More on Muladhara Chakrah, EARTH ENERGY

http://hinduism.iskcon.com/tradition/1203.htm

Chakrah system analysis

The Mindful Gym™'s creator, Alison Leigh Siegel, MFT, Somatic Psychotherapist and wellness educator, refers to the Chakrah system as being one of the most powerful tools in healing emotional issues. In a typical body/mind session, she will guide you through your energetic "emotional body" system, and give you a detailed awareness of what areas of stagnation you are holding.


1st Chakra: MULADHARA meaning ‘root of our support’
Commonly known as the base centre
Location: perineum, base of spine
Colour: Red
Element: Earth
Governs: The kidneys, adrenals, pelvis, hips, knees, lower back, sciatic nerve, bowel movement.
Traditional development ages: 0-7 years

2nd Chakra: SVADHISHTHANA meaning ‘your own dwelling place’
Commonly known as the sexual centre
Location: between the genitals and naval
Colour: Orange
Element: Water
Governs: The genitals, reproductive organs, bladder and prostate.
Traditional development ages: 7-14 years

Key Words: Self Worth and Emotional Boundaries

3rd Chakra: MANIPURA meaning ‘dwelling place of jewels’
Commonly known as the power centre
Location: at the solar plexus
Colour: Yellow
Element: Fire
Governs:: The spleen, liver, gall bladder, stomach and pancreas
Traditional development ages: 14-21 years

Key Words: Power and Ego

4th Chakra: ANAHATA meaning ‘that which is ever new’
Commonly known as the heart centre
Location: at the centre of the chest
Colour: Emerald Green
Element: Air
Governs: The physical heart, lungs and thymus
Traditional development ages: 21-28 years


Key Words: Giving and Receiving

5th Chakra: VISHUDDHA meaning ‘purest of the pure’
Commonly known as the throat centre
Location: at the throat
Colour: Sky Blue
Element: Ether or Space
Governs: The vocal chords, thyroid and voice
Traditional development: ages 28-35 years


Key Words: Communication and Creative Expression.

6th Chakra: AJNA meaning ‘command’
Commonly known as the third eye
Location: on the forehead between the eyebrows
Colour: Indigo
Element: Light
Governs: The pituitary Gland
Traditional development: ages 35-42 years


Key Words: Perception and Self Reflection.

7th Chakra: SAHASRARA meaning ‘thousand-petalled lotus’
Commonly known as the crown centre
Location: at the crown of the head
Colour: Violet, Gold orWhite

Element: Consciousness
Governs: The pineal Gland
Traditional development: ages 42-49 years

Stop the perfection and BE MESSY!

Are you feeling anxious, angry and can't shed that emotion? Try our all girls (women) Messy Girls Club...we have fun and meet new messy gals ... "Don't be perfect, be messy!"

The Messy Girl Club

CAT got your TONGUE?

Perhaps you feel choked up, not heard or plain, just too tired to verbally reach out. So, you want to say something but you just can't. Okay, then. Follow these steps toward accelerating the vibration of your voice.

1) Use A-E-I-O- and U with different voices. Say them out loud if you can. Now, say them again, but this time, use a different voice. Perhaps someone you know or in the tone of a song you like. The main objective is to use different vocal tones to begin to listen to yourself.

2) After saying it, now take your hand and put it on your larynx. FEEL the sensation of the vibration...a-e-i-o-u. Feel silly yet? Don't. It works. Do it again until you can really feel each vowel like you are saying it for the first time. Get used to your voice. Perhaps something else will come out as well.

3) Go look in the mirror at yourself. Good. Now, do it again. I know- you may feel funny, but again, trust me. It works.

4) Write down all the feelings that went through a) your head and b) your body and don't forget to write down all the judgements, fears, anxieties too. When you are finished- look at what you wrote and then email me your thoughts, expressions. You have now completed a very awkward exercise however tap into how you feel now compared to how you felt when you started. Sure, there might not be a huge shift, but i can tell you there will be a shift even a small one counts.

How to GROUND and Center Yourself

Feeling stuck? These mindful and grounding exercises will help you be in the moment, breathe and develop a better sense of self.

