THE CHAKRA WAY

W E E K E I G H T - C O N N E C T I O N

W I T H R O S A N N E N I E B O E R

W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M WELCOME TO WEEK 8

CROWN CHAKRA SAHASRARA CHAKRA Section Page

At a Glance 5 The Connecting Chakra 8 Sahasrara in Action 11 Belief Systems 13 Releasing Negative Thought 16 Meditation 18 The Manifestation Current 23 Wholeness 26 Healing the Sahasrara 31 Symbols 34 Affirmations 36 Yoga Practice 38 Questions 39 CROWN CHAKRA

S A H A S R A R A C H A K R A The SEVENTH chakra is all about our connection. Connection to the Universe, to God, as we understand God, our connection to ourselves and to the wider world.

We have travelled from the roots and taken a journey through our entire physical and emotional system. From the earthly elements to the higher elements we are now at our Crown. Here we find the seat of our consciousness and the potential connection to divine intelligence. Here is the truest essence of our awareness. Whilst the unconscious has the wisdom of the body, the conscious mind is aware of intellect and beliefs, here in the superconscious we find awareness of the divine.

W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M THE CROWN CHAKRA REPRESENTS

CONNECTION

THOUGHT

KNOWING

SELF KNOWLEDGE

AWARENESS

UNDERSTANDING

WHOLENESS

DIVINE OR UNIVERSAL CONNECTION SAHASRARA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE

LOCATION - Top of the head

TRANSLATION - Thousand petaled lotus

CHARACTER - Connection

COLOUR - Violet

CHANT - Om or silence

ELEMENT - Thought

SENSE - Understanding

AFFIRMATION - I am connected

RIGHT - to know

BODY PART - Cerebral cortex, central nervous system

ORGANS - Brain

GLAND - Hypothalamus and Pituitary

EMOTION - Peace

AGE - 43-49 SAHASRARA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE

FOODS - None! Fasting

MINERALS - Amethyst, diamond

ANIMALS - Eagle

PLANETS- Uranus

PETALS-Thousand petals is a metaphor for infinity

OPERATING FORCE - Thinking

LOTUS SYMBOL - Within the thousand petals of the lotus lies the full moon within which shines the great void. The petals are purest white.

PANTHEONS - The Guru within (or Shiva, Zeus, Allah)

PHYSICAL MALFUNCTIONS - No physical malfunctions - in this chakra all issues are mental and emotional

EMOTIONAL MALFUNCTIONS - Difficulty thinking, depression, confusion, apathy, mental illnesses SAHASRARA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE

POSITIVE QUALITIES OF THE CROWN CHAKRA Wisdom Connection to spirit Understanding Cosmic connection True knowledge of self Connection between inner life and outer reality Playing a part in balance of life Feelings of belonging

SIGNS OF AN OVER ACTIVE CROWN CHAKRA Egotism Greed and materialism Mental confusion Feeling superior Day dreamy Over intellectualism Narrow-mindedness

SIGNS OF AN UNDER ACTIVE CROWN CHAKRA Apathy and boredom Loneliness Chronic fatigue Scepticsm Difficulty thinking Depression Isolation Rigid and limited self identity Closed Crown to shield from pain

Mental illness can be a sign of both over and under active Crown Chakra The Connecting Chakra

Connections are the foundation of contentment, self worth, love, physical health, identity, communication, understanding, compassion and perspective. As humans we need connection. It is as essential as food and water. Even if we are devoid of all connection with other humans we might have connection with our environment and other living things within it.

Without connection we suffer physical, psychological, emotional and mental consequences. It is so important to have face to face connection. To look in to the eyes of another to witness the joy, the pain, to feel the touch of another being, nourishes connectivity.

We can strengthen our connection with others through interaction and we strengthen connection with ourselves through spiritual practice. This does not have to mean attending a church or religious group, but having an awareness that ritual is an age old and proven method of plugging into feeling connected. This can be being a member of a yoga class, a choir or being part of any supportive community. Much of Western and modern life has lost much of its spiritual ritual culture and as a result many suffer from a disconnection of spirit and soul. The Connecting Chakra

Humans have practised ritual since the dawn of time. There is a good reason why all civilisations have developed rituals. For rituals to be effective they must reflect what is alive and true for us on the inside. When we bring that out through the ritual we are making our spirituality a reality – and in so doing bringing our spirit to life!

