Throat, Third Eye and Crown

The upper chakras have a better chance of being in harmony when the lower ones are in balance. As human beings living in a human body having human experiences, we often only glimpse the possibilities of truly open upper chakras.

And …. as I have only therefore days of my 365 blog challenge to go – I still have so much more to say.  Therefore I am going to condense the last three chakras today. If you are interested in more information, I will direct you to some great websites on the topic.

So we will look at the purpose for each chakra, the signs that they are out of harmony, what you can do to re-harmonise them, and how you will know when you are touching a little Nirvana.

The Throat Chakra is centered around the throat and this is where feelings and emotions are transformed into expressions like crying and laughing – and singing. It is in essence, the expression or communicator of being and brings harmony to speech and voice. When it is out of balance, we find it difficult to express ourselves (even if we talk a lot), we are fearful of being judged or rejected based on that judgment and…. we are afraid of silence. So many of us find ourselves in a place of silence in new locations and we can learn to embrace and enjoy it, or fear and run from it. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is often the pleasure of silence and the joy of singing at the top of our lungs- no matter how ‘bad’ or good we think we are at singing. When we are in harmony, we have learnt to balance speech and silence and have learned to listen to that little voice within.

The Third Eye or Brow Chakra is centered right between your eyebrows and helps us to recognize ‘being’ as opposed to scientific explanation and physical explanations for our existence.  It is simply that knowingness and trust we sometimes glimpse and then it is gone – like standing in a marketplace surrounded by people you never met and suddenly feeling connected and part of them and the environment.  When this chakra is out of harmony, we reject spiritual things that are not what we have been taught or brought up with, and we focus on facts and science ignoring that little voice within.  Having been brought up in a very religious family I vividly recall taking the step from rejecting other faiths and beliefs to feeling curiosity and fascination for them. It was like a whole new world had opened up. When this chakra is in harmony, we use intuition and inner awareness to connect to what is around us rather than making judgments and comparisons. An expat dream yes?

The Crown Chakra sits above the crown of our head, and involves a fuller way of experiencing connection to all things. It is like losing our physical boundaries and just being in our essence. Sounds like I have been there – not really but I have felt parts of it many years ago when I spent some time each day meditating. Out of harmony – living in anxiety and fear, continually dissatisfied. In harmony – knowing that we reflect all that is good and whole and letting go of our ego and its earthly needs. One way we can glimpse these feelings is to begin to notice when we are comparing and judging ourselves, others, cultures and lifestyles and just feeling or watching or sensing them instead. Even for a moment….

This is an enormous topic and it was simply my wish to share what has been a wonderful journey for me as an expat to touch on this ancient philosophy. And to see how the opportunities we have as expats to experience so many contrasting philosophies is a true gift – whatever you do with it.

Tip 364: Open your heart to Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern or any other kind of philosophies that fall in your path – they help you to know yourself and others… and you don’t even have to ‘believe’ in them.

Links: the Wiki pages on Chakras give a great overview as well as recommending some interesting books on the topic. There are also some great websites which give more in depth information on Chakra energy.

A trembling in the bones may carry a more convincing testimony than the dry documented deductions of the brain.

~Llewelyn Powers

Listen to your heart

Is the ability to love without fear and without feeling self-conscious something that only happens in movies?  In real life our investments in the people we choose to love can make us feel we have something to lose if we are too open about our feelings.  So we often hedge our bets… just in case.

No small coincidence that so many lyrics of songs encourage us to do this.

And then there is the ability to love our fellow man freely – even if he or she is the local storekeeper who overcharges you so much he appears intent on taking your last expat dollar.

The Heart Chakra is located in the center of your chest and is the starting point for loving beyond yourself, neutralizing negative feelings and emotions and feeling emotionally empowered to do all these things. It deals with all the emotions of love, compassion, confidence, inspiration, hope, despair, hate, envy, fear, jealousy, anger and generosity. Imbalances are said to result in various heart conditions, asthma, lung and breast cancers, thoracic spine, pneumonia, upper back, shoulder problems.

Our fourth chakra – the Heart Chakra – helps bring peace and understanding into our lives and also deals with forgiveness, unconditional love, letting go, trust and compassion.  When we look at some of the information stored in our heart chakra, it all pertains to the connections we have to those we love. As expats we are constantly challenged to maintain connections to those we care about at home-home, with the new friends we constantly meet – and then leave- as well as to the people we love and live with. When we mix distance with the desire for quality connections, we are often overwhelmed as well as challenged in the ways we communicate love as well as receive it.

