India’s Science of Light

December 11, 2013 | By WakingTimes | Reply

Richard Smoley, New Dawn
Waking Times

While most people in the Western world are aware of astrology, comparatively few know that other cultures have other systems of astrology. There are Chinese and Tibetan horoscopes, with their cycles of twelve signs going through years rather than months, so that the key to your character is the year, not the month, you were born in: the Year of the Dog, Dragon, Tiger, and so on.

But the nation that probably has the oldest and richest astrological tradition is India. Indian astrology bears some strong resemblances to its Western counterpart: the signs of the zodiac are more or less the same, as is the significance of the planets. (Indian astrology, however, uses only the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, as well as the Sun and the Moon, in its analysis.) In India, however, astrology is taken much more seriously than in the West. Few Indian parents would seek marriage partners for their children without having an astrologer evaluate their horoscopes; a wedding in India may take place at a strange hour of the night because the astrologer has chosen it as the most auspicious time; and some affluent Indian women are choosing to have childbirth by cesarean section so that they can time the births and their children can be born under auspicious stars.

Indian astrology is often called Vedic astrology because it is rooted in the ancient sacred texts called the Vedas, the oldest of which are dated to c.1500 BCE by conventional academics and to 2000 or 3000 BCE by alternative scholars. A Sanskrit name for Vedic astrology is Jyotish or Jyotisha, meaning “science of light.”

One of the most striking ways in which Vedic astrology differs from its Western counterpart is that it issidereal rather than tropical. The tropical signs remain fixed throughout the centuries, whereas the constellations revolve in a long cycle sometimes called a Platonic year, lasting nearly 26,000 ordinary years. In c.2000 BCE, when the current Western astrological system was first devised by the Babylonians, the constellation of Aries was in the tropical sign of Aries, and, moreover, the spring equinox took place when the Sun was at 0 degrees of Aries (March 21 in our calendar). But because the cycle of the Platonic year produces a phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes, the spring equinox took place in the sign of Pisces for approximately the last 2,000 years and is now beginning to move into the sign of Aquarius – hence the coming of the Age of Aquarius.

Source: WIKI

Vedic astrologers do not use this tropical system; their horoscopes are based on the actual current positions of the zodiac constellations in the sky. Hence there is a discrepancy between the Vedic and Western systems, amounting to approximately 23 degrees. That is, if the Sun in your natal chart is at 24 degrees of Sagittarius in Western terms, it will be at 1 degree of Sagittarius in your Vedic chart; and so on. Because this is almost equivalent to the number of degrees that a whole sign occupies (30 degrees), chances are your astrological birth sign will be different in your Vedic chart. Say you have your Sun at 13 degrees of Virgo, Western style; in that case it will be at (approximately) 20 degrees of Leo in the Vedic system.While this may sound complex, with a computer a Vedic chart is no more difficult to compute than a Western one. Interpretation is another story. Vedic astrology is not necessarily more complex than Western astrology, but it is probably fair to say that the typical Vedic astrologer feels the need to look at the extended implications of the chart than the typical Western practitioner, who usually focuses on the birth chart and the current position of the planets in regard to it. Vedic astrology, by contrast, has over twenty subcharts called amshas or vargas, which provide insights into the subject’s chances of marriage, likely career, and degree of success in life. One amsha indicates the subject’s spiritual inclination and capacity, while another, particularly important one called the navamsha addresses marriage, general life themes, and the second half of life. Yet another amsha is said to cast light on past lives and incarnations.

While the intricacies of Vedic astrology would be difficult to fit even into a substantial book, much less a short article, some key things about it are worth noting. One important feature of Jyotish is the system ofnakshatras. This is a series of 27 lunar houses that, much like the Sun sign in Western astrology, gives crucial indications about character and fate. If your nakshatra is Rohini, for example, it is said that you will have an affectionate and truthful disposition as well as an affinity for the arts, beauty, and culture. Bharani, by contrast, is favourable for competition and for activities regarding bold or aggressive action. Each day is also governed by a nakshatra, making it favourable for certain types of activity (or inactivity).

