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What Is Chakra Meditation And How Will It Complement My Yoga Meditations?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat are the seven chakras and where do they come from?
Chakra meditation theory and purpose vary depending on who you talk to. I have compiled this list
from various sources so as to be representative of a general consensus view point.
In many schools of meditative thought, each chakra is also associated with a certain color, starting
with red at the base and going in rainbow order up through indigo at the crown.
I have chosen not to tell you what color to visualize your chakras as being. Different
people have different associations with a given color. Choose the color that feels right to you.
1) The lowest chakra, the "root chakra," is located in the perinium (between the genitals and the anus)
or at the base of the spine and it corresponds to survival, stability, self-sufficiency;
it is our foundation and physical health.
In our modern age, this chakra could correspond to not just having food and water, but also a
consistent stream of income, financial stability, and a safe home life.
2) The second chakra is in the lower abdomen between the belly button and pelvic bone. It
corresponds to sexuality, creativity, relationships, emotions. Problems in this chakra
could be represented by moodiness or mercurial emotions - try to limit the flow of energy
through this chakra if you're experiencing extreme emotions. If you feel a lack of ability
to connect with people or to experience your own creativity, try to open the flow of energy.
3) The third chakra is located in the stomach between the bottom of the ribs and the belly
button. It corresponds to self esteem, personal power, willfullness and energy. Too much
energy flowing through this chakra could lead to over-work or pouring yourself into projects
that don't produce the desired results. Look for balance and sound decision-making regarding
your activities to indicate health in this area.
4) The fourth chakra is located in the chest, near the heart. It corresponds to love, trust
compassion and acceptance. Do you give love to others joyfully? Can you graciously
accept the love of your friends, family and romantic partners into your life? If not, it
may point to concerns with this chakra.
5) The fifth chakra is in the throat. It corresponds to expression, faith and communication.
How well are you able to express yourself to others, especially via words? Can you share
your feelings or talk in front of a group? If you are overly talkative or shy in certain settings
it may point to problems in this area.
6) The sixth chakra is on your forehead between your eyebrows. It corresponds to intuition and intelligence.
Traditionally it also corresponds to spirituality, psychic ability and the mystical "third eye." If you have
trouble focusing on a thought and keeping track of your ideas OR if you are closed minded
and can't see things from another's point of view, consider working on this, your "brow" chakra.
7) The seventh chakra is on the crown of your head and corresponds to devotion, selflessness, spiritual enlightenment.
When this chakra is healthy, you may feel that you can rise above all your problems so
that you can deal with them appropriately without being "brought down" by them. You may
also feel like you are in touch with the divine forces in the world, the collective unconscious,
or what you think of as God and Heaven. Unhappiness, isolation
or unwise decisions can be symptoms of lack of health in this chakra.
Click here to read more Chakra Meditation Techniques.
Make Use of Yoga Meditation DVDs for Learning Yoga Meditation Poses
Posted by: | CommentsDo you desire to master yoga meditation poses? A yoga meditation DVD can help you. There is no shortage of yoga meditation DVDs today. These DVDs teach people how to execute the various yoga meditation poses that are appropriate for their body and offer benefits to their general health.
If you are concerned that you're either very young or too old to learn and do yoga meditation poses, there really is no need for concern. Tots, seniors and people in between can practice yoga meditation. Many yoga meditation experts have their own DVDs to show how to execute the various yoga positions correctly. When you are looking for a DVD on yoga meditation poses, don't rush; take your time going over your options.
DVDs for Beginners in Yoga Meditation Poses
If you're completely new to yoga meditation, it's best to shop for yoga meditation DVDs particularly created for novices. Skip the intermediate and advanced DVDs at this time as it's crucial that you master the fundamentals first. When you have mastered the basic yoga meditation poses, that's the time to go on to learn the harder poses. There are DVDs on yoga meditation pose skill levels so check these out as you progress in your yoga skills.
People who purchase yoga meditation pose DVDs do so with the aim of improving their performance when they're playing their sport. They tend to do the yoga poses the day or the morning prior to their game. Muscle flexibility is one of the benefits that can be derived from doing yoga meditation poses. A lot of athletes have found that they are less likely to become injured during play if they regularly do yoga poses. If you participate in a sport, you can use yoga meditation poses to help you prepare for your games. The length of your yoga meditation pose session is based on what kind of sport you're in and how intensive the movements required are.
DVDs on Yoga Meditation Poses Can Help Improve Your Health
People from various life stages use yoga meditation pose DVDs and a lot of them do so because they want to improve their mobility and overall health. Many parents decide to buy yoga meditation pose DVDs so they and their children can do yoga meditation together and help them make more flexible and relaxed. Because yoga meditation is low-impact and low-intensity, it is something that even seniors can do. With the help of a yoga meditation pose DVD, seniors can regain their balance and build up their strength.
