Mikao Usui and B.K.S.Iyengar are two of the most influential people of the holistic healing world. After mediating on Mount Karuma for 21 days, Mikao founded Usui Reiki. B.K.S. Iyengar developed his own style of yoga and is one of the leading yoga gurus in the world. Both originators illuminated and preached that the body holds the solution. The only requirement of the student is to be connected enough to themselves to ask the questions.
Today, I’m here to assist you into asking the questions. All you need is your body and a bit of self love. I will guide you to find yoga postures that connect you with your seven main chakras. After settling into each posture, you ask THE question, “How do I feel?”
Let’s begin with Muladhara or your Root Chakra. This chakra is your foundation. It is found at the base of your spine and associated with the color red. A posture you can use to strengthen your connection with your root is Tadasana, or mountain pose. To the eye, this looks like a relaxed, inactive pose, but to build connection, you can strengthen your root by lifting your knee caps, tucking your tailbone, engaging your core, rolling your shoulder blades back and taking your chin out of your chest.
Close your eyes and breathe into the posture. Allow all things to arise. Did you feel strong, secure, confident ? This is your body's way of telling you that your root is aligned and flowing. Did you feel uneasy, distracted, unstable? This is your bodies way of asking you to investigate further into your root chakra and how it can be better loved. Repeat this process for the next 6 posture and chakras without any judgement.
Svadhisthana or Sacral: your pleasure center, creativity, emotions and your passions. Located beneath the navel and associated with the color orange, a posture aligned with this chakra is Kapotasana or pigeon pose. Starting on all fours, tap your right knee to your right elbow, drape the foot towards your opposite wrist and settle the hips. Your left hip, knee and toes all form a straight line for correct alignment. Close your eyes and breathe into the posture. Allow all things to arise. Repeat on the other side.
Your third chakra is your Solar Plexus also known in Sanskrit as Manipura. Your solar plexus is located between your belly button and base of the sternum. Associated with the color yellow and your sense of self, this chakra is also an intuition center, i.e. trusting your gut. A posture you can find to connect with this center is Bhujangasana or cobra pose. Make your way onto your belly, take the tops of your feet to meet the mat behind you, a bit wider than hips width. Your hands come under shoulders and you press through your palms as you inhale your top body off the mat, shining your heart space forward, keeping as deep or small of a bend into the elbows as feels comfortable. The straighter the arms, the more intense the backbend. Hold for 5 breaths. Observing how you feel.
Anahata or our Heart Chakra is the fourth chakra represented by the color green. It rules our relationship with self and others, love and our energy exchanges. A posture to breathe through to connect with the heart is dancers pose or Natarajasana. This is a posture that requires you to find balance on both the left and right side which aligns with the heart chakra because our heart governs giving and receiving. Standing tall, find your dristi or non moving focal point just above your line of sight. Shift your weight into the left foot as you kick your right heel into your glute. Take your time to reach your right hand inside the right foot, thumb pointing to the sky and you extend your left palm forward for a counter balance. To take it further, kick the foot into your hand as you lift the foot towards the ceiling, keeping your heart space lifted.
Our Throat Chakra or Vishuddha is next. Our fifth chakra is represented by the color blue and rules our self expression and communication. Ustrasana or camel pose is a backbend that opens up the entire front of the body and can also be used to connect to the heart chakra. Begin by sitting on the knees and tucking your toes. As you inhale, float the glutes above the heels so the knees, hips and shoulders align. Begin to take the hands to the low back, like your putting your hands in your back pockets and squeeze the shoulders blade together as you puff up through your heart. Allow for your head to drop back and open through your throat.
Another intuition center is our sixth chakra, Ajna or our Third Eye. This chakra governs our insight and imagination and is represented by the color indigo. Childs pose or Balasana can be found to deeper connect us with this intuition center. Inhaling onto your hands and knees, exhale as you slowly sit the glutes onto the heels. Stretch the finger tips forward and guide the sit bones to melt. Encourage the forehead to meet the ground, moving it side to side against the mat for further activation.
Finally, we find our 7th chakra, Sahasrara, our Crown. Your crown is responsible for your connection to spirit, wisdom and self. The final chakra is presented as violet or white. Finding tree pose or Vrikshasana allows us to grow into the connection with our crown. Standing tall, find your dristi as you step your weight into the left foot. Find stability as you float your right heel off the mat. Externally rotate your right hip and you place the soul of your right foot into the inner side of the left leg. Once in your balance, pull your hips forward and right knee back. Settle for a few breaths, then take this on the other side.
My hope after completing this exercise is that you find more connection to yourself. Release judgements and hold space for where you are at. If you would like guidance and for someone else to hold you, I am always around for reiki, yoga, tarot and all hair and makeup services.
Can’t wait to see you
Love, French
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