Lesson 28 – How To Create Balance In Your Life

“At the center of your being you have the answer. You know who you are and you know what you want.”
LAO TZU

Your Centers Of Consciousness

Through the discipline of achieving a silent mind, you will be able to make a major discovery and realize that the stages of your being can be distinguished as though you were made up of a certain number of fragments, each with its personality and a very distinct center and life independent of the other centers.

The mind is a necessary vehicle to propel the evolution of consciousness from its beginning form to its current condition. Through the mind’s ability to bring all the movements of your being to your surface consciousness, you can pull yourself out of a state of unformed substance and eventually become “human.” As a result, you have inherited the very gift of our Creator (The Purposiveness that formed all of Creation) when you realize that you can “see” and perceive and understand how the universe works. When you do, you will be able to “see” God him/herself/it through the intuitive capability of your intuitive and heart centers. Not only to mentally “see” but also to “feel” God (the actual Purposiveness Itself).

The conscious mind also helps you maintain a system of order between and among all of the fragments of your being and somehow coordinates them into what you consider to be your own life. But that very activity veils from you the authentic voice and function of the various centers of consciousness that exist within and are accessible to you.

The mentalizing function of your mind chokes off any of the voices that attempt to come through your ‘higher’ centers. Whatever information does get through, the mind immediately tries to falsify, dilute, and obscure.  Through this innate nature of the mind, your connection with higher guidance centers becomes atrophied, and you lose your spontaneous approach to life, which was very useful during both your early childhood and the beginning stages of your adult human development.

The seeker who has learned to silence his or her mind will begin to distinguish all of these states as they are without the mental veneer that is imposed.  These centers will be experienced at various levels of the body as points of concentration, like knots of force, each with its particular vibratory quality or unique frequency.

There is a series of vibratory nodules or centers of consciousness; each specialized in one type of vibration that can be distinguished directly according to the degree of our silence and the keenness of our perceptions. The mind is only one of these centers, one type of vibration and one form of consciousness, though it wants to impose itself as the only center.

These centers are not situated in your physical body but in another dimension, and their concentration at certain moments may become so intense that there is the acute sensation of a physical localization. There are seven centers distributed over the following four zones:

1. The Spiritual Zone has one center:

Slightly above the top of the head, which governs your thinking mind and puts you in communication with higher mental planes.

2. The Mental Zone has two centers:

a. Between the eyebrows, governing the will and the dynamism of all your mental activities when you act through thought; this is also the center of intuition or the ‘third eye.’

b. At the throat level, governing all forms of mental expression.

3. The Emotional Zone has three centers:

a. The first, at the level of the heart, governs your emotive being (love, hatred, etc.).

 b. The second, at the navel level, governs your movements of domination, possession, conquest, ambitions, etc.

 c. The third, the lower vital, between the navel and the sex center, at the level of the mesenteric plexus, governs your lowest vibrations, such as jealousy, envy, desire, covetousness, and anger.

4. The Physical Zone with one center:

The base of the vertebral column governs your physical being and sex.  This center also opens us and lowers us down to the conscious regions of consciousness.

If you diagrammed these seven zones, here’s how they would occur:

Generally, in the ‘normal’ person, these centers are asleep or closed or only slightly open, allowing only the smallest current necessary for bare existence to filter through.  

Typically, you are walled within yourself and communicate only indirectly with the outer world within a minimal circle.  You probably don’t see other people or things; you see yourself in others, yourself in things, and everywhere around yourself; you cannot get away from yourself.

Start at the top center first and gradually open each center in a descending order. If you pursue opening these centers from the bottom up, you will face being swamped not only by your small personal affairs but also by the universal torrents of mud. Utilize the downward movement of this Force to open your intuition and heart centers entirely.

Once you can access these centers at will, you will begin to know beings, things, yourself, and the world around you as they really exist in their own natural reality. Now, you can begin to capture the pure vibration in each thing, in each being, at every stage.

The first discovery to be made is that of yourself. Who Are You? What Did You Come Here To Do With Your Life? Follow a process to develop a silent mind and remain perfectly transparent. You shall find that not only do these mental vibrations come from outside before entering your inner centers, but everything comes from outside.

What Science Says About These Centers

There are seven main centers/chakras, each corresponding to different parts of the body. Every chakra governs a different area of the endocrine and nervous systems. In addition, the body’s energetic channels line up with the physical channels of the body, creating an equivalency between the two.

The chakras also match up with different sections of the vertebrae, affecting the corresponding parts of the body.

By studying the physical and metaphysical together, one can see the direct relationship between the two. Images of the chakras are often found in nature—in flowers, stars, and even magnified images of cells.

