Cultivating Mindfulness with Chakras - Even If You Don't 'Believe
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Today I’m releasing an affirmation-based guided meditation centered around various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, called Chakras. Odds are, if you’ve attended a yoga class, group meditation, or indulged in an hourlong reiki session, your instructor or practitioner most likely spoke about your chakras.
Literally speaking, the word “chakra” from Sanskrit translates to “wheel” or “disk,” but references a spiritual energy center within the human body, of which there are seven along the spine, and through the neck and the crown of your head. Mentioned in Indian texts as early as 1500 - 500 BC, each chakra corresponds to specific organs as well as physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual states of being, and influence all areas of our life. Within these chakras is ‘prana,’ or the ultimate pure healing energy, that’s all around us and within us, to keep us healthy, happy and vibrant.
While there isn’t much specific scientific evidence that translates spiritual energy into physical manifestations, from a positive psychology and buddhist psychology perspective, we have seen scientific evidence of the power of mindfulness and meditation to improve physical and brain health in a number of ways. Mindfulness can help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties and more. Depending on our focus of the meditation and mindfulness, such as a loving kindness meditation or the one we are about to do here, you can cultivate specific emotions not only in the moment but also that will last and fuel you throughout the day. And as the research of Barbara Fredrickson has shown, cultivating positive emotions can lead to an upward spiral of happiness, hope, problem solving and empowerment.
So with that in mind, no matter where you stand on the idea of chakras, today I invite you to use their idea and placement as a way to focus your attention on your innate power to cultivate positivity and mindfulness.