Power, Autonomy, Will, Energy, Metabolism, Transformation, Self-Esteem
Element: Fire
Location: The area of the Navel Point, Solar Plexus
Organ/Gland: Navel Plexus, Liver, Gall Bladder, Spleen, Digestive Organs, Pancreas, Adrenals
Colour: Yellow
Qualities: The centre of personal power, commitment, self-esteem, identity, judgement. This is where the strength for inner glance, inspiration and good health is developed.
Shadow: Anger, greed, shame, despair. Obstacles everywhere. Not enough strength and spontaneity. Conforming in order to be recognised. Refuting ones own wishes and emotions. Problems with digestion, the liver, the gallbladder and the pancreas. 

INDIVIDUALITY & AUTONOMY

At the Navel Chakra we experience our individuality, our ego self and our personality. Often in some spiritual teachings they make the ego wrong, creating a battle in ourselves, that perhaps our individuality and our power is also wrong. 

The ego is an important aspect of our connection to the Divine. If the Navel Chakra is out of balance, yes the ego can manifest in unbalanced ways, however when we have a balanced, strong Navel Chakra we have the foundations upon which we expand into our soul identity. We develop self-focus and inner autonomy, personal freedom which liberates us from outside control and allows us to connect to our inner guidance. 

We are centred within ourselves, have self confidence, self esteem and self discipline. Tuning into our own will prepares us to tune into the Divine Will. 

FIRE ENERGY & TRANSFORMATION

An activated Navel Chakra supports our activity and transformation. It gives us strength, vitality to live, ignites our will and propels our action. The fiery sun like energy at the Navel Chakra manifests as energy for purpose, action with intent, a dance with passion and a centre of power. This Fire at the Navel Chakra also burns up our resistances and fear which paves way for a more harmonious, smooth, enjoyable and purposeful journey.

A balanced Navel Chakra helps us choose our actions rather than be compulsive. It helps us give up being a victim and take responsibility for our actions and our reactions. The Sun energy at the Navel cleanses our physical impurities, creates light to destroy negative imprints and gives us dynamic power to organise, be efficient and function in the world. 

Yogi Bhajan taught many Kriyas that activated this Navel, Fire Energy as it strengthens our will, giving us the power to make choices, break old habits and create new constructive ones. 

BALANCE WITH THE UPPER CHAKRAS

However, as the Chakra System is a whole system, it is important to also balance the upper Chakras along with the Navel. As mentioned previously, if the Navel Chakra becomes unbalanced and the Upper Chakras are weak and unbalanced we can be subjected to negative impacts of the ego upon our lives. Controlling behaviours, manipulation of others, greed and reactivity. 

Having balanced Upper Chakras along with a balanced Navel Chakra allows for us to really access our inner power. We can more wisely direct our energies for conscious purpose and create with awareness for the highest good of all. 

UNDERDEVELOPED, UNBALANCED & UNALIGNED 

"You had demanding, perfectionist parents who had high expectations and lived through their children, using them to live our their thwarted ambitions rather than supporting their children's own destiny. Also parents may have been overindulging and overprotective" (Your Life is in Your Chakras by Guru Rattana Ph.D)

• Obligation-avoidance. Wanting to be taken care of with no responsibilities, restrictions or requirements and avoid responsibility;
• Lack of integrity, dishonest, deceitful and will do whatever it takes to get a desired outcome;
• Outer-motivated. Being motivated by power, prestige and privilege, others views and social status. 
• Lack of self-concept and self-esteem. Silently self critical and needing constant confirmation from others. 
• Domination and control seeking external position and power, using the ego to manipulate.
• Greed. Needing to gather possessions to prove self worth.
• Reactive to external events. Fearful, passive aggressive, afraid to make choices and mull over the past.
• Inflexible and uncreative. Can't step into the unknown.

