Last night I took a journey through my body, through guided meditation. I always find that meditation helps me to sleep soundly. Sitting or lying in quiet and stillness activates the parasympathetic nervous system and quiets sympathetic nervous response. This particular guided meditation I listened to offered imagery of the body's seven energy centers as colors of the rainbow. This audio clip did not refer to to them as such, but I know these energy centers as the primary CHAKRAS in the body. In my work as a Reiki practitioner and as a Yoga teacher as well, I have studied the Chakra system to some depth and am always willing to go deeper. The meditation gave a nice description of the colors representing the different chakras, a short description of what each energy center, or chakra means, and an affirmation to go along with it. The narrator had a little bit different take on what each chakra represented than I had heard before, so I was able to broaden my definition and understanding of the system.
The chakra system in a nut shell...
1st (Root) chakra- base of spine- red- grounding, masculine sexuality
2nd chakra- lower abdomen- orange - centering, feminine sexuality
3rd chakra- diaphragm- yellow- feeling loved, powerful
4th chakra- heart- green- giving love, kindness
5th chakra- throat- aqua blue- willpower, creativity, communication
6th chakra- forehead- indigo blue- balance, visionary, wisdom
7th (Crown) chakra- top of head- violet- universal connection
Guided meditations are excellent tools for teaching people who are new to meditation how to meditate. I like to use guided meditations to help me stay present when meditating. The mind wanders less when there is a point of focus. For those of you who would like some help with getting into a routine, I would recommend the Chopra Center 21 Day Meditation Challenge. It is a great way to learn different techniques and styles of meditation and really helps to keep you consistent. I’ve done it a couple of rounds.
Peace Be With You,
Tonia
Tonya,
ReplyDeleteI like how you have incorporated the Charka system into your guided meditation for people who are new to meditation. I agree it helps keep a point of focus for them.
I have found for basic meditation, vipassana meditation technique is a good tool. It has a focus on the breath where it enters and exits the nostrals. It is a practice of becoming mindful; self transformation through observation. As one learns to let the mind flow without attatching to any of the thoughts passing through, more inner clarity is gained. One can just observe the thoughts much like watching a ticker tape pass by. Should mind chatter and distraction happen, it is simple to instruct the student to refocus on the breath.
Combined with yoga, it becomes a potent doorway to understanding the true nature of our selves and of the world. This brings in body sensations and awareness of body, mind and emotions. As students learn where energy blocks are, they can relate them to the chakra system and take their learning to a deeper understanding of self.
I like the way you want to keep things simple for new people yet provide them with things that will enhance their understanding of self. Thank you for posting that.