***image1***SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE We once saw a toddler who had just learned to walk and was running around blissfully and fearlessly. What caught our attention was the way she was balanced so lightly on the balls of her feet. Her head held high. She gave the impression of an angel who was just coming to earth and still trying to land. It was a beautiful illustration of the body aligned with the energies of heaven and earth. The reaching towards and stretching away. It also brought to mind the adage, “We are not humans in search of a human experience, but spiritual beings here for a human experience.”

Just as a child gets a new visual perspective of the world as he/she begins to walk– when we open our Crown Chakra we gain a perspective of the Unknown, the Infinite, a reality beyond what we can physically perceive. We reconnect to a time when we knew no limitations, where we had ultimate trust in the Universe and its grand design, when we felt a part of everything and ecstasy was an ongoing experience.Of course for a Spiritual being to have a human experience it must first embody, come to earth. We must be rooted first to truly blossom. True Spirituality is Embodiment. Back to the example of the toddler: In a sense the toddler reaching towards the earth was an illusion. She was in reality deeply grounded and was pushing away from the earth with so much ease (coming from perfect placement) that it gave the impression she was reaching down towards it. She was actually firmly rooted which is what gave her the freedom and trust to explore so fearlessly. The German poet Goethe said, in effect, ‘I have seen all wonders, but the greatest among them is a tree, which delves deeply into the earth as it dances in the light and air of the Eternal.’The Seventh Chakra, the Crown Chakra, also known as the 10th gate, Shashara, or Thousand Petaled Lotus, is located at the top of the head. It corresponds with the soft spot on a newborn’s head (anterior fontanel). It is the energetic counterpart to the pineal gland, which begins to calcify and harden as we get caught up in the mundane. According to Yoga, the Crown Chakra closes at age 8 and we then spend the rest of our lives trying to reopen it. It is our connection to the Infinite. If the Chakra system were expressed as a pyramid, the Crown Chakra would be the quartz capstone.The Crown Chakra relates to the Pineal Gland, which when balanced influences our life rhythms in a positive way. When the pineal gland is balanced the aging process is slowed and mood swings are less extreme. When activated, the Pineal is also said to stimulate certain dormant areas of the brain. These new neural connections expand our world vision and stimulate pathways related to sublime modes of perception. Of course there is a fine line between pure escapism and true transcendence and this is the great lesson of the Seventh Center. It needs the grounding influence of its polarity, the Earth element, to integrate our subtle aspects into the arena of the world.BALANCED OR BONKERS?***image2***The 7th Chakra needs the support of its polarity, the First Center (Earth). If these are not mutually supportive, a person runs the risk of either being too “out there,” or stuck in a one dimensional, fear-based world view.There is much New Age rhetoric around today which exemplifies a penchant for the unreal. This is nothing new. This type of “channeled” writing has been around in America since the 1800’s (Madame Blavatsky,et al). Many Yogis are now rethinking authenticity and relevance of so called trance states also known as Samadhi. Here is an example of an e-mail we received recently, which we feel is a 7th Center imbalance masquerading as a form of enlightenment:”….in addition, she has taken thousands of individuals on more than 100 journeys worldwide, to conduct site and grid activation’s for the Celestial Hierarchy.”

“Good Afternoon Kuthumi: In the Light of the Most Radiant One, I protect myself in the Threefold Violet Flame of Purity. I come today to connect with your essence and ask that you send through a message that will highlight the issues on which Light Workers should focus their priorities.”

“Dear Child of the Violet Flame. It is I, Kuthumi, here with you today, and I come ready to deliver messages of love, joy, and concern for the many Light Workers…”

“Together we unite and hold the perfected vision for Earth and all her children as we deliver words from the oversoul of the Celestial Hierarchy at this time.”

“This place is also called Nirvana and is linked to the Seventh Golden Age……”You get the idea. Each of the chakras rely on support from below. The 7th Center, in addition to the grounding influence of the First Center, requires the discernment and critical thinking of the Sixth Center. A 7th Chakra, well aspected, gives us the Humility to serve and the Majesty to inspire. The grandiosity that so many ostensibly “spiritual” people present, is actually an acute form of narcissism. In many religious traditions, the top center is covered out of respect for a Higher Power. For the 7th Center to be truly awakened we have to offer up our egos (false selves). This is a process that often takes decades of self-observation and self-work. It’s been said that, “Those who want to play the game of Love come with their heads in their hands.” Another way of expressing this is, “Where we bow, we will be blessed.”The Crown Chakra tends to need less “work” then all the other chakras, just as a flower, given the basics of sunlight and ground to grow in will flourish. A little attention to the 7th Center can remind us of what is already there.Crown Chakra MeditationSit in easy pose with a straight spine and take some long deep breaths. Fill the belly, ribs, and upper chest, Exhale from the upper chest, ribs and belly. Feel your sitting bones into the floor. Sense your weight and feel the contact with the floor beneath you. Be present in your body.Imagine a lotus flower growing up from a seed in the earth through the chakras. Grip the stem with a light root lock at the Muladhara Chakra at the base of the spine. Then steady the stem with a light diaphragm lock and neck lock. Now, Imagine a Lotus Flower blossoming open at the crown. You can visualize a beautiful violet color in the middle of the flower getting lighter at the tips of the petals. Visualize two pathways on either side of the spine like the double helix of a DNA molecule. Spiral the inhale down either side of the stem as the lotus closes and exhale up through the center as it blossoms open. Inhale think Sat Nam. Exhale Wah Hay Guru. Time open.This simple technique is best done at the end of a Kundalini Yoga practice. It will give you an expansive overview and the ability to invest your life with this new vision. It will bring the entire chakra system into balance and is a great fountain of youth for the glands. Remember that Kundalini Yoga and Meditation techniques open doors, but you still have to walk through them. Expanded consciousness is meant to be a tool to be applied to your projects, relationships and service.

All Best to You,Ravi & Ana

As always you can contact us at 1.800.243.9642 or through www.raviana.com

SUMMER SCHEDULE

Fri. & Sat. June 3rd & 4th Denver, Colorado, Samadhi Yoga303.860.9642 / www.samadhiyoga.net Sun. June 5th, Lafayette, Colorado, 303.709.6151 / www.laughingyogi.com Sat. Jun. 11th to Sun. Jun. 12th, Snellville, Georgia, The Yoga Source678.377.1991 / www.theyogasource.com Thu. Jun. 30th to Mon. Jul. 4th Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training / Workshop, Ahulani Sanctuary, Big Island (Hawaii)www.ahulani.com / 1.800.243.9642Sat. Aug. 20th to Mon. Aug. 22nd Shanti Yoga Studio, McCall, Idaho 208.634.9711 / www.shantiyogastudio.org Sat. Aug. 27th to Sat. Sep. 3rd, Helena, Montana, Feathered Pipe Ranch406.442.8196 / www.featheredpipe.com (counts for Teacher Training hours)The event in Hawaii June 30th – July 4th promises to be amazingly inspiring and rejuvenating. We held a training at Ahulani earlier this year and we can’t wait to go back. It’s truly a magical place. Remember, anyone can attend, even if you’re not interested in being a Yoga Teacher.

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