Chakras

Chakras are the sacred centers within that carry us on our journey toward greater awareness and aliveness. As the architecture of the soul, they provide an important map for our wholeness and transformation, both personally and globally. As an ancient spiritual system, they show the path to enlightenment and integration. The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body that correspond to nerve ganglia branching out from the spinal column, as well as states of consciousness, developmental stages of life, archetypal elements, body functions, colors, sounds, and much, much more. Together they form a profound formula for wholeness and a template for transformation.

Muladhara Chakra Meditation: Bring your attention to the perineum, the flat space between the anus and the genital area. Take several seconds to allow your attention to find the space, and to get settled into it. Allow the mantra Lam to arise repeatedly in your mind field, silently. Allow it to repeat at its own natural speed. You may find that it comes 5-10 times and wants to pause, or you might find it wants to come continuously. If it pauses, allow it to return in its own time. The mantra may move quickly or slowly. In any case, keep your attention on that space; this is very important. That space might be tiny, such as a pinpoint, or it might be several inches across. Follow your own inclination about the size of the space. Allow your mind to naturally be aware of earth, solidity, or form. That awareness may come a little or a lot; either way is okay. Allow to come through your mind field the awareness of of the karmendriya of elimination (which operates throughout the body), and the jnanendriya of smell (best to become familiar with the nature of the indriyas). Gradually, over time with the practice, it becomes more clear how it is that the indriyas operate from these centers, along with the five elements. You may or may not also find that colors and sounds naturally come to the inner field of mind.

Svadhistana Chakra Meditation: When you move your attention upwards towards the second chakra, be mindful of the transition, of the motion of attention and the nature of the shift of energetic, emotional, and mental experience. Allow your attention to naturally find the location of the second chakra. Your own attention will find, and settle into that space. It is important to note that the actual chakra is in the back, along the subtle spine called sushumna, although we usually experience it in the front. Allow the attention to rest where it naturally falls, probably in the front, but be mindful from time to time that the chakra is actually in the back. Gradually attention will find this central stream running up and down through all of the chakras (sushumna is actually subtler than the chakras). Allow the mantraVam to arise and repeat itself, at its own speed, naturally coming and going. Hold your attention in the space, whether a pinpoint or a few inches across. Allow the awareness of water to arise, and come to see how this has to do with allow forms of flow or fluidity, whether relating to energy, physical, emotional, or mental. Explore the awareness of the karmendriya of procreation and the jnanendriya of tasting (once again, become familiar with the indriyas). Again, colors or sounds may or may not come and go.

Manipura Chakra Meditation: Be aware of the transition as you move to the third chakra, at the navel center, which is also actually along the sushumna channel. Allow the mantra Ram to arise and repeat itself, at its natural speed. Keep attention in the space, whatever size at which it is experienced. Be aware of the element of fire, and the many ways in which it operates throughout the gross and subtle body from this center. Be aware of the karmendriya of motion, and how motion itself happens in so many physical, energetic, and mental ways. Be aware of the jnanendriya of seeing, which you will easily see as related to fire and motion. Colors and sounds may or may not come and go.

Anahata Chakra Meditation: Observe the transition as you move your attention to the fourth chakra, the space between the breasts. Allow attention to become well seated there, and then remember the vibration of the mantra Yam, allowing it to repeat at its own speed, while being mindful of the feeling it generates. Be aware of the element of air, and notice how that feels with the mantra. Notice how the element of air relates to the the karmendriya of holding or grasping, whether physically, energetically, mentally, or emotionally. Observe how these relate to the jnanendriya of touching, and how that touching is very subtle in addition to being a physical phenomenon. Colors and sounds may come and go.

Visshuda Chakra Meditation: Bring your attention to the space at the throat, the fifth chakra, which is the point of emergence of space (which allows air, fire, water, and earth to then emerge). In that space, be aware of the nature of space itself, allowing the mantra Ham to arise and repeat itself, reverberating many times through the seemingly empty space in the inner world (a space that is really not empty, but is of potential). Awareness of the karmendriya of speech (actually, communication of any subtle form) is allowed to be there, experiencing how that vibrates through space. The jnanendriya of hearing is allowed to come, also seeing how it naturally aligns with space, speech, and the vibration of mantra. Notice the fine, subtle feelings, which come with the experience. Colors or sounds are allowed to come and go, if they happen to arise.

Ajna Chakra Meditation: Gently, with full awareness, transition awareness to the seat of mind at the space between the eyebrows, ajna chakra. Allow the mantra OM to arise and repeat itself, over and over, as slow waves of mantra, or as vibrations repeating so fast that the many OMs merge into a continuous vibration. Be aware of how mind has no elements, but is the source out of which space, air, fire, water, and earth emerge. Be aware of how this space, this mind, itself, does no actions, but is the driving force of all of the karmendriyas of speech, holding, moving, procreating, and eliminating. Be aware of how this chakra, this mind, has no senses itself, but is the recipient of all of the information coming from hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling, whether the source of this input is the sensations from the external world, coming through the physical instruments, or coming from the inner world of memories or subtle experience, presenting on the mental screen through the subtle senses. Gradually, come to see how OM mantra is experienced as the source or map of manifestation itself. Many senses, images, or impressions may come and go, but they are let go, as attention rests in the knowing beyond all senses, in the ajna chakra and the vibration of OM.

Sahasrara Chakra Meditation: Allow attention to move to the crown chakra, which has no element (bhutas), no cognitive sense (jnanendriyas), no active means of expression (karmendriyas), as it is the doorway to pure consciousness itself. Experience how this is the source out of which mind emerges, after which emerge the five elements, the five cognitive senses, and the five means of expression. The “mantra” (in its subtler, silent form) is that silence (not mere quiet) out of which the rest have emerged. It is experienced as the silence after a single OM, merging into objectless, sense-less awareness. Allow attention to rest in that pure stillness, the emptiness that is not empty, which contains, and is, the pure potential for manifestion, which has not manifested.

Ajna Chakra Meditation: Briefly bring your attention back to the sixth chakra, allowing the vibration of OM to return, which starts the journey of attention back into the body and world. A few seconds, 30 seconds, or maybe a minute should be comfortable, though it may be longer if you wish.

Visshuda Chakra Meditation: Bring your attention down to the fifth chakra, the throat, remembering Ham, as you enter into the realm of space, hearing, and speaking. Again, a few seconds or a minute is good.

Anahata Chakra Meditation: Transition to the fourth chakra, the heart, as you allow the mantra Yam to arise, remembering the element of air. Awareness of holding and touching may or may not arise.

Manipura Chakra Meditation: Be aware of the third chakra, the navel center, and the vibration of Ram, along with the element of fire, with awareness of motion and seeing coming or not coming.

Svadhistana Chakra Meditation: Bring your attention to the second chakra, and allow the vibration of the mantra Vam to arise and repeat itself, remembering the element of water, with awareness of procreation and tasting coming or not coming.

Muladhara Chakra Meditation: Transition attention back to the first chakra, at the perineum, allowing the mantra Lam to come.