Ever need a reminder that life isn’t just our individual experience and we are all part of something bigger?
In yoga philosophy, the Sahasrara or Crown Chakra is the seat of pure consciousness and where we connect with the universe. In order to stimulate and maximize your personal connection with the world around you, learn more about how to tune into your subtle body and chakras.
The chakras, including the Crown Chakra, are part of our subtle body. All of us are made up of three bodies: the gross or physical body called the Stula Sharira, the subtle body or the Sukshma Sharira, and the causal body or the Karana Sharira. The physical body is our muscles and skeleton––what we can see with the naked eye. It forms the Annamaya Kosha, the coarsest of the five sheaths.
What concerns us most in yoga is our subtle body, which is a blueprint of the physical body and contains the chakra system. A simple analogy to conceptualize the subtle body is that what electricity is to a machine, the subtle body is to the physical body. Energy channels called Nadis carry energy throughout the body and the two primary pathways are the Ida and Pingala.
The Sushumna Nadi runs from Muladhara (Root) Chakra to the Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra. The Sushumna Nadi runs along the spine and encompasses 13 other Nadis. The Ida runs from the base of the spine and coils through each chakra to the left nostril to Ajna (Third eye) Chakra, and governs the right brain, parasympathetic nervous system, and references the moon, female, and pacifying energies. The Pingala runs from the base of the spine and coils through each chakra to the right nostril to Ajna Chakra, and governs the left brain, sympathetic nervous system, and references the solar, male, and dynamic energies.
Working to balance the energy through the chakras is vital to our physical, mental, and emotional health. Located on the top of the head, Sahasrara is the seventh chakra. It is represented as the thousand-petal lotus, the colors white, violet, and gold, and is related to all senses and the pineal gland. An open Sahasrara chakra is when only unconditional love exists, the soul search is complete, and the direct link to the divine is established. The associated bija mantra is a silent OM because it represents everything and nothing. Headstand, Savasana, Tadasana, and meditation are all pathways to the Sahasrara. Samadhi, the highest level of consciousness is associated with the Sahasrara.
Ready to feel connected to the world around you? This week's four classes stimulate and charge the crown chakra.
1. Dana Damara - Chakra Flow Series 7: Sahasrara Chakra
2. Elise Fabricant - Yoga for the 7th Chakra
3. Jack Cuneo - Once More into Handstand Dear Friends
4. Michelle Marchildon - Handstand Help 10 Different Ways