Cleansing Chakras
As with so many things in our lives, chakras benefit from being periodically cleansed. Negativity causes your chakras to become dull and not function properly. There are several ways to cleanse your chakras (including the use of crystals, sounds and colours etc.) but the best way is through meditation.
You will need some time alone somewhere you will not be disturbed. The exercise takes approximately thirty minutes so make it at a time when nothing will interrupt you.
The first thing you need to do is sit on the floor cross-legged, keeping your back straight and maintaining a good posture. Take a few deep breaths and hold for a count of three before exhaling. Make sure you inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Repeat this exercise until you feel calm and relaxed. The exercise can be done with your eyes open or closed - whichever you feel most comfortable with. When you are sufficiently relaxed you can move on to the next step.
Imagine a ball of light floating right above your head. This is your 7th chakra - the crown chakra. Picture it. Feel it. If it appears dull or dirty it needs cleansing. To cleanse it, visualize a beam of pure energy coming from the sun and entering the small ball of light. Imagine the energy cleansing the chakra. Imagine all the negativity being washed away. Continue to do this until your crown chakra appears to be a glowing bright white orb.
Next, imagine the ball of light inside your head. This is your 6th chakra - the third eye chakra. Again, picture a beam of pure white light entering the ball and washing away any dullness. When the chakra feels clean and bright, move on to the next step.
The next is your 5th chakra - the throat chakra. Picture a bright white light coming from the middle of your neck. As before visualize it washing away the negative energy with the energy from the sun. Do this until the chakra feels bright and cleansed. There is no set length of time it will take to do this. With practice it becomes easier and quicker.
After cleansing your throat chakra move down to the 4th chakra - the heart chakra. Once again, imagine the beam of pure white light entering the ball of your heart chakra. If it helps, imagine the white light as being a beam of pure energy from the sun. When you are ready, move on to the next chakra.
This is your 3rd chakra - the solar plexus chakra. The steps are exactly the same as before. Visualize the beam of pure energy and when you feel that the solar plexus chakra is cleansed. Move on.
The next chakra for attention is the 2nd chakra - the navel chakra. This chakra is situated approximately in the womb/genital area. Again, if it appears dull or dirty, focus on the beam of pure energy washing away all the dullness, the "dirt" and the negativity before moving on.
Lastly there is the the 1st chakra - the root chakra, situated at the base of the spine. Decide whether it needs cleansing (it won't hurt to cleanse any of the chakras if you are unsure) and if so, picture the beam of white light.
The very last thing to be done is to stand and imagine yourself "taking a shower" in the same beam of energy you have been utilizing throughout the exercise. Only this time, rather than imaging it entering one of the chakras, imagine it washing and flowing all over you.
When you have done this exercise a few times you should start to feel an overall improvement in your emotional and physical being. You will also become better (and faster) at doing it with practice.
All of your senses, all of your perceptions, everything that you are or experience can be divided into seven categories. Each category can be associated with a particular chakra. Chakras represent not only particular parts of your physical body but also particular parts of your consciousness.
Understanding the chakras allows you to understand the relationship between your consciousness and your body, and to thus see your body as a map of your consciousness. It gives you a better understanding of yourself and those around you.
In any individual there is a need for balance. This is also true of the chakras. To function well the chakras too must be balanced. The best way to balance the chakras is through meditation. There are chakra meditation tapes available for this purpose. They are not vital though. Meditation can often be enhanced by using associated gemstones. These are listed on our "The 7 Chakras" page.
By becoming more aware of these seven energy centers, you will soon learn when one may be out of balance. With chakras that are strong and balanced, you are sick less often and can face life with more perception, strength and courage.