Category Archives: Chakras
#TuesdayTunes: You Can Love Yourself
It’s February and that means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. While I think celebrating love is something we need to do more often, my problem with Valentine’s Day is its focus on defining love in relation to being in a romantic relationship. Love is universal and should be celebrated as such. We can start by remembering that we are worthy of love and this song is one of my favorite reminders of that.
Enjoy!
Peace and love,
Debra
#MondayMeditation: Heart Chakra
In yoga, the heart is the seat of wisdom and love. Know that you are loving and you are loved. Meditate today on the mantra: I am love.
Peace and love,
Debra
#MondayMeditation: Sacral Chakra
Winter is a time when we often spend more time than normal indoors due to weather and shorter days. We often feel stuck in a rut. To help get rid of those feelings, try meditating on the sacral chakra (svadisthana) to help yourself feel more creative. So find a comfortable seat or reclined position, focus on the space between the pubic bone and belly button, and repeat the following mantra: I am creative. I am confident. I am at secure.
Peace out,
Debra
#TimeOutTuesday: Root Chakra Meditation
If you’re feeling a bit unstable and unsettled this time of year, you’re definitely not alone. Meditate on the root chakra (muladhara) to help yourself feel more grounded. So find a comfortable seat or reclined position, focus on the base of the spine, and repeat the following mantra: I am grounded. I am strong. I am at peace.
Peace out,
Debra
National Rose Month
June is National Rose Month. The rose is commonly known as the symbol of love but the true meaning of a rose is dependent on its color. I thought it might be a fun exercise to see look up the symbolic meaning of each rose associated with the chakra colors.
Root chakra (muladhara) – red – love, beauty, courage, respect, passion
Sacral chakra (svadhisthana) – orange – desire, enthusiasm, creativity, fascination
Solar plexus chakra (manipura) – yellow – joy, friendship, welcome back, new beginnings
Heart chakra (anahata) – green – vitality, healing, self-respect, well-being
Throat chakra (vishudda) – blue – the unattainable, the impossible, mystery
Third eye chakra (ajna) – violet* – love at first sight, enchantment
Crown chakra (sahasrara) – white – purity, innocence, youthfulness, sympathy
*often indigo instead
Namaste,
Debra
National Frog Month
April is National Frog Month. Frogs are an important bellwether species for our planet — when frogs are healthy and abundant, an ecosystem is healthy. There a number of actions that both children and adults can do to help build awareness and improve the environment.
In honor of National Frog Month, I wanted to share one of my favorite yin yoga poses (second only to dragon pose for me). Here is more information about frog pose.
Frog (hold 3 to 5 minutes)
Contraindications
- Bad back: use support
- If there is any tingling in the fingers, take hands wider or extend one arm at a time
Getting into the Pose:
- From all fours, spread the knees as wide as possible and sit back to heels
- Arms can be at your side or stretched overhead
- Rest chin or forehead on floor
Modifications
- Can separate the feet as wide as the knees
- Hips can come up and forward if the stretch is too intense
- Support chest on bolster
Benefits:
- Stretches groin, hamstrings and back
- Aids digestion and eases cramps
Meridians & Organs Affected:
- Liver, kidney, spleen, urinary bladder
Joints Affected:
- Hips, lower back, shoulders
Chakras Affected:
- First (muladhara)
- Second (svadhistana)
- Third (manipura)
Coming Out:
- Come to child’s pose or slide forward onto belly, bringing legs together
Counterposes
- Child’s pose
- Apanasana
With joy,
Debra
National Wear Red Day
The first Friday in February is the American Heart Association‘s National Wear Red Day, part of their Go Red for Women campaign. Heart attacks and strokes cause one out of every three deaths of women annually. It’s a day that’s especially poignant to me because my mom and her mom and sister have cardiovascular disease. Their experiences with heart disease and cancer led me to obtain Yoga of the Heart certification.
Education and healthy living can help prevent some incidents or reduce the effects of cardiovascular disease. Yoga can be part of a healthy lifestyle, whatever your current fitness level. Please note: you should always check with your doctor before beginning any fitness regimen. Yoga teachers and styles run the gamut from vigorous and fitness-oriented to quiet and meditative, so doing a little research and trying different classes can help you find what works best for you.
