Meditative energy and concentrated thought is what gives power to rituals and the performance of magic. The key to successfully manifesting positive outcomes from all your feng shui rituals lies in the ability to relax, to quiet the mind and to still the passages of thoughts until you are able to imbue all your practices with precise and powerful concentration. It is then when you can achieve maximum positive results.

In the early stages of your practices, keep things simple and proceed slowly with techniques that you understand and can relate to, and with benefits you can genuinely experience. Breathing mediations are ideal for calming the mind and developing the experience of insight. These are essential ingredients for successfully developing concentration.

THE SEVEN GUIDES TO POSTURE IN MEDITATION

1. LEGS:

The full lotus position with the feet placed sole upwards on the thigh of the other leg, is recommended. This is the preferred posture of many practising yogis or people capable of performing real magical feats produced by the mind’s power. You can also however meditate sitting cross-legged, with both feet on the floor. Placing a firm cushion under the buttocks will help to keep your back straight and reduce the “pins and needles” effect.

If even this posture is difficult for you, you can sit on a straight- backed chair with both feet planted firmly on the floor. You will find it you examine old pictures of the Egyptians that they are shown seated in this way.

And if even this difficult, try lying down with your back straight and your hands by your sides. This position is also acceptable. The only drawback of such a position is that you will find yourself falling asleep! When assessing posture, always be comfortable. You cannot get into s state of relaxation when your physical body is uncomfortable.

2. ARMS:

Shoulders and arms should be relaxed. This improves circulation and helps to keep you awake. As for your hands, either rest them lightly on your knees, palm downwards, or hold them loosely on your lap with your fingers aligned.

3. BACK:

The back must be straight, held relaxed but upright. It is when the back is straight that energy can easily flow through. A straight back is also conducive to longer periods of meditation. It is only when have succeeded in staying comfortably upright that you can really feel your mind relaxing and focusing more clearly. So make the effort to get it correct before proceeding.

4. EYES:

Keep your eyes lightly closed and cast downward. This enables you to shut out distraction. But, it is not advisable to keep your eyes too tightly closed. It is said that closing the eyes causes drowsiness, but you should do whatever makes you comfortable.

5. MOUTH:

Your entire mouth and jaw should be relaxed and comfortable. Teeth are kept slightly apart, with lips kept lightly together.

6. TONGUE:

The tongue should be slightly touching the upper palate behind the teeth. This will stop the saliva from flowing and enables you to concentrate for longer periods.

7. HEAD:

This should be naturally balanced. Do not tilt the head too far forward or backward. Hold it in such a position that your gaze can be directed naturally toward the floor in front of you. When the head position is held too high or too low, wandering thoughts can hinder concentration.

THE TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION

The simple meditation techniques that are recommended for beginners who are using it to enhance their feng shui practice is the white light meditation.

With this method, the idea is to practise focusing the mind.

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Stimulating your spinning wheels of light will bring viatlity to your inner chi.

CHAKRA is a Sanskrit word that means “wheel.” Those who can see them describe chakras as spinning wheels of light that glow and spread outwards. The magnificence of the radiating colours reflects the strength of a person’s inner chi, the clarity of one’s thoughts and the purity of one’s attitudes. Chakras are concentrations of focused energy that have much mental and spiritual power. When we activate and balance our chakras, we stimulate the optimum release of powerful energies, which give rise to feelings of well being, good health and enhanced mental clarity.

Within our bodies we have focal points of energy that we use consciously or unconsciously all the time so they affect our attitudes, our response to the world and our potential for happiness and good health. These focal points are our Chakras, and the well being of each of our seven Chakras affects our behaviour and attitudes. Consciously tuning into them, meditating on them and then arousing and balancing them are thus excellent for making us feel centered.

When our chakras are unhealthy, blocked or unbalanced, they lead us to make unwise decisions, and makes us unhappy, depressed and indecisive. Chakras are a core belief of many meditative practices, spiritual and religious, and have been incorporated into many New Age practices. The chakra system was first developed in India in the Middle Ages.

Ideally, all the chakras should be active and spinning at a similar rate to each other. Most of us however have some chakras that are overactive and others that are closed down or under -active so they need to be stimulated.

