Raiders of the Lost Spark

About Sahasrara

• Colour: PURPLE
• Sanskrit Name: Sahasrara (thousandfold)
• Element: Consciousness
• Location: Top of head, cerebral cortex
• Glands: Pituitary
• Purpose: Understanding
• Base Issues: Cognition, awareness
• Orientation to Self: Self-knowledge
• Identity: Universal
• Right: To know
• Demon: Attachment
• Addictions: Religion, spiritual practices
• Developmental Stage: Adulthood
• Mantra: No seed sound, resonant sound Nngg (as in sing)
• Hindu Deities: Shiova, Ama-kala (upward moving shakti), Varuna
• Yoga Path: Jnana yoga, or meditation

Balanced Characteristics

• Ability to perceive, analyze, and assimilate information
• Intelligent, thoughtful, aware
• Open-minded
• Spiritually connected
• Wisdom and mastery
• Broad understanding

Healing Practices for the Crown Chakra

• Re-establish physical and emotional connections (in cases of excess)
• Re-establish spiritual connection (in cases of deficiency)
• Spiritual discipline, meditation
• Psychotherapy such as examining one’s belief system, developing inner witness, working with the higher power

Deficiency in the Crown Chakra

• Spiritual cynicism, learning difficulties, rigid belief systems, apathy

Excess in the Crown Chakra

• Overintellectualization, spiritual addiction, confusion, disassociation from body

About Ajna

• Colour: INDIGO
• Sanskrit Name: Ajna (to perceive)
• Element: Light (Luminescence)
• Location: Brow (centre of the head, slightly above eye level)
• Glands: Pineal
• Purpose: Pattern recognition
• Base Issues: Intuition, imagination
• Orientation to Self: Self-reflection
• Identity: Archetypal
• Right: To see
• Demon: Illusion
• Addictions: Hallucinogens, marijuana
• Developmental Stage: Adolescence
• Mantra: Seed sound Om (Ohm), resonant sound Mmmm
• Hindu Deities: Shakti Hakini, Paramasiva (form of Shiva), Krishna
• Yoga Path: Yantra yoga

Balanced Characteristics

• Intuitive
• Perceptive
• Imaginative
• Good memory
• Ability to recall dreams
• Able to think symbolically
• Ability to visualize

Healing Practices for the Third Eye Chakra

• Create visual arts, visual stimulation
• Meditation
• Psychotherapy such as art therapy, working with memory, drawing parallels between image and feeling, dreamwork, hypnosis, guided visualizations, past life regression therapy

Deficiency in the Third Eye Chakra

• Insensitivity, poor vision, poor memory, inability to look into the future, denial

Excess in the Third Eye Chakra

• Hallucinations, delusions, obsessions, difficulty concentrating, nightmares

About Vissudha

• Colour: LIGHT BLUE
• Sanskrit Name: Vissudha (purification)
• Element: Sound (Vibration)
• Location: Throat
• Glands: Thymus, parathyroid
• Purpose: Communication, creativity
• Base Issues: Communication
• Orientation to Self: Self-expression
• Identity: Creative
• Right: To speak
• Demon: Lies
• Addictions: Opiates, marijuana
• Developmental Stage: 7 to 12 years
• Mantra: Seed sound Ham (hahm), vowel sound Eeee (as in sleep)
• Hindu Deities: Ganga (river goddess, related to purification), Sarasvati
• Yoga Path: Mantra yoga

Balanced Characteristics

• Resonant voice
• Good listener
• Good sense of timing, rhythm
• Good communication
• Creative living

Healing Practices for the Throat Chakra

• Singing, chanting, toning, story telling, journal writing
• Practicing silence (in cases of excess)
• Creativity that is not goal-oriented
• Psychotherapy to learn communication skills, letter writing, inner child communication, voice dialog

Deficiency in the Throat Chakra

• Fear of speaking, small/weak voice, introversion, shyness, tone deaf

Excess in the Throat Chakra

• Too much talking, talking as a defence, poor listener, gossiping, dominant voice

About Anahata

• Colour: GREEN
• Sanskrit Name: Anahata (unstruck)
• Element: Air (Equilibrium)
• Location: Heart
• Glands: Thymus
• Purpose: Love, balance
• Base Issues: Love, relationships
• Orientation to Self: Self-acceptance
• Identity: Social
• Right: To love
• Demon: Grief
• Addictions: Tobacco, marijuana, sugar, love
• Developmental Stage: 4 to 7 years
• Mantra: Seed sound Yam (yahm), vowel sound Ayy (as in play)
• Hindu Deities: Vishnu, Lakshmi (as Preservers), Krishna, Isvara, Kama, Vayu, Aditi, Urvasi
• Yoga Path: Bhakti yoga

