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Manipura

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Manipura chakra
Welcome to the third newsletter in the Kundalini series in which the third chakra, Manipura, is discussed. This chakra is situated behind the belly button and affects the core of our being. Its English translation means ‘city of jewels’, a name that suggests a certain radiation and sparkling glow. This chakra is also referred to as the solar plexus chakra or fire chakra. Manipura influences our digestive fire, as well as our ability to ‘fire up’ which reflects our personal power.The asana practice that balances this third chakra involves core strengthening exercises, twists and leg lifts. The pranayama practice that perfectly suits Manipura is the bhastrika breath or bellows breath. This new breath taught us to forcefully contract our diaphragm muscle on the exhalation breath. The immediate warming effect of the bhastrika pranayma makes it perfect practice for the winter months.Like Mooladhara, Manipura has its own bandha or lock: the Uddiyana bandha. This lock is applied when we contract the diaphragm and deep belly muscles (belly button to spine) after the exhalation breath. The practice of Uddiyana bandha is useful to clear blockages in the energy flow from the top of the body to the bottom and vice versa.The next newsletter which will come out shortly will talk about the 4th chakra, Anahata or the heart chakra.May the benefits of your practice stay with you and extend beyond you.Namaste,
Ernestine
Manipura in a nutshell

Element: Fire
Sound: Ram
Colour: Yellow
Balanced: Warmth, ease, vitality, good digestion.
Unbalanced: Digestive problems, eating disorders,
low self- esteem or seeking power and control,
perfectionism.
Endocrine system: Adrenals, pancreas, gal bladder.
Asana:
Leg rotations


Revolved side angle

 


Wild thing

 

Mudra:

Solar Mudra

 


Wisdom relating to Manipura:

‘Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.’

Anais Nin  – Diary 1969

Swadhisthana chakra

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Swadhisthana chakra
Welcome to the second edition of our Kundalini yoga practice. The second chakra we explored was the Swadhisthana chakra, sacral chakra, or chakra of creativity. Literally swadhisthana means ‘one’s own abode’ and its location in the body is only 2 cm above the Mooladhara chakra, between the coccyx and the pubic bone. Therefore the asanas we practiced to balance this chakra were fairly similar to those relating to Mooladhara. After a month into this Kundalini practice we should all feel quite loose, yet strong in the hip and lower belly area.I have enjoyed exploring the new mudras associated with the chakras, as well as finding specific music that balances each chakra separately. The Tibetan crystal singing bowls track seems to be the general favourite.At the end of  Yoga Nidra we played around with different visualizations.  An easy visualization is that of colour and a more challenging is that of a symbolic landscape, like the ocean by night with a crescent moon, which belongs to swadhisthana chakra.  In stead of the ‘so hum‘ mantra of our standard practice, we are now using the sound mantra belonging to each chakra. All these subtle changes have definitely added another dimension.Soon the next newsletter about Manipura will arrive in your Inbox, as we have already move up to the heart chakra this week.May the benefits of your practice stay with you and extend beyond you.Namaste,
Ernestine
Swadhisthana in a nutshell
Element: Water
Sound: Vam
Colour: Orange
Emotion:  power, lust, joy, blame and guilt.
Balanced: One can go with the flow and is open to new experiences. Creativity rules.
Unbalanced: sexual addiction, wanting constant entertainment(overactive) or
lethargic, depressed anxious(underactive)
Asana: Opening the hips and strengthening the lower abdomen.
1. Malasana 

 


2. Pigeon Pose

 

 

3. Crescent Moon

 

 Mudra:

Yoni Mudra

Kundalini Yoga – Mooladhara chakra

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Welcome to the third edition of the Inner Sanctum Newsletter. After a break of about 3 weeks over the school holidays I hope everyone is ready and motivated to get back into yoga. During these colder months we’ll continue to keep the body warm with a more vigorous vinyasa style yoga. Ocasionally we need to remind ourselves that yoga is a body-mind practice. For that reason I would like to introduce some theory of the Kundalinni Yoga practices this term. While we are working the body, we can direct the mind to the energetic benefits that we are gaining from the asana practice at the same time. I am planning to spend about 2 lessons on each of the 7 main Chakras, or energy centres, in the body.The lowest chakra is Mooladhara chakra (see chart to the right). The internal organs we’ll aim to balance are the kidneys, colon and skeletal system. The endocrine system targeted is that of the adrenal glands. On the neurological level we’ll work with the mudra of fearlessness, Abhaya Mudra. On an emotional level we are making sure that we remain grounded and secure.  Mooladhara has its own bandha or energy lock: the Moolabandha. By drawing up the pelvic floor after complete exhalation and releasing when we need to inhale again, we stimulate the energy flow into the lower parts of our body.

THE 7 MAIN CHAKRAS OF KUNDALINI YOGA

Mooladhara chakra in a nutshell:

 

Element: Earth
Sound: Lam
Colour: Red

When Balanced: We can have feelings of anxiety, greed, fear and/or a sense we don’t belong or are not good enough.
When Unbalanced: We feel secure, safe, stable and supported. We know there is enough to go around and we also have a sense of belonging.

Asana: Grounding practice with standing poses.

Virabhadrasana 1,2,3

 


Mudra:  Abhaya Mudra – mudra of fearlessness