite, green tourmaline, heliotrope, jade, rose quartz.

Do not attempt to awaken any chakra without proper guidance from a guru who has already achieved its awareness. Going about it alone may cause serious hospitalization. Without a guru, your intent must be only to clear and balance the chakra.

Try the meditation below and see if it helps you.

Sources: Wikipedia, oneworldhealing.com, Video: Youtube.com and , sunnyray.org

Manipura chakra, Chakras contd

Manipura chakra is the third chakra or the energy center in our body. Mani = pearl, pura = city...it would mean "city of pearl/beads/jewels". It is ten petaled lotus and  in a very radiant yellow colour. ten lotus petals represents vrittis of ignorance, thirst, jealousy, treachery,shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness and sadness. In the body it is situated at the navel. In the Vedic, upanishadic references, it is also called the nabhi chakra.  In tantra it is called by many names such as dashachchada, dashadala padma and etc there are other references to this energy center in sufi texts and etc.  The element of this chakra is fire. the deity of this chakra is vahni (fire god)/surya (sun)/Narayana/Lakini in different methods. In the body it is situated at the navel/ solar plexus and is related to the entire digestive system & all it's acitvities, metabolism, pancreas, eyes and feet. Psychologically it governs self-confidence, self- awareness, general happiness, feeling of well being and gut feeling or intuition. In human psyche it is related to the will power, ichha shakti (the power solidifying desires/wants). Beeja mantra or the seed chant of  this chakra is  RAM         

Whatever we eat becomes the fuel for this chakra. Like wood is needed to keep the fire alive in a fire place, food becomes the fuel to keep burning this fire, this fire also keeps our bodies warm. The fire of this chakra radiates highly and penetrates through Swadhisthana and Muladhara downward and upward it penetrates to anahata or the heart chakra.So when we feel happy, it is generated in the gut and is felt in the heart as an emotion of joy, love, sadness and so is fear. Response to the inputs we provide our chakras is generated here and is converted into emotion and felt via heart chakra. The Swadhisthana and Manipura chakras derive their energy from the energy manipura generates. It is in the manipura that the prana (inhaled air)and the apana(exhaled air) vayus meet and give the fire its energy to burn.

It is said that a person who raises his awareness to this chakra is bestowed with the siddhis of constant happiness,  disease is conquered, excellent health and vitality, time is conquered and he/she can become very long lived. He/she can discover cures for diseases and medicines, and there is a deep understanding of physiology. Egotism is gone. There can be the power to create and destroy, to make gold and find hidden treasures. Obstacles when Point of Awareness is in Manipura are a great desire for personal power, fame and recognition. When the Point of Awareness is in Manipura one will generally sleep 6-8 hours a night, often on the back. Most of adult humanity dwells in Manipura. It is said that, a person who raises his/her awareness to this chakra has completed the most difficult part of the journey to self realization and is already halfway through. Please do not try to go about awakening any chakra on your own, it can lead to serious hospitalization. A self-realized guru who has these siddhis is the right one to teach these practices.

A balanced manipura gives a person great self-confidence without being egoistic. Can trust people easily and put plans into action to get the desired results, has great physical, mental, emotional vitality, can be very radiant, youthful, energetic personality and etc. An imbalance in manipur may cause a few problems if underactive or overactive. If the chakra is underactive slow digestion, constipation, gas, self-doubt, lack of trust in others, weight related issues, skin problems and etc may occur. When this chakra is overactive A person may be short tempered, stubborn, restless, aggressive, ulcers, acid reflux weight problems; especially putting on weight, fast digestion resulting in poor nutrient absorption and etc. 

To balance this chakra Pranayama, Uddiyana bandha (exhaling and pulling back and up the abdomen and diaphragm, respectively) and agnisara kriya (practicing jalandhara bandha, and moving the abdomen in and out), as well as the practice of nauli (stomach churning), and other pranayama and mudra that encourage the union of prana and apana, where the lower and higher winds are made to unite are very helpful and the vinyasa (mix of two or more yogasanas) Surya namaskara/Sun salutations is highly recommended. Please consult a doctor before starting any yoga routine if you have health problems.

Crystals like Malachite, Jasper, Tiger’s Eye, Citrine, Yellow Tourmaline and etc are useful. Meditation on the colour yellow or with the beeja mantra RAM is quite helpful.

Energy healing like reki/IET can easily clear and balance this chakra and maintenance can be done with yoga practice and meditation. I give you here a personal experience with chakra clearing with reiki, IET and meditation. This helped me immensely when i had a very bad stomach ache due to gas which did not abate even after walking like a maniac for 45 minutes at 2:00am, after drinking water and swallowing a tablet. Then doing a few asanas to relieve the pain. After i was totally exhausted around 3:15 am, i tried this and it worked like a charm in 10 minutes. For people who do not have a healing attunement, skip the part with symbols and try the rest of the method.

• Ask form the higher power to be grounded and protected throughout the process.
• Put master symbol, power symbol and also distant healing symbol over the chakra and observe through your third eye. (I saw dark grey clouds covering up the chakra.)
• Keep sending it healing and start chanting RAM in the mind concentrating on the chakra and imagining bright yellow light piercing through whatever is blocking it also imagine a bright yellow fire burning and you hearing the sound of it. 
• Do it for a few minutes and seal the healing or meditation with a prayer to keep the flame and brightness alive to heal your chakra. 
• Thank reiki/angles or higher power for all the help and go to sleep.

I did this and believe me, my stomach ache which would not budge pretty much disappeared in 15 minutes. Not only that, once i started imagining the sound of fire in my mind, stomach started making digestive noises and just like that all the burps of undigested food disappeared within a couple of minutes. Also try this meditation below and see how it turn out for you.

Next week: Anahata Chakra/Heart Chakra.

Sources: Wikipedia, Chakras.net, Video: youtube, skyboom1.com, oneworldhealing.net