Deep Dive into the 7 Chakras

In my earlier post I gave you a basic idea about what the chakras are and how they work. We learnt about balancing the chakras and the colors that represent them. In this post we will dig a bit deeper to learn more about these chakras. We will take one chakra at a time to see which body parts, organs and human emotions they support. The knowledge of this is important so that you can direct your reiki healing to the concerned chakra when you want to treat an illness. It is almost like the doctor understands which part of the body is feeling off and treats it with the required medication.

**Note - Reiki healing is a method of alternate healing and should never be used exclusively in extreme cases. The diagnosis of a qualified medical practitioner is recommended in cases of extreme illness or when it is not just a case of common health problems.**

We will start from the base chakra. Each chakra symbolizes a unique part of our lives.

1. Base / Root Chakra (Red) - As the name suggests this chakra rules the very root of our selves. It is the answer to the thought "I am". The root chakra refers to everything basic, our very existence in the physical world. Our roots to our family, our community, and ourselves is symbolized by this chakra.

Position - Base of spine, on the pubic bone
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Spinal cord, kidneys, adrenal glands, and legs
Balanced chakra - Healthy desire for the basic requirements of life, confident living, harmony with self, being grounded and humble.
Imbalanced chakra - Escapism from the real world, feeling scared and victimized, feeling selfish, greedy and out of control.
Physical problems manifest as - problems in the legs and lower back.

2. Sacral Chakra (Orange) - The sacral chakra is associated with creativity and with feeling of intimacy and sexuality. It is also the center of all emotions that a person houses within themselves. It governs our relationship with other people.

Position - Just below the navel
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Reproductive system, urinary bladder, gonads, prostrate glands
Balanced chakra - Feeling of spontaneity, increased creativity, healthy relationship with others
Imbalanced chakra - Feelings of jealousy, fatigue, confusion, promiscuity, creative blockades
Physical problems manifest as - Reproductive disorders, excessive indulgence in food, bladder related issues.

3. Solar Plexus (Yellow) - The Solar Plexus chakra signifies the power and confidence that one has in oneself. It relates to your relationship with yourself. The aspects of ego, self-esteem, and personality relate to this chakra.

Position - Right above the naval
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Digestive system, stomach, spleen, liver, pancreas, digestive tract
Balanced chakra - Manifests in the form of a sense of purpose, and the ability to transform your hopes and aspirations into reality. You feel powerful and in control.
Imbalanced chakra - Aggression, anxiety, introversion, fear, lack of will and self control.
Physical problems manifest as - Indigestion, reflux, digestive tract related issues

4. Heart Chakra (Green) - This chakra is the fourth chakra and lies at the very center of the other 6 chakras. As such it is almost like a bridge or central gateway that links the chakras. It is also considered the link between the spirit and the self. It is the place to direct reiki healing to ensure good emotional health.

Position - Center of the chest
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Heart, lower lungs, hands, skin, thymus gland and circulatory system
Balanced chakra - Unconditional love and compassion for others, harmony and inner peace
Imbalanced chakra - Extreme trust issues (too trusting or distrustful), fear, anger, inability to love
Physical problems manifest as - Heart issues

5. Throat Chakra (Blue) - This chakra symbolizes communication and expression of self. It is associated with independence, putting our thoughts and emotions in the right words and expressing them in a constructive manner.

Position - Neck and mouth area
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Mouth, jaws, thyroid gland, vocal chords
Balanced chakra - You speak and listen without bias, fluency in expressing thoughts, good hold over language
Imbalanced chakra - Talking too much, arguing and opposing ideas, poor listening skills, not being able to make clear-cut choices
Physical problems manifest as - Throat problems, thyroid issues, dental issues and lung-related issues

6. Third-Eye Chakra (Indigo) - This chakra is associated with intuitions, ideas, thoughts, and psychic abilities. It helps us visualize ideas and thoughts better, thus leading them towards realization.