Signs of an out of balance Heart Chakra include giving love that is conditional or not felt as sincere, not being able to fully accept the love of others and seeking rewards for love given. All of these things are very difficult to overcome if we come from a place of little confidence and little self-love. When there is a general disconnect in our immediate environment – where we feel there is a huge space between us and the local people that seems insurmountable – it can have the effect of turning us inward.

Foods that can assist in balancing our Heart Chakra and work at healing emotional hurts include:

• Leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, dandelion greens, etc.
• Air vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, squash, etc.
• Liquids: green teas
• Spices: basil, sage, thyme, cilantro, parsley

Funny, I expected chocolate in there.  And Chakracise for this chakra? Push ups, swimming (breast stroke), and… I like this one…  hugging yourself.

And how do you know when all is well in your Heart Chakra?  When you feel a sense of wholeness, you accept life and the relationships you have with others and are able to balance the material with the spiritual aspects of yourself. Many of us are challenged by the poverty and plight of humans in the developing or third world countries we have or do live in. If our heart chakra is open to what is, we can develop the love, understanding and acceptance of what is. And then we can move toward helping with an open empathetic heart and not a fearful or sympathetic one.

In addition to exercise and foods, there are many types of energy healing work that can help balance all chakras such as  –

• Meditation,
• Guided visualisation,
• Positive thinking,
• Affirmations,
• Balancing: Using your Hands,a Pendulum,Crystals and Gemstones

Tomorrow we will look at the Throat Chakra – my nemesis and my friend, where feelings and emotions are transformed into expression.

Tom Petty’s Tip 363: Listen to your heart, it’s gonna tell you what to do.

Wholeness, calm and peace

When something affects us – either in a positive or negative way – we often feel a strong sensation in the centre of our chest, the pit of our stomach or in our gut. No coincidence there.

The solar - or 'sun'- plexus is our central chakra and just like the sun itself, can produce great light when it is in balance.

The Solar Plexis (or Celiac Plexus) is at the centre of the body – and is the centre of our body in many ways.  It holds our desires, our wishes and is the place where our earthly wants and our spiritual yearnings start. You are sitting on your sofa and suddenly a song comes on the radio that throws you back to the kitchen in your mother’s or your grandmother’s home – where do you feel that sensation? Our chakras are all about balance (isn’t everything?) and the solar plexus has a double duty in this area as it works to balance aspects of ourself within our personalities as well.

Our third chakra – the Solar Plexis – helps define our self-esteem which is closely linked to our developing personalities. This chakra is associated with the central parts of our bodies and the organs within. Subsequently, stomach ulcers, intestinal tumors, diabetes, pancreatitis, indigestion, anorexia/bulimia, hepatitis, cirrhosis, adrenal imbalances, arthritis and colon diseases can all be linked to personality, self-esteem and our unfulfilled wishes and desires.

When we look at some of the information stored in our solar plexus chakra the expat experience again is highlighted. Information about how we relate and feel about our personal power (How much of our current life is about our choices as opposed to the best choice for the family, and how do we carry this knowledge and its ramifications within ourselves), personality (Who we are now compared to who we used to be – and who we want or wanted to be), consciousness of self within the universe or sense of belonging (You can fill in the gaps here) ),  knowing – or in some ways trusting. It always amazes me how all my digestive issues correlate with so many of these parts of my journey in life!

Signs of an out of balance Solar Plexis include self esteem issues (very common in expat spouses many of whom feel as if they have lost their identity when they move), fear of rejection (loss of identity can lead to a loss of self-love and concern that no-one else will love us), oversensitivity to criticism, self-image fears and fears of our secrets being found out (often related to not being good enough in some way).  These imbalances can range from fleeting feelings to persistent ones and there are many ways to address these. Like many unwanted thoughts and feelings, wareness is the first step, gradual un-peeling of the origins of the messages that started these thoughts the second, followed by replacement of thoughts that hold us back, with ones that are more real and appropriate.

Foods that can assist in balancing our Solar Plexis which can help boost self-esteem and self-love  include -

• Granola and Grains: pastas, breads, cereal, rices, flax seed, sunflower seeds (interesting as I have digestive issues which may be caused by imbalances here yet I cannot eat these things because of the digestive issues…) .
• Dairy: milk, cheeses, yogurt
• Spices: ginger, mints (peppermint, spearmint, etc.), melissa, chamomile, turmeric, cumin, fennel

And Chakracise for this chakra?  Dancing – include hoola-hooping and belly-dancing – are great exercises for jolting this chakra into action.

