chakra

Yoga and Chakras – The Fourth Chakra Anahata “The Heart Chakra”

| kukhahnyoga

The 4th Chakra - Heart Chakra AnahataThe Anhata Chakra is the 4th of the 7 yoga chakrasand means “Unstruck Sound”. The 4th Chakra is the Heart Chakra.

The heart chakra the color is green, and sometimes pink, the symbol is a circular flower with twelve green petals. Inside of the circle are two overlapping triangles which represent the union of male and female.

When the heart chakra is balanced we radiate divine love and feel deeply connected to others. The 4th Chakra represents unconditional love for ourselves and others.This chakra connects the bottom three chakras to the upper three taking us from our basic needs and animal nature to our divine and spiritual nature. Those with open heart chakras have a highly developed sense of touch. Their peaceful energy and compassionate touch are very healing to those around them.

Heart Chakra Body Parts:

  • Heart
  • Ribcage
  • Shoulders
  • Arms
  • Wrists
  • Hands
  • Circulatory System
  • Thymus
  • Endocrine System
  • Asthma
  • Breast
  • Heart Attacks

Things That Throw The 4th Chakra Out Of Balance

  • Heartbreak
  • Abandonment (particularly as a child)
  • Envy
  • Despair
  • Fear
  • Anger
  • Feeling Unloved
  • Neglect
  • Abuse
  • Rejection
Open Heart Chakra Traits
  • Balance
  • Harmony
  • Openness
  • Forgiveness
  • Compassion
  • Acceptance
  • Contentment
  • Understanding
  • Oneness with Life
  • Group Consciousness
  • Divine Unconditional Love
  • Peace
  • Devotion
  • Passion
  • Self-Acceptance
Blocked Heart Chakra Traits
  • Fear (Fear of emotional loss)
  • Envy
  • Hatred
  • Jealousy
  • Inability to feel compassion for others

Backbends Are Paticularly Good For The Heart Chakra.

Backbends will be paticullary difficult for those with blocked heart chakras as they feel unsafe. A blocked 4th Chakra manifest as an inability to open up and be vulnerbale in the area of the heart. Obviously, backbends require a total surrender in the area of the heart.
I would like to note that the third chakra supports the 4th chakra here providing the strength to let go in a safe way. People without the support of the third chakra will bend until they break. They often lack personal boundaries. The focus here is on opening the area around the heart. Mobilizing the upper back and opening the front of the chest are crucial.
Special attention should be brought to opening the hip flexors, psoas and thighs (2nd Chakra stuff) as well so as not to hinge in the lower spine in an attempt to backbend.


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Hip Opening, Sex and The 2nd Chakra

| kukhahnyoga

Sex, Hips and the 2nd chakraYoga Sequence for the Second Chakra. The Sacral Chakra Relates to The Hips, Sex, Sensuality, Relationships,Power, Money, and Creativity.

The 2nd Chakra is often called the body chakra because it is where you connect with the physical body through your senses. Located below the navel the sacral chakra is the chakra of sensuality, pleasure and sexuality. It governs how we choose our relationships and partnerships with others. When unblocked it magnetically draws others towards us. Since the Second chakra also governs our creative abilities when unblocked our creative energy flows effortlessly. The struggle for power and obsession with money are no longer distractions and finances are approached in a respectful and balanced manner.

Sounds pretty good right?

So, how does ones Sacral chakra become blocked?

Life happens!

Guilt and shame associated with sex, sexual abuse, sexual repression, being denied creative self-expression are all examples of how we can develop blockages early on. For all of these circumstances we develop a coping strategy.

Over time our coping patterns become stuck in the tissues of our body and mind.

Anchored deep within the confines of our psyche and body we re-express our pain in ways we are not even consciously aware of. Unfortunately the structures of defense we have built around us meant to protect us from future harm only block us from reaching our true potential.

Like a budding plant being choked out by rocks, at some point we can no longer grow holding up the weight of our own armor. The very thing meant to protect us eventually pushes us under.

Have you ever gotten misty eyed during a deep hip opener?

When you release tension in the hips often a lot of emotion comes pouring out and you may not even realize where it’s coming from.

This phenomenon is nothing new, as our bodies release trauma from the sacral chakra we will on some level re-experience it. Don’t be alarmed or try to suppress it, just let it flow. This too shall pass.

Hip openers will bring to the surface feelings connected to long-buried fears past hurts and disappointments.

You may feel frustrated, sad, hurt and vulnerable all over again.The fact is your body is reprocessing the same way you might try to process things that happened in your past with a therapist. In this case the therapy is happening on a cellular level rather than a mental level.

