Chakra Meditation

CHAKRA MEDITATION

Close your eyes and take a few deep cleansing breathes, allowing yourself to be centered, grounded and in this present moment. Visualize in the center of the room, a beautiful ball of sparkling white light, as you focus your attention on this light, see it become larger and brighter, until it completely surrounds and embraces you. Allow the light to cleanse your mind, body, spirit and emotions.

Bring your awareness back to the center of your being and focus on your breathing. Allow your breath to deepen, breathing in and breathing out, easily and effortlessly. As you exhale, just relax into the exhalation, allowing everything that does not need to be here go with the breath. Any concerns, any tensions. Let go of any thoughts, just focus on your breath.

Notice if there is any tension held in the body. Starting at the top of your head, begin to relax the muscles around your head, your face, around your eyes, your neck and your shoulders. Let go of all tension, feeling relaxed and comfortable in this moment.

Move your attention to the back of your neck and soften the muscles of your spine, relaxing your spine – vertebrae by vertebrae. Feel your arms, chest and stomach naturally relax as your breathing becomes deeper and deeper, letting go of any tension you have been holding. Feel this message of relaxation spread down into your hips, thighs, legs and feet, until your entire being is completely relaxed.

ROOT CHAKRA – Now imagine roots going from your feet down into the center of the earth. Feeling the energy of the earth, bring the energy up through your roots and into your root chakra. Your Root Chakra is located at the base of your spine and it is where you connect to the world. Imagine a vibrant red whirlpool of light opening from the base of your spine. See it start to spin in a clockwise motion, slowly at first but then getting faster, the light vibrantly red and more intense.

Imagine a rich red beam of light, like a thick cord, shooting out from the centre of this chakra. Imagine it going all the way down deep into the earth. Feel your legs and hips pulsating with energy as your root chakra opens and you root yourself into the earth. Feel the strong sense of connection you have to the world around you. Enjoy this strong feeling of being grounded.

SACRAL CHAKRA – Now go back to the center of the earth, bring the earth energy up through your root and into your sacral center. The Sacral Chakra is located at your lower abdomen and is the centre of your creativity. Imagine a wheel of rich orange light coming out from your sacral chakra. Again, see it starting to spin clockwise and see the light getting more intense and stronger as it does. Feel the sacral chakra pulsating and full of energy.

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA – Going back to the earth and bringing the energy up to your solar plexus, its luminous yellow sun intensifying as you increase its light. The Solar Plexus Chakra is just below the belly button and this is where you experience your ‘gut feelings’. See a golden yellow light starting to grow and spin clockwise as you focus upon it. Imagine this light glowing strongly and spinning more intensely. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, notice the pulsating rhythm of your solar plexus.

HEART CHAKRA – Going back to the earth, bring the energy up through your chakras, expanding each chakra as you run energy through it. Rising up and into your heart, visualize your Heart Chakra in the centre of your chest. This is the chakra concerned with feelings of love. Picture a beautiful emerald green wheel of light gently spinning clockwise, getting faster as you spend your time concentrating upon it. As your heart chakra opens, pay attention to your increased awareness and sensitivity.

THROAT CHAKRA – Bring the energy up through the earth intensifying each chakra as it reaches into your throat. The Throat Chakra, your centre for expression and communication is located between the inner collarbones. See in your mind a gentle pale blue wheel of light spinning clockwise at the bottom of your throat. If you feel any tension in this area, gently roll your neck side to side, front to back, releasing the excess energy. Enjoy the feelings that come as the spinning of the pale blue light increases in speed and intensity.

THIRD EYE CHAKRA – Bring earth energy up through your chakras and into the vast indigo ocean of your third eye. The Third Eye Chakra, located between your eyebrows, is the centre for your intuition. Visualize this chakra spinning clockwise a rich indigo blue. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out relax in the energy.

CROWN CHAKRA – Go back to the earth and bring the energy up through your chakras intensifying each chakra, lifting the energy up to its final destination, the crown chakra. The Crown Chakra, located at the top of your head, is your connection to the spiritual world and the divine spirit of creation. Imagine a violet light coming out the top of your head and starting to slowly spin clockwise. Filling the crown with vibrant ultra violet light, visualize the energy cascading from your crown like a fountain, filling your energy field and returning back to earth.