Chakras can be stimulated in different ways. At the highest levels of stimulation, highly attained yogics use meditative equipoises to do so. Their methods reflect their high levels of mental and spiritual attainments. These are known as siddhic powers, the realization of which require years of meditative retreat to perfect. Powerful and usually secret methods for arousing the chakras are said to be part of Hindu and Tibetan Chakra systems. These methods are not readily available and can usually only be learnt when one is taken under the wing of a high practitioner, usually a holy man, high lama or realized guru.

Ordinary folk like us can try using simple calm-abiding meditation and other visualization techniques to achieve some small stimulation of our chakra centers. What we can achieve is of course nothing compared to the siddhic powers of the yogics, but however small our attainment, it nevertheless brings enormous health and spiritually- awakening benefits. What we can do is to focus our conscious awareness onto the seven chakra points located at different vital places of the body.

In recent years, New Age practitioners have increasingly used flower essences, crystals and lights to awaken chakra points with some degree of success in improving health and reducing stress levels. Stimulating chakra points can also dissolve blockages that subvert the flow of inner chi, helping the mind to release and dissolve mental pressure and negative emotions.

Advocates of Chakra arousal and balancing explain that unless this is done, one’s mind and emotions can create resistance within the inner systems of the body so that eventually, blockages assume physical proportions, lodging in whichever physical area of the body is most vulnerable. This is what gives rise to disease and illness. Chakra balancing dissolves blockages before they become physical illnesses.

Activating the Seven Chakra Points

The method is to visualize coloured light at the chakra area, but you can also use coloured crystals to activate the chakra. Place the crystals on the point while lying down flat on your back, feeling relaxed, and visualize coloured light radiating outwards. Crystals, being symmetrical in their molecular structure, radiate energy in a consistent and steady manner. So they are excellent for creating a healing flow around the chakras.Each chakra responds to a special colour, and to crystals of corresponding colours that are placed at the chakra point.

1. First Chakra (Base of Spine)

The first chakra represents our bodies’ relationship with the material world. It grounds us in physical existence. When activated and balanced, its chi energy helps us blend the physical with the spiritual, and eliminates all that we do not need for growth. When this chakra is stagnant, we lack self-confidence and fear life, feel like victims, withdraw from physical reality, and thus act selfishly. Physical symptoms can include problems with feet, legs or the lower back.

Gemstones associated with the first chakra:

Black tourmaline : This is a protective stone, which is excellent when you feel threatened for whatever reason.
Hematite : This stone helps you establish protective boundaries when you feel others are intruding into your life.
Smoky quartz : This is the lightest of the dark stones and helps blend the energies of the first and seventh chakras.
Tiger’s eye : This stone helps you feel secure and increases confidence levels.

2. Second Chakra (Genital Area)

This chakra is directly related to sexually aroused energy flow, as expressed in the flow of blood, and with the energies of creativity. It is deeply connected to the five physical senses. When it is unblocked, people feel fully alive, energetic, spontaneous, guilt-free and they also love their bodies. When it is unbalanced, reproductive organ diseases, joint stiffness and various blood disorders could result.

Gemstones in line with the second chakra:

Carnelian : This is associated with creativity and decision-making.
Ruby or Rubelite : The stone of passion. This stone greatly enhances sensory awareness.
Red Jasper : This stone connects you to the auras.
Red Garnet : This stone encourages patience and a calmness of attitude.

3. Third Chakra (Navel and Solar Plexus Area)

This is the chakra of personal and material power, with an emphasis on mastery in the physical realm, especially the ability to manifest one’s hopes and dreams. It relates to expressing of one’s unique individuality. When it is unblocked and activated, you feel supremely self-confident, have a clear sense of purpose, and pursue ambitions that others consider impossible. Imbalances manifest as lack of self-confidence, insecurity about money and may also result in aggressive behaviour and using the one’s of power to dominate others. Physical symptoms manifest as stomach type disorders.

Gemstones in line with the third chakra:

Citrine : This stone manifests abundance and has a calming effect, especially on emotions such as anger and stress.
Golden Calcite : This stone integrates energies related to personal empowerment, such as relationships and business.Rutilated
Quartz : This stone adds enhanced energy to dreams.
Pyrite : This stone encourages the rise of creative ideas, which bring abundance.
Golden Topaz : Releases conditions that inhibit personal growth.

