_HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! It’s a perfect day to share our book, The Chakra Diaries, novel life stories exploring the healing power of love. It’s free today, Feb. 14, at Amazon.com on Kindle. Be sure to get your copy. Thanks if you take the time to put a review on Amazon.

Here’s the last quote in the book… it says it all:

“After we have mastered the wind, the tides and the gravity, we shall harness the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, humans will have discovered fire.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Namaste!
Becca

_February 13th is the international day of self-love… Madly in Love with ME™ Day.

Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you’ll ever have, says author Christine Arylo, and I agree.  Opening your heart chakra to compassion and love for yourself enables you to offer unconditional love to others.

How can you increase love in your life?
More kindness, less judgment.
More fun, less perfectionism.
More happy relationships; less drama and difficult people.
More of your dreams coming true, less settling.
More happiness today, less waiting for the day ‘when’…

Self-love is about empowering yourself to love and live your life to the fullest.  Because of that overflow of love, you can love others even more. (Tomorrow, Valentine’s Day, share the love!)

We, at TheChakras.org will also be sharing our love, so check our website tomorrow for a special gift.

Aloha nui loa (much love) from Hawaii,

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Can what you eat disturb your energy flow? Absolutely. In other posts, I've listed foods that specifically energize each chakra. But, in general, it's best to avoid GMO's, genetically-modified crops such as the corn and soy found in most commercial products. Buying organic products, labeled "non-GMO," can save you from many health issues that are just coming to light through independent research about Monsanto's RoundUp and RoundUp-ready, genetically-engineered crops.

Ten Ways Monsanto and Big Ag Are Trying to Kill You - And the Planet, from the Organic Consumer's Association:
#1 Generating Massive Greenhouse Gas Pollution (CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide) and Global Warming, While Promoting False Solutions Such as Industrial Biofuels, So-Called Drought-Resistant Crops, and Genetically Engineered Trees

#2 Polluting the Environment and the Soil-Food Web with Pesticides, Chemical Fertilizers, and Persistent Toxins, Including Dioxin

#3 Draining and Polluting Wetlands and Aquifers, Turning Farmland into Desert

#4 Poisoning Wells and Municipal Drinking Water, Lakes, and Rivers

#5 Chopping Down the Rainforests for Monoculture GMO Crops, Biofuels and Cattle Grazing

#6 Increasing the Cost of Food, While Reducing Nutrition and Biodiversity

#7 Spawning Pesticide-Resistant Superbugs and Weeds, and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

#8 Generating New and More Virulent Plant, Animal and Human Diseases

#9 Utilizing Wasteful Fossil Fuel-Intensive Practices and Encouraging the Expansion of Natural Gas Fracking and Tar Sands Extraction (Which Destroy Forests, Aquifers, and Farmland)

#10 Stealing Money From the 99% to Give Huge Subsidies to the 1% Wealthiest, Most Chemical and Energy-Intensive Farms and Food Producers

_ One of my close friends recently suffered a stroke, and I was drawn to re-read My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

What makes this book special is the spiritual insight it offers. When the author's left hemisphere of her brain was incapacitated by a hemorrhagic stroke, she experienced the spiritual feeling of "oneness" with the universe, feeling no distinction from her body and the rest of the energy molecules around her. In the absence of the judgment of her left mind, she experienced deep internal peace and joy, the "Nirvana" that exists in the consciousness of our right brain. She explained how, at any moment, we can choose to hook into that part of our brain. Meditation is one way, and definitely, a less traumatic way than suffering a stroke. She also offers wonderful insights into quieting the constant "story telling" and chatter of the left brain, to bring you into the now, the peace of the right brain which only experiences the present moment, where there is no fear or anger. I was impressed with her scientific explanations of how we experience these negative emotions physiologically for 90 seconds, but can then choose to let them go and return to a peaceful state.

Taylor learned to reign in the judgment and ego center of her left brain and retain the compassionate feeling of oneness that was her only sensation when the left hemisphere of her brain was impaired. I thank her for sharing her experience and the wisdom she acquired in her journey back to wholeness. She says, "I choose to observe my environment through the nonjudgmental eyes of my right mind, allowing me to retain my inner joy.... it's really easy to be kind to others when I remember that none of us came into this world with a manual about how to get it all right."

A fascinating read!
Namaste, Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

“It doesn't matter if you can't get a cell phone signal or Wi-Fi where you are. You are always connected to Source.” ~ Neil Donald Walsch

Wherever you are, wherever you go, you are always connected to Divine Wisdom, Divine Intelligence, and Divine Love.

