Life is more than just what you observe with your eyes. The chakra system is part of the invisible/subtle energy inside you and when you connect with it, new ways of growth and healing are opened up for you. There are seven meditations that are linked to the seven primary energetic centres situated along the spine, with each of them relating to various parts of life and living.
The following are the seven chakras, together with the type of meditation you can do to help with your present condition. Rotate through each of these meditations each day of the week, to bring about greater balance and harmony to your entire being.
The Root chakra – Muladhara – this is a grounding meditation that will activate your root chakra when you are feeling anxious or unsettled or are going through huge changes in your life.
You might want to sit outside for this meditation in order to connect more fully to the earth element. You can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, or you can lie down if you prefer.
• With your eyes closed, concentrate on the base of your spine, and imagine a ruby-red orb of light lighting up the floor of your pelvis. If you are sitting in a chair, the light could spread down your legs into your feet or cover the entire area of your body that is touching the ground, if you are lying down.
• Take deep breaths, and with each breath, imagine sending your roots wide and deep to strengthen your entire body.
• As you inhale, pull energy up through your roots to inside the area right in front of your tailbone that is bright red. Then, as you exhale, send that energy back down into the ground underneath you.
Chanting the sound “Lam” as you play drumming or tribal music will help to stimulate the earth element within you.
The Sacral chakra – Svadisthana – this meditation will help your feelings to flow easily through you and help you to have confidence in your emotional intellect. The sacral chakra will help you to connect to your emotional centre when you feel stuck and stressed.
• For this meditation, you should be seated with your hips higher than your knees and your hip and lower back area relaxed. Rock backward and forward on your pelvis a few times to loosen the sacral centre space.
• Concentrate on the area midway between your pubic bone and navel, the middle of your pelvic bowl, and imagine a stunning, glowing sun setting below the horizon of the ocean. Let this orange, fiery light enter your inner body and reflect off the gentle waters below it.
• Imagine your breathing to be the ocean’s waves – when you inhale, the waves come to the shore, and when you exhale, they return to the sea. Even though your body is motionless, your breathing will keep moving and you will feel the interruption of breaths between each round.
• During this breath and water meditation, imagine all emotional energies that are stuck inside you, being rinsed from your body completely.
If possible, listen to recordings of the sea while you meditate, or even better, sit on the beach to meditate. Chanting the sound “Vam” as you meditate, will help to transport the vibration of the water element during and after your session.
The Solar Plexus chakra – Manipura – when you feel insecure, unworthy, or disempowered, you need to do meditation to bring energy to your solar plexus to remind you of your strength and power. The solar plexus chakra lets you draw in confidence, discipline, and courage as you connect with the warrior nature within.
• For this meditation, you should be comfortably seated with your spine straight and relaxed. Before sitting still, massage your belly by rubbing it clockwise in big, circular movements. Besides improving digestion, it also helps to soften the belly when it is tense from stress.
• Once you have rubbed your belly about 7 to 10 times, put your hands on your thighs, and breathe deeply. Tighten your abdominal muscles slightly as you exhale and relax them completely when you inhale. A subtle Ujjayi breath will come from this pattern, which will heat your system from inside out, naturally.
• Imagine the fire element burning away inadequacy, fear, and those trapped feelings you have due to your circumstances. See in your mind’s eye, the flame directly behind your navel, and you releasing the smoke from your nostrils, with each of your breath cycles. By purifying your abdominal area in this energetic way, you will also be supporting those things your heart desires and improve your self-confidence and feelings of strength.
This meditation is best done in front of a fire or by candlelight. Besides imagining your inner flame transforming your fears, you might also want to write down the things that bother you on pieces of paper and then burn them in the fire. You can try activating the fire element by chanting the sound “Ram” as you meditate.
The Heart chakra – Anahata – this meditation is good if you are feeling broken-hearted, lonely, or closed off from other people. When you bring energy to your heart chakra, you will be able to connect to unconditional and objectless love, and your generosity, compassion, and resilience will improve.
• Sit up straight and tall, with your shoulders back and a proud posture. It is essential that you breathe deeply during this meditation since your lungs are a part of this chakra.
• Start by imagining your entire chest cavity being filled with an emerald green light. Fortifying this light with your breath and attention this way will help you to strengthen the protection surrounding your heart from the sorrows and challenges of life. Feeding this light will help you to feel safe in giving love and being loved in return.