It is simple, profound and deeply transformational. In strengthening the bonds between the self and our Source, ritual reminds us that we are not alone, that we have purpose and that as individuals we are part of a greater balance of life. The Connecting Chakra

The Crown of the head is akin to our North Pole. It is the point at which all the meridians of the body meet. It sits on top of the central point of all the diaphragms in the body and directly above the pituitary gland. It sits just behind the anterior fontanel – that spot on a new born where the skull is still open, where the pulse of life can be felt. The crown can be seen as the contact point where our life force or divine energy enters the body. This life force that pulsates in us lives only in the present moment.

We forget to live in the present once we have started to gather a history. We tend to drag around our heavy historic past along with all the illusions of what went wrong or what could have been. Bringing our awareness to the Crown Chakra can assist us in living in the present moment and to seek only truth. When we refer to our historical situations in order to make decisions we invite fear to enter the process. If we can manage to make decisions in our present truth, surrendering to the universal energy, accepting that there is no right or wrong choice but that what matters is the energy behind the choice, then fear dissipates. Sahasrara in action

The translation of Sahasrara is "thousand petaled" and refers to the infinite. The crown chakra is the place where the energy of consciousness is both given and received. In other words it is where the finite and the infinite meet.

As such it is associated with transcending our limitations.

It is the place where we can start to understand the "bigger picture" and the sense of self begins to merge with the Universal energy or with the Divine. It is the gateway to transcendence and the feeling of this chakra allows us to connect with our consciousness. Having travelled through the elements of earth, water, fire, air, sound and light this chakra is represented by the element of thought.

The Sahasrara represents the right to understand, knowing, self knowledge and it's intention is to gain awareness, to be free and liberated , no longer being attached to the things that might keep us stuck in our lower chakras.

The goal of the crown chakra is to gain knowledge and an awakened consciousness. It aspires to tap into the higher realms of consciousness - a spiritual connection if you will. So here we take a look at our belief systems and attempt to connect with our experiences of wholeness. Sahasrara in action

The demon of this chakra is attachment. This attachment is to beliefs and thoughts that keep us limited and small. Those beliefs and thoughts that keep us in that negative thought loop and in those repetitive behaviour patterns that we keep experiencing. Here we will attempt to understand and dissolve these attachments and to create freedom from them.

When our crown chakra is balanced and open we find that we are able to feel connected with our higher self, we are able to access our inner wisdom and to feel connected to others and to life. We are able to see the bigger picture and feel a sense of serenity and wholeness, despite what is going on around us!

Common symptoms of a blocked crown chakra are depression, a sense of alienation from the world around us, a disconnection from life and a lack of empathy.

When our crown chakra is blocked it is as a result of living in a stressful environment, unresolved trauma and having core beliefs that are limiting us. These limiting beliefs are likely to have been conditioned into us by those in authority when we were developing into adults - parents, teachers, church leaders etc. If we believe that we are all separate, isolated beings, defined by our ego then we are going to find it extremely hard to nurture feelings of connection and empathy to the world around us. Belief Systems

Our belief systems started to be put in place from the day we were born! We developed it without much, if any, awareness. It was laid down in subtle layers like bedrock by indoctrinations and socialisations.

Whether we like it or not, we have been indoctrinated from birth by our families and their beliefs, by teachers and figures of authority and possibly church. We were young and impressionable and took what we could to make sense of our world and our lives.

Our socialisations from school and our friends as we were growing and forming ideas and identities also helped form our belief system. Messages from our communities, clubs we joined, from culture, TV, media and socio-economic situation also made significant contributions to our beliefs.

Through our personal experiences we have all built a personal web of information. From our first moments we have been gathering data in order to make sense of the world around us. As we gather all this information we get to moments where we have reached some understanding and we have a wonderful "Aha!" moment and take another step towards feeling whole. Belief Systems

We cannot become enlightened in one full swoop, we make progressive steps towards putting the pieces of the jigsaw together and our beliefs play a large part in building ourselves towards wholeness.

We have seen that the fundamentals of our belief system comes from indoctrination and socialisation but one of the most important aspect is self created. If, for example, I have had a bad experience in a relationship and believe that all men are cruel I will manifest that in all my actions, even finding others who will corroborate my belief. If I believe that today is my lucky day then I am more likely to manifest a positive day!