Balanced Characteristics

• Compassionate
• Loving
• Empathetic
• Self-loving
• Altruistic
• Peaceful, balanced
• Strong immune system

Healing Practices for the Heart Chakra

• Examine pre-existing assumptions about relationships
• Emotional release of grief
• To offer forgiveness when appropriate
• Inner child work, co-dependency work
• Self-acceptance

Deficiency in the Heart Chakra

• Antisocial, withdrawn, cold, loneliness, isolation, fear of intimacy, lack of empathy, narcissism

Excess in the Heart Chakra

• Co-dependency, poor boundaries, demanding, clinging, jealousy, overly

About Manipura

• Colour: YELLOW
• Sanskrit Name: Manipura (lustrous gem)
• Element: Fire (Combustion)
• Location: Navel to solar plexus
• Glands: Pancreas, adrenals
• Purpose: Transformation
• Base Issues: Power, will
• Orientation to Self: Self-definition
• Identity: Ego
• Right: To act
• Demon: Shame
• Addictions: Amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, work, anger
• Developmental Stage: 18 months to 4 years
• Mantra: Seed sound Ram (rahm), vowel sound Ahh (as in father)
• Hindu Deities: Agni, Surya, Rudra, Lakini

Balanced Characteristics

• Responsible, reliable
• Balanced, effective will
• Self-esteem, balanced ego
• Warm personality
• Playfulness, sense of humour
• Sense of personal power

Healing Practices for the Solar Plexus Chakra

• Risk taking (in cases of deficiency)
• Deep relaxation and stress control (in cases of excess)
• Grounding and emotional contact
• Vigorous exercise such as running or aerobics
• Martial arts
• Psychotherapy to build ego strength, to release or contain anger, to work on shame issues, to strengthen the will, the encourage autonomy

Deficiency in the Solar Plexus Chakra

• Low energy, easily manipulated, low self-esteem and/or discipline, emotional or physical coldness, blaming of others, passive, unreliable

Excess in the Solar Plexus Chakra

• Aggressive, dominating, controlling, power hungry, competitive, arrogant

About Svadhistana

• Colour: ORANGE
• Sanskrit Name: Svadhistana (sweetness)
• Element: Water (Polarity)
• Location: Lower abdomen, womb, genitals, low back, hips
• Glands: Ovaries, testicles
• Purpose: Movement and connection
• Base Issues: Sexuality, emotions
• Orientation to Self: Self-gratification
• Identity: Emotional
• Right: To feel
• Demon: Guilt
• Addictions: Alcohol, heroin, sex
• Developmental Stage: 6 months to 2 years
• Mantra: Seed sound Vam (vahm), vowel sound Oooo (as in rule)
• Hindu Deities: Indra, Varuna, Bishnu, Rakini (name of Shakti at Svadisthana level)
• Yoga Path: Tantra

Balanced Characteristics

• Graceful movement
• Emotional intelligence
• Ability to experience pleasure
• Nurturing to oneself and others
• Ability to change
• Healthy boundaries

Healing Practices for the Sacral Chakra

• Movement therapy
• Emotional release or containment
• Inner child work
• Boundary work
• 12-step programs for addiction
• Engage in healthy pleasures

Deficiency in the Sacral Chakra

• Rigidness, frigidity, poor social skills, denial of pleasure, excessive boundaries, fear of change, lack of desire, passion, excitement

Excess in the Sacral Chakra

• Pleasure addiction, ruled by emotions, over sensitive, weak boundaries

About Muladhara

• Colour: RED
• Sanskrit Name: Muladhara (root)
• Element: Earth (Gravitation)
• Location: Perineum, base of spine, coccygeal plexus
• Glands: Adrenals
• Purpose: Foundation
• Base Issues: Survival
• Orientation to Self: Self-preservation
• Identity: Physical
• Right: To be here
• Demon: Fear
• Addictions: Food, gambling, shopping, work
• Developmental Stage: Womb to 12 months
• Mantra: Seed sound Lam (lahm), vowel sound Ohh (as in road)
• Hindu Deities: Brahma, Dakini, Ganesha, Kubera, Uma, Lakshmi, Prisni
• Yoga Path: Hatha yoga

Balanced Characteristics

• Good health
• Vitality
• Well-grounded
• Comfortable in one’s body
• Sense of trust in the world
• Feeling safe and secure
• Stability and prosperity
• Ability to relax

Healing Practices for the Root Chakra

• Reconnect with the body
• Physical activity such as aerobics, weights, running, dance
• Physical touch such as massage, reiki, reflexology
• Bio-energetic grounding
• Examine childhood relationship to mother
• Reclaim right to be here

Deficiency in the Root Chakra

• Disconnection from the body, underweight, anxious, poor focus, disorganization

Excess in the Root Chakra

• Overeating, greed, laziness, fear of change, inflexible, rigid boundaries