Recently, I've been getting into holistic therapeutic methods to help me deal with the aftermath of the car accident I was in. In addition to yoga as physical therapy, I've also been reading up on the meaning and significance of the seven chakras, which help to balance not only our physical energies, but also our mental and emotional ones.
The first chakra, The Crown, is located at the top of our heads. Its associated color is purple, and its purpose is to honor spiritual connection. Admittedly, since the accident, I do feel my connection to the divine has been blocked.
The second chakra, The Brow, is located in the center of our foreheads. Its associated color is indigo and its purpose is to honor psychic connection. One site describes The Brow chakra as our avenue to wisdom, or learning from our experiences and putting them in perspective. Even now, I'm unable to see why I had to be involved in this accident. However, I am learning to put the events of that night into perspective and use this time as a catalyst toward a better, more complete life for myself.
The third chakra is The Throat, located--you guessed it--at the throat. Its associated color is blue and its purpose is to honor communication. Being in that accident sort of took away my voice. Yes, I can still type and blog and express myself in that way, but my physical voice was just... gone. I was unable to communicate my needs and wants to loved ones or to fully describe my feelings concerning the accident and how it's continued to impact my life.
The fourth chakra, The Heart, is located in the center of the chest. Its associated color is green and its purpose is to honor love. Lately, it's as if a veil of negativity has covered my being. The constant physical pain doesn't help matters. Doesn't really make for a loving environment on the inside either--which, in turn, is projected to the outside world. I believe the universe gives back what one puts into it, and I certainly don't want such negativity impeding my progress.
In order to strengthen this chakra, I've been keeping a gratitude/joy list to make the things I'm grateful for a physical entity, something I can see and feel on the outside that I'm positive will reignite my love and gratitude for these things on the inside again.
The fifth chakra is The Solar Plexus, located in the very center of our being (just under the heart, between the rib cage). Its associated color is yellow and its purpose is to honor the life force. Specifically, it has to do with self-esteem, confidence, and personal power. Since the majority of my physical pain is situated in this area, this chakra is of particular importance to me. It makes sense to me that pain here would affect the rest of the chakras. Given its location, pain in the solar plexus radiates outward; since it's in the very center of my body, everything is affected by any kind of blockage here.
In order to draw benefits from this chakra and heal this portion of my body, I've taken to adding more yellow to my life. It's funny how much yellow was already there that I ceased to notice. My curtains, my sheets, my fave bathrobe, my fave scarf, even my yoga mat: all yellow. I'm also trying to eat more yellow foods: pineapple, lemonade, bananas, bell peppers, etc. I already exclusively wear gold jewelry; that's another way to draw energy from the color yellow, by placing the color (or variations of it) on pulse points, including fingers, ear lobes, wrists, etc. Focusing on healing this area of my body will also allow me to draw the benefits from it--like confidence and personal power--that I'll need to continue in my journey toward recovery.
The sixth chakra, The Sacral, is located around the lower abdomen, another area of pain for me (thank you, seatbelt). Its associated color is orange and its purpose is to honor creativity and emotional connection. I've also read that this area helps balance the feminine and masculine energies, also known as yin and yang.
I said before that my inability to communicate (Throat chakra) has led to some difficulties in my interpersonal relationships. Because I'm unable to verbalize what's going on, of course the emotional connections I forge with others is affected. In my case, they're non-existent; I sort of shut myself off emotionally in order to deal with the physical pain. I've never had to manage both at the same time before, so in order to cope, one had to go. The color orange is next on the list for me to incorporate into my life and state of being.
The seventh chakra, The Root, is located at the base of the spine. Its associated color is red and its purpose is to honor the Earth. This chakra is what "grounds" us and keeps us connected to and able to draw energy from earth. It's also said to govern survival, safety and security. Initially--especially after that hospital stay--I felt anything BUT safe, like I could be wiped out at any moment. I nearly was. However, I do feel I was kept alive to fulfill a greater purpose, and I take comfort in that. I also tell myself that, statistically, it's extremely rare for a person to suffer accidents like the one I was in very close together. So I'm good 'til at least the end of the year
I still feel as if I'm in survival mode though, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a survivor, one does all she can to maintain her life; prior to seeking out alternative therapies, that meant shutting down parts of myself in order to address more pressing issues (i.e. the emotional vs. the physical). Now it means seeking out the best methods to address my entire body instead of just parts of it. Yoga, positive mantras and affirmations, color therapy... before, I might have done these things individually. Now that I practice them in conjunction with one another, I draw their full benefit.
My positive mantra for today is a Da Vinci quote:
"The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding."
I know I was certainly unaware of these things (chakras, color therapy, etc.) before my accident; I can only look forward to what new things I'll discover because of it.
As my yoga instructor--or yogi as I like to refer to him--says, "Namaste" fools!
