Chakras
© Gene Brockopp
It is traditionally taught
in Laya Yoga that there are seven major chakras or padmas
in the body through which energy is transduced, increased
or decreased. They are whirling, wheel-like movements
that while existing in the psychic body, reunite and
affect our mind, emotions and physical body. Based on
many sources including workshops I have attended, this
is my understanding of the Chakras.
The First Chakra
The first chakra is called
Muladhara meaning root support or foundation and is located
at the base of the spine. It is manifested through the
sexual organs and the pelvic plexus. While it controls
the sexual organs, (with the second chakra) it also influences
the legs and is related to the sense of smell. It is
concerned with food and shelter, its major element is
earth, it is associated with the square shape, the color
red and the sound of U (as in ooh) in the key of C and
its ruling planet is Mars (masculine). It is associated
with the aromas of cedar and clove and the gems of agate,
ruby and bloodstone.
Normally children primarily
act out of first chakra motivations to age 7. During
this time they must ground themselves in the laws of
the world, regulate patterns of eating, drinking and
sleeping and learn proper behavior in society. Physical
survival is primary. Acting out of this chakra, one would
engage in violent behavior which is based on insecurity.
The major expressions are illusion, delusion, anger,
greed, sensuality, and selfishness. The desire for more
than this and the need to act wisely and in moderation,
result in motivation for one's evolving development.
Here one begins to become aware of one's potential.
Carolyn Myss sees
this chakra as the tribal belief center. As the purpose
of the tribe is survival of the tribe, the needs of
the individual are less important and the focus is
on the inculcation of social skills as defined by the
tribe. She says that here the family invests your energy
in the families' beliefs. One's prejudices, attitudes
of life and superstitions are written here before one
learns to read. We evolve at the speed of these energies
so the more that our energy is bound up in these early
beliefs, the less we have for our development. As these
concepts are “born in our gut” they are not amenable
to reason and often influence our behavior even when
we “know better.”
The health of our immune
system is also determined here. She also feels that the
energies in this chakra can also be positive. They give
us a connection with nature and the earth. It helps us
to center ourselves in the community, gives us a sense
of loyalty (but often as a substitute for love) and our
commitment to a cause or ideal. It allows us to act with
honor, to have pride in our history and our family traditions.
It gives us a base from which we can launch our life.
We lose energy from this
chakra when we: 1. Maintain family or social beliefs
that no longer are of value to our life. 2. Hold on to
prejudices e.g. that our family, religion, political
beliefs, or race are better than others. 3. Hold on to
the negative past of our family experiences.
We reinforce or add to the
energy of this chakra when we: 1. accept and reinforce
our connection with the natural world. 2. have and maintain
a feeling of pride in our background and family. 3. Use
our family (biological and present) as a source of love
and support.
Affirmations for this chakra
are:1. I have a right to be here. 2. I feel stable, safe
and secure in the world. 3. I have a complete and sustaining
trust in life. 4. I honor my human family and myself.
Questions to consider:
1. What connections that you don't want to your
family or social group are you still fueling?
2. How much energy are you still expending here?
3. What belief patterns from your family do you
want to get rid of?
4. What negative beliefs do you hold about others?
5. Do you give yourself
time to get “grounded “in
nature?
6. Do you see yourself as the most recent expression
of a lineage of people?
7. Do you use your family
as a source of support for your life?
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The Second Chakra
The second chakra
is called Swadisthana which means “the
dwelling place of the self”. It is located in the area
slightly below the navel, it's color is orange, it
is associated with the circle, it's sound is O (as
in home) in the key of D and it's ruling planet is
Mercury (feminine). It is through this chakra that
all the body's fluids are balanced as it is related
to the kidneys, adrenals, the hypo-gastric plexus and
the intestines. Disturbances in the fluid balance of
the body such as edema, anemia, and polyuria along
with “itis” issues
such as colitis, diverticulitis, and fertility issues,
PMS, Candida are a result of the malfunctioning of
this chakra. It is also connected to water, the sexual
fluids, the arms and the sense of taste. It is associated
with the aromas of sandalwood and gardenia and the
gems of coral, and moonstone.
This chakra, which is both
the center of our creativity and our feelings, mediates
our emotional reactions to our inner and outer world.
It is here that we decide how we are going to express
these reactions. As the expressions that originate here
are softer than those of the first chakra, they can usually
be manifested in more healthy and creative ways through
our emotions such as sadness, crying, screaming and laughing
and being joyful, through our actions with other people,
or through the creative arts.
