FIFTH CHAKRA-VISHUDDA

The throat chakra, the fifth chakra, referred to as Vishudda in Sanskrit is located in the center of the throat. Just as with the other chakras, the energy flows out of the front of the body and out of the back as well, so a vortex is formed under the chin and a smaller one at the back of the neck.

This chakra is connected with all forms of expression, communication and speech. The throat chakra helps is with ones ability to communicate with that which is inside yourself and will help all communications with others to be harmonious. It can also help you be more creative in general but especially with your words.

WHEN IMBALANCED

With this chakra blocked however the psychological aspects include obsession, repression of speech, not saying what you need to say, creative blocks and a general inability to express yourself.

COLOR 
Turquoise

ELEMENT
Ether

KUDALINI YOGA KRIYA TO BALANCE THROAT CHAKRA

SECOND CHAKRA-SVADHISTHANA

The Sanskrit name for the 2nd chakra is "Svadhisthana." This word means "dwelling place of the Self."

LOCATION
In the lower abdomen, about an inch below the navel.

EMOTION:
The emotion associated with the 2nd chakra is passion. If you grew up in an environment where emotions were repressed or denied, this chakra may be deficient. Some signs of deficiency are fear of pleasure, being out of touch with one's feelings and resistance to change.

SIGNS OF IMBALANCE:
2nd chakra may be overly emotional behavior, sexual addiction or poor boundaries. Excessiveness can be caused by living in an environment where there is a constant need for pleasurable stimulation, such as entertaining or partying. Frequent emotional drama can cause excessiveness also.

BODY:
Reproductive organs
All liquids in the body - the circulation of blood, urine, menstruation, tears
Hips, sacrum, low back
Kidneys

ELEMENT:
The element for the 2nd chakra is water, thus the association with the liquids of the body. Water flows, moves and changes. A balanced 2nd chakra allows us to do that also.

COLOR:
The color for the 2nd chakra is orange. Orange is a very stimulating color because of its vibrational energy.

The sense for the 2nd chakra is taste, especially a sweet taste.

KUNDALINI YOGA KRIYA TO BALANCE THE SECOND CHAKRA

THIRD CHAKRA-MANIPURA

Manipura in Sanskrit means "lustrous gem." The 3rd chakra is located in the area of the solar plexus, navel and digestive system. It is associated with power, self-esteem and vitality. It is the seat of the intellect.

GLANDS/ORGANS:
Pancreas, organs of digestion (small intestine)

IMBALANCE:

When the 3rd chakra is excessive, anger, hatred, too much attention to power, status and recognition can be present. In yoga, passive backbends are good for calming an excessive 3rd chakra.

When it is deficient, one can have digestive problems, eating disorders, low self-esteem and a feeling of powerlessness.

COLOR:
The colors for the 3rd chakra are yellow and gold.

ELEMENT:
The element for the 3rd chakra is fire. When there is too much heat in this part of the body, there can be digestive problems. All of the "itis" diseases begin in this chakra when the fire gets out of control.

EMOTION:
The emotion for the 3rd chakra is anger.

KUNDALINI YOGA KRIYA TO BALANCE THE THIRD CHAKRA

7 Things About Me & My Fav Blogs

Apparently, I am versatile! I was awarded the Versatile Blogger Award...Yay me! Thank you Safiyah of Safiyah Heals for considering me. Part of the whole versatile shtick is telling 7 things about me and provide 15 of my fav blogs. SO, here it is:

7 THINGS ABOUT ME:

1) I've raised my 2 cubs (21 year old sun and 14 year old daughter) single handedly. Even when I was with the baby-daddy, or my late husband, I was still the head of household. They say, the one with the purse strings holds the power. 

2) I home-schooled both my cubs. I believe in free thinking and Being. Institutions (as they are currently structured) kill creativity and freedom, in my opinion.

3) I love french pastries. When I say love...I mean LOVE! I have a SERIOUS weakness. Ooo la la!

4) I am a self-published author of 3 books. 2 of Sufi poetry (Impregnated with Desire and Divan of the Infidel) and 1 parenting book for healing difficult behaviors in children (Kinnecting: Healing the Difficult Child with the Creative Arts).

5) I was married once (not to my cubs father) for only 2 intense transformative years, then my husband, who was also my Capoeira Master, was shot and killed. May his soul find peace.

6) I teach healing movement modalities (Kundalini Yoga, Capoeira Angola, Pilates, Dance Movement Therapy). It's not work when you love what you do...

7) I LOVE to commune (spend sacred time) with Loves, Lovers and Beloveds over chai tea. It's my favorite thing to do...talk and gaze.

15 OF MY FAV BLOGS (sorry...could only think of 8 for now. I will add more as they come to me)

1) Visions of a Quest

2) Chelsea Loves Yoga

3) Paulo Coelho's Blog

4) Abdi Assadi Blog

5) Style Like You

6) Photokofa

7) Kundalini Yoga Info

8) Mystic Saint

9) 

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

The Divine Shield Meditation for Protection & Positivity

Greetings!

The next round of 40 days of meditation we will be calling on the Divine Mother to uplift and expand our auras. Whether we are mothers, or not, we all have been at some point in our past lives and our task in this life time is to become better caretakers to our selves and heal lifetimes of karma that get in the way of us living our Truth.

So as with every meditation, sitting in easy pose with hands in prayer pose with eyes rolled up toward the third eye brow point...we begin with the Adi Mantra ONG NA MO GURU DEV NA MO. This means I bow to the Divine Teacher within, or another translation is, I bow to the Infinite Widsom within. Ideally if you can chant the mantra on one breath GREAT! But if not, I like to chant the mantra on two breaths. The first breath, ONG NA MO...and when you are out of breath sip in air through a puckered mouth, and then chant GURU DEV NAMO. We chant the Adi Mantra 3xs.