DEVELOPED, BALANCED & ALIGNED

• Ability to break and create new habits. Can self motivate and stay committed;
• Sustained spiritual growth. Can sustain and assimilate the effects of a spiritual practice and see progress; 
• Competence through responsibility, making a contribution and following through on commitments;
• Being at cause at life rather than at the effect of life.
• Knowing personal limits. Knowing what is helpful action and what is wasteful action.
• Fearless and courageous, no regrets, focus on what is gained rather than lost;
• Sense of destiny and purpose. Knowing you're here to make a difference and can give selflessly without losing yourself;
• Flexible, creative and innovative;
• Internally motivated, sensitive to who you are and expressing from your unique identity and truth;
• True to yourself in relationships, maintaining personal boundaries;
• Practical spirituality where you can translate your spiritual beliefs into action in your life;
• Trustworthy, acting with integrity, respected as a leader and teacher;
• Leave a legacy of love, what is in it for everyone?

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BRING BALANCE

• Come to class this week! It doesn't matter if you've missed previous weeks of our Chakra Cleanse, if any of the above speaks to you, come along to class. You can pop in casually from now on for $20 for the Yoga or $15 for the Meditation;
• Navel breathing;
• Pump the navel;
• Breath of Fire;
• Root lock;
• Leg stretches and other exercises with Breath of Fire;
• Leg lifts, stretch pose and other navel exercises;
• Horse stance - standing with the knees bent slightly;
• Take action! Get your fire energy moving.

AFFIRMATIONS

Try one of these affirmations for the week. Write it on a sticky note and stick it up in your bathroom or somewhere where you will see it daily. 

I am the source of my own power.
I am self sufficient.
I am able to act.
I can choose.
I can commit.
I can keep up.
I have the courage and will to take action for myself and the good of the whole.

Most of the information in this blog has come from the FANTASTIC book Your Life is in Your Chakras by Guru Rattana Ph.D. who is an internationally recognised Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Teacher.


THIS WEEK'S CLASS TIMES TO CHOOSE FROM

As I mentioned above, even if you have missed our First Week of the Chakra Cleanse you can still come along to class on a Casual Basis. Just send me a quick email so that I can save you a mat mish@meditationwithmish.com.

Mondays 6.00 - 7.00pm Yoga
Tuesdays 7.00 - 8.00am Meditation
Wednesdays 6.00 - 7.00pm Meditation
Wednesdays 7.30 - 9.00pm Yoga
Thursdays 9.30am - 11.00am Yoga
Saturdays 8.30am - 10.00am Yoga 

Emotions, Movement, Expansion, Polarities, Connection, Sexuality
Element: Water
Location: The sexual organs.
Organ/Gland: Sexual organs, reproductive glands, kidneys, bladder
Colour: Orange
Qualities: Positive, relaxed attitude to sexual functions, patience, creativity, responsible relationships.
Shadow: Rigid emotions, frigidity, guilt no boundaries, irresponsible relationships. Problems with reproductive organs or kidneys.

EMOTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS

We are present to the world of emotions at our Sacral Chakra, through movement, flow and the water element. We begin to feel within and without ourselves, being aware of where we may be suppressing emotions, blocking movement, awakening and pleasure. We become aware of our own emotional needs and the needs of others. We can learn through this chakra to differentiate between our emotions and the projection of others. 

When the Sacral Chakra is weak we become emotionally needy, depending on others to feel safe and secure. By rebalancing the Sacral Chakra we begin to go into our bodies rather than our heads and tap into the power of our emotions. We achieve our own sense of security. We are not afraid of feeling and do not need to run away from the uncomfortable. We learn not to create resistance and undue suffering. We begin to surrender and flow with what is. Your Kundalini Yoga & Meditation practice supports and retrains your mind and nervous system to naturally surrender and flow. 

SEXUALITY & CREATIVE ENERGY

Many ancient spiritual practices were created by men for men and often suggested celibacy as a way to harness the sexual, creative energy in the Sacral Chakra to awaken the Kundalini energy and raise it up the spine. However, if not trained correctly to channel this sexual energy it creates tension, anxiety and nervousness and will find other outlets such as violent behaviour. 

