"Uniting with the Universal Mind" ... 7th Chakra

The 7th Chakra

The Crown Chakra

The Thousand-petaled Lotus

Union with the Creator and All things

Knowledge becomes Understanding

Cosmic Consciousness / Liberated Universal Mind

Egolessness

Communion with our Higher Self; acknowledging our Divinity

Infinity

Thought Manifests into Reality

Pure Thought, Pure Consciousness

Pure Light (combinition of All colors)

Refers to the top of the head

Not being able to accept that there is a Creator of All is a source of blockage to this energy center. Not being able to be aware of all our actions (especially the hurtful ones) and lack of our control over our emotional state impedes the full-functioning of the Crown Chakra. Overly thinking an issue and not allowing what our Heart says is yet one more way to close off the 7th chakra.

Consistent (daily) Mindful Meditation and Spiritual Practices will help foster growth and understanding to the functions of this chakra. Becoming 100% aware of what we are thinking (the silent Thought, the Thought behind the conscious thought) and WHY we are thinking it -- is crucial to allowing the Crown Chakra to do its job.

Trusting in the Universal Process, flowing with Universal Time (Divine Will) and surrendering our own personal will is a crucial aspect to facilitating the harmonizing process.

It is a delicate process in remaining open and mindful while not being barraged by the overly abundant subtle influences in our environment. This is the energy center that transcends human understanding. Only by surrendering all that our brains know --can we open up to Higher Understanding and accept there IS more to Life than what we have learned to accept as truth. Here in the 7th chakra we give up personal truth and come to understand Universal (Impersonal) Truth. However, when we place all of our attention/energies on Spirit we become ungrounded, out of our physical body and cannot deal with everyday issues. We also are not able to participate in Life or partake of the Gifts an earthly life offers.

The sensation of Isolation can take over when self cannot engage in the everyday earthly life and tasks OR when the Self seeks only a relationship with God and separates him/herself from physical reality. Thus, Isolation can be either a 1st or a 7th chakra issue. As with so many other topics...one must delve deep into the matter to understand more fully what chakra the issue is stemming from and then hopefully being able to address it more appropiately (is the chakra affected more emotionally tuned (1-4) or intellectually wired (4-7)...remember chakra 4 is a bridge from the body to the mind).

Stepping into this chakra's energy is Vast, Infinite, Subtle and beyond the scope of just intellectual rationalization. It takes us out of the everyday ordinary and into the Universal Extraordinary! ...we begin to Live from the Unlimited Potential we innately own within each and everyone one of us. Having worked through chakras 1-6...We now know how to live in our body (chakras 1-3) and remain healthy and take care of earthly needs. We listen to where our Heart guides us in order that we may express ourselves honestly and creatively and that we may manifest our Dreams into physical reality. Only the sky is the limit when we have worked through limiting beliefs and corrected the misuses of our energy.

With my feet remaining on the ground of physical reality, AND with A LOT of focus and consistent work...I, too, want to be one of the few who are able to Touch the Stars and Live Life with Wisdom & Universal Understanding!

Eastern Philosophy for the Westernized Thinker

Eastern Body Western Mind written by Anodea Judith (author of Wheels of Light). Read from cover to cover several years ago, it is still an excellent resource to refer to in fostering chakra alignment and harmony.

Beliefs and their Effect on our Life

"The Spontaneous Healing of Belief" by Gregg Braden (author of several other books)

This book helps explore and is a resource for those who want to uncover their core Beliefs. What we believe does indeed affect how we perceive and interact in Life. Change your Beliefs...Change your Life is the overall premise of this book. Believe in Change...deep Change...and live a more expanded version of Life.

This book is a beneficial adjunct for helping to harmonize the 6th chakra.

Food: What we eat and Why

In Defense of Food ...by Michael Pollan (author of Omnivore's Dilema)

This book discussed the issue of Food....what we are led to eat...for socio-cultural reasons or for the quest of perfect health via nutrient seeking and marketing buzz words. It also goes on to discuss consumerism and how the world of processed convenience foods has led us as a nation towards obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Reading this book helped me revise my view on what Eating Deliciously means...it's not just about nutrition, but also on the company you share your meals with. Bon Appetit'!