Position - In between the eyebrows
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Left eye, ears, nose, CNS, pituitary gland
Balanced chakra - Assists in self-reflection and helps us see the bigger picture in various circumstances

Imbalanced chakra - Irrational fears, forgetfulness, being impractical and illogical

Physical problems manifest as - Headaches and migraines

7. Crown Chakra (Violet/White) - The crown chakra is the bridge between your 'self ' and the higher power. This chakra relates to pure consciousness and the thought that we are part of a bigger universe and of a great world above and beyond.
Body parts linked to this Chakra - Pineal gland, right eye, brain
Balanced chakra - The feeling of being one with the universe, of inner peace and harmony, helps us reach for the higher levels of spirituality
Imbalanced chakra - Lack of spiritual awareness, lack of identity, lack of higher purpose, feeling lonely, fearing death, and comparing ourselves with others on various parameters
Physical problems manifest as - Cognitive issues, brain tumors, stroke, amnesia, migraines

Giving yourself Reiki healing on a regular basis can help you keep various health and mind-related issues at bay. However, as I already mentioned, it is not a foolproof solution for diseases and illnesses. You will need to consult a medical practitioner for the same. If you feel healthy and would like to feel even better, then Reiki definitely is the answer to your wishes. Combine Reiki with your daily medications and doctor's directions; you will surely find yourself getting better in no time. Trust and faith is key to any kind of healing, be it science or abstract.

Understanding the 7 Chakras

In this post, I will be talking about the 7 chakras that are present in our bodies and their significance. We often hear a lot about Chakras, their healing power, and about their purification. Knowing about the importance of the chakras is one of the first steps of learning Reiki.

The 7 chakras influence your health be it mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual. Each one of them relate to a different aspect of our lives. You can learn if you are thriving well in love, career, health, or creativity by knowing how your chakras are functioning. To learn more, let's start from the very beginning.

There are 7 chakras:
1. Crown Chakra (Purple)
2. Third Eye Chakra (Indigo)
3. Throat Chakra (Blue)
4. Heart Chakra (Green)
5. Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow)
6. Sacral Chakra (Orange)
7. Root Chakra (Red)

As we know, Reiki is the flow of life force energy from the universe through our bodies into the bodies of the people we want to heal. So basically, your body is acting as a channel for this energy to flow through to the concerned parts. The chakras are basically doorways that open up and let the energy flow through your body seamlessly. Chakra is a Sanskrit word which means wheel. Look at it as a gear. Just like gears work in tandem in any machinery to make it work smoothly, so do these chakras. When we summon the life force energy from the cosmos, it flows through our body in a straight line through these energy doorways. When you are meditating, you might often feel this rush of energy through your body in the form of a relaxing warmth or extreme vibrations down your backbone. However, if the chakras are blocked, the energy does not flow as smoothly as it should.

What does blocked Chakra mean?

When a chakra is blocked it could be for a number of reasons. It could be because you are emotionally or physically unwell and that is reflecting on your chakra. For example, if you are suffering from a throat infection, sore throat, thyroid problems, or when you find it difficult to communicate your anger in a constructive manner, the reason could be a imbalanced throat chakra. Similarly each of the 7 chakras control various bodily and emotional functions. You can read more about it in my subsequent posts.

How can you open your Chakras?

You can open and balance your chakras using the healing energy of Reiki. You will need to channel the healing powers of the life force energy by meditating and inviting reiki energy to flow through your body. You can apply reiki on the affected chakra in order to balance it.

Read more about chakras in my following posts.

Attunement - Reiki Initiation 2

The day I was attuned, my mother-in-law, also my Guru asked me to wear something comfortable and keep my head clear of disturbing thoughts. This was important so that I could focus on the new task at hand. As you know, focus is extremely important in meditation. The room I was initiated in was well lit with natural light and was well-ventilated. There were candles burning in the corner of the room and I felt very relaxed. Next my Guru talked to me about what I can expect from Reiki and how I need to go about it. Once initiated, you need to carry out a ritual of 21 days where you practice regularly and also eat only Satvik food, i.e., you avoid smoking, alcohol, and non-vegetarian food. You can read more about it in my future post. 