Each chakra is a circular aura that signifies its type of life energy. These circular life energy vortexes align along the spinal column and are connected to different internal organs.

Yoga and meditation hinge on opening and balancing these seven chakras or auras. Although the concept of life energy forms the crux of ancient schools of medicine and has remained relevant to this day, it is largely theoretical. 

Science has neither proved nor disproved the existence of these auras, as they cannot be quantified in tangible terms. This is something that you will need to confirm for yourself. They exist but don’t accept my guidance in this subtle area. Do your work to find out.

Your 7 Centers & How To Open Them

1. Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra)

Location: Base of the spine

Color: Red

Mantra: LAM

Element: Earth

Represents: Safety, foundation, and groundedness

Blocked by Belief that one is unsafe, abuse, neglect, financial troubles, childhood trauma, etc.

“Muladhara” translates to “foundation.” One might ask, “Am I safe? Is this world safe?”

Signs of a blocked Muladhara chakra include but are not limited to:

Fear, panic, overthinking, depression, anxiety, bad dreams, emotional disconnect, anger, lack of trust, slothfulness, lack of confidence

Ways to open the Muladhara chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural red foods
  • Wearing the color red or placing this color around one’s house
  • Meditating on the root chakra
  • Grounding meditations
  • Doing grounding yoga poses (such as the squat, child’s pose, and standing forward fold)
  • Chanting “LAM”
  • Walking barefoot to promote being grounded
  • Connecting more with one’s family and facing one’s past as needed

2. Svadhishthana Chakra (Sacral Chakra)

 Location: Two inches south of the navel

Color: Orange

Mantra: VAM

Element: Water

Represents: Passion, creativity, sexuality, fluidity, intimacy, trust, and procreation

Blocked by: Creative disconnect, judgment, conflict, guilt, and past sexual or relational trauma

The second chakra governs your relationships with others and how you express your creativity.

Signs of a blocked Svadhishthana chakra include but are not limited to:

Creative blockages

Guilt

Toxicity in relationships

The belief that one does not deserve love

The belief that others do not care

Block in motivation

Lack of sexual desire

Insecurity

Lack of emotion

Unhealthy sexual desires

Need to control everything

Addiction/dependency

Ways to open the Svadhishthana chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural orange foods
  • Wearing the color orange or placing this color around one’s house
  • Meditating on the Sacral chakra
  • Doing second chakra yoga poses (typically hip-opening poses)
  • Chanting “VAM”
  • Affirmations that one is deserving of love
  • Practicing healthy sexuality/relationships
  • Using one’s creativity as much as possible

3. Manipura Chakra (Solar Plexus Chakra)

Location: Navel

Color: Yellow

Mantra: RAM

Element: Fire

Represents: Power, independence, and vitality

Blocked by: Eating the wrong foods, believing that one is weak, being bullied and victimized, lack of self-esteem, abuse, etc.

The Manipura chakra affects the digestive organs. When blocked, the digestive system may slow or speed up through the lack or abundance of one’s inner fire. This fire is also known as “tapas.”

Signs of a blocked Manipura chakra include but are not limited to:

Anxiety

Stomach pains

Feeling powerless

Feeling like a victim

Lack of belief in oneself

Relinquishing one’s power over others

Liver, pancreas, and stomach problems

Aggressiveness

Egoism 

Ways to open the Manipura chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural yellow foods
  • Wearing the color yellow or placing this color around one’s house
  • Meditating on the Solar Plexus chakra
  • Doing second chakra yoga poses (typically hip-opening poses)
  • Chanting “RAM”
  • Affirmations that one is enough
  • Writing down what makes one special
  • Doing yoga practices for this chakra by focusing on the inner fire or the belly (such as sun salutations, boat poses, bow poses, and cobra poses)
  • Practicing bellows breath (Bhastrika Pranayama) or practicing the “breath of fire” (Kapalabhati Pranayama)

4. Anahata Chakra (Heart Chakra)

Location: Heart center

Color: Green

Mantra: YAM

Element: Air

Represents: Love, compassion, and affection

Blocked by: Stress, trauma, overthinking, lack of love, etc.

The Anahata chakra is the chakra of love and can easily be negatively affected by a lack of love. When one fully opens the heart chakra, one can let go of negative energies, allowing an unlimited source of love to draw from.

