Light at the end of the tunnel!

I can’t tell you how excited I am! Dancing around the room kind of excited, like my heart might burst with excitement, grinning from ear to ear excitement, jubilant, light, joyful excitement. It’s a champagne evening if ever there was one - well aside from the fact I’m still trialling sobriety, but it’s worthy of champagne, if you do partake!

The details aren’t yet clear but prayers have been answered, and my rants have been heard (and all those of all the others ranting too) and I should be able to teach yoga again in person very soon, in my parents’ garden, if not at Sausmarez Park and even in the community centres, if the weather is bad. I can’t tell you the relief. I have missed it so much. I am extremely grateful for Zoom, but it is just not the same. I long to get my hands on people, in a non-manipulative, non-weird, and non-inappropriate way! Share the love then!

I’m also super excited that Sark is opening up again, which means we should be good to go for the Sark retreat in October. I LOVE Sark and I LOVE teaching yoga on Sark, there is just something extremely magical about this beautiful Island and I am grateful we can get back there again in October. I’m expecting that we’ll be OK to retreat in Herm later that month too. I do have dates for Glastonbury 2021 too, although whether the UK will be in a position for that is not clear just yet (11-13 June if you are interested and yes, there are spaces!).

I have been extremely grateful for this pause and period of uncertainty because such times are breeding grounds for creativity and transformation; what we once knew drops away so that the new can potentially enter in and fill the space instead. It reminds me of my favourite quote, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got”. In fairness I was contented with my life pre-lockdown and I wasn’t sure it needed to change much, but now I know that it needed to change, and I am grateful that lockdown did that for me!

I now realise that I was very good at wasting time and sweating the small stuff, stressing about silly things that really aren’t important in the grand scheme. I suppose really there has been a real shift in priorities. It has absolutely not been easy. There have been dark nights of the soul as many of you will realise who have read this blog regularly, but I have felt supported throughout it all, and had a deep knowing that it is all part of a very necessary process, that has brought the Goddess calling and more of the sacred has been felt and entered in.

I have felt a connection to the divine that is for sure and I am grateful for the extra yoga lessons and Vedic chanting sessions that have supported the process. I’m sure you can relate to this too. I am no different. We are all a micro of a macro so we will all be going through it. How we deal with it might be different though. However there’s been a plethora of yoga and other healing modalities offering support; there must be so much online yoga content that people might practice a different session each day for the whole of rest of their lives! Plus living on this Island has made lockdown easier for most, as the beaches are always just down the road.

The chance to grow vegetables and medicinal plants has been a true gift. And the pause has also brought in the ‘Plant A Tree Project’ which was there somewhere in the ether, it has been on my mind, right at the back, for over a year now, but I couldn’t figure out what it might look like, but there is much greater clarity now and I am excited about sharing that when E and I are ready. Manuscripts have been finished in draft. But the greatest positive shift has been the children.

It was challenging initially, adjusting to the lack of space from them, because I thrive on my own space, but we got into a new groove, helped by the fact E and I can work around each other, and we get lots of family time together and can support each other when we do need space. Elijah is much happier than I ever remember him being and while Eben is a crazy wild child who triggers and challenges me daily, he has also thrived by this time together. The boys have become best friends. It has been a joy to witness. i feel like I have finally stepped up as more of the mother that I wanted to be and yet didn’t know how to be because my life was always ‘too busy’.

This has been helped enormously by getting off social media and putting my phone to the side. I am not distracted like I was before. I’m not sure about social-media. It’s anti-social media if you ask me. It makes people anti-social, heads in phones, buying into something that’s not real. It’s a performance for many, an opportunity to market what they want to be, superficial, lacking in substance, nothing underneath, bodies, faces, likes, followers, groups, judgments, anti-this, pro-that, not a lot of harmony at best. It makes you feel much more important that you actually are. Life carries on without you, a hard reality to stomach initially, the solar plexus takes a true bashing!

People say Facebook helps them stay connected. I don’t know about that. I have better connections off Facebook: I’ve been writing letters again, to my friends off Island, I can touch that, it’s more real and personal, and most of them in fairness aren’t on social media, which I suppose is the reason they’re my friends, like attracts like I guess! I was concerned initially how difficult I found it to actually write, because I type these days generally. The irony was not lost on me as I was trying to teach Elijah to write and he was more interested in using his iPad, because he doesn’t need to write on there!