Want to feel at one with all there is? More peace, harmony and connection to spirit? Work on your 7th or Crown Chakra. Spiritual oneness is the goal of opening the 7th chakra, the crown chakra, the point of knowing and enlightenment. It is our highest energy center, representing liberation, deep understanding, enlightenment and spiritual growth. It represents union with the higher self and the Divine.

Major issues of an unbalanced Crown Chakra are lack of meaning in your life, a feeling of aloneness, depression, and on the physical level, chronic exhaustion and addictions to psychotropic and mind-altering drugs.

A balanced Crown Chakra brings a profound awakening, a connection to our spiritual nature as well as to cosmic consciousness.

YOGA FOR THE CROWN CHAKRA
In addition to silent meditation, chanting and conscious breathing, a beneficial yoga pose to increase circulation to this chakra is the Downward Dog.

THE CROWN CHAKRA MEDITATION
All we have learned and healed through the lower six chakras merges and travels up the spine to the Crown Chakra, creating a purple color. Here we open ourselves to awareness of the divine and our highest consciousness. Focus on breathing in violet light, relaxing, letting go. Keeping your focus on the crown of your head, allow the chakra to open, visualizing it as a crown of light above your head. Feel it expanding and opening to the wonder and radiance of spirit. Send love up and out the crown chakra and then welcome its return in a beam of light that pours down through your whole being. Let the energy flow through you and around you and embrace totality.

Breathe in the power and the healing. Imagine a rainbow of light pouring down your body, from your crown chakra down to your root chakra, enveloping you in harmony with everything above and below and around you.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

The winner of the 2011 Hawaii Sweepstakes from TheChakras.org posted the following comments on the Hale Haumea vacation rental site, and answered a few questions about the chakra work she did while here, focusing on the Sacral Chakra and “going with the flow:”

I won a week-long stay at Hale Haumea through TheChakra.org’s 2011 Hawaii Sweepstakes. Wow – we never expected the trip to be so exciting! Lava started flowing again into the ocean just prior to our arrival (Pele had taken a break for several months and Kilauea Volcano was not spewing lava down the mountain). We were taken on a guided hike at sunset and between the flow of the lava creating fireworks and the billions of stars above us, it was breathtaking. The days were also wonderful, from swimming on a black-sand beach with others brave enough to go bare, to snorkeling in a warm pond with two large and one baby turtle, to meeting the author of The Chakra Diaries for a yoga class at Kalani Oceanside Retreat Center, just a mile away. I’m hoping to enter and win again this year, as we didn’t have enough time to see all the sights we wanted to – like Waipio Valley, but we were able to see three fabulous waterfalls in the Hilo area, so the falls at Waipio are something to look forward to. My husband loved the aqua massage he got from the owner’s friend (at a great discount) and I loved my lomi massage – my skin is still soft from the coconut oil. The cottage had everything we needed to feel comfortable and right at home, but the people we met probably made the trip for us – from the owner and her friends, they made sure we didn’t miss one special site or event happening nearby.

Meeting Becca and doing some chakra balancing work was a real eye-opener. Of all the chakracters in The Chakra Diaires, I most identified with Debra, and when Becca checked my chakras with a crystal pendulum, my Sacral Chakra was also imbalanced. I’ve been wanting more flow and creativity in my life, and the chakra balancing work, including swimming every day in the beautiful warm pond, made me feel strong and balanced in the 2nd chakra again.
Mahalo, D. Stone

Be sure to enter the 2012 Hawaii Sweepstakes, in celebration of publication of Rebecca Reveals All, sequel to The Chakra Diaries.

Namaste,
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaires

“Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want,” teaches Serge Kahili King, PhD, a Hawaiian shaman as he explains the Huna principle – Energy flows where attention goes. It sounds easy, but it’s not always. Can you focus on the health you have and ignore the aches and pains? Then more health will flow your way. Can you focus on the happiness in the world rather than the misery? Then more happiness will flow your way. Can you focus on abundance in all forms, instead of lack? Then more abundance will flow your way.

This concept is known the world over, but easily forgotten too. In one of Paulo Coelho’s recent blog posts, he mentions of complaining about one burnt- out Christmas light until his wife reminds him to look at the many that are brilliantly glowing.

Close your eyes and imagine what you want in the New Year. Focus on and bless everything and everyone that represents what you want. What’s so beautiful about this process is that the blessing (or praise) of others helps them as well as you.

For instance, if you want greater health in the new year, bless healthy people, animals, even healthy plants; bless everything that is well made or well constructed, advises King.

If you want greater prosperity, bless all signs of prosperity in your environment, including everything that money helped to make or do; all the money that you have in any form; and all the money that circulates in the world, King adds.

