This week while leading body image group for clients, I chose to cover the topic of the 7 chakras and how they relate to eating disorder recovery and our relationship to our bodies. With the information so fresh in my mind, I thought what better time than now to finally finish off my Intro to Chakras posts! Today I'll be talking BOTH the Third Eye Chakra (Anja, related to Insight) and Crown Chakra (Sahasrara, the Spirit). These are respectively the 6th and 7th chakras. As seen in the photo below, these final chakras are what bring all the others together utilizing mind, body & spirit.
Our third eye represents our ability to see who we really are - our divine - which can sometimes be clouded by our physical vision (our lens), our inner critic, or even our eating disorder voice. Our crown chakra, on the other hand, represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually, to all within you and around you.
Our insight...our spirit...these bring all of our previous chakras together as one.
Just as our physical bodies are made up of different cells, tissues, organs...these energy bodies work together to make us one unique "us." Our third eye allows us to "know it all" while our crown allows us to "bring it all together." If I were leading my third eye/crown chakra yoga sequence, I may offer you the option to just be present in your body and your mind. "Imagine that your soul search is over - and everything...just...is..." This is why I love yoga - participating in this ancient practice allows us to be open to change, but also teaches us to accept things as they are.
"You have the right to your inner wisdom. You have the right to all your inner gifts and understanding."
If you struggle with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health diagnosis, the scariest thing may be to give yourself silence...to JUST...BE. But that is what helps clear both of these chakras when out of balance. It's also important to remember than working through the difficulties brought on in the first 5 chakras is so pertinent - you have to work from the ground up, literally. You can't build a house starting with the roof, so it makes sense you can't balance or repair chakras starting with the crown or third eye.
Let me illustrate an example: an eating disorder client may experience a lot of distortions in their thoughts around food and body image...they are unable to see clearly that their worth is defined by more than what they look like or what they eat. Because ED treatment helps re-align all of these beliefs, working towards recovery is actually the perfect example of clearing these energy bodies. Trying to better yourself - whether that's recovery, your spirituality, using your talents/gifts, or anything else under the sun - will help connect yourself to your higher power (this can be religious or just within oneself), to others, and of course, back to you.
What if one day, you woke up and realized everything you were searching for was already inside of you? What if changing perspective allowed you to see more clearly? What if you found out YOU are your life's biggest obstacle? Or...what if you learned you were also your life's greatest achievement? That whatever you were brought to this earth for has not been completed yet because YOU ARE STILL LIVING. I truly believe we all have a passion and a purpose we are meant to share on this Earth...question is have you figured it out yet?
Let me illustrate an example: an eating disorder client may experience a lot of distortions in their thoughts around food and body image...they are unable to see clearly that their worth is defined by more than what they look like or what they eat. Because ED treatment helps re-align all of these beliefs, working towards recovery is actually the perfect example of clearing these energy bodies. Trying to better yourself - whether that's recovery, your spirituality, using your talents/gifts, or anything else under the sun - will help connect yourself to your higher power (this can be religious or just within oneself), to others, and of course, back to you.
What if one day, you woke up and realized everything you were searching for was already inside of you? What if changing perspective allowed you to see more clearly? What if you found out YOU are your life's biggest obstacle? Or...what if you learned you were also your life's greatest achievement? That whatever you were brought to this earth for has not been completed yet because YOU ARE STILL LIVING. I truly believe we all have a passion and a purpose we are meant to share on this Earth...question is have you figured it out yet?
:)
"Do not feel lonely - the entire universe is within you." --Rumi
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YOGA POSES: Any pose that engages your third eye, crown of the head, or mindfulness (stillness) will connect, open & balance these chakras. Some of my favorites include Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose), Adho mukhaa svanasana (Downward facing dog), Balasana (Child's Pose), Padmasana (lotus pose), Vrksasana (Tree pose), and Savasana (Corpse/resting pose). Any form of headstand would also relate to the crown chakra as well.
I SEE, I UNDERSTAND.
I see my truth.
I trust my intuition.
I accept my path.
I understand and honor the spirit within me.
I embrace unity.
I am healing in body, mind & spirit.
I. AM. COMPLETE.
Namaste.
Namaste.
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