I suppose ultimately, the children have become the priority, not whether someone has messaged me or liked something, or is simply messaging me for the sake of messaging me. I’ve actually deleted the Instagram account. It’s liberating. I noticed initially how I was seeing things I might take a photo of and then I remembered that I was no longer posting on social media and I almost laughed, as I asked myself the reason I was taking the photo in the first place - to show off, to share, to prove that my life was somehow interesting, that I was living life to the full? There’s a lot of ego in there, and while yes, I know we need some ego, there’s a lot of fuss around needing to be someone and to have others know. Yet actually my life has become more personal and special, my family time, just for us, and for my extended family.

Not using my phone has been trickier, because of the camera and because my family, with my brother in Australia, communicate by WhatsApp. And because Class Dojo is set up on my phone, and I have needed to access that for the home schooling, and then of course there’s the fact I tend to read something on my phone when I’m breastfeeding Eben at bed time in the dark. But it has been liberating turning it off as much as I can, proving that I’m not ‘needed’ as I might have thought and that it is OK not to respond to emails immediately, and that my boys needing me is actually more real and more important.

I have finally stooped shopping at Waitrose, which I have wanted to do for ages. I just don’t like what these big supermarkets have done to the environment, with mass production and intensive farming, with all the chemicals that are used to grow vegetables and fruits, let alone what happens to animals. Mind you I’m still shopping at M&S so I can’t preach just yet! I’ve been favouring hedge veg though, it has a sweeter and fresher taste, it actually has a taste! And Hansa, I have been supporting Hansa because it’s local and independent.

See, Covid and lockdown has brought with it the opportunity for increased awareness and shifts and possibilities. I definitely know that playing with the boys and having fun is possible, that teaching yoga feeds my soul, and that spending time with the students who comes to class makes me feel very happy. I love the Beinspired community and I am so grateful for all the support and that we have this lovely life here on Guernsey and that we can be together again soon, and that mental health and wellbeing on the Island can be supported through holistic means once more.

I’m curious to see what life will will look like post-covid. What we will have learned. How much we have awoken as a society and individually. The decisions we might make. How we might live. Whether we will try to make this world a more harmonious place to live…by being more in harmony with our true self and with others and with nature and truly knowing (not just saying or thinking), absolutely knowing from the very depth of our being that we are one, and that love is consciousness. That’s all it has ever been about and yet we keep trying to figure it out, going around in circles, looking, looking, looking, at the illusion, and not seeing the truth. Maybe we’ve started to see through that veil.

Sending love xx

Vishuddha - The Throat Chakra

The throat chakra is in the hollow of the throat.  The throat is between the head and the heart – between heaven and earth - it is the meeting point between the two higher spiritual chakras and the four lower physical chakras. It is the chakra of communication, where we can speak our inner thoughts, blend the inner and the outer, the above with the below, Heaven with Earth – here love become song and compassion becomes speech. 

A healthy throat chakra enhances self-expression and openness to the ideas of others. When it is in balance it purifies all of the chakras and brings harmony into your being.  It is an enormously powerful chakra and it is important to keep it in balance so that all of the other chakras are optimised.

The throat chakra is connected to the idea of vocation or calling.  When this chakra is brought into balance, many people suddenly discover a fresh outlook on what they want to do in life.  They may change their priorities or they may feel a literal vocation calling them to an entirely new profession or way of life.

When it is balanced, you discover your authentic voice and can be yourself in all situations.  Your communication is clear and untainted, and you communicate to others with compassion, kindness, honesty, truthfulness and steadiness.  You also have the ‘space’ to see yourself clearly and can let the divine wisdom of the Universe guide each moment of your life.

A healthy throat chakra ensures self-expression in every sense; being able to put forward your ideas, while listening to the perspectives of others in an open and positive way.  When you come to terms with your own unique inner self and its intuitions and instincts, you know this chakra is working, as it should.  If you are dogmatic, refuse to listen to other’s advice or you get bogged down in minor details rather than addressing the heart of an issue, you need to work on this chakra.

Giving your word is another way in which the throat chakra expresses itself.  Those with strong throat chakras are reliable and mean what they say.  They are able to make commitments to other people, follow a spiritual path, aspire to high ideals, and can sometimes make huge changes in their lives if they instinctively know they should.