One of my favorite heart-opening poses is anahatasana, or heart-melting pose.The anahata, or heart, chakra is the balancing point between our lower level and higher level chakras. It associated with love and compassion and making decisions based on our higher self.
Note: If getting down on the floor isn’t accessible to you, you could do this pose seated in a chair. To do the seated version, sit toward the forward edge of a chair with the spine straight, hold on the back of the chair with your hands close to the seat, and arch the back and lift through the heart.
Anahatasana
Contraindications
- Bad neck
- Tingling in hands
Getting into the Pose:
- From hands and knees, keep the hips directly over the knees
- Walk the hands forward and pivot shoulders so head comes between the arms (upper body is in the same position as in downward-facing dog)
- Allow chest top drop toward the floor
- Hold 2 to 5 minutes
Modifications
- If shoulder pain, walk hands wider than shoulder distance apart and/or rest chest on a bolster
- If neck pain, support the head with a folded blanket or block
- For knee pain, blanket underneath
- Toes can be tucked under for stability
- For more intensity, rest chest and/or chin on floor (looking up between the hands)
Benefits:
- Stretches middle and upper back
- Opens shoulders
- Softens heart
Meridians & Organs Affected:
- Urinary Bladder
- Stomach and spleen lines
- Heart and lung meridians
Joints Affected:
- Upper back and neck
- Lower spine
- Shoulder/humerus joints
Chakras Affected:
- Fourth
Coming Out:
- Walk hands back under shoulders or slide forward onto belly
Counterposes
- Child’s pose
- Cat/cow
- Downward facing dog
- Sleeper
Sources: Paul Grilley, Yin Yoga: Outline of a Quiet Practice; Biff Mithoefer, The Yin Yoga Kit: The Practic of Quiet Power; and Bernie Clark, The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga: The Philosophy & Practice of Yin Yoga
Peace and love,
Debra
Re-Post: Music for the Crown Chakra
I was going to post about National Pie Day but it really didn’t seem so important. Instead, I’m re-posting from my week of covering the crown chakra. We need to remember that even when we disagree, we are all one.
Original post:
This is another week of rather mellow songs. but that seems rather fitting. The crown chakra is all about recognizing a higher power, recognizing that we are all connected, and enjoying the beauty of peace and acceptance. So here we go, no further explanations this week (hope you like Keb’ Mo’).
Much love,
Debra
#FunFriday: Crown Chakra
This is another week of rather mellow songs. but that seems rather fitting. The crown chakra is all about recognizing a higher power, recognizing that we are all connected, and enjoying the beauty of peace and acceptance. So here we go, no further explanations this week (hope you like Keb’ Mo’).
Much love,
Debra
#ThoughtfulThursday: Crown Chakra
We’re wrapping up our look at the chakras with inquiry into the crown chakra, the seat of true beauty, spirituality, and our connection to the Divine.
When the sahasrara is out of balance, we fail to see that true happiness comes from within. We think it either comes from outside sources. We think any success we have is the result of situations that we totally control. We are narcissistic, egotistical, and ungrateful.
When in balance, we know there is more to us than our physical bodies and the labels with which we identify. We understand the true Self is connected to the spiritual realm. We also recognize that not everything is within our control. We trust and accept that our lives are moving along the paths intended for us. This acceptance opens us to enlightenment, peace, and joy.
Self Reflection
Finding balance in this chakra requires us to exam who we are in the deepest sense and be open to our connection to others and the rest of the world. Ask yourself:
- Do I feel in control of my destiny?
- Am I able to release my problems? My troubling thoughts?
- How do I connect with the higher level of consciousness?
- Who am I really?
Affirmations
The following affirmations will help reinforce your trust in your inner wisdom.
- I understand.
- I release all limiting thoughts.
- I accept and hone the spirit within me and all living things.
- I am complete.
- I am truth, beauty, and love.
- I live in the awareness that we are all one people, one planet.
- There is no separation between my love and the love in the universe; we are one.
Yours in truth and wisdom,
Debra
