Zen and Japanese Home and Garden

Not long ago, the practice of yoga in America was limited to a few health clubs and yoga centers where people would gather to learn the most popular postures and poses.  Sure, there have always been some diehard yoga practitioners that would travel to India and study with a yoga master, but the average person stuck with a weekly class at their local yoga studio.

My, how things have changed in the past 20 years!  Today there are yoga retreats, yoga weekends, yoga stores, online yoga classes, and yoga festivals.  People who used to just dabble in the practice are now becoming yoga junkies, and it seems like the trend is growing even faster than anyone anticipated.   Some believe that yoga has grown in popularity because it’s a relaxing way to promote good health.  Others point to a widespread yearning for spiritual growth.  Life has gotten busier and anxiety is a serious problem in America.  People need to develop the ability to remain centered so they focus on the task at hand.  Yoga offers that a type of physical and spiritual refreshment that is not easily duplicated by other forms of exercise.

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Some people prefer a vigorous workout, others a Swedish massage, and still others find it easy to unwind when surrounded by their favorite scents. Whatever it is that you do to relax, it should be something that is readily available when you need it.  The nice thing about aromatherapy is its instant availability.  Need to settle your mind at the end of a stressful day?  Simply light an aromatherapy candle.  Want to feel instantly refreshed from the moment you walk in the door?  Get your favorite scents and use a diffuser.

Whether it is bath products, candles, essential oils or incense, there are certain scents that are known to have specific effects on the human body.  Some work best for soothing a crying baby while others promote stress relief and healthy living.  But only a regular practitioner of aromatherapy could tell you if it lives up to its claims.

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This month we explore the 7^th and last of the seven energy systems, the crown chakra.  The Sanskrit name is Sahasrara which translates to “thousand fold.”  It is often seen as a lotus flower with a thousand petals symbolizing the opening of spiritual awakening.

This chakra is located on the top of the head at the crown and its associated color is violet transitioning to white, symbolizing the blending of the seven chakras.  Its associated element is thought and fire and the musical note is B.  The crown chakra’s function is the assimilation of wisdom, divine enlightenment, and the integration of our spiritual self with our physical body.

The crown chakra governs our faith and belief system and is a portal to our intuitive resources which ultimately controls our thoughts and actions.  It is the pathway to a higher state of consciousness and as it becomes more developed, we move beyond being controlled by our ego and into “consciousness” itself.

As the connection to our spiritual essence grows, life becomes more peaceful and harmonious.  Daily challenges and worries easily fall away and the direction we seek to life’s deeper questions and problems is attainable.  People with an open crown chakra experience unconditional love, freely passing that on to others.  Life is fulfilling and joyful with a keen sense of clarity, meaning and connection to all life.   The power of faith in this chakra drives your thoughts and actions turning dreams into reality and your intuitive resources ensure that the decisions you make will keep you safe.

Have you ever experienced a day when nothing seems to go your way?  The smallest things leave you feeling frustrated?  Feel off-balance or ungrounded?  Can’t make a decision when you need to?  These are signs that your crown chakra energy is imbalanced.

An overactive 7^th chakra is often characterized by being overly intellectual.  The inability to think for your-self and relying on others to give you direction becomes a dominant pattern.  Often there is spiritual skepticism and a focus on material things to define satisfaction in life.  Difficulty concentrating, depression, migraine headaches and apathy are also signs of imbalance.

To balance your 7^th chakra, climb a mountain! Find a quiet space to go within and reflect being mindful of the present moment. Set the intention to be aware of what is beyond you – to your consciousness.

Do less!  Simplify your day.  Take that a step further and try doing less for an entire week, then an entire month.  Use that time to meditate, pray and just spending time being in the moment.

Visit places that offer a sense of calm, whether it is a park, the beach, or the mountains.  Practice working with your connection to something special in your surroundings. Being one with nature, one with self, one with the universe will create open and balanced energy.

Wear violet or place purple accents in your room or office as a reminder.  If you use essential oils, breathe in rose, cinnamon, jasmine or sandalwood.   The gemstones associated with the crown chakra are amethyst, alexandrite,  quartz crystal, diamond and selenite.  The foods that energize your crown chakra are concord grapes, eggplant, plums, purple broccoli and blackberries.

The development and direction of chakra growth is upward, from the basic needs of survival (first chakra) to the development of our self (second), connection with others (fourth) and self-discovery (fifth chakra) to our connection with the divine (seventh).  The spiritual connection and force of faith we develop through the crown chakra works in tandem with the seven chakras only conversely, beginning with the 7^th chakra and working downward.  It melds with the intuitive powers of the 6^th chakra, stimulates our innate sense of will in the 5^th, and blends with the heart chakra connecting us to our emotions.  The force of faith then personalizes our emotions in the 3^rd chakra and clarifies those responses into actions in the second.  All of the combined energies are ultimately grounded in the first chakra; creating a synthesis of living spiritually and being in the moment – the essence of life.

