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

I recently got the chance to experience chakra balancing through crystal light therapy and would recommend it to anyone, anywhere. Developed, crafted and blessed by John of God, the miracle healer in Brazil, the Crystal Light Bed uses clear-cut quartz crystals that generate color and light therapy to cleanse, clear and raise the vibration of your chakras. Two energy healers in Hawaii have brought these beds back from Brazil, and I was told of one in Oklahoma as well.

As you lie on the Crystal Light Bed, the rainbow-colored light beams alternate through the seven pure quartz crystals to balance your chakras. I laid with my eyes closed and listened to soft relaxing music of dolphin and whale sounds while I received this energy. After 1/2 hour, I arose feeling very calm and focused. Reported results vary from a feeling of deep relaxation to relief of pain and increased well being and overall health.

I'm now reading "John of God, The Brazilian Healer Who's Touched the Lives of Millions." From the DVD I watched of his center and practice in Abadiania, Brazil, he is a medium who channels powerful healing entities. Many people are healed on the spiritual and energetic level, while others also demonstrate miraculous recovery from cancer and other physical disease. He says, "I don't heal, God does."
Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Becca, with our country waging war in 3 countries right now, how can I maintain hope that our world will ever be a peaceful one? Is meditation enough?
Aghast in Alabama

Dear Aghast,
The advice to shut off the news is a good one I've heard many times. If you want to maintain hope, meditation is a good way to get in touch with your own compassionate nature. Please listen to my Chakra Meditations, especially for the Heart Chakra, to know that love and compassion do exist. If they exist in you, as we are all connected, they can exist throughout the world.

I recently read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," and I can't recommend it enough to brighten your spirit. Despite the horrors of WWII related in the book, I was left with a smile and grateful tears that such brave, loving people could populate our world. In fact, I laughed out loud so many times, my neighbors wondered if I was doing another Laughter Yoga workshop.

Stay hopeful!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Laughter Yoga is a playful healing practice combining unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (pranayama) – ensuring not only a good lung and intestinal workout, but a fun time.

Dr. Kateria founded Laughter Yoga International with the mission of bringing good health, joy and world peace through Laughter, the universal language. Everyone can participate in this healing art regardless of their age, abilities, beliefs, ethnicity, gender or profession.

It's easy to do Laughter Yoga. Even if you start laughing for no reason, soon you will be rolling with side-splitting, contagious laughter. Our bodies cannot differentiate between real and fake laughter, so you get the same physiological and psychological benefits – “happy hormones” are increased and stress hormones in the blood are decreased.

In addition to relieving stress, Laughter Yoga can reduce blood pressure, heal sorrows, help us gain insight, and form joyful, open-hearted connections with ourselves and others. Many participants also report a reduction in the frequency of the common cold and flu, plus relief or cure from physical and problems as well as depression. Laughter yoga gets the beautiful motion of being alive going in a pleasurable way.

Check out www.LaughterYoga.org for Laughter clubs or workshops in your area.

Namaste! Becca

Don't miss your chance to win an autographed copy of The Chakra Diaries plus a canvas book tote featuring the same, beautiful chakra heart. Just enter to win on the Giveaway page at www.TheChakras.org.
Namaste!
Becca

We hear over and over again about sex addiction in celebrities and politicians. At the same time, a majority of married women were recently surveyed and reported a lack of sexual activity. While there are many causes for sexual dysfunction, if you're over- or under-sexed, you might want to consider balancing your chakras.

The first or Root Chakra is linked to safety and security, and sexual function in men - the penis is governed by the Root Chakra, which deals with basic instincts. This chakra is situated at the base of the spine, and its main function is to keep us grounded and alive and is associated with physical sensation.

In women, their reproductive organs are in the sacral area, and the second or Sacral Chakra governs their love, passion, sexuality and creativity. This chakra is found in the pelvic area below the navel. Its main function is related to procreation and the giving and receiving of sexual pleasure and emotion.

If your energy is stuck at the Sacral Chakra, your sex and your love life will be stuck as well. Accumulated stress in the body, whether emotional or physical, erects barriers to the natural flow of our life energy. So, too much stress may equal no love or even any prospects for it.

