The 7 Chakras: Portals between our inner and outer worlds

As portals between the physical and spiritual planes, the Chakras offer unparalleled opportunities for growth, healing, and transformation. An understanding of Chakras takes you on a powerful journey through progressively transcendent levels of consciousness.

The chakras are energy vortexes that bring energy into the body. There are 7 main ones and many minor chakras throughout the body. Chakras, derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”, are the energy centers of your spiritual power within your body. Each of our Chakras has it’s own unique healing color, which are also the same colors that appear in a rainbow. There are 7 major Chakra centers of the physical body, where vital energy flows and intersects. They begin at the base of your spine and continue up to the crown of your head. Through our Chakras, we transmit and receive physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. The chakras are manifested in one's physical state. 

The idea is to have all chakra centers clear, balanced, and vitalized for optimal well-being.  Each chakra is associated with a particular area of the body and a color of the spectrum.  Crystals and gemstones can be used at chakra centers for clearing, revitalizing, and healing.

These are the 7 major Chakra centers:

🌹 ROOT CHAKRA

Color is red, other colors associated with the Root Chakra are black brown, and gray

Location: base of the spine to the genitalia

Association: Represents passion and the feeling of being grounded

Root Chakra crystals/stones: garnet, ruby, onyx, red jasper, obsidian, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, hematite

🍁 NAVEL CHAKRA

Color is orange

Location: lower abdomen to naval area

Association: Represents creativity and your ability to accept others

Navel Chakra crystals/stones: carnelian, jasper, imperial topaz, mookaite, sunstone, moonstone

☀️ SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

Color is yellow

Location: Upper abdomen, above the navel, below the chest

Association: Represents will, power, action

Solar Chakra crystals/stones: citrine, amber, tiger eye

💚 HEART CHAKRA

Color is green and the secondary color is pink

Location: Center of the chest

Association: Represents your ability to love unconditionally and accept others

Heart Chakra crystals/stones: Morganite, rose quartz, green and pink tourmaline, jade, aventurine, malachite, emerald

🦋 THROAT CHAKRA

Color is blue

Location: throat

Association: Represents communication and self-expression

Throat Chakra crystals/stones: Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite, turquoise, blue lace agate, chrysocolla, Blue Kyanite, larimar, amazonite, aquamarine

🧿 THIRD EYE CHAKRA

Color is indigo or shades of dark blue.

Location: Pineal Gland between eyebrows, center of forehead

Association: Represents understanding and your ability to focus on and see the big picture

Third Eye Chakra crystals/stones: Azurite, tanzanite, lapis lazuli, fluorite, sodalite

🔮 CROWN CHAKRA

Color is purple, the secondary color is clear or white

Location: Crown of the head

Association: Represents divine inspiration, communication and knowledge

Crown Chakra crystals/stones: amethyst, charoite, selenite, clear quartz

The Chakras of Matter

The first three chakras, starting at the base of the spine are chakras of matter. They are more physical in nature.

1️⃣ First Chakra: The Muladhara is the chakra of stability, security, and our basic needs. It encompasses the first three vertebrae, the bladder, and the colon. When this chakra is open, we feel safe and fearless. 

2️⃣ Second Chakra: The Svadhisthana chakra is our creativity and sexual center. It is located above the pubic bone, below the navel, and is responsible for our creative expression.

3️⃣ Third Chakra: The Manipura chakra means lustrous gem and it’s the area from the navel to the breastbone. The third chakra is our source of personal power.

4️⃣ The Fourth Chakra: The Connection Between Matter and Spirit

Located at the heart center, the fourth chakra, anahata is at the middle of the seven and unites the lower chakras of matter and the upper chakras of spirit. The fourth is also spiritual but serves as a bridge between our body, mind, emotions, and spirit. The heart chakra is our source of love and connection.

When we work through our physical chakras, or the first three, we can open the spiritual chakras more fully.

The Chakras of Spirit

5️⃣ Fifth Chakra: The Vishuddha chakra is the fifth chakra, located in the area of the throat. This is our source of verbal expression and the ability to speak our highest truth. The fifth chakra includes the neck, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, jaw, mouth, and tongue.

6️⃣ Sixth Chakra: The Ajna chakra is located in between the eyebrows. It is also referred to as the “third eye” chakra. Ajna is our center of intuition. We all have a sense of intuition but we may not listen to it or heed its warnings. Focus on opening the sixth chakra will help you hone this ability.

7️⃣ Seventh Chakra: The Sahaswara chakra or the “thousand petal lotus” chakra is located at the crown of the head. This is the chakra of enlightenment and spiritual connection to our higher selves, others, and ultimately, to the divine. It is located at the crown of the head.

