After The Masters
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December 2011
News & Events
No Closings for the holidays as it stands now. Will send updates
later.
Article- Vissudha Chakra or Fifth Chakra
Cindy and Ram Dass in
Hawaii
The Vissudha Chakra is located in the throat. It is associated with
the neck, jaw, tongue, ears, larynx, thyroid and parathyroid
glands. The throat chakra communicates the bodies’ intentions to
the mind. It is the bridge between the lower chakras focused on
the body and the upper chakras focused on spirituality. This is
where we develop our outward voice. Our voice of truth, selfexpression and will. Speaking, listening, chanting, singing, and
reading aloud create vibrations that resonate down to the cellular
level.
Our body is full of vibrations from the beating of our hearts to the
rise and fall of the breath. It’s these vibrations and how they
resonate (or work together) throughout the body that determines
how well our body and mind communicate. Free open
communication within enables us to recognize and change habits,
to express ourselves honestly and to develop our own individual
creativity.
Through self-expression (writing, artwork, speaking etc.) you
communicate to the outside world what is inside. Each word we
speak becomes a symbol for a thought, image, feeling, tangible
object, or concept. The throat chakra combined with the Ajna
Chakra or third eye chakra where each image within the mind
symbolizes something real we enter the Sahasrara Chakra or
crown chakra where each thought symbolizes a combination of
words and images- words through the throat chakra and images
through the third eye chakra.
If the throat chakra is open and balanced you will be honest and
forthcoming with good communication and listening skills. The
voice is pleasant with the ablity to project or speak softly as
needed. You will lead your life creatively without the restraints of
fear or accepted ways of doing things.
If closed or unbalanced you will be unable to form words to
express your inner self. There is extreme self-consciousness,
shyness and fear of humiliation. Your voice will be scratchy,
weak, or erratic.
Healing this chakra requires work on both the physical level and
mental or spiritual level. To speak we move the breath through the
physical processes of the body, and focus the breath through the
mental processes of the mind. So the first step is getting in tune
with your inner self. Working moving the breath through the body
and being able to sense and direct the breath where it’s needed
and then allowing the body to open up and respond to the
vibrations of the breath- allowing the body and mind to resonate
with the breath.
The next step is tuning out the toxic outer vibrations that we
experience daily. It isn’t easy to eliminate sound pollution but
reducing it can be as easy as screening unwanted calls or
wearing earplugs around loud noises. But the most effective way
to screen out these noises is through meditation. Sitting silently
and listening to the subtle vibrations within is essential. We need
time every day to meditate without interruptions- don’t answer the
phone, let everyone know you are not to be disturbed. The mantra
for this chakra is “hum” pronounced as “hoom”. So if you have
difficulty with quieting the mind, focus on releasing this sound
throughout each exhale.
And finally learning communication skills to effectively express
yourself through words, actions and movements. Finding your
voice through art, singing, writing, or dancing can free the throat
chakra and unleash your true self. Just finding an outlet of
expression regardless of perceived talent or lack thereof is our
goal. It’s not the work itself we are interested in it is the work
behind the work. How much of yourself is put into the work and
how much of yourself you are willing to expose.
As most of you know I have struggled with Asthma since birth. At
times it is very difficult to breathe and without breath it is
impossible to talk. It has been my experience that Pranayama or
breathing exercises are just as important for the throat chakra as
meditation. Pranayama deepens the connection to and flow of
vibrations within, which in turn allows us more freedom to
outwardly project what is within and efficiently express our true
self.
Pose of the Month- Simhasana or Lion Pose
This pose helps clear the throat, clean the tongue and cures bad
breath. Therapeutic for people who stutter or stammer while
talking. Also helps strengthen the abdominals and the respiratory
system as we begin to fully express our inner lion. All three
bandhas are strengthened which is beyond the scope of this
variation of the pose (the pose directory on the website will
include more advanced versions incorporating the bandhas).
Begin in a seated position with legs outstretched in front. Bring
the right foot in, lift buttocks and place the right foot under the left
side of the buttock. Then bring the left foot in and place under
right side of the buttock. Sitting on the heels with the toes pointing
back. Move the weight forward onto the legs and knees,
lengthening the spine and keeping the back long and straight.
Place the hands on the knees, extend the arms and fingers
straight pressing the fingers into the knees.
Open the mouth wide and extend the tongue out and down as far
as possible. Cross the eyes and gaze at the center of the
forehead or tip of the nose. Hold in this position breathing through
the mouth for twenty or thirty seconds. Relax the face, arms and
hands for a breath or two. Go back into the pose this time exhale
forcefully vocalizing a loud roar. Whatever sound comes out
doesn’t really matter (I often visualize sitting at my doctor’s office
hearing her say open wide and say “ahh”, then I let her have it).
Repeat a few times trying to keep the laughter to a minimum!
Switch the cross of the legs and REPEAT the above process.
Links & Resources
www.afterthemasters.org
Iyengar, BKS, “Light of Yoga”, Schocken Books, 1979
Ashley-Farrand, Thomas, “Chakra Mantras”, Weiser Books, CA., 2006.
www.sanskritmantra.com