CHAKRA BALANCING

Welcome to the course! I hope that you enjoy it.

The base/root chakra (muladhara in sanskrit) is located energetically at the base of the spine, is linked to the colour red, the element of earth, and governs survival, stability, physical health, feeling grounded, cultivating trust in ourselves and the world around us and learning to manage our fears. It's linked primarily with self preservation and our right to be here, and to have. In this yoga flow practice we'll focus on cultivating stability and build that sense of feeling grounded, connected and at ease.

When the base chakra is balanced we can feel comfortable in our body; stable, grounded, we will have a sense of trust in the world, be in good health, and be able to manage our fears and to relax and be still. When the base chakra is unbalanced we can have issues in the lower body, can become frequently ill, overly fearful and anxious, can feel disconnected from our body, have issues with our weight, have poor or rigid boundaries, issues around money and/or be fixated on material things and feel sluggish and tired. In this breathwork and meditation practice we'll focus on balancing the energies at the base chakra to help us to feel grounded, stable and at ease.

The sacral chakra (svadhisthana in sanskrit) is located just above the base chakra, inside the body a few inches under the belly button. It's linked to the colour orange and the element of water and governs cultivating a healthy sense of sexuality, balancing our emotions, our ability to experience pleasure and to move gracefully. It's linked to our ability to feel and to want, to self gratification and to releasing guilt. In this yoga flow practice we'll focus on balancing the energies at the sacral chakra as we open into the hips and groin.

When the sacral chakra is balanced we have a good sense of emotional intelligence, we cultivate healthy boundaries, have a healthy libido, move gracefully, are able to experience pleasure and are comfortable in our sexuality. When the sacral chakra is out of balance we may have poor social skills, deny ourselves pleasure, have poor or excessive boundaries, experience a lack of desire, passion and excitement, we may experience obsessive attachment, be overly sensitive, experience emotional dependency and/or be unbalanced in our sexual expression (addiction/frigidity or fear of sex). In this sacral chakra breathwork and meditation practice we'll focus on balancing our emotions and the energies linked to this energy centre.

The solar plexus chakra (manipura in sanskrit) is located at the solar plexus region of the body, a few inches above the belly button and a few inches below the heart. It's linked with the colour yellow and the element of fire and it governs our sense of personal power, our sense of will, self esteem, confidence and letting go of shame. The solar plexus is linked to transformation, our ability to take action, self definition and our ego sense of identity. In this yoga flow practice we'll work to balance and invigorate the energy at the solar plexus but activating the core and twisting the body around this central point.

When the solar plexus is balanced we are able to take responsibility for ourselves, we are reliable, have good levels of self esteem and confidence, have a balanced sense of will and personal power, we have a warmth to our personality, are playful and have a good sense of humour, have a balanced ego, and an appropriate sense of self discipline and we feel empowered in a balanced way without putting others above or below ourselves. When the solar plexus is unbalanced we may easily slip into victim mentality, have a low sense of self worth, be unreliable or extremely passive or we may become overly dominant, manipulative, power hungry, overly competitive and/or extremely stubborn. Join me in this for this solar plexus breathwork and meditation practice to balance and stabilise the energies at the solar plexus and help us to feel empowered in a balanced way.

The heart chakra (anahata in sanskrit) is located energetically at the heart centre. It's linked to the colours green and pink, the element of air, and governs our ability to give and receive unconditional love, to forgive ourselves and others, and to develop compassion, empathy and self acceptance. As we balance the energies at the heart we begin to let go of excess sadness and grief and can experience deeper levels of joy. In this yoga flow practice we will begin to open the heart and get the energy flowing more freely.