The Scientific Power of Love

The Institute of Heart Math is an organization that has published scientific studies relating to the amazing connection between the heart and brain. I will share some of the studies in this blog but please feel free to visit their website for more information: https://www.heartmath.org/research/

The heart is the first organ that forms during development. It is the center of our being as it directs the flow of life force throughout the body. It even contains neurons (brain cells) giving it the ability to think and relay messages to the brain. The heart is the largest generator of electromagnetic energy in the body, and measurements reveal that the frequency of the heart's energy field is 5000 times stronger than that of the brain. This field moves at the speed of light and extends up to 12 feet around the body. This field is called a torus (see image below).

The heart communicates with the brain in several ways:

• neurologically: transmission of nerve impulses

• biochemically: hormones and neurotransmitters

• biophysically: pressure waves

Using ECG and EEG instruments for measuring heart and brain waves, it has been scientifically verified that when two people are in proximity of each other, the heart field of one person affects the brain waves of another! Not only is the energy and information flowing through your heart's energy field transmitted throughout your body and brain, but it interacts with other people as well, communicating your internal state to the environment. 

BOTTOM LINE: Choose your surroundings wisely. Don't bother with forced interactions that don't serve your growth. You instinctively know when you are around someone with good vibes or not. Vibes speak louder than words. 

Emotions are the function where mind and body most closely and mysteriously interact. Negative emotions lead to increased disorder in the heart's rhythms and adversely affecting brain function, the autonomic nervous system and the rest of the body. In contrast, positive emotions create increased harmony and coherence in the heart rhythms, improving balance in the nervous system. Our emotions have a profound influence on our overall health and organ functions. Disharmony leads to inefficiency and increased stress on the organs while harmonious rhythms are more efficient.

Spiritual teachers have always said to love one another, to have compassion for our fellow human beings and to live in appreciation of life’s gifts. Yet today we find that sustained positive emotions are not as prevalent in most people’s lives as we might expect. Such states, along with their numerous benefits, remain, for the most part, transient experiences in people’s lives, occurring randomly, and dependent to a large degree on arrangements of external events. Once we can establish an emotionally positive internal environment, it becomes a natural state of being and profoundly influences our perception of our external environment.

“The brain is a faithful servant, it is a machine. The heart is the compass.”

— Albert Einstein

There are two basic emotions: LOVE and FEAR; all other emotions are branches of these main ones. 

Love = sine wave of high frequency
Fear = sine wave of low frequency

As the Heart feels either of these emotions, signals are conveyed to the brain, which subsequently thinks whatever is needed to be thought. As the waves of e-motion travel through DNA, they interact with points on the DNA, activating it. Fear is a lower frequency and activates LESS DNA. Love is a higher frequency and activates MORE DNA. The Love inspired neural DNA work much faster and more efficiently than the Fear generated one.

According to a research study done by the Institute of Heart Math, DNA changed its shape according to the feelings of the researchers. When the researchers felt gratitude, love and appreciation, the DNA responded by relaxing and the strands unwound. The length of the DNA became longer. When the researchers felt anger, fear, frustration, or stress, the DNA responded by tightening up. It became shorter and switched off many DNA codes.

BOTTOM LINE: Maintain the vibration of love in your energy field to keep healthy heart rhythms and a balanced flow of energy throughout your body. Love means appreciation for life, compassion for all forms of creation, and deeply honoring oneself. Remember to feel the power of love and always find ways to bring yourself back to your highest self.

Sending you all so much love and blessings. Thank you for reading. Peace.

The Detox Lifestyle

Detoxification is important to maintain good health, especially since we are exposed to toxic chemicals in our daily lives. Conventional produce is sprayed with toxic pesticides and herbicides. The chemtrails in the sky have been found to contain heavy metals, including barium, aluminum, strontium, to name a few. Tap water contains fluoride and other contaminants. Cleaning products, skincare products, and cosmetics often contain harmful chemicals. So, you can see why detoxifying the body daily is crucial. Eating an organic diet, drinking plenty of water, breathing deeply, and exercising are necessary for having a healthy flow of energy and nutrients in the body.

I like to think that every physical action has a nonphysical (spiritual/mental) counterpart. So, by detoxifying the body, you are also cleansing the mind and spirit. Ultimately, you are removing and releasing the energy that does not serve you. When there are toxins circulating throughout the body, our vital organs are exposed to them via the bloodstream and may not receive the proper nutrients. In other words, if our brains are not chemically balanced and properly nourished then our thoughts may not be healthy. It's all biochemistry.

One of the key indicators of health is pH, which can be either acidic or alkaline. Our body is naturally slightly alkaline at a pH of 7.3-7.4 (anything below 7 is acidic, above 7 is alkaline). Eating organic whole plant-based products, especially green leafy vegetables, are generally alkaline which have detoxifying effects. 