Are you feeling blocked in your creativity? The second chakra is governs the area of creation and creativity. When blocked we are unable to share our creative gifts with the outside world.

What about your sex life? If your sex life feels out of balance is an indicator of a second chakra that is out of balance as well. Financial issues are also linked to your second chakra so if you are experiencing problems with money balancing this chakra could be of help.

I am not suggesting miracles here. Doing pigeon for 20 minutes a day isn’t going to make Mr. Right materialize on your doorstep with a dozen roses nor will it guarantee you make a million dollars.

This sequence for the second chakra will release pent-up tension in the hips, pelvis and thighs. 

There are no quick fixes. However, try this yoga sequence and see what starts to shift for you. Be ready to deal with whatever may bubble to the surface, you may be surprised at what comes up.

Warm up with 3-5 rounds of Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation C

Low Lunge

Frog

Baddha Konasana

Half Hero

Hanumanasana

Pigeon

Double Pigeon

Savasana (5-10 minutes)

Happy Hip Opening Yogis!

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Manipura: 8 Types Of Yoga Poses To Strengthen Your Third Chakra

| kukhahnyoga

Third Chakra- Manipura 8 Types Of Yoga Poses To Strengthen Your Third Chakra

The third chakra (manipura chakra meaning “lustrous jewel”) is the seat of personal power within the body because this is the chakra of  life force. It is imperative that we strengthen this chakra if we want to manifest our own unique divine gifts in this lifetime. Without the strength cultivated in the third chakra all of the creativity flowing from the second chakra is of little use. The third chakra gives us the courage to put ourselves out there so to speak.

How can we strengthen the third chakra you ask? Yoga of course! Blockage manifests as anger or a sense of victimization.

Color: Yellow

Location: The Navel

When Manipura the third chakra is balanced we feel at peace, energetic, fearless and free of the destructive tendencies of other people. It is in Manipura chakra that we really free ourselves from our illusion and our complexes. When balanced we take full responsibility for our life. We feel a strong sense of self-worth and positive self value. There is confidence in making decisions because there is a feeling of being in control over our life.

Manipura the third chakra rules the organs of digestion which includes the abdomen, upper intestines liver, adrenals, gallbladder kidneys and pancreas.

When Manipura chakra is out of balance some of the physical dysfunctions people may experience are difficulty with digestion, liver dysfunction, anorexia or bulimia, colon/intestinal problems, and stomach ulcers.

Yoga Poses for Manipura The Third Chakra:

1. Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutation) A and B

2. All Abdominal Strengtheners

3. Navasana (Boat Pose)

4. Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)

5. Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Leg Lifts)

6. Warrior poses (Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Warrior 3, Reverse Warrior, Crescent)

7. Twists

8. Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath or Breath of Fire).

Imbalances In Third Chakra Manifest As…

  • Eating disorders
  • Low self-esteem
  • Difficulty in making decisions
  • Obsession with power
  • Control issues
  • Anger
  • Need for power and recognition
  • Need for approval
  • Stress
  • Frustration
  • Fear of responsibility
  • Guilt
  • Worry
  • Doubt
  • Self esteem
  • Commitment issues

A balanced third chakra manifests as having a solid self-esteem, feelings of purpose, having healthy self-respect, being ambitious, and self-motivated. With a healthy navel chakra we are full of energy, efficiency and spontaneity without being dominating.

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What is Your Prominent Chakra? A Yoga Quiz (and my results)

| kukhahnyoga

The 7 yoga chakrasHere is a pretty cool (and long) quiz to determine what chakra is the most open. I think these are fun, and apparently you all do as well! Click HERE to take the quiz!

You Scored as Sahasrara (Crown of Head/Conciousness/Beliefs)The seventh chakra, named Sahasrara, is located at the crown of the head. It is the gateway to the universal energy and a spiritual life. The color of this chakra is white, or iridescent, integrating all the colors of the other six chakras. The element of this chakra is thought. Thought is used as a vehicle for increasing the levels of self-awareness and conciousness. In the seventh chakra, all the aspects of the spiritual being are integrated. By increasing one’s awareness of the power of the mind, one becomes more concious of who they are and how they create an open channel to connect with spiritual energy. The seventh chakra is about being open, expansive, present, and embracing the web of the universe. It is here that one opens to the experience of the meaning of spiritual bliss.