Essentially, anyone can experience the benefits of practicing yoga meditation poses regularly. Try some yoga meditation techniques if you desire to achieve a toned and well-shaped body. A lot of yoga meditation DVDs feature yoga poses that will provide you a whole body workout.
Natural Medicine For Low Back Pain And Leg Pain
Posted by: | CommentsLow back pain doesn't happen overnight and once understood, can resolve quicker than you realize. We have to look at our lifestyle, nutrition, how we think & feel, etc. to unravel the condition. You could take a pain reliever but still the underlying imbalance will be there after the relief is gone. The key word for low back pain is DEFICIENCY.
Contributing Environment: Our work and personal life may be stressing us out to the degree that our circulation is constricted not allowing nutrients to feed our organs and toxins to be eliminated. Our food choices in America are too rich, filled with processed, empty nutrients, preservatives, pesticides, hormones, unless you know the verifiable source. This generation endures more stress, changes and emotions keeping us up later and/or deep sleep is not achieved. The result is we lack the necessary energy or life force to be our best. This further makes us irritable in our relationships which worsens all the scenarios described before.
As we break down our energy, immunity and support, our self image and esteem parallels our internal organs ability to weather the challenge. In particular our kidneys and adrenals become weakened or deficient requiring us to take back what has been given up to regain our essence, vitality, our quality of life.
To begin, we need to construct successful strategies in the areas of nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle. This resource is designed to provide some winning solutions so you can quickly re-engage living rather than aging or dying too soon.
The source of deficiency stems from 4 main areas:
- LEFT KIDNEY DEFICIENCY
- RIGHT KIDNEY DEFICIENCY
- KIDNEY ENERGY DEFICIENCY
- EXTREME CHRONIC FATIGUE
FOOD THERAPY: LOW BACK PAIN
This issue may involve not only low back pain but also sciatic pain complicated by other syndromes such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Epstein Barr, etc. Below are the 4 main causes of pain in the low back and leg weakness.
There are several categories based on Chinese medicine nutrition and Traditional Chinese herbs that support and correct low back pain:
LEFT KIDNEY (yin) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: Heat symptoms, dizziness, ringing in the ears, dry throat, dry mouth, fever, low backache, weak legs, involuntary seminal emission, spontaneous sweating, red tongue, emaciation, deep shiny red tongue
Foods: millet, barley, tofu, string bean, black bean, black soy bean, mung bean, mung bean sprouts, kidney bean, azuki bean, and most other beans, kuzu root, watermelon and most others, blackberry, mulberry, blueberry, huckleberry, water chestnut, wheat germ, potato, seaweeds, spirulina, chlorella, black sesame seed, sardine, crab, clam, eggs, pork, cheese
Herbs: marshmallow root, rehmannia root, Asparagus root, aloe vera gel, colloidal silver (If the constitution is cold and/or most or low back & sciatic is cold and/or moist then choose from the groups below)
RIGHT KIDNEY (yang) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: cold signs or aversion to cold, cold extremities, pale complexion, weak knees and low er back, mental lethargy, lack of libido or sexual desire, depression, irregular menses, clear vaginal discharge, sterility, frequent urination, clear urine, inability to urinate, edema, asthma, lack of will power, lack of direction, enlarged pale tongue, appears inactive, indecisive, unproductive
Foods: walnuts, black beans, onion family (onion, garlic, chives, scallions, leeks), quinoa, chicken, lamb, trout, salmon
Spices: cloves, fenugreek, fennel seeds, dried ginger
Avoid cooling foods, fruit, raw foods, excessive salt, use seaweed cautiously.
KIDNEY ENERGY (qi) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: low energy, low back pain, weak knees, pale tongue, minor cold signs, frequent urination, incontinence, inability to urinate, dribbling, involuntary seminal emission, other seminal/urinary problems.