The theme of communication is of paramount importance to the throat chakra.  A closed or poorly functioning throat chakra can often be heard in a monotonous, droning voice.  Furthermore poor expression and communication can block this chakra.

An imbalanced throat chakra often means you feel defensive about your ideas, and threatened when others have different views.  You may be unwilling to voice your ideas at all, preferring to align yourself to ready-made ideologies.  Alternatively, you may never stop talking, but without saying anything important.

As the centre of communication, what was not said is important too.  Less is definitely more when it comes to talking and expressing yourself – this is true communication.  Say what you mean and mean what you say and speak only when you have something to say.  Don’t forget that words have power – they are thoughts made manifest.

An imbalanced throat chakra can leave you anxious and confused, not knowing which direction to take and fearful of taking a new path.  Sometimes you can even cling to a person, an idea or a way of life despite knowing it is damaging.  You might suffer with poor self-expression, both spoken or written, fear of powerlessness or lack of choice, no willpower and feelings of being out of control. 

An unhealthy throat chakra can bring physical imbalances such as thyroid issues, sore throats and laryngitis, disorders related to the jaw and mastication, ear infections, ulcers, facial problems, neck and shoulder pain, headaches and teeth and gum conditions. 

There are various things you can do to connect more fully with this centre:

·       Wear blue;

·       Wear turquoise around your neck;

·       Vedic chanting, chanting devotional mantra, Kirtan, singing, these can all help;

·       Writing a journal to express your feelings;

·       Neck and shoulder massage;

·       Yoga including postures such as Ustrasana (camel), Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) and Setu Bandhasana (bridge);

·       Brahmari breath – the bumble bee breath;

·       Ujaii breath – the victorious breath;

·       Ayurveda;

·       Reiki;

·       Bach floral remedies – dowse for the one for you;

·       Screaming into the wind!

Colour: Blue

Element: Space

Sense organ: Hearing

Yantra: Ham

Bija seed Mantra: Sixteen smoky purple petals and a pure blue circle representing space!

Related plexus and organs: Thyroid, parathyroid

Balanced attributes: Speak our truth with kindness, good listener, clear communication, creativity and self-expression

Examples of possible chakra deficiency or excess: Unable to express our needs clearly, shyness, compulsive talking, sore throat.

Anahata - The Heart Chakra

This chakra is the spiritual centre of the ‘column’ of seven chakras, below it the root, sacral and solar plexus chakras represent the personal and the physical.  Above it, the throat, brow and crown chakras represent the spiritual and universal.  The heart chakra provides the vital link for the whole.

Called ‘Anahata’ in Sanskrit, this chakra is situated in the heart region  and hence is known as the heart chakra. It is the chakra of devotion, love and trust. It is said that if you look into the heart chakra there is a small window and if you enter there, you will see a staircase that will lead you up to the throat chakra or Vishudda.

The heart chakra is associated with love and compassion, not just love for yourself and others, but a love for the divine (in whatever guise) and all of creation. The hands, in particular, are closely associated with the heart chakra, and a kind touch is an outward sign of love, compassion and forgiveness that typify this chakra when it is in an open and balanced state.  

The heart chakra is also a seat of creativity.  A blocked heart chakra results in creative blocks, while an open one leaves you open to inspiration. However, the heart chakra can be too open.  You can pour out so much heart energy in your desire to help others that you can have none left for yourself. 

When your heart chakra is out of balance, you may lack confidence and be unable to let go of your fears.  You might also love to the point of suffocation and be filled with feelings of jealousy, abandonment, anger and bitterness. You might also have a fear of loneliness and suffer with issues of the heart.

Physically you might suffer with asthma, lung disease, heart disease, have issues with the breasts (e.g. cysts, cancer), issues in the lymphatic system and problems with the upper back, shoulders, arm pain and wrist pain. 

However, when your heart chakra is balanced, you feel energised and have the strength to fulfil your hopes and dreams, and to give and receive unconditional love.  You also feel joy and gratitude, forgiveness flows freely and you have greater trust. 

The key, as ever, is balance.  The heart, in common with all the chakras, needs to have its own flexibility, the ability to open and close as necessary.  This is particularly important in the heart, as it is the chakra of change, giving us the confidence to fulfil our hopes, make a break with the past and embrace the future.