Signs of a blocked Anahata chakra include but are not limited to:

Lack of compassion|

Unwillingness to let go of past relationships

Holding onto grudges

Lack of commitment

Difficulty maintaining relationships

Closing off the heart/not letting people in

Lack of love for all

Anxiety, stress

Loneliness

Ways to open the Anahata chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural green foods
  • Wearing the color green or placing this color around one’s house
  • Meditating on the heart chakra
  • Doing heart chakra yoga poses (such as the fish pose, cat/cow, camel pose, and heart-melting pose)
  • Chanting “YAM”
  • Spending time in nature
  • Affirmations of love for oneself and all living things
  • Affirmations that one has an open heart

5. Vishuddha Chakra (Throat Chakra)

Location: Throat

Color: Blue

Mantra: HAM

Element: Ether (Space)

Represents: Voice, speaking, and hearing

Blocked by: Being told to stay quiet, being told that one’s voice does not matter or is not enough, trauma due to speaking up, etc.

If the Vishuddha chakra is used the wrong way, one might speak too much without letting others have the chance to be heard. One must find the balance of one’s voice.

Signs of a blocked Vishuddha chakra include but are not limited to:

Sore throat/neck pain

Hearing problems

Temporomandibular (TMJ) syndrome

Problems with the larynx and thyroid

Feeling that one cannot speak up

Unwillingness to use one’s voice or share one’s opinions 

Ways to open the Vishuddha chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural blue foods
  • Wearing the color blue or placing this color around one’s house
  • Meditating on the throat chakra
  • Doing throat chakra yoga poses (such as the plow pose, shoulder stand, and fish pose)
  • Chanting “HAM”
  • Chanting mantras in general
  • Practicing the lion’s breath (Simha Pranayama)
  • Affirmations that one’s voice matters and that all voices matter

6. Ajna Chakra (Third-Eye Chakra)

Location: Between the eyes

Color: Indigo

Mantra: OM/KSHAM

Element: Light

Represents: Seeing, intuition, wisdom, and understanding that there is more than just the visual sight

Blocked by: Lack of spiritual practice, restrained spiritual upbringing, illusion, etc.

When the Ajna chakra is open, one can begin to see and understand beyond the veil of illusion. This provides the opportunity to connect more spiritually and to be open to the metaphysical world.

Signs of a blocked Ajna chakra include but are not limited to:

Lack of intuition

Inability to concentrate

The belief that what one sees physically is all that there is

Disconnect of the mind, body, and soul

Anxiety/fear of the unknown

Lack of self-reflection

Feeling that the thoughts are “cloudy.”

Inability to stay present

Abundance of daydreaming

Headaches

Pain in the eyes, eye problems

Sinus pain/problems

Ways to open the Ajna chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural indigo foods
  • Wearing the color indigo or placing this color around one’s house
  • Meditating on the third-eye chakra and imagining this eye-opening
  • Meditating on a flame (such as a small fire or a candle)
  • Doing heart chakra yoga poses (such as the fish pose, cat/cow, camel pose, and heart-melting pose)
  • Chanting “KSHAM” and “OM”
  • Practicing alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama)
  • Spending time in nature
  • Meditating more in general

7. Sahasrara Chakra (Crown Chakra)

Location: Crown of the head

Color: White/violet

Mantra: OM

Element: Thought/all other elements

Represents: Mindfulness, spirituality, connection, and balance

Blocked by: Negative relationships, fear of change, ego, etc.

When the crown chakra is open, one can be fully connected to all life, oneself, and one’s higher power.

Signs of a blocked Sahasrara chakra include but are not limited to:

Lack of intuition

Feeling unconnected

Isolation

Egoism

Headaches

Fear of death/dying

Lack of balance/coordination

Trouble with memory 

Ways to open the Sahasrara chakra include but are not limited to:

  • Eating natural white and violet foods
  • Wearing the colors violet and white or placing these colors around one’s house
  • Meditating on the crown chakra
  • Meditating more in general
  • Chanting “OM”
  • Spending more time in nature
  • Doing yoga poses for the crown chakra (such as the headstand and corpse pose)
  • Affirmations that one is more than just the body
  • Affirmations that energy lives forever

Additional Way To Open Your Chakras

Each chakra can also be opened through specific mudras, crystals, stones, etc. Everybody is unique, and each technique will affect every person differently. Therefore, you should be open to different ideas and willing to learn what works for you.

Summary

The art of opening your chakras to restore proper energy balance in your body may not have much scientific support, but it is rooted in ancient wisdom. This form of meditative healing helps you find and address the deep-seated unresolved trauma, feelings, and memories that you carry around with you.

This is another way to identify problems. Find out which chakra contains your problem. I’ve identified several issues within each chakra.

The emotional burden that unbalanced chakras create tends to affect the functioning of your mind and body negatively and can even manifest in the form of physical illnesses over time. Balancing your chakras is aimed at relieving you of this negative load, thereby improving your well-being at all levels. Add this as another technique that you can use to work on becoming who you are.