Archive for 2019

We are kept from our goal because…

Inspiting Quote

We are kept from our goal, not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal – Robert Brault.

If you find yourself never achieving your goals, look at where your focus is. Is your focus on your primary goal or on some lesser goal? Dreaming big can be scary and feel unachievable. Deciding on a lesser dream may seem like an easy way out, but it does come at a cost. You rob yourself of every knowing if you could even have achieved it.

It is also important to say that going for a big dream doesn’t mean that the dream will allows stay the same. For example, as a child you may have wanted to become a artist. However when you go for your big dream you find that you love creating art, but prefer to work in a team. You shift from being an artist working by yourself into a team creating art of movies.

So allow yourself permission to dream and take action to create your dreams. It is the only way you will ever truly know what you really want.


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Chakra basics – The Crown Chakra

The Crown Chakra - Sahasrara ChakraThe seventh and last Chakra is where all of the Chakras unite. Though commonly associated with the colour violet, the crown Chakra radiates all of the colours of the rainbow, which highlights that it is the access point for the divine within you.

As we develop through the Chakras, our awareness increases and we steadily develop our true intuitive senses. Awareness gained through the seventh Chakra far outstrips that of the third eye Chakra – it removes all barriers and we see all of the world from a place of wholeness.

Since the crown Chakra is always functioning, the measure of how it is functioning is how open or closed it is.

An open crown Chakra allows you to experience moments where there is no division between your inner world and your outer reality. You will be completely calm and at peace with yourself. You will clearly see your ‘path’ and be joyous in taking the next action step along it. Your ego has been transformed from a limited sense of self, based on your wounded ego, into the unlimited sense of the spiritually-mature ego.

This transformation will allow you to see that everything is an extension of the divine consciousness. From this perspective, you will become aware that your world is merely a construct that you have created through your mind by all of your definitions and assumptions about the events that you have experienced. You will know what is referred to as the greatest emptiness – the realisation that you just made it all up and the world around you merely ‘is’.

At the same time you will receive its opposite – the greatest abundance. The realisation that you can create whatever your heart desires by being in the flow of life in its purest state – pure divine bliss.

Where the crown Chakra is not open, there is a feeling of separatedness and being out-of-balance with your inner self and the world around you. You will experience fear to some degree, and this will block the energies within all of the Chakras.

Where you do not allow yourself to receive the truths about your true spirital, divine nature, your crown Chakra cannot open up and you will experience feelings of uncertainty and lack of any purpose. This can develop into feelings that life is senseless and there being no purpose in living. There can also be an increased fear of death. These feelings can lead you towards escaping into excessive activities or creating situations where you are needed that are inconsistent with your inner desires. Where these activities continue, they can lead to sickness and ill-health (e.g. cancer). If over time these messages to look inwards are ignored, you may find yourself accepting the superficiality of your constructed life, and limit your inner growth towards your spirital nature.

Name: Crown or Sahasrara Chakra
Location: Crown of the head
Purpose: Unity, bliss
Colour: Violet
Sound: Hangsah
Element: None applicable
Sense: None applicable
Symbol: 1000-petaled lotus
Associated parts of body: Cerebrum

The 7 ChakrasCheck out the rest of the Chakras here!


Chakra Classes

Kundalini Yoga Teacher - Patty Kikos
Join expert teacher, Patty Kikos, in an 8-part journey exploring the Chakras through yoga. Recorded exclusively for Liveyogalife.com, these classes are an excellent practical introduction to the Chakra. Check out the complete set of classes here.

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Chakra basics – The Third Eye Chakra

The Third Eye Chakra - Ajna ChakraThe sixth Chakra, known as the Third Eye Chakra, is the place of the subtle body. This is the source of the conscious perceptions of your being, and the seat of your intellect, memory, will, and higher mental powers. In terms of the physical world, it is the command centre for your nervous system.

It is from this place that we first become aware of our own consciousness, and (slowly) build on our growing awareness that we create our own reality. The third eye Chakra is the place from which we manifest new realities or dissolve old ones.

The third eye Chakra ‘opens’ when you reach a certain level of inner consciousness, and from this place you will experience a deep understanding of the connectedness of all things, and see the unity that is everything.

When the third eye Chakra is functioning harmoniously, you will be open to the possibility (which steadily becomes the reality) that the world as you know it is merely a reflection of the spirit within each of us.

As you enter the more advanced levels, you will experience a level of consciousness where the material world is a direct reflection of the subtle level of being. You realise you can consciously control these forces and create what you want. You may also find that your inner eye opens the gates to the multitude of other dimensions that exist between the physical world and the pure level of being.

When the third eye Chakra is not functioning harmoniously, you most commonly experience an over emphasis of the mental sphere. This can be seen through a belief that life is a puzzle that can be solved through reason and intellect alone. The problem is that you only allow yourself from this perspective to perceive those things that your rational mind can accept (i.e. your physical reality).