Opening up the heart chakra can feel scary at times, as if you are wide open to attack – and indeed you can be – for a little while.  But soon you will feel the benefit as you will have all this loving energy that you need to share, care and relate to others, so that you are touching people with your heart, and when you do you’ll notice that people become spontaneously drawn to you – chatting at shops, strangers wanting to talk to you, animals coming over for a stroke.

While challenges may still present themselves in your life, rather than just reacting, you may now be able to respond by standing back and handling the situation with love so the outcome will be for everyone’s highest good.  You will feel more in tune with the other person’s heart and you will know just what to do...and trust in yourself.

The heart charka doesn’t occupy the same position as the physical heart, it is more central, in your chest cavity. Hormonally, the heart chakra is associated with the thymus gland, which is part of the lymphatic system, which in turn is central to the immune system.  A blocked or poorly functioning heart chakra can lead to a weakened immune system, stress-related disorders and problems involving the lungs and respiratory system.

There are various things you can do to connect more fully with this chakra:

·       Yoga!

·       Go for a walk in nature and see all the greens – the grass, the trees, the plants, the hills, really ‘see’ nature;

·       Lie on the grass;

·       Grow plants and fresh herbs;

·       Wear green;

·       Surround yourself with rose quartz! Rose quartz is just amazing, it will truly support the heart. Also green aventurine and jade can be helpful;

·       Doing things that bring you joy;

·       Laughing – having fun with friends and family;

·       Receive and/or give Reiki;

·       Let go of people, situations, events, jobs etc that are not aligned with your heart;

·       Forgiving yourself and others

·       Developing self-compassion through forgiveness, a growth mind-set and treating yourself as you would your best friend – letting go of the inner critic;

·       Singing along to devotional songs;

·       Ayurveda.

Colour: Green

Element: Air

Sense organ: Skin

Yantra: Yam

Bija seed Mantra: Twelve petals of a deep red colour

Related plexus and organs: Cardiopulmonary plexus, thymus gland and heart

Balanced attributes: Unconditional love, compassion, self-love/compassion, unity.

Examples of possible chakra deficiency or excess: sentimentality, selfishness, anxiety, jealousy.

Back into the heart

Today I feel as if I have come back to life and popped into the heart again.

I have emailed three deputies (two of whom responded almost immediately, thank you ladies) and the general States of Guernsey address because enough is enough. We have two active cases of Covid on the Island, and I cannot help thinking that we need to move forward now - the line between protecting the vulnerable and creating greater vulnerability (mentally and economically especially) has been passed…action is required.

Also, quite frankly, I want to be able to teach yoga again and touch people and give them Reiki. This last two days I have bumped into a lady with cancer and been contacted by a friend going through a hard time, been told about a student who needs some healing, and a handful of other students who are suffering, and I cannot do a thing about it. Yes, sure, they can attend Zoom classes, and I can send them distance Reiki, but it is not the same. The weather is beautiful and we should be out there praising yoga in nature. That will be far better for all of us, then this social distancing and bubble malarkey.

On a positive note, I have a new date for the Glastonbury retreat in 2021, which I will share with those due to attend before sharing publicly, but if you are feeling the call then keep an eye out. I start the series of lectures on the Goddess with a High Priestess in Glastonbury tomorrow and I cannot wait. She is calling!

On another positive note, the medicinal herbs are growing well (aside from the liquorice, which is being tricky!), some of our trees less well, but on the whole doing OK, and I have been having a fab time with the boys playing in teh garden. So every cloud does indeed bring a silver lining. But I am ready to get teaching properly again…pretty please dear angels, if you could help with that, I’d be most grateful!

Love to you all.

Even after all this time...

Well I have to say that I have grown increasingly weary and frustrated by lockdown and the general reaction to Covid.

I retreated last week as my cycle waned, and the dark moon did indeed bring with it a dark night of the soul, which continued on and on, allowing me to truly feel into all the rage and anger and grief that it brought with it. This wasn’t even mine necessarily, and it’s the first time I have truly felt this through my own cycle, old old wounds, from life times ago, and it wasn’t just mine, but the collective too. We women especially are right in the thick of it.

There was an old feeling of powerlessness that always underlaid my bouts of depression and there was even older feelings of powerlessness that were from times gone by that I don’t even consciously remember, yet there are memories, and this Scaravelli-yoga, or maybe the TM, I don’t know, maybe it’s just the time, but there is a whole other portal that has been opened. Jeez.

