Do you ever get the feeling you are out of balance? I do. It's usually when I'm feeling anxiety or stress. Between work, kids, life, it adds up. When I'm stressed or out of balance, I can always tell because I'll wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep.
And I'm an AT LEAST 8 hour a night sleeper. Sleep is practically a hobby for me. Which is why it's so important for me to stay in balance. Besides the usual trying to eat right, exercise, meditating (which I need to more of), I am always on the lookout for something to bring a little peace and harmony into my life.
Which brings me to chakras. I wandered into the Aveda store recently and they asked if I wanted to "explore my
chakra balance." I thought, sure why not. It was a really great experience, and I highly recommend it next time you are in an
Aveda store.
According to Aveda,...The 7 Chakras; Your hair, scalp and skin are all part of one ecosystem: your body. When healthy and happy, your body has the power to make you look and feel beautiful. Ayurveda, the 5,000 year-old healing tradition from India on which Aveda's foundational principals are based, teaches us that chakras - our body's energy centers - can help this happen.
I'm was sold. At the store, they show you the 7 chakras associated with your body and you choose three chakras from the list whose words/symbols appeal to you today. Next, you smell the three balancing body mists associated with those chakras. If you prefer one aroma over the others, that's your senses weighing in on the balancing aroma that's right for you.
The seven chakras are:
1. Grounded. This is related to security and basic needs. The aroma is organic patchouli, vetiver and olibanum. Color is red. when this chakra is balanced, one has good energy, a feeling of security and healthy body awareness. When imbalanced, one feels lethargy, resistance to change and the need to slow down.
2. Nourished is related to pleasure and our relationship with others. The aroma is organic sandalwood, orange and geranium. Color is orange. When in balance, one has stable energy, alertness, unblocked emotions and is connected to all five senses. When imbalanced, one feels out of touch with one's senses.
3.Intention is related to power, motivation, intention and desire. The aroma is organic fir, balsam, lavender and lemon. Color is yellow. When this chakra is balanced, one achieves goals, is self-confident and has strong motivation and direction. When out of balance, one experiences mental blocks, nervousness and impatience.
4.Harmony is related to sympathy, empathy and love. The aroma is organic sandalwood, mandarin and palmarosa. Color is green. When the heart chakra is balanced, one feels love and connection to self and others. When out of balance, one experiences depression, loss of connection and apathy.
5. Expressive is related to creativity, self-expression and communication. Color is blue. The aroma is organic grapefruit, rosemary and ylang ylang. When balanced, one has inner trust, self-reliance and easily expresses ideas and thoughts. When out of balance, one feels selfish, has feelings of rejection and has difficulty expressing oneself.
6. Insight is related to intuition, imagination and perception. The color is dark blue and the aroma is organic petitgrain, orange and geranium. When balanced, one will feel intuitive, connected and mentally fit. When unbalanced, one has mental blocks, over-thinks and lacks depth.
7. Wisdom is related to wisdom and enlightenment. The color is violet and the aroma is angelica, elemi and organic olibanum. When balanced, one feels strong, unclouded and experiences joy. When unbalanced, one feels loss of self, spiritual abandonment and lack of connection to the universe.
Sounds like a lot, but the process is actually really fun and takes only minutes. It was really interesting to me. I ended up liking both #4 and #7. You can use the body mists while meditating, doing yoga, or whenever you feel the need. I tend to keep one by my bed and the other kind of floats around the house. The aromas themselves smell amazing, and hey if they offer a little balance to my life, then GREAT!!
What do you do to create more balance in your life?
