Chakra Alignment Series: Eighth Chakra

***image1***The eighth chakra, our aura, represents the working balance of all the chakras. When energy is flowing freely throughout these centers, our aura expands and we heal, uplift and inspire by our very presence. When the aura is strong, we are also more apt to be in the right place at the right time and attract positive people and opportunities.The True Measure of a Man (or Woman)Most people’s (and animals) auras extend 1-3 feet from the body. A healthy human aura is actually 9 ft. or more. It is said that various villages in India knew that Buddha was in the neighborhood because his radiance preceded him by almost a mile! There are many things one can do to expand our auras. This may sound like magical thinking but auras are real: All energy emanations from the body: heat, sound, light, emotion’s and thoughts, as well as the general health of the body, cause fluctuations in one’s energy fieldStand Up Straight and Look GreatSimply standing or sitting up straight is a great aura exercise. When the spine is in line the glands can secrete in an optimum manner. The lymph system can cleanse itself. Pressure is taken off the organs so they can regenerate, and the nerves are soothed. The body takes on less stress when it does not have to work so hard to hold itself up! Gravity becomes its ally. All this adds up to shining glowing health and radiance! Thinking Makes It SoWe take on the qualities of the poses we assume, not only on our yoga mats, but in life. The very act of standing straight and tall is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. We all go through times when we feel like ”shrinking violets.” The irony is that when we feel the most undeserving and could use some extra consideration, people actually defer to us less. When we look confident we project that out into the world and suddenly everyone wants to know us. In Yoga we say “Fake it and you’ll make it.” We may not feel noble or notable, majestic or fabulous, but if we can try to look the part, we will soon be living the part.Shine Like the Star You AreProper alignment is an indispensable prerequisite for “star power.” It is a habit that those who wish to be in the limelight consciously adapt. In fact most actors/actresses and others who cannot afford to be overlooked and anonymous hire coaches to teach them how to stand and how to move to improve their charisma and presence. In this sense, luck is not luck, but our ability to project, through the force of our radiance, one step ahead of time and space. We also carry our karma, or the residue of our past actions, in the space around us. This has a bearing on how others perceive us and is a template for the perpetuation of our past patterns. Both the exercises below and the meditation of the month will help to purify our energy fields so the soul can shine through.Aura SetWe need to learn to stand tall, make space in our bodies, and inhabit that space regally. The way we carry ourselves is the way we make an impact. This is our charisma!In the following aura set imagine the space around you expanding to at least nine feet in every direction (this is a tried and true charisma trick that many people in the public eye practice). Let yourself feel safe and secure in “your space”. Feel you own that space. Inhabit it. Make it your home. These exercises are great to do before you even walk out the door, before an important audition, or even a date. Do these as a gift to yourself and for everyone you’ll have occasion to inspire by your presence.1. Stand with your legs a little wider then hip width apart. Raise your arms to the sides, parallel to the ground, palms down, and twist. Inhale left. Exhale right. Go at a moderate pace. Feel most of the twist happening at your navel. This exercise works all the glands and organs of the body as well as the nerves and magnetic field. It also stimulates the navel point to help us access energy. End by inhaling center. Hold the breath scan your body and send healing energy to where you feel you need it most. 1-3 minutes. Immediately go on to the next exercise.2. Maintaining your feet a little wider then hip width. Arms straight out to the sides at shoulder level. Turn the left palm up. Right palm is down. Feel like a starfish stretched out on the beach, the sun beaming into your navel and out through your extremities. Radiate in all directions. Normal breath. 1 – 3 minutes. Immediately go to exercise 3.3. Extend your arms to a 60 degree angle. Stretch across the sternum area. Fingertips are curled into the mounds. Thumbs straight up. Breath of Fire. Feel Bright and Beautiful. Imagine all the colors of your chakras: red, orange, yellow, green, sky-blue and violet pulsing and blending to form a brilliant white light. Imagine that light spilling out into the space around your body. You may also visualize a beautiful rainbow of color from thumb tip to thumb tip getting brighter as you breathe. Smile into the space around your body. After 1-3 min. Inhale as you stretch and draw the thumb tips towards one another. When they meet exhale and lower the arms to the sides describing a rainbow of radiance around you. Meditate for a moment as you stand. Feel bright and beautiful! –AB***image2***MEDITATION OF THE MONTHThis buried treasure was taught by Yogi Bhajan in 1974. Sitting with a straight spine, hands in gyan mudra: index finger and thumbtips meeting. Turn your eyes up and in towards the top of the head. Inhale in 4 strokes through the nose. Feel the breaths coming in through the top of the head. Think the sound “Whaho” with each inhale. Exhale in one breath thinking “Guru.” Maintaining the focus of the eyes upwards, feel the exhale moving from the brow point to the tip of the nose. The inhale and exhale are of equal duration. Continue 3-31 min. To end, meditate and feel an ocean of energy around you.Whaho is a derivation of Wahe and means ecstasy. Guru is the wisdom that inspires us to move from darkness to light. This technique, according to yoga, gives the ability to see and feel auras, project healing energy, and to project your consciousness through time, space, and the subtle realms. These abilities are not meant to be indulgences or an escape clause, but are considered by the yogis to be tangible gifts of grace only to be used for good. In addressing the karma we invariably create day to day in this life, and by making an effort not to create more, we automatically purify our pasts and bless ourselves for the future. The purpose of meditation is to live consciously here and now with an eye on forever.

Upcoming Events

Fri. Jul. 29th to Sun. Jul. 31st, 2005Rochester, NYYoga & Healing Sanctuary585.737.6848 / www.yogahs.com Sat. Aug. 20th to Mon. Aug. 22nd, 2005Shanti Yoga StudioMcCall, Idaho208.634.9711 / www.shantiyogastudio.org Sat. Aug. 27th to Sat. Sep. 3rd, 2005Helena, MTFeathered Pipe Foundation406.442.8196 / www.featheredpipe.com

POEM

Sweet potatoes on stove.Sultry July dusk.The soul’s bright semaphore–It is in us to want you more. –RS

Have a great summer! Ravi & Ana

As always you can contact us at 1.800.243.9642 or through www.raviana.com E-mail us at ravianayoga@aol.com

by Ravi Singh & Ana Brett
Ravi and Ana been featured presenters at the Midwest Yoga Conference, The Toronto Yoga Show, and the Six Days on Freedom Retreat. Their clients have included Olympic Athletes and celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Lou Reed, Carrie-Anne Moss, Donna Karan, and The Red Hot Chile Peppers. They’ve taught in many diverse contexts: from Iceland to Maui, Canada to Costa Rica, from boardrooms and Park Avenue Penthouses, to scientists at Bell Labs, from Opera Singers at the Aspen Music Festival and street kids in Los Angeles to backstage at Broadway plays. They are Authors of the Fat Free Yoga DVD series and the forthcoming book Fat Free Yoga.