"Open your heart chakra and let it flow" ... "ah... what?!" - Sacramento, CA circa 1999 in my first months of yoga.
"Work on your root chakra by lifting through the perineum" ... "hmm... ya not happening" - Santa Monica, CA circa 2002 in yoga
“Your chakras are out of control" ... "great how do I get them back in control?" - Bombay, India circa 2005 my yoga teacher tells me this.
"I have been working on balancing my chakras"...."Oh... how is that going for you?"
"Sit in a cross legged position rising up from the crown chakra" San Jose, CA circa 2008 my guidance my to yoga student.
"Each chakra contains information that is essential to your ability to interpret the symbolic meaning of your life experiences" Home, CA Circa 2011 Rainy day readings.
I have come a long way in my chakra chakkar (confusion) and looking back each experience was a stepping stone to progress me further and deeper. 10 years ago I couldn’t imagine studying the chakra system and now I can’t get myself to stop. I was always curious about the word, its meaning and the so called “system” but it seemed too esoteric to grasp. I understood the basics but I wanted more. What are my chakras telling me? How do I read them? How do they guide me? Recent events led me to a book called “Sacred Contracts” by Caroline Myss. Much of the book speaks about archetypes, fascinating yet again a little esoteric for my taste. I plugged away at the material eventually getting to Chapter 6, The Chakras: Your Spiritual Backbone, it was love at first read. Chapter 6 introduces the 7+1 chakras in a different light, emphasizing the physical, emotional, and spiritual characteristics each one harnesses and to some degree controls. If you believe that humans are intelligent beings then the chakra system is our operating system. Together the chakras communicate up and down the spine sending messages and influencing feelings, emotions, and actions. WHOA… chakkar time. How the heck does this all work? What does it mean? My feelings in that experience or actions in this situation were a mere function of my heart chakra going out of whack?
Let’s talk about this for a sec. The fourth chakra is the heart center of the body and it also happens to be the ruler. It regulates all issues related to emotions ranging from love, compassion, generosity, and empathy to hatred, jealousy, and malice. It is the most vital of all chakras because all the emotions connected to fears and strengths reside here. The fourth chakra lends itself to your creative energy and the ability to forgive. Blockages in this area can hinder one’s growth in relationships and creativity. “Where your heart is, there is your power” Sounds intense huh?! Well it is. Living in a time where we move from physical relationships to virtual relationships our archaic wirings can become confused and even impaired leading to depression, lack of self- esteem, and even self -abuse. Fortunately we are also living in a time when mind body experiences are being explored and exposed, shedding light on the need to breathe or move or play. My personal exploration and curiosity leads me to wonder how I can optimize my present life. If the chakras are my backbone well I want in. Our internal guide or gut feelings and instincts are always assessing. When you walk into situation and feel uncomfortable or angry or emotionally drawn to someone… it is coming from the inside out. Personally I’d like to know these little helpful hints and understand the situation and make conscious decisions vs. mindlessly reacting. Being in tune with our systems allows this to happen. I’m intrigued by the chakras and eager to explore how each of these have played and continue to play a role in my journey… more to come.
mettaLOVE
Ritu Riyat
Resources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/41296-origin-chakra-system/
http://www.rickrichards.com/Chakras.htm
