Tag Archives: Chakra

The Fall: The Descent of Consciousness through the Chakras

Recently I was reading an article which mentioned The Fall and the Garden of Eden. There are several theories about the concept of The Fall, such as Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden or fallen angels being cast out of Heaven, but it got me thinking…. what if The Fall is a metaphor for the descent of our consciousness through the chakras with each incarnation? It is generally accepted that the development of the physical body proceeds from root to crown but our spiritual self or Higher Self descends downwards from crown to root. At the beginning of each incarnation our spiritual self leaves the consciousness of the bliss of unity to descend down to the consciousness of the earth plane. Could it be that The Fall is actually this Fall of Consciousness?

The Garden of Eden is likened to the bliss of unity with spirit, which is a good description for the 7^th chakra, the crown chakra. Many who journey to the afterlife in meditation or near death experience describe being in a beautiful garden. Many spirit communications have also reported existing in a beautiful garden.

As we descend from the unity of the 7^th chakra, we enter the duality of the 6^th chakra, or third eye chakra, which is represented by the dual forces of Chokmah and Binah on the Tree of Life. At the third eye, our energy splits into conscious and unconscious. I have always felt that the forces of light and dark play out very strongly in this chakra. This idea is depicted perfectly in the High Priestess tarot card with the two columns Boaz and Jachin, one black and one white, representing the subconscious and conscious minds. Does the dark pillar contain all the issues/karmic patterns we come into this lifetime with, with the aim of bringing them into the light of consciousness for healing? Here lies the duality of good and bad – our potential for greatness and healing along with the destructive elements of the shadow self. This chakra is where we have the opportunity to exercise our free will with our choice of action. The question to ask when considering which action to take should always be ‘Is this action in line with my truth, with love and with my highest good?’ If yes, we stay on the right path. If not, we lose our way and suffer the consequences of not living as we should.

We are making choices throughout our whole lives. Even in childhood we are learning the consequences of the choices we make. It can take years to undo the damage caused in terms of lack of self-worth and self-confidence and find our way back to Truth and Light. When we understand that the dark Boaz column signifies negation and the light Jachin column signifies beginning, this makes perfect sense. This journey back to Truth and Love, otherwise known as the healing process, is the clearing out of the negative energy created when we chose the path of illusion over love.

At the 5^th chakra, the throat chakra, we are learning to express ourselves and define who we are. At the 6^th chakra we had the choice to be true to ourselves or live in line with the demands or expectations of others. Here, the 5^th chakra, is where we express the energy of that choice. If we have chosen the path of illusion and false beliefs, the shadow self is exerting its influence and we are afraid to be ourselves and we end up living according to other people’s paths, not our own. If we are able to express our Higher Self using the energy of light from the 6^th chakra we will make healthy life choices that support our growth and our truth.

As our energy moves down from the 5^th chakra to the 4^th, our heart centre expresses how we feel about the life choices we have made. If we are living our truth, we will live in joy, contentment, inner peace, abundance and harmony. If not, there will always be an underlying sense of dissatisfaction and frustration; happiness and inner peace remain elusive.

At the third chakra, the solar plexus, the energy of the 4^th chakra descends and expresses itself as self-acceptance, self-worth and self-validation – or the opposite, self-doubt and low self-esteem. If you are happy in yourself and with the choices you have made, you naturally value yourself much more highly that if you are anxious and depressed. The solar plexus chakra carries the energy of how we really feel about ourselves. If you are living according to your highest potential and expression, your self-esteem and capacity for contentment and love will be high. If you are struggling to find your path and struggling to separate truth from the illusions you have bought into over the years, it will always feel like you are struggling to find yourself. How we think about ourselves affects how we relate to others. Solar plexus energy stresses that our primary relationship is with ourselves. If that relationship isn’t happy and healthy, other relationships we subsequently forge will reflect that lack of inner harmony. That is why external relationships can never bring us the contentment we seek; that contentment has to come from within, at the solar plexus, first.

