Crown Chakra – Sahasrara

Sahasrara is the diamond white chakra located just above the crown of the head. It is our spiritual connection center. It is associated with the pineal gland which produces chemicals that act as neurotransmitters. The crown chakra regulates the neurological system. It is the home of inner wisdom and our connection with the divine.

The seed sound for Sahasrara is Hangsah (hong saw)

The color for Sahasrara is bright white and violet

Element – space

Candle for Sahasrara – white – representing the presence of the divine

Essential oils – Jasmine, Frankinsense

Chant – I am, I understand

Affirmation – I am guided by inner wisdom. The world is my teacher.

Washing the Dishes

At our first retreat, someone commented that they were at home doing something and they were surprised by receiving inspiration. I asked if they were washing dishes at the time and everyone laughed. But the truth is, one of the best ways to meditate and open yourself up to receiving wisdom is to do ordinary, everyday work. Chopping vegetables, vacuuming and for me – doing dishes – occupies your “monkey” mind allowing space for a calm, meditative state.

Set the intention before you begin that you will use the time open yourself up for guidance and wisdom and go about your work as usual. This also frees you from consciousness of time while meditating. When the work is done, so are you. Allow yourself simply to be. You may find that when you attach a higher meaning and purpose to a simple task, it becomes a more enjoyable experience.

More About Washing Dishes

While we are on the subject of dishes, I would like to share my method for saving water and space. First of all, I have a difficult relationship with my dishwasher. The plumbing isn’t quite right and until we can completely remodel, it’s better just to wash dishes by hand. It also uses much less water and produces clean dishes faster.

To do the best job possible saving water, I have borrowed from the Boy Scouts. For camping trips, they generally have one tub of hot, soapy water, one tub of cold/room temperature water with a few drops of bleach and one tub of tepid water. Each dish goes through in that order so that campers can be sure their mess kits are clean and sterile for the next use. I don’t use bleach, but I do keep three tubs at my sink. One holds hot, soapy water, one holds hot water with one cup of vinegar and one holds kitchen compost. Because I don’t fill the entire sink with soapy water, I am able to do the same number of dishes with much less water and because I rinse them in water with vinegar, they are clean and streak free. Having the compost bin in the sink is convenient for scraping dishes as well.

 

Upcoming Retreat

I hope you can join me. I look forward to meeting you in beautiful North Georgia in January!

Cultivating Abundance

If you are ready to take a some time to relax and renew, I encourage you to visit my new sister website DivineTimeRetreats.com. This week we were fortunate to have a guest blogger at Divine Time Retreats, so I thought I would re-post it here.

Divine Time Retreats is pleased to welcome a guest blog post from Brian Leaf, author of Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi, a warm-hearted, humorous look at one person’s personal journey with yoga and meditation. Brian was able to heal his spirit and chronic colitis by learning to make a powerful mind/body connection. Brian doesn’t approach his story like a master on a mountain top, but as a devoted truth seeker. His very real struggles and triumphs are sure to resonate with all of us.

Cultivating Abundance

We’ve all experienced it. In our most pathetic, clingy, desperate hour of need, the Universe delivers … absolutely nothing.

It seems a sick joke, but, in fact, whatever force or God runs the show seems not to respond to disempowered displays of self-pity. She seems, instead, to respond generously to empowered non-attachment (which reminds me quite a bit of dating in my twenties – I always seemed to do best when I was already feeling attractive and confident.)

So why? Why does God (and dating) reward confidence? Why is it that when I am freaking out, feeling that I will just die if I don’t hear from my agent, that I hear only crickets? But that when I get to my cushion to meditate, and when I let go, releasing to faith, that I return to my inbox with a fresh book deal awaiting me?

Here’s the answer. This place where we live is a gymnasium where our souls do soul push-ups, and since self-pity does nothing to build these spiritual muscles, it is discouraged. It is our path to find our true selves while here on Earth. To drop into our hearts and souls. To experience that we, ourselves, are each part of God. Claiming the opposite, that we are helpless and alone, is incorrect and ineffective.