If you’d like to download a free copy of “The Aloha Spirit,” by Serge Kahili King, in which he further explains the power of focus and blessing, please see http://www.alohainternational.org/html/booklets.html.

Wishing you billions of shimmering blessings in the year ahead.

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

Whatever you’d like to see happen in your life in the year ahead, see it first in your mind’s eye. Creative visualization is a tool that is free, effective, and one of the best ways to work with your mind to create your reality. If you’re experienced with visualizations or have a creative imagination, picture what you want in your life. Add positive affirmations, feelings and emotion, and watch the picture unfold in your real life.

If you need a helping hand to imagine your best possible future, there are numerous tools available — guided meditations. Look on Amazon.com or iTunes for just the right creative visualization tape for you, one that will take you on a journey toward improved health and wellbeing.

Unlike traveling with the physical body, costs associated with a meditative journey are nominal. In fact, guided visualizations are the most practical, easily accessible self-help tools available.

Whether you listen to a soothing voice through your iPod as you undergo a medical treatment, or you doze off after listening to a relaxing meditation, you’ll find that giving directions to your unconscious can greatly help you to relieve tension and pain, assist in healing, as well as inspire you to achieve your goals.

By using words and images to directly contact your subconscious mind, which is in charge of our habits and beliefs, guided visualizations open a window of opportunity to screen out any interference from the critical chatter of the conscious mind.

Imagery has long been considered a healing tool in virtually all of the world’s cultures, and is now being recognized by major medical centers as helpful in relief of pain and stress.

For a sample creative visualization, listen to my free Chakra Meditation on the Meditations page of www.thechakras.org.

Namaste,

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

The secret of the Fountain of Youth is that you have to swim across it — it is the swimming, the exercise, that produces the youth. My yoga teacher was in her mid-70's when I first started classes 15 years ago and she still looks fit and healthy today. But if yoga isn't your choice for a New Year's resolution, search inside to find the type of exercise that you will enjoy and stick with, because exercise is as close to the Fountain of Youth that has ever been found.Whether you take a walk around the block to enjoy the fresh air, join a Zumba class for the social get-together and great music, or go roller-blading because it reminds you of the thrill of your first skates, every move will bring you closer to rejuvenation.


Exercise boosts wellness and youthfulness because it works on the cellular level, on the mitochondria -- where the body combines nutrients with oxygen to keep you going.

As we age, if our mitochondria dwindle and become less effective, our brains shrink, our  hair turns gray and falls out, it hurts to get out of our chairs. Well, science has proven that these changes are not inevitable. If you keep active, you may be able to offset much of this decline.

A medical researcher said, “The recipe for healthy aging is very simple, and that’s exercise. The problem is that most people find it a difficult recipe to follow.”

The secret is to find an exercise that you love to do. For instance, I live in Hawaii near a warm ocean pond because I love to swim whatever the weather, rain or shine. It makes me remember the childhood joy of going to the beach in summer and splashing in the waves, so I swim and snorkel as often as possible.

How can you find the right exercise that you will stick to? Let's try a short creative visualization... Take a few deep breaths to relax, then close your eyes and think back to an activity that was enjoyable, that was fun for you. Whatever it was, imagine a near-equivalent that you could do today. Imagine doing it, smiling, maybe even laughing with joy. Take a few deep breaths, wiggle your fingers to bring you back to the present moment, and now call a friend to invite them to join you in your new activity. Someone who will support you in your goal to get healthier and turn back the clock.

Tomorrow - another suggestion on my countdown to a Fabulous New Year!

Namaste,

Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

www.thechakras.org

When you hear the word Yoga, what comes to mind? If you haven’t tried it, you may think of unusual, contorted postures or perhaps the opposite – simple stretching exercises that are now commonly used in almost every exercise or physical therapy regimen. But a true yoga practice is, in fact, a way to reach stillness, flexibility and physical calm so that one can ease into meditation and the many benefits it offers.

For over 5,000 years, people have been partaking  in this remarkable practice, and currently 11 million people in the US alone are experiencing dramatic health improvements from yoga and meditation.

Whatever your health goals in 2012, I truly believe you will see yoga help you achieve these:

• Stress relief
• Increased flexibility
• Improved posture
• Core strengthening
• Body Awareness
• Improved Mood
• Improved Concentration
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Reduced Back Pain
• Improved Sleep

The following days until New Year’s, I will offer additional health practices you may wish to explore in 2012!

Namaste!
Becca Chopra, author of The Chakra Diaries

www.thechakras.org