Powerful thoughts for the way forward through 2012 and beyond…

Río en Mérida, River in Mérida (Photo credit: Fresh Pasta)

A river runs through you….

Human beings are made up of multiple interactive energy systems
These energies interpenetrate and surround the body
Human energy field is a template for development and function of mind and body
Western research is demonstrating the truth of ancient teaching regarding energy

Physical health, thought and emotion all reflect condition of personal energy field
Abundant, free flowing, coherent energy is the foundation of mind-body health
We are managing energy all the time … unconsciously
Energy quality, quantity and coherence is influenced by awareness and intention

How you care for and direct your energy determines the quality of your life
We are continually bringing energy into our bodies
We pattern it through our thoughts, beliefs, and habitual mental and emotional ‘postures’

 Conscious energy management:

 Improves vitality
Facilitates healing
Enlivens the mind
Revives the spirit
Reduces stress
Eases anxiety
Alleviates depression

 Energy is your personal power. When you allow others to control you, when you attempt to control them, when you cannot forgive, or when you focus more on the needs of others and sacrifice your own, you are giving your power away.

 “Where attention goes, energy flows.”

Unresolved issues from the past bind energy that could be flowing through your life! Fear of the future dissipates energy that could be filling you with joy! Bringing your energy into the present allows you to create the life you love to live.

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• Energy, Personal Power and Your Authentic Self (livingenergyworks.com)
• The River and the Tree (tinmaddog.wordpress.com)

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When our Throat Chakra energy is impaired we may not honestly articulate our truth, or do so in a half hearted way. There may also be a tendency to put up a brave front and not speak about inner hurt, pain or turmoil.  Obviously this stymies communication, but it also weakens our capacity to stand for ourselves and our ideals in order that dreams may be realized.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the tendency to talk too much thereby draining vital energy. Negative habits such as gossiping are a sign of this … actually obsessive behavior of any kind can be a sign of the inability to assimilate energy and communicate in healthy ways.

An open and balanced throat chakra allows for free expression of yourself and your beliefs; your creativity flows; your emotions are communicated freely without fear of others’ opinions.

Benefits of Balanced Throat Chakra Energy
Working with the throat chakra can help to transcend fear and transmute the lower emotions to unconditional joy. This energy center also has a lot to do with the ability to hold an awareness of both the subtle & the material worlds.

Stimulating the throat chakra can help increase the richness and tone of your voice. It can endow you with skill in language, the ability to write, as well as with the capacity to understand messages in dreams and to be an effective teacher. Jupiter is the planet that rules this chakra and in India Jupiter represents the Spiritual Teacher. Meditating on this chakra can bring deep insight into the past, present and future along with the capacity to communicate that wisdom.

Assessing Your Throat Chakra Energy
Do you think what you have to say is important? (too little=deficient energy, too much = excess energy)
What is your experience re: sense of timing? (are you in the right place at the right time? feel out of sync?)
How’s your sense of rhythm? (think about music, walking, dancing, moving in general)
Have you been chastised or put down for your expression of ideas, feelings or actions?
Do you carry tension in your jaw, neck or shoulders?
Are frequent sore throats or hoarseness an issue?
Do you feel no one listens to or loves you?

Techniques for Balance
Be aware of when you want to say “No” instead of reflexively saying “Yes”
Discover your inner truth (as you feel it today–it changes over time) ; practice speaking it
Notice when you talk too much or too little- balancing the throat chakra will shift this
Use sound, color and tone to balance this chakra (see Energy Aerobics for this approach to chakras)
Guided Chakra Meditations includes 10 minute meditations for each chakra

Chanting is a wonderful way to meditate and develop all the chakras, but in particular the throat as this is its home base!  The sound for the throat chakra is ee. The syllable for the throat is HAM. Also any singing that you do can help bring openness and balance to the throat.

To sample two minutes of a meditation for the throat chakra listen to the audio below:

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“The fifth chakra is the center of choice and consequence, of spiritual karma.  Every choice we make, every thought and feeling we have, is an act of power that has biological, environmental, social, personal and global consequences.  We are everywhere our thoughts are and thus our personal responsibility includes our energy contributions. Anatomy of the Spirit, Caroline Myss,

Have ever wondered why teenagers are so compelled to be in contact with their peers on an almost constant basis? You are watching the development of the throat chakra in action! Whenever there is active development of a chakra’s energy within a person we see activity related to that chakra in the outer world. Teens are developing their throat chakra so they are very drawn to the expression of the issues regulated by this energy center. In particular they are interested in finding their voice, and exerting their will!   As we know from our own experience as well as from observation, discernment regarding these issues is typically not present! Those are a function of the sixth chakra which has not developed yet (it is next in line). So what we see at this stage is a constant flow of interaction —it is simply an itch that must be scratched!

