Chakra Yoga mat Virginia

The final chapter in our Chakra studies leads us to finding a comprehensive understanding of the Chakras, and thus allows us to further our estimation of ourselves.

We began with identifying the characteristics of the Chakras in the Chakra 101 series, and then followed up with how the Chakras relate to yoga poses in Chakras 102. Now, we will dive even deeper and discuss the Chakras as they fully relate to us and learn meditation techniques to focus on each with sounds.

The Chakras energy centers of our bodies record our life’s journey. As we grow and live our lives, our Chakras accumulate the energy that we put forth and receive. Essentially, these invisible recording devices are storing all the physical, emotional and spiritual expressions we all experience as human beings.

When we begin to investigate our Chakras, both individually and together as a holistic energy system, we are able to use this understanding as a tool to affect the changes that we each want to make in our lives. And, while we talk frequently about the Chakras in yoga classes and other wellness modalities, we must remember: we are talking about our energy systems.

Our energy systems were identified and well understood long before science came around and began to rule what most would call "Modern Medicine" today.

Since people acknowledged long ago that living things had an energetic consciousness, it makes sense that the practices outside of today's modern medicine are what suits and benefits our Chakra's balancing, healing and unblocking.

Meditation, Yoga, Reiki, Crystal Therapy, and many other healing modalities can work separately or in conjunction to optimize and help us keep our energy systems free flowing and clear.

One immediate tool for working with balancing your Chakras is using meditation and Bija Mantras to connect to each Chakra location. The word 'Bija' is translated as 'seed', and a Bija Mantra is the "Seed Sound". Bija Mantras are formed from the semi-vowels of the Sanskrit alphabet: YA, RA, LA, VA.

 Each Chakra has its own Bija Mantra, and because of their Sanskrit pronunciation, they can be felt in the location of each Chakra's center when recited out loud.

Reciting the Bija Mantras also purifies the nadis, which are our subtle energy channels. In addition, when recited in sequential order—from Root Chakra to Crown Chakra—these Sanskrit sounds are felt from the back of the tongue to the front of the tongue moving through all the way to your lips.

 Pretty incredible, yes?

Let's revisit and dive into each individual Chakra, and identify its Bija Mantra. We will start at the bottom and rise up—following the flow of universal life energy that exists within each of us.

Muladhara, our First Chakra, records our experiences that deal with our physical health and financial well being.

Since these can be considered as two defining points for survival, it is critical that we have a clear relationship with our First Chakra, as it is the foundation for all other Chakras. Also, when looked at from the perspective of its defining characteristics; one can agree that when our own health and financial situations are unstable, everything else in our life becomes unstable as well.

The Bija Mantra for our First Chakra is LAM. [Pronounced as LAUM]

Svadhisthana, our Second Chakra, is the location where all of our sexual experiences are recorded, and this Chakra in itself determines our own level of sexuality.

Most likely, if you are reading this, you are a normal human like the rest and are subject to the natural human desires that are embedded in our energy, and the survival aspect of our genealogy. While celibacy can be recommended, but may not often the first choice for one when considering to balance this Chakra, it can also be approached with considering and observing how you give and share yourself, both your physical body and your energy.

The Bija Mantra for our Second Chakra is VAM. [Pronounced as VAHM]

Manipura, our Third Chakra, aligns with our emotional intelligence.

Whether you consider yourself to be emotional or not, we all experience emotions and they are an essential part of our well being, and our survival. Being able to express or use your emotions is just as important as using your eyes to see or your hands to touch. It is emotional intelligence that allows us to properly use our emotions in any given scenario—happy or sad, fast or slow, empty or full. This emotional intelligence is fully expressed in the ability to choose and make choices—from choosing 'that apple' amongst the pile that stands before you in the supermarket, to picking the right partner in friendship, business or love.

When we are in alignment with the understanding our emotions and their motivations, we can quite possibly make clearer choices, or at the very least, be able to identify that we do indeed have choices in all aspects of our lives.

The Bija Mantra for our Third Chakra is RAM. [Pronounced RAHM]

Anahata, our Fourth Chakra can simply be stated as our ability to love others and ourselves.

Essentially, it is the recording of our experiences of love. Great happiness and great pain, when in relation to love and others, is the main component of the fourth Chakra. If you are open in this Chakra, you know how to love—be it small or large, you understand the definition of love and can see things in the most beautiful of life's light.

If you are closed in this Chakra, you find difficulty finding and feeling love for others, love for life, and most especially you have a hard time feeling love for yourself. The biggest lesson that lies within the Fourth Chakra is that once you expect things in life, such as love, all that love you desire vanishes and loses the quality that defines it.

The Bija Mantra for our Fourth Chakra is YAM. [Pronounced YAHM]

Vishuddha, our Fifth Chakra completely aligns with your self-realization and your ability to fulfill that potential.

While you can have a life that is bursting with experiences, if you cannot articulate, share or verbally identify those experiences with yourself or others, you are missing the boat on fully expressing yourself in this world. This expression can manifest in the forms of creative expression in visual art, music, poetry or even insightful media content sharing.