Our belief systems are made up of many little files of information and experience that make up a unique pattern. For example, if I had failed repeatedly I might begin to tell myself that I was stupid and a failure, which would lead me to having that belief. If then, you come along and give me some feedback I will run that new data alongside my beliefs and will lean towards taking the feedback as validation of my stupidity. I derived from your feedback my interpretation whilst someone with different belief systems might take the feedback with a completely different meaning. Belief Systems If I told you that I had seen a UFO and you don't believe in UFOs then you probably won't believe me. However, if I went to a UFO conference and told them I had seen a UFO then they would believe me. My information has an entirely different meaning depending on the listeners belief system.

So, this then is the challenge of this chakra. How do we assimilate information that goes against our belief systems and how do we expand our consciousness if we reject everything that challenges us? But, if we don't use our belief systems then how do we we tell truth from fiction or organise new information?

The first step is to become aware of our beliefs. It is all too easy to sleep walk through life totally unaware of the beliefs that are driving our thoughts, feelings and emotions which are a bi- product of what is going on deeper beneath the surface within our belief system. We have all seen or know people who have unshakable opinions and beliefs and who are totally closed to any other potentials.

The second step (and this is the answer to most things with regard to this chakra) is meditation. Meditation allows the mind to become quiet and do some filing. During meditation our brains can sort through all the new data, discarding outmoded beliefs - basically doing an system update - so that we can stay open to the ever wider awareness whilst not becoming overwhelmed. We can keep ourselves centred. Releasing negative thought patterns

Having negative thought patterns is a little like standing outside in the middle of a blizzard. Constantly being bombarded with uncomfortable thoughts that just keep coming at you. If we have the presence of mind and awareness then we can catch ourselves in the state, standing outside in the blizzard. Anyone watching would simple say - come inside!

If we can watch the blizzard through a window we are no longer in it but simply observing it and we can attempt to do this with our negative beliefs and thoughts.

Alternatively, imagine that you are holding out your left hand (representative of, and activating, the right side brain). On your palm stands a mini wild self that is struggling and attempting to be itself but is always breaking the rules. It stamps its little foot and says "I don't want to go to work, or clean the house or look after anyone or eat healthily". What a wild child!

On your out streched right palm stands a mini dictator that is constantly screaming at the wild child to do the things that society demands of it. "Go to work, then clean the house, do the right thing!" it yells. Releasing negative thought patterns

This wild child and this dictator can be seen as your nature and nurture. If you have a blizzard in your mind then this is indicative that some part of you is trying to rebel whilst another part of you is trying to control it! When we put them outside ourselves as a little wild child and a little dictator then we can watch them screaming at each other and observe their natures.

The wild child just wants to be natural and free and the dictator just wants everything to be safe and orderly and moral. As we visualise them standing on our palms we can see that they are both good, with good intentions but they are exhausted. So let us offer them both some loving kindness - may you be well, may you be happy and content, may you be free from danger and suffering, may you be filled with loving kindness.

As we offer them this Buddhist prayer we can see them relax. It is now time to ask ourselves "Who am I?". We are not the wild child or the dictator. We are the one offering love, being the compassionate witness to the mind, being the observer.

That part of us that is watching is in the back of the brain - it is the area that lights up in meditation. It is the mind plugging into the Universal Energy or God Force. This is the part of us that can see the illusions of shame and frustration, the part that knows our true selves and our true passions. Meditation

Meditation is often regarded as something unattainable and difficult and time consuming. We might think (here's another example of a belief system!) that we have to take an hour, sit like a monk and find the perfect empty mind, staying motionless and perfectly undisturbed.

This is not the case. We can do our daily meditation lying in bed, whilst we stir a saucepan, when we go for a walk, whilst we wait in a queue. We can also find time to go and find a comfortable place to sit for 10 minutes and find some peace.

All we want to do is to find a moment or two when we can let our minds quieten and then let it wander gently for a while before finding a tiny moment of stillness. If we believe that we should be able to sit down into mediation and switch our mind off like a light switch then we will be constantly frustrated. Those moments of utter stillness and nothingness are but a fleeting second. It will come and go in a flash and then your brain might light up with recognition and do a little jig of excitement that you felt that nothingness for a second, which will then distract you! But, you have touched that moment and will be keen to get back there again.