When you feel this connection to be really strong look down and see all of your chakras spinning vibrantly. Now imagine opening up your crown chakra to the universe. Feel your body and spirit filled with power as you are connected directly to the divine and universal truth.

Now imagine a brilliant white light coursing through you and your chakras, shooting down from the universe into your crown, causing each of your chakras to spin faster and glow even more intensely.

See the white light shooting down into your root chakra and connect with the red beam of light that is connecting you to the earth. Take a few moments to enjoy the sensations of this magical display as your energies fill your being.

As we prepare to close your crown and root chakras, imagine the spinning of these vibrant wheels slowing down and coming to a halt. Now imagine the beams of white and red light that are connecting you to the universe and the earth begin to fade away.

Move your attention to the other chakras seeing each of them start to slow their spinning until they come to a stop, they are now just glowing brightly.

Take a few deep breaths and start to reawaken your body and your mind to your surroundings.

When you are ready open your eyes.

Creating a Serene Space for Relaxation

By Angela Dorenzo

Finding time to relax is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself. Even just 15 minutes each day will make a huge difference in the way you feel. Creating a serene space to enjoy this time will make it even more enjoyable. Here are a few pictures of my serenity room at home!

My serenity room is my favorite place to center and ground myself. I go into my room several times each day to relax and rejuvenate! I take time each morning to awaken my mind and body in prayer and meditation. This is a wonderful time to set the intentions for the day. If time allows, I also take time for Yoga to energize my body. In the afternoon I take time to listen to a guided relaxation CD and if it is my day off, I make time to enjoy reading my favorite magazines and books. In the evening, I also like to spend a few moments closing the day in meditation and prayer giving thanks and putting away all the lists and preparing for rest.

Here are some tips for creating your very own serenity room:

1. Dedicate a room or a corner of a room for relaxation only.

2. Find a comfortable chair to sit on in your space with lots of cushions to make yourself comfortable.

3. Surround yourself with the things that you love! I have crystals, a water fountain, angels, books, magazines, candles, art, a labyrinth, my yoga accessories, my meditation cushions, my pillows of lavender aromatherapy pillows, a picture of my husband and son, essential oils, my essential oil diffuser, a CD player, relaxation CD’s, guided meditation CD’s, a prayer box, my journal and lots of hearts. Hearts make me happy!

4. You can decorate your space with art, change the paint to a color that is soothing, add a new curtain. Keep it simple, but make it yours. Having your own little sanctuary can be very therapeutic.

5. I also like to keep a small blanket in my room just in case I get cold.

So now that you have your space ready, here are a few relaxation tips:

1. Make yourself a nice cup of tea and enjoy a few pieces of dark chocolate. My favorite tea is Rooibos and I love all chocolate .

2. Turn on your favorite relaxation CD and light an aromatherapy candle or diffuse your favorite essential oil in a diffuser. Take a few moments to close your eyes and visualize yourself in a peaceful place.

3. Take a few minutes for deep breathing. As you breathe in, breathe in through your nose to the count of 4, hold it to the count of 4 and then breathe out through your mouth to the count of 4. When you practice deep breathing, you allow the rest of your body to relax.

4. Practice a visualization technique. Here is one that I enjoy:
Lie on your back with your eyes closed and allow yourself to breathe deeply. Imagine yourself in your favorite place. This place may be on a sunny beach, your favorite vacation destination, swinging in a hammock or in your very own backyard. Any place that you find peaceful. Imagine that you are there. Begin to notice your surroundings, listen to all the peaceful sounds. Feeling the warmth of the sun and other sensations that you find. Continue this visualization for as long as you like. Relaxing and enjoying every moment, knowing that you can come back to this special place at any time.

5. Take time for prayer. I enjoy spending time in prayer and meditation each morning. I take this special time to set my intentions for the day. I also enjoy prayer time in the evening to give thanks for my many blessing and to close the day and prepare for rest.

