We are alive because a life force flows through us. This force is referred to by many names – Source, chi, golden/white light, The Divine – and it flows within our physical body along pathways called meridians. These meridians unite at seven main energy centers or chakras. This life force also flows around us in a field of energy called the aura.
This life force nourishes the organs and cells of the body, supporting them in their function. When this flow is disrupted it can diminish the function of our mental, emotional, physical and/or spiritual body.
Our Thoughts & Emotions…
This life force is also responsive to thoughts and feelings. It changes in density when we accept, either consciously or unconsciously, negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs about situations or ourselves.
Science now shows that if we produce negative thought-forms and create dense energy from emotions such as anger and fear, it usually has a detrimental effect our energy field, lowering our vibration.
Reiki energy heals by flowing through the affected parts of the energy field and charging them with positive energy. It raises the vibratory level of our energy field in and around the physical body where negative thoughts or feelings attach, allowing dense energy to dissolve and dissipate. In so doing, Reiki clears, cleanses, nourishes and activates the energy pathways, allowing the life force to flow in a healthy way.
The word ‘chakra’ is derived from the sanskrit word meaning ‘wheel’ and translated from the Hindi it means ‘wheel of spinning energy.’ A chakra is a whirling vortex and a powerhouse of energy. Within our bodies we have seven of these major energy centers and many more minor ones.
These swirling wheels correspond to large nerve centers and organs in the body. The well-being of these energy vortices is vital to our mind, body and spirit in many ways.
As we know, everything is energy and that energy is constantly moving or vibrating. It is therefore essential that our seven main chakras stay aligned, cleansed and nourished with the highest of light frequencies.
If there is a blockage, usually with a more dense energy, our life force cannot flow. It stagnates causing dis-ease which can have a significant impact on our mental, emotional, spiritual and/or physical states of being.
Meditation and energy healing are just two ways of clearing, activating and nourishing our energy fields, allowing for healing, personal growth and transformation.
The 7 Chakras
1st chakra – Base/Root chakra Located at the base of the spine. Physical survival, security, energy distribution and practicality.
2nd chakra – Sacral Located in the lower abdomen just below the navel. Creativity, feelings, sexual drive and exploration.
3rd chakra – Solar plexus
Located just below the ribcage around the naval. Sense of identity, self-confidence and personal power.
4th chakra – Heart Located at the centre of the chest. Love, relationships, personal development, direction and sharing.
The heart center is in the middle of the seven and unites the lower chakras of matter and the upper chakras of spirit. The heart is
also spiritual but serves as a bridge between our body, mind and spirit. The heart chakra is our source of love and connection to all that is.
5th chakra – Throat
Located at the throat. Communication, personal expression, speaking one’s truth and the flow of information.
6th chakra – Third eye Located at the centre of the brows. Perception, intuition, knowledge and mental organization.
7th chakra – The crown Located just above the top of the head. Cosmic perception, intuition, spiritual connection and inspiration.
Why Balance your Chakras?
To increase your vitality
To cleanse, activate and nourish your energetic channels or meridians
To support you in breaking free of conditioned patterns and deep-rooted behaviours by shifting the dense energy that keeps you stuck in old habits
To allow your creativity to flow or to develop specific positive traits by releasing that which no longer serves you
To tap into your higher wisdom allowing your full potential to blossom
To support your spiritual and meditation practise
To support you through any transition with ease and clarity
Enliven your inner intelligence,
Come and see me for chakra balancing with energy healing. Or join me to experience a guided meditation where we cleanse, activate and nourish your chakras. See 1-to-1, Sessions or Contact me.
My ‘Peaceful Meditation Spot,’ Lake Owassa, Sussex County, NJ
… is the usual response when I mention that I have a passion for meditation. People often believe they will only benefit if they sit for long periods with a chatter-free mind achieving buddhist monk status.
If you are working towards calming your ‘monkey-mind’ and extending your practice, just a few minutes daily will produce better results than a lengthy practice performed infrequently.
Tips to assist your meditation practice
Find somewhere you won’t be disturbed. If possible, choose a regular spot each time. This supports your mind in building positive associations. We are aiming for calm relaxation with a gentle focus
Take a few deep breaths to center yourself
Use your out-breath to relax your muscles and let go
As you breathe out empty your lungs completely for the first few breaths
You can say a prayer or call upon your Higher Self/Guides/Source/God to bless and protect you as you meditate
A simple guided meditation for clearing and connecting…
Meditation Retreat, Codrington College, Barbados
Imagine you have roots or cords emerging from the soles of your feet. Visualize them descending deep into the earth, perhaps through layers of rocks and crystals
In your mind’s eye, anchor these roots at the centre of the earth’s core
Using your out-breath, send any excess energy along these roots and into the earth… negative thoughts, frustrations, anxiety. Visualize them and just let them go
Then imagine you are drawing up the beautiful energy from Mother Earth. Let it flow up through your feet to fill your whole body. Feel these earth energies relaxing your ankles, calves, knees, up through your thighs to your hips etc
You can visualize this energy flowing through, nourishing and activating your first three energy centers or chakras – root, sacral, solar plexus – and anchoring in your heart centre (see image below or find more information at What’s a chakra?)
Now visualize a brilliant golden / white light beaming down from above. See it flowing in through your crown chakra
Draw this light down into your third eye, your throat chakra, your heart
See it infusing and bathing every cell in your body
Imagine this light expanding out from your heart and forming a cocoon of golden/white light around you
Call your Higher Self, your Guides or Source into your protective cocoon or bubble of light
You can imagine yourself connecting this golden/white light from the heavens with the Mother Earth energy, forming a pillar of light within you that allows you to be both grounded and connected to the Divine
Bring your attention to your heart chakra in your chest
Start by generating feelings of gratitude, joy or other positive emotions. As well as bringing you calm and focus, this practise can help raise the vibration of your energy field, assisting connection to your higher self and the Higher Realms, which vibrate at a faster frequency
When you visualize and meditate this way, you allow yourself to be infused with high frequency light from Source or the Divine, filled with wisdom, codes and spiritual information. It is this light that protects, nourishes and cleanses us whilst we meditate.
If I am guiding a meditation for others, I will now take the group or individual on a beautiful journey using guided imagery.
Your 7 Energy Centers or Chakras
You can bring your attention back to your chakras at any time, seen in the diagram above
As you focus on each one in turn, visualize each chakra wheel opening and spinning, allowing the light to activate and cleanse these powerful vortices of energy. You could also imagine breathing in the corresponding colour for that chakra, depending how long you want to spend in meditation
If your mind wanders…
As unwanted thoughts creep in, which they will, just observe without judgement. Let them go without attaching to any one in particular
You can use your breath to focus your mind by locating the entry/exit point of the breath. Can you focus on the small sensation point where the air arrives as you inhale and leaves as you exhale? Each time your mind wanders, bring yourself back to this point at your nostrils
You could also focus on a mantra to calm your thoughts. A word or phrase: ‘love,”peace,’ ‘I am calm,’ ‘I am that I am’
Remain in this state, observing your breath, until you are ready to come back
Closing the meditation…
Starting at the crown – see above, the chakra at the top of the head – one by one, imagine each of your chakras closing, like the petals of a flower
Visualize your cocoon of white light around you and into this protective bubble draw in your precious energy
Imagine disconnecting from Source / the Light above
You can keep your roots descending into Mother Earth, to ensure you stay grounded
Bring your attention to the sensations in your body, wriggle your toes and become aware of the sounds around you