The focus of the 2^nd chakra, or sacral chakra, is relationships with others and creativity. Consider your relationships – are they healthy? What do the people in your life reflect about you? The people you meet and situations you encounter externally in life reflect how you feel about yourself and about what is happening within you. When the sacral chakra is functioning well, your creative juices will flow. This creativity can take a variety of forms including creating plans and bringing new ideas to birth, creating art and craft work, singing, dancing and writing, as well as creativity in the form of fertility at the physical level. When this chakra is blocked, the energy isn’t flowing down from the solar plexus at a high enough frequency. In other words, if our self-esteem and self-worth are low and we do not properly value ourselves, we are either not able to express ourselves creatively at all or it may be expressed in unhealthy ways such as violent or subversive tendencies.

Finally the energy reaches the base or root chakra, the 1^st chakra, and fully merges with the dense energy of the earth plane. In most cases, the energy is now de-spiritualised, focusing solely on work, money and security. Life revolves around making ends meet, the hardships of life and the endless treadmill of working to survive. However if the energy has remained high and healthy and is in line with the Higher Self, it can create a trust in the universe to provide for our needs, faith in a higher power and a career that is more of a vocation or labour of love. You are now living your true purpose while here on earth.

To summarise this journey through the chakras then, I believe that The Fall is not a fall from grace at all (as was traditionally believed) but rather a fall of consciousness into the heavier density of the earth plane. We can make our journey a lot easier by aligning with our truth and living from our own higher spiritual ideals rather than buying into the illusions, prejudices and falsehoods of the society we live in. Wherever we are now, we can return to the energy of the 6^th chakra and make a different choice and follow a different path. Connecting to our own truth is essential for the great healing potential it holds. When we make choices in line with our growth, we are choosing the path of love and light and making positive, life-affirming choices. Our energy will start to flow more freely and naturally, attracting greater potential for happiness and wellbeing.

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Spiritual Coach, Holistic Therapist and Meditation Teacher based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen has been on the spiritual path since 2001 and, following a recent spiritual crisis, now finds she has a clearer, more intuitive communication with her spirit guides and angels who have encouraged her to share her extensive knowledge of healing on a broader scale than before. For further information about her Reiki courses and therapies please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics.

Energising the Chakras

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A weak, under-active chakra can be brought back into balance in a variety of ways. This ensures stability and wellbeing of the individual at every level of body, mind and spirit.

Base Chakra

Imbalances in this chakra can manifest as a chronic lack of energy, exhaustion, problems with stiffness and painful movement particularly in hips, legs and feet. Healing and energising is also needed when someone is uncomfortable with their body which can lead to a sense of confusion or unreality, lack of drive or motivation and an aversion to dealing with practicalities and taking physical exercise.

To energise the base chakra:

A warm bath.
Massage, aromatherapy or reflexology.
Walking, running, drumming, dancing or jumping. Just stamping the feet can improve circulation, co-ordination and our link to the earth.
Gardening for extra grounding.
Attend to practical matters.
Meditation to bring you back to the present and increase focus.
Eating, especially high protein foods. A good mineral supplement can also help. (Shortage of zinc is one of the most common causes of ‘spaciness’ and lack of mental focus.)
Haematite crystal for increased focus and grounding.

Sacral Chakra

This chakra is concerned with balance and flow including the ebb and flow of the emotions. Any imbalances in this chakra can manifest as poor balance of fluids and lack of flexibility such as irregular or painful menstruation, constipation, lower back pain, sciatica, fertility problems, arthritis and rigidity of joints. Imbalances can arise when we become fixated on something that is unrealistic or inappropriate which can lead to unhealthy emotional dependency, lack of emotional flexibility and repression of feelings. Adults who display sacral chakra imbalances may have experienced a lack of close physical contact as young children.

To energise the sacral chakra:

Tai chi, chi kung, hatha yoga or belly dancing to increase sense of movement and balance and increase chi in the tantien.
Creative pursuits such as painting, drawing, writing or making music to help blocked energy start flowing.
Moonstone, rose quart and clear quartz crystals placed over the sacral chakra.