Birth nakshatras are also important because they form the basis for computing dashas, planetary cycles in life. The complete cycle of the dashas is 120 years; within this, there are individual dashas of varying length. Each of these is ruled by a planet or luminary: Venus, the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury, as well as Rahu, the north node of the Moon, and Ketu, the south node of the Moon. (These last two are not planets, but have many of the same functions as planets in the Vedic system.) The particular dasha that you are running at a given period in your life is likely to give a strong clue of your key concerns at that time. If you are in a Venus dasha, you may be occupied with relationships and marriage; a Saturn dasha may indicate a time of sober responsibility. Whether these are fortunate or unfortunate will depend on the place of the planets in your chart; for most people most of the time, the influence of adasha is likely to be mixed.

These emphases mark another difference between Vedic and Western astrology. Particularly since the twentieth century, Western astrology has become reluctant to speak in terms of fate or destiny, preferring to describe a chart in terms of character tendencies and hesitating to make firm predictions about what will or will not happen to the subject. Vedic astrology has no such inhibitions. It is focused on what will happen to you in your life in very specific terms, and it purports to tell you when these things will come about. As such it can sound extremely fatalistic to the typical Westerner, and in truth Jyotish probably is more deterministic than the types of astrology that are most in vogue in the English-speaking world.

But Vedic astrology is not fatalistic in the most negative sense. It does not encourage people to sit back in quietude and allow events to happen to them. Because it is rooted in the Vedic tradition, which is a whole system of knowledge that encompasses all fields, it also points toward remedies. Someone in a highly unfavourable dasha may, for example, be told to chant certain mantras as a way of counteracting its influence. Other remedies include ayurvedic medicine as well as certain religious rituals. Subjects have reported uncanny reversals in fortune (including cures of life-threatening diseases) as a result of carrying out these instructions.

Gemstones are another popular way of countering unfavourable planetary influences. David Frawley, an American practitioner of Jyotish, advises strengthening a weak Sun in your chart by wearing a ruby. The remedy won’t be cheap, though: the ruby “should be a minimum of two carats in size, set in gold of fourteen carats or more…. As a substitute, a good-quality garnet can be used, but it should be of at least three carats in size, preferably five.” Gemstones for other planets include pearls for the Moon, red coral for Mars, emeralds for Mercury, and diamonds for Venus.

As with most forms of divination, there are dangers associated with Jyotish, especially if it is practiced with impure motivation. Ammachi (pictured top left), one of contemporary India’s most beloved gurus, has said that the coming of Jyotish to the West, while generally a positive development, has a dark side. The American Vedic astrologer Linda Johnsen quotes Ammachi as saying, “When a powerful predictive system falls into the hand of a materialistic culture, the potential for abuse is enormous…. Astrologers concerned only with making money or gaining fame will not succeed. This is because it is not possible to do Vedic astrology properly without tapas (spiritual self-discipline). Real astrology lies beyond the calculations.”

If you appreciated this article, please consider a digital subscription to New Dawn.

SOURCES

David Frawley, Astrology of the Seers: A Guide to Vedic/Hindu Astrology, Twin Lakes, Wisc., U.S.: Lotus Press, 2000.

Linda Johnsen, A Thousand Suns: Designing Your Future with Vedic Astrology, St. Paul, Minn., U.S.: Yes International, 2004.

About the Author

Richard Smoley has over thirty years of experience studying and practicing esoteric spirituality. His books include Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions (with Jay Kinney); The Essential Nostradamus; Forbidden Faith: The Secret History of Gnosticism;and Conscious Love: Insights from Mystical Christianity. He is editor of Quest Books and Quest magazine, both published by the Theosophical Society in America. His website is http://www.innerchristianity.com/.

The above article appeared in New Dawn No. 127 (July-August 2011).

© Copyright New Dawn Magazine, http://www.newdawnmagazine.com. Permission granted to freely distribute this article for non-commercial purposes if unedited and copied in full, including this notice.

© Copyright New Dawn Magazine, http://www.newdawnmagazine.com/. Permission to re-send, post and place on web sites for non-commercial purposes, and if shown only in its entirety with no changes or additions. This notice must accompany all re-posting.

Infinite Potential

December 6, 2013 | By Waking Times | Reply

James C. Wilhelm, Contributor
Waking Times

The message for which I am primarily known has remained consistent for 52 years: unity, freedom, peace, love, justice, gratitude, giving. These words represent a powerful, stunning, and absolutely possible reality available to all humanity.