Some days it simply won't happen at all. Some days our mind just has so much to process that finding stillness eludes us and that's perfectly fine. We just observe and try again the next day or later in the day...

Meditation

Through our practice of meditation we are connecting to our consciousness and beginning to reveal and uncover higher realms of our consciousness. We are trying to develop a relationship with, and an awakening of, our consciousness when we meditate.

Our brains are very much more powerful than we sometimes give them credit for! We spend all day thinking and all night processing or dreaming. There is a constant stream of narrative, opinion, decision making, judgement, inter-action and general stimulus that our brains deal with every day. It can become overwhelming. It can be like mental indigestion! When we eat too much we get stomach indigestion and when we think too much we get mental indigestion. Mediation can remove this mental indigestion with consistent practice.

We cleanse our bodies on a daily basis, so we can also cleanse our minds on a daily basis so that we can feel fresh and rejuvenated inside and out.

Meditation

What mediation can do for us is to shift us into the witness role within our minds. Once we are in the witness role (remember we are not the wild child or the dictator, but the observer), we can start making a move towards becoming unattached from the stories and thoughts and illusions that are on a loop in our minds. We can become the observer of the patterns of behaviour and feelings and see that we don't need to identify with them.

When we encounter a situation we will formulate a thought which will then have a subsequent behaviour or action but when we meditate we can slow this process down so that we can become more pro-active and less re-active. This process of experience, thought, reaction can happen in a split second but when we train our witness to be more present we can notice the process, become more aware, and thus begin to alter our internal patterns.

Meditation

There is no denying that sitting with the self can be an uncomfortable thing to do. Sitting with no distractions, silently and hoping for some kind of result requires patience! It can take years to cultivate a practice of meditation.

You don't have to sit in perfect cross legs, you can sit on a chair, lie on your bed, or go for a walk in nature. Finding what works for you is important.

What is really important is that you allow. Allow thoughts to come and go, allow yourself to follow your thoughts but do it with awareness. Gently drawing yourself back to stillness and quiet. More thoughts will probably come and an internal dialogue might start up - you mind might start asking "Why are you thinking about THAT? Why can't you just be quiet? Honestly, you are never going to be able to do this...". When this starts up just have an internal chuckle at the busy, interfering ego and start again. Bring the yama of Ahimsa - non violence - back to the fore and be kind to the self once more. Meditation Develop a practice that works for you and your lifestyle. Whether it be first thing or last thing or at lunchtime, find the time and the space that works for you. We like rituals, so creating your personal one is key to a successful practice. Sitting in the same place, lighting a candle, doing a few rounds of pranayama before beginning, lighting incense, putting on some meditation music, using a mantra or downloading a meditation app are all great ways to create your meditation practice.

Personally, I take the time before I start my yoga practice as the time to sit and see if I can find that quiet. Preparation before yoga with the intention that you are giving yourself some time is the ideal time for me. It will be different for everyone. Mr Iyengar used to say that yoga practice itself is meditation because the mind is focused with single minded attention and without distraction.

One way of looking at your meditation practice is that is your moment of privacy. We all have so many demands on our time and energy, so giving yourself that 15 minutes just as a reprieve from everything can be good motivation! During your quiet time you allow space for new ideas to come in. You can allow the answers to big questions to arrive. You can reflect on and develop awareness of the things that are happening in your life. You can develop a connection with your inner self which will engender a connection with your spirit or higher power, cultivating a sense of ease and peace in your life. Not only are you growing your grey matter, nurturing your synapsis but you are giving yourself precious Me Time! The Manifestation Current

We have climbed all the way up the Sushumna to the crown but we now need to work our way back down, applying our new understanding to the world around us. We have drawn the energy of the lower chakras to consciousness and now we must bring that advanced consciousness back down to the lower chakras.

The journey upward brings new ideas, new concepts, insights and understanding. We have reached for our higher consciousness and our energy is rising. It is a wild ride as Shakti reaches upward from her resting place at our root for her lover Shiva who resides at our crown.

Now we must gently process all our new understanding and work our way back down. If the upward current liberates and enlivens us, the journey downward is a more soothing current that is made up of repetition and orderly intelligence.