• When you have breathed in this space for a few minutes, concentrate your attention on the centre point of your chest, to the pink-coloured diamond that symbolises the actual spiritual heart. This quiet, serene light signifies the essence of the person you are, over and above the way you think and feel about yourself. You will see and feel goodness, beauty, and love radiating through this diamond heart, which will help you to share your life too, with the rest of the world. There is no need for this light to shine on an object because it is love and is expressing this love through you.
It might be a good idea to incorporate rose essential oil into this meditation, as it is known as an aid to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. You could also use rose quartz or actual roses in your meditation and chant the sound “Yam” to help activate a protected and open heart.
The Throat chakra – Visuddha – this meditation helps to express yourself in all ways, and also supports artistic expression, creativity, and living a genuine life.
Sit in a comfortable, upright position and circle your head gently before you find stillness. Relax your jaw, but do not open your mouth. Let your top and bottom teeth separate from each other and relax the skin surrounding your lips.
• Concentrate on your neck and throat and imagine a bright turquoise gem sitting right in the middle of this space. The gem is a symbol of your real truth and the magic you possess, to share with those around you. Within this gem, is the art you have to offer, the music you play, the stories you have to tell, and the words you have to share with others. It is the connection between your head and your heart. Inhale energy into the turquoise light in the middle of your throat and exhale it through your mouth or nose.
• Visualise this light shining from your ears too, helping you to listen to your inner voice and others as well. All elements of communication are improved when this chakra is balanced. This includes having difficult talks with members of your family, writing fluent and efficient emails, even how you can express yourself through song, photography, or painting.
• Imagine using your own voice to do good as you concentrate on your throat chakra, and let it help you to communicate in your own unique, authentic, and positive way to those around you.
Singing, chanting, or humming can be a big advantage to the throat chakra. Use music that resounds with you and sing or play along. Chanting the sound “Ham” will help a lot to open your vocal cords and throat channel even more.
The Third Eye chakra – Ajna – with this meditation, you learn to trust your intuition, expand your vision for the future, and develop improved clarity of thought. If you do this meditation regularly, your limited thought patterns will decrease, and you will develop greater imagination and wisdom.
• Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Turn your eyes up to look at the space between your eyebrows, which will direct energy to the point of the third eye. You see outward with your physical eyes, but your third eye allows you to look inside yourself. Imagine a deep, royal blue or indigo colour as you concentrate on this energy point.
• Try to relax the skin around your eyes. Start to move your awareness back from your forehead to the middle of your brain. Think about the way you see through your physical eyes, and then see if you can see hints of the inner light between your ears. As your thoughts come and go, let them float by like mist and move the awareness back to the middle of your brain. You might find it helpful to push the tip of your tongue against your upper palate to stimulate the third eye chakra below it.
• Maintain smooth and steady breathing in and out through the nose.
You can help to balance the intuitive centres of your mind and settle the mind too, by breathing through alternate nostrils. You can do this meditation either in silence or while playing classical music, which is known to decrease stress and help to clear the mind. Chan the sound “Sham” to bring focus to your third eye.
The Crown chakra – Sahasrara – with this meditation, you get to connect with the God of your understanding or your spiritual centre. The Crown chakra meditation can also provide you with an antidote against feelings of hopelessness, heaviness, and isolation, and help you to be as one with all beings. Do this meditation when you are finding it hard to connect with the meaning, love, and peace you are yearning for.
• Sit in a comfortable position where you can keep your spine straight and proud. Visualise your head to be a water lily floating at the top of your spine. Relax your neck, brow, eyes, and jaw, and if necessary, tap the crown of your head several times to awaken the crown chakra point.
• Imagine an unseen lotus flower with one thousand petals on top of your head. Invite it to open its petals to enable you to get to know yourself and the truth more fully.
• Visualise a purple column of light starting from the middle of your head and reaching up into the sky. The purple light will move down into your body when you inhale and move up into the sky when you exhale. See this light as a Divine consciousness filling you up every time you inhale and as an offering back to Source each time you exhale.
When it feels natural to do this, allow your awareness to settle on the middle of the unseen lotus flower, and say thank you to your higher self for exposing itself to you.
Being grateful can help a lot to raise you above your thinking mind, into that spiritual place. Using an amethyst, the purple stone can also be helpful in awakening your higher centres. If you still feel somewhat restricted, then try meditating in an upside-down position.
Meditating while you do a headstand, or even simply letting your head hang off the edge of a couch or bed, can help to energise the crown chakra.
In conclusion
All of these meditations are helpful in activating the chakra centres to ensure that the energy flows all through your body. Take your time to work through each one, until you find those which work best to support your particular needs.
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