Chakra Guide
All forms of life have a beginning; it stems from the root. This is also true for the human experience- the depth and how connected we are to our roots greatly affect the fruits of our labor.
#muladhara the root chakra is the first checkpoint in our subtle body that helps us be in touch with our roots - so that we can observe what shaped us in the past, what is important to us right now to feel safe & secure within ourselves - in our surroundings, and what we want to do so we can root firmly & rise to our potential.
"How do I feel about myself in relation to others?"
This is something we all have pondered at some point because we are social beings who find meaning by connecting to other people.
Svadhisthana or the Pelvic chakra is the second checkpoint in our subtle body. It helps us to observe our emotions and manifest personal power in relationships. How we relate to our families, partners & society can be transformative only if we are aware of our personal journey; how to set boundaries, center, harness creativity - to connect to the world authentically, is something we all want to experience.
Cultivating this experience by focusing on Svadhisthana helps us to build a safe home within; a home to create a kinder, more compassionate space.
“I think therefore I am” - Descartes
How we think greatly affects our life but how often do we observe the quality of these thoughts?
Manipura or the solar plexus chakra is the third checkpoint in our subtle body. It is felt near the diaphragm and it governs our thinking process - logic, reasoning and structure of our thoughts. If what we call life is a string of experiences, Manipura chakra is where abstract thoughts form. Feeling the heat and the cold, feeling butterflies in the stomach, that "gut" feeling we can't quite shake off, and our intuition forms in Manipura.
If we create space in Manipura, we are able to avoid the traps of the ego and bring clarity to our intellect, so we can create quality thoughts.
Breathing tip to create space in Manipura- 🌻
When you feel clouded or anxious, place your left hand on your diaphragm (where the ribcage ends and the belly begins), and slowly breathe in to your hand. Breathe out and affirm the phrase
"my thoughts do not define me"
Practice this until you feel a connection to Manipura through your breath.
Breathing into Manipura brings balance to our thinking process and helps us transform our thoughts into healthy & resilient patterns so you can have harmony in your thoughts and actions 🧘🏾♂️
When we feel loved and cared for, we are able to love and care for ourselves and others - and it begins with exploring our own heart 💚
The fourth checkpoint in our subtle body is Anahata; located in the center of the chest, anahata governs love, inspiration, forgiveness, compassion, truth & happiness. The joy we feel when our hearts are full and the sadness we feel when our hearts break is a testament to the potential of anahata 🧡
We all know the feeling of not being able to trust our hearts at some point in life - especially when it brings sadness and loss of connection. This is because a life worth living is experienced through our hearts. It is both a teacher, a student and when we hold space for heart's dialogue, a dear friend 💞
Heart connections & heart forward actions cultivate empathy and create space to see beyond our differences and into what makes us all humans; our heart's need to be seen & heard. This is how we connect to the human spirit 🌻
Breathing tip to unblock Anahata - 🧘🏾♂️
Breathe into the center of your chest and out. Observe the rise and fall of the chest for a few breaths.
Start to pay attention to the thoughts/memories that arise when you breathe in. Notice the heaviness, & lightness of these thoughts. With the next breath in, affirm yourself "you are seen & heard" exhale and let go of the thought.
Repeat this until you feel a connection to Anahata. 💚
Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes"
Maggie Kuhn
Do you feel heard? I mean truly heard. We live in a society where the loudest voices often get noticed - not necessarily because it is the truth or comes from the heart. It is because we value noise & finesse over speaking your heart’s truth. Visuddha or the throat chakra governs the sound of your truth. 🎤
The fifth checkpoint in our subtle body is Vishuddha; located in the back of the throat/ upper esophagus, is all about self-expression. 🌻
People with healthy Visuddha, express themselves clearly and are heard. Just like we physically take up space, our voice and the sounds we emit take up space. Your voice has power and can be impactful if you speak the truth. So aspire to make your truth as non-violent as possible and stay away from people who diminish your truth, people who don’t value your voice.
Walk towards people who hold space for your voice; people who truly hear you. Listen deeply to yourself & others as well. When we truly practice deep listening, we invite energy & people who do the same for us; we begin to see conscious speech as an act of hearing yourself and others first, so we can be heard.
This is how we honor our voice 💙
Breathing tip to bring awareness to Vishuddha:
Inhale and observe breath passing through your throat. Exhale observe the same.
Breathe this way for a few in & out breaths.
Once you are aware of breath passing through the throat, Inhale and ask yourself “what is in my heart”
Exhale through the throat and visualize releasing what is in your heart with the out breath.
Practice this for a few breaths until you feel calm, relaxed and heard 💙
“When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.”
Kahlil Gibran
If eyes are the windows to the soul, Ajna holds the key to let us in. One of the most powerful sensory ways to perceive life experiences is to focus on Ajna or the third eye chakra which governs perception without reason.
The sixth checkpoint in our subtle body does not rely on sight to assess - a balanced ajna is embodied foresight. Once we feel balanced in base chakras, we may begin to feel a sense of limitlessness through our third eye. 💜
This is a way to see & feel truth in every situation; a way to perceive truth in what has happened, what is, & what is to come. It is an innate sense we as humans possess. But often, it is a sense most of us ignore because we are too busy surviving - struggling to live or fulfill our baser needs. We are all too familiar with the survival mode; hustle culture - "fake it till you make it" culture, but do we ever stop to ask what does “making it” look like to us?
Take this time to ask yourself just that; “what does my ideal life look like? And what is the intention behind it?”
Spend a few minutes to have a dialogue with your mind’s chatter. Is your ideal life practical, relatable and most importantly, will it bring joy, peace, balance into your life? or is it something you’ve been told by family, friends, influencers, billionaires?
What are your intrinsic needs? Do you have role models who support these needs? Are you doing the emotional work to walk towards your ideal ? Do you have enough space in your life to wander, be spontaneous, to invite life’s mysticism to yourself?
Step into this inner dialogue and notice how stillness & wisdom flows through your ajna. ✨
“Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”
Max Ehrmann.
The seventh checkpoint in our subtle body is Sahasrara, the crown chakra governs spiritual maturity. When our mind, body and soul are aligned, we may begin to see that we are spiritual beings - we always have been .🧘🏾♂️
Our history books will attest to the fact that we are a species of connection seekers. We crave it - even when we are satisfied with connection to our own kind, we seek connection to a universal truth.
We have created cultures, traditions, religions & rituals around our quest for connection beyond the materialistic world. Most of us think of this esoteric quest as a difficult path - one reserved for yogis, monks & priests.
But the spiritual path also exists for all of us - as long as we see divinity in our daily lives.
If enlightenment is felt as a connection to divinity "beyond" life - A path can be created to find divinity "through" life to access the beyond. 💜✨
Artwork by - Arrvinda "Sala" Salwatura
Words by - Jude Malidra Herath