Do you ever feel stuck? How about frustrated? Do you wonder why it just drives you nuts when someone does something you think they should not do or why you hold on to really old anger? The root of these feelings could be resentment.
Resentment comes in many forms, though it is usually deeper than we consciously acknowledge. It can be tempting to look at resentment very superficially. For example, others have something you wish you had and you resent them for it. The problem with this thinking is that it doesn't really get at the root of the resentment. The problem isn't really your wishing you had something that someone else has, the real problem is your feelings of deprivation, feelings regarding what you do or don't deserve, fear or pain that holds you back and keeps you from getting what you want in life etc.
Every emotional wound we do not heal can be fertile ground for resentment. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to really healing and letting go of the wound is that we're afraid that somehow if we do so, we are letting the person that hurt us off the hook. It's as if we keep the wound tender and decide that it really can't heal completely until the person that hurt us changes, or does something for us to make up for what was done in the past. The problem with this thinking is that it nearly guarantees we stay wounded.
Resentment weighs us down. Resentment can make us bitter, give us an unhelpful edge, and blind us to the love and beauty that surrounds us. Releasing any amount of resentment can make us feel lighter and frees us to pursue what matters most to us. There are many tools that can help us achieve this release including writing in a journal, therapy and doing some kind of volunteer work. Freely giving of ourselves to others can inspire a sense of gratitude and well being that can help loosen the grip of resentment. Meditation can also be useful in helping to identify why we are holding on to the resentment and various images of release can help to affirm an actual release.
For more help with this, check out my guided meditation Releasing Resentment, available from my CD Epic Meditations. It takes you on a journey to release the resentment you have been carrying with you. It is from my CD Epic Meditations, available on iTunes and Amazon. A newly developed extended version is also available on www.NatureMusicDownload.com. This version includes beautiful background music to enhance the meditation experience.
Copyright © 2009, Lisa Wagner
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Chakra Meditations
The Seven Chakras are energy centers located along the center of our bodies. When they are open, and the energy flow is in balance we feel clear, secure, and grounded. We are fully aware of the mind, body spirit connection and there is a sense of ease in how we relate to the world. The key words here are flow and balance. If the energy is not flowing, and the chakras are out of balance, then we are more likely to feel uncomfortable emotions and struggle with our self expression and access to our intuition. We can also feel tired - not necessarily sleepy, but an overall lack of energy as if our personal gas tank is low on fuel.
This chakra balance is similar to the maintenance of our body chemistry. When we are strong and healthy, our bodies can compensate more easily for our lack of physical care. They can maintain this complicated and delicate balance even when we don't get enough sleep, eat the wrong foods, etc. We reach a point though where this neglect can take it's toll and we have to make changes in our self-care and lifestyle, as well as seek the help of healthcare professionals and healers to help the struggling parts of our body work the way they are supposed to work.
This is also true for our chakras. If one or more of them are closed or if there is too much or too little energy flowing from one or more of them, then we are out of balance. Eventually this too can take its toll and the symptoms of chakra imbalance can be physical, emotional, or mental. There are many ways to open and balance the chakras. These methods can include almost anything that nurtures our mind, body and spirit. There are also ways to more directly balance the chakras that include using crystals, reiki, sound therapy, and meditation. Meditation can be a powerful tool in helping us to strengthen and balance our mind, body, spirit connection, and our energy balance can especially benefit from chakra meditations.
There are many variations on chakra meditations that include imagining the energy centers as vortexes, spirals, wheels and imagining the energy moving in one direction and then another. The one thing that is generally consistent is the use of color and the association of specific color to each chakra. I like to imagine colored light flowing into my body at the point where the chakra is located, and I believe it is most helpful to start with the first chakra and work up the body towards the head. As the light enters each part of my body, I feel a sense of renewal and balance.
Below is a list of the seven chakras, including the color associated with it, some key words and its location to help you get started on developing your own chakra meditations.
1. Root Chakra (red) - survival and grounding, base of the spine
2. Sacrum Chakra (orange) – stability and self confidence, lower belly
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow) – will and determination, stomach
4. Heart Chakra (green) - wisdom and compassion, center of chest
5. Throat Chakra (blue) - creativity and intuition, base of throat
6. Third Eye Chakra (indigo) - concentration and self-mastery, between eye brows
7. Crown Chakra (violet) - feeling of connection and bliss, top of head
If you'd like some additional help using meditation to balance your chakras, you can check out my guided meditation titled "Rejuvenate." It uses the color imagery of the seven chakras to help you feel rejuvenated and replenished. It's from my CD Epic Meditations, available on iTunes and Amazon. A newly developed extended version is also available on www.NatureMusicDownload.com. This version includes beautiful background music to enhance the meditation experience.
Copyright © 2009, Lisa Wagner
This chakra balance is similar to the maintenance of our body chemistry. When we are strong and healthy, our bodies can compensate more easily for our lack of physical care. They can maintain this complicated and delicate balance even when we don't get enough sleep, eat the wrong foods, etc. We reach a point though where this neglect can take it's toll and we have to make changes in our self-care and lifestyle, as well as seek the help of healthcare professionals and healers to help the struggling parts of our body work the way they are supposed to work.
This is also true for our chakras. If one or more of them are closed or if there is too much or too little energy flowing from one or more of them, then we are out of balance. Eventually this too can take its toll and the symptoms of chakra imbalance can be physical, emotional, or mental. There are many ways to open and balance the chakras. These methods can include almost anything that nurtures our mind, body and spirit. There are also ways to more directly balance the chakras that include using crystals, reiki, sound therapy, and meditation. Meditation can be a powerful tool in helping us to strengthen and balance our mind, body, spirit connection, and our energy balance can especially benefit from chakra meditations.
There are many variations on chakra meditations that include imagining the energy centers as vortexes, spirals, wheels and imagining the energy moving in one direction and then another. The one thing that is generally consistent is the use of color and the association of specific color to each chakra. I like to imagine colored light flowing into my body at the point where the chakra is located, and I believe it is most helpful to start with the first chakra and work up the body towards the head. As the light enters each part of my body, I feel a sense of renewal and balance.
Below is a list of the seven chakras, including the color associated with it, some key words and its location to help you get started on developing your own chakra meditations.
1. Root Chakra (red) - survival and grounding, base of the spine
2. Sacrum Chakra (orange) – stability and self confidence, lower belly
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow) – will and determination, stomach
4. Heart Chakra (green) - wisdom and compassion, center of chest
5. Throat Chakra (blue) - creativity and intuition, base of throat
6. Third Eye Chakra (indigo) - concentration and self-mastery, between eye brows
7. Crown Chakra (violet) - feeling of connection and bliss, top of head
If you'd like some additional help using meditation to balance your chakras, you can check out my guided meditation titled "Rejuvenate." It uses the color imagery of the seven chakras to help you feel rejuvenated and replenished. It's from my CD Epic Meditations, available on iTunes and Amazon. A newly developed extended version is also available on www.NatureMusicDownload.com. This version includes beautiful background music to enhance the meditation experience.
Copyright © 2009, Lisa Wagner
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