Foods: wheat berry, sweet rice, parsley
Herbs: rose hips, oyster shell, clam shell, schizandra berry, raspberry and blackberry leaves, gravel root
EXTREME CHRONIC FATIGUE (Jing Deficiency):
Characteristics: dizziness, ringing in ears, loose teeth, loss of head hair, painful knees and lower back
Food: micro-algae (chlorella, spirulina, wild blue-green), fish, liver, kidney, brain, bone and its marrow, human placenta, cereal grasses, wheat grass,solomon seal, almonds, ghee (clarified butter), goat's milk, nettle leaves, royal jelly, bee pollen, Doddler seeds, millet, wheat, black sesame seeds, soybeans, chestnuts, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries, seitan, walnuts
Herbs: deer antler, deer horn velvet, Deer Placenta, Lycium fruit, Polygonum multiflorum root, Eucommia bark, Dendrobium stem, Cinnamon bark, white ginseng, semen cuscutae, astragali seed (complanati), cordyceps, astragalus, codonopsis, reishi, morinda, eleuthero root, paeonia , gambir, gecko, cibot rhizome, tianshan snow lotus, tibet carthami
For final decision on which foods to choose for your condition, please consult a trained master herbalist with in-depth knowledge of Traditional Chinese herbs and food therapy, American herbology and other nutritional systems.
Mark Hammer C.M.H., Master Herbalist Longevity Mountain 5/09
Sources:
Bensky & Barolet, "Formulas & Strategies" 1990
Paul Pitchford, "Healing With Whole Foods", 3rd Edition
Chakra Meditation Techniques
Posted by: | CommentsTo begin using any chakra meditation technique, it helps to have a background knowledge of what the seven chakras are, where they are located and what areas and functions of the body they affect.
It is said that your energy can not flow through to the higher chakras until the health and energy of the lower
chakras is in proper balance. If the individual mediator has any emotional or physical blockages pertaining to the lower chakras, he should focus on visualizing these being cleared or released before attempting to meditate upon the activation of the higher chakras.
In this chakra meditation technique, you may decide only to focus your meditation on the lowest chakras at first. In fact, you may decide to only focus on the first chakra for your first several days or weeks of this practice. It is up to you to decide
when you feel like moving on to focusing on higher chakras.
In any given meditation session, it is important to meditatively "activate" the lowest chakra first and work your way up. Don't feel pressed to meditate on all the chakras during any one meditative session. Better to listen to your mind and body and only
work up through as many chakras as you feel appropriate for that time. It may take you some time of sustained work on this practice before it feels right to go all the way up the line activating every chakra in a single session of meditation.
To begin your meditation, find a comfortable meditation position where you can sit with your back relatively straight and your palms facing upwards. There are two lesser chakras on your palms which will be open to energy flow if they are facing up.
Focus on achieving a relaxed state through counting breaths, repeating a mantra, visualizing a candle, or just emptying your mind.
Step One: When you are ready, begin to focus on the base chakra. Visualize it glowing faintly with
whatever color you associate with it. As you visualize it glowing with visible colored
light energy, see the intensity of the light getting stronger and stronger. Eventually
the light broadcasts out from the chakra and bathes the rest of your body in it's light.
Everywhere the light touches feels very happy and healthy. The light is like a magical
elixir - balancing and healing whatever it touches. Let the light shine upward touching
upon the other un-illuminated chakras and the rest of the inside of your body. Focus on
the feeling that the light shining out of the chakra brings with its healthy glow.
Step Two: If you choose to proceed, because you feel like your base chakra is very healthy
and in balance, leave it turned on and move up through your body to your next chakra beneath your belly button. Examine it, bathed in light from the first chakra and watch it
as it gradually starts to glow with a color of its own. At first it is just shining with
this color, but gradually, as you watch, it begins to illuminate your body with a beam
of its own color. This beam of healthy energy gradually broadens and diffuses so that
your body is now bathed in the light of both the base chakra and the navel chakra. Focus
on the feeling of health and energy exuded by the light.
If you choose to proceed, gradually work your way up the body, "activating" each chakra
and letting its light shine upward through the body. Leave each lower chakra turned "on"
as you illuminate the chakra above it. Eventually, you will illuminate the crown chakra
whose light will shine up out the top of your head, connecting you to the health, love
and abundance offered by the spiritual beyond.
After you have illuminated all the chakras that seem correct, work your way back down the
body, turning off the chakra energy, before you end your chakra meditation.
Step Three: Focus on the light from the uppermost chakra that you have activated. Look up through your body which is
illuminated by the chakra's light, noticing the energy and peacefulness brought by that light.
Now focus on the shining chakra again, and as you watch, see it's light gradually fade
out - the energy is being consumed and contained by the chakra. Let the light dim and the
healing energy from the light be absorbed by the chakra. Soon the chakra is dark to
the outside observer but full of healthy energy on the inside. Focus on the chakra to make
sure that it has fully contained its light energy and will remain "off" until you activate
it again in your next session.
Proceed down through the body, "turning off" each chakra and making sure it stays off, before going down to the next.
This concludes the explanation of the chakra meditation technique. If you have
any questions, please supplement your understanding by reading about the seven chakras.