Yoga and meditation are truly an art of living that help us live in peace with our minds, bodies and souls.

As skeptical as some of you may be about the effect of these practices, give this a read and listen to get the expert insight 19TwentyThree spoke to and you might just change your mind — you also get the exclusive bonus of an audio meditation guide for you to download and enjoy.

Understanding our chakras

We all function through energy fields that play a big role in our psychological, mental and physiological health but we seldom understand this notion or give it any attention. Our chakras are our energy centers located throughout the central line of the body playing the vital role of managing energy flow in and out of our system. We have seven chakras, each of which is an essential link to different parts of our bodies affecting our thoughts and emotions.

 

Root chakra: Survival and security. It is our source of being grounded to earth and is related to our own sense of manifestation. Having the root chakra blocked could result in one feeling frustrated, anxious and insecure.

Sacral chakra: Sexuality, creativity and self-worth. A blocked sacral chakra could result in one feeling emotionally imbalanced, sexually frigid, too emotional and quite manipulative.

Solar Plexus: Inner strength, ego, impulses and anger. If this chakra is blocked it would result in the person lacking confidence, feeling confused and feeling that he is controlled by others.

Heart chakra: Compassion, spirituality and giving and receiving love. Disturbances in the heart chakra could result in one feeling unworthy of love, too afraid to let go, sorry for himself and too afraid of getting hurt.

Throat chakra: This is where one’s anger is kept and could finally be expressed; this chakra is the base of communication and expression of feelings and thoughts through writing, art or speech.

Third eye: This is the center of intuition and if blocked may affect your own sense of success and could make one feel too egotistical.

Crown chakra: The center of spirituality; if disturbed could result in destructive feelings and lack of joy.

Factors that can clog up our chakras

Keeping our energy flow balanced is essential for our well being; if one or more of our chakras is blocked, under active or over active, our well-being and state of mind are affected. We may feel drained, exhausted, depressed and could be more prone to diseases. Blocking out experiences and suppressing feelings have a major effect in the development of our chakras and the whole energy flow thus affecting our health.

“Our thoughts and daily habits have a constant effect on the ebb and flow of the subtle life-force that flows through these centers. When we clog up our awareness with negative or fearful thoughts or fill the body with foods that have little to no life-force, the flow of energy through our chacric system stagnates,” explains healer David Belo.

Drugs too could play a big factor in our energy flow and balance of chakras channels, with different substances resulting in different effects.

“Hallucinogenics tend to have an explosive effect on the ‘doors’ that play a role in blocking our perception in higher states. Cocaine ‘eats out’ the energy of the solar plexus chakra, which is our power center and where the personality is most active. Other drugs like marijuana tend to open the natural lining or ‘protection’ of the aura field, which usually filters out unwanted astral energy. Medication can have the same effect; over exposure to antibiotics, anti-depressants, and other types of medicines cause significant distress to the natural restorative functions of the energy systems and to the coherent ability of an individual to bring themselves back to balance,” warns Belo.

Belo also mentions that alcohol tends to close up the heart chakra and is very disruptive to the nervous and meridian systems.

Ways to balance our energy

One of the ways in which one can open up, clear out and revitalize energy centers is through meditation.

“Meditation has a lot of  physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits. From my own experience, It is the best stress releasing tool; I usually feel much more energetic and focused after meditating. It certainly helps keep things in perspective and provides a feeling of peace of mind as well as aids in discovering your purpose. It’s a journey of self-discovery that could be very difficult and emotional at times but that is definitely worth it,” says Noha Ghoname, a meditator.

Yoga is another valuable form of physical exercise that has a major impact on our energy flow as well as other essential benefits to the body, it all depends on why you choose to practice it and how.

Iman El Sherbiny, Ashtanga yoga instructor explains “Ashtanga yoga means eight limbs; Asana is the third limb and meditation is the seventh. Asana helps in cleansing and detoxifying your physical body to be able to sit comfortably and meditate for long periods of time. Most people do Asana for a long time and after years of practice and cleansing the body, they move on to the higher practices like concentration, meditation and pranayama (intense breathing exercises). Ashtanga yoga is also known to be a moving meditation as you focus on the breath.”

The importance of guidance

We often attempt to give certain exercises a go without resorting to a teacher for basic guidance before we take it on full force; this works for a few types of workouts and mental exercises but maybe not advisable for yoga.

“One of the most neglected and misunderstood facts about yoga is proper guidance and the importance of your teacher. Yoga is for everyone and anyone can do it, however, its critical to practice under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Yoga practices, including meditation, are slow processes that take time to be understood. Most advanced practitioners and people who have been doing yoga for a long time understand this and even though they have their own practice, they go to their teachers for guidance,” says Sherbiny.

The spirituality aspect

“Spirituality in yoga is a choice and has nothing to do with religion. In most cases, practicing yoga can make you better at whatever religion you choose. Being physically fit and flexible you can see how it can help with the movement of your prayers. Yoga also brings in awareness, which can help in being more aware and focused while reciting. It’s about connecting with yourself regardless of which beliefs you follow,” explains Sherbiny.

On meditation, Belo adds that “all disease comes from one source, the separation of man or woman from the divine. All separation from the plant, animal and mineral kingdoms, as well as separation from one another is only an extension of this original separation. Whether a broken leg, a cold, or a chronic disease, when we realize our divine nature and the divinity within us we won’t manifest ourselves with disease, we get rid of the disease originally created. This is the long-term aim of creating an interface with the higher vibrating parts of our awareness through the tool that is broadly known as meditation.”

Tips to consider

• “Knowing the history of your teacher and trying out different classes is a good way to go when you are starting yoga. Meditation, especially at first, needs proper guidance and initiation then anyone can include it to their daily routine,” Sherbiny reminds us.
  
• “The more you practice and explore, the more you will feel the benefits and continue to do it out of love and how it makes you feel,” says Sherbiny about yoga.
• Always remind yourself that “energy follows awareness, when you focus on what makes you feel great, you put energy into that, their is no resistance to well-being in your vibration, and all of your energy systems will reflect just that,” says Belo.
• When meditating, it’s always of use to be aware of your breathing and even listening to your breath.
• Always be aware of why you choose to meditate and be aware of the issues you need to help yourself work on so you’d work on the right chakras that need to maintain their balance.

Visit this link and download David Belo’s “entering the heart meditation” that he’s offering exclusively for our reader’s.

For more information on David Belo and the schedule of his upcoming workshops around the world, check this link.

For more information about Iman El Sherbiny and her schedule of yoga classes, check Ashtanga Yoga Egypt’s Facebook group.