Kundalini Yoga is the Yoga for householders. Yogi Bhajan brought this Technology to the West to benefit the average man and woman with a Western lifestyle. Whilst other Yoga and Spiritual practices required (mostly men) to retreat from the normalities of life to reach these "enlightened" states, Yogi Bhajan wanted to teach Westerners how to maintain these states within their normal lives. 

Using Mulbandh or Root Lock after most of the asanas and movements we do in Kundalini Yoga is one way that we harness and balance this sexual energy and direct it up the spine. For men, harnessing this sexual energy for enlightened states is more directive and controlled, as is masculine energy. Whereas for women, harnessing the sexual energy is more naturally about relaxing, flowing and opening, such is feminine energy.

Both men and women have masculine and feminine energies within them. Creating balance between these inner polarities within each of us allows us to become whole and rather than two halves coming together to make a whole, as in a co-dependent relationship. Kundalini Yoga helps us balance these polarities within us so that two wholes can come together for sacred unity, which can result in restorative renewal and ecstatic pleasure.

NUTURE & PLEASURE

Our Sacral Chakra is also the seat of inward pleasure. We move away from temporary pleasures of the external kind such as material possessions, relationships, food and entertainment as these can become addictive and destructive and we move toward self nurturing, feeling inner contentment and reducing inner conflict.

Kundalini Yoga & Meditation supports you in practicing this as you begin to gain courage to feel within, accept all sensations, integrate all parts of you without judgement of "good" and "bad" or "pleasurable" and "painful". As you begin to accept all parts of you, all sensations become pleasurable, peaceful and you cease inner separation between all parts of you. All of you, the light and dark, is accepted and loved by you. 

UNDERDEVELOPED, UNBALANCED & UNALIGNED

"You lacked nurturing and accepting parenting in your early years that, instead of helping you learn how to appropriately express your emotions, feelings, needs and desires, caused you to repress and question them." (Your Life is in Your Chakras, Guru Rattana Ph.D.)

You may;

• Feel something is the matter with you
• Inadequacy, feel like an outsider and a misfit
• Feel ashamed of your body and sexuality
• Starved for connection
• No rules apply to me and you do your own thing with devious self-justification
• Attention-grabber, spotlight addict
• Lack boundaries
• Trauma or Drama King or Queen

DEVELOPED, BALANCED & ALIGNED

When your Sacral Chakra is balanced and aligned you will experience;

• Healthy self-esteem independent of others feeling good about your uniqueness
• Honour your own humanness and the humanness of others without judgement 
• Have a willingness to share and be generous without depleting yourself
• Feel joy in living and have a zest and passion for life
• You make a difference and create an impact in the world drawing opportunities to you with your charisma
• You can creatively express yourself and be in the flow, allowing things to happen. You are spontaneous and inspired.
• You process emotions through feelings and don't avoid feeling allowing your emotions to become self nurturing
• You feel secure in your own energy
• You are empathetic without judgment
• You have a great healing capacity, healing and nurturing others and bringing out the best in them
• You have purposeful and productive relationships
• You are able to connect with your partner sexually without losing yourself. Women: able to relax into own expansiveness and to receive and nurture a partner without control or manipulation. Men: able to integrate emotions and equality and love from the heart. 

