Awareness
Love in its deepest sense is a cosmic energy that flows through us. When we can crystallize that energy, it becomes our greatest source of power.
-G.I. Gurdjieff-
A little awareness of our energy system can keep our body healthy, our emotions stable and our mind clear. Our energy system consists of at least seven energy centers: the chakras. Blocked energy can lead to distress or discomfort, so it’s important to understand what each chakra represents and what we can do to keep them open. If our energy flows freely we become more purposeful, more aware of the path that brings us satisfaction in life and we learn how to love and to accept what makes us unique. We learn to forgive ourselves and we are able to change the way we experience and think by using our wisdom.
We can get professional help to clear our chakras but we can also do a lot ourselves. Below I describe for each chakra the most important characteristics. I mention affirmations to use, associated colours to wear, what music to listen to and what activities to do, to open the chakras.
To balance a chakra:
1. Recognize the issue by:
* Physical and emotional signs of a blocked chakra
2. Transform the energy by for example:
* Using affirmations mentioned below or create them yourself
* Doing activities for that specific chakra
* Listening to specific music
* Wearing the specific colour for that chakra
The more we are able to listen to our body, the better we will feel which chakra needs attention at a certain moment. From a place of feeling grounded and safe to be, which is a characteristic of a balanced first chakra, we can start to work on the other chakras. Sometimes we need action or fire to reach our goals (3rd chakra), sometimes we want to surrender to the flow of life (2nd chakra) and other times we feel that we need some help with expressing ourselves (5th chakra), opening our heart (4th chakra) or trusting our intuition (6th chakra). After describing each chakra in general I explain the core wounds in more detail since they are a “key” to more awareness.
- Root chakra
The root chakra (Muladhara) represents our foundation. It anchors us and gives us the feeling of being grounded. When the root chakra is open, we feel confident, safe and relaxed and we trust the strength of our body.
Location: base of the spine
Core wound: fear
Physical ailments when root chakra is blocked: colon and/or bladder issues, weak structure (knee, back), eating disorders.
Emotional ailments: fear, anxiety, unable to trust, restlessness, unsafe to open up.
Affirmation: My body is my home. I feel safe. I trust my body. I have a right to be here.
Type of music to open up this chakra: drums.
Activities: movement routine like hiking, swimming, being outdoors (gardening), walking barefoot and standing poses of yoga.
- Sacral chakra
The sacral chakra (Swadhisthana) informs us on how we relate to our emotions and the emotions of others. When it’s open we are able to flow with life, to create, to change, to have fun and to feel abundance.
Location: between pelvis and navel
Core wound: guilt
Physical ailments: lower back problems, reproductive organs and/or urinary tract issues.
Emotional ailments: feelings of guilt, lazy or rushed, unable to have fun, impatience, wanting to control instead of flowing.
Affirmation: I have the right to feel. I believe in my needs and I choose to receive them.
Type of music to open: Latin-American.
Activities: get the body move fluidly with for example dancing, swimming and the hip openers of yoga.
- Solar plexus
The solar plexus (Manipura) is about our ability to be confident, to take action, to be in control of our lives. It’s about trusting ourselves. When we feel a stone or butterflies in our stomach: that’s the solar plexus at work.
Location: between navel and sternum
Core wound: shame
Physical ailments: digestive/intestinal/ liver/pancreas/skin issues, diabetes, eating disorders.
Emotional ailments: worrying, doubting, feelings of shame, lack of willpower.
Affirmation: I am worthy of the life I say I want. I can and I will. I am confident to reach my wishes and desires.
Type of music to open: marching.
Activities: hiking, cycling, competitive sports and yoga: twists, forward bends, breath of fire.
- Heart chakra
The heart chakra (Anahata) connects the bottom three chakras (associated with materiality) with the top three ones (associated with spirituality). The lessons of the heart are about (self)love and (self)forgiveness.
Location: breast area
Core wound: grief, sorrow
Physical ailments: heart//blood pressure and circulation issues, breathing, airway and/or sleeping disorders.
Emotional ailments: loosing ourselves, sad, isolated, hard to open up & to set boundaries
Affirmation: What my heart wants, matters. I trust my heart’s desires.
Type of music to open up this chakra: vocal.
Activities: hiking, dancing, massage, singing (for example a mantra like Aad guray nameh), yoga: heart openers (back bends).
- Throat chakra
The throat chakra (Vissuddha) gives voice to the heart chakra and controls our ability to communicate. When it’s functioning at full capacity, it allows us to express ourselves truly and clearly.
Location: internal and external throat
Core wound: lies
Physical ailments: shoulder/neck/thyroid issues, throat/nose/ ear problems.
Emotional ailments: we don’t feel seen and heard for who we are, not sharing our truth.
Affirmation: I speak & share my truth. I listen to the truth of others.