Let us visualise this downward current so that we can see how it can be called the "Manifestation Current". Let us say that you dream of building a house. Your sixth chakra has imagined and visualised this perfect home for you and your family. We can visualise our ideal kitchen, the size and style of the house. Once we have imagined the house we can now describe it with our fifth chakra. The Manifestation Current

Once we have communicated our ideas we can start to bring them into relationship with our fourth chakra. We need to find a place within the community to build. We need an architect and a builder so we need to grow and nurture these relationships. Having done this we know that we are going to need to exercise our will and our personal power to get things done - we will need to be active in getting planning permissions, organising the building schedule, organising finances etc. Here we are using our third chakra. Once the third chakra has bought all these aspects together then we can start to create! Our second chakra can swing into action and the building project starts to become a physical reality - mud, bricks, plumbing all begin to appear. Finally we have actually manifested a house that rests on the earth in strong foundations - the first chakra. We can then experience the wholeness of the family moving in to the beautiful new home that we have built.

We have manifested our house. From our imagination to reality we have experienced the manifestation current which is the final and vital journey that we must understand. This process is one that we can replicate in all aspects of our lives. Calling on the energy of the chakras to bring to life our dreams and desires.

We must be repetitive in our behaviour if we want to manifest. we cannot become an expert or grow deep relationships without practicing. It is more difficult to have deep relationships with those we rarely see or speak to. We cannot build a house without hard work. Manifestation Current

Whilst we have benefitted from learning about how each chakra layers its benefits from the base upward, we must also understand that in order to use the chakras effectively we have to understand the downward journey and the importance of the manifestation current.

Our upward current brings us towards knowing our higher self and the downward current allows us to understand the connection between all things and manifestation. Wholeness

Wholeness is the purpose of not only of meditation but also the goal of all spiritual doctrine. Yogic philosophy and it's 8 limbs, the chakra system, Ayurveda, hatha yoga, all holistic healing work all aims to bring us back to a state of homeostasis, balance, equilibrium, equanimity - they all have the same principle.

This final chakra leads us towards this state. We use our thoughts, our action of thinking, to become aware of the moments when we experience wholeness. These moments come in little blips and are then gone again, so we work to become aware of them. A common place to experience this is in Savasana at the end of a yoga class - that blissful state of balance, where everything is simply as it is.

So we can use the knowledge of this chakra to notice and experience these moments more and more, observing moments of wholeness. Whilst our bodies carry on doing what they do in a miraculous way every day, our higher consciousness knows that we have a built in wholeness - that we are part of a much larger world and that we are part of the wholeness of the world. Here in the seventh chakra we are attempting to access that wholeness or indeed, the nothingness, where we simple exist. Where we are simply being. Wholeness

We have worked our way up the chakras from root to crown and in doing so we have addressed all the different aspects of our lives. This can be overwhelming! There is often so much that we need to confront and process and it is really important that we do it with self love and care.

Each chakra allows us to reflect on a part of us and not only gather information on any challenges we face, but more importantly to see the wonderful human side of ourselves. To understand that we are all not that different and that we all face similar difficulties.

Our root chakra showed us our strength and our sense of belonging. The sacral chakra taught us that we have creativity and desire and how important our sense of fun is. Our solar plexus chakra showed us that we have a place in the world and dominion over our sense of self and our powers. Our beautiful heart chakra has shown how much love and compassion we hold within us and how we can love ourselves. This central chakra is so crucial in supporting us on this journey we have been on. We have explored our communication and self expression in the throat chakra and learnt to trust our intuition at the third eye.

Finally we have reached the ethereal crown chakra and begin to see how important connection to self and others is to our spiritual well-being. Wholeness

We have really only just begun this journey through the self. This intense and deep education on the chakras is only a starting point for your self exploration.

You will need to practice Ahimsa Yama (loving kindness/non- violence) with yourself, with great care. The new levels of awareness that you now have will bring you to wholeness eventually. There is always work to be done. Trust yourself to process all this information taking all the time you need. The levels of awareness that you will now have will need time to settle in, to absorb.

For now simply take this new awareness and live with it, holding it lightly. Notice how and when you can apply it in your life. Discussing it with friends and family and will help you see if you can vocalise your findings. You will validate and cement your inner knowledge and feelings by expressing them, sharing with love, with your inner strength, from your groundedness and with guidance from your higher self.