In 1976 I asked, “What do I do with the power that the ineffable experience of peace and love makes available to me?” I received two answers:

Communicate the possibility of lasting inner peace to as many people as possible.
Assist anyone who may choose peace, love, justice, equality of opportunity, responsibility, freedom to realize that these gifts are who they are.

I asked the question because the realization of peace within me brought with it the realization that I am not fulfilled until all sentient beings are fulfilled. And it was obvious to me that something about the way we humans were living was not working.

Though cause and effect relationships can be difficult to correlate, there is no doubt that over the course of the past few thousand years humans have made many harmful changes to other humans and to the planet. We cannot presume that because we have found ways to bend physical reality and other life forms to our human will that such self-focused choices are representative of an ethical system to which we should adhere. And many of us do make this presumption.

Our human minds are very good at justifying anything we want to do. A popular human justification consists in the notion that humans are on earth to control and exploit earth’s resources as we see fit. Our short term view, from the perspective of the micro-flash of an average human lifespan, distorts our thinking. The thinking distortion causes us to imagine that any action we take is moral action as long as we can justify it within ourselves.

Not all humans believe the ends justify the means. Many of us around the world and in the Unites States believe that justice, equality of opportunity and freedom have been taken from the average person and set aside for only the wealthiest people who are able to influence the passage and enforcement of laws. This power to influence governments explains why the rich get richer, the middle class is evaporating and the poor get poorer.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Freedom, justice and the ability to have a fair shot at success belong to all humans and those who see themselves without these precious values have the power to take them back.Taking back our freedom begins with taking responsibility for our situation. Above all, this means taking responsibility for our personal transformation, which is what occurs when we relax, breathe mindfully, and allow the loving peace that is always within us to express itself in ourselves and in our world. This recalls words spoken by Abraham J. Muste in 1940:

…if we are to have a new world, we must have new men; if you want a revolution, you must be revolutionized. A world of peace will not be achieved by men…who have not themselves…undergone an inner revolution.

Our commitment to personal transformation will, in turn, drive the transformation of people all over the world.

The United States spends close to a trillion dollars a year to defend itself from “enemies”. Despite the staggering amount of money spent to defend against the never-ending list of foreign and domestic enemies and the vast quantity of nuclear and conventional weapons that we possess, we are not safe. Indeed, military and intelligence spending continues to rise year after year and new enemies continue to make themselves known. Perhaps the enemy is that group of people who desire and benefit financially from this unconscionable weapons spending.

We the people have given up our dollars for weapons that don’t keep us safe while our educational system continues to weaken and people remain hungry and homeless. We have watched as our children, sisters and brothers have gone without food and healthcare and, most of all, we have surrendered our freedom, our security, and our privacy. If we value freedom and choose to regain and maintain freedom we must take back responsibility for the course of our own lives and in doing so, take back our freedom. It will not be given back to us. We must take it. Frederick Douglass said in 1857:

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will…The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.

Yes, we the people elect our fellow citizens to public office and these people tell us they are the leaders of the nation; they are not. They dance on strings, pulled this way and that by a monied oligarchy, which ensures the never-ending presence of enemies against whom we must arm ourselves with ever newer, ever better, ever more weapons. This is the military-industrial complex about which President Dwight Eisenhower warned us in his final speech to the nation in 1960. Eisenhower also said:

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in a final sense a theft from those who are hungry and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.

How is it possible for the top 1% of America’s population to own 42% of the nation’s wealth while the bottom 80% of Americans own only 7%? There are many explanations for this, too many to address in anything short of a lengthy book. I summarize an answer here by stating that the 1% is totally organized, in agreement on their central goals, and focused on them like a laser beam. One element of this focus is their use of wealth to purchase influence within the nation’s political system, to elect presidents, to pass laws that work in their favor and to hold dominion over the rulings of our highest courts.

Being organized and focused on agreed upon goals is smart and effective; purchasing laws that work to increase wealth and power is a usurpation of the democratic processes of government. Our “government of the people, by the people and for the people” has been redefined as “government of, by, and for the elite oligarchy.

