Week Nine-Chakras and The Energy Body

Meditators and mystics have long understood that in addition to our physical bodies, we all posses an energetic anatomy. Our energy body serves many functions. It animates us, allows us to move our limbs, to speak, to think. It also moves our fluids, our blood, our lymph, etc. It supports our immune system, and keeps the body its appropriate temperature. Our energy body does some more esoteric jobs as well. It supports our psychological health, enables us to have healthy boundaries, a healthy self image, and highly effective cognitive abilities. And just as our physical body has various organs, so does our energy body. These energetic organs are called Chakras.

Chakra Fun Facts:

• Chakras exist at seven locations at the center line of our body, slighly in front of the spinal column. Some models put the seventh chakra slightly above the top of the head.
• The chakras are depicted as rainbow colored lotus flowers. The Chakra just in front of the tailbone is red, and they raise in vibration until they get to the forehead, which is violet. The Chakra above the head is usually said to be golden, or white.
• The Chakras have the same number of petals as the sanskrit alphabet. Each Petal houses a letter.
• Our Chakras are vortexes that collect, transform, and emit energy as it flows through our body.
• Chakras are each associated with different metal states, emotions, life challanges and competencies.
• Chakras also have symbolic associations with colors, Sanskrit letters (Bija Mantras), Musical Notes,Numbers, Gods and Goddesses, Animals, Elements, Sense Organs, etc...
• When a person shows competency in an area that corresponds to a particular chakra, we say that that Chakra is 'open'. When somone struggles in a particular area, we would say that the corresponding chakra is 'closed'.
• People usually have a 'chakra constitution'. Certain centers have a tendecy towards being open, and certain centers have a tendency to being closed. Through sadhana (spiritual work) one can of course make progress. Many people need to dedicate their lives to finding proper balance.

Week Eight - Yoga Nidra

Week Seven - Mantra and Sound Meditation

Mantra and Meditation

This week we will focus on sound meditation. This will include an introduction to sanskrit, the use of mantra, and also silent meditation on subtle sound.

• Sanskrit = Language designed and used for kirtan, and vedic and mantric chanting.
• Bija = a seed syllable, the root of a mantra, the root of sound
• Mantra = literally, ‘mind protection’
• Nada Yoga = meditation on subtle sound
• Kirtan = chanting practice to awaken devotion, love, and a sense of unity

Class begins with chanting of the vowels of the sanskrit alphabet.

Important Sanskrit Facts:

• Sanskrit is possibly the oldest language on the earth, and certainly the oldest consistently used language
• Sanskrit was created (heard)by master meditators, called rishis
• Sanskrit is considered to be an expression of Great Divine Cosmic Vibration
• Many common modern english words have sanskrit roots.
• Sanskrit has largest collection of literature of any language
• Sanskrit has precise pronunciation, with five basic sounds ( gutteral, palatal, labial, cerebral, and dental) derived from five basic vowel sounds ( a, i, u, r, l)

We continue with chanting 108 repitions of a mantra

Important Mantra Facts:

• The most important function of a mantra is to clear, cleanse, energize and organize the mind.
• the effect of the mantra is more important than the meaning.
• Devotional types can chant mantra to develop a relationship with a particular diety, and less devotional types can hant the same mantra to develop particular qualities inherent in the mantra
• Mantra is said to collect Shakti (Power) the more that it is repeated.

Om = The supreme, primordial essence of all mantras. The sound of the infinite, and the universal. It encompasses all things. Pronounced A-U-M.

Other Mantras and their effects: (Please do your own research for mythological associations)

• Om Gum Ganapataye Namaha - for removal of obstacles
• Om Namah Shivaya - for expansion of consciousness
• Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya - for peace and prosperity
• Jai Kali Ma - for heavy karma busting
• Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare - for love and devotion
• Om Shring Hring Kleem MahaLakshmi Namaha - For wealth and abundance
• Om Dum Durgaye Namaha - For Protection
• Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Rama - For Strength in completing tasks
  

We will be working with the mantra ‘So Ham’. It is associated with the natural sound of the breath. We chant ‘So’ as we inhale, and Ham’ as we exhale. This creates a very balanced, calm, and alert mind state. It also relates to the unification of the individual soul (So) with the universal soul (ham).


Much of this information is taken from the book “From the River of Heaven” by David Frawley.