Another aspect of this disharmony is where you use your mental capabilities to influence those around you often for your own selfish reasons. It is also common for people in this situation to be unaware of the serious consequences of their actions because of the high level of self-denial. When this happens, it is typical for other Chakras to also be out of alignment like the solar plexus and heart Chakras.

Where energy from the third eye Chakra is out-of-alignment and base Chakras is blocked, it is possible for you to lose your perception as to what is reality and go into a fear-based dysfunctional process of control. This fear-based reality is often created during childhood and manifests in adulthood as a need to control yourself and others around you in order to get feel ‘real’ and get validation (often through gaslighting those around you).

As the blockage worsens, it can lead you to believe that the reality created by your mind is the only truth, and that actual reality is a lie. Ultimately this will result in you losing touch with reality and your sanity. However the ‘sanity’ you are losing is one that was ultimately based on lies, so in effect you are only losing the part of you that felt it had to control its ‘reality’ in order to survive.

From this point, you can become the phoenix – metaphoricly burning away the blockage cause by your wounding in childhood – rising from the ashes to create a new relationship with yourself based on your spirit and a healthy relationship with reality.

Name: Third Eye, Brow or Ajna Chakra
Location: Brow – just above the bridge of the nose
Purpose: Intuition, self-mastery
Colour: Indigo (also yellow and violet)
Sound: Aum
Element: None
Sense: All senses including extrasensory perception
Symbol: 2-petaled lotus

The 7 ChakrasCheck out the rest of the Chakras here!


Chakra Classes

Kundalini Yoga Teacher - Patty Kikos
Join expert teacher, Patty Kikos, in an 8-part journey exploring the Chakras through yoga. Recorded exclusively for Liveyogalife.com, these classes are an excellent practical introduction to the Chakra. Check out the complete set of classes here.

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Chakra basics – The Throat Chakra

The Throat Chakra - Vishuddha ChakraThe throat Chakra role is the communications and expressions hub for all of the Chakras in respect of the outside world – which is vitally important. It is also a hub for creativity in terms of expression and communication, which is an art form in itself. This is different from the creativity of the second Chakra as this relates to expressing our creativity in the external world.

A further aspect of the throat Chakra is that it gives us the power to distinguish between the mental (thoughts), emotional (feelings), and physical (sensations) bodies. This allows our sense of who we are to be distinct from our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.

When the throat Chakra is functioning harmoniously, you can express yourself fully and without fear of what other people with think or say. When you communicate, it is perfectly clear and full of imagination and creativity. You listen to your inner guidance and know that this guidance is true for you. You convey yourself with truth and wisdom reflecting the deep feeling of completeness that arises from within you.

You are standing in your power, and as such stay true to your inner self. For example, difficulties and problems are faced with an understanding that they are part of the process and you continue to create what you want. As well, other people’s advice and opinions are received openly, however only those in alignment with your inner truth are allowed to influence your thoughts or actions.

When the throat Chakra is not functioning harmoniously, it can manifest in many different ways, all of which reflect a breakdown in communication – both internal and external. You may find yourself unable to connect with your feelings and express this through thoughtless actions. You may live in your mind and deny you even have emotions. Alternatively, you only allow yourself to experience those emotions that you deem to be safe (typically reflecting the preferences of those around you like your parents, your partner or close friends).

How you communicate with others will be characterised by a feeling that something is missing – and that something is a deep connection to your essence, your inner self. You won’t be able to relax and be yourself as you are acting from the belief that you are not OK the way you are. You may find yourself using your creative abilities to manipulate others; or that your language is coarse and blunt, or cool and business-like with no heart; or that you speak loudly and are insensitive to those around you. Another possibility is that you are aware of your connection to your essence, however you are deeply afraid of the judgements of others and of the expectation that you will be isolated if you don’t please them (e.g. co-dependent on the validation of others for your self-esteem and self-worth).

Over time, if you don’t develop your throat Chakra, the world you live in – within the protective barriers in your mind – will slowly contract to the point where you cease to dream and accept your external harsh cold world (that you created through your own fears) as the only valid reality.

Name: Throat or Vishuddha Chakra
Location: Throat
Purpose: Communication, creativity, expression
Colour: Bright or sky blue
Sound: Ham
Element: Ether (Akasa)
Sense: Hearing
Symbol: 16-petaled lotus

The 7 ChakrasCheck out the rest of the Chakras here!


Chakra Classes

Kundalini Yoga Teacher - Patty Kikos
Join expert teacher, Patty Kikos, in an 8-part journey exploring the Chakras through yoga. Recorded exclusively for Liveyogalife.com, these classes are an excellent practical introduction to the Chakra. Check out the complete set of classes here.