Clearly defined and agreed upon objectives are necessary to the achievement of goals, whether in a family or a social system. The vast majority of Americans, the 99%, are fractured into many factions, each with its own agenda and its own set of goals. We have been indoctrinated to focus on differences and to oppose each other and even to hate each other. We separate ourselves according to financial status; we have divorced ourselves from each other along racial and religious lines, differences in political parties and other illusory distinctions that serve to prevent us from agreeing on almost anything.

The 99% of Americans, the vast majority of our people must, therefore, transcend our apparent differences and join together as the one mind that we essentially are. Jim Morrison said 46 years ago:

They got the guns, but we got the numbers. Gonna win yeah, we’re taking over. Come on!

Martin Luther King Jr said in 1967:

We have experimented with the meaning of nonviolence in our struggle for racial justice in the United States, but now the time has come for man to experiment with nonviolence in all areas of human conflict, and that means nonviolence on an international scale…

No individual can live alone; no nation can live alone, and as long as we try, the more we are going to have war in this world. Now the judgment of God is upon us, and we must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools.

One way to “live together as brothers” is to recognize our essential sameness rather that our superficial differences. At the very core of our human essence we are one. Corporately controlled media outlets teach us we are different; we can disregard this and begin to love each other. We must come together and declare among us a set of focused goals that we all share. We must then be responsible for taking unified, focused action aimed at the realization of these goals. Focusing as one our common energy we are infinitely powerful and capable of anything. We can light this whole world afire with freedom, justice, equality of opportunity and love.

The issues facing us today are intensified and enhanced versions of issues that have confronted humanity for many years, even centuries. It is thus necessary for those of us who share the vision of possibility to prepare ourselves for change at the level of the cultural paradigm itself. It is here that our responsible action will bring about our mutual and widespread freedom, peace and abundance.

We will not regain our freedom if we leave it to someone else. We will not regain our freedom and create justice without a commitment to radically change the way things have always been done. We are talking about a new paradigm that lives into the words of the United States Constitution:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Constitution does not state, We the 1%… It says, “We the people,” and we are that people of which this document speaks.

Our Declaration of Independence, the document that declared on July 4, 1776, our independence from a despotic and unjust government states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

The radical change now required is not an extreme idea – it is the only practical path across the great divide from slavery to independence. We will not vote or legislate our way across this divide. Power has never given up power – power must be taken.

I suggest we follow the path guided by our inner peace and organize ourselves for peaceful change, peaceful revolution. We must act now by following the lead of our role models from the past like the Reverend Dr. King Jr, and Mahatma Gandhi, who said:

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.

Indeed, “…they got the guns, but we got the numbers.” Let us all: black, white, Hispanic, Native American, women, men, foreign born, oriental, unemployed, employed, professional, production worker, Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist, all religions, all races, all of us human beings, come together as the one we essentially are and take back our freedom, our peace, our justice. The time to act is now.

About the Author

Jim Wilhelm is an international spiritual teacher, self-development mentor, author, lecturer, philosopher, Emmy award-winning television producer, and successful entrepreneur. He has shared his experiences of practical mysticism around the world for more than 40 years. Jim has translated his mystical understanding into practical knowledge that we all can apply in our lives.

Researchers Finally Show How Mindfulness and Your Thoughts Can Induce Specific Molecular Changes To Your Genes

December 5, 2013 | By WakingTimes | Reply

Michael Forrester, Prevent Disease
Waking Times

With evidence growing that training the mind or inducing specific modes of consciousness can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body. A new study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of intensive mindfulness practice.

The study investigated the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of experienced meditators, compared to a group of untrained control subjects who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities. After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice,” says study author Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs,” says Perla Kaliman, first author of the article and a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain (IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS), where the molecular analyses were conducted.

The study was published in the Journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Mindfulness-based trainings have shown beneficial effects on inflammatory disorders in prior clinical studies and are endorsed by the American Heart Association as a preventative intervention. The new results provide a possible biological mechanism for therapeutic effects.

Gene Activity Can Change According To Perception 

According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, gene activity can change on a daily basis. If the perception in your mind is reflected in the chemistry of your body, and if your nervous system reads and interprets the environment and then controls the blood’s chemistry, then you can literally change the fate of your cells by altering your thoughts.

