Becca, I really want to balance my chakras, but am overwhelmed with the different approaches to doing that. What do you suggest as the simplest, fastest way to achieve this?
Overwhelmed in Ohio

Dear Overwhelmed:
Thanks for reading my last 7 posts on balancing the 7 chakras. I agree with this advice from Carol Tuttle, MRET, of ChakraHealing.com:

Meditation
Meditation is perhaps the most well- known and widely used healing technology today. Millions of people across the world use it daily to enter an alternate state of mind for enhanced relaxation, clarity, healing, intuition and to unblock each of their 7 Chakras from the level of the subconscious.

Visualization
Next to meditation, visualization is also one of the most popular healing methods used today. By visualizing a premeditated scenario and outcome, and infusing this outcome with emotions, you can program your subconscious mind to achieve otherwise impossible feats.

So, please download my Chakra Meditations - they include information to help you better understand any imbalances you may have and offer powerful visualizations to open and balance your 7 chakras. Listen first thing in the morning - it only takes 10 minutes - to start your day balanced and feeling ready to tackle the word. Or right before bed to relax into a peaceful night's sleep.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries
www.thechakras.org

As a daily tune-up to stay positive and goal-oriented on your way to manifest your dreams, say each of these affirmations while you move through your day.

Say them aloud and in your mind until you can feel the reality of them in your body. Come back to them every day, for as long as you like:

I free my natural genius to create my magnificent life.
I commit to becoming aware of the unconscious patterns that limit me.
I discover the essential questions of my magnificent life.
Blessings flow in the parts of my life I used to complain about.
With ease, I turn all my heart’s desires into reality.
I love as much as I can, wherever I happen to be.
I wonder about all the things I used to worry about.
Life flows easefully as I speak honestly and keep my agreements
impeccably.
I look for things to appreciate wherever I go, and I speak my
appreciation liberally.

When you are grounded and self-confident, it's easy to manifest more wonderful things in your life. So, listen to the free Chakra Meditation at www.thechakras.org on a regular basis and see the difference positive affirmations and visualizations can create in your life.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries
www.TheChakras.org

"Through love all pain will turn to medicine." ~ Rumi

All healers work their magic through the power of love. And we can all heal ourselves - by releasing the tension that stops our healing energy from flowing. How? Through love. Open your heart chakra, and feel the love and compassion flow through yourself and out to the world.

The 4th or Heart Chakra is located at your heart center. It represents selfless love, kindness, compassion, and is where we store emotional experiences.

Signs of an unbalanced Heart Chakra include anger, insensitivity, depression, grief, despair, jealousy and sadness. When this chakra is balanced, we are able to give and receive love, be compassionate and feel true connection with others. We can enjoy our feelings. This is also where we begin to experience the power of pray and meditation, which emanate from this center.

YOGA POSES FOR THE HEART CHAKRA
The Spinal Twist opens and expands the heart center. The Head of Cow, where you reach your arms behind you to meet in the middle of your back, also opens the chest and relieves tension in the back and shoulders.

MEDITATION ON THE HEART CHAKRA
Feel the yellow sacral chakra light from the navel area travel up to the center of your chest, turning into a bright green, as it enters the home of the heart chakra. Breathe in and out the beautiful emerald green mist surrounding you with love, joy and compassion for yourself and others. Feel any tension blocking the flow of this love. Any anger is passed. Any fear is in the future. Heal these emotions in the now. When you let go of negative emotions, you'll relax the tension they create and feel your true essence of love and healing power flow. Send forgiveness to those who may have caused pain, wrapping them in the bright green light, cleansing and healing the situation. Release yourself and them from any negative connections, only keeping the good. Now, wrap yourself and your whole life experience in healing green light.

Several of the characters in The Chakra Diaries learn forgiveness in the course of chakra balancing, and their lives are freed from the restraints of negativity. They are free to love and be loved, to spread their love to the world. Read more in The Chakra Diaries ~ on special sale now at Amazon.com.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Becca, I'm concerned that I'll never be happy, no matter how much I try.
Miss-try

Thanks for contacting me. Believe me that everything is perfect right here, right now.

Are you trying to be happy or worrying about not reaching your goals? Take a look at your life right now and appreciate all the good you can focus on - it's the only thing there is... right here and now.

Forget about past mistakes or hurts. They do not exist, except in your memory. Drop them. And don't worry about how you're going to get through tomorrow. Life is going on right here, right now - pay attention to the beauty of life all around you and all will be well.

I always recommend yoga and meditation to get you into the present moment and open your body, mind and soul to all the infinite possibilities in front of you. Try listening to my Chakra Meditations, free for downloading.