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Chakra basics – The Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra - Anahata ChakraUnsurprisingly, the heart Chakra is the centre of the Chakra system. It is the middle Chakra and connects the three lower Chakras – physical, emotional and power – with the three upper spiritually focused Chakras. Reflecting the flexible element of air and the empathy that come from the sense of touch, the heart Chakra transforms the words and sounds you hear into feelings. It can also be a source of healing as represented by the colour green.

The heart Chakra ultimately seeks unconditional love which exists for its own sake and cannot be possessed, lost or taken. From this place, there is no separation or negativity – only loving acceptance of all that is.

When the heart Chakra is functioning harmoniously, you will radiate a zest for life, warmth, joy and compassion. Your life will be one where you give for the joy of giving and not expect anything in return. You feel safe and comfortable with what you create and put your heart into everything you do.

From the place of acceptance, you will be explicitly aware of the game of duality / separation that is being played around you. Instead of being drawn into the game and its continual cycles of suffering, you see the truth that you are connected to all beings – sentient and non-sentient – and ultimately to the source of all things – the Divine.

When the heart Chakra is not functioning harmoniously, this could manifest in many different ways. Underlying all of these patterns will be an inability to connect with feelings of love, gratitude, and compassion.

An example is where you are always there for other people and give yourself tirelessly to their causes without feeling any connection to your heart and its needs. You will constantly expected recognition and reassurance from others, and be secretly – or not so secretly – disappointed when you don’t receive the level of recognition you feel is warranted given your ‘sacrifices’. When you do have the opportunity to be genuinely involved, you shut yourself off from the world to avoid your heart being hurt.

Another example is where your heart Chakra is completely closed. Your actions will be cold, indifferent or heartless. You will see your world as being cold and uncaring, and life will seem pointless. You will shut yourself off from the world to such an extent that to actually feel something that seems ‘real’ to you requires strong external stimulation (e.g. physical pain or emotional suffering).

Name: Anahata or Heart Chakra
Location: Between the 4th and 5th thoracic vertebrae
Purpose: Love, compassion, empathy, devotion
Colour: Green (and also pink and gold)
Sound: Yam
Element: Air
Sense: Touch
Symbol: 12-petaled lotus
Associated parts of body: Heart, upper back, lungs

The 7 ChakrasCheck out the rest of the Chakras here!


Chakra Classes

Kundalini Yoga Teacher - Patty Kikos
Join expert teacher, Patty Kikos, in an 8-part journey exploring the Chakras through yoga. Recorded exclusively for Liveyogalife.com, these classes are an excellent practical introduction to the Chakra. Check out the complete set of classes here.

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Chakra basics – The Solar Plexus Chakra

The Solar Plexus Chakra - Manipura ChakraThe solar plexus Chakra is our powerhouse, which is easy to see from its element of fire and its radiant colour of yellow / gold. In the same way that the digestive system transmutes food into energy, this Chakra extracts and stores prana. This energy is used to create our world – our self image, our image of and interacts with others, and how we create everything in our lives. In effect, this Chakra determines how we operate in the world we have created.

When the solar plexus Chakra is functioning harmoniously, you will allow yourself to shine and experience the life that is all around you. While some days it may be difficult, you will see the joy the exists in all life. Feelings of joy, inner peace, richness of spirit, and harmony will abound in terms of your relationship with yourself, with others and the world around you. You will also see events for how they add to the richness of your life, and your development (rather than acting as ‘the victim’).

When the solar plexus Chakra is not functioning harmoniously, you will want to control and manipulate yourself, as well as everything happening around you. Your inner world will be one where you don’t believe in your own power and abilities so you will seek fulfilment in the material world around you. You also seek acceptance of those around you, which further invalidates your own dreams and desires.

The emotions you are suppressing will bottle up within you, and will occasionally break through your control and overwhelm you. As time passes you find yourself being nervous and anxious about your ability to manage and control your future. You will freeze up when faced with challenging situations. Where possible you shut yourself off from new experiences and doubt whether you are up to the challenge of surviving its this ‘dog-eat-dog’ world.

Name: Manipura or Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: Above the navel (approximately two finger spaces)
Purpose: Power, will, self-mastery
Colour: Yellow to gold
Sound: Ram
Element: Fire
Sense: Sight
Symbol: 10-petaled lotus
Associated parts of body: Digestive system, stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder

The 7 ChakrasCheck out the rest of the Chakras here!


Chakra Classes

Kundalini Yoga Teacher - Patty Kikos
Join expert teacher, Patty Kikos, in an 8-part journey exploring the Chakras through yoga. Recorded exclusively for Liveyogalife.com, these classes are an excellent practical introduction to the Chakra. Check out the complete set of classes here.

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