What are Chakras?

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning 'wheel' or 'turning' and is used to describe the energy centres within the etheric body (aura). We have seven main chakras and many other smaller ones each connected to an individual sound, light and colour. Chakras allow us to absorb and transmit energy into and out of our environment and the people and objects within it. This is why the mood of others can affect us so greatly and why we often feel drained or tired after being around highly-energetic equipment such as computers. They are connected to our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual planes.




For the body to heal and be in full health, our chakras must be balanced and in alignment. When a chakra is fully functioning, we describe it as being 'open' rather than 'underactive' or 'overactive'. Learning how to bring awareness to our chakra system and how to re-balance ourselves, allows us to have more control over our health and live life abundantly.




Over the next seven months, we will be exploring each chakra in detail and suggesting ways to bring balance and harmony to that particular chakra. Once you gain this understanding, it will give you endless insights into the way our environment and the people in it interact and influence one another.



So make sure you don't miss May's blog post where we will be exploring the first chakra, the Root chakra (Muladhara).

'What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meditative Reflection...

As part of my yoga teacher training course, we were asked to keep a meditation diary for 6 weeks to record and reflect on our experiences. It was a fascinating task and gave powerful results.

I originally found this 6-week diary quite a challenge and most of it was do with keeping a record of my thoughts and experiences of meditation, rather than the practice itself. Before embarking on this diary I was meditating at least four times a week and often daily but, by having to articulate how I felt about each meditation, I found myself wanting to meditate less. For the first two weeks I kept a written diary but for the rest of the time I decided simply to take note internally about how each practice was different as it then seemed less of a chore and more of a rewarding journey.

I began by trying both techniques suggested to us on the course and decided to stick with counting the breathe as I found my mind wandered less to general thoughts of past and future events. After a few sessions using this method, I decided to revert to the methods I had been using previously which seemed to suit my personality much better. These meditation methods included visualisation, simple breathing awareness and meditation to music. I found using just one technique restricted the creativity and versatility of meditation. I believe the meditation chosen should reflect the situation, time of day or desired outcome you want and, therefore, is constantly evolving.

On a much more positive note, I found that paying more attention to the way meditation affected me allowed me to move deeper into each practice and often left me feeling I had got more of the answers I was looking for. I had various experiences throughout the six weeks and have implemented many meditative skills into my daily life.

The most common and recurring experience I had whilst meditating was that of truly being and living in the ‘now’ and I have actually come to find this feeling rather addictive and productive. It is not uncommon for me to meditate on a particular problem or emotional state and very soon afterwards receive a phone call, email or epiphany that enables me to shift into a more positive way of being. Physically, I have felt very different after my meditations but always much more focused. This usually depends on the method I have used and how I felt before I began but nine times out of ten the physical feeling afterwards is exactly what I needed.

On some days meditation is much easier than others but I have created a visualisation that really helps me to let go of lingering thoughts. I imagine each thought as a word or image and encase it in a glistening, crystal-clear bubble then simply pop it with a pin and watch it burst along with the thought inside it. This allows me to acknowledge the thought but confidently release it. I usually need to do this a few times before falling into a deeper state of relaxation and the more frequently I meditate the less I need to do this.

As a holistic therapist, meditation comes hand in hand with my job as both the experience of giving and receiving a massage quietens the mind and encourages complete focus on the rhythms and vibrations within the body. Since exploring my meditation practice, I have noticed a deepening of my treatments and now feel I go through a kind of meditation during each treatment I give. This is hugely rewarding for me and has allowed me to understand my client’s blockages and work on a deeper energetic level.

Day to day I have been able to avoid potentially stressful situations by using conscious skills of observing thought patterns, being more present and breath awareness. I have also removed myself from negative environments and instead used these skills whilst exercising or being by the sea to clear my mind.

In the context of yoga, I feel that neither yoga nor meditation can be whole without the other. As pure meditation is about the mind and yoga is meditation of the body, I feel they are perfectly inter-related, so deepening my meditation practice has deepened my yoga practice and vice versa. I always do a mini-meditation before and after my physical yoga practice to focus my mind and draw awareness to my body. For me, the aim of each yoga practice is to maintain that meditative state throughout and only then can I truly progress and develop in both mind and body. To me, yoga in whatever form, is the ultimate meditation.
Looking back at this 6-week journey makes me realise that I got more out of it than was originally felt and it has taken me into a more conscious and reflective meditation practice, which I am looking forward to continuing and passing on to future students.

Why not try keeping a 6-week meditation diary yourself and see what answers you find?

Namaste.

Hot stone detox

I’m sure many of you have experienced a massage at some point in your life, maybe you were even given an indulgent gift voucher for your local spa this Christmas, but have you ever had or wondered about a hot stone massge? January is a great time to try hot stone therapy as it is a super detox massage with an abundance of other healing qualities that are often ignored.

Hot stones have been used for spiritual and physical balancing since 1500 BC and the benefits of thermal heat have been known and used for thousands of years. In 1993, hot stone massage was developed as an alternative therapy to offer a deeper form of massage that works on many different levels.

Hot stone therapy uses basalt stones (volcanic molten rock) which are excellent conductors of heat to massage and re-balance the mind, body and spirit. These basalt stones contain a powerful vibrational energy that assists the internal energy flow within the body and, as a result, directs energy to areas of blockage. As these energies move in and out of the body, negative energies are released and complete homeostasis is achieved when the body starts to facilitate self-healing and repair.

Physical benefits of hot stone therapy:
-Stimulates microcirculation and cell function promoting the rate of tissue repair
-Stimulates metabolism by 10-15% due to the rise in body temperature (great for clients wanting to lose weight)
-Effects last much longer than traditional massage, up to ten times longer
-Detoxifying
-Ten times deeper than traditional massages
-Stimulates the lymphatic system to eliminate toxins

Psychological benefits of hot stone therapy:
-Creates total well-being
-Dissolves stress
-Restores emotional balance
-Nurturing

During a treatment hot stone placement is used to re-align the chakras and concentrate on specific areas of blockage, while additional stones are used to massage the body. To get the most out of this treatment the body must be treated holistically and, therefore, at least one hour is usually needed.

As a therapist this is one of my favourite treatments to give as it can have such a powerful effect on clients and can tell me so much about blockages within the body. If you are intrigued and want to experience this wonderful therapy make sure you choose a therapist who understands the treatment fully and is passionate about its effects. Why not use this post to share your thoughts and recommendations of your own hot stone therapy experiences, they can be truly inspiring.

Here’s to a happy, healthy and exciting 2010!

Kirsty x