Moving from summer to fall has always been a challenge, the dramatic climate differences always seem to pull us in crazy directions. Maybe because we are trying to re-establish routines with school, find ourselves indoors, struggling to to keep warm as we refuse to turn the heating system back on (guilty!).
For several years now I have welcomed the change of seasons with what I term a “Chakra Cleanse”. It was my excuse to find a way to clean my own energy without having to go through a more traditional food cleanse as typically followed by yogis. And it was A LOT more fun!!!
Understanding your personal energy is easy, intuitive and challenging at the same time, but can help you to discovery lots of physical, emotional and mental baggage that is still hanging around.
Consider taking the quiz below, do not overly judge, simply open up to a new awareness the next time you are on your mat. Also included below are a few links to some of my favorite books on the subject, go easy, start light, it is a lot to digest…
Ready? Time to clean house!
As we work our way through the seven Chakra system you might find having a few reference books handy to delve deeper into the postures, the emotional and psychological energies being discussed. Anodea Judith has published extensively on the subject and has numerous online resources available and many well written and easily accessible books.
“Anodea Judith’s Chakra Yoga” (2015) is a beautifully presented users guide, a great beginners book with a strong emphasis on the physical postures.
The very first book I ever read on the subject was “Wheels of Life- A User’s Guide to the Charka System” 2nd edition (1999), as is probably still my favorite go-to, with many dogged-ear pages and a spine that really needs some major re-alignment!
In my opinion, the deepest layers of the subtle body system are explored in her book “Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self” (2004). Something to consider reading and exploring later in your practice, this book goes deep.
In more recent years my interest in Chakra Theory expanded into the Archetypes, positive and their dysfunctional (being careful to avoid the term “negative”) forms. This seems to really resonate for me in on a practical, more experiential level. In addition, clients who enter classes or are seeking solutions in private sessions can easily relate to these connections. On this topic Ambika Wauter’s “Chakras and Their Archetypes: Uniting Energy Awareness and Spiritual Growth” (1997) brings this all together in one easy to digest place.
Through my personal study and practice of Ayurveda, the connection to the associated elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth through the Chakra system has expanded the practice further from the mat and into personal Dhinacharya practices and my favorite place in the world: The Kitchen!
Cooking to feed YOUR energy as a means of finding center brings a new light to all that we truly are. If you are remotely interested in the topic, Dr. David Frawley’s book “Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization” (1999) is a wonderful introduction to the subject and helps to bridge our physical yoga practice into the realm of deeper self-healing.
Looking forward to sharing practice with you in class or here online. Have fun, enjoy, and be open to self-discovery!
~Namaste