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BRING BALANCE

• Come along to class this week! It doesn't matter if you missed Week 1 of our Chakra Cleanse, if any of the above speaks to you, come along to class. You will still receive a saving by booking for the full 8 weeks even though you've missed a class. So CLICK HERE to read more about the Cleanse and the pre-payment options. Otherwise just email me mish@meditationwithmish.com and let me know you're coming Casually :)
  
• Deep abdominal breathing to fill the belly with prana (life force energy) and to expand from within
• Spinal rotations to activate spiral energy - feel it move up the spine
• Root lock - focus at the third eye to direct energy up the spine
• Spinal flexes in Easy Pose (cross legged) and then on knees to open, stimulate, move energy in the spine
• Chair pose to raise sexual energy and to "harness your horniness"
• Abdominal and hip exercises to open up pelvic region
• Bow Pose to massage and relax belly
• Camel Pose to release tension in sexual organs, especially for women
• Frog Pose to raise sexual energy
• Drink plenty of water for emotional balance.

AFFIRMATIONS

Try one of these affirmations for the week. Write it on a sticky note and stick it up in your bathroom or somewhere you will see it daily. 

I can connect and maintain my energetic boundaries.
I contain my emotional and sexual energies and use them to nurture myself.
I am at choice and choose to use my creative energy for my creations.
I am totally free to be me and who I am is worthy of love.
I create for my highest good at every moment.
My relationships are defined by my own inner nurturing.
I am at peace within myself.


Most of the information in this blog has come from the FANTASTIC book Your Life is in Your Chakras by Guru Rattana Ph.D. who is an internationally recognised Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Teacher.


THIS WEEK'S CLASS TIMES TO CHOOSE FROM

As I mentioned above, even if you have missed our First Week of the Chakra Cleanse you will still receive a discount if you pre-pay for the full 8 weeks. You are also more than welcome to pop in to a class Casually, just send me a quick email so that I can save you a mat mish@meditationwithmish.com.

Mondays 6.00 - 7.00pm Yoga
Tuesdays 7.00 - 8.00am Meditation
Wednesdays 6.00 - 7.00pm Meditation
Wednesdays 7.30 - 9.00pm Yoga
Thursdays 9.30am - 11.00am Yoga
Saturdays 8.30am - 10.00am Yoga

We will then work with Kundalini Yoga Kriyas and/or Meditations together in class  (if you've booked your spot or are dropping in casually) as taught by Yogi Bhajan (the Yogi who brought Kundalini Yoga to the West) to assist us in connecting and bringing awareness to this Chakra and move Prana (life force energy) through it to cleanse and balance it.

And voila, get ready for the transformation!

Are you ready to go on a transformative journey through your energetic body? Sounds pretty exciting to me :-)

My experience of Chakra Cleanses ...

I wanted to provide an annual Chakra cleanse for our Illawarra Kundalini community as I've found it so powerful myself. Last year I visited India on an Ayurvedic, Kundalini Yoga Retreat and my teacher took our group on a journey through the Chakras. It was an intense experience over 8 days, 2 x 2 hour classes of Yoga a day, 2 hours of Ayurevedic treatments a day and a cleansing, detoxing vegetarian meal plan alongside a bag full of herbal remedies. 

It was interesting to me what came up in that experience as I've known about the Chakras throughout my life but never really had an intimate connection to them. Well at least not a conscious intimate connection!

"Oh yeah, they're energetic spinning wheels of colour up my spine which relate to areas of my life. Good on ya!" was my general attitude. 

I could see the benefit of bringing awareness to the areas of life that they related to but I wasn't necessarily working through them or with them to create change. It was more me "thinking" about the concepts that they represented and "figuring-out" how to create transformation. 

A little bit about me, I'm a very, VERY up-in-the-head type person. Fast mind, quick processor, solution oriented, think-stress-think-stress-think-some-more-to-try-to-stop-feeling-stressed-think. I seriously believe in the saying "what you teach is what you most need to learn". So meditation and yoga for me is PERFECT!