Normally a person from age
eight to fifteen acts out of second chakra motivations.
Instead of being defensive and standing alone, they now
reach out for physical contact. When the need for food
and shelter are taken care of, the person can increase
his/her imagination and visualize many possibilities.
As the physical body evolves, new awareness and sensuality
affect and change relationships. These can be a problem
as the second chakra can have a downward effect on the
psyche causing the person to be confused and restless.
The person acting out of
this chakra would pretend to be a princess or prince,
royal hero or lord and be very chivalrous, while maintaining
a high self esteem. Emotional expressions would range
from fantasy and jealousy to mercy, envy and joy. These
emotions may be used to an advantage through the arts
or may result in the person feeling empty. When a person
evolves beyond the negative aspects of the second chakra,
joy moves through the entire being.
Myss sees this chakra
as dealing with the issues of control and power, especially
physical power. This chakra is the battle zone for
sexual issues, interpersonal power and money. It is
concerned with one to one relationships and how we
connect to another person in both our work and personal
life. It is in this energy area that we feel most vulnerable
and it is here that the other can either empower us
or betray us. Here we define our internal and external
territory. While animals mark their territory with
urine, we do it by our way of speaking (verbally and
non-verbally), our attitude toward others and toward
things that are “ours”.
When we take our life too personally we begin to act
as if our self is “on the line”. When things don't go
our way, we go into a survival mode of behavior. We
fear losing relationships and begin to exert control
to keep them. We develop rules for others to live by
as a way of maintaining control over a situation.
When we accept that as adults
we can only be responsible for our selves, we can begin
to express the growth aspects of this chakra. Through
it we can empower ourselves and others by supporting
and nurturing them and expressing the belief that they
have a right to live their own lives. Our faith in our
own emotional and physical life and our faith in the
life of the other, can merge the energy of the heart
and the second chakra and create a powerful, positive
energy connection between us.
We lose energy here when
we 1. try to control others in our relationship, 2. develop
addictions in our life, 3. have unresolved conflicts
regarding sexuality, 4. have active and unrealistic fears
about making, having or losing money.
We reinforce or add to our
energy when we 1. take responsibility for ourselves,
2. let go of our addictions, 3. resolve past sexual issues,
4. have faith in and enjoy our emotional and physical
life, 5. develop and nurture supportive relationships.
Affirmations for this chakra
are: 1. I open myself to others naturally. 2. My creative/sexual
energy can positively transform my life and my relationships.
3. My creativity streams through my body, mind and spirit.
4. My emotions are balanced.
Questions to consider:
1. Do I really need to control my relationships?
What do I fear would happen if I didn't?
2. Do I really believe and act as though other people
have a right to live their own lives?
3. Does money or sex have control or power over
me either by it's absence or it's abundance?
4. What are my addictions? How do they control me
and how do I use them to control others?
5. How do I empower and support other people in
my life?
6. Is there more joy in my life this year than last?
7. Do I have enough self
love and confidence to take responsibility for my own
life? Can I trust me with just me?
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The Third Chakra
The third Chakra is
called the “Manipura Chakra” which
means “The City of Gems”. It is located in the Solar
Plexus above the navel and below the chest. Although
it is related to the sense organ of the eyes, it controls
the liver, digestive system, stomach, lower back muscles
and the autonomic nervous system. It's color is yellow,
it is related to the element of fire, it is masculine
in character and it's ruling planet is the Sun. The
sound of the chakra is O like in “top” in the key of
E, and it's shape is an inverted triangle. The aromas
of lavender, rosemary and carnation are associated
with this chakra as well as the gem stones of Amber,
citrine and yellow sapphire.
The person is ruled by this
chakra between the ages of 14 and 21 and is motivated
to develop their ego and an identity in the world. This
chakra then, is related to personal power, social identity,
inner harmony, acceptance of self , strength, vitality
and authority. As one meditates on this chakra, one develops
an understanding of the internal functioning of the body
and the place of the ductless glands in human emotions.
The fluidity of the second chakra becomes practical here
and one develops the ability to command and to organize
and can achieve the power to create and destroy a world.
If one is dominated by this chakra one will strive for
personal power and recognition to an extreme. The balance
for this is selfless service without the desire for reward.
Myss sees this chakra as
the center of personal power. How this is developed will
determine how one will function in the external world.