I suggest incorporating one or more of the following easy and natural detox methods into your daily routine:

1) Lemon Water

Among other great benefits, lemon water is an effective way to alkalize and detox the body. Although lemon is a citrus fruit that is acidic, when metabolized in the body, the byproducts are alkaline. It aids in digestion, helps to remove toxins from digestive and urinary tracts, stimulates the liver and protects it from damage. 

SUGGESTION: Squeeze half a lemon in a glass of warm water.

2) Green Tea

I drink matcha green tea everyday! It is a powdered form of the leaves blended with hot water. Matcha is more potent with nutrients and antioxidant properties. The detoxifying effects of green tea in general derive from the polyphenols (antioxidants) that rid the body of free radicals which can damage healthy cells. 

SUGGESTION: To make matcha green tea, first add a few drops of cold water to half a teaspoon of matcha powder to blend in a bowl. Then add 8 oz hot water and a teaspoon (or so) of organic almond milk or soy milk as a creamer. Tastes great with cinnamon. 

3) Herbs & Spices

Spices like turmeric and ginger have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne pepper improves blood circulation and promotes digestion. Herbs such as dandelion root, burdock root, and milk thistle aid in cleansing the liver, which is the main organ for detoxification. Cilantro helps to detoxify heavy metals by binding to them and accelerating their excretion.

SUGGESTION: Use these beneficial herbs and spices in your everyday cooking and consumption. 

4) Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade) 

Diatomaceous earth (DE) has so many health benefits primarily due to its high mineral content, which consists of 89% silica and about 20 other trace minerals. DE is especially useful for heavy metal detox and parasite cleansing. DE derives from fossilized algae, diatoms, which have microscopically sharp edges that essentially "scrub" intestinal walls to remove parasites and other toxins in our digestive tracts.

SUGGESTION: Mix one teaspoon in a glass of water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

5) Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar breaks down fat, mucous and phlegm deposits in the body, thereby improving the health of your vital organs. Apple cider vinegar binds to toxins to eliminate them from your body, and because of its high levels of natural minerals, vitamins and enzymes, replaces the nutrients in your body as you purge out the toxins.

SUGGESTION: Add 1-2 teaspoons of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar to 8 oz glass of water.

6) Cold Showers

When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, blood is diverted from the skin to internal organs to keep them warm. By improving blood circulation, cold showers help detoxify organs and contracts muscles, thus eliminating toxins more efficiently. Taking cold showers also strengthens your immune system and reduces blood pressure. For me, it also boosts my mood! Although cold water may be difficult to withstand, I translate the overwhelming feeling into joy. It also makes skin and hair soft! 

SUGGESTION: Alternate from warm to cold water every couple minutes OR take a regular warm shower then turn it cold for a minute or two at the end. 

(Other detox options include: epsom salt bath, dry skin brushing, sweating in a sauna, etc.)

Detox has become a lifestyle for me as it has influenced my daily choices of what I eat and drink, how I cook, and how I behave. Always choose organic and natural products. Read the labels of everything you put in, on, or around your body!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding detox, please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to learn what works for you because you are living proof. Much love!

Laws of the Universe

“We live in an orderly universe. There are universal laws that govern the processes of Nature that extend throughout infinity.”

— Albert Einstein

First and foremost, I would like to (re)introduce the Laws of the Universe. All of existence operates according to laws that extend across all dimensions of space-time. If you consider the 3rd dimension, there are laws of physics that set limits on matter and by extension our physical bodies. Our perception is thus also limited and the world as we “know” it is merely an illusion. The soul (consciousness) that inhabits our bodies also abide by certain laws that can be used to create an amazing life once fully understood in this physical realm.

“The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open.”

— The Kybalion

There are 7 Law of the Universe derived from the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, a god of Greek mythology. The Kybalion, a book published in 1908, describes the Seven Hermetic principles in detail. It is believed that Hermes was the reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian god, Thoth, who left his wisdom in the form of the Emerald Tablets.

1. THE LAW OF MENTALISM

"The All is Mind; The Universe is Mental."

The ALL is SPIRIT, which may be thought of as a universal, infinite, living mind (i.e. God, The Creator). The ALL is the substantial reality underlying the outward manifestations and appearances which we know under the terms of "The Material Universe"; the "Phenomena of Life"; "Matter"; "Energy"; and all that is observable and apparent to our material senses. The universe is simply a Mental Creation of THE ALL, subject to the Laws of Created Things.

BOTTOM LINE: The universe is conscious and responding to the nature of your thoughts, words, and feelings. Be an observer of your own mind so that you can direct the manifestations of your vibrant energy.

2. THE LAW OF CORRESPONDENCE

“As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.”