The mudra and sitting position for this meditation is, the right knee bent with the right foot flat on the ground pointing straight ahead. The sole of the left foot is against the arch and ankle of the right foot. Make a fist with your left hand and place it on the grounds beside the hip. Use this to balance the posture. Bring your right hand back along the side of the head with the palm facing the ear. Form a cup with the right palm. Then bring it against the skull so that it contacts the skull below the ear but stays open above the ear.

As for the mantra, inhale deeply and chant the mantra in a long, full smooth sound of:

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Project the sound as if you are calling out to the Divine Mother like the sound a baby uses to call on the mother. If you call, she will come to your aid. As you chant, listen to the sound and let it vibrate through your whole body. When you have exhaled completely, take another deep breath and continue for 3 (minimum time for newbies) to 11 minutes. Then change the legs and ear to the other side.

Yogi Bhajan's notes on the meditation are:

It is difficult to focus on your higher feelings and sensitivity if you feel fearful and unprotected. If the universe seems hostile, uncaring, and non-responsive it is easy to become filled with cynicism, despair, and hopelessness. In that depressed state it is impossible to sense the fullness and possibilities of life. It is difficult to solve the problems that upset you.

Those feelings occur when the aura that surrounds the body is weak and small. The human aura can extend out to nine feet in all directions. If it drops below four feet, we tend to become depressed. If we can extend the aura, the outer arc acts as a filter and a connector to the universal magnetic field.

The aura can be temporarily expanded. One way is to connect to your aura with the universal seed sound that activates the power of the heart center. The compassion of the universe uplifts and expands you. It provides a Divine Shield to accompany you through your trials and tribulations. This meditation does exactly that. If you make it a regular practice, you will become positive, fearless, and happy. NOTHING WILL STOP YOU AS YOU PURSUE YOUR GOALS.

When the shield is strong you are protected from the impact of your own past actions. You are like a great ship that turns toward God and reality and then must cross the waves of your own wake that you created by your past actions (wait a second...whoah that is deep) The shield keeps you alert and awake at the real task of your life.


Close the meditation by rubbing your hands together, bringing them to prayer pose. Recite the Warrior Healers Affirmations.


Repeat a Long SAT NAM chanted on one breath 3xs. SAT NAM means Truth is my Identity.
Bring your hands to your forehead and your forehead to the ground to seal the meditation in your frontal lobe.
So there it is R & B Yogis! It sounds good to me! Lets see where the Divine Mother takes us. SO, hit me up if you have any questions or comments!

Sat Nam...Namaste...Asalaam Walaikum...Shalom!

Details for 40 day meditation

Yogic science says that there are certain lengths of time meditations should be done for certain desired effects. The meditation we will be doing is for 11 minutes. 11 minutes of meditation begins to change the nerves and the glandular system. We will be doing this meditation for 40 consecutive days, 11 minutes every day. Because, it takes 40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit, 120 days for the new habit is who you are and 1,000 you have mastered the new habit. If you decide to continue for more than 40 days it is up to you, but it must be done for the specific prescribed amount of days stated above.

Sitting in easy pose (legs crossed), with eyes rolled inward towards third eye-brow point, we open with the mantra "ong na mo gu ru dev namo" which means, I bow to the Divine wisdom within. Chant the mantra on one breath if you can. But I like to split it up into two, ong na mo...sip in air...then gu ru dev namo. I have more power in my breath and I feel the vibration in my heart center more. We repeat this mantra 3 times.

Then you will hit the sides of the palms alternately. The focus is on the tip of the nose, with the eyes 1/10th open. 

Pinky fingers,  palms up. 

Then index fingers, palms down. 

Each time they hit you will repeat the mantra "HAR" rolling the "r" slightly pronounced "hud."

Repeating the mantra and mudra consecutively for 11 minutes.

Discover your own rhythm with the mantra, the breath and your body. You may even do the meditation to music of your choice. I have chanted to everything from Punk to Hip Hop. No hypocrisy here, we are the embodiment of the sacred and the profane.

After 11 minutes, sit quietly in GYAN MUDRA: Thumbs pressed against the index finger palms up, elbows straight, elbows on the knees. Allowing the vibration of the mantra to circulate your body, mind and spirit.

To close we return to prayer pose, and we chant on one breath, "SAT NAM." Which means Truth is my identity. We repeat this mantra 3 times.

And there it is! Not so bad, is it?

We are a karmic group now, people. Whether we know each other, or not, we are putting forth something really positive into the universe, together. Healing ourselves, our communities and our families. 

I am really hyped about sharing this ancient knowledge you. I have been using the excuse of not having manifested my yoga studio, yet, as an excuse to not teach. There go virtual yoga, until I manifest the physical space. So, I am honored that you are trusting me as your guide and that you were a part of it from the beginning. And I cant wait to see the abundance we create together. At the end of our 40 days, we will share what we manifest, or if we fell off the practice and missed a day. If that happens, no worries. We are building our own personal spiritual practice.

I will be sending out words of wisdom and encouragement that come to me. Discipline is not easy. If it were, we would all be masters already (which we are we) just haven't realized it yet.

I will be posting the video Thursday night. Excuse our rag tag production (ie. Adrian's finger). It was our first video shoot. We did it "guerilla style" with no tripod. Apologies, we were on the run and had no time to work out the kinks. The full moon is upon us! Just a couple days away! Everything will work itself out in the end, it always does...

Blessings!

- Luz Emma