Monday Meditations: Chakra Mantra Meditation

Here's another wonderful guest post- this week by Christine Stump. Enjoy!

I love the idea of cocoon as transformational spaces, incubators for our unfurling lives. Suzanne’s jewelry is such a vibrant, direct expression of the reality and accessibility of this transformation. Chakras are like cocoons for the transformations that occur in various areas of our lives, protected engines of transformation that we can interact with directly through motion, color and imagination.

Chakras are classically described as energy centers, which is how we experience them and how they were conceptualized in systems outside our knowledge of and propensity for physiological explanation, such as in the Upanishads where we find the first historical mention. There are seven primary chakras from the base of the spine to the top of the skull, each located just in front of the spine an corresponding to a nerve plexus in the body, as well as an endocrine gland, a human need and a color.

The kind of transformation that happens in each location forms a hierarchy of needs. The activities enabled by the first chakra - Muladhara, or root chakra - are associated with meeting our most basic needs: survival, family, tribe and history. This chakra is located near the base of the spine and i associated with our most basic ability to move through the world, and it’s color is RED. It’s bija mantra is LAM.

Swadisthana (the second chakra), located in front of the sacrum, is associated with creativity and fertility of all kinds and it’s color is ORANGE. It’s bija mantra is VAM.

Manipura (the third chakra), located near the solar plexus, is associated with power, will and contentment and it’s color is YELLOW. It’s bija mantra is RAM.

Anahata (the fourth chakra), located behind the heart, is associated with relationship, love and service and it’s color is GREEN. It’s bija mantra is YAM.

Visshudha (the fifth chakra), located near your vocal cords, is associated with expression, voice and sharing, and it’s color is LIGHT BLUE. It’s bija mantra is HAM.

Ajna (the sixth chakra), located behind the forehead, is associated with personal insight, seeing patterns and clarity and it’s color is DARK BLUE. It’s bija mantra is AUM.

Sahasra (the seventh chakra), located near the crown of the head, is associated wisdom, spirituality and connection to the divine, and it’s color is PURPLE. It’s bija mantra is silence.

Try this fun, easy mantra meditation while imagining wheels of light in the colors mentioned at each location in your body: chant LAM-VAM-RAM-YAM-HAM-AUM seven times through, each syllable taking one breath.

LAM - RED - BASE OF SPINE

VAM - ORANGE - SACRAL REGION

RAM - YELLOW - SOLAR PLEXUS

YAM - GREEN - HEART

HAM - LIGHT BLUE - THROAT

AUM - DARK BLUE - BROW CENTER

SILENCE - PURPLE - CROWN

About Christine:

Rather than ascribing to a “flavor” of Hatha yoga practice, I bring 20 years of study and 7 years of teaching experience with an extensive background in anatomy and physiology to every class and every student, tailoring the practice to your needs. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance. 

As a recently practicing and still licensed Paramedic, I have not only a detailed understanding of the mechanics of body movement and function, but a personal and intimate understanding of how to apply these practices to modify stress responses and mitigate the effects of trauma from both personal and professional experience with myself and others using a combination of steady practice and off-the-mat, in the moment skills.  Read more at bandlandsyoga.com

Monday Meditation: Feedback

Today we just wanted to take a moment to share one of our customer's photos in response to our Mandala Monday Meditation. Thank you for the feedback Celia!

"Here's a pic of the peaceful time my 11 year old and I enjoyed coloring our mandalas together. Thanks for the inspiration!"

Christmas In July

Food, entertainment, rides, and ART! The Christmas in July Artisan Fair & Carnival is all weekend. Come join the fun under the trees at beautiful Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. 

I will have a booth there (space 65) and will be sure to bring some of these...

and some of these...

and some of these...

and some of these...

Hope to see you there! Here are the deets:

Monday Meditation: Meditation Can Make You Rich!

Did that get your attention? It’s true. Meditation can make you rich with all of the things money can’t buy. Decades of research shows that meditation can help you be happier, have more energy and motivation, improve your physical and emotional health, improve your relationships, and help you be more productive. Sound fantastic? Well, really it is.