Ordinarily, if I read something like this, I’d be like ‘whatever’, but I couldn’t ignore it. It’s there and it’s very real. Power. Powerlessness, and something, something about the Goddess trying to poke through. I’m pretty sure you’re probably feeling it too if you’re reading this. And if not, and you think me mad, then you’re probably right about that too.

Because I have been feeling as if I may be going mad, simply because my mind just doesn’t seem to function the way that other people’s minds do. Simply because I just do not get it. I can’t understand it. My mind is blown by the fact the UK Government is pumping an additional £84m into this Covid vaccine. We’ve still not managed to vaccinate against the common cold, we still have flu, we still even have polio and how many years have we been vaccinating against that now, let alone meningitis, and all these others diseases that still exist, that we still haven’t managed to overcome, that we live with.

Nowhere do I hear any talk about the immune system, and I keep wondering why we aren’t putting more money into health education, teaching about the immune system and how we might promote its functioning. It’s like we’ve forgotten that we even have one, that within us is the capacity to protect against illness, and this amazing body that can heal. The only time people generally talk about the immune system is when it isn’t functioning properly, and we have heard a lot about this recently.

It doesn’t help I suppose that people pay it such little attention and will allow things to be injected or ingested in their body that aggravate it, let alone all the negative thinking and the external pollutants that we subject ourselves too, some by choice and some not, and all the while the trees get cut down, we lose more of nature and her medicine and her ability to help us heal, not only through her medicinal qualities but just by being in her - the chemicals that she gives to us, the good chemicals, not the bad ones that are sprayed on our food through mass farming and that we ingest into our bodies, on top of all the stuff that has already been injected into us and all that stress…

And on I go. The rage was in full swing about this and all other sorts of injustices. The people dying through loneliness and poverty, those unable to obtain diagnoses for cancers and other diseases and ailments because the whole world has stood still by a virus. A virus! The world is full of viruses. There are always going to be viruses. But now. Now we have a war on the virus. A war! Why do governments always need to declare wars?! Why do we always need to be fighting something? Why can’t we just live in blinking harmony with one another, each other, with viruses for goodness sake?!

Then there’s the bubbles! Ah, if I hear much more about bubbles then I think I will truly lose my mind. Only a few months ago, public transport was encouraged, now we shouldn’t go on it. We are trying to move away from plastic, yet now I don’t suppose anyone cares too much what material is used for PPE, or how it is disposed of, as long as it protects them from the virus. It’s all so confusing. As for the children. I read that in Denmark, children back at school are being asked to wash their hands so much that they are now getting eczema and skin complaints.

Then there’s the social distancing of children in schools. And here I’m curious about the products used to deep clean the schools each week, the same schools that our children will be shut into, to avoid Covid. And this when there are currently 4 known cases on an Island with a population of approximately 60k. Yes I know, I know that Covid is very infectious and can kill, but come on, look at the collateral damage, there are so many people suffering in so many ways that we cannot even begin to imagine or put statistics to it.

The mental health alone? I don’t know that I’ve talked to many people recently (online or social distancing may I add) who haven’t alluded to the fact they have had enough that mentally they are just about holding it together, and that’s mainly because they are drinking wine as a form of self-medication. How is it possible to maintain a full time job and educate your children? And this with the relentless shopping, oh my goodness, there’s no joy in this world anymore, even shopping has become a laborious process of queues and trying to socially distance, which is so tricky in a shopping environment.

But it is more than all that. It is about feeling powerless to live the life that I would choose to live. This is where the rage came from last week. We always get to choose the thoughts we think. But we don’t always get to choose what we can do with the time that we have available to us. Normally we do, but lockdown has thrown that out the window too. Someone else has been deciding what we can and can’t do with our time, and when they live from a different perspective to your own, then it is tough to just go with the flow, because you are not able to live aligned to your own deep values.

And yes of course, there’s this spiritual lessons of living with uncertainty, of being present, of quite literally just going with the flow of things, but, but, well she doesn’t much like that. Her power is taken away, just like it was taken away eons ago, there is still a very raw wound. A very real wound. I know that I am not the only woman feeling it now too.

So I raged and I despaired and I moaned a lot to E, and I tended to my plants and I got out into nature as much as I could, because nature is our healer and our centerer, and I felt much better once the dark night, or nights in this case, had come to pass, and I could see more clearly that it doesn't matter what I think, or what I say, only that I live my life with integrity and in harmony with the world around me, and with my family and with viruses. That the rest of the world with all its craziness will carry anon. And I send Reiki to that and those too.