"AS ABOVE, SO BELOW": The same principles and patterns that explain the physical world (energy, light, vibration, motion) correspond to the nonphysical universe. Within the microcosm (small world) and macrocosm (large world) are similar properties. ANALOGY - THE SOLAR SYSTEM VS. THE ATOM: The entire universe is 99.99999% space, are so are atoms. Our solar system, which is a macrocosm of planets, stars, and moons, is similar to an atom, which is a microcosm of protons, electrons, and neutrons, both of which are mostly "empty" space. An atom consists of a central large charged body around which other smaller electrons revolve, just like the planets orbit the sun. An atom also has its own spin and so does a planet (rotation). An atom is stable in itself just like our Solar system. Many atoms combined form a molecule as different solar systems combined form a galaxy. Different molecules together form a definite structure, so different galaxies combined form a universe.

"AS WITHIN, SO WITHOUT": What we perceive externally is a projection of the internal processes of consciousness. Anything that can be imagined by the mind is possible to be experienced in the physical world.

"AS THE UNIVERSE, SO THE SOUL": All souls are connected to the oneness of the universe. The whole of creation branches out into individual souls, receiving energy feedback in the form of the vibrations we emit. Everything we do is affecting the collective consciousness.

“We are the gods of the atoms that make up ourselves, but we are also the atoms of the gods that make up the universe”

— Manly P. Hall

BOTTOM LINE: All life exists and functions similarly across all scales. If you seek to understand the universe in which you live, look within the inherent patterns of your being and your very own consciousness that derives from the divine source.

3. THE LAW OF VIBRATION

"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."

Everything in the universe moves, vibrates, and travels in circular patterns. All matter is pure energy vibrating at the subatomic level, nothing is solid. Rates of vibration are called frequencies and the higher the frequency, the more potent the force. The same principles of vibration in the physical world apply to our thoughts, feelings, desires and wills in the etheric world. Each sound, thing, and even thought has its own unique vibrational frequency.

BOTTOM LINE: Mental transmutation is described as the practical application of this principle. To change one's mental state is to change vibration. One may do this by an effort of Will, by means of deliberately fixing the attention upon a more desirable state. Focus your intentions on high frequency vibrations of love, joy, compassion, truth, and gratitude. This energy will bring all physical matter into balance and alignment, allowing good health to your body and peace in your surroundings.

4. THE LAW OF POLARITY

"Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."

The Law of Polarity states that everything has an opposite. Hot-Cold, Light-Dark, Up-Down, Good-Bad, Love-Hate. Polar opposites make existence possible. There can be no order in the universe without chaos. The law describes how polar opposites, or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world. If what you are not didn’t coexist with what you are, then what you are could not be. There are two sides to everything. Things that appear as opposites, are in fact only two extremes of the same thing. For instance, hot and cold may appear to be opposites at first glance, but in truth they are simply varying degrees of the same thing.

BOTTOM LINE: Everything is on a continuum and we have the power to choose where on the spectrum we wish to exist. We can suppress and transform undesirable thoughts by concentrating on the opposite pole. Higher vibrations consume and change lower ones.

5. THE LAW OF RHYTHM

"Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates."

Everything vibrates and moves to certain rhythms, which establish seasons, cycles, stages of development, and patterns. There is always an action and a reaction; an advance and a retreat, a rising and a sinking.

BOTTOM LINE: Rise above negative parts of a cycle by not allowing negative things to penetrate your consciousness.

6. THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

"Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause; everything happens according to Law; chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law."

Every action and thought has a reaction or consequence. In order to manifest things on Earth, we must engage in actions that supports our thoughts, dreams, emotions, and words. Our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions produce energies, which attract identical energies. Negative attracts negative, positive attracts positive. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves; heredity; suggestion; and other outward causes moving them about like pawns on the Chessboard of Life. But the Masters, rising to the plane above, dominate their moods, characters, qualities, and powers, as well as the environment surrounding them, and become movers instead of pawns. They help to play the game of life, instead of being played and moved about by other wills and environment. They use the principle instead of being its tools. The Masters obey the causation of the higher planes, but they help to rule on their own plane.

BOTTOM LINE: Becoming aware of your thoughts and feelings allows you to better control the outputs of your energy. Your emotions strengthen what you imagine to produce the effects. 

7. THE LAW OF GENDER

"Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles Gender; manifests on all planes."

All things have masculine and feminine qualities; both are required for life to exist. This law governs creation and manifests in the animal kingdom as sex. This law refers to one’s mentality not just physical gender. Ideally, one seeks to have a balanced mental gender. The masculine principle is in the direction of giving out or expressing, associated with will. The feminine principle is in the direction of receiving, associated with imagination; generating new thoughts, concepts, and ideas. To balance these two forces is to use them in conjunction as thoughtful actions breed successful results so that the feminine and masculine fulfill each other. Without the feminine, the masculine is apt to act without order or reason, resulting in chaos. Without the masculine, the feminine is apt to reflect and fail to execute anything, resulting in stagnation. 

BOTTOM LINE: When working towards an imagined goal, follow thought with action.