The important attributes are one's self esteem, self
confidence, one's relation to one's physical body and
the development of a personal honor code. For her it
is important that the person develop a sense of integrity
and personal respect for oneself and maintain strong
emotional and psychological personal boundaries (in contrast
to tribal boundaries) so that one does not need the approval
of the other to live in the world. Without this she feels
that one may become manipulative or have hidden agendas
which limits one's spiritual growth through the development
of false realities.
You lose energy from this
chakra when you: 1. break commitments to oneself or others.
2. use manipulation to gain the approval of others. 3.
do not maintain well defined personal boundaries. 4.
are seduced by the evaluations of other people 5. do
not take responsibility for your physical body.
One reinforces the energy
by: 1 taking pride in one's work and letting one's energy
flow into one's action. 2 trusting one's intuition. 3.
having respect for oneself without arrogance. 4. developing
and keeping a personal honor code.
Affirmations for this chakra
are: 1. I accept and respect myself completely. 2. my
body is full of radiant light and energy. 3. I have clear
and strong personal boundaries. 4. My personal power
is growing each day.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Do I keep my word and honor my commitments?
2. Do I need the approval of others to feel OK?
3. Am I a critical person who thrives on the power
that this gives me?
4. Do I withhold from the other the honor that they
have earned?
5. Do I respect, honor and take responsibility for
my physical body?
6. Am I arrogant about my personal power?
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The Fourth Chakra
The fourth chakra
is located in the cardiac plexus and is called “Anahata” which
means, “unstricken”. It is
the source of our healing energy, desires and dreams
and in the seat of compassion and relationships. Physically
it relates to the thymus and controls the heart, lungs,
blood circulation, upper back and hands. Physical problems
of the heart such as palpitations and angina and disorders
of the lungs are controlled by this chakra. It's predominant
sense is the tactile response and the procreative genital
function. The color of the chakra is gray-green, (initially
but it changes as we mature) it's shape is the hexagram,
and it's sound is “Ah” in the key of F. It is related
to the air (formless), the emerald and green jade gemstones,
the aromas of marjoram and rose oil, and the planet
Venus. It is feminine in origin.
From the ages of twenty
one to twenty eight the person vibrates in this chakra
becoming aware of one's karma and actions in life. Faith
is the motivating factor. This chakra is related to unconditional
love and harmony, forgiveness, transformation, selflessness
and devotion. The key words for it are love and healing.
By evolving through this chakra one masters language,
and verbal expressions while developing control over
themselves and their desires through gaining wisdom and
inner strength. The male and female energies become balanced
and one evolves beyond external limitations (becoming
formless like the air) and is an inspiration to others
as they find calmness and peace in their presence. This
chakra encompasses sanctity, balance, fragrance and clarity
of conscience as one lives out their heart's desires.
Myss sees this chakra
as the entrance to one's internal reality and emotional
zone. It is the “mission control
center” where one uses the heart energy to develops
the sense of harmony and love. And it is through this
love that we touch and participate in the life force.
When we act from this chakra, we have to give up the
illusion that things could or should be different than
they are. It is from here that we begin the journey
of forgiveness of the other which is the way that we
heal ourselves. For it is through forgiveness that
we unplug ourselves from the other and the past, reduce
our negative energy flow, and redirect our energy so
it can be used in our present life. It is from here
that we develop and express compassion, learn love
and intimacy with the other, express our inner most
desires and make our most authentic decisions.
We lose energy here when
we: 1. Allow our past negative experiences to limit our
present choices. 2. Hold on to our resentments and refuse
to forgive. 3. Do not love ourselves. 4. Put so much
energy into the past that we cannot see the present.
5. Are not open to the love of the other.
We gain energy here when
we: 1. Forgive others without conditions. 2. Love ourselves.
3. Love others enough to let them have their own experiences
(even their suffering) in the world. 4. Accept the healing
power of love in our lives. 5. Unplug ourselves from
our past negative experiences.
Affirmations for this chakra
are: 1. My heart is in everything I do. 2. I am open
to Divine and human love. 3. Healing energy flows through
my body. 4. I love to open my heart and share with others.
5. I am feeling and thinking lovingly.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Is there anyone I need to forgive unconditionally?
2. Do I really know what self love is? Can I be
open to it?
3. What changes would I need to make in my life
to live out my heart's desires?
4. How can I be a channel for the Divine Source
of love in this world?
5. Am I moving toward more
harmony and peace in my daily life?