In fact, Dr. Lipton’s research illustrates that by changing your perception, your mind can alter the activity of your genes and create over thirty thousand variations of products from each gene. He gives more detail by saying that the gene programs are contained within the nucleus of the cell, and you can rewrite those genetic programs through changing your blood chemistry.

In the simplest terms, this means that we need to change the way we think if we are to heal cancer. “The function of the mind is to create coherence between our beliefs and the reality we experience,” Dr. Lipton said. “What that means is that your mind will adjust the body’s biology and behavior to fit with your beliefs. If you’ve been told you’ll die in six months and your mind believes it, you most likely will die in six months. That’s called the nocebo effect, the result of a negative thought, which is the opposite of the placebo effect, where healing is mediated by a positive thought.”

That dynamic points to a three-party system: there’s the part of you that swears it doesn’t want to die (the conscious mind), trumped by the part that believes you will (the doctor’s prognosis mediated by the subconscious mind), which then throws into gear the chemical reaction (mediated by the brain’s chemistry) to make sure the body conforms to the dominant belief. (Neuroscience has recognized that the subconscious controls 95 percent of our lives.)

Now what about the part that doesn’t want to die–the conscious mind? Isn’t it impacting the body’s chemistry as well? Dr. Lipton said that it comes down to how the subconscious mind, which contains our deepest beliefs, has been programmed. It is these beliefs that ultimately cast the deciding vote.

“It’s a complex situation,” said Dr. Lipton. People have been programmed to believe that they’re victims and that they have no control. We’re programmed from the start with our mother and father’s beliefs. So, for instance, when we got sick, we were told by our parents that we had to go to the doctor because the doctor is the authority concerning our health. We all got the message throughout childhood that doctors were the authority on health and that we were victims of bodily forces beyond our ability to control. The joke, however, is that people often get better while on the way to the doctor. That’s when the innate ability for self-healing kicks in, another example of the placebo effect.

Mindfulness Practice Specifically Affects Regulatory Pathways

The results of Davidson’s study show a down-regulation of genes that have been implicated in inflammation. The affected genes include the pro-inflammatory genes RIPK2 and COX2 as well as several histone deacetylase (HDAC) genes, which regulate the activity of other genes epigenetically by removing a type of chemical tag. What’s more, the extent to which some of those genes were downregulated was associated with faster cortisol recovery to a social stress test involving an impromptu speech and tasks requiring mental calculations performed in front of an audience and video camera.

Biologists have suspected for years that some kind of epigenetic inheritance occurs at the cellular level. The different kinds of cells in our bodies provide an example. Skin cells and brain cells have different forms and functions, despite having exactly the same DNA. There must be mechanisms–other than DNA–that make sure skin cells stay skin cells when they divide.

Perhaps surprisingly, the researchers say, there was no difference in the tested genes between the two groups of people at the start of the study. The observed effects were seen only in the meditators following mindfulness practice. In addition, several other DNA-modifying genes showed no differences between groups, suggesting that the mindfulness practice specifically affected certain regulatory pathways.

The key result is that meditators experienced genetic changes following mindfulness practice that were not seen in the non-meditating group after other quiet activities — an outcome providing proof of principle that mindfulness practice can lead to epigenetic alterations of the genome.

Previous studies in rodents and in people have shown dynamic epigenetic responses to physical stimuli such as stress, diet, or exercise within just a few hours.

“Our genes are quite dynamic in their expression and these results suggest that the calmness of our mind can actually have a potential influence on their expression,” Davidson says.

“The regulation of HDACs and inflammatory pathways may represent some of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of mindfulness-based interventions,” Kaliman says. “Our findings set the foundation for future studies to further assess meditation strategies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions.”

Subconscious Beliefs Are Key

Too many positive thinkers know that thinking good thoughts–and reciting affirmations for hours on end–doesn’t always bring about the results that feel-good books promise.

Dr. Lipton didn’t argue this point, because positive thoughts come from the conscious mind, while contradictory negative thoughts are usually programmed in the more powerful subconscious mind.

“The major problem is that people are aware of their conscious beliefs and behaviors, but not of subconscious beliefs and behaviors. Most people don’t even acknowledge that their subconscious mind is at play, when the fact is that the subconscious mind is a million times more powerful than the conscious mind and that we operate 95 to 99 percent of our lives from subconscious programs.