6. Meditate. Meditation is a very powerful and rewarding practice. Even if you have 5 minutes, you will get the benefits of relaxing your mind. The easiest way to start meditating is by listening to a guided meditation CD. This will give you some tools to begin with.

I hope you enjoyed this article on how to create you own serenity room and I hope you take some time each day to turn your stress in to serenity!

Meditation and Essential Oils

Meditation is the process of experiencing a state of pure awareness. Through calming the mind and emotions, you can experience a state of peace and tranquility. Using essential oils during meditation can enhance the experience by grounding you and promoting a sense of calm.

For meditation and relaxation, I recommend diffusing the oils in a lotus diffuser or applying them topically to your pulse points. The forearm or wrist and behind the ears is a wonderful place to apply the oils during meditation.

Before beginning my meditation session, I choose an essential oil or oil blend to work with. Depending on what type of mood I am in at that moment, I may choose Elevation, Citrus Bliss, Serenity, Balance or Lavender. Each of these oils and oil blends offer multiple benefits to enhance any relaxation or stress relief technique.

Elevation-Joyful Blend
This uplifting combination of essential oils creates an energetic aroma that can help stimulate the body’s chemistry when feeling lethargic or sad. Here are the single oils that are contained in this blend:
Lavandin: may help dispel feelings of depression or anxiety
Tangerine: is sedative in nature. It may help calm and relieve feelings of stress, while enhancing energy.
Elemi: is antidepressant and sedative. It may help relieve stress and is calming to the nerves.
Lemon Myrtle: has a strong lemony aroma that is elevating and refreshing.
Melissa: may help with depression and anxiety and has an uplifting lemony aroma.
Ylang Ylang: is calming and relaxing. It brings back the feeling of self-love, confidence, joy, and peace.
Osmanthus: is one of the 10 famous traditional flowers of China. The blossoms are highly aromatic and are used in the world’s rarest and most expensive perfumes. Its heady, uplifting fragrance has been known to make everyone smile.
Sandalwood: is calming and sedative. It helps balance and harmonize the emotions and may help ease nervous tension.

Citrus Bliss-Invigorating Blend
This uniquely exhilarating blend brings together all of the uplifting and stress-reducing benefits of citrus essential oils in a sweetly satisfying way. In addition to their elevating properties, many of the citrus oils in this blend have been studied for their ability to cleanse and to disinfect. Here are the single oils contained in this blend:
Wild Orange: brings peace and happiness to the mind and body and joy to the heart, which provide emotional support to help one overcome depression.
Lemon: promotes health, healing, physical energy, and purification. Its fragrance is invigorating, enhancing, and warming.
Grapefruit: is an antidepressant, an antiseptic, and a diuretic. It is balancing and uplifting to the mind and may help to relieve anxiety.
Mandarin: is appeasing, gentle, and promotes happiness. It is also refreshing, uplifting, and revitalizing. Because of its sedative properties, it is very good fro stress and irritability.
Bergamot: has uplifting properties. It may also help with depression and agitation.
Tangerine: contains esters and aldehydes which are sedating and calming to the nervous system. It is also a diuretic and a decongestant of the lymphatic system.
Clementine: is soothing and sedating and may help ease tension.
Vanilla Bean Extract: is soothing and sedating and may help ease tension.

Serenity-Calming Blend
This relaxing blend contains essential oils that are often used to help calm and soothe feelings of stress, excitement, and anxiety in order to help the body maintain its natural state of health. Here are the single oils contained in this blend:
Lavender: has calming and sedative properties. It may help lift feelings of depression and anxiety.
Sweet Marjoram: may help to relax and calm, as well as to promote peace.
Roman Chamomile: is calming and relaxing. It may help relieve muscle tension as well as calm nerves and soothe emotions.
Ylang Ylang: has calming and sedative properties. It brings back the feeling of self-love, confidence, joy, and peace.
Sandalwood: is calming and sedative. It helps balance and harmonize the emotions and may help ease nervous tension.
Vanilla Bean Extract: is soothing and sedating and may help ease tension.