Although “meditation” often conjures up the image of someone sitting in lotus position on a cushion, meditation is really much more than that. The requirement for meditation is that you be present with what’s happening in each moment with an attitude of nonjudgment and kindness. You can meditate while you’re sitting, but you can also meditate standing, walking, and lying down. Meditation can be practiced while you are sitting in a chair, under a tree, or on the front porch.

Since meditation is about being fully engaged with what’s happening while it’s happening, then you could make anything you do into a meditation. If you’re present and engaged with cooking a meal for your family, that would be a cooking meditation. Or you could wash the dishes after the meal and do a washing dishes meditation.

Getty Images

People often ask me if they can meditate when they’re running. Any physical activity you do can be a meditation—running, biking, hiking, walking, yoga, lifting weights, swimming, canoeing, etc. I’ve even heard reports of how much better sex is when you treat it as a meditation. Yes, sex can be a meditation too.

The key to making anything a meditation is to be aware of all of your senses while you’re doing an activity. Be aware of sounds, smells, touches, tastes, and sights. Since I know that being fully present is a bit of a challenge, the key to meditation is to notice when your mind wanders off to something else (like your to-do list, the argument you had with a friend, or the things you’re worried about). As soon as you notice the mind has wandered to thinking, bring it back. Start over with noticing fully the world of sensations that are available to you NOW.

I just did a fabulous eating meditation at a fancy restaurant last night. The explosions of flavor were fantastic, even to the last bite. The great thing about eating meditation is you feel so satisfied afterward and you override the tendency to overeat because you’re aware of when you’re full.

I hope I’ve got your creativity working on how to make your whole life a meditation practice. The only requirement is to know what you’re doing and when you’re doing it, with openness to your experience. Relax and Enjoy!

Lynn Rossy

www.TastingMindfulness.com 

https://twitter.com/drlynnrossy

https://www.facebook.com/TastingMindfulness

Lynn Rossy, Ph.D., has been teaching and researching mindfulness-based interventions targeting stress, pain, cancer, depression, and eating since 1999. She has trained extensively at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society in Worcester, MA. She received her doctorate and was trained as a health psychologist at the University of Missouri. She founded the Mindfulness Practice Center on the University of Missouri campus in 2002—an innovative program that offers mindfulness classes, workshops, and presentations to students, faculty and staff.

Hello, Summer

We love summer, sunglasses, and chunky rings.

Monday Meditation: Mandalas

Guest Post by Tracy Petrucci

Have you ever colored a mandala? I first learned what a mandala was years ago when I was in a therapy session working on some issues (we all have them, right?). The woman suggested I get some of these large geometric figures and either paint or color them as a way to relax. It sounded so appealing I went straight to the bookstore and found Mandalas for Meditation, a big kit with coloring pencils, blank white mandala shapes, and a book delving into how to use them for meditation.

As the back of my book puts it, "Color the fascinating, varied patterns of mandalas as a wonderfully soothing form of meditation. Achieve an inner calm and focus on what's essential, skills that we often lose in times of crisis. Practice following set patterns, create order within yourself as you accept the orderliness of the mandala, and gain perspective on what really matters in life. Whatever hues you choose are fine- the end result will always be perfect. When you're coloring, you're embarking on a personal path, experiencing things differently than anyone else."

I've loved using my mandalas to relax, meditate on certain ideas, or while going through life changes. I remember when I was first pregnant, I was really set on having a boy. I'm not sure if I knew what I was having yet or not, but I do remember one night I was playing some Joni Mitchell, coloring my mandala by candlelight, when all of the sudden it hit me... it would be kind of nice to have a girl. It was the first time I really thought about it and got excited about it, imaging my sweet little girl and I coloring and listening to folk music together one day. (As luck would have it, I did end up having a girl.)

You can draw your own mandala, find some online to print, or even look for a book like the one I found to start your mandala journey.