The throat chakra is most often thought about in terms of communication, but it is so much more than that in actuality. It has to do with a sense of rhythm and timing, feeling that we have a choice as well as awareness and attunement to where that choice   originates, higher level creativity, self expression and listening.

All the chakras continue to develop throughout our lifetime– if we do not resist— with specific times when they are ‘ripe’ for growth from a higher level than the previous time. The throat center is up for more development in midlife as we seek to find a new or lost voice that is more deeply grounded in who we have become through our life experience. In midlife the spiritual imperative or task of this chakra, aligning our will with a higher will comes into view. The creative impulse of this chakra has to do with bringing through manifestations that carry the vibration of the Divine and integrating them with our humanity.

Sphere of influence of the Throat Chakra
The Throat Chakra is located in the front of the neck in the same area as the Adam’s Apple and the Pharyngeal Nerve Plexus.

Physically this chakra governs the Thyroid, Parathyroid, Trachea, Esophagus, Hypothalamus, Neck, Mouth, and Jaw. Physical problems in this energy center can manifest as trouble with any of those related structures, as well as with an inability to release or express, a block in the creative flow, or in stiffness of the neck and shoulders.

The main functions of the throat chakra are: communication, maturation of will, power of choice, metabolism, growth, and the regulation of calcium

The element of the throat chakra is akasha which means ether or limitless space or sky. Every chakra contains this element, but in combination with the other elements that are embodied within them. The throat chakra is pure ether and thus it is more clearly linked to pure consciousness.

The sense related to the throat chakra is hearing. Opening your throat chakra means not only hearing others and developing empathy; it also involves listening to yourself through attuning to your heart in silence. In doing so, you realize that silence can hold a great deal of information, wisdom and guidance. On the other hand commands to be silent can contribute to blockages in the throat.

 Tomorrow: Identifying Blocks and Balancing Your Throat Chakra

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Affirmations are a common technique used to try to create change.  Before using them however, there are some things to consider in order for your efforts to be successful.

Words and language can be powerful. If we look more deeply though, we find that it is actually the feelings that are evoked by words that hold the power… that and the intent behind the words. For instance, have you ever had a conversation with someone who professes one thing verbally, but you feel another in your heart or gut?  This is a good example that demonstrates that it is not the words themselves that hold so much power as it is the motives and inner intention of the person speaking.

In addition to that matter there is also the issue that words can have unintended effects based on the association or interpretation we make. Words may also inadvertently trigger difficult memories and unresolved issues –we may or may not be aware of the full extent or effect of this in any given conversation. So there are several things to consider when looking to words, language and affirmations as vehicles for change.  Self awareness, honesty and a willingness to receive information from your inner being is the key to being able to use language effectively for your own health and healing, as well as for that of our relationships.

Points to remember when using affirmations:
Affirmations can be effective when words are used as a first step to create feeling
The resonance of emotion is necessary to register within your system to create change
A common block in the use of affirmations is unconscious belief
Unconscious beliefs trump conscious intent every time
Remain open to receive information that needs to be released so you may be successful

 If you are not aware of it, beware of it!
What is held in the unconscious hurts you far more than what is in your awareness.

Using Affirmations
Take a few minutes before you get out of bed in the morning to let your intention and desire settle deep within you. Use an index card and carry the affirmation(s) with you, keep it handy and repeat throughout the day. Even better schedule a couple 10 minute meditations throughout the day: relax, breathe, let go of stressful thoughts and feelings and “install” your new emotion (energy in motion).

Examples of Heartfelt Affirmations

1. I deserve love because I AM.
2. Resting in my heart with a quiet mind allows me to know all I need to know.
3. I choose today to receive the higher energies of Love to heal and strengthen me.
4. I forgive myself for mistakes. True forgiveness opens the way to health, healing and freedom.
5. My heart registers pain as well as love and happiness. I choose to release pain making more room for love and happiness.
6. Developing the energy of my heart helps to deepen my awareness and experience of life in a remarkable way. I relax and remain open to the possibilities.

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Location, Development and Imbalances of the Heart Chakra

The heart chakra is located in the center of the chest at the site of the Pulmonary & Cardiac Nerve Plexus. The simplest way to locate your heart center is to become aware of the breastbone and then imagine a circle 4-5 inches in diameter in that space.

This energy center develops between 12 – 15 Yrs. of age. Physically the heart chakra governs the Heart &Circulatory Systems, the Thymus gland—a major player in immunity, the Ribs, Breasts, Lungs, Shoulders, Hands, Arms and Diaphragm

Imbalances in the heart chakra physically manifest as conditions such as: Asthma, Pneumonia, Bronchitis, Lung or Breast problems or upper back pain.

As with the other chakras, there can be under or over activity in the heart that eventually manifests in psychological or physical problems. An overly active heart chakra makes it hard to be present fully on the earth and a person can become isolated, lonely and fearful of being hurt. Under-active energy in the heart can create a sense of heaviness, a lack of joy and result in codependent behavior. Codependency is displayed in possessive, jealous, clingy and selfish behavior. Imbalances in the heart chakra result in a lack of emotional fulfillment, self consciousness, difficulty finding your true passion in life and in the extreme — antisocial behavior.

