Good morning sweet circle — and happy Friday. C’mon in, I have a little something for you.
Find some quiet time. A comfortable and supported seat. You can be anywhere at all. Perhaps cross legged on the floor with a blanket or block beneath you, in the chair at your desk with headphones, or feet on the ground at the edge of the sofa.
I will guide you through a Chakra Mantra Meditation. Calling in words of intention and affirmation for balance and clearing.
Chakras are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices. Different areas of the body connect with life energy. Chakras are an ancient energy system that originated in India. They were first mentioned in the Vedas, an ancient secret text of spiritual knowledge dating from 1500-1000 BC. There are some ancient traditions that also lean toward this understanding — it is a wide birth of study and understanding.
The Seven Chakras run down the spine. Chakra means “wheel” and refers to energy points of the body. When the wheel is spinning freely we are aligned and often there are blocks we may wish to clear. Consider this offering, a check in.*
In this mediation we are opening the points as they correspond to the bundles of nerves and organs of the body that affect our emotional and physical health and well-being. Some say there are as many as 114, but seven main points that run along the spine.
Today I will call out each of the seven:
Crown (violet or white) awareness and intelligence
Third Eye (indigo) imagination and intuition
Throat (blue) communication
Heart (green) love and compassion
Solar Plexus (yellow) Self esteem and confidence
Sacral (orange) Pleasure and creativity.
Root (red) Stability and grounding.
This explanation is a “down and dirty 101” — there is much to know and study and many practices that can help open up our blockages. Balancing and realignment can include body work, acupuncture, breathwork, yoga, meditation, music — and even chakra cleansing.
I shared this guided meditation with my grief support groups this week, as a way to check in on the full-body experience of learning to live with loss. I hope you will add this to your grief tending tool kit. Save it to be done when you may feel sluggish, anxious or “off” — note how you feel before and after practicing. Have pen and paper nearby and explore a few minutes of free writing with openness and curiosity.
Here are a few opportunities to be with me around Mother’s Day in a new way. For some of us this time of year can prove different or difficult in a time of transition or loss.
Reframing the day or finding a ritual that honors you and yours, or settling in with community in person or on-line can prove helpful and supportive. If you are in need of additional support, please reach out and I can share some of my trusted colleagues and resources.
Join me:
International Bereaved Mother’s Day (virtual), May 5th
Unmothered Mother’s Day at Lingua Franca, NYC, May 7th
Mother’s Day Card Swap (virtual)
thinking of you warmly,
xo, barri
*please know this page will never offer medical advice - please take good care
the gift of guided meditation