|
Introduction to Chakras
The Crown Chakra
Gems and Minerals: Diamond, quartz crystal.
Colour: Violet (sometimes white)
Attributes: Inspiration, wisdom, cosmic consciousness, spirituality, oneness
with all. Concerned with thinking and decision making. At a physical level
it is linked to the pineal gland. Its energies also affect the brain and
the rest of the body.
When Unbalanced you may experience: Depression, lack of grounding, lack
of inspiration (because you're disconnected from your spiritual source)
and unable to make decisions.
To Awaken and Balance: Meditation, guided visualisation, energy work.
The Ajna Chakra
Location: Between the eyebrows.
Gems and Minerals: Amethyst.
Colour: Indigo Blue.
Attributes: Intuition, imagination, visualization, concentration. The
brow charka is the storehouse of memories and imagination and is associated
with intellect, understanding and intuition. At a physical level it is
linked to the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Its energies also affect
the nerves of the head, brain, eyes and face.
Element: Light.
When Unbalanced you may experience: Headaches, poor eyesight, lack of
concentration, nightmares. A person with an imbalance in this charka may
be oversensitive, be afraid of success, be non-assertive and undisciplined.
To Awaken and Balance: Meditation, guided visualization.
The Throat Chakra
Location: Throat area.
Gems and Minerals: Lapis Lazuli, sodalite, blue quartz.
Colour: Sky blue.
Attributes: Communication, expression, eloquence. This charka is concerned
with communication and expression. It also deals with the issue of truth
and true expression of the soul. At a physical level it is linked to the
thyroid and parathyroid glands. Its energies also affect the pharyngeal
nerve plexus, the organs of the throat, neck, nose, mouth, teeth and ears.
When Unbalanced you may experience: Difficulty communicating, emotions
caught in the throat. Frustration and tension may result. A person with
an imbalance in this charka may feel unable to relax
To Awaken and Balance: Sing, chant, hum, breathe consciously.
The Heart Chakra
Gems and Minerals: Emerald, malachite, green jade.
Colour: Green.
Attributes: Unconditional love, forgiveness, compassion, group consciousness,
peace, tolerance. At a physical level it is linked to the thymus gland.
Its energies also affect the cardiac and pulmonary nerve plexuses, the
heart, lungs, bronchial tubes, chest, upper back and arms. It is the point
of connection between the upper and lower charkas.
When Unbalanced you may experience: Anger, heart problems, rigidity, lack
of love. If the energy does not flow freely between the solar plexus and
the heart, or between the heart and the throat, it can lead to energy
withdrawal into the body. It can lead to feelings of self-pity, inability
to ‘let go’ and feeling unworthy of love or feel terrified
of rejection.
To Awaken and Balance: Serve others, love and take care of yourself. Breathe
consciously. Watch tender movies that "tug at your heart strings."
The Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: The solar plexus (between the chest and the navel around waist
level)
Gems and Minerals: Gold, tiger's eye.
Colour: Yellow (like the sun.)
Attributes: Relates to our emotions, self-esteem and self-worth. The is
the centre of will and determination, assertion and personal power; the
link with hearty laughter. Feelings such as fear, anxiety, insecurity,
jealousy and anger are generated here. At a physical level it is linked
to the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Its energies also affect
the solar and splenic nerve plexuses, the digestive system, the pancreas,
liver, gall bladder, diaphragm and middle back.
When Unbalanced you may experience: Lack of will, overemphasis on power,
anger, poor digestion, eating disorders, fear, hate. People with an imbalance
in this charka may feel depressed, insecure, lacking in confidence and
may worry what others think. It is in the solar plexus charka that negative
energies relating to thoughts and feelings are processed. People who are
under stress will show imbalance in this charka - shock and stress have
a greater impact on this charka.
To Awaken and Balance: Rub your belly, become aware of the energy radiating
from your solar plexus, breathe using your diaphragm.
The Sacral Chakra
Location: at the level of the sacrum between the naval and the base charka.
Gems and Minerals: Amber, citrine.
Colour: Orange.
Attributes: Concerned with all issues of creativity and sexuality. At
the physical level it is linked to the testes in the male and ovaries
in the female. Its energies also affect the urino-genital organs, the
uterus, kidneys, lower digestive organs and lower back. Associated with
desire, pleasure.
When Unbalanced you may experience: over sensitivity, lack of creativity,
sexual problems, jealousy, possessiveness, uterine or bladder problems,
lower back pain.
To Awaken and Balance: Sexual healing, try new ways of expressing yourself
creatively, dance, move your hips, practice yoga.
The Root Chakra
Location: The base of the spine.
Gems and Minerals: Ruby, red jasper, garnet.
Colour: Red.
Attributes: Grounding, good health, survival instincts, vitality, sexuality
(for men). Concerned with all issues of a physical nature – the
body, the senses, sensuality, a persons sex, survival, aggression and
self-defence. At a physical level it is linked to the endocrine system
through the adrenal glands. Its energies also affect the lower parts of
the pelvis, hips, legs and feet.
When Unbalanced you may experience: feeling of being ungrounded and unfocused.
May feel weak, lack of confidence and be unable to achieve goals. May
also feel violence, anger, have constipation, and survival fears.
To Awaken and Balance: Spend some time each day sitting directly on the
earth. Walk with bare feet on the ground (grass, sand etc.) Dance!
___________________________________________________________________________
From Yoga Journal:
Yogis Score High on Happiness
Scientific studies reveal yoga may be the key to bliss By Angela Pirisi
No matter how much we lust after worldly objects and material pleasures,
in the end, we all just want to be happy. But despite our efforts, happiness
often eludes us. Now the ranks of science have stepped in to help unravel
the secrets of this precious state of being. And they're discovering what
yogis have known all along.
Happiness, it seems, has a biological component. Groundbreaking studies
conducted by University of Wisconsin psychologist Richard Davidson over
the past decade have shown that people who report high rates of happy
feelings have a larger and more active left prefrontal cortex than their
depressed counterparts. Other studies have concluded that happiness may
be a matter of genetics. A 1996 study of 1,500 pairs of twins at the University
of Minnesota found that, on a self-report happiness scale, adult twins
were highly matched in their scores despite variations in income, marital
status, and education.
Happiness also seems to lie outside the limits of material wealth and
life events. Winning the lottery may tip the emotional scales at first,
but most people return to a certain grade of happiness within three months.
This is nothing new to the practitioners of yoga. As Dr. R.M. Matthijs
Cornelissen explains, "In the Vedic tradition, ananda, or delight,
is seen as being present in the essence of everything that exists. Happiness
is thus not something that depends on what you have, but what you are."
In fact, many studies suggest that yoga can effect positive states of
mind, despite life's highs and lows. In 1993, a British team measured
the effects of three relaxation techniques: chair sitting, visualization,
and yoga. They found that yoga resulted in the greatest increase in alertness,
mental and physical energy, and lust for life. Likewise, a 1994 German
study, which compared a group of women practicing hatha yoga to a second
group that did not, found that the yoginis showed markedly higher scores
in life satisfaction, and lower scores in aggressiveness, emotionality,
and sleep problems.
"Yoga primarily changes your consciousness, which includes your
way of looking at things," says Cornelissen. "In the process,
many aspects of your physical functioning also change, including your
brain chemistry."
Whether we use yoga or some other self-affirming behaviour, it's clear
that even born-to-be-negative types can choose to cultivate happiness.
Just as a bad mood can become a bad habit that perpetuates unhappiness,
so can nurturing positive feelings lead to a more permanent positive state
of mind.
|