Questions for Healing the Heart

Do you think you have an overabundance of heart chakra energy? A deficit? Balanced?

What are the challenges you face when trying to release negative emotions?

What do you need to make this easier? (Cannot include wanting the outer world to change!)

If you energy was balanced here how would your relationships change?

Having an open, healing heart requires you to objectively explore and release core wounds and pains.  It includes learning what true forgiveness means…for others, but for yourself as well. These steps toward healing are what allow you to progress toward the qualities of unconditional love and compassion.

 When you open your heart, there is a sense of oneness and connectedness, a sense if unity with all there is.  In addition, you also deepen your sense of personal power, security, confidence and trust.

Meditations for working with Heart Chakra energy:

Practice Heart Centered Gratitude http://bit.ly/Arl0CX

Guided Chakra Meditations  http://bit.ly/w1D4sN

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Most people have an awareness that stress affects the heart. There is however less awareness of how this actually occurs. Changes Happen in our energy field first in response to life events and interactions. The energetic changes travel from the energy system into  the nervous, circulatory and hormonal systems where physical imbalances begin to occur. In addition to issues of grief, loss and disappointment, changes to the heart’s energy are also profoundly affected by our feelings of self love, self acceptance and relationships with others. Conversely, the state of our heart energy contributes to our capacity to feel these qualities.  The condition of heart energy also influences the level of our spiritual capacity and connection. In short, our heart’s energy is a major player in every facet of our lives! Some care and positive attention to this part of ourselves can have enormous impact on the quality of our lives.

The heart chakra takes the denser energy from the lower chakras and converts it into a subtler form so the energy can move upward where it takes the form of thoughts, ideas and inspiration. In addition, the heart chakra transforms the energy from the upper chakras into a lower frequency so it can flow to the lower chakras and be used to manifest ideas, inspiration and desires on the physical plane. Our heart plays a major role in bringing our ideas from the realm of thought into the material world. And of course this can happen in a positive or a negative way.

While the elements associated with the previous chakras are tangible, the element of the heart chakra is air and thus invisible. The heart chakra is home to Prana or life force ….the unseen energy we take in with every breath.

Psychologically the heart is involved in the shift from average everyday consciousness, external focus and ego to a deeper, broader awareness that encompasses self and other as well as spiritual realms.

Our hearts are keenly involved in our daily lives and especially in the major events we encounter in our journey.  Who has not known the feeling of the heart chakra shutting down to protect itself, or the sense of a “jam or blockage” as we try heal and shift our experience ? We may not have associated the feeling with energy or a chakra but we all recognize the sensation!

Issues involving the heart such as death, divorce, loss, abandonment and betrayal may all be part of our human experience at one time or another. Closing of the heart chakra creates numbness in an attempt to protect ourselves from unbearable pain. Unfortunately this generally has the effect of making things worse as communication with other chakras is shut off and a feeling of emptiness results. This is why knowing how to process difficult emotions is so vitally important to our well being.

On a more positive note the heart carries within it the power to transmute our negative feelings. Guilt, fear, shame and anger can all be transformed through the loving power of the heart.

When the heart chakra is in balance and energy is freely flowing, a person is self accepting, trusting, forgiving, compassionate, charged with positive emotions and fueled by hope. As always the issue is to take charge of our inner states and create more of what we truly desire on the inside so that energy can flow out into the outer world and bring more of what we truly desire to manifest in our world.  Love heals and we can always choose to focus on it rather than fear or negativity…but learning to choose love is a process so self compassion and patience with a learning curve are necessary.

Next: Signs of balance and imbalance of Heart Chakra energies

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“You are not here to love the world; you are here to be love in the world.”

                        Grace Johnston

There are so many different types of love. If you stop for a moment and think about all the various kinds of love you have felt in your life, you may find that you alternately bring your energy level up only to have it crash as the next memory comes rolling in! Of course the good news here is that if we are conscious we can use this dynamic to our benefit. By choosing to dwell on times when you were truly deeply loving from the strongest place within, you can not only raise your energy level, but also help yourself grow in the capacity to hold higher vibrations of healthy love. And it feels so good that perhaps you will decide to feel it more often with the result that you will bring a more consistently loving state to yourself and those around you.

It has been said that the very fabric of the universe is love…that the basic vibration of the cosmos is unconditional love. As part of the cosmos we have that essence within us. The problem is that most of us are disconnected from it. But just because we cannot always feel it does not mean it is not there. We can reconnect to the flow of love within ourselves through our heart chakra. Flowing energy regularly through this very important center can expand your heart energy and open you to love.

Next time: Stress and Your Heart!! What’s Love Got to Do With It? 

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