***Michael Pollan is featured in the Oscar nominated documentary "Food, Inc."

"Mental Image Created"...The Sixth Chakra

AJNA, the BROW CHAKRA

aka...The Third Eye

Vision, Image, Ideas, Colors/Light, Dreams, Intuition, & Clear Perception of One's Reality, Beliefs (what you regard as truth)

AJNA, the Sanskrit word, for the Brow Chakra (6th chakra), brings the ethereal nature of Pure Thought (Pure Consciousness)/7th chakra into a slightly more dense form ...Image/Idea. Here the Mind starts to make form and some (intellectual) sense of what it perceives...Perception.

The Third Eye governs the eyes and thus one's Vision. Holding an Image as part of one's Meditation Ritual can be a beneficial tool to help break free of a limited mind and encourage the generation of fresh ideas/concepts/possibilities/solutions to a problem. Visualization techniques have been shown to help people heal from illness, to assist in losing weight, and to facilitate in Manifestation (bringing Thought into physical reality).

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Dreams; both the nighttime version and the Visions we have for our future, are overseen by the Brow Chakra. The Third Eye is where the behind the scenes subconscious mind interfaces with the conscious mind and our external world. Being able to integrate the two with full awareness is how people who have cultivated their skills and energy are able to Manifest without much apparent effort.

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As energy (aka prana) travels up the "spinal column" (Sushumna channel is the main channel with Ida to its left representing the feminine energies and Pingala to the right holding the masculine energies) the nature of this energy becomes lighter, less concrete in form, more ethereal. These 3 main energy channels meet at the 3rd Eye. To help facilitate their movement and harmonization Alternate Nostril Breathing, a yoga exercise, is extremely helpful.

Colors and Art are managed in this energy center. As our eyes take in light, an image is formed and we experience our external world through a vast array of colors put together in a beautiful mix of conceptual art. (*conceptual art n. Art that is intended to convey an idea or concept to the perceiver and need not involve the creation or appreciation of a traditional art object such as a painting or sculpture.) Working with colors INTUTITIVELY (meaning feeling the color you want to use first) on a regular consistent basis can help foster growth of intuition and visual awareness (to notice in a new way what lies in your surroundings...to become more aware of nuances).

Referred to previously in the Heart Chakra post...this energy center is also at times referred to as the Buddha Mind. Focus on a Meditative Life is encouraged. We are prompted to promote our Awareness through releasing limiting viewpoints and doing tasks more mindfully. And also, a Buddha Mind implies a mind that is free of lies and delusions/illusions of reality. In the 6th chakra we are called to HONESTLY examine our Beliefs.

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Open-mindedness, to "think outside the box", and a realization that there is more to Life than what the physical eyes see are just three of the gifts one is Blessed with when the 6th chakra is open and balanced. So get out your crayons and "feel" what color you want to express yourself as today!

***Remember...as with all the other chakras...the energy centers can all be either too closed or too open. With a too closed 6th chakra the individual may be very opinionated and not able to let other viewpoints into his/her reasoning. In a too open 6th chakra, the person moreoften than not, is not grounded into his/her physical body and their mind/actions may appear to be "spacey" or not realistic.

5th Chakra: "Vibration seeking Expression"

Throat Chakra

Sound, Vibration, Creative Self-Expression, the color Blue, Communication via Symbols

The 5th Chakra, located in the throat, is the beginning of the more spiritualized centers. The energy located within is of higher frequency, thus more subtle and faster moving. Here we begin to experience the world through the subtlies of Vibration and Sound. The vibration of sound (words and music) is how we creatively express/communicate what we choose to express.

Blocks to this energy center show up as thyroid issues, problems with physical hearing and listening to others, and issues with your integrity (say what you mean, mean what you say, Walk your Talk). People either talk too much or too little with an imbalance in the throat center. Having an internal sense of rhythm and smooth flow to creative expression indicate a healthy, open and balanced 5th chakra.

Because this chakra contains more subtle realms, if you are wanting to help balance it, a diet higher in fruits and vegetables is helpful. The denser the food (ie. meats) the more energy is pulled down to the lower chakras. Movement therapy, dance, listening to music, singing, chanting, journaling, and art therapy all help to articulate in some way the more subtle, intangible energy of the 5th chakra that seeks to be expressed!

Remembering that one needs an open and balanced foundation (now meaning chakras 1-4 are open and balanced) in order for the upper chakras to be in harmony and alignment...if one is able to master the 5th chakra, this person has now mastered the lower self/the ego and is able to pursue Expression of their Higher Self/their Divine State. This person is now able to live more in accordance with the Heavens and continue on their pursuit to become one with the Creator.