Continue your journey toward wholeness by nurturing yourself with love and empathy. Healing the Sahasrara To bring this seventh chakra in to harmony we have some tough inner work to do. Do not expect that this will happen easily or quickly! The work here is ongoing...

Pranayama - Yet again the magic of Nadi Sodhana Pranayama is used to balance the crown chakra, but this time we do not use the hands to close the nostrils but control the movement of the breath with the mind

Meditate, meditate, meditate. Create a regular practice

Yoga Practice - when we practice yoga for these upper chakras we are not using them in the same way as we did for the earthly chakras, we are not using them to strengthen or stretch. We do our yoga practice with an awareness of the present moment when we use the poses to witness that moment. It is a pause in the constant movement of our lives giving us the ability to focus our Prana towards a single point - the pose. We should draw ourselves back to the very first thing that we might know about yoga - that the meaning is to 'yoke' or 'unite' mind, body and spirit, that our aim is to unite ourselves with our highest nature. Healing the Sahasrara

Set daily intentions - either as you meditate or as a journal or as a form of prayer, allowing your third eye chakra to guide you.

Prioritise stillness and silence. Take a moment of privacy and escape. This can be by taking a walk alone with no distractions, taking a bath or just sitting with the self. Simply being aware of what is going on inside of you.

Find ways to connect with spirit, to step into the sacred. Work out what feels Holy to you. Whatever connects your inner essence that lives within you, with that which lives without. This can be a church, volunteering, community activity, working with the moon cycles, chakra study, yoga practice... Create a spiritual ritual that is significant to you. This can take the from of gathering treasured items in to an area where you can do your daily meditation or yoga practice. You can use singing, chanting, creating art, drawing tarot cards or watching nature! Make it resonate for YOU. Healing the Sahasrara Prayer does not have to be religious. When we pray we are simply giving thanks, placing our gratitude in to our consciousness. We are also bringing our manifestation currents to the fore by asking for what we want in and for our lives. Pray to your God or pray to any God you choose! Gaia, Universal Energy, Spirit Guides, ancestors. Praying creates an energetic bridge between you and your Crown chakra.

Don't believe your thoughts! You are not your thoughts - when you turn your attention inside you will notice the flood of thoughts. Most of them are not intentional thoughts but ones that arise spontaneously from the vast abyss of our minds! You did not create them, you are simply witness to them. Becoming aware of the thoughts and the witnesser will help to detach from the thoughts. Asking yourself "Is that true?" will start to evolve a sense of perspective and help to start dismantling belief systems that no longer serve and to build new ones that are aligned with your higher self.

Commit to learning something new. The right of this chakra is to understand and its element is thought. Whenever we learn we are tapping into our conscious and therefore developing the ability to tap in to our conscious. You already have this one in the bag with this course! Finding a new perspective will keep this chakra balanced. As Socrates once said "the more I learn, the less I realise I know". Healing the Sahasrara

Be open to guidance. Once you let go of any cynicism you can become open to the connections between you and the rest of the world. Opening up to seeing guidance in the forms of dreams, coincidences, daydreams, repetitive numbers or symbols appearing and gut instincts are just a few ways guidance will show up for you, once you are open to it.

Explore energy work like reiki, acupuncture, massage and of course our yoga practice.

Declutter. Being surrounded by 'stuff' can be distracting. We don't need to become minimalist but it is a good exercise to clear out mess and excess belongings. Cleaning up your exterior environment will help free up space in your mind and contribute to healing this chakra.

Use your affirmations

Wear violet

Mediatate, meditate, meditate NOTES/JOURNAL CROWN CHAKRA SYMBOLS

Each chakra has lots of different ways of accessing it. It is important that you identify which symbol resonates for YOU!

COLOUR The colour of the Sahasrara chakra is usually understood to be violet, however some feel it is white and others that it is a colour lustrous beyond description. Violet is symbolically representative of the future, imagination and dreams. It is a soothing colour that aids us in making spiritual connections yet keeping us grounded.

MINERALS OR GEMS The gems associated with this chakra are amethyst and diamond. Amethyst is seen as immensely powerful stone that can help cleanse our energy field of negative energy and attachment. It is protective, purifying and healing. Diamonds are said to aid spiritual development and remind us of our souls' aspirations.

