7 Week Journey of Spiritual Exploration

I am about to embark on a seven week journey of spiritual exploration through our energy centers; and how they affect us and how we can clear them so we can enhance our lives. I am honored that I was asked to lead this journey at SparkPeople's, Meditation and Weight Loss Team.

Chakra is the sanskrit word meaning "wheel" or "vortex." There are seven major chakras in the body that run along the spine and correlate with certain body parts, emotions and senses.

Each chakra is associated with particular functions within the body and with specific life issues and the way we handle them, both inside ourselves and in our interactions with the world. As centers of force, chakras can be thought of as sites where we receive, absorb, and distribute life energies. Through external situations and internal habits, a chakra can become imbalanced.

Lets take a look at the chakras.

1. Root Chakra, located at the base of the spine, is the center of discipline, responsibility, order, and one's comfort in the physical body and on earth.

2. Sacral Chakra, situated at the mid-point between a woman's ovaries and at a comparable location in men, deals with the balance between the receptive and directive forces and with relationships, sexuality, creativity, and one's identity in the world.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra, located in the naval area, where you experience butterflies when you're nervous, is the center of feeling, emotion, harmony, and intuition.

4. Heart Chakra, in the middle of the chest, is the center of love, joy, generosity, courage and forgiveness.

5. Throat Chakra, located (obviously) at the throat, is the center of power, confidence, expression, growth and truth.

6. Third Eye Chakra, in the middle of the forehead, is the center of focus and concentration, wisdom, clarity, clairvoyance and discernment.

7. Crown Chakra, located at the top of the head, is the center of trust, devotion, inspiration, spontaneity, and happiness, and is an access to spiritual dimensions.


There are many spiritual practices to help open up and balance the chakras and together we will explore these many options and their benefits.  We will be using Yoga as one of the practices.  Yoga is more than a way to be more flexible. Its therapeutic effects reach beyond physical fitness and mental relaxation. 

Each week we will focus on one of the chakra's. Ellen Tadd offers a fresh approach to the Chakra's by starting with the crown.  In  The Wisdom of the Chakras, she reasons with the following, 

"Starting at the base (root), we must do all the work ourselves. When the crown is open and functioning well, we connect to spirit, and we become aware that we are never alone in the process of growth and transformation."

Because this book contains good practices and experiences with the system and I am currently finishing it thanks to Lantern Books; I am going to follow Ms. Tadd and work this journey backwards starting with the Crown Chakra.

To join our journey, please visit Meditation and Weight Loss.

7 Week Journey of Spiritual Exploration