And how do you know when all is well in your Solar Plexis area? When you have a feeling of wholeness, inner calm and peace, less need for material goods and…. tolerance and acceptance of self and others.

In addition to exercise and foods, there are many types of energy healing work that can help balance chakras such as  –

• Color therapy
• Yoga
• Conscious breathing
• Aromatherapy

Tomorrow we will look at the Heart Chakra – one of my personal favorites – where our aesthetic impulses such as music and art are processed into feelings and emotions.

Orison Swett Marden’s Tip 362: The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not luck or chance, or the help of others, it is in yourself alone.

There is overwhelming evidence that the higher your level of self esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness and generosity.

Nathaniel Brandon

Feliz connections

There is nothing quite as disconcerting as celebrating a near and dear holiday in a country that doesn’t fully recognize that special day. It is like having a very special secret all to yourself that separates you from everyone.

Some of the amazing Christmas lights in Houston that can probably be seen from space. This is a Santa on a surfboard surfing behind a boat....

And separation is not what holidays and significant cultural days are all about. They are totally about connection. I spent six years living in countries where Christmas was a relatively insignificant holiday (like World Egg Day on the Simpsons), and  then, in an ironic shift that so characterizes my life – moved to a country that celebrates the heck out of it.

As I ran through the streets the other evening after nightfall with my iPod blaring in my ears, I was not even slightly concerned for my safety so bright were the neighborhood Christmas lights. It has absolutely nurtured my Christmas spirit living in the United States. But not as much as people do.

Last evening I spent Christmas Eve with three families. The first had young children, one of whom, at eight years of age was heard last week discussing a strange course of events with her cousin…’Like, you’ve been to the same school for like, five whole years?’ … Why?’ Apparently the same day her five year old brother came home from school declaring.’ That’s it, I’ve had it. I don’t like this school – we need to move now so I can go to a new school with better kids’. And they were all together for Christmas.

The second family had a daughter that was caught up in the winter snow chaos in England and had to be rescued from Heathrow by a fellow expat and stay for 4 days.  She only just made it home for Christmas Eve where her mother had refused to even have Christmas if she didn’t get there. And they were all together for Christmas.

The third family were really celebrating. The daughter had barely made it back from a semester in England (due to said snow chaos) and studied in Colorado. The son was a marine and stationed in Hawaii. Their mother lived here in Houston and had just finished packing up the house to move down to Rio De Janiero where her husband had been for 6 months. And they were finally all together for Christmas.

And two of my kids are in Perth, one is in London (amid already discussed said snow), my husband’s family live in Sheffield and the Netherlands and my family of origin celebrated Christmas some 19 hours before us in New Zealand. And we held and hold them in our hearts this Christmas and spent it with three other families who were all together. And as an expat, that’s just the way life is. And believe me, I am grateful for it.

Tip 361: Turkeys don’t make Chrstmas, people do. Spend your favorite holiday with people you love, whether you are related to them or not.

Expressing emotions and letting go

Our Sacral or lower abdomen chakra is responsible for regulating and encouraging the expression of pure emotions. Not sure about you, but for me things like moving, Christmas and feeling out of control bring up some of the not so pure ones as well.

There are wonderful Sanskrit depictions of chakras, plus colors associated with each one. The Sacral Chakra is represented by the color orange.

We all experience emotions which invigorate or drain us and these can set off a whole hormonal charge that often puts our poor adrenals to the test. Adrenaline charges through our bodies when we are excited, challenged, scared and anxious and cortisol is released when we experience stress, anger, frustration and other negatively experienced emotions.  Like when the repairman breaks more things than he fixes or when we our travel plans for the Christmas holidays are ruined by copious amounts of snow and we – yet again – have to spend another holiday without loved ones.

Our second chakra – the Sacral Chakra – is our centre for sexual energy, creativity and pure emotions and interplays with our relationships to lovers as well as friends. It works with our ability to give and receive emotions freely and openly. Oh and here’s the expat cruncher – the spiritual connections here are about honoring relationships and the ability to let go, blame (If you showed me more affection/love/willingness to help around the house I would be happier and easier to live with!), guilt (Why do I  feel so bad sometimes when I should be appreciating all I have?), and money (I am sick of having to ask my partner for money!)  issues. I am thinking we have explored all of those things earlier in the year…  Right then.