Namaste!
Becca

I've been reading quite a few comments and articles about a broken government, a broken economy and a broken eco-system. What are the underlying catalysts behind what is broken in our world? Scientists at the Institute of HeartMath point to imbalanced heart patterns. Which, of course, led me to believe that the entire world needs to balance their heart chakras, to bring out their innate love and compassion.

A Hopi prophecy spoke of a world out of balance, that could be healed by healing our hearts and the collective heart of the people on earth.

HeartMath.org describes a simple heart coherence exercise: First, focus attention on the area of your heart. Then, breathe deeply into that area. Maintain your heart focus and heart breathing for several minutes. Then activate a feeling of gratitude and allow yourself to fully experience it.

By keeping our heart chakras in balance, we can stay true to our hearts and ensure that our hearts and our world are never broken again. For a full chakra meditation, please practice the free one on my Meditation page at The Chakras.org.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Why is the Dalai Lama always smiling? Meditation has been shown to increase the left frontal lobe of the brain - the happiness center. Plus, more and more research delineates the stress-relieving benefits of meditation...

• Fewer stress-related physical symptoms - including headaches, digestive disturbances, back pain, inflammatory disorders.
  
• Increased energy, vitality and creativity.
• An ease and calm to your day as you face its various challenges. Heightened & palpable connection to your inner self, to others and to Spirit.
• Regular access to synergy and guidance to help you easily make decisions.

Joan Borysenko just posted a 5-minute video on the science behind meditation. Check it out here.  To try the benefits of meditation, listen to the free Chakra Meditation from The Chakra Diaries on our Meditations page.
Namaste!
Becca

Becca, After reading The Chakra Diaries, I want to test my chakras to see where I may have imbalances. What do you suggest? 

There's a very good questionnaire at www.EclecticEnergies.com, that can give you an indication of which chakra/s could use strengthening.

You can also have someone test you with a pendulum - any object hung on a string or chain that is able to swing freely. It works by responding to micro-muscular movements of the fingers, which are themselves responding to a focused question that you ask about something... you can choose what meaning to give to the following kinds of responses, e.g., clockwise circle - open chakra; counter-clockwise circle - closed chakra.  I have also experienced a perfectly still pendulum when a chakra is closed.  There's more info on how I use the pendulum in the prologue to The Chakra Diaries. 

If you're unsure which chakra to focus on, do a Chakra Meditation to balance all your chakras, starting at the root chakra, the base for all our security and balance in life.  Try the guided visualization on the Meditations page of my website www.TheChakras.org.

Namaste!
Becca

According to medical research, meditation decreases oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, and increases the intensity of alpha, theta and delta brain waves - the opposite of the changes that occur during the stress response that can lead to chronic disease.

The results of a study recently completed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital also document meditation-produced improvements over time in the brain's gray matter, important for learning and memory.

In addition to restoring memory, meditation can also keep you younger as measured by reduction of blood pressure, and better vision and hearing.

So how do you reap these benefits? There are myriad meditation classes available, but if you'd like to start your own traditional eastern-style meditation practice at home to connect to your inner stillness and inner knowing, here are some tips for success:

Regularity - Try to schedule the same time each day for your meditation, for instance, just after awakening or just before bedtime.

Exercise - Doing yoga or other stretches first can relax your body, making it easier to sit in meditation.

Location - Choose a quiet spot with a cool breeze, just for meditation.

Sitting - Sit with your back straight, chest raised, head erect, eyes closed and hands resting palms upturned, in your lap.

Realistic time - It's better to start meditating 5 to 15 minutes at a time and be very consistent about it, then increase your time as you can.

Never fear - there is a meditation style for every personality. For example, Type A's may prefer a more active style of meditation, such as guided visualizations, which can offer the same benefits of relaxation. To try a guided visualization that you can listen to lying down, try my Chakra Meditation on the Meditations page of thechakras.org.
Namaste!
Becca

Some people have no problem sitting in meditation, with a quiet mind, perhaps using a mantra to keep out intrusive thoughts. Others require a more active meditation, which can be achieved through guided visualizations. I have always employed relaxation tapes, focusing on everything from building self esteem and reaching stillpoint, to progressive relaxation of every muscle in my body, which I often use in bed before I fall asleep, usually with the headphones still stuck on my ears.

In writing THE CHAKRA DIARIES, I used Chakra Meditations to introduce the chapters of different participants in the Chakra Workshop who were dealing with issues pertaining to that chakra. I was asked to record these meditations so that a person could listen to them in sequence. The beautiful spiritual music of Aryeh David, from his album "Love's Whispers" accompanies the guided meditation. "Through all of life's journey, love is actually the only thing there is... May this music awaken the love within and remind you of who you truly are," he writes.

I've posted a free preview on the Chakra Meditation page of TheChakras.org for the next two weeks - after that it will be available as an MP3 download for sale at Amazon.com.

Please listen and may you enjoy peace, harmony and balance.
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of THE CHAKRA DIARIES