Type of music to open up this chakra: opera
Activities: singing, dancing, speaking/ writing your own truth by sharing, yoga: fish, shoulder stand.
- Third eye chakra
The third-eye chakra (Ajna) speaks to our ability to see the bigger picture and to connect to and trust our intuition. Think of it as the eye of the soul: it registers information beyond the surface level.
Location: space between the eyebrows
Core wound: illusions
Physical ailments: vision/neurological issues, tension and headaches.
Emotional ailments: not seeing a path forward, we feel lack, we live in our head.
Affirmation: I trust my intuition. I give myself permission to dream.
Type of music to open up chakra: classical
Activities: meditation, intuitive painting, automatic writing, yoga: child pose and balance poses (tree).
- crown chakra
The crown chakra (sahasrara) represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually. When our crown chakra is fully open, we are able to access a higher consciousness and to be who we truly are.
Location: crown of the head
Wound: attachments
Physical ailments: neurological/nervous system issues, coma, brain tumor.
Emotional ailments: powerless, confused, and not connected with our higher selves.
Affirmation: I am the author of my story. I live in joy & gratitude.
Type of music to open: Hindu ragas
Activities: meditation, yoga: inversions (any pose where the heart is higher than the head).
Chakra liberation current
The upward movement from the root chakra to the crown chakra is called the liberation current. By balancing the chakras, the energy will flow and you become more aware of your core wounds. Once aware of those wounds, you are able to support your own healing process:
The core wound of the root chakra is fear: about feeling safe, about feeling supported and loved by your family, about money matters, about physical health and/or about your relationship to food. When you experience fear in (one of) these themes, it can block your root chakra. Your body will show you physical pain in the lower part of your body and/or emotional discomfort like anxiety, inability to trust, etc. (see above: the characteristics per chakra).
The core wound of the sacral chakra is guilt: about your emotions (not allowing yourself to feel (angry/sad/anxious etc.)), about expressing your desires (e.g. sexuality, intimacy, pleasure) and about your inability to let go of resistance and attachment to expectations.
The core wound of the solar plexus chakra is shame: about your personal willpower and the goals you want to achieve (you don’t dare to take actions to manifest your powerful self and you may think thoughts like “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not doing enough”).
The core wound of the heart chakra is sorrow: about relationships with others (past, present, future), about the relationship with yourself (not being able to love yourself unconditionally and not being able to forgive yourself or others), and sorrow because you don’t trust the desires of your heart.
The core wound of the throat chakra are lies: because you’re not able to create your own truth and share it with others or because you don’t dare to be your authentic self, you are telling “lies” to yourself or others (for example “I’m not good at this” or “It’s too difficult/expensive”).
The core wound of the third eye chakra are illusions: it’s about your senses versus your intuition. What you see outside of you does not match with what you feel intuitively. It’s about the inability to connect with your intuition, to visualize your own reality, to make decisions that matter to you and to make your dreams come true.
The core wound of the crown chakra are attachments: to thoughts and limiting beliefs that no longer serve you. It’s about your inability to take in new knowledge and to connect with your higher consciousness.
As your awareness grows, you increasingly “free” yourself from your core wounds. Your authentic self becomes more visible, which makes you better able to see what is really important to you and which activities make you intensely happy. “Free” is in brackets because the core wounds do not need to be resolved in order for you to be your authentic self and manifest your desires. You just need to become aware of the wounds and then embrace them as part of yourself. In this way the wounds become less deep and painful and they will also return less often because you have learned your lessons.
Chakra manifestation current
The movement from the crown chakra to the root chakra is called the manifestation current. Once you have “liberated” yourself from your core wounds and become more and more aware of your authentic self, you can begin to manifest your “rediscovered” self.
Crown chakra: your deepest wishes and desires become clearer as you have let go of old limiting beliefs. Therefore you are better able to connect with your authentic self (higher consciousness). It’s about knowing and understanding what you want or have to do in life.
Third eye chakra: because you are better able to connect with your intuition you learn to separate illusions from your reality. More and more you are able to visualize your wishes and desires and to see a clear path towards them.
Throat chakra: since your are better able to see the road ahead, you are also better able to speak your own truth and to create whatever you want to be your authentic self, no matter what other people think about that.
Heart chakra: because you learn to love yourself and others unconditionally and because you are able to forgive yourself and others, you dare to trust and follow your heart’s desires.
Solar plexus chakra: because you have “liberated” yourself from your core wound shame, you are confident and powerful to take the actions that are needed to fulfill your wishes and desires.
Sacral chakra: because you have allowed yourself to feel the true emotions of worry/anger/sadness/fear etc. you are better able to believe in your wishes and desires and to not feel guilty about receiving them.
Root chakra: you have created the conditions for yourself to actually manifest your wishes and desires (family and friends who support you, money matters in order, confidence in your physical health).