This chakra is associated with the productive organs, kidneys, bladder, pelvic area, sperm and all liquids and fluids of the body and disorders in these areas can indicate energy imbalances.  You can ‘Chakracise’ (OK exercise) your sacral chakra with pelvic thrusts and circular pelvis movements.

When we look at some of the information stored in our sacral chakras, such as duality, magnetism, controlling patterns and emotional feelings (joy, anger, fear), it is a simple jump to see how these connect. Our sense of duality is heightened when we experience both elation and sadness – sometimes all within the same  hour let alone day – about our circumstances and opportunities. Our feelings of lack of control can be pervasive which leads us to learn lessons in letting go and just ‘being’ wherever we are.  This can be one of the hardest lessons for an expat to integrate.

Signs of an out of balance Sacral Chakra include difficulties in expressing yourself sexually and emotionally.  In addition when we don’t pay attention to or take seriously our natural needs, we are in trouble. The only way we get good at running, playing the piano, baking pastry or learning the local language is to…. yes practice. Most of us are never taught how to healthily express emotions – so we just don’t. Practicing with people whom you trust and who love you is a great way to start. The same with ‘being’ present. Meditation and nature contribute to this piece.

Foods that can assist in balancing our sacral chakra include -

• Sweet fruits: melons, mangos, strawberries, passion fruit, oranges, coconut, etc.
• Honey
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Spices: cinnamon, vanilla, carob, sweet paprika, sesame seeds, caraway seeds

And how do you know when all is well in your sacral chakra area? When you find yourself able to consider the needs and wants of others as well as your own, and are confident and able to express your feelings and needs. Feeling engaged and connected to everyday life is also a good sign.

In addition to exercise and foods, there are many types of energy healing work – such as Reiki which has an interesting history and is practiced all over the world – that can assist with chakra balancing.  There are other forms of healing which we will look at as the week progresses.

Tomorrow we will look at the Solar Plexus Chakra which is all about the formation of being – allowing ourselves to flow with our surroundings…

Tip 360: Living in a new location allows us opportunities to ‘practice’ being our authentic selves without fear of judging from those who know us. Practicing with your kids is good too So practice expressing those emotions and feelings in safe places first – and move your way up.

Roots and leaves

Sometimes in a new location, we feel disconnected from the place,the people, the food, the culture and the world as we know it. It can feel like living in a plastic bubble where you can see everything going on around you, but not feel a part of it.

I know I take a risk writing about this for my more conventional readers, yet I urge you to keep an open expat mind... and root chakra... Image source: turtlemoon.com

This disconnection is natural given the circumstances, however nurturing your root chakra’s needs can be a key to connecting.  Our lowest chakra – the root chakra – is related to this area of connection and is located at the tip of the spine, at the tail bone. Any form of chakra energy work and healing is not a typical pure science (probably why we didn’t learn about it at school).  It is based on empirical methods which have been tested over centuries by healers and mystics. It is not religious or related to any specific religion and its origins are said to be in the near east.

Kundalini Yoga and Reiki healing focus on the seven chakras and developing and maintaining them for better physical and emotional health as do other alternative healing disciplines. Even if you think this stuff is just a little ‘Woo woo’ I suspect you will still be surprised at some of the information you read this week.

The Root Chakra links us to the physical world and is linked to the concept of being. It embraces energy, ambition, consistency, desire for security and basic survival. It is easy to see how this chakra could be out of balance during a relocation.  Signs that it is out of balance include an inability to trust in the natural order of things (I am NEVER going to find a place to buy decent food!), a focus on material possessions (When many shipment gets here it will all be fine...) and a need to satisfy personal needs (Who can recommend a great hairdresser TODAY), wishes – and whims.

As we said yesterday, body ailments in certain parts of your body that relate to particular chakras can indicate imbalance. Root chakra imbalances are characterized by ongoing or persistent problems with bones, teeth, nails, intestines and men’s prostrate glands, lower back pain, sciatica, varicose veins, rectal tumors, depression and immune related disorders. We also store information in our chakras and the root chakra contains familial beliefs, superstitions, loyalty, instincts, physical pleasure or pain and touch.

When we look at some of the information stored at our root chakras, such as familial beliefs and loyalty it is easy to see how moving our entire family half way around the world can contribute to a not-so-positive shifting of energy.  In addition, our instincts are compromised because we are on unfamiliar territory and forget to actually trust them. We also read ‘signals’ or triggers in our environment using old norms so we can miss instinctual clues on how to behave and act. Is it any wonder this chakra can get so out of whack!

