Chakras...

Chakras are energy vortexes in the body that can help show where we can improve mentally and in health. When a chakra is open, active and healthy you become more centered in that chakra's particular area of expertise. In order to achieve this you need to ignite the chakras by drawing energy up the three main channels or nadis (Sushumna, Pingala and Ida) in the body. These three intersect up the spine at each chakra. Chakras can be lit up through pranayama (breath control) and through various practice of asana (yoga poses). I am simplifying because I am still very much learning - but let me share the basics. From crown to base...

7. Sahasrara Chakra - located at the top of the head or crown. This is the chakra of knowing and our connection to the divine. It is depicted as a thousand petaled lotus. When healthy: a person is connected to all things and people; he or she is well balanced and grounded. When blocked: a person may feel stunted spiritually, fear dying, be depressed or bored with life.

Asana: headstand

6. Ajna Chakra - located between the eyebrows at the third eye. This is the chakra of visualization and intuition. When healthy: a person is inspired, intuitive and has creative insights. When blocked: a person may have nightmares or fail to recognize their intuition.

Asana: child's pose

 

5. Vishuddha Chakra - located at the throat. This is the center of expression. When healthy: a person speaks well and can express what they mean to communicate. When blocked: a person can have trouble asserting his or her ideas and there may be a big difference in what they say vs what they do.

Asana: plow, shoulder stand, chin stand

4. Anahata Chakra - located at the heart region. This is, you guessed it, the heart chakra. It is love, compassion and expressions of such. When healthy: a person is kind, serene, able to express love and emotion. When blocked: a person may become isolated, withdrawn or passive.

Asana: back bends

3. Manipura Chakra - located at the solar plexus (between naval and sternum). This is the seat of the self - where people gather their personal power, ego and confidence from. When healthy: a person will have self control, confidence and a balanced ego. When blocked: people will be indecisive, feel inadequate or be too controlling.

Asana: forwardfolds, core

2. Swadhishthana Chakra - located about two inches below the naval. This is the chakra of emotions and sexuality. When healthy: a person will feel emotionally secure, sexually secure and expressive. When blocked: a person may have buried emotions or instability.

Asana: twists, pigeon

1. Muladhara Chakra - located at the base of the spine. This is the chakra of basic needs, survival; our base self and the right to exist. When healthy: a person is creative and achieves personal growth. When blocked: a person may have poor self image, chronic pain or illness.

Asana: squat, goddess pose

Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a chakra reading during training.  The only two that were totally active were my 5th and 7th chakra. There was also energy moving about my manipura chakra but not as strongly. What does that mean? Ohh, plenty. But for now let's just say it means more pranayama, squats, twists, back bends and child's pose in my practice. 

Brahmacharya - lets talk about sex...

I mentioned this yama some time ago in Mauna, my piece about taking a vow of silence for a day, joking that silence was our tiny version of Brahmacharya and that another was celibacy. There are many ways to participate in Brahmacharya, but primarily this yama is about sexual responsibility.

Human beings are sexual beings - no getting around that. Think about how much energy we put towards this aspect of our lives, and I do not just mean in the act itself: worry about self image, crushes, flirting, stressing over not getting the reaction you may have been looking for, dating, fighting, breaking up, (don't even get me started on the right to birth control access and solid healthcare options) etc. And all this does not even account for the energy we put into the physical act itself.

The point of Brahmacharya is to honor this sexual, tantric energy and realize that it (I would argue only some of it because, well, I am not ready to go celibate) can be put towards a better use - enlightenment. By reserving this energy and using it for spiritual practice we use the energy for a grander end result. (Insert grand end jokes here.) When I was first presented with this idea, the thought seemed outdated and did not resonate with me. I appreciated the day of silence but couldn't see my commitment past that.

But think of Brahmacharya as related to Ahimsa (love, love, love) and it starts to become more relevant. Sexual responsibility is more than a choice to have or not to have sex. It is about being intentional in your desires and acts - not just wasting all that energy for no good reason. It's about honoring your partner - practice Brahmacharya by never cheating and never being hurtful.

I like to always think of the opposites in the yamas and the opposite of responsibility is misconduct. Sexual misconduct can be agonizing for the other person involved. I do not just mean cheating here - think of the worst cases: harassment, abuse, rape, etc - sexual misconduct can be devastating. Sexual misconduct is also every case of sexual inequality, which sadly, is still running rampant in our and most societies.

Ahimsa tells us to do no harm to ourselves and others; to act with love. Brahmacharya and the use of our powerful sexuality, in relation to that thought, is easy to see and easy to practice. Be it on a governmental, human rights level or in a more personal way.