FOOD There is no food associated with this chakra since we benefit from the cleansing affects of fasting. Fasting not only literally cleanses our bodies system but also allows us to strengthen resolve, instil discipline, find spiritual clarity and to become better tuned in to the world around us with a deeper appreciation.

PLANETS No planet can adequately represent this chakra and so we associate it to the Universe, Source, Brahman. The field of consciousness that is awakened here is a complete immersion in all that is. A state of complete oneness which no one celestial object can represent. Whichever of the symbols you like the best use it to connect with your chakra. To work with gems place wear them in a necklace so the stone hangs by your solar plexus or lie down with the gem placed on your upper belly area.

SOUND

The chant or sound for the third eye chakra is the Universal bija mantra OM. For this chakra we may find that saying it inside, hearing it within ourselves is more powerful than vocalising it.

SMELL The incense linked here are Lotus and Gotu Kola which are ancient incense used for healing, spirituality, inner peace and outer harmony. Both are balancing and harmonising for mind, body and spirit.

METAL The metal associated here is gold. Gold represents more than earthly wealth, it has been a symbol for divinity and the spiritual purity of "All That Is". It is symbolic of spirituality and development in the realm of complete understanding, allowing one to both attain and maintain communion with the source of all being.

ANIMALS The animal representative of this chakra is the eagle. Long revered as a spiritual bird because it flies so high, it symbolises the power and messages of the spirit. It represents freedom and in this chakra the intent is freedom and liberty - from attachment - and the eagle soaring embodies this intention. AFFIRMATIONS Repeating affirmations is a proven way of shifting our mindset. Noticing which affirmation feels right for you is important, so I have given you several to choose from... Say them out loud when possible or in your mind as often as you remember

I AM CONNECTED

I CREATE MY BELIEFS

I EMBRACE MEDITATION

I AM A SPIRITUAL BEING

I BELIEVE IN MY WHOLENESS AFFIRMATIONS Repeating affirmations is a proven way of shifting our mindset. Noticing which affirmation feels right for you is important, so I have given you several to choose from... Say them out loud when possible or in your mind as often as you remember

I HONOUR THE DIVINE WITHIN ME I AM OPEN TO DIVINE WISDOM

I AM OPEN TO LETTING GO OF ATTACHMENTS

I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE I AM GOODNESS IN MY CONNECTED TO LIFE THE WISDOM OF THE UNIVERSE HOW DO WE To work on the chakra with asana we RELATE OUR must approach our practice with attentiveness and an attitude of receptiveness to being in the moment. YOGA PRACTICE The poses we use are ones requiring focus and ones that balance our Ida and Pingala TO THE THIRD nadi.

EYE CHAKRA?

Introverted poses bring quiet, twisting poses bring balance to our pranic flow, and poses that simultaneously ground us and allow us to reach upward. Eagle pose or Garudasana is used in several variations.

Pranayama - Nadi Sodhana again to balance and sooth but without the physical closing of the nostrils. PROMPTS Use this self enquiry to educate yourself around this chakra and make notes of your answers if it helps you.

Can you identify any self beliefs that you would be better served letting go of?

Can you identify where these belief systems came from? It is easier to let go once the source has been identified.

Do you have any spiritual practice? Could you see yourself finding one that might work for you?

Can you see a moment in your daily life where you could slot in some time for yourself? Time to meditate.

In what place or doing what activity do you feel most at peace?

Do you take time to just be?

How do you picture the perfect meditation space for you within your home? What would be there, how would it smell? What boundaries would you need to implement to make that space sacred for you?

How can you see the manifestation current being active in your life? When have you actively used it in the past with great results?

Make a promise to yourself that you will meditate everyday even for just 10 minutes. WEEK 8 REVIEW Please use this space to make any notes you would like to and to answer any of the questions that resonate from the previous page. This is purely for your use and is not required to be shared. THANK YOU

Congratulations on completing the workbook for Week 8 and The Chakra Way course! Please know that you have this information for life and that you can come back to it as often and for as long as you need it. I will also be available for you to carry on discussing your discoveries and to help answer any questions that remain.

Your yoga class, meditation audio and seminar are all available for you on the website in the Student Log in and we will meet on Zoom to discuss this week's chakra and to discuss the course as a whole.

With much love, I thank you. x

W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M