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The Fifth Chakra
The fifth chakra is
called “Vishuddha” which means “pure” is
located in the carotid plexus in the throat. It is
related to the sense organ of the ears and of hearing
and controls the thyroid gland, the jaw, neck, throat,
voice, upper lungs and the arms. It is associated with
etheric energy (an emotional energy charged with spiritual
awareness). It's ruling planet is Jupiter, it's sound
is “Eh” in
the key of G and it's shape is the crescent. The gem
stones of aquamarine, turquoise and blue sapphire and
the aromas of eucalyptus, sage and frankincense are
connected to this chakra.
This chakra governs
the person between the ages of twenty eight and thirty
five and motivates them to seek true knowledge, that
is knowledge beyond the limitations of time, culture
and heredity and to move beyond the emotions of the
heart to the souls expression of it's desires. This
chakra is then associated with wisdom, truth, integrity,
inspiration, freedom, communication and access to the
subtler aspects of being. Through this chakra we can
manifest the information from the invisible self and
our spirit guides and say “yes” or “no” to life's
options. It is our seat of responsibility. The goal is
to become master of the entire self, define oneself in
the world, and find the path that leads to a true birth
into the divine state or cosmic consciousness. The primary
stumbling block is the development of a negative intellect
which may occur through the ignorance or the unwise or
incorrect use of knowledge.
Myss sees this chakra
as the upper will or center of choice where we develop
our ability to speak up for ourselves and establish
our boundaries. It is different from the will of the
lower chakras which relates to power and control over
others. Here we are responsible for the expression
and use of our energy in our life. We learn here that
the true meaning of will is to control our self in
any situation and not the control of the other. We
develop the capacity to speak about our life in honesty
and with honor and are not threatened nor seduced by
the other person. By doing so we empower the other
to be clear and honest about their life and their path
of growth. We learn to know and express our boundaries
in such a clear way that we do not need to state them
verbally. By doing this we become so empowered that we
do not need to express our will any more--we can surrender
to the will of God in our life. We have a problem here
when we cannot describe our needs, state our boundaries
or respond to our creativity. We then become non-assertive
or have issues of under or over responsibility. Physically,
we become all choked up trying to get through the “will
zone” when
we attempt to move the perceptions of the heart to the
mind through which they can be expressed.
We lose energy from this
chakra when we: 1. Want to or let others define our needs
and wants. 2. Do not keep our word. 3. Use our words
(energy bundles) to hurt others. 4. Do not have clearly
defined boundaries for our self.
We gain energy from here
when we: 1. Learn the deeper meaning of will. 2. Are
open to the subtle energy of our invisible self and spirit
guides. 3. Act with honor and honesty. 4. Empower the
other by our clarity.
Affirmations for this chakra
are: 1. I can freely and honestly express my thoughts
and feelings. 2. I communicate clearly and effectively.
3. I am open to the subtle levels of my being. 4. I can
speak up for myself and have clear boundaries. 5. I am
thinking, feeling and lovingly expressing myself.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Do I keep my word and to whom?
2. Do I use my words to hurt others?
3. What am I plugged into that drains my energy?
4. Can I say “yes and no” with
honesty and integrity?
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The Sixth Chakra
The sixth chakra is
called “Ajna” which means authority,
command or unlimited power and is located in the medulla
and pineal plexus between the eye brows. It is often
called the third eye and is our inner and outer visual
center. It is not related to any sense organ but controls
the pituitary gland (which controls the endocrine system),
the left brain and eyes, the nose and ears and part
of the nervous system. Its color is indigo, it's shape
is a white circle with two luminescent petals, it is
related to light, is masculine in nature and it's ruling
planet is Saturn. The sound of the chakra is “E” in
the key of A. The aromas of jasmine, mint and anise
and the gem stones of quartz, lapis lazuli and azurite
are associated with it.
This chakra is not
related to a chronological age: it is a state of being.
The qualities associated with this chakra are inner
vision, intuition, extrasensory perception, peace of
mind, manifestation and clairvoyance. This chakra is
the eye of conscience which reveals the truth that
the one is an immortal spirit in a physical body. Persons
who meditates on this chakra goes beyond all desires
that motivate life and becomes centered in a constant
state of non-dual consciousness. They move beyond time
and become a knower of the past, present and future.
They reveal the divinity within their being, reflect
the divinity within others and move to a position where
there is no observed and no observer. They attain the
realization “that I am, I am
that” or being-in-consciousness-bliss. The mind then
reaches a state of undifferentiated cosmic awareness
in which all duality ends.