Solar Plexus Chakra

This chakra is associated with the element of fire. Fire can bring comfort and warmth but can also bring fear and terror when out of control, echoing the emotional breadth of this chakra. Imbalances in this chakra can manifest as anxiety, digestive disorders, lack of personal power, victimhood or dominating others.

To energise the solar plexus chakra:

Seated spinal twist hatha yoga pose.
Visualise a golden sun in your solar plexus chakra.
Learn to accept yourself for who you are.
Meditation without form or Vipassana/still point meditation to take you beyond your sense of who you are.
Spiritual development including recogising that people and situations are a reflection of ourselves to stop you taking things so personally.
Citrine and calcite crystals.

Heart Chakra

This chakra governs our interactions as we reach out to touch and embrace others. It continually strives to bring balance between external stimuli and internal emotions. The state of this chakra indicates our capacity for joy, compassion and tolerance. Imbalances can manifest as feeling remote and isolated from the world around us or living your life according to other people’s rules. When you listen to your heart, you will be directed along a path which allows you to achieve your maximum potential.

To energise the heart chakra:

Join groups/classes or do community work to meet people and make new friends if you have been feeling isolated.
Gomukhasana hatha yoga pose to open the heart centre.
Find a balance between your personal needs and the needs of others.
Examine your values and beliefs to see if they are really yours. If not, identify your own and start to live by them instead.
Pink and green crystals to strengthen and energise the heart chakra.

Throat Chakra

This chakra is associated with communication, self-expression and finding a path of inner peace. Individual expression can be stifled by overbearing discipline. When that happens, energy is either directed upwards where it is locked in a fantasy world of imagination or downwards to distort the lower three chakras as aggression or excessive manipulation and dominance over others. Imbalances here manifest as lack of inner peace, communication difficulties and understanding the communication of others, difficulties swallowing or breathing, throat and thyroid disorders, metabolic disorders, neck and shoulder tension

To energise the throat chakra:

Singing, chanting a mantra or toning to release physical and emotional tensions.
Release and purifying hurt, angry feelings by writing them down and burning the piece of paper.
Creative/artistic expression such as drawing or painting.
Ustrasana (camel pose) from hatha yoga.
Examine core beliefs and see where there are conflicting viewpoints.
Don’t tell lies; try to practice open, honest communication.
Blue crystals such as blue lace agate, lapis lazuli and turquoise to assist self-expression.

Third Eye/Brow Chakra

This chakra governs perception, understanding, interpretation, perspective and thought processes. It interprets information received by the brain. Imbalances here manifest as confusion, poor vision, jumping to conclusions or a closed mind.

To energise the brow chakra:

Creative visualisation with images of light.
Cultivate a sense of detachment from strong emotional involvement to increase possibility of flashes of intuition and inspiration arising in the mind.
Send distant healing regularly to increase inner vision/clairvoyance.
Practice psychometry, with an open mind and sense of fun!, to receive impressions about an object, its history and owner.
Practice tratak (candle-gazing) meditation to strengthen third eye.
Indigo or violet crystals such as lapis lazuli or amethyst.

Crown Chakra

This chakra relates to spirituality understanding and concept of oneness or unity. The crown chakra is also the main co-ordinating centre of the body and connects the individual to universal sources of energy. Imbalances here manifest as limbic system disorders (body temperature, appetite, sleep patterns, emotions and movement), chronic fatigue syndrome and ME, lack of co-ordination, dyslexia, detachment and isolation or over-dependence on a person or way of living. If the crown chakra is weak or prevented from working normally, it cannot provide all the energy and information required by the other chakras.

To energise the crown chakra:

Physical exercises such as cross crawl (right elbow to left knee etc) to improve co-ordination.
Adho mukha svanasana (downward dog) hatha yoga pose to balance energy between feet and crown.
Improve body-mind co-ordination with activities such as juggling and rubbing your stomach while tapping your head.
Practice meditation and develop an interest in spirituality.
Reiki or other energy healing attunements.
Practice yoga nidra to visualise flow of energy and information throughout the body.
Clear quartz crystal to energise whole auric field and selenite crystal to live more in tune with higher self.

