Movin' on Up

This week we are arriving at the top step in our chakra stairway.  Just because it is at the top, however, does not mean it is any more important than all the other steps that came before it.  We must be rooted and grounded in our bodies (root chakra) before we can start to interpret our emotions (sacral chakra) which will lead us to our passion and give us clarity on the direction we want to go (solar plexus chakra).  Once we have set our sights on our path, we can make decisions and lead with our heart (heart chakra) while we share our dreams (throat chakra) with those around us becoming even clearer on developing a picture in our mind (third eye) of where exactly we want to be.  The 7^th chakra is what brings it all together.  It’s almost like hindsight.  We now know exactly why things happened the way they did and why we had to go through certain experiences on our journey. 

Where's Your Mind

On the heels of a federal election campaign and the beginning of the formation of a new government in Canada, we move our focus this week to the third eye chakra.  This 6^th chakra, also known as Ajna (to perceive and command) is all about perception.  Perception makes all the difference in how we form our reality.  We can see this by using the simple “is the glass half empty or half full” idiom.  Two people are seeing the same thing – a glass with water, but one person chooses to see the abundance in the scene, while the other chooses to see the lack.  One picture can create two different perceptions that result in two very different realities.  So it is with the current
election results, but instead of two options/perceptions, you can choose to 

Embraced by Ether

From the love of the heart, we move our focus this week to the throat chakra.   The throat chakra, or Vishuddha (purification) is the 5^th step in our chakra ladder.  This chakra is in charge of communication – external communication and how we express our ideas, but also (and maybe more importantly) our internal communication and how we talk to ourselves or how we receive our ideas that we want to express out and share with the world. 

Vishuddha is located at the throat, which is the narrowest part of our body along the spine.  This chakra is often seen as a gateway or doorway to our upper more spiritual chakras.  The element associated with this chakra is ether.  No one can really 

Bridge of the Heart

What better way to get ready for the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend then by focusing on the heart chakra.  The heart chakra, also known as Anahata (centre of unstruck sound) is the 4^th of the 7 major chakras, so it is the midpoint between the outer, physical reality of the lower chakras and the inner, other realms of the upper chakras.  This chakra illustrates the importance of balance and how both sides of any coin are important.  The yantra (symbol) for Anahata is a triangle and an inverted triangle intersecting to form a six-pointed star.  The upright triangle points up towards the higher chakras and the inverted triangle points down towards the lower chakras with the heart chakra located in the center.  It’s important to lift up and awaken to higher consciousness and spirituality, but it’s just as important to root down and stay firmly grounded to the earth and the physical reality we came here to experience.

Fanning the Flames

This week we’re bringing our attention to the third chakra which is also referred to as the solar plexus chakra or Manipura (lustrous  gem).  Manipura is that shiny core of our being where our true power resides.  It’s about having the courage to trust our gut and follow our own instincts because we know that this internal knowing is more valuable than any external validation we may receive. This chakra addresses self-perception issues such as personal power, inner drive or willpower.  It is associated with the energetic, dynamic, transformative element of fire.  So, manipura is about finding that spark of passion within us that makes us want to move forward and do what we need to do to reach our goals or dreams.  When the 3^rd chakra is out of balance, we may have poor self-esteem, be overly critical of others, be overly nervous, or we could be dominating, aggressive and extremely competitive

Riding the Waves

This week is second chakra week.  The second chakra is also known as the sacral chakra or Swadhistana (the dwelling place of the self).  The element associated with swadhistana is water.  Water is fluid, flowing, light, moldable, and is often associated with emotions.  While the root chakra was more concerned with the physical body, the sacral chakra is more focused on the emotional body.  We want our emotions - ALL of our emotions - to flow through us like water.   Unfortunately, many of us tend to repress or turn away from those emotions that we consider “bad” or uncomfortable.  When we don’t allow these things to flow, we’re creating blockages in our emotional bodies, which can eventually affect us on a physical level.  When our sacral chakra is out of balance, we may be fearful of change, either feel numb or feel overly emotional, be stiff or rigid physically or mentally, be unfocused and scattered, etc.  Things are not moving and flowing and we feel stuck.   

Solid Ground

This week we're focusing on the root chakra or Muladhara (root centre).  The symbol (yantra) for the root chakra is a square.  Think about how solid and stable a square is.  Squares provide strong, secure foundations from which we can grow.  We want our foundation to be solid, secure and supportive so that we can rise higher.  For us in our physical bodies, this means feeling secure in all aspects of our life - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relationships, career, etc.  So when Muladhara is out of balance we may feel fearful and anxious, disconnected, unstable, weak, etc.  We don't have that feeling of stability and security in ourselves to move forward.

I SPEAK

As we learned last time, the heart chakra is where all our answers to any question we may have lie.  The fifth chakra, or throat chakra is about accessing this information.  It’s the place where we discover what is on the inside, so we can express it out to the outside world.  The throat chakra is in charge of communication, and often when we think about communication, we are focused on the words we are expressing out.  But, a large part of this energy center is being still and silent and listening deeply to weed through the voices and sounds that are inside us to discover which ones are truly ours (our own personal truth) and which ones have been put in there by other people.  The following are a few ways to feed our throat chakra in order to help us find that stillness and allow us to access our inner sounds.         

I Am Divine

“He who knows others is wise, but he who knows himself is enlightened” Lao Tzu 

As mentioned in the last post, our society and culture seems to be based on the concept that someone or something outside of ourselves knows what is best for us.  We rely on our society to tell us how to behave, on our government to tell us what rules we should follow, on our religion to tell us how to be moral, on corporations to tell us what to buy, on our doctors to tell us what medical treatment we should follow, on our friends and family to tell us what path we should take in life, etc.  I’m not proposing that we chuck everything and allow a free for all.  What I’m trying to illustrate is how maybe the decisions we think we are making for ourselves are actually decisions that are based on how we are told we “should” be living.  Have we really taken the time to get to know ourselves, to know who we are and what is best for us?  Or, is it easier to let those things and people outside of us tell us who we are and answer these questions for us?