Chakras is a popular subject in the modern age, and you will often come across phrases such as chakra opening, chakra healing, chakra cleansing, and chakra balancing. In addition to being popular, it is also an important topic, the knowledge of which can help you get your life in excellent order. Let’s learn how to open and cleanse your chakras and why it is important to do so.
What is Chakra Cleansing?
In today’s world, chakras are mostly considered important only for physical well-being. However, according to yogic tradition, chakra cleansing and balancing is a process of self-realization; it is to go beyond the positive realm and achieve inner peace. Here, we will focus on both aspects of chakra cleansing.
Performing quick routines can help improve your chakra system but opening up your chakras in the real sense is possible only after years of meditation. Chakra opening is not just physical cleansing and/or emotional opening, as you will learn here.
The small and seemingly insignificant incidents that occur during our everyday life, as well as major events in our life are all responsible for affecting us in one way or another. Our chakra system is like a computer that stores information and acts upon what it stores. So, we get whatever we feed this computer.
Sad and hurtful events of the past, stress of daily life, and lack of work-life balance are some of the things that impact us negatively and mess up our chakras. They block our minds and hearts, and keep us from reaching our full potential.
Oftentimes, like a computer system, our chakras need to be cleansed so that they can work properly and let our energy flow freely, enabling us to be at peace with ourselves and our surroundings.
Preparing yourself for Chakra Cleansing:
Like mentioned before, our chakra system is like a computer system, and it responds to our thoughts and intentions. Therefore, we can control this system instead of letting it control us. And how do we go about controlling our chakra system? By being in control of ourselves and our response to various external stimuli.
The first step to chakra cleansing begins with cleaning our heart of all negative emotions: anger, resentment, regret, hurt. All the negativity in our heart affects only us and not the person(s) or event(s) that caused it.
We get from our chakra system whatever we feed it that is why the first lesson is to be positive. Make the best use of whatever life throws your way; on the surface, it might seem like a bad and unpleasant thing, but your perception and your response to it can totally change its effect on your life. People’s behavior does not matter, what matters is our response – that is everything.
Let go of all negative feelings so as to cleanse your chakras, balance them, and get energy pumping through every fiber of your being.
After letting go, our heart becomes open to receive further treatment through the practice of meditation. There is just something indescribably amazing about closing our eyes and focusing on our breath that can do wonders for calming us down.
Chakra Cleansing:
The combination of meditation with mudras (hand gestures) and chants is highly effective for chakra cleansing and balancing. Chanting of specific sounds causes resonation in the body which helps the cleansing process. Additionally, yoga postures can help further to open and cleanse the chakra system.
1) Root Chakra or Muladhara
The root chakra is physical and associated with earth, therefore, any activity that involves using the body will help open it up. Sports, walking, running, martial arts, yoga, and Taichi are just a few examples of the activities useful for opening up muladhara.
House chores, such as washing dishes, cleaning the floor, washing your car, and kneading dough can get your root chakra in order. Try walking barefoot on sand or wet grass and feel the difference. Spending time in nature is beneficial for your root chakra.
Sit in a position that you like, preferably on the floor or on grass, and touch your thumb with your index finger. Utter the sound ‘uh’ as in ‘cup’ as comfortably as you can for around 7-10 breaths.
The warrior pose and the garland pose are some yoga postures that are beneficial for cleansing the root chakra.
2) Sacral Chakra or Svadishana
Our second chakra is associated with water therefore swimming or any other activity involving water is beneficial for opening and cleansing it.
Seated forward bend, reverse warrior, and goddess pose are some amazing yoga postures that can help in chakra cleansing and balancing.
Sit in a comfortable position and put your hands in your lap in such a way that the left palm is underneath the right hand, and the palms are facing up. While in this state, chant ‘oo’ as in ‘too’. Close your eyes, and focus on the sound resonating within your body.
3) Solar Plexus Chakra or Manipura
This chakra is associated with fire, so sitting next to a fire or basking in the sun can prove beneficial for chakra cleansing. Chant the sound ‘oh’ as in ‘flow’ for about 3 or 4 times as you breathe in and out.
Bow pose, prayer pose, and cobra pose are beneficial yoga postures for opening up the solar plexus chakra.
4) Heart Chakra or Anahata
Anahata is associated with air that’s why deep breathing or taking in fresh air through activities like walking, running, boat ride, and bike ride is useful.
5) Throat Chakra or Vishudda
The fifth chakra is associated with the spirit so deep breathing and meditation will help you open and cleanse your vishudda. Sit in a quiet place, preferably under clear sky, and let go of all negative energy.
Head rolls, neck stretches, lion breath, and shoulder stand are some useful yoga postures for your vishudda.
Produce the sound ‘aye’ as in ‘aye, aye, captain!’ a few times, and say yes to positive energy.
6) Third Eye Chakra or Ajna
Associated with light, the third eye chakra can be easily cleansed and balanced by taking in some sunlight. Sitting comfortably, produce the sound ‘ay’ as in ‘may’ a few times while breathing in and out. Practice child’s pose and half standing forward bend to cleanse your third eye chakra.
7) Crown Chakra or Sahasrara
The seventh chakra is associated with all elements so focus on your entire self while meditating, and produce the sound ‘ee’ as in ‘we’ to clear your mind and achieve inner peace. Some of the yoga postures that help with cleansing and balancing the sahasrara are headstand, corpse pose, and rabbit pose.
Reiki Chakra Healing:
Reiki is an amazing tool for chakra healing. It is wonderful how the simple use of palms and energy results in chakra healing and balancing.
Reiki healing adopts two techniques to heal and balance the chakras. First, place your non dominant hand over the crown chakra and the other hand over the third eye. Spend some time feeling for sensations; if the sensations are different for the two different areas, such as one is emanating heat and the other is cool, it signifies an imbalance. In such a case, take some time for chakra balancing.
When the sensations from both the areas feels the same, it’s time to switch. Place your non dominant hand over the third eye and feel for balance. When you achieve balance in both these chakras, move the hand that was over your third eye to the throat chakra.
Keeping the other hand (dominant) on the crown chakra, look for balance in the throat chakra. Feel the energy. If it feels different than the energy felt over the crown chakra, work to achieve balance. Move the hand over the third eye, and channel your Reiki like you would in a usual Reiki treatment. When you feel balance, move the non-dominant hand back to the throat while leaving the dominant hand on the crown chakra. If you feel that it is in balance, it is time to move on to the next chakra.
Continue in this manner until you reach the base chakra. Remember, you are looking for balance because that is what chakra healing is all about.
The other technique you can use is by placing your dominant hand over the crown chakra and the other hand over the base chakra. After achieving balance, place one hand over the third eye and the other hand over the second or sacral chakra. Moving on, place one hand over the throat chakra and the other over the solar plexus chakra. Finally, place both hands over the heart chakra. Basically, in this method, you start from the two ends and work your way towards the center of the chakra system.
During reiki chakra healing, you will feel more inclined towards certain areas. Follow your intuition and work on those areas. As always, feel for balance before moving on to the next chakra.
Conclusion
A weak chakra system harbors negative emotions and keeps positive energy out, therefore making us vulnerable to harmful influences. Happiness is a state of mind that we must create ourselves. We cannot change people, but we can definitely change ourselves, our perception, and that is the only way to feel how we want to feel. Pay attention to yourself and give importance to yourself. After all, you cannot pour from an empty cup.
