the wheels keep a-turnin'

For the past few months, I've been focusing on my chakras. When I feel stressed or my energy feels overwhelming (you know the feeling--I must do something, but I don't know what), I sit and focus on making sure my chakras are clear.

The way I think of chakras is that they're energy centers in your body that operate a lot like wheels connected by chains. Sometimes, they get gunk in them, slowing them down, keeping the wheels from turning smoothly. In those moments, it's my job to go in and de-gunk.

When I de-gunk my chakras, I focus on two things: light and motion. I start with focusing on light, because the easiest way for me to visualize energy is by seeing light in my mind's eye. Sometimes I start at the top of my head (the Crown chakra) and sometimes I start at my tailbone (the Root chakra). The process is the same no matter what: imagine myself connected to Source energy (which formulates as either yellow or white light in my mind) and then bring that Source energy into my body through whichever chakra I'm starting with and use it to "clean" the energy of that chakra.

I move through my body this way. Once one chakra's brilliance matches that of the Source energy/light I started with, I move to the next chakra. When I finish cleaning the last chakra, I begin, again, in the opposite direction, only this time I focus on movement.

When I work on getting the chakras moving, I visualize a wheel in whichever chakra I'm working with. I imagine myself turning that wheel with my mind (not my hands...I never visualize myself in human form when working with my chakras). Sometimes, it takes a while for the wheel to speed up, but I'm patient. I know that eventually it will turn faster and when it does, I am patient while it gets to a speed I feel is healthy for the moment.

Sometimes, I encounter a wheel that is already spinning too quickly. I sit patiently with myself while it slows down. I don't talk to myself in these moments, but I do concentrate on the turning wheel and visualize my energy forcing it to move a bit slower. It seems that I'm dispursing the abundant supply of energy in that wheel, because I know I send energy either up or down a chakra path when I'm doing this.

I visit each chakra, acknowledging the speed of the wheel and changing it when necessary. (Some chakras are already at the exact speed and/or brilliance they need to be at in that moment.) Then, when I reach the last chakra, again, I sit for a moment and do a full-body scan of sorts, where I'm checking to make sure everything seems balanced, open, and clear.

This has made a huge difference in my ability to handle stress. Even if the stressor is still present after this chakra cleaning (and it usually is), I find that I tend to focus on the brightness of the light within me instead of the problem I'm facing. Because of that, I am able to meet the stressor with more compassion and peace and love. Because of that, I don't re-stress myself.

It's a gift to myself as well as others. And, I appreciate that.