2.19 The Balance That Needs To Be Created Within Your Own Consciousness
“At the center of your being you have the answer. You know who you are and you know what you want.”
Lao Tzu
Ancient Philosopher
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 individual 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 it’s beginning form to it’s current condition. Through the mind’s ability to bring all the movements of your being to your surface consciousness, you have been able to 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 have the ability to understand how the universe actually 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 to maintain a system of order between and amongst all of the fragments of your being and somehow coordinates them into what you consider to be your own personal life. But by that very activity, it veils from you the true voice and function of the various centers of consciousness that exist within and are accessible by you.
The mentalizing function of your mind chokes off any of the voices that attempt to come through your ‘higher’ centers and whatever information does get through, the mind immediately attempts 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 that was very useful during both your early childhood years as well as during 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 really are, without the mental veneer that is imposed. These centers will be experienced at various levels of the body as being like points of concentration, like knots of force, each with its particular vibratory quality or special frequency.
There is a whole 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 being 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 7 centers distribute over the following 4 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 level of the throat, governing all forms of mental expression.
3. The Emotional Zone has three centers:
a. The first, at the level of the heart, governing your emotive being (love, hatred, etc.).
b. The second, at the level of the navel, governing your movements of domination, possession, conquest, our ambitions, etc.
c. The third, the lower vital, between the navel and the sex-center, at the level of the mesenteric plexus, governing your lowest vibrations such as jealousy, envy, desire, covetousness and anger.
4. The Physical Zone with one center:
At the base of the vertebral column, governing your physical being and sex. This center also opens us, lower down to the conscious regions of consciousness.
If you diagrammed these 7 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 really walled in within yourself and communicate only indirectly with the outer world, within a very limited circle. In fact, you probably don’t see other people or things, rather, 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 own small personal affairs but also by the universal torrents of mud. Utilize the downward movement of this Force to fully open your intuition and heart centers.
Once you’re able to 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 your Self. Who Are You? What Did You Come Here To Do With Your Life? If you follow a process to develop a silent mind and if you remain perfectly transparent, you shall find that not only do these mental vibrations come from outside before entering your inner centers, but that everything comes from outside.
What Science Says About These Centers
There are seven main centers/chakras and each one correlates to different parts of the body. Every chakra governs a different area of the endocrine and nervous systems. In addition, the energetic channels of the body 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. The 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 own individual type of life energy. These circular vortexes of life energy align themselves along the spinal column and are connected to different internal organs.
Yoga and meditation basically hinge on the opening and balancing of these seven chakras or auras. Even though the concept of life energy, forms the crux of ancient schools of medicine and has remained relevant to this day, it is largely theoretical in nature.
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. Yes, they do exist but don’t accept my guidance in this subtle area. Do your own work to find out.
The 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 the relationships you share with others and how you put your creativity out into the world.
Signs of a blocked Svadhishthana chakra include but are not limited to:
Creative blockages
Guilt
Toxicity in relationships
Belief that one does not deserve love
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/or 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 to 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 pose, bow pose, and cobra pose)
- 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
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 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/or “OM”
- Practicing alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama)
- Spending time in nature
- Meditating more in general
7. Sahasrara Chakra (Crown Chakra)