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at Little London Herbal Stores on Kings Walk in Nottingham city centre. For further information about her courses, workshops and therapies, please visit her website at http://helenshortland.com.

The Chakras: Their Purpose and Vibration

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What are they?

‘Chakra’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘wheel’ which describes their spinning motion while absorbing, giving out and distributing life force energy (ki) throughout our subtle and physical bodies. The chakras are the major energy centres of the body: when they are functioning correctly there is good free-flow of energy throughout the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies, resulting in balance and harmony. Chakras should be open to let energy flow freely in and out and between the different auric levels. The more energy that flows, the healthier we are. Illness in the system is caused by an imbalance of energy or a block in the flow of energy: in other words, lack of flow in our energy system eventually leads to disharmony and dis-ease.

There are 7 major chakras – crown, 3^rd eye or brow, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root/base. Each is positioned along a central channel called the sushumna which runs from the base chakra to the crown chakra. The base and crown chakras form our connection to earth and spirit. The sushumna is encircled by two energy channels called Ida and Pingala which spiral upwards in opposite directions from the base chakra. The points where they meet along the central channel are known as the chakras. Chakras can be likened to multi-dimensional gateways that allow us to access different experiences and states of consciousness.

Each chakra relates to a different colour, note, element, endocrine gland and auric layer, which I will address is more detail in the next two blogs.

Purpose of the Chakras

The chakras have three main functions:-

1. To vitalise each auric body and therefore the physical body.

2. To promote the development of different aspects of consciousness. Each chakra relates to a specific psychological function.

3. To transmit energy between the auric layers.

Why do they vibrate at different frequencies?

Everything in the universe consists of vibrations occurring at different frequencies. The colours we see all around us are different frequencies of visible light as perceived by our physical senses and interpreted by the brain. Beyond this range lies ultra-violet light, radio waves and other light waves.

In eastern esoteric literature, each chakra is seen as having a certain number of petals. These appear to be small rotating vortices spinning at very high rates. Each vortex metabolizes an energy vibration that resonates at its particular spin frequency. For example the base chakra has 4 small vortices and metabolises 4 basic frequencies of energy, vibrating at the colour red. Four vortices is a relatively small amount of energy being metabolized and so this chakra relates to the physical, material world and issues of survival and security. The 3^rd eye chakra has 96 vortices and corresponds to the colour indigo. Now consider that the crown chakra has 972 vortices and vibrates at the colour violet-white. This seventh chakra metabolizes the greatest amount of energy out of all the 7 major chakras and carries a very high spiritual vibration.

The chakras vibrate at different frequencies according to the spiritual qualities that govern each chakra:-

Root/base chakra – security and survival – colour red

Sacral chakra – relationships with others, power and control – colour orange

Solar plexus chakra – sense of self, self-esteem and self-worth – colour yellow

Heart chakra – compassion, tolerance, joy and love for others – colour green or pink

Throat chakra – self-expression and communication – colour blue

Brow/3^rd eye chakra – vision, direction, understanding and mental processes – colour indigo or violet

Crown chakra – sense of connection, oneness and spiritual awareness – colour violet or white

Personal Variations

Each chakra deals with particular functions but the quality of the energy in the chakra can vary from person to person. For example, a strong red root chakra indicates someone who is well grounded with strong physical energy and vitality. If this chakra was dull in colour or weak, it would indicate an imbalance in the corresponding mental/emotional qualities such as lack of stability and financial security.

For most people the heart chakra vibrates at the colour green but in those who have developed greater compassion and universal love, it vibrates at the higher vibration colour pink. Similarly the crown can be violet, lavender or white, according to the level of spiritual development of the individual. If the higher crown chakra, the seat of the soul, is activated, the crown area is likely to be white, indicating a person living in line with their higher self, and living by higher truths with a strong sense of oneness and spiritual connection to others.