Sahasrara (Crown of Head/Conciousness/Beliefs)
99%
Svadhisthana (Sacral/Desire/Creativity)
91%
Muladhara (Root /Survial/Attitude)
91%
Anahata (Heart/Relationships/Love)
88%
Vishuddha (Throat/Communication/Creativity)
85%
Ajna (Forehead/Third Eye/Intuition)
76%
Manipura (Solar Plexus/Personal Power)
74%
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7 Kundalini Yoga Postures to Clear the Chakras (via Blogs on topics which I find interesting)

| kukhahnyoga

chakras and glandsI missed going to my Kundalini class this week and find myself missing it already. Here is a cool post which gives you a pose for each energy center of the body! Enjoy!

7 Kundalini Yoga Postures to Clear the Chakras “Men of great knowledge actually found out about the chakras – their workings, their petals, their sounds, their infinity, their co-relationship, their powers. They found that the life of a human is totally based on these chakras. They developed into a whole science. This total science gave birth to Kundalini Yoga. That is how Kundalini Yoga was born.” – Yogi Bhajan The human body is a complex system encompassing vast energy systems that are not … Read More

via Blogs on topics which I find interesting

Yoga and the Chakras–Svādhiṣṭhāna: The 2nd Chakra “Dwelling Place of the Self”

| kukhahnyoga

Yantra for the Second Chakra Chakra Two: स्वाधिष्ठान, Svādhiṣṭhāna
Yantra for the Second Chakra Chakra Two: स्वाधिष्ठान, Svādhiṣṭhāna

Meaning of Svādhiṣṭhāna: “Dwelling Place of the Self”

2nd Chakra Location: The lower abdomen, about an inch below the navel.

The organs/glands/parts of the body associated with this chakra are:

  • Reproductive organs
  • All liquids in the body – the circulation of blood, urine, menstruation, tears
  • Hips, sacrum, low back
  • Kidneys
  • stomach
  • upper intestines
  • liver
  • gallbladder
  • kidney
  • pancreas
  • adrenal glands
  • spleen
  • middle spine

2nd chakra Element: Water

Ideally this chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, creativity and is also associated with procreation. It  governs desire, and the sexual, creative, emotional and sensual aspects of our being. When in balance we have relaxed and positive views towards sex and involve ourselves in responsible relationships. We are creative and fulfilled in our creative endeavours.

Since the 2nd chakra influences the sexual organs and the functions associated with this center are emotion, vitality, fertility, reproduction, and sexual energy in general. Likewise, any problems in these functions can be identified and resolved through this chakra.

When out of balance…

The emotion associated with the 2nd chakra is passion. If you grew up in an environment where emotions were repressed or denied, this chakra may be deficient. Some signs of deficiency are fear of pleasure, being out of touch with one’s feelings and resistance to change.

  • rigid emotions
  • frigidity
  • guilt
  • poor boundaries
  • irresponsible
  • problem relationships.
  • overly emotional behavior
  • sexual addiction
  • blame
  • guilt
  • money issues
  • sex issues
  • power struggles
  • lack of control
  • lack of creativity
  • lack of morality

Things that can cause an imbalance in the 2nd chakra:

  • A constant need for pleasurable stimulation, such as entertaining or partying.
  • Drugs, alchol
  • Frequent emotional drama
  • focusing only on sensual stimuli

2nd chakra sense: taste

Foods that Fuel Your Sacral Chakras

  • Sweet fruits: melons, mangos, strawberries, passion fruit, oranges, coconut, etc.
  • Honey
  • Nuts: almonds, walnuts, etc.
  • Spices: cinnamon, vanilla, carob, sweet paprika, sesame seeds, caraway seeds

Sacral Chakra Stones

  • Carnelian
  • Garnet
  • Moonstone
  • Tiger’s Eye

Sacral Chakra Colour: Orange.

Orange is a high energy and very stimulating! Orange is a great colour for playfulness and creativity. The vibrational energy is sexual too, not surprising since orange is associated with the sacral chakra. Because of its highly charged intensity some people cannot comfortably wear this color. This colour also shows playfulness and creativity and an be worn as can accent if someone is timid about wearing it head to toe.

Yoga + The Chakras: Your Chakra Test (And What Mine Said)

| kukhahnyoga

 

A fun yoga quiz that tests which chakras are in balance.

Chakras and how you know which ones are working/not working is beyond my scope of expertise however I did find this really entertaining, interesting and possibly pretty true chakra test online the other day and thought I would share it with you guys. Take this chakra and see for yourself.

The Chakra Test

My results

Root: open (38%)
Sacral: open (50%)
Navel: open (38%)
Heart: open (56%)
Throat: open (63%)
Third Eye: open (69%)
Crown: open (50%)

Of course I do not know how correct this test is, however it is fun, and I thought mine was enlightening in and fairly true. See for yourself, but most importantly do it for fun and don’t take it too seriously if you find out that your chakras are imbalanced as I do not think that was the intention behind it.

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