“FOR THE CHAKRAS”
In the last article I spoke about the healing benefits of Reiki and how it works with our energy and balancing of our chakras. There are also methods of healing that can be applied towards balancing the chakras. For the purpose of this article, I would like to discuss the benefits of “Sound Bowl Healing” for the chakras.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means wheel, cycle or disk. These spinning disks of energy within the human body regulate us emotionally, physically and mentally and play an important part of our health. This age-old belief has become integrated into many New Age styles of thought towards holistic healing.
You've probably heard people talk about "unblocking" their chakras, which refers to the idea that when all of our chakras are open, energy can run through them freely, and harmony exists between the physical body, mind, and spirit
There are seven main chakras situated along the spine, from the base of your spine to the crown of your head. They are energy centers that control the flow of energy in and out of the body. These centers of energy are connected to our physical body through the spinal column and link us to the subtle energy fields that surround us. Excesses or deficiencies in each chakra will indicate where the body is out of balance. These imbalances can manifest in the form of physical aches and pains or illness or in an emotional imbalance such as anxiety or an addiction. Sound can be an effective way to improve the flow of energy in the body and restore the proper balance to each chakra.
There are different instruments for creating sound waves for unblocking and balancing the chakra centers. These included gongs, singing bowls (Tibetan Bowls or Quartz Crystal Bowls), percussion, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, and even the human voice itself. The session is conducted as what is called a “Sound Bath”. You might imagine you will be emerged in water, however there is no water involved. In general, a sound bath is a meditative experience where those in attendance are “bathed” in sound waves. Basically, everything in the universe has vibration. Our bodies vibrate at sound frequencies as well. Sound vibrates and travels easier through water and as our bodies are 70% water, sounds and vibrations in our environment effect every cell.
- What happens to your body during a sound bath?
The instruments used almost always produce deep, overlapping vibrations. A provider trained in sound bath techniques plays the music. A sound bath is typically a way of managing anxiety, soothing the nervous system. This brings healing at a mental, emotional, and physical level. You may feel mental or physical sensations as the sounds vibrate through your body.
- What to expect during a sound bath session?
The practitioner may ask you to lay on a yoga mat or with something comfortable under your head (a cushion perhaps). You may be asked whether you would like a blanket, as when we are comfortable and in a meditative state of mind, our bodies temperature might lower. You will then be asked to focus on your breath for a few minutes and guide you to a state of relaxation. At this time the chosen instruments will be played. The sounds come over your body and mind allowing you to enter a deeper state of relaxation and consciousness, as you would during meditation. You disconnect from outer stimuli and dive inward to find your quiet and connective space. During the session, emotions from past experiences may be release from the core level and may bring on joy as well as sadness. You could also just reach a calm and restful place and not bring up any emotions on the first session.
- What are the benefits of a sound bath?
You can find reduction in pain, anxiety, stress, sadness, and tension. The brainwave state is altered from normal waking state (beta) to relaxed state (alpha), dreamlike state (theta), and even restorative state (delta). As the mind and body relax, the heart rate and blood pressure decrease, and our breathing become deeper. It is in this state that deep healing can occur. We are able to release toxins, have better sleep, and strengthening of immune system. The blockages that are removed in these energy centers of chakras when the balance is restored has a psychological effect as well and can help with behavioral issues.
- How do you prepare for a sound bath?
There is not special preparation for a sound bath. Wear comfortable clothes, hydrate, and eat light.
- How long does a session last?
A session can last anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
The chakras are categorized as follows:
Crown – 7th chakra
Third Eye – 6th chakra
Throat – 5th chakra
Heart – 4th chakra
Solar Plex – 3rd chakra
Sacral – 2nd chakra
Root – 1st chakra
The chakras are represented by symbols and colors as follows:
An unbalanced chakra can affect you physically, emotionally, psychologically, and even spiritually. Each chakra connects to the energy in each of these areas.
- ROOT:
Represents – Safety, security, stability, and foundation
Unbalanced – Scattered, energies, anxiety, fear, and instability
- SACRAL:
Represents - Creative and sexual energies
Unbalanced - Lake of repressed creativity, sexual dysfunction, withheld intimacy and emotional isolation
- SOLAR PLEX:
Represents - Self-esteem, pleasure, will-power, and personal responsibility
Unbalanced - Low self-esteem, control issues, manipulation tendencies and misuse of power
- HEART:
Represents - Love, self-love, and governs our relationships
Unbalanced: Excessive isolation, unforgiveness, depression, jealously, fear of intimacy and being overly defensive
- THROAT:
Represents - The ability to communicate effectively and clearly
Unbalanced - Shyness, withdrawal, arrogance and increased anxiety
- THIRD EYE:
Represents - Intuition, foresight, and is driven by openness, and imagination
Unbalanced – Lack of direction. Feeling clarity and feeling stuck
- CROWN:
Represents – States of higher conciseness and divine connection
Unbalanced – Cynicism, disregarding what is sacred, closed mindedness, and disconnection with spirit
Yes. Chakras are electromagnetic vortexes produced by the firing of nerve plexus. Any electrical field that exists for any length of time produces a magnetic field. Nerves do not fire continuously or in sequence. They fire as they are stimulated. This causes the electromagnetic field that they produce to twist, wobble and eventually turn. Chakras are essentially torsioned electromagnetic fields. And yes you can measure them. - Melinda Conor, Research Scientist Holistic Health
Please feel free to share any comments. I would greatly appreciate them and would love to hear from you on our blog. Any more personal questions are always welcome though my email yogafortheself@yahoo.com, Facebook at yogafortheself and through Instagram @yogafortheself
Namaste & Shanti
