Sahasrara or Crown Chakra
The 7th chakra is the Crown Chakra, or Sahasrara in Sanskrit. This chakra sits at the top of our head and is the meeting point between the ego and the soul; where death and eternal life meet. This energy center controls our connection to our spirit and our sense of higher consciousness. It is linked to our spirituality and enlightenment. It is where we transcend our physical world and learn to have faith, spirituality, and belief in those that are beyond our physical reach.
Sahasrara means thousand petals, which is also a symbol of the divine, the universe, and the things beyond our physical grasp. It is all about faith; having faith in the divine, realizing that truth is not something to be discovered but to be realized.
The Effects of the Crown Chakra
When we have a balanced Crown Chakra, we have a greater connection to the world around us. We feel connected to everything around us, to our spirituality, and know that there is a higher purpose. We realize we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We recognize that divine intelligence has some control over our lives, and the hand we are dealt at birth. We can surrender to circumstances that are out of our control, while simultaneously making the best of them.
When the Crown Chakra is Out of Balance
When the Crown Chakra is out of balance we may have a hard time grounding ourselves, which causes people to not take us seriously because we appear flighty. Some may experience large egos, or a “God” complex; believing that they are above or better than everything else. You may become addicted to spirituality, causing you to ignore everything else around you, or the opposite can be true, you try to intellectualize everything too much, using science to prove everything. Or you may find it difficult to grasp new ideas, becoming so rigid in your beliefs. You may even feel disconnected from everything which causes you to have problems relating to others around you. You can also lack a desire to do any self exploration or look inwards, or you may even fear death.
Bringing Balance Back to the Crown Chakra
There are things you can do, both on and off the mat, to bring balance back to this chakra:
Off the Mat
Practice daily gratitude. Take a moment each day and find something to be grateful for.
Surround yourself with the color violet to stimulate the Crown Chakra!
Stop blaming others for your own suffering. We are our own destiny, so take the bull by the horns and look inside yourself to find how you can better your situation. Instead of blaming, one should focus on support and encouragement one got from the whole Universe is being whomever you are now, alive and experiencing. As “It’s easy to blame others for your situation. It’s much more productive to search your past and find what caused your faults.
Connect with others! Go out and be with friends and family and see that there is power in surrounding yourself with positive people.
On the Mat
Here is a short yoga sequence you can do to help balance this chakra:
Prep Poses
Constructive rest
Knee hug
Spinal Rolls
Baby Pigeon Pose - walk hands to each side
Bridge Pose
Asana Poses
Cat/Cow pose
Puppy Pose
Dolphin Pose
Downward Dog
Tree Pose with arms overhead
Shoulder Stand or Half Shoulder Stand
Supported Head Stand
Cool Down Poses
Child’s Pose
Yoga Mudra
Half Lotus Pose
Corpse Pose