“Your subconscious beliefs are working either for you or against you, but the truth is that you are not controlling your life, because your subconscious mind supersedes all conscious control. So when you are trying to heal from a conscious level–citing affirmations and telling yourself you’re healthy–there may be an invisible subconscious program that’s sabotaging you.”

The power of the subconscious mind is elegantly revealed in people expressing multiple personalities. While occupying the mind-set of one personality, the individual may be severely allergic to strawberries. Then, in experiencing the mind-set of another personality, he or she eats them without consequence.

The new science of epigenetics promises that every person on the planet has the opportunity to become who they really are, complete with unimaginable power and the ability to operate from, and go for, the highest possibilities, including healing our bodies and our culture and living in peace.

About the Author

Michael Forrester is a spiritual counselor and is a practicing motivational speaker for corporations in Japan, Canada and the United States.

Sources:
wisc.edu
brucelipton.com
ts-si.org

Inner Transformation or Revolution

December 3, 2013 | By WakingTimes | Reply

Beverly Blanchard, Contributor
Waking Times

Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.  Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. – Rumi

There has been some discussion lately regarding Russell Brand’s interview with Jeremy Paxman. There was nothing new in what Russell was saying.  The points of view he put forth regarding political corruption, corporate interests, materialism and the potential devastation of Planet Earth have all been cited before.  People’s discontent with the various institutions in this world has been going on for centuries.

I agree with Russell’s opinion about the importance being aware of what is going on in the world. I just don’t believe that getting emotionally charged up about the issues actually increases awareness levels and empowers people.

I agree that there needs to be a change.  Where I differ with him is in how the change needs to come about. Russell seems to advocate the need for people to rise up, take a stance and engage in some sort of revolution. The problem with this approach is it creates an attitude of us against them and there are varying interests and intents within the ‘us’ crowd.  Furthermore, when people become emotionally charged in fighting that which they are against, they end up fighting amongst themselves and when the smoke clears, there is no concrete transformation.  There may have been minor changes but everything seems to revert back to the status quo or the pendulum swings to the opposite extreme.

Take a look at the history books.  A relatively recent example of this is the 1960s Hippie Movement/Revolution. By the 1970s, many of the hippies cut their hair and exchanged the bellbottom jeans for the corporate suits. They became the establishment, and life continued on. Peace, love and equality made way for profits.

Our power does not come through revolutions or marching in the streets. As the mystics, poets and sages have told us for centuries; it comes from going within and transforming yourself. If you do not like what you are seeing in the outer world, the starting point must be with oneself. The world we chose to see is a mirror reflection of the inner workings of our mind. All change is a movement of the mind. To try to change the outer is fruitless. It is like expecting the image that is reflecting back at you in the mirror to change.

In order to change the mind, you have to venture within and sometimes this process can be frightening because what you uncover about yourself can be disturbing. Try this simple experiment for five minutes. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. As your breathing becomes deeper, start saying the words, ‘I am’.  As you do this, you may discover how much your mind wanders. On the surface, you may think that you are positive but when you become aware of your inner dialogues you sometimes discover that your thinking is creating arguments and pointing fingers of blame at outside people and circumstances.

We only perceive what we want to see/hear/feel, and the trouble with that is when we focus our attention on the wrong-doings or that which we don’t like, we empower it. Our world is not created by circumstances; it is created by our perception. If we are not in harmony with ourselves, we cannot point the finger of blame on the outside. It is within that the change must take place.  We must recognize where we are placing our attention because that focus coupled with emotion creates our world.

About the Author

Beverly Blanchard is a freelance writer, artist and personal coach. She spent most of her life studying ancient wisdom in search of answers to life. Beverly has studied energy work and how this affects the body. She is the author of Into the Waves. Please visit her blog at www.beverlyblanchard.blogspot.ca where this article was originally featured

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

How to Tap Into the Healing Abilities of Your Chakras

December 3, 2013 | By Waking Times | 2 Replies

Anna Hunt, Staff Writer
Waking Times

The human energetic body, also referred to as the pranic sheath or astral body, is an intricate network of 72,000 nadis that facilitate the movement of prana, the vital energy of the human body. The nadis, also referred to as astral tubes, astral nerves or meridians, come together in seven energy centers called the chakras which are located along the central canal, the Sushumna, which corresponds to the spine in the physical body. Understanding each energy center and having the ability to heal them can help you consciously control your physical body and hence aide physical and emotional well-being and assist in higher spiritual pursuits.