So my experience of working with Kundalini Yoga & Meditation through the Chakras, in my body rather than in my head, was really amazing! One of the experiences I had was when we were working on the 2nd Chakra (the Sacral Chakra which relates to relationships and our sexual, creative energy) was a series of dreams about my past relationships which unraveled for me years of limiting beliefs about myself. I'd always thought I was a "sh*t girlfriend" and so lived into that label. Successfully!! Ha! I also experienced, as we worked through the heart, so much anger arising as I moved and shifted old wounds that I'd been holding there. As we worked with the Throat Chakra I had immense joy arise. But I do love to talk! ;-)

Although I'm still processing and unraveling some of the healing that came up as I worked through the Chakras (as you may have already found, once you begin this "awareness" journey it never ends), it was extremely transformative to become aware of some of the things I had been subconsciously holding onto and that had been holding me back. It's created freedom for me without having to "think" about it or figure anything out. 

So how your journey through your Chakras pans out for you will be your own surprise journey! You may experience similar things to me, you may have completely different things come up for you. But what I can promise is that you will receive a deeper understanding of yourself, where you may be in balance or out of balance and you'll have the opportunity to work those things through your body and energy system while observing your mind (it can take the 8 weeks off being in the drivers seat if it likes ha!).

So what are the Chakras?...

Chakra means "wheel" and so as the name implies they are a spinning wheel of energy found along our spine. Prana or our life force energy powers our chakras as it travels up and down our spine through these wheel like energy centres. 

"The chakras affect our perceptions, feelings and choices. They affect the flow and types of thoughts we have, and the energies we can gather to act upon them, and manifest our thoughts. In all of our behaviour, they affect the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious. Opening and balancing the chakras opens the senses, and integrates them into a responsive network that can relate to the larger source field of energy from which we come and to which we return." (KRI International Teacher Training Manual Level 1)

What are their names and where are they located?...

According to the Teachings in Kundalini Yoga there are 8 Chakras and we will work through these in our 8 weeks together >>

First Chakra, the Root Chakra or Muladhara
It's located at the base of the spine between the Anus and Sexual Organs

Second Chakra, the Sacral Chakra or Svadisthana
It's located in the area of the Sexual Organs

Third Chakra, the Navel Chakra or Manipura
It's located at the Navel or Solar Plexus

Fourth Chakra, Heart Chakra or Anahata
It's located in the middle of the chest at the Heart

Fifth Chakra, Throat Chakra or Vishuddha
It's located in the Throat area

Sixth Chakra, Third Eye or Ajna
It's located between the Eyebrows

Seventh Chakra, Crown Chakra or Sahasrara
It's located at the Crown of the Head

Eighth Chakra or the Aura
It's located all around the body as the Electromagnetic Field

What do they look like?...

If you scroll up to the top of this blog you will see a basic picture of where they are located along the spine and the colours or vibrations that are represented for each Chakra. 

The Chakra System as a whole ...

I think it's worth mentioning here that no Chakra is balanced or performing at it's optimum without the other Chakras. It is a whole system. Just like if you worked on the health of all of the parts of your head (brain, eyes, hearing, smell, bones in your skull) but forgot about your body. Your head would never reach its full health potential by singularly focusing upon it. 

So this is the opportunity of working through the Chakras as an 8 week Cleanse. We get to focus in on each Chakra's individual potential without forgetting the connection of the whole Chakra system. 

As you read the information below, begin to ponder how your Root Chakra may be manifesting in your life. Perhaps you feel quite in balance and strong in some of the areas mentioned, perhaps you feel you need a little balance and strengthening. Bring whatever comes up for you to class to consciously work through your Root Chakra to bring balance to these areas of your life.

This Chakra connects us to the Earthy realm of our senses. We perceive the world around us through the filters of the senses. And so it is the Chakra "most deeply wrapped in the illusions of separateness, aloneness and tangibility" (KRI International Teacher Training Manual Level 1). 

Our senses and the illusion of separateness allow us to exist as "me" and "you". If we saw ourselves as the truth, that we are all one, I wouldn't be able to distinguish between my hands and the keyboard I'm typing at, so how would we ever "get things done" in this world, or take action and make our vision from the higher chakras become tangible in the world? So we are not to judge this illusion of separateness as bad or wrong. It is necessary. The First Chakra keeps us grounded, as part of this world and the earth.