The Goddess is calling. She’s moving deep from the land into the root and up through the pelvis and into the solar plexus, awaiting her transformation. She is transformation! We are being reminded, of that which is important (and it isn’t what we have been told or ‘sold’ - it certainly isn’t the best bikini-clad yoga body, anymore than it is the 6 figure salary, for example). It’s there for us to discover, if we are listening and it is really rather delightful in its simplicity.

But still I’m feel that my mind is broke, because so many are still asleep. This is what pains me the most. Even after all this time…

Even 
After 
All this time
The Sun never says to the Earth,

"You owe me."

Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the whole sky.”

― Hafi

Even after all this time…we’re still looking in all the wrong places and missing what is right under our noses.

With love

Emma x

Manipura - The Navel Chakra

This chakra is extremely complex.  It is the chakra of the mind, ruling rational thought, discernment and individuality.  Yet it is also a very physical chakra, governing the digestive system, liver and spleen as well as the back.  It is the chakra from which our moral judgements emerge, and from which we draw the moral courage to stand up for what we believe in.

 Manipura is known as the solar plexus or navel centre, and is situated at the umbilicus. It is in close association with the coelic or solar plexus. It is related to the element of fire. When the basic needs of the first and second chakras are satisfied, then another factor appears in the third chakra, Manipura, which is power. In the lowest chakra, matter meets with matter. In the second chakra woman meets with man. In the third, leader meets with follower.

The Sanskrit name, Manipura, can translate as ‘jewel in the city’ and the jewel it refers to is the mind.  When our solar plexus chakra is in balance, our mind is also in balance.  We are in control of ourselves and the challenges and decisions that we face in life.   As well as being warm in nature, people with balanced solar plexus chakras tend to have a healthy intuition, they can generally rely on their hunches or ‘gut instincts’, and they can express themselves well.

With a balanced solar plexus we are also discerning, disciplined and assertive, and we face life’s challenges with courage and integrity.  Our ego will no longer need continual gratification.  We will discover a moderation in thought and action; we are able to listen to people without being overwhelmed by them.  We instinctively find a comfortable relationship with the world.  Our character becomes gemlike: solid, multifaceted and filled with life.

The fire in this chakra gives us our ‘glow’, burnishes our ego, and illuminates our mind; it helps us to see the world around us clearly.  This fire also creates the necessary heat for the metabolism of food, cellular transactions and thought. We will feel greater self-respect, self-compassion, and be assertive and confident. 

On the other hand, an overly dominant solar plexus leads to bullying, egotistical and aggressive behaviour.  These people believe they are always right and get angry easily, and seek to control others through their anger. A weak solar plexus chakra results in depression, guilt and lack of confidence; it becomes hard for us to see our life clearly, leading to feelings of heightened vulnerability.

Because the solar plexus is the centre of the intellect and decision-making, it is important for the health and development of this chakra that we make our own choices, rather than have them made for us.  The development of the solar plexus is hindered if we have a feeling of powerlessness in life.

We can have, be and do anything we choose in our life, anything, we just have to choose wisely and believe in ourselves – we shouldn’t settle for second best.  This chakra is a powerful receiver and transmitter of energy, as we give, so we receive, so balance is essential here.  

If we are giving out feelings of being a failure then this will be reflected straight back at us. If we give out feelings of being a success then this will be reflected straight back at us.  Give to ourselves first and foremost otherwise we won’t have anything to give to others.

Physical imbalances include digestive problems, liver dysfunction, stomach ulcers, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, pancreas and gallbladder issues and colon disease. Emotional imbalances include issues of personal power and self-esteem, fears of rejection and criticism, and anxiety about physical appearances.

There are a few practical things we can do to help to energise/balance this area including:

 ·       Wearing yellow;

·       Wearing/holding amber, citrine, and/or yellow aventurine;

·       Ayurveda and following Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle choices to promote healthy digestion and balanced digestive fire;

·       Scaravelli-inspired yoga, with its emphasis on self-compassion and truly honouring the body’s wisdom;

·       Reiki;

·       Gentle massage around the navel centre using a base oil to suit such as coconut oil;

·       Doing things that are joyful and fun;

·       Weeding, planting and growing – getting your hands in the earth and being in nature;

·       Resting, enjoying a Yoga Nidra for example;

·       Gentle exercise.