Sometimes we need to find ways to become more ‘grounded’ so that we can shift our own energy.  Getting back to the most basic routines can help a lot here. Cooking from scratch, involving other family members in preparing food and then eating it together is a great alternative to takeaways for four weeks whilst staying in a hotel. Taking a simple walk in a park or where you can find some nature, planting a small garden, bringing plants into the home or finding ways to immerse yourself in natural beauty and wonder also helps. In short, stopping to smell the roses is a good way of putting it.

Exercise to help the root chakra include stomping your feet upon the ground, marching, and doing squats – so please get the kids involved in this one….  Foods that help you get more grounded include – of course -

• Root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, parsnips, radishes, beets, onions, garlic, etc.
• Protein-rich foods: eggs, meats, beans, tofu, soy products, peanut butter
• Spices: horseradish, hot paprika, chives, cayenne, pepper

And how do you know when all is well in your root chakra area? When you feel that profound connection to nature, you trust nature’s laws and you really get the natural ebb and flow of all things in your life. Nice huh?

Tomorrow we will look at our Lower abdomen or Sacral Chakra which connects us to our sexual energy, creativity and pure emotions…

Tip 358: Even if you do feel grounded, there is rarely enough nature and natural beauty in our lives. Partake freely and often of nature wherever you live – do not be afraid of overdosing.

To find out how ‘grounded’ you are take this short quiz to see if your Root Chakra needs attention.

Gateways to consciousness

During my first marriage, I often had laryngitis, sore throats, bad coughs, swollen glands in my neck and sometimes lost my voice for days at a time. It was all very frustrating as it went on for years. It was only after my divorce when mysteriously it all went away, that I made some discoveries.

My first reaction to chakras was that it was all a bit 'woo woo' - till they explained away my years of throat ailments.

Learning about 5000 year old Asian healing therapies and comparing them to our 200 year old allopathic system has been a revealing time for me.  It is also one I would not have had the chance to experience so intimately if I had not lived in Asian countries.  I am the first one to take drugs and follow medicinal regimes in certain circumstances, but not until I have tried natural treatments from Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic therapies, naturopathic and homeopathic remedies.  I am also open to energy healing and other alternative therapies.

However when I was introduced to chakras (or ‘gateways to consciousness’) I was more than skeptical – until it more than explained away my throat problems. Here’s the thing, the 5th chakra – throat chakra – is related to choice, expression and, hmm, learning to take responsibility for one’s own needs. Something I had very little experience in during my first marriage – not because of my husband but because of my choices in the marriage. Sometimes changing our lives and our circumstances, our behaviors and our emotional responses – in my case the choices and the way I expressed my needs – is enough to shift energy and heal physical ailments.

According to Berkers, Chakras are centers of energy, located on the midline of the body. There are seven of them, and they govern our psychological properties. The chakras located on the lower part of our body are our instinctual side, the highest ones our mental side.

Ideally, all chakras would contribute to our being. Our instincts would work together with our feelings and thinking. However, this is usually not the case. Some chakras are not open enough (being under-active), and to compensate, other chakras are over-active. The ideal state is where the chakras are balanced.

Any little lights going off here? There are copious books and websites out there on the topic – plus gurus who can teach you all about them.  However I thought it might be interesting to explore them in relation to our expat experiences and the out-of-balance places we often find ourselves in as we relocate.  I totally believe that we are exactly where we are supposed to be every day – so why are you where you are today and why are you experiencing what you are experiencing here, and not at home-home?

We so often seek medical ways to relieve our physical or emotional pain, however we may be contributing to our own dis-ease by our behaviors, actions and emotional responses. In fact, I really believe we are.

So I invite you to join me this last week of my 365 tips, to see what I have discovered over the last 22 years of expat life and learning – and this last year of writing – and how I have linked and applied this to self healing.

Oh and I never, ever would have considered singing in public during my first marriage – I did not believe I had anything to say let alone sing about. Now – just try and stop me.  And for the record, I have not had a persistent sore throat, laryngitis, lost my voice or anything like that for almost ten years. So where is your ‘sore point’ on your body and what does that link to for you?

Coaching question: If you get sick or have any ailments on a regular basis, where do you usually experience dis-ease, pain or illness? In which part of your body? What chakra does this relate to and what is the emotional link?

Tip 358: Be open to local treatments, therapies and ways of healing wherever you live – there is so much to learn about how we can heal our hearts, minds and bodies that it would be a shame to miss the experience.

To find out how balanced your chakras are, take the Chakra Test (I have no idea about its validity but the site looks accurate and well researched).