Balance-Grounding Blend
This blend brings a feeling of calmness, peace, and relaxation. It can aid in harmonizing the various physiological systems of the body and promote tranquility and a sense of balance. Here are the single oils contained in this blend:
Spruce: grounds the body, creating the balance and the opening necessary to receive and to give. It may help dilate the bronchial tract to improve the oxygen exchange. It also helps one release emotional blocks.
Rosewood: is soothing to the skin, appeasing to the mind, relaxing to the body, and creates a feeling of peace and gentleness.
Blue Tansy: may help cleanse the liver and calm the lymphatic system to help rid one of anger and promote a feeling of self-control.
Frankincense: contains sesquiterpenes, which may help oxygenate the pineal and pituitary glands. As one of the ingredients for the holy incense, it was used anciently to help enhance one’s communication with the creator. It may help promote a positive attitude.

Lavender
Lavender is a stress reducing oil. It has been used for generations for its calming and sedative properties. It may help lift feelings of depression and anxiety.

doTERRA Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG™) essential oils are the oils that I use and they represent the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today. They are guaranteed to be 100% pure and natural and free of synthetic compounds or contaminates.

To learn more about doTERRA, click on the image below!

Don’t Just Sit There… Meditate!

By Mary Capon and Janet Rupp

Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, August/September 2003.
Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

If you think meditation means a dark room filled with long-haired gurus sporting love beads, think again. The concept of meditation has come a long way since its cultural introduction in the 1970s.

In fact, meditation has hit the mainstream. Although traditionally a spiritual practice, meditation is now being recognized as a powerful tool for gaining and maintaining health. Legions of physicians are prescribing meditation along with medication for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases such as cancer. Psychotherapists are using meditation to assist clients in healing old traumas and achieve a sense of self-awareness and self-control. Even corporate America is offering meditation instructions to their executives to maintain employee health, hone alertness and creativity, and increase productivity.

What is Meditation Anyway?
Meditation is simply the art of mental self-control. Focusing on our breath, a vision, an object or a mantra allows us to still the chatter of our mind. By learning to ignore the hundreds of thoughts that float through our consciousness every minute, we can bring the mind into present moment awareness, leaving the stressful memories of the past or plans for the future behind.

The study of meditation is not difficult to learn. In fact, it’s quite simple. With the exercises provided below, you can enjoy this practice anywhere: In the grocery line, at your desk or in the sanctuary of your home.

Meditation Exercises
Preparation
- There is no need to force your body into a lotus position, mirroring Indian yogis. Be mindful that a straight spine keeps you alert and helps conduct the energy of your breath during the meditation period.

- Hand placements, or mudras, embody different energies. Try palms down on your knees when you are feeling self-contained. Palm-up on your knees stimulates receptivity. Hands clasped together generates revolving and contained energy.

- Like in yoga, deep breathing is a fundamental component of meditation. Take a few deep breaths before you begin and continue them throughout the meditation. Relax your body, releasing tension held in your muscles with each exhalation.

- A 5-20 minute session at the same time each day is best for beginners. Try twice a day when you are more comfortable with the methods.

Counting Breath Meditation
Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel the sensation of your breath filling your body with life-giving energy, then exhale fully. Now, mentally count your breaths: inhale … after exhaling, count one, inhale … exhale, two, concentrating only on the sensation of your breath and the counting. When you reach the count of five, go back and begin the cycle again. When outside thoughts come in (and they will), refocus on the sensation of your breath and your counting. As you become more familiar with this method, try counting to 10 and then 20 without being interrupted by busy thoughts.

Simple Chore Counting Breath Meditation
This practice is a favorite among Zen Buddhists who believe concentration on the ordinary in daily life adds to it the extraordinary. The next time you are doing a mindless task that you do on a regular basis, count the breaths it takes you to complete the function. When you run to the copy machine or to the bus stop to pick up your kids, remain focused on counting your breath until you complete the task. Start out with short, easy chores.

Meditation is a search for enlightenment that lies in the journey of everyday life. It’s in the journey toward enlightenment that we experience life at its fullest. So the next time you’re stuck in traffic, in the waiting room of the dentist’s office or waking up to a new day, don’t just sit there … meditate.

Reprinted from “The 5 Minute Healer: Self-healing Techniques for Busy People,” with permission from Johnson Books, Boulder, Colo. Copyright 2002.