Hi fellow humans! Is August treating you well? Time seems to be passing very strangely but that might just be me and the twilight zone of psych wards. As promised, today I’d like to share what I’ve been learning about Chakra meditation. It’s very new for me and yet I already see some benefits. I’m starting with basics and I’m quite happy with how it’s been going.
The chakras are gaining in popularity within the Western world and as such, much has been lost in translation. Actually it might be more accurate to say ‘added’ in translation. You see I just read a mind-blowing and humbling article which you can find here. As it turns out, much of what we think are solid facts about the chakras aren’t solid at all. Given their nature, the nuance, subtlety and confusion is understandable. I’m not even sure I understood HALF of what I just read. Much of what experts claim to know isn’t known at all; at least not in that sense. What we choose to practice is one of hundreds of varieties and can more accurately be seen as an interpretive ritual.
I learned that our Western knowledge is basically third-hand at best and much of what is now widely taught was added on and isn’t found in the original scriptures. For example the link between a given chakra and its characteristics is a new concept. To blow our minds even more, not all systems use 7 chakras! Some have less and others have way more. Can you imagine? Interestingly however, three chakras are generally agreed upon when it comes to emotion. Why? Because we all tend to feel the physical location of emotion in those respective areas.
To sum it up, the description of the chakras we know of today are quite recent and serve more as a formula for ease of practice rather than an exact science. Does this in any way diminish chakra meditation? I don’t think so. In fact to me it’s strangely logical that so much is interpretive and covered in mysticism. Before I get too caught up in this, let me get back to what I’m learning. The disclaimer has been mentioned; I have no idea what I’m doing and what I’ve learned is a Westernized idea of the chakra system.
The 7 Chakra Model
Since I’ve been working with the 7 chakra model, thats what I’ll attempt to describe.
First of all chakras are rotating energy centres within our bodies. To my understanding, chakra systems above 7 include smaller energy centres while those below 7 include only the largest / most powerful.
Location, Colour and Characteristics
Here are the 7 main chakras from bottom to top. The affirmations come from ‘Yoga with Kassandra’ and you can find the YouTube link below. (Meditation with affirmations.)
The Root chakra – Muladhara
This chakra is associated with a deep shade of red and its nature is that of safety, security, trust and grounding.
“I am safe, grounded and stable. My roots run deep.”
The Sacral chakra – Svadhisthana
Associated with sunset orange, this is the chakra of passion, creativity and sensuality.
“I allow myself to experience pleasure. My power lies in my sensitivity.”
The Solar Plexus chakra – Manipura
This chakra is golden yellow in colour and is characterized by self-worth, will-power and confidence.
“I am powerful beyond measure. I accept myself fully.”
The Heart chakra – Anahata
The heart chakra is emerald green and is associated with compassion, love and forgiveness.
“As I learn to love and accept myself, I also learn to love and accept others.”
The Throat chakra – Vishuddha
This chakra is sky blue and linked with communication; our voice as well as our ability to listen.
“My voice deserves to be heard. I listen with compassion.”
The Third Eye Chakra – Ajna
This chakra is associated with intuition, insight and imagination. The colour is indigo blue.
“I am in touch with my inner guidance. I trust my intuition.”
The Crown Chakra – Sahasrara
The highest chakra is violet in colour. It represents spiritual growth, connection and enlightenment.
“I am connected to the infinite wisdom of the universe.”
The Meditation
What I’ve been doing is finding Youtube videos that have a narrator who guides us through a cleanse of 7 chakras. I’ll share links of my favourites so far. Meditating like this is already helping me sleep deeper which is great because I have a lot to catch up on!
A quick note I’d like to share is that it’s always important to start from the root chakra and move upwards. Starting from the top is like building something upside down. We need a strong foundation before making our way to the higher, more ethereal zones.
Daily Affirmations
Just as I used affirmations when I was here for my eating disorder, I’ve created new ones for my current circumstances. My plan is to go through them twice a day: Ideally once in the morning and again at bed time.
• I release and relinquish the past.
• I accept my mistakes. I take responsibility but also forgive myself because I am human.
• I deserve to feel the joys this world has to offer without punishing myself for it.
• I am allowed to be happy; I give myself permission to be happy.
• I have so much to live for, even when I can’t seem to see it.
• Having some confidence and self-respect doesn’t make me selfish or egotistical.
• I am more than the sum of my parts.
• I deserve to be treated with the kindness and respect I extend to others.
• I am already better than I believe myself to be.
Day 7
It’s Sunday while I’m writing this which makes it day 7 of my hospital stay if I include the Emergency Room. Both my parents are coming today with Muffin and I’m very excited. I don’t think I mentioned this but when my Dad brought her yesterday and she saw me through the car window, she peed on the spot! Haha. She never does that so I feel strangely honoured. I’m going to go take a shower now since no one else wants to at the moment. I’ll take advantage and charge my phone at the same time.
I had a really nice afternoon outside with my parents and Mia! Things were a little rocky prior to that and I felt extremely low energy but the day really turned around and I’m in a pretty good mood right now. I’m happy to report that establishing a routine for myself is working very well. It makes me feel a little more purposeful and also helps the time go by better. I’ve been following the routine for days now, ensuring that I make my bed, meditate, write, brush my teeth, do some yoga/stretches, etc. Let’s see where another few days of this will bring me!
If you have any comments about the chakra meditation or anything else, I’d love to hear about it!
I Will Not BE My Mental Illness 
Thank you Karina, for sharing with us information and your early experience exploring ‘Chakra Meditation.’ You are embarking on a truly magnificent journey that will get better and better with time.
You will undoubtedly discover this for yourself. As a long-term, daily meditator who practices several different forms of meditation including Chakra meditation, I have absolutely no doubt that you will derive tremendous benefit through regular practice. (And that…is an understatement!) Consistency is the key here. Meditation is like a gift that just keeps on giving. The more you do it the more you benefit, learn, and ‘grow’ from it.
I congratulate you on having made the truly wise decision to practice meditation; a decision that you will never regret and may well wish you had made earlier. Again, thank you for bringing this to our attention so that others may consider it as well.
Respect.
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Thank you so much Boom for your kind and insightful comment. I really appreciate it and I am in full agreement with you. I’m so grateful to be on this path and I’m happy to hear of your personal journey. It’s very encouraging!
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