Using yoga to balance the Sacral Chakra, you can practice the cobbler's pose to encourage life energy to flow throughout the pelvic area. Swimming, dancing, meditation and anything that encourages pleasure will also stimulate the Sacral Chakra, which is associated with the element of water, and the ebbing and flowing of bodily fluids, like the tides.

If you fantasize about sex all the time or have sex outside of a relationship, your energy may be swirling out of control in the Root or Sacral Chakra, causing havoc in your life. A lack of balance in these two chakras can be caused by a need for attention and nurturing that is never enough. Sometimes, we learn to resort to unusual ways of getting what we need. The sex addict is seeking attention in an unhealthy, distorted and possibly destructive way.

We all need love, nurturing and support, but need to find it first within ourselves with a healthy, balanced Root Chakra. After we develop a sense of self, we can continue at the Sacral Chakra to find our place within a healthy relationship.

I've been asked what chakra balancing techniques can be done to increase one's love life. If your Sacral Chakra is balanced, you will have more energy, passion and creativity, and your life will flow naturally toward love.

If your energy is stuck at the Sacral Chakra, your sex and your love life will be stuck as well. Accumulated stress in the body, whether emotional or physical, erects barriers to the natural flow of our life energy. So, too much stress may equal no love or even any prospects for it.

While the first or Base Chakra is linked to fortress-like solidity and stability, the second or Sacral Chakra is focused on flowing movement and filling your need to sip, bathe, luxuriate or douse in the vivacious, unpredictable and dynamic stream we call love. Swimming in the ocean's waves, or practicing the hypnotic hip swivels of oriental (belly) dancing or performing wu chi exercises may help you begin to experience the world of love that seems just beyond your heart's grasp.

Using yoga to balance the Sacral Chakra, you can practice the cobbler's pose to encourage life energy to flow throughout the pelvic area, the seat of this chakra. Or unleash and focus your creative spirits through painting or making music. Your skill level is not as important as just "doing it" and breaking down any barriers nesting in your body.

As an expression of our joy of living, whatever we create is beautiful, skillful, breathtaking and encouraging. In becoming more sensitive and responsive to what is going on in the world around us, we also further the grounding of our Root Chakra, allowing us to go boldly after what we seek in life, even a relationship that we can grow old with.

In addition to harboring pleasurable sensations, the Sacral Chakra can vacuum in and hold fast to pain and its attendant stress, damming up the free flow of energy and physically manifesting as infection and illness. We may be "going through the motions" in life, seeing the dust on the table and not the wondrous roses in the crystal vase. Our reactions to the world may vacillate widely from rage and aggression to breaking into tears at the slightest problem.

To aid in stress relief and balancing of the Sacral Chakra, place three clear quartz crystals, points facing outward, in a triangle just below your navel. Next, place three rose quartz stones in an arc above your pubic bone and relax for 4-5 minutes. Repeat as often as is needed for optimal energy flow.
Love and 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

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse for indulging in scrumptious chocolate, and also the time to ponder if your heart chakra is open to love.

As you meditate on your heart chakra while slowly chewing high-quality, dark chocolate, the flavanols in the cocoa and chocolate will serve as antioxidants and have other positive effects, such as lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart, making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot, and lowering cholesterol. Chocolate will also improve your mood.

Valentine's Day is also the perfect time to open your heart chakra to love...
Try this Heart Chakra Meditation and download my complete "Chakra Meditations from The Chakra Diaries" on the Meditations page of TheChakras.org.

Heart Chakra Meditation:
Breathe in and out a beautiful emerald green into the center of your chest, the home of the heart chakra, with love, joy and compassion for other people and yourself. Feel any tension blocking the flow here, shutting off or shutting out love. Any anger or fear is past, it can be healed. When you let it go, you’ll feel your true essence of love and joy. To send forgiveness, wrap those people who have caused you pain in the bright green light, cleansing and healing the situation. Release yourself and them from any negative connections, only keeping the good. Let go of anger to have space for love to grow. Now, with love and compassion, wrap yourself and your whole life experience in healing green light.

Here's to love!
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