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Not
Just for Shirley MacLaine
Everything you always wanted to know
about chakras...
but were afraid you might sound silly asking
By
Shane Hennessey
I’ve
noticed as I walk along my life path that I’ve
come up against numerous patterns that seem to happen
over and again—seemingly outside my mind’s
ability to make a change. Maybe you’ve been there
yourself...dating the same type of people, creating
similar financial crises, stuck in a bad habit? If this
has never happened to you, drop this magazine immediately
and proceed to Olympus for your instatement as a divine
being. Otherwise, read on!
My travels, both into psychology and into metaphysics,
lead me to the energy receivers and processors of the
human body. These processors, called chakras (that’s
Sanskrit for “spinning wheels of light”),
seemed to me at first interesting but mostly useless
in everyday practicality and especially in therapy.
Over time, however, and with much personal experience
from people put in my life to teach me, I found that
the seven chakras of the human body had psychological
aspects to them. Not only did they exist, but I could
work with them on a holistic (body/mind/soul) level
and effect lasting change. Most often the confirmation
came after working on an issue and then being able to
see the difference in my body after the problem was
gone...it had been with me for so long, I didn’t
even realize I had the problem!
Those seven wheels are like psychic CD-ROMS in our spiritual
bodies and each contains a psychic Bill of Rights that
you can inventory in meditation (also known as sitting
quietly and undisturbed). The rights, as you’ll
learn them in this article, are to be used individually
as mantras. If you have an issue with one, then as you
chant “I have the right to _____,” there will
be some kind of body/mind/spirit response. For instance,
keep a watch out for a twinge in your body or an inner
verbal message like “No you don’t,” or
“That’s a lie.” You may also feel a gut
feeling that the mantra statement is incorrect. These
are messages to keep watch for, clues into your internal
being.
Chakra one, at the
base of the spine, contains our physical
identity. Its right/mantra is “I have
the right to be here.” People with severe abuse
or abandonment histories often find this to feel untrue
for them.
Chakra two, right
below the navel, contains our emotional
identity. The mantra here is “I have
the right to feel.” You might be surprised at how
many people do not believe they have the right to their
feelings, or that they can only have certain approved
feelings.
Chakra three, in
the solar plexus (between the chest and tummy), is home
to our ego identity.
“I have the right to take action” is the mantra
here. This is an important focus area of personal power.
Without its abilities, we become doormats to the world
with no boundaries and no self-esteem.
Chakra four is the
heart center, the place of unconditional/spiritual
love. “I have the right to love and
be loved” comes from this area of our social identity.
Conditional love in childhood or being hurt by a loved
one in adulthood are common wound areas here. It is
very important to have a healed heart chakra, because
this is the one that mediates the energy from the three
chakras above and the three below...sort of a central
clearinghouse of energy.
Chakra five is in
the throat, our center of creative
identity. It contains our power to express
ourselves from the core, and it says “I have the
right to speak and be heard.” Verbal abuse, being
lied to, being reprimanded for telling the truth (if
you don’t have something nice to say, don’t
say anything at all) are all ways of blocking this chakra.
The sixth chakra
is also known as the third eye...the one between your
other two eyes. It’s one of the spiritual chakras
and it anchors our intuitive
abilities. “I have the right to see”
is the statement here. “To see” is inclusive
of visual sight as well as seeing the Truth (capital
T, honey). Our culture is very reluctant to accept intuition
in favor of concrete facts and evidence. Consequently,
many of us have problems here.
The last chakra
is at the top of the head and is the place where we
connect to spiritual source.
It also holds our intellect and wisdom, so what we have
here is “I have the right to know” being spoken
to us. Blind obedience, lies, “doctored truth,”
and religious abuse are examples of damage done to this
area. (Kinda sounds like our educational system, huh?)
Now, as you travel these areas and work the mantras
in meditation, if there is an issue with a chakra, it
will offer up contradictory messages, feelings, or images
(often of the person who thwarted your right), and sometimes
symbols that represent the block you have against the
mantra. When and if these come, you visualize them at
a safe distance away from you. From out there, they
don’t have as much power as when they are inside
your energy field.
Look at the ways you agree to keep these blocks in place
in your life. Perhaps it seems to be a good tradeoff.
Maybe you just have known no other way. Whatever the
case, only you belong in your energy field, not foreign
objects and energies. So as you look at your agreements
and contracts, write them down on a piece of paper next
to the images out in front of you...use as many pieces
of paper as you need.
When you’re done, burn all the paper to ash. As
for the images, thank them for what they have taught
you and their contributions to your life. Then give
them a gift of your favorite flower, or any other suitable
image. Then blow the whole thing up...dynamite, nitro,
A-bomb, whatever. This is your chance to neutralize
and be free from old energy that you’ve been carrying
around forever. Burn and blow up as much as you need
to. You’ll feel freer and lighter.
Once you’ve finished this process, take some time
to check back in with your mantra. You may even find
that that area of your body feels different. If the
issue resurfaces, burn and blow up more images and contracts.
It’s just energy that’s holding a negative
pattern for you. Letting go of it frees you up to make
better decisions about your life.
Shane
Hennessey is a Houston psychologist who specializes
in psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and Reiki. He can be
reached at ethan@pdq.net.
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