Chakra Balancing and Wellbeing
Meditation isn’t always for the purpose of moving into quiet states of stillness. We can use meditation practice as a way to check in with ourselves and better direct our energy. Guided meditations are an awareness tool that allows us to be in conscious, present creation with ourselves.
What Are Chakras?
Chakras are points where the energetic and physical bodies meet. Imagine chakras like wheels constantly in motion. If these wheels are “stuck,” energy cannot move and we might feel out of whack. Located in the subtle body, there are hundreds of chakras, although the primary seven from the Muladhara system are where the most focus is given.
These main seven chakras are:
- Root – base of spine – Muladhara – red
- Sacral – below the naval – Svadisthana – orange
- Solar Plexus – above navel – Manipura — yellow
- Heart – heart, center of chest – Anahata — green
- Throat – throat – Visuddha —blue
- 3rd eye — at forehead between the eyes — Ajna — indigo
- Crown— top of head — Sahasrara — violet
Chakra Color Variations
This modern-day chakra color system comes from the cover of a 1977 out-of-print book by Christopher Hills. If this system works for you, go with it. However, if you discover that your root chakra is another color, go with that. When I visualize my root chakra color as red, for instance, I feel antsy and uncomfortable. When I place gold there, I feel peaceful and relaxed. Play with the colors and find that which supports you. It’s also perfectly fine if you don’t see or experience any color at all.
Chakras and the Spine
We need to understand the physical importance of our spine, which is a framework for the nervous system, while giving structure to the body. The spine is also an important facet of spiritual health — many traditions regard the spine with significance, as it is the main channel through which all subtle energies flow.
The spine holds important codes for our soul’s potential, as our latent DNA/RNA pulsates within. When we learn to be in tune with our spinal health, a wealth of information is available, which can help us better masters ourselves.
Sitting with a straight spine is crucial, but it should be exercised at your own level of comfort. When we lengthen the spine, it is easier to connect with cosmic and Earth energies. Do not make yourself uncomfortable by trying to maintain a “straight spine.” Any preoccupation with form will only distract and nullify any healing effects.
Visualization
Seeing chakras is a marvelous gift, but not something all are able to do. When we use the word “visualize,” imagine feeling and experiencing, rather than seeing. Psychic senses are elusive, and many psychics are unable to “see,” but use other methods of perception instead.
Feel the color, shape, and texture of each chakra. Engage other senses to navigate, and don’t get hung up on the word “visualize.”
Chakra Meditation
This is an easy, accessible way to move energy and connect to the subtle body.
How to Align Your Chakras with Meditation
- Sit comfortably with your spine lengthened and begin to breathe deeply but gently. Close your eyes to bless yourself with total presence during this meditation.
- Imagine a brown (or black) ball of energy at your feet. Breathe with it and allow it to expand to the size of a beach ball. This is the Earth Star Chakra and will begin to help you pulsate with the heartbeat of the Earth.
- Moving into your body, bring your attention to your Root Chakra. For some of us, this is at the perineum, for others its between the thighs. Feel and trust your own way!
- See the Root Chakra as a red glowing orb. Feel with it gradually and expand, it to the size of a beach ball.
- Bringing your attention to your Sacral Chakra, feel the warm orange glow, and expand or decrease it to match the size of the other two.
- Continue moving up your body to the Solar Plexus Chakra and allow the warmth of the sun to charge this yellow chakra. Expand its size to be in alignment with those already balanced below.
- Feel the inviting green of your Heart Chakra and breathe into it until it too is a consistent size.
- Bring yourself to the blue of your Throat Chakra, breathing with it until its size matches those below.
- The 3rd Eye Chakra will emit an indigo-colored light, deeper and more powerful than the blue of your throat. This one may take a bit more care and patience or, in the case of highly sensitive people, it may be noticeably out of whack with the others. Be patient as it comes into alignment with the other chakras.
- Drifting upward to the Crown Chakra, feel the vibrant violet that resides there. Effortlessly allow its size to match that of the others.
- The platinum (white or gold) light will be our final place of attention. Residing about six inches above the Crown Chakra, this chakra connects us to the galactic realms, giving us a direct connection with our deeper soul. Be with it until it too reaches the size of the others.
- With all chakras balanced, thank yourself for this loving attention you have just shared. Commit yourself to be more present with these energies.
- Gently open your eyes, and carry on with the ways of feeling more of yourself present in the world!
As you deepen your chakra meditations, you will experience more of your truth. Befriend the wisdom of each energy center, and allow yourself to embody if even for a moment, the frequency you’re perceiving. What may initially be a simple exercise could form the basis of a whole new path of experience.