1) The number one thing to do first is:
To honor yourself first. That comes before taking care of anyone else...remember, you are first! This may look or sound just like just words because so many of us hear people telling us that; however what it means for you is this: Accept where you are now, today, because it took you many years of struggling to get here. You made it here! think about that! What that means in terms of accepting this mindful and conscious state is to go ahead (i’m giving you permission) to embody that on a level that has not reached you in a while. We will do this together through our work. You will be performing the touch piece though, since i’m not there. Even if i was, you can do this on your own. You have the power to change yourself, don’t forget that.

2) Acceptance.To be more detailed, you might say, “I accept my body the way it is now. You might repeat this while lying on the couch or somewhere comfortable and putting your hand on your stomach. Breathe in with your “buddah belly” (the area just beneath your belly button allowing your belly to rise with great breath and fall with each exhalation. It might look like something like this (see video)

3) Add words. While you are breathing in big deep breaths (and make sure they are big and deep), you will say to yourself quietly or out loud, “I accept myself now”. Then after really getting this, do it more, with more words. “I accept myself now and my body as it is right now”. Then, “I accept myself now, my body now and I accept my body as a whole”. Keep doing variations of this meditation, each time adding more words, but not too many words that it clutters the mind. The point is to keep vibrating at a level of comfort for you. If you feel something in the middle of any of these affirmations, stop and rest. Your body is telling you something. Listen.

4) LISTEN AND Feel it. Next step is while you are breathing, to actually feel your breath (which is a different motion), and accept this gift you are giving to yourself on all levels of sensations. Give yourself permission to allow any emotion, sensation or feeling to arise without any judgement (from our inner critic). That means if something comes into your mind, like, “i don’t believe myself, this is not true for me, etc” is then to continue hearing that voice and then commenting inside to yourself, “Oh, that is interesting”. Allowing yourself to just notice and not judge will help that thought gets its “fill” and since you don’t give it any power, it won’t last. It will just release from you. Then, continue back to your original state of breathing in acceptance of your “whole body” and then releasing with ease (inhalation through nose, exhalation through mouth)

5) Pace yourself, go at your own pace.I want you to try this for a bit because we want you to take this process slowly. Due to the injury of the body/mind connection from the trauma, we want to control our own pace. That means that we do things with incredible detail to pace. We don’t go fast, or too slow. We only go how we want to go. We are back in control of our bodies now in this time and we need to allow for that pace.

6) Repeat. All of these points are really important, so try and do them over and over again. To repeat, find somewhere comfortable to sit/lye, and then place your hand to the part of your body (stomach now) and begin taking deep breaths. Then, feel the inhalation/exhalation and then begin your affirmation (s).

The last piece is the most crucial, which is to “see what comes up” from this. The point then, is to make allowance for the feelings that were lost/stuck in our past and now give it a new freedom point for which to take off and for which to land.


Let me know how it goes.
Much love and respect to you and your sacred body temple.

Alison Leigh Siegel, MFT
2121 26th Street #202
San Francisco, Ca 94107
http://www.justbegoodtoyourself.blogspot.com/
askalisonleigh@gmail.com
415-377-9851

Healing Affirmations/Meditations for Releasing "Stuck" emotions

There are many steps to healing ourselves and our bodies. Many people ask me, "what can i do when i'm not in session?". I love that question because it #1) shows me you are taking responsibility for your own healing which is really hard to do! So, first, congratulations! To begin with : i will explain some small steps you can do at home or own your own time when you feel "stuck" and really just need to feel yourself, calm down, or get in touch with your emotions.

#1) HONOR yourself and your process FIRST . That comes before taking care of anyone else...remember, you are first! This may look or sound just like just words because so many of us hear people telling us that; however what it means for you is this: Accept where you are now, today, because it took you many years of struggling to get here. You made it here! think about that! What that means in terms of accepting this mindful and conscious state is to go ahead (i’m giving you permission) to embody that on a level that has not reached you in a while. We will do this together through our work. You will be performing the touch piece though, since i’m not there. Even if i was, you can do this on your own. You have the power to change yourself, don’t forget that.

2) Acceptance.To be more detailed, you might say, “I accept my body the way it is now. You might repeat this while lying on the couch or somewhere comfortable and putting your hand on your stomach. Breathe in with your “buddah belly” (the area just beneath your belly button allowing your belly to rise with great breath and fall with each exhalation. It might look like something like this (insert picture, video, etc).