Tapping into the healing abilities of your chakras can be achieved through various means, such as changing your lifestyle and diet, establishing a meditation practice, taking time for personal exploration, and integrating physical practices such as yoga into your daily life. Below are some specific healing techniques to balance each chakra and help you establish equilibirum.

Root Chakra – Muladhara – I am

Location: The base of the spine in the tailbone area.

Purpose: Keeps you grounded and centered.

When imbalanced: Feeling unfocused; maneuvering through life without purpose; sense of drifting along; fear and uncertainty; frustration with life direction; lack of emotional and life independence.

When nurtured: Increased sense of security, confidence and satisfaction; increased sense of self-worth; strengthened connection with your intuition; ability to move forth to the creative nature of life; ability to fully love and enjoy life.

Healing techniques: Practice visualization of walking barefoot and growing roots to the Earth’s center; visualize molten lava or other objects that are bright red; perform walking meditation, if possible barefoot; resolve issues with family and close friends; re-establish your understanding of what you really need versus what you want in life.

What to eat: Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, beets, garlic, onion, etc; protein-rich foods such as nuts, eggs, beans and tofu; spices such as horseradish, cayenne pepper, hot paprika and chives.

Mantra: Lam

Sacral Chakra – Swadhishtana – I feel

Location: Along the spine in the genital area of the lower abdomen, about 2 inches below navel and 2 inches in.

Purpose: The dwelling place of the Self that affords us the ability to change and accept others.

When imbalanced: Resistance to change; emotional imbalance; becoming manipulative; sexual dysfunction; laziness and lack of motivation; hormonal imbalance.

When nurtured: Overall sense of feeling balanced; increased flow of creativity; ability to be easy going; easily getting along with others.

Healing techniques: Looks for a creative outlet that you enjoy and that allows you to align with who you really are; face any buried emotions from your childhood; become accepting of relationships versus trying to influence them.

What to eat: Water and mineral water; seafood, fish and other foods from the sea; sweet fruits such as melons, mangos, strawberries, passion fruit and coconut; honey; nuts such as almonds and walnuts; sweet spices such as cinnamon, vanilla, sesame seeds and sweet paprika.

Mantra: Vam

Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura – I do

Location: In the upper abdomen at the naval, corresponding to the solar plexus in the physical body.

Purpose: The seat of intellect that is the center of our personal power.

When imbalanced: Low self-esteem or self-worth; being withdrawn; depression; lack of confidence in daily responsibilities; emotional issues are often coupled with weakness or illness of digestive system.

When nurtured: Clear sense of optimism; high self-respect; ability to fully express yourself; ability to confidently face challenges; strong sense of personal power; general satisfaction with daily life.

Healing techniques: Reassess personal choices and life path; meditate on uncovering and accepting the true Self; take the emotional steps to “grow up” and take responsibility for your own life path; take steps to make your dreams and aspirations real.

What to eat: Starches and grains such as granola, oatmeal, cereals, flax seed and sunflower seeds; dairy such as goat cheese and yogurt; spices such as ginger, mint, chamomile, turmeric, cumin and fennel.

Mantra: Ram

Heart Chakra – Anahata – I love

Location: Center of the chest, slightly above the heart.

Purpose: Governs love, compassion and spirituality.

When imbalanced: Feeling of self-pity; overwhelming feelings of sorrow for yourself; indecisiveness; anger; paranoia; fear of getting hurt; fear of close relationships; holding onto feelings or possessions that do not serve you; emotional issues can manifest themselves into cardiac problems.

When nurtured : ability to express love and compassion; ability to see good in other people; it is easy to forgive others and yourself; ability to show self love.

Healing techniques: Visualize a bright light at the heart center and imagine it expanding slowly; practice breath meditation focused on inhaling into the heart center and observing sensations at heart center on exhale; write in a journal; open up to and talk with a trusted friend.

What to eat: Leafy greens such as celery, cabbage, spinach, kale and dandelion greens. Air vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, squash and pumpkin; brown and white rice; green teas; leafy spices such as basil, sage, thyme, cilantro and parsley.