·       Abdominal breathing;

·       Burning sage;

·       Watching sunset/sunrise (just be aware whether sunrise might over stimulate);

·       Listening to beautiful music.

Colour: yellow

Element: Fire

Sense organ: Eyes

Yantra: Ram

 Bija seed Mantra: The red triangular mandala at its centre contain the primordial element of fire. It has ten petals

Related plexus and organs: coeliac or solar plexus and pancreas

Balanced attributes: Greater self-worth and self-respect, self-compassion, confidence, learn from mistakes, healthy boundaries, personal power, assertive and confident, divine will.

Examples of possible chakra deficiency or excess: Feeling overwhelmed and at mercy of fate, loneliness, ego centred, digestive disorders, issues of personal power and self-esteem, fears of rejection, criticism, anxiety about physical appearances. 

Swadhisthana - The Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra is orange, and balances the red of the physical energy with the yellow of the mental energy. It is known as Swadhisthana in Sanskrit, the chakra of procreation. It is situated in between the genitals, about two inches below the navel. This chakra is related to the element of water and is related to the sense organ of the tongue.  

This chakra is the most feminine of the seven chakras.  It is profoundly connected with fertility and is ruled by the moon, which pulls not only the seas and oceans, but also the waters within our own bodies.  

 The sacral chakra is the seat of creativity and is linked to taste in the broadest sense – our likes and dislikes.  It is also the seat of our emotions and is closely linked to pleasure, attraction and, in particular, sexuality.

When this chakra is out of balance nothing and no one is ever enough.  Life has no constancy.  We feel fragmented and volatile.  Our desires dominate and oblige us to seek satisfaction through the senses – sex, food, material possessions, status.  An out-of-balance sacral chakra brings about guilt, self-pity, manipulative behaviour and envy. 

If the chakra is too open, we may forget our own needs and occupy so much with the needs of others that we end up feeling like a martyr.  Lack of balance can also give rise to sexual/fertility problems, jealousy and obsession.

Physical imbalances may include sexual and reproductive issues, urinary problems including kidney dysfunctions, hip, pelvic and lower back pain. Emotional imbalances include an inability to commit to relationships, failure to express emotions, fears of impotence and betrayal and addictions. 

A balanced sacral chakra is characterised by physical fluidity and grace. People with a balanced sacral chakra tend to be friendly, open and trusting, in touch with their feelings and able to express them, willing to see the positive rather than the negative, and able to turn problems into challenges.

People with a balanced sacral chakra also feel able to take risks, they are in touch with their creativity, have no fear of commitment, are passionate about life, sexually confident and outgoing. 

In essence, it is sexual expression – the most powerful and fundamental of our creative energies - that characterises the sacral chakra.  It guides our sexual identity, our ability to bond with a partner and to take pleasure in our sexuality.  

When in balance it gives us profound sexual and emotional happiness.  It is worth reflecting that the word ‘sacral’ comes from the same root as ‘sacred’.  Sex is not meant to be a casual, meaningless event, but nor is it meant to induce guilt.  Rather with openness and empathy, it is something that brings great joy and pleasure – the lover meets the beloved on the physical plane. 

If we are not using this energy internally then we need to be expressing our sacral energy externally through writing, drawing, painting, singing, anything that encourages our creativity and encourages the energy to flow strongly and smoothly.  

 This chakra is situated in the bowl of the pelvis, directly over the ovaries and testes.  It governs the spleen, reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder and all the bodily fluids.  In order to find lightness and balance in this chakra we must seek to balance the pelvis. 

 There are a few practical things we can do to help to energise/balance this area including:

·       Wearing orange;

·       Movement, this area of the body loves movement, so get moving!;

·       Yoni yoga is a blessing for this chakra, getting in touch with your inner goddess;

·       Connecting with the moon and noticing how her cycles affect how you feel;

·       Connecting with your menstrual cycle if you are menstruating, or your cycles post-menopausal (‘Code Red’ by Lisa Lister is a helpful read, also anything by Alexandra Pope, Dr Christiane Northrup and Uma Dinsmore-Tuli);

·       Ayurveda, especially if you are experiencing menstrual, fertility issues or menopausal issues; 

·       Reiki;

·       Journaling as a way of expressing your feelings and emotions;

·       Water, bathing in water, with some essential oils, particularly ylang ylang and neroli;

·       Massaging this area of the body, using oils, coconut oil or another carrier oil, perhaps using essential oils (patch test first);

·       Sage, burn sage to cleanse your energy;

·       Holding, wearing or putting carnelian in your pocket can also help. 