Another important and interesting aspect of Reiki is that it does not come for free. It is a belief that Reiki should be given in exchange of a fee, it could be cash, gift, or kind. This is because people generally do not value things or experiences that they receive free of cost. Whenever there is a cost attached to something they tend to value it more. Thus, you should be prepared to pay the said fee and your respects to your Reiki Guru.

Coming back to my attunement: my Guru asked me sit on a chair and close my eyes. She asked me to keep my mind free from any thoughts and just focus on why I want Reiki and how I am going to use it. Here comes the next and one of the most important aspects of Reiki: Intent. Intent is extremely important in Reiki. It is through your intention to summon the life force energy into your body that you can actually heal. While I listened to her, I prepared my body and mind to transform into something it never was. My Guru touched my shoulders and within seconds I could feel her warm touch changing into strong vibrations in my body. As if something was steadily flowing from my shoulders through my hands and subsequently into my body. My eyes could see nothing but I could feel emotions so strong that I was almost about to cry. These were tears of joy, of sadness, and of burden that I never realized I had. It was as if every emotion or feeling from the deepest recesses of my heart and mind were being pulled out to relieve my soul and help it connect to something bigger. 

My cold heart and body felt warm and welcoming to my own self. Before the attunement I had always believed that I was super happy. Post attunement I realized I was wrong. This was real happiness. As I sat there feeling ecstatic, my Guru completed the process of attunement and announced that I have been initiated to the first degree. 

P.S. - The attunement process is different for everyone. It depends on your state of mind, your reasons for learning Reiki and on your Guru and their way of handling the Reiki process. My account of the attunement is specific to my case. When you go for your attunement, keep an open mind and follow your Guru's instructions well.

Attunement - Reiki Initiation - 1

Some people learn Reiki to heal their bodies and minds, others learn it to find a source of spiritual connection. I am going to be truthful with you. I learnt Reiki because I was just plain curious. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a hardcore cynic (or at least was) till Reiki transformed me into a more trusting and open-to-experience kind of a person. But I digress. I wanted to learn Reiki because I wanted to see if I could really learn the art of healing with my bare hands. It seemed pretty extraordinary to me. Being able to shoot out powerful healing vibrations was something that had never crossed my mind. By God's grace I found the opportunity to learn Reiki, that too from my mother-in-law, who happens to be a Reiki Master.

There are 3 levels in Reiki. The first degree, second degree, and then comes the Master degree. You will need to do one more course in addition to these 3 to become a Reiki Guru/Teacher, who can take students and teach them Reiki. I received my first degree in July 2011, in the holy city of Rishikesh. Every Reiki practitioner needs to be attuned by their Reiki Guru in order to be prepared for learning Reiki. By attuning the student the Reiki Guru opens up their inner energy channels and make them present to the healing power of Reiki. It is important to choose the right teacher for this process. You should be at peace and at ease with your Guru/ Teacher. Being open to the entire process and following the instructions to a T is also extremely important. Even though you might have your inhibitions about the process, you need to be open-minded and ready to learn in order to grasp this sacred art of healing, properly.

More on my attunement and transformation in my next post.

Reiki - My Experiences

Reiki, the universal life force energy, that enables you to heal yourself and others through touch and meditation. It has been 5 years since I started practicing Reiki. During this period I have witnessed a lot of positive changes in my life and in myself. Reiki has helped me mentally, physically, and emotionally. However, given the kind of cynical person I have always been, it was not easy for me to assimilate this sacred healing method instantly. Even though I could see it bring some much needed changes in my life, I preferred to find other explanations for these changes. But that soon changed. Now Reiki has my undivided faith and attention. I am Reiki 2nd degree practitioner and hope to get my Master degree soon.

Some of my friends are pretty curious about Reiki. They have asked me time and again to write about my experiences with Reiki. I gave it some thought and then realized...if Reiki could win over the cynic in me, maybe my experiences would be a good source for others to learn more about it. 

My following posts will be about my learning, feelings, thoughts and everything that I have experienced during my Reiki sessions. The experiences are nothing short of phenomenal. I will be writing about the methods and what you can expect when you introduce Reiki into your life. You may as well bookmark this blog to your fantasy reading list as the things I write might seem unreal.