Seventh Chakra: Sahasara

Sahasara is the seventh cakra and literally means 'thousandfold'. This cakra is often shown as a thousand-petaled lotus flower in full blossom on the crown of the head. The petals are connected to the petals of the lower cakras multiplied by twenty. The number of the lower cakra petals are as follows: Muladahara - four, Svadishthana - six, Manipura - ten, Anahata - twelve, Vishuddha - sixteen and Ajna - 2. Each petal represents are nadi through which the prana  from the universe is drawn into nourish the body. According to ancient yogis the lotus depicts a number beyond counting: the infinite and indeed the crown cakra is seen as beyond the elements. The colour assoicated with sahasara is white and its mantra is OM. In terms of the endocrine system , it is associated with the pineal gland.

The purpose of yoga is move energy (prana) and information (citta) around the body. The intention is to allow the practitioner to clear the mind of its fluctuations or bring stillness (or in Hatha yoga stilling the fluctuations of the breath). The first step toward clearing the mind for many is the practice of physical postures (asanas) to bring harmony and release karmic patterns (samskars) that are locked in the body often manifest as tension, pain or inflammation.

An essential and the final pose(and many people's favourite pose) of an asana practice is savasana. Here the body digests and integrates the benefits of the practice. It is here in savasana lying on the floor that we let go and relax the body. When we relax each part of the bod,  the electrical impulses from this part of the body cease to firing to the mind and the mind becomes still.  This is something yogis have known for thousands of years and matches with what is scientifically illustrated by the weird little figure of Homunculus man.

Homunculus man...

This cute little fellow shows the distribution of various sensory or motor regions of the body. The little person has big feet, enormous hands, huge lips and tongue yet a small torso and legs.
In savasana yoga focuses on relaxing the areas that are laden with receptors to allow the brain to relax so you can experience complete surrender.

Sixth Chakra: Ajna

My Buddha from Wuhan from when we lived in China in 2006.

The sixth Cakra, Ajna means 'to know'.  It is located at the eyebrow centre and is often called the third eye. Interestingly, it is where the left and right optical nerves cross in the brain. Ajna controls/commands all the elements: earth, water, fire, air and space rather like the conductor of an orchestra ensuring the music played is harmonious and delightful. Insight, intelligence and clarity are the hallmarks of of the sixth cakra, Ajna, being open. Unlike the base or materail cakras that can be closed, open, weak or strong, Ajna is either open or shut. In terms of yoga poses, it is suggested  that an opportunity to open Ajna is available in every pose when the chin and hairline are neutral. A natural progression off the mat would be to think this would be so inteh way we carry ourselves throughout the day whether walking, sitting or sleeping.

The colour associated with Ajna is violet and the mantra is KE -SHAM or in some yoga traditions OM. The yantra is an violet eyelike oval emitting five beams of light. The gland it is connects with is the pituitary. 

Namaste

No class labour day

A gentle reminder no Monday night yoga class Labour Day, March 11th. Pop along to the either the  Tuesday evening class or Wednesday morning in Bairnsdale for your weekly yoga fix. Classes held at St Mary's Parish Centre, 23 Pyke Street, Bairnsdale.

Enjoy your time off with family and friends. Enjoy the glorious weather. Heading off now for a swim in the river.

Namaste,

Margot

Fifth Chakra: Vishuddha

Photo by me

 Namaste,

This week we are exploring the fifth cakra Vishuddha.'Vi' can be translated as very deep even extreme and 'shuddha' as purification thus could be interpreted as a centre of deep purification Appreciate here, that Sanskrit is a flexible language and words often have more than one meaning. The throat cakra is associated with the element space, its colour is blue, its mantra is HAM and its yantra is a smoky grey upward-pointing egg in a white circle. The fifth cakra is located in the throat at the jugular notch and hence maps onto the thyroid gland ( Finger, A., 2005).

The throat cakra relates to speech, hearing, communication  and self-expression.  A healthy throat cakra, of course ensures you are able to express yourself and your ideas peacefully and can listen  to others with ease. When your throat cakra is in balance it purifies all chakras. This chakra is associated with listening to one's intuition and being guided whereby it seems that the Universe is providing all your needs with no effort. It's a state of Grace. Abundance, therefore, is associated with this chakra, as is the aspect of unconditional receiving necessary to accept the abundance of the Universe.

Weakness or blockage in this cakra may manifest as an inability in to express yourself and you can feel threatened by other people's opinions. It can also mean confusion in following your path, creative blocks and general problems with communicating with others. I don't know about you but upon reflection I can recall scenarios of communication going awry or feeling as if I haven't expressed what I need clearly, perhaps, also this cakra plays out in an inability to say 'no' to one more activity.

Yoga poses that can assist in opening or balancing your throat chakra are cobra, plow, camel, shoulderstand and fish pose.

Reference:

Finger, A., Chakra Yoga: Balancing energy for physical, spiritual and mental well-being, Shambhala Press, London, 2005.

Fourth Chakra: Anahata

Photo by Margot Porter

Hello there,

Moving through the chakras, the energy centres inside the spine, this week we are up to Anahata. Anahata means "unstruck sound" and can be seen as the spiritual centre of the heart.  Anahata is associated with the element air and is said to determine what and how you feel. You can see the lower chakras as representing the material world of self starting with the earth (Muladhara): dense and solid followed by water (Svadhishthana): fluid and moving and then add fire (Manipura) which vapourises the water into clouds that accumulate in the heart as thoughts, feelings, emotions. Most of us hold on and get caught up in emotions and this clouds clarity of perception, however, being free of emotional attachment allows you to open up to joy and love or a higher consciousness.

In the class we will investigate both forward and back bends as a way too balance anahata cahkra. The anatomical focus is on the thoracic cavity: scalenes (neck), pectoralis (chest), trapezius (upper back and neck), rhomboids ( between the shoulder blades), and erector spinae muscles of the thoracic spine. . Of course, this will be done within the structure of a body-mind-breath-spirit balanced class.

See you on the mat,

Namaste,

Margot

I'm in love with these Mandalas from Kathy Klein see more at   danmala.com/gallery

I think I need to make some. They remind me of the spinning energy vortexes that are the chakras.