If this is your first time here, welcome! Even if you’re new, you can still get something out of this entry, but to perfect your understanding of what we’re doing today, I highly recommend you start at the beginning of our series and work your way here.
Last week I taught you how to do a basic form of meditation to stimulate your nerve clusters and cleanse your chakras. In the next few blogs, I’m going to teach you more about your chakras/nerve clusters and inform you of ways to cleanse and improve them; with the hallmark being a meditation designed for the specific areas we are going to focus on. That way, I can help you find what parts of your spirit and body you need to specifically work on in your journey for inner peace and greater health.
The Chakra
As far as chakras go, a common way for others to begin to understand them, is to note how they are organized in your body. From the bottom of your frame, to the top, the energy in your body naturally changes from earthly, to heavenly energy. The further down your body they are, the more earthly, the more “physical” they are, and the less intellectually deep. The further up, the more “spiritual” they are and deal with advanced aspects of your emotions and thoughts.
The most earthly chakra is your root chakra, or Muladhara (roughly translated to “the root of the foundation”). Located around the base of your spine and your pelvic floor, the energy housed here mostly has to do with what secures and stabilizes you; things you need at the bare minimum. Safety, trust; it also relates to rather basic needs such as nutrition, sleep, and overall physical stability. This chakra is likely “blocked” or tainted if you find yourself struggling with nightmares, a general mistrust of anyone, and disordered eating. Another way you can tell you struggle with keeping this chakra clean is if you have difficulty moving your “focus object” ( the candle light we used last week ) to this area or struggle to keep your focus when the object is in said area. If that happens to be the case for you, I encourage you to spend a lot of time pondering why this could be physically and seek the help you need. In a spiritual lens, you’re already one step ahead of where you were before in that you know the things you should soul search about. The corresponding meditation with repeated use will also help, just be patient in that it will take you time to perfect.
Nervous System
Nerves at the end of the tailbone mostly control your bladder, your reproductive organs, and the muscles that stabilize your lower back. Health complications that could mean this area isn’t functioning properly for you is back or foot pain, an overactive bladder, or even constipation. I would suggest hydrating properly, adding more fiber to your diet, and exercising this area. However, as these are very physical problems, please don’t bank on meditation being the only thing you should use to heal them. Even though it has physical effects, at the end of the day, it is a mental exercise: please consult your doctor or go to a clinic to get all the help you need and deserve.
Meditation
Just like last week, find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted for at least 20 minutes, and sit down in the lotus position. Start by evening your breathing: in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Again, this will take as long as it needs to, don’t rush yourself. Do your best to focus your mind only on your breathing. It is of course, only natural for your mind to wonder, so don’t beat yourself up if you get lost on a train of thought; just gently guide your focus back to the in and outs of your breath. Once you are breathing shallowly and have an even intake and outtake of air, you know you’re ready to begin.
While keeping your breathing, I want you to picture a seed coming to life. Picture it rotating slowly around and around out in front of you with each breath, beginning to shine with a soft golden light. Brightening with each breath in, dimming with each breath out.
Once you have a clear picture in your mind, on one of your breaths in I want you bring the seed on your currents of air through your appropriate nostril ( Right if you identify as male, left if you identify as female. If you are somewhere in the middle or outside of the gender spectrum, just bring the seed through the nostril that is on the same side as your dominant hand).
Let your seed ride on the air as it travels down your throat and “drop it off” as the air makes its way to your chest. Once it’s there, guide the seed down to the base of your spine where your root chakra is housed. When you make it there, I want you to continue to picture your seed as hard as you can blooming into a bright red flower and keep your breathing. Feel the softness of the petals, see the brightness of the red. After taking a moment to picture that, keep your breathing and the flower and stand up. Then, bring your hands together as if you are praying and then spread your legs apart until your feet are even with your elbows.
Once you’re standing in the appropriate manner, I want you to change your breaths to be much deeper whilst keeping them even. As your breathing grows larger, picture the seed doing so too by having it sprout roots and branches from where it is in your spine. Picture the roots traveling down your legs and embedding themselves into the ground, planting themselves safely in mother earth’s embrace. Picture the branches gently crawling up your back and out your shoulders and head. Sprouting into beautiful leaves that reach higher and higher to the sky above.
Once you feel your roots securely in the ground below you, and your branches stretched far and wide to the heavens above we are going to use a hand movement and say a word all at once while keeping your breathing and imagery. On one of your breaths in, I want you to stretch your arms out high above you with your branches and start saying the word “Lam” with a prolonged utterance of the “m” (pronounced L-ah-mmm ). Be sure to only start saying the rest of the word and changing your movement to the next sequence as you breath out. As you start with the “A”, I want you to move your hands back into the prayer pose. Then on the “M,” spread your hands down and apart and point your fingers to the ground, picturing the roots burrowing deeper and deeper.
Repeat this hand movement and word at least five times;more if you “feel” the need. When you get the sensation of completion, return your breaths to a shallower rhythm and feel the branches and roots slowly and gently returning to your flower. Once they are all back open your eyes and “come back” to the world around you. Once you’re done open your eyes: you have successfully completed this week’s meditation!
Repeated use of this should help your lower body improve and open up your root chakra. Any time you find yourself being still for long periods of time such as waking up after a long night’s rest or being in an office chair all day; any time you feel insecure or your energy level is too high: I would suggest using this meditation.
With thoughtful meditation and manifestation of chakra, eating disorders can seem more surmountable and the road to recovery more visible. Next week we will be moving further up your body to your next chakra/nerve cluster and further on in your journey to healing! See you soon!
Eating Disorder Solution’s Meditation Series:
Part 1 – Meditation: Science vs. Spiritual
Part 2 – Meditation: The Method