The First Chakra is also connected to our subconscious habits. Its where we hold and manifest our automatic behaviours of survival. The Fear response or Stress response when balanced, has the function of keeping us alive in dangerous situations and if driving a car didn't at some stage become subconscious and automatic to us, we would have to think very hard every time we drove somewhere. "Okay I've got to turn the steering wheel, change the gears, oh whoops I forgot the accelerator!" Imagine the energy that would take!

This Chakra is also associated with elimination as it's location is around and within the elimination organs of the large intestines and anus. From a physical perspective it's important for our health in our modern environment to be able to eliminate toxins effectively and from a mental and emotional perspective eliminating too fast (diarrhoea), has us not allow new ideas, feelings or people into our lives whilst not being able to let go of things, feelings and people (constipation), toxins or toxic situations build up and you end up poisoning yourself and can become bitter. 

My KRI International Teacher Training Manual (Level 1) explains what you may see when your First Chakra is functioning well and the impacts you may see if it is imbalanced much more eloquently than I could write, so I quote here >>

"When the First Chakra is functioning perfectly and it is well integrated with the other charkas, it gives you certain abilities. You are secure, stable, steadfast, positively relentless and loyal. You show great endurance under non-ideal situations. There is a sense of self-sufficienty that comes from quelling of the negative mind: "I don't need anything. I'm not under threat. I'm not without resources." The checklist of imminent threats is empty. You can grasp and hold the world. You can easily accept doing something at a particular time and place. You easily receive material objects, money, gifts, etc. You feel you have a base and are not bothered by a sense of drifting emotional homelessness" 

"Many spiritual teachers say one of the most difficult things for the modern person to do is to first trust the Earth, then themselves, then the invisible. The great Guru Arjan says in his sacred poem Rehiras, "Why do we worry? When the flamingo flies away, God takes care of its young". Our lack of this basic instinct of trust stops the flow of energy to the higher centres or chakras. It impedes our wholeness and our complete emotional development. We engage in many defences against the uncomfortable feeling of rootlessness and insecurity. We become depressed, cut off and full of grief. We reject the world before it rejects us. We hold onto something, anything, in order to deny the insecurity and lack of personal centre in the storm of life. It leads to fanaticism, torturing, perversion and narrow-mindedness. With the first chakra strong, trust is automatic. We trust a person to be a person. Mastering the earth element you know earth can be reshaped. Water (emotions) can be added to the dirt (old habits) and in the new flexibility with a little heat (will, challenge and discipline) a new vessel can be made. A healthy first chakra lets change occur in steps."

So has this information brought a new awareness and connection for you to your Root Chakra? Perhaps you'd like to jot down a few things that came up for you so as to keep them present before you come to class this week. 

Remember this information is not to be used in judgement of yourself. It is simply opening up new awareness to connect with and accept yourself fully. Approach it with an attitude of curiosity "Oh wow, I can see that in me, how interesting!" Light and Dark exists within us all. It's in fully integrating all parts of ourselves, so allowing all parts to exist within us without resistance that a natural balance occurs. Peace and Love arises. 

Bring ALL of you to class this week and don't forget your Root Chakra :-)

Class times to choose from …

If you're participating in the Yoga Cleanse or would like to casually pop into a class this week the times are >>

Monday 6.00pm - 7.30pm
Wednesday 7.30pm - 9.00pm
Thursday 9.30am - 11.00am
Saturday 8.30am - 10.00am

If you're participating in the Meditation Cleanse or would like to casually pop into a class this week the times are >>

Tuesday 7.00am - 8.00am
Wednesday 6.00pm - 7.00pm

Want to do the Chakra Cleanse but haven't booked yet?…

There's still time to book for the 8 week Chakra Cleanse so pop over to the Kundalini Yoga & Meditation classes page to prebook your spot by CLICKING HERE.