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The Third Chakra-Manipura

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The Third Chakra lies in the area between  the abdomen and the lumbar spine. It is known as the fire Chakra it projects energy and vitality through the body and mind.

The third chakra is also know as Manipura meaning ‘city of jewels’, Manipura is the meeting place for the upward moving prana(energy) and the downward moving prana because it sits in the centre of the body.

If our Manipura is active and open we will have a feeling of inner strength,determination , enthusiasm and our inner warrior will feel alive.

If it is unbalanced we will have a feeling of weakness, lack of self control, victim conscious, easily controlled by others.

This chakra controls the solar plexus , adrenal glands, digestive organs, lower back and abdomen.

Asanas or poses to awaken the third Chakra are

1. bow pose

2.locust

3. fire in the belly series

4.boat poses

5.supine twist

You guessed it ….The Forth Chakra

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Anahata or Heart chakra is locate in the area of the heart. The colour green is associated with this Chakra, the areas of the body that Anahata governs are the cardiac region, lungs, arms and hands.

This Chakra is often the focus of most yoga classes as the heart represents love, and without love humans cannot exist.

However when this Chakra is unbalanced we become overly emotional, possessive, jealous, struck in grief or may feel as though the heart has shut down.

When balanced the heart Chakra or energy centre gives us the feeling of fearlessness, devotion, empathy, compassion and unconditional love.

Humans thrive in a loving environment and like all living beings we need love and the vibration love brings into the body and mind. The feeling of love activates endorphins so we feel good, happy and vibrant.

This is most obvious in couples that have just fallen in love, and feelings are intense and powerful. A fresh glow in their faces is usually seen.

The yoga poses that help keep this Chakra open and keep spinning are all arm and hand sequences.

For example circle of joy and eagle arms. All back bends help bring energy to Anahata, such as cobra, camel pose and Wheel pose.

The 5th Chakra is called the throat chakra or Vishuddha.

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The throat Chakra is situated between the cervical (neck) spine and the throat area. When this Chakra is open, we feel a sense of freedom to express ourselves, inner calmness and peace.

When it is unbalanced or blocked, our energy seems scattered , we may lack confidence or feel as though we can’t clear our throat. Sometimes people say, I feel like I have a frog in my throat, an uncomfortable uneasy feeling.

This is when we need to work on opening this particular Chakra.

The colour sky blue is connected to the throat Chakra and the physical areas of the body that are influenced by this chakra are

the Laryngeal nerve plexus, vocal cords, thyroid, parathyroid glands,larynx.

Asanas or poses to help free energy to the throat Chakra are:

1.cat/cow

2.hare

3.shoulder stand and head stand

4.fish pose.

Its time to get to know the 6th chakra!

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Ajna or spiritual eye chakra is centred between the eyebrows like a third eye, this is the chakra linked to our intuition.

When  his chakra is balanced we will hold strong sense of will power, concentration, memory and spiritual connection.

When we focus on the third eye we visualise the colour purple surrounded by blue blending outline this spills through to a  violet haze.

Ajna means command centre, so when we meditate, the inner gaze draws us through the spiritual eye to the space within the physical  body. This stimulates our awareness to a higher plane, increases grey matter within the brain as well as flooding the body with emotional wellbeing.

Physical areas influenced by this chakra are :Frontal lobe of the brain and eyes.

The mantra attached to Ajna is the sound Aum.

This chakra can be activated by

1. Focusing on the third eye while performing pranayama (breathing yogic breath).

1a. Nadi Shodana (alternative nostril breathing) or breathe retention and bandhas .

2. Headstand or (Shirsasana)

Usually a yoga class will bring us to the point of the third eye and it is just a matter of letting go and taking that journey through to that a higher plane,where the mind is truly rested and the body  feels replenished.

My words for what it feels like to enter this state, is we feel so relaxed, nothing else matters or is needed,  a whirling energy fills our entire existence and we feel FREE!

 

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Lets travel through the body one chakra at a time.

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We will start the chakra journey at the head  this is the 7th chakra. The most powerful of all chakras ,it is called

‘ The Crown’ we visualise the crown chakra as white because it represents all the lower chakra colours combined. This is the chakra (or energy centre) that connects us to pure consciousness , in other words all is revealed once we can enter into the crown chakra whenever we desire.

It is only truly accessible once all the lower chakras are in balance. This is the ultimate reason for yoga practice.

The crown chakra is also known as ‘Sahasrara’, once all the other chakras are in balance ,the way into Sahasara is through meditation.

There are two poses used in yoga which help bring awareness to Sahasara, they are

1. Cross-legged seated mountain pose, while in this position we use the yogic breathe and visualise the breath traveling from the base chakra through to the crown chakra.

2. Headstand while visualising the white light at the crown.

When we take the time to come to yoga, we move our bodies to the beat of our breath , dissolving all disruptions to our energy channels or chakra pathways.

Synchronising breath with yoga is the body drawing the mind into the spirit.

This is known as Samadhi. (Pure consciousness or complete contentment and Bliss!)

Ready to Create Sauerkraut.

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A couple of easy steps that will have you creating your own fermented foods, whenever your heart so desires.

Place your cabbage in a processor or chop it roughly by hand, you will need a quarter of a cabbage of any colour and type. Once chopped, you can either whizz the cabbage up again so it looks like the above picture or you can leave it in larger chopped pieces- the choice is yours!

Boil 2 cups of water and wash out the jar you plan to use with some of the boiling water. Cool the rest of the water- once cooled, cover your cabbage with the remaining water.

Next, seal the jar with a lid and place it near the window on your kitchen bench. give it a shake or stir everyday. Your Sauerkraut should be ready in about 3 to 4 days. It should smell sour and taste sour too. If any mould grows on it throw it out .

After 3 or 4 days strain the remaining fluid off the cabbage and keep your finished Sauerkraut and the fluid you removed in the fridge.

You can drink the fluid and eat the sauerkraut daily for the same effect as a probiotic- helping your body to build up good gut bacteria, helping you to naturally breakdown food efficiently. If you have not had Sauerkraut before start off with a small amount until your system gets used to it.

Addicted to Peanut Butter……Guilty.

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My new treat is homemade peanut butter on oat bread. You’ll need organic roasted peanuts – Flannery’s Natural Organic Food Store sell these in bulk! Peanuts are actually a legume and are full of protein. They are high in Folate for strong bones, help prevent cancer and heart disease and have loads of Vitamin E- and next to grapes, peanuts are the highest in resveratrol. Roasting the peanuts increases the antioxidant content and we can also rave about the high phytosterol level which promotes healthy cholesterol. I make my peanut butter in my Omniblend and add extra virgin olive oil and Himalayan salt until the consistency is like the picture above. I say Peanut Butter is now a guilt free treat, so enjoy!

 

Food you SHOULD be eating.

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This week we are talking about Fermented foods and the positive influence they have on our guts. One of my personal favourite fermented foods is Sauerkraut, which directly translates to ‘sour cabbage’, but wait! do not be deterred this finely cut cabbage is actually delicious! WATCH THIS SPACE for my homemade recipe coming to you this week.

In the meantime check out Wellbeing‘s article on belly bacteria & fermented foods at www.wellbeing.com.au.

C x