Mantra: Yam

Throat Chakra – Vishuddha – I speak

Location: At the base of the throat.

Purpose: Governs our ability to communicate and our aptitude for faith and understanding.

When imbalanced: Difficulty communicating thoughts either verbally or in writing; inability for, frustration with or fear of self expression; apprehension and anxiety; hypothyroid.

When nurtured: Ability to find an opinion or voice in previously uncomfortable situations; experiences of inspiration; faith and trust in the Universe/Divine/God; ability to observe life from a higher vibration; ability to separate yourself from everyday problems and obstacles; establish understanding of our inner truth.

Healing techniques: Practice emotional detachment from trivial everyday drama; sing and dance; speak and yell; stand up for your personal beliefs and ideologies; express yourself; practice certain yoga postures such as fish, bridge and headstand.

What to eat: Fruit liquids such as coco water, juices and herbal teas; tart and tangy fruits such as lemons, limes, kiwi and grapefruit; tree growing fruits such as pears, plums, peaches, and apples; spices such as salt and lemongrass.

Mantra: Ham

Third Eye Chakra – Ajna – I see

Location: The forehead between the eye brows (it is also called the crown chakra).

Purpose: Helps us stay focused and clear minded and allows us to receive inner guidance from the Higher Self.

When imbalanced: Lack of insight and intuitiveness; inability to make decisions; feeling lost, discouraged or egotistical; fearful of success; inability to acknowledge necessity to learn or ask for help.

When nurtured: Ability to connect to our intuitive nature; ability to see in our mind’s eye and envision our future; ability to look beyond the obvious and consider the mystical; facing truth without fear; life obstacles become new possibilities; trust is established that all things happen for a reason and are part of a bigger Divine plan.

Healing techniques: Visualize the third eye in the middle of the forehead looking around making keen observations; do not over-think or dwell on situations; take time to calm thoughts throughout the day; meditate on being present in the moment; learn new things; remain open-minded to unfamiliar ideas

What to eat: Raw green veggie juices; foods rich in chlorophyll such asspirulina; eat ligther foods and less food; dark colored fruits such as blueberries, red grapes, black berries and raspberries; spices such as lavender, poppy seed and mugwort.

Mantra: Om

Crown Chakra – Sahasrara – I understand

Location: At the very top of the head.

Purpose: Represents our ability to connect spiritually and allows the inward flow of wisdom.

When imbalanced: Feeling disconnected from life or life’s purpose; becoming destructive; lacking trust, faith and hope; experiencing headaches and “brain fog”.

When nurtured: General sense of satisfaction with life; productive attitude towards all actions and tasks; ability to acknowledge and even feel the connection to the world; unlocking the doorways to the subconscious and unconscious minds; ability to let go of attachments; judgments diminish in thoughts, words and deeds; enlightenment and Divine Wisdom become possible.

Healing techniques: Visualize bright light glowing at the crown and enveloping the top of the head; ask your Higher Self for guidance and healing; stop judging yourself and others in your words, deeds and thoughts; work on balancing the preceding six chakras; meditate consistently.

What to eat: fasting and detoxing; smudging with herbs such as sage, copal, myrth and juniper.

Mantra: Aum

Here are some great tools to help you on your healing journey.

Chakra Meditation: Discover Energy, Creativity, Focus, Love, Communication, Wisdom, and Spirit by Swami Saradananda (Book)

Chakra Healing: Guided Meditation and Creative Visualization by Aimee Rebekah Shea (Audio)

Chakra Meditation: A Down To Earth Guide For Healing Chakras and Balancing Chakras by Little Pearl (Book)

Chakra Balancing: Mind, Body, And Soul Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 by Deepak Chopra and Adam Plack (Audio)

About the Author

Anna Hunt is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in research and editorial writing. She and her husband run a preparedness e-store outlet atwww.offgridoutpost.com, offering GMO-free storable food and emergency kits. Anna is also a certified Hatha yoga instructor. She enjoys raising her children and being a voice for optimal human health and wellness. Read more of her excellent articles here.

Sources:

The Seven Steps, by Marianne Wells, www.mariannewells.com

http://positivemed.com/2013/05/06/chakras-what-they-do-and-how-to-heal-them/

Yoga Mind and Body, by Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.