About the Author
Balancing Your Crown Chakra: the Essential Spiritual Practice
Sahasrara: the 7th or Crown Chakra at the top of the head, Sanskrit for “the lotus flower of 1000 petals.” This chakra is the gateway to all things spiritual, such as The Divine, Our Father, the Universe, and your Higher Self.
The Crown Chakra is thought of as our bridge between the gap of the Divine and Humanity, connecting us to both the physical and non-physical realm of our existence. It’s because of this chakra that enlightenment and our connection with Divinity is possible, as well as compassion for all life, bliss and wisdom. Slowly, we become aware that our life is but an extension of our own consciousness; that we are the dreamer, dreaming the dream. We understand that all manifestations (good and bad) are a result of our thought patterns that become subconscious beliefs – and in knowing this, we can begin to change the dream.
Sahasrara Self-Diagnosis
As you can see, the Crown Chakra’s balance is critical to any person’s spiritual life. Having it out of whack can seriously throw off your spiritual progress. Here’s the self-diagnosis you will need to see what your Sahasrara’s state is:
Balanced Sahasrara:
When everything is well with 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.
Over-active Sahasrara:
You probably will not be able to control your encounters with other realms of existence. Other people may consider you too far out there and you will have trouble grounding yourself. It will be 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.
Under-active Sahasrara:
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. Coordination 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 accept 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 Sahasrara Imbalance:
Yes, your chakra’s balances do indeed affect your body! Body and spirit are intimately connected in a way that doctors can’t quite pinpoint medically. If your Sahasrara is off, some of your physical symptoms will include: muscular disease, chronic exhaustion that has no medical explanation, sensitivity to light, certain sounds or environment (commonly found in autism).
The body parts that are associated with the Crown Chakra include the muscular system, pineal gland, and pituitary gland.
Balancing The Sahasrara
There are all kinds of ways that you can begin to balance your Chakras, from foods to meditation to yoga. Here are just a few methods that are particularly useful for the Crown Chakra:
Yoga Pose: Half Lotus, Ardha Padmasana
Sitting Crown chakra yoga poses are the gateway to higher consciousness. It is through meditation that much transformation occurs. Half Lotus is easier than Full Lotus and offers the almost the same stability for meditation.
-
Sitting on a mat or a cushion, place one foot on the opposite thigh and the other foot on the floor beneath the opposite thigh.
-
Both your knees need to be on the floor, otherwise your spine will be out of balance (see picture to the right – left knee is off the floor – should be on the floor).
-
If you can’t manage both knees on the floor, then you might want to practice Burmese position where you place both feet on the floor, one in front of the other.
Affirmation:
“I trust my inner knowing to guide me through life. All people in my life are here to teach me something about myself, so that I can grow. I trust that everything happens for a reason and that what I do makes a difference. I am balanced between Heaven and Earth and all areas of my life are in balance too.”
Color Therapy
The Crown Chakra is associated with the color violet (or white, which is made up of all colors in the spectrum). Try lighting these colored candles while focusing your attention on the top of your head. This will indeed start to bring balance to it! You can also try wearing the color violet and surrounding yourself with flowers of this color, as it will greatly help it begin to vibrate in harmony.
Crystal Therapy
Crystals have powerful properties that mesh well with your chakras. Using certain crystals in particular will aid your efforts greatly, such as amethyst, celestite, obsidian, selenite, blue sapphire, peacock ore, clear quartz, apophyllite quartz, spirit quartz, moldavite, danburite, goshenite, petalite, fuchsite, stilbite, sugilite, cacoxenite, cavansite, and phenacite.
Nutrition
Choosing pure foods, that are grown in nature that absorb sunshine are great foods to help purify the crown chakra. Instead of going for sweets, choose dried fruits, such as dates, that are dried out by the sun. Start a gentle detox, drink plenty of water and avoid food with additives, generally found in processed, packaged food.
Aromatherapy/Essential Oils
Essential oils also have powerful effects on your chakras. Try cedarwood, elemi, frankincense, galbanum, gurjum, helicrysum, jasmine, lavendar, myrrh, neroli, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, spikenard, or vetiver in your baths, as perfume, or sprinkled on your pillow before you go to sleep.
Using Nature as Chakra Therapy
The Sahasrara’s element is inner-light, or thought, and is considered the most subtle element from which the Cosmos were created. It is Divine, it shines through creation, connecting all and is everywhere in Nature. Sitting or meditating outside and allowing yourself to feel this great energy that is in everything, will help awaken the deepest part of your being.
Sound Therapy
The seed sound of the Crown Chakra is “OM” – believed to be the creating sound of the Universe. It resonates in “B” note. Chanting OM in “B” will allow it to vibrate properly.