4. Fourth Chakra (Heart Area)

This chakra relates to mental clarity and clear sightedness of goals. It also opens our minds to loving kindness. When it is unblocked, we give love unconditionally and attract people who give us clarity of purpose. When it is blocked, we feel a lack of love and mental stability as keenly as those with third-chakra blockages feel a lack of material security. Heart conditions are the most common physical symptoms.

Gemstones associated with the fourth chakra:

Sapphires : Eases old, limiting beliefs (especially those based on fear) from the mind, so that new ideas can flourish.
Blue Topaz : Relates most directly to the spiritual aspects of love. It also opens the creative elements of the heart and adds emotional depth to one’s being.
Lapis Lazuli : Calms the mind and relieves mental stress.
Aquamarines : Release old and hurtful emotional patterns so the heart can be open to receive and give unconditional love.

5. Fifth Chakra (Throat Area)

This chakra governs communication and speech. When activated, we communicate effectively with others in both written and verbal form. This includes being able to constructively influence others for the collective good. When it is blocked, communication is difficult or impossible. No one listens to you or what you say. Usually there can be more physical blockages associated with the fifth chakra than with any other. These can include excessive eating and drinking (good ways to keep the throat busy while preventing communication) and a range of respiratory diseases.

Gemstones associated with the sixth chakra:

Rubies : This stone helps us communicate with deities and divine beings and aids in long-distance communication. It also dissolves anger.
Rose Quartz : Enables our speech to have a calming effect on others. Makes us express ourselves in a tranquil way.
Rubelite : This stone enables us to communicate fearlessly that which we know to be true, and also stimulates creativity. It encourages the growth of self-confidence in personal expression.

6. Sixth Chakra (Between Eyebrows)

Some people regard this as the place of our third eye, the psychic center of our being. When unblocked, it is the source of our inner wisdom and intuitive powers. Here is where we must focus our concentration if we want to develop our psychic abilities. This chakra is particularly related to the fear of our imagination, dreams and “irrational” intuitions. Physical symptoms of blockage include migraine, insomnia and anxiety.

Gemstones associated with the sixth chakra:

Amethyst : Known as nature’s tranquilizer, this stone helps us sleep peacefully and encourages us to have prophetic dreams.
Azurite : Helps us focus on negative beliefs and helps dissolve them.
Kunzite : This stone dissolve fears, both known and unknown.
Lapis : Helps us discover hidden beliefs within us and brings them to the surface.
Sodalite : Brings stability when one is emotionally or mentally confused.

7. Seventh Chakra (Crown of the Head)

The seventh chakra directly connects us to the highest self within us. When it is balanced, we connect directly with the universe, dissolve the illusion that we are separate from other humans and other forms of life, and we appreciate our uniqueness and understand the true nature of reality. When it is blocked, we feel uncomfortable in our own skin, feeling alone and afraid of death and dying.

Stones associated with the seventh chakra:

Clear Quartz Crystal : There are many forms of clear quartz. Crystal clusters help us view what happens in our lives from the soul perspective, and promotes calmness and serenity even when life seems difficult. Crystal points are good for dissolving chakra blockages, enabling us to see clearly.

Chakra balancing meditation

Choose one of the gemstones for each chakra. It is a good idea to activate all seven chakras, as this balances them. You can then arouse any one separately. Lie down and place each stone on the appropriate location. Inhale deeply, and as you inhale, imagine your breath coming up through the soles of your feet and filling your body as it rises to the top of your head. As you exhale, imagine it travelling back down your body and exiting through the soles of your feet. After you’ve practiced this a while, you may want to visualize the colour associated with each chakra as the breath travels through the related part of the body.

If you are working on a particular chakra, you may want to create a positive thought associated with it. For instance, a heart chakra mental thought can be “I receive the empowerment of unconditional love. My mind is mentally clear and bright.” Meditate on this thought and visualize yourself flooded with the blue light that radiates outwards from your heart chakra.

Chakra focus should be a relaxing way to meditate. As you continue to practice it, you will find yourself more attuned to your own subtle inner energies. You will become more aware of imbalances before they express themselves physically.

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