Meditation is one of the best things you can do to bring a little relief to your mind, your spirit and even your physical body. It is a practice which has been with us for thousands of years; the ancient civilization of India was one society well aware of the benefits provided by meditation. We in the West have come to an understanding of meditation as a tool for achieving better mental and spiritual health only recently. On of the most effective and simple methods of meditation (and for precisely this reason, the most popular) is Chakra meditation.
The Sanskrit name for the crown chakra is the sahasrara chakra. Sahasrara means “thousand” or “thousandfold.” The symbol for this chakra is a lotus with a thousand petals. The number one thousands serves to represent the highest fulfillment and perfection.
The crown chakra is also known as the thousand-petaled lotus or simply the seventh chakra. The [...]
The forehead chakra is the center of awareness and intuition. In Sanskrit, it is called the ajna chakra. Anja means “to know or perceive.” Higher knowledge can be obtained only by stepping beyond duality. The two most important energy pathways, pingala and ida, end in the ajna chakra. These two currents of energy represent duality – the sun and the moon, masculine and feminine – and they meet in this chakra. By meditating upon it, one can attain freedom from dualistic thinking.
The throat chakra in Sanskrit is called the vishuddha chakra. Vishuddhi means “pure.” Consciousness of language and truth belong to this level. Its role is to pruify awareness and provide inner clarity. The vishuddha chakra is also called the neck chakra, the communication chakra and the fifth chakra.
The heart chakra lies at the center of the chakra system. In nearly every culture, the heart is linked to the power of love. The heart chakra forms the center of ones humanity and feelings for others.
The heart chakra lies at the center of the chakra system. In nearly every culture, the heart is linked to the power of love. The heart chakra forms the center of ones humanity and feelings for others. In Sanskrit, the heart chakras called the anahata chakra. Anahata means “whole” or “unbroken.” This tells us that we are free and protected from fault in our spiritual heart center, Whatever happens to us in life, we will always be able to return to the fundamental power of love and find comfort and strength.
The sacral chakra is the center of sensuality and sexuality. The Sanskrit word svadhisthana means “sweetness” or “loveliness.” It can also translates as “one’s home base.” The sacral chakra is also called the sexual chakra or the second chakra. The most depictions of the sacral chakra show a flower with six petals six Sanskrit syllables correspond to the petals: bam, bham, mam, yam, ram, and lam. The principal mantra used in chakra yoga to activate its energies is VAM (pronounced VANG).
The root chakra is the lowest chakra and as such is the foundation of all the other chakras. Its Sanskrit name is muladhara: mula meaning “root” and adhara meaning “support.” This chakra is also referred to as the base center, the root center or the first chakra. Ancient Hindu depictions portray the root chakra as a four-petaled flower.