Myss sees this chakra as
one's reality headquarters and focuses her attention
on the mind and its effect on one's spiritual journey.
She states that the mind operates on the illusions which
it creates by assuming that the world and reality can
be defined and understood by using only the five senses.
Because the mind likes rational and reasonable answers,
it needs to make sense out of an issue before it can
move. This process allows us to blame others, look for
reasons or justify our behavior in a rational way. She
says that the spiritual journey requires one to dismantle
the rational mind to allow the irrational to exist. Heaven,
she says, works not through the rational intellect but
through paradox, the rationally ridiculous, the irrational
and synchronicity. We are always offered two choices:
one that has no risk and one that is full of risks. She
says one should always take the choice with the largest
risk which is the road of faith. The choice itself is
not important: the reason why you chose the path is.
We lose energy from
this chakra when we: 1. Require rational explanations
for our internal experiences. 2. Try to “understand” the
world by only using our five senses. 3. Close our mind
to non-rational possibilities. 4. See our life as defined
by the physical world.
We can gain energy through
this chakra when we: 1. Are willing to take emotional
risks. 2. Open our mind to extravagant possibilities.
3. Follow our hunches and intuition. 4. Acknowledge that
we are an immortal spirit in a physical body.
Affirmations for this chakra
are: 1. I use my imagination for positive and creative
purposes. 2. I am perfectly attuned to my vision and
work to realize it in my life. 3. My spirit is immortal:
my body is physical. 4. I am thinking, feeling and lovingly
expressing my vision.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Do I need rational details before I make a move
in my life?
2. Do I take the choice of least risk or am I willing
to take the largest risk and live by faith?
3. Am I aware of the role of synchronicity in my
life?
4.Is my self and my self
image tied to my physical body or to my spiritual body?
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The Seventh Chakra
The seventh chakra
is called “Sahasrara” which means “thousand
petaled” and it is located at the top of the cranium
in the cerebral plexus. It is seen as the center of
our divinity, the place where we know our oneness with
the Divine Source and all other spiritual beings. It
is connected to the pineal gland, the cerebral cortex
and the higher chakras and regulates both in and out
of the body functions. Physically, it controls the
cerebrum, the right brain, the central nervous system
and the right eye. The sound of the chakra is “ohm” in
the key of B. It is associated with the aroma of lotus,
rose and spruce and the gem stones of amethyst, diamond
and clear quartz.
The major qualities of this
chakra are universal consciousness, bliss, integration/unity
with the Divine Being, enlightenment, perfection and
wisdom. With this chakra we can have divine inspiration
(which is often felt as a higher level of kinesthetic
awareness), peak experiences and/or spiritual awakening.
Through this chakra, a state of immortality can be achieved.
In this state their is no mind activity, no knower and
nothing to be known. All are unified and liberated. It
is the pure bliss of total inactivity in which all feelings,
desires and emotions are dissolved. Here it is possible
to sense the cosmic self , to feel the Divine and to
realize the divinity within oneself and our oneness with
everything.
Myss sees this chakra
as the place where our life force comes in and where
we receive grace. Here prayers for us are stored in
our “grace bank account” and it
is from here that we bless the other. For her it is
a mystical center where one can develop visionary powers.
Here we move beyond the areas of illusion and use our
heart and mind to develop our connection with God.
Our spiritual truths and what we want our spiritual
life to be are developed here. Faith, trust and prayer
are the important concepts that we work with in this
chakra. Through them we can see our life as a means
of achieving our spiritual goal.
We lose energy through this
chakra when we: 1. Live a life without faith. 2. Put
external conditions on our spiritual experiences. 3.
Reject Divine guidance unless it comes to us in the way
that we approve. 4. Have a lack of spiritual direction
in our life.
We gain energy through this
chakra when we: 1. Express gratitude to God for our life
and what has happened in it. 2. See our life as a means
for spiritual development. 3. Make contact with God through
conscious prayer. 4. Be open to receive the grace available
to us.
Affirmations for this chakra
are: 1. I am consciously living my divine purpose. 2.
I feel physically, mentally and spiritually in harmony.
3. I am one with all creation and with God. 4. I am thinking,
feeling and lovingly expressing my vision of divine purpose.
Questions to ask oneself:
1. Do I feel a positive connection to God?
2. What are the spiritual truths that I live by?
3. What do I want my spiritual life to be like?
4. Can I accept God as a loving force in my life
regardless of what happens?
5. Do I place conditions
on the spiritual guidance that I ask for?
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