3) Add words. While you are breathing in big deep breaths (and make sure they are big and deep), you will say to yourself quietly or out loud, “I accept myself now”. Then after really getting this, do it more, with more words. “I accept myself now and my body as it is right now”. Then, “I accept myself now, my body now and I accept my body as a whole”. Keep doing variations of this meditation, each time adding more words, but not too many words that it clutters the mind. The point is to keep vibrating at a level of comfort for you. If you feel something in the middle of any of these affirmations, stop and rest. Your body is telling you something. Listen.

4) Feel it. Next step is while you are breathing, to actually feel your breath (which is a different motion), and accept this gift you are giving to yourself on all levels of sensations. Give yourself permission to allow any emotion, sensation or feeling to arise without any judgement (from our inner critic). That means if something comes into your mind, like, “i don’t believe myself, this is not true for me, etc” is then to continue hearing that voice and then commenting inside to yourself, “Oh, that is interesting”. Allowing yourself to just notice and not judge will help that thought gets its “fill” and since you don’t give it any power, it won’t last. It will just release from you. Then, continue back to your original state of breathing in acceptance of your “whole body” and then releasing with ease (inhalation through nose, exhalation through mouth)

5) Pace yourself, go at your own pace.I want you to try this for a bit because we want you to take this process slowly. Due to the injury of the body/mind connection from the trauma, we want to control our own pace. That means that we do things with incredible detail to pace. We don’t go fast, or too slow. We only go how we want to go. We are back in control of our bodies now in this time and we need to allow for that pace.

6) Repeat. All of these points are really important, so try and do them over and over again. To repeat, find somewhere comfortable to sit/lye, and then place your hand to the part of your body (stomach now) and begin taking deep breaths. Then, feel the inhalation/exhalation and then begin your affirmation (s).

The last piece is the most crucial, which is to “see what comes up” from this. The point then, is to make allowance for the feelings that were lost/stuck in our past and now give it a new freedom point for which to take off and for which to land.


Let me know how it goes.
Much love and respect to you and your sacred body temple.

Alison Leigh Siegel, MFT
2121 26th Street #202
San Francisco, Ca 94107
http://www.justbegoodtoyourself.blogspot.com/
askalisonleigh@gmail.com
415-377-9851
http://www.alisonleigh.net/

5 ways to destress during work or at home:

1) Use your 5 senses:
a) SIGHT: Use your eyes: The sense of sight helps us recognize each other and learn about color, motion and distance.what do you see around you? Navigate your playing field, or relaxation field by tuning into your eyes, your sight, your vision. If that was all you had right now, what would you see? Take inventory on these things around you. Breathe in deeply and with an allowance to letting go...count in three breathes, and then let go visualizing these or one of the colors you choose. Do it again increasing both the frequency of color and the intensity. (photo by:Joe Tilson
Transparency, the Five Senses: Taste 1969 )
b) HEAR/LISTEN: Use your ears: The sense of hearing helps us learn from each other through communication. listen closely to all around you. Feel it in your body if you can. What do you hear? Can you listen closely to your breathe? can you hear your heartbeat? Can you hear yourself in your own silence? What comes up for you when you LISTEN?
c) SMELL: The sense of smell helps us to enhance our fruitful experiences and helps us detect potential risks.Nose: Smell and take note in what you sense through your nose. Is is sweet, succulent? Take a big inhalation, breathe out in counts of five. Use your body to really feel into that motion of sensing with your nose and embody the rhythm of this movement. Repeat.
d) TOUCH/FEEL: he sense of touch helps us learn about our world by feeling it and learning the size, texture and shape of things.try and listen with your whole body. what sensations do you feel? Can you feel the warmth of your skin? Can you feel the air blowing in your hair? go ahead and inhale with full breath and then allow yourself a deep and relaxing exhale. Don't hurry. It feels better when slowing down.
e) TASTE: Taste helps us determine what we like to eat. This is one of many favorites. It's not only how it tastes, but what does it taste like? compare your tastes to that of other tastes. Can taste also be felt? Seen? Go ahead and use your other senses to enhance your sense of taste. Inhale mindfully, being present with every breath, and then slowly eat or chew your food. Slow food...it's where it is at.

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