·       Dipping in the White Spring at Glastonbury and visiting any ancient sites of the Goddess;

·       Prioritising time to do what you enjoy doing – those things you feel passionate about;

·       Honouring your body and this area of the body especially – seeing the sacred in it, not giving it away.

·       Taking steps to address any sexual abuse or trauma.

Colour: Orange

Element: Water

Sense organ: Tongue

Yantra: A white crescent moon at its centre and six petals

Bija seed mantra: Vam

Related plexus and organs: Upper hypogastric plexus and ovaries and adrenal glands.

Balanced attributes: Creative, adaptable, flexible, delight in pleasure and life’s gifts.

Examples of possible chakra deficiency or excess: Feeling of separation, creative blocks, compulsive behaviour, arrogance.

Muladhara - the root/base chakra

The root chakra is red in the visible spectrum red has the longest wavelength. It is called Muladhara in Sanskrit, also known as the root centre. It is situated in the perineum, at the base of the spinal column. This chakra is related to the element of earth, and the sense organ is the nose.

This is the chakra of survival. We need food, water and air to survive. We also need sleep and shelter to fulfil our basic needs. In this root chakra there is sex energy. This is the chakra of material existence. It is also the grounding chakra, the one that connects us to the earth and our own physicality. 

Muladhara chakra is our source of stability and grounding that comes from deep connection to the earth and to our roots.  When it is out of balance this affects everything related to our personal stability, safety and security.  It controls how we deal with money, our body and our family: our roots.

An imbalanced root chakra, which is low in vital energy may mean that we may experience emotional imbalances and suffer from low self-esteem, feel out of touch with our body and sexuality, we may constantly worry about money, never feel satisfied with our work or home and have issues around food. It can also lead to self-destructive or addictive behaviour such as eating disorders, smoking, drug taking etc.

It can also cause illnesses such as degenerative arthritis, knee pain, lower back pain, depression, sciatica, constipation and issues with male reproductive parts and the prostate gland. There may be problems in the legs, feet, rectum, tailbone and immune system generally.  

On the other hand, a root chakra which is imbalanced by being too strong can lead to isolation, materialism, bullying behaviour or selfishness.

When this chakra is balanced we feel supported, grounded, physically secure in the physical world, confident, connected, and healthy and happy with our body and sexuality. We trust the universe to take care of us and the world does not seem a scary place to live. We begin to realise that just for today we have a roof over our head, food on the table and some money in our pocket. Life is great – all our primary needs are met.

Physically, the root chakra is located at the base of the spine between the pubic bones, tailbone and sitting bones.  Its centre is the perineum, in the middle of the pelvic floor between the anus and genitals.  

The pelvic floor is influenced and affected by the muscles of the legs and the feet. The integrity of the pelvic floor depends on the proper alignment of the legs and the balance of the feet, which act like the roots of a plant.  We need our feet and legs to be alive and balanced in order to find grounding and stability.

There are a few practical things we can do to help to energise this area including:

·       Wearing red, especially red socks;

·       Eat grounding and warming foods such as soups;

·       Hugging trees;

·       Getting hands in the earth, planting, weeding, growing vegetables and flowers etc;

·       Walk barefoot on the earth or on the beach;

·       Sea swimming;

·       Spending time in nature connecting with the earth can also make a huge difference;

·       Yoga;

·       Reiki;

·       Ayurveda;

·       Holding, wearing or putting red jasper in your pocket can also help. 

In short, to build a solid life, we need a solid base.

Colour: Red

Element: Earth

Sense organ: Nose

Yantra: It has in its centre a triangle, from which the sushsumna begins and which (the sushsumna) end at the top of the head, has four crimson-coloured petals. 

Bija seed mantra: Lam 

Related plexus and organs: Sacral, coccygeal plexus and testes

Balanced attributes: Stamina, vitality, physical health, patience, ability to manifest dreams, inner security.

 Possible chakra deficiency or excess: lack of energy, little enthusiasm, obsessive worrying, impatience, hyperactivity.