2020 has been a year like no other. Between Coronavirus and its negative effects and the worldwide protests regarding systemic racism caused me to enter into a deep mental and emotional pause. A pause that embodied the past, present, and future and a natural connection to my chakras.
I was introduced to the chakra system during my Yoga Teacher Training. On Friday nights, we would sit in a circle that created space for togetherness and freedom to share ideas, thoughts and feelings yoga related and otherwise, cry, laugh and provide support for each other. The chakra system is often referenced as a vortex through which spiritual energy travels within the human body. There are seven main chakras that extend along the spine and through the neck and the crown of our head. The first three chakras, starting at the base of our spine are chakras of matter. They are more physical in nature.
● The Muladhara (Root) Chakra 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.
● Svadhisthana (Sacral) our second chakra, relates to our creativity and sexual center. It is located above the pubic bone, below the navel, and is responsible for our creative expression.
● Our third chakra, the Manipura (Solar Plexus) chakra, means lustrous gem and it’s the area from the navel to the breastbone. This is the source of our personal power. The fourth chakra, Anahata (Heart) chakra 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.
● The Vishuddha (Throat) 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 and includes the neck, thyroid, parathyroid glands, jaw, mouth, and tongue.
● Our sixth chakra, Ajna chakra is located in between the eyebrows. It is also referred to as the “third eye” chakra and is deemed to be our center of intuition.
● Our seventh chakra, 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.
But what does the Chakra system have to do with the current situation and events? For me, it’s everything. All the things that anchored me felt loose and memories buried deep within my mind reemerged. Current events took me down memory lane back to my childhood living with my mother and sister. I am from a single mother household and I witnessed my mother work 12 hour shifts to provide for us. My mom symbolizes an indomitable strength and is a constant reminder that through hard work and discipline anything is possible. Her impact to empower me was juxtaposed with another female figure in my life. See, in Jamaica, in order to transition to High School, we had to take what was known as the Common Entrance Examination. My mom had rented a small section of the house I grew up in and I recall our landlord telling me that I would not pass this exam, her words verbatim “pass wah? a mussi butterfly you aguh pass”. As the darkest shade of black in that household I felt significantly marginalized and that feeling followed me throughout adolescent years. I guess, though in some way, her comment indirectly motivated me subconsciously to challenge her assumptions, so I excelled in my exam.
Anti-blackness, colourism and classism was quite pervasive during my childhood and quite likely continues to exist perhaps on a lesser scale. Often times the connotations for black complexion were negative and used as a weapon during arguments. These experiences of micro-aggressions to direct name calling affected me well into my adolescent years. While I chose to use the words of my landlord as a challenge to motivate me and excel in my exam, I subconsciously retracted into silencing those lived experiences, hiding my voice and blocking my throat chakra.
Addressing these memories allows me to introspect and dig deep within for greater self-discovery. I know this season "new normal" is ripe for change, for the better and for good. Tapping into my Throat Chakra enables me to remember my voice. I was able to address and speak my truth concerning the suppressed memories that I hid away deep in my mind particular in relation to the impact of colourism I experienced during childhood. Through meditation and positive affirmations such as I am an important voice in the world and my voice is heard allows me to bravely be me, seek my own truths, chase knowledge that is true, and to balance speaking and listening, removing doubt and negativity. I felt a greater sense of creativity and self-empowerment. Let us share our truths and worth even when others doubt us and let us speak our truth even when our voice is shaking.
Much love,
About Dee @deeyoga876
Dee is yoga enthusiast, student, and teacher. She is inspired by the power that yoga generates to everyone who comes in contact with the practice. She is passionate about chakra yoga and and believes having an understanding of chakras will promote more confidence, creativity and joy in our lives.
References: https://chopra.com/articles/what-is-a-chakra
