Sahasrara "Crown" Chakra, Connection to the Vast Unknown
*This is the 8th blog in my chakra series related to emotional/physical/spiritual wellbeing. Here is a link to the first in the series, a brief overview of the chakra system. If you are not familiar with the chakra system I recommend reading this first:
In ancient yogic art forms, Sahasrara, or our “Crown” Chakra is portrayed as a purple/violet thousand petaled lotus flower resting at the top of our head. This energy center connects us to the collective consciousness of our community, and to the spirit world as we understand it. Sahasrara highlights our ability to connect deeply to other humans and non-human beings.
This may be one of the reasons the natural world is such an ideal place to connect to the crown, because we are literally surrounded by our external consciousness that is the trees, the earth and the sky. Sometimes when we are existing within 4 walls, it’s hard to feel the same sense of connection. When outside, we start to see that branches grow in the same way that microscopic neurons appear in our brain, which also mirror the root systems of trees. We start to notice our similarities as natural beings, rather than isolate ourselves as individual ecosystems.
When this chakra is in balance, we feel connected to a greater purpose, a part of the deeper meaning in the universe. We feel our mind get quiet, and a release of the “monkey brain” that often chases us from moment to moment. People have reported feeling a light pressure, warmth or coolness at the crown of the head when connecting with this chakra. Most of all, balancing Sahasrara Chakra can help us feel connected in a disconnected world. We start to release our individual traumas and pain to see the big picture of universal awe and magic around us.
The Gems of Trauma Connected to Sahasrara
Trauma affecting this chakra can be related to deeply painful life-altering events or a slow wearing away of hope; the things that make us question our greater meaning and purpose. Also, specifically painful religious experiences can create a loss of faith and trust in the collective unconscious that this chakra connects us to. In counterbalance, being at a “turning point” in our faith in the universe can cause us to grow deeply because we are forced into the proverbial underworld, which is close to the soul. We spend time in the darkness and come back to the surface with the gem of our soul purpose in the world.
When this chakra is out of balance, we feel disconnected from purpose, or a part from the rest of our community, aimless in our spirituality. We can often feel a sense of dullness, or lack of enthusiasm in the trajectory of our lives. To dig ourselves out of this dull pit, we have to find something that invokes a sense of connectedness or awe, and what better way to feel connected than spending time in the natural world?
Find Your Soul Purpose
Sahasrara Chakra is like an antennae for our spiritual instincts, pointing us in the direction where we will feel the most purposeful and intentional in our lives. Here are some practices to help connect to Sahasrara:
Read “Soul Craft,” by Bill Plotkin to connect with the mysterious natural world and find your soul’s purpose
Write down your dreams in first person i.e. “I am walking through a forest, and I hear a rustling in the bushes. I feel scared.” Be as clear with feelings and sensations as you can. This will help you tune into the wisdom of your subconscious.
Go somewhere in nature that makes you feel amazement and practice allowing amazement to be felt
Practice meditation: Meditation can feel intimidating, so allow yourself to be creative: go for a short walk in the woods without your phone and notice your surroundings, sit and truly listen to one instrumental song, start with 1 minute of sitting and go from there
Chant “Om,” and focus on the silence after the Om. The silence is the sound of Sahasrara
Going outside and building relationship with the more-than-human realm is one of the deepest ways to expand and strengthen Sahasrara Chakra. We are more than our phones, our jobs, our human identities, and the natural world will reflect us as human beings, not the doings we so often expect ourselves to be. We are nearing the end of our Chakra journey with the more ethereal and magic realm. Next week we will focus on the electromagnetic field surrounding our body, which protects our energy and overall health.