If you’ve ever tried finding meditation supplies, such as mats, chimes, gongs and other room décor, you know how difficult this can be.  Even in urban areas, there are very few retailers that offer a selection of zabutons, meditation timers and chimes.  As a result, the most reliable place to find these items is online, but how do you know which items are the best?  This article will help you discover the most popular and useful items to decorate your meditation space, and best of all, everything is available in one convenient online store – Chopa.com.

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This month we explore the sixth of the seven energy systems, the third eye or brow chakra. “Ajna” is the Sanskrit name and its translation means “beyond wisdom.”  It is located in the center of the forehead, just above the eyes.  Air and the color Indigo, a rich blue/violet are the associated elements for this chakra. The musical note is D.

The third eye chakra governs our center of intuitive abilities including rational thought and wisdom.  This chakra which powers our intuition is called the “third eye.” As our two eyes view the physical world, the third eye senses and visualizes what is yet to be. The 6th chakra is the center of imagination, optimism and spiritual awareness.  It allows us to gain insight from life’s challenges, to see and understand the “big picture,” and to discern what is right and wrong through perceptive reasoning.  The power of optimism is in play when you consciously choose to make the best of a difficult situation, trusting that a power beyond your understanding is always at work.  Buddha said “Wisdom arises through effort and disappears through lack of effort.” When open and functioning optimally, that “inner knowing” affords us the ability to make “clear headed” decisions.

A balanced chakra allows a keen sense of clarity with the ability to visualize creative ideas through imagination.  As a center of wisdom and intelligence, the brow chakra promotes the development of learning and retention, the makings of a good student!  It fosters the ability to see beyond the obstacles in our daily lives and to find alternatives to accomplish the most challenging goals.  We remember our dreams and often spend time visualizing our future and mapping our future path in life.

We experience similar thoughts and feelings on a daily basis “I knew this was the right decision” or “I had a good feeling about that person” or “I just knew this was the job for me.”  This is your 6th chakra providing you with the necessary insights to follow the inner- self without fear.  Acknowledging and trusting those important signals strengthen your intuitive abilities, fosters self-evaluation of where you are in life, how you got there and visualizing where you see yourself in the future.   Listening to others’ ideas without critical judgment, feeling secure with yourself and relying on divine intervention are signs of healthy 6th chakra energy.

An unbalanced chakra is often characterized by feeling mentally “blocked”, unable to visualize the big picture, making decisions based solely on logic, experiencing headaches or nightmares.  Have you ever been told to “come down from the clouds?”  This is not unusual with an under functioning 6th chakra.  The inability to concentrate, remember or not being able to grasp a solution to life’s daily problems are also indicative of an imbalance.

When the 6th chakra is overactive, a person will appear egotistical, domineering and manipulative.   These people will react critically to others, perceiving misplaced emotions are directed at them.  The result is becoming “closed minded” to new ideas and opportunities and thereby inhibiting future intuitive and spiritual growth.  Sixth chakra growth is stymied when behavior patterns are denied. We don’t permit ourselves to accept that we don’t know everything.   When we cannot acknowledge the validity of new ideas or new ways of living that are different to us, we “close our minds,” essentially shutting ourselves off from the power of mental energy that is available to us.

To balance your 6th chakra, be mindful of your thoughts and stay in the present moment.  Try to recall a dream from last night and keep a journal.  You may be surprised at the recurring themes they take!  Wear a shade of indigo or place accents in your room or office as a reminder.  If you meditate, focus your attention on the location of your third eye with the intention of developing your intuitive skills. Be aware of the images that come to you.
The gemstones for this chakra are lapis, sapphire, sodalite and amethyst.  If you burn incense, try vanilla, anise or jasmine which is thought to improve mental clarity.  Grounding activities such as dance, exercising and being outdoors are helpful in aligning the energy centers and “getting you out of your head”.   Try eating indigo colored foods such as purple grapes, plums, eggplant or grape juice.

To enhance your “third eye” power center, channel your synergistic energies by taking time each day to visualize.  Journal your thoughts, predictions and visual images that come to you and over time, you will begin to see how your intuition plays a bigger role in your life and how your decision making skills have changed.  Your intuitive powers and sense of mental clarity are enriched through practice and acknowledgement of listening to the inner-truth with confidence and without fear.
In the next issue, we explore the last of the seven energy centers, the crown chakra.