When we are lost in clinging and self-pity, we’re like toddlers tantruming for chewing gum. And God, like a loving parent, won’t give in to something that isn’t healthy or safe for us.

Nice idea, right? But how do you get confident and become grounded in the seat of your true self? The answer: meditation, of course. Meditation is the practice, over time, of switching from indentifying with our thoughts and transient emotional states, to identifying instead with our deeper selves. And when we are connected to our deeper selves, if even for only moments, we can see more clearly and choose the path that works out our Karma and brings us toward freedom.

When we get grounded, resting in the true seat of our selves, in our authentic nature, seeing clearly and choosing that path of vitality and freedom, energy flows unbidden, the world falls at our feet, and God unlocks the arc.

Brian Leaf, M.A. is the author of Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi. He draws upon twenty-one years of intensive study, practice, and teaching of yoga, meditation, and holistic health. Visit him online at http://www.Misadventures-of-a-Yogi.com.

Based on the new book Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi ©2012 by Brian Leaf.  Published with permission of New World Library http://www.newworldlibrary.com

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In daily life we see people around us who are happier than we are, people who are less happy. Some may be doing praiseworthy things and others causing problems. Whatever may be our usual attitude toward such people and their actions, if we can be pleased with others who are happier than ourselves, compassionate toward those who are unhappy, joyful with those doing praiseworthy things, and remain undisturbed by the errors of others, our minds will be very tranquil.

Food for thought. Thank you Meg Cabot

 

 

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Third Eye Chakra – Ajna

Ajna is the indigo chakra located in the center of the forehead. It is our psychic center. It is linked with the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. Balancing Ajna helps keep you in touch with your intuition and stimulates the ability to better perceive the world around you. It is the home of wisdom, visualization and the power of the mind. Developing the third eye chakra deepens your spiritual connections.

The seed sound for Ajna is Aum  (Om).

The color for Ajna is a deep purple/indigo.

Element – Fire

Orientation – West

Candle for Ajna:  purple – representing spirituality and intuition

Chant – I know, I think

Affirmation – I trust my intuition and inner vision. I am open to the wisdom within.

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Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.  ~Ovid

Throat Chakra – Visshudha

Visshudha is the blue chakra located at the center of the throat representing communication and expression. It is connected with the thyroid glands and regulates the respiratory system. Balancing Visshudha allows for better flow of ideas and expression of creativity as well as the ability to hear that “still, small voice” inside.

When the throat chakra is out of balance, it generally means a block in communication and can lead to frustration, discontent and the inability to express emotion. This combination can lead to serious emotional problems that exhibit as insomnia, unexplained weight gain, fatigue and moodiness.

The seed sound for Visshudha is Hang (hawng).

The color for Visshudha is sky blue.

Element – Air

Orientation – East

Candle for Visshudha:  blue – represents meditation, tranquility, and the moon

Chant – I speak, I express

Affirmation – I hear and speak the truth. Creativity flows in and through me.

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The True Person is detached and humble
and to the world appears confusing.
The people all strain their eyes and ears,
yet the True Person remains childlike. – Lao Tzu

Heart Chakra – Anahata

The heart chakra is located in the center of your chest at the heart center. It controls the heart and circulatory system and is concerned with the emotional state of love and compassion. This is the point where the lower chakras meet the higher chakras and so Anahata is a place of balance.  You find love, peace, forgiveness, mercy and grace in the heart chakra. Problems with Anahata often have to do with balance as in physical needs vs. spiritual ones or self-empowerment vs. unconditional love and compassion.  These problems often express themselves as addiction and co-dependence.

The seed sound for Anahata is Yang (yawng).

The color for Anahata is bright green.

Element – Water

Orientation – East

Candle for Anahata:  Green – represents healing, spirituality and abundance

Chant – I love

Affirmation – I freely and easily give and receive love. I totally forgive myself and others for past errors and judgments.