what is sahasrara chakra?

There we have it the seventh week and the final chakra. Sahasrara is the final chakra known as the crown chakra which hovers above the crown of the head. This is the place of pure consciousness and the dwelling house of the soul. The energy which is held in the sahasrara chakra is far superior to any of the other chakras and it is the location of the end of sushumna nadi or the main energy path which combines energy from all other parts of the body. It symbolises our ability to achieve divine consciousness and a feeling of transcendental bliss. The associated colour for this chakra is violet or ultraviolet, it has no associated element and it is related to the pineal gland. The sahasrara yantra is depicted with one thousand petals representing enlightenment and divine knowledge. Inside of this lotus is a mandala, a triangle, and the supreme bindu.

– Mandala – represents the sun and the moon

– Triangle – the power of divine knowledge

– The supreme bindu – the silence that follows the sound of OM

Sahasrara chakra is the ultimate goal of yoga, uniting the soul with cosmic consciousness. When this achieved it brings a freeness to any situation and all karmas are liberated. Meditation is the primary tool for achieving this chakra and through this the mind comes to complete stillness and finds fulfilment in knowledge. In order to achieve this a solid base from the other chakras is needed to open to the spiritual in a healthy and integrated way. An excessiveness in the crown chakra appears as being overly intellectual or feeling that you are. A deficiency appears as difficulty thinking for yourself, apathy, spiritual scepticism and materialism. When the body is in one of these balances it is unable to achieve the ultimate goal and connect to the spiritual realm. Physically an imbalance can manifest itself as headaches, epilepsy and high blood pressure.

Meditation is one of the key ways to connect to the crown chakra, working through levels of concentration, meditation and contemplation until the divine stage is reached. This can seem very unobtainable to us in the western world but just practising concentration on a certain object and beginning a regular meditation practice can help to connect to this state of being. An active asana for this chakra would be headstand and a passive asana shoulder stand. Headstand requires an entire body awareness focusing on the parts of the body in contact with the floor. It should always feel light in the head both physically and spiritually, lengthening through the throat chakra, focusing on the third eye and bringing awareness to the crown chakra. It encourages blood flow into the brain which benefits the pineal and pituitary glands, increasing longevity in the glands and energising the chakra. Shoulder stand also helps to move the energy through the body from root right up to the throat and then into the head. It is again great for body awareness as well as a focus on the breath. Corpse pose is also good to help to connect to the infinite self and revolved bound half-moon pose brings total body awareness. Other asanas could be standing prayer back bend, saddle pose and baby eagle pose which in particular helps to bring everything back to the centre, channelling energy from the root chakra through to the crown chakra.

It is this flow of energy throughout the body which enables us to have a healthy balanced body in body, mind and spirit. Through having an understanding of the chakras system, energy blocks and their various balances and imbalances you can really get into contact with yourself within your asana practice in an entirely new fantastic way. Don’t be scared of it, enjoy it, discover, play and listen and who knows what you might find out

Namaste