Benefits of Holistic Healthcare
Holistic healthcare is a practice by which a whole person is treated or taken care of in order to be brought to or maintain optimal health. By whole, I mean that a person is made up of body, mind and spirit and all three entities are examined so that together, they can perform optimally. Treating the whole signifies a respect for the entire person’s well being on all levels rather than concentrating on alleviating a specific symptom. The reason for this is simple – a disease or unpleasant symptoms surface when one’s body, mind and spirit are not working in harmony. Holistic healing therefore embodies a variety of disciplines that through use and education enable one to gain what they need on all levels, not just what they want on a physical level. Holistic healthcare approaches will be examined here as they relate to the treatment of chakras that are out of balance.
What is a chakra?
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means ‘wheel of light’. Traditionally, there are seven chakras and they are thought of as spinning vortices of energy. The notion of 7 maps of consciousness goes back further than 2500BC5.
Chakra locations differ, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the crown of the head. They are located in the astral body (about an inch away from the physical body)3 within the Sushumna (a vertical column). The Sushumna channels energy from the Universal life force to and from the crown and root chakras. Each chakra is rooted in the Sushumna by both a front and rear aspect (lotus flower in the front and stem in the back). The stems remain closed and have a negative polarity. The flowers open and close, they vibrate, rotate in a clockwise and counter clockwise direction and have a positive polarity5.
The purpose of each chakra
Each chakra has its own purpose, association and connection. My focus is the three higher chakras.
The Crown Chakra is also known as Sahasrara. Its associated symbol is the 1000 -Petaled lotus. Its associated body parts are the brain (therefore, it is concerned with thinking and decision making), cerebellum, pineal gland and skull, its associated colour is violet and there is a spiritual element that guides it. The crown chakra is located in the crown of the head and interprets information for the other six chakras. It is important for all of the chakras to be free and open so that communication and energy may flow freely up the Sushumna reaching the crown chakra where it can complete its journey – connecting with the universe. Through this connectedness, pure consciousness is achieved. Knowledge that the self represents the divine is the essence of the crown chakra being in harmony. When out of harmony, the person shows signs of anger, fear, and depression and is unsatisfied with their lives. They can’t imagine a world where they are divine and connected to everything around them2. Further to that, a dysfunctional crown chakra will manifest in a person’s physical body sensitivity to pollutants, chronic exhaustion, epilepsy and even Alzheimer’s5.
The Third Eye Chakra is also known as Ajna. Its associated symbol is the ninety six petaled lotus. It is associated with the face, nose, sinuses, ears, eyes, pituitary gland and CNS. The third eye chakra is located between the eyes, is concerned with true inner vision and its associated colour is indigo. Ajna is where memories and imagination are kept. The third eye chakra is also where spiritual matters are passed down so that other parts of an individual are influenced. When in harmony, one is aware of their spirituality; they are in touch with their subconscious (allowing themselves to be guided by intuition and inner awareness) and are connected to the universe. If Ajna is out of harmony, a person can suffer from headaches, poor vision, neurological disturbances, glaucoma, learning difficulties, hallucinations and have nightmares. They can reject their spiritual guides and focus on pure intellect and science as well as observe the obvious, rejecting hidden meanings and avoiding intuition2, 5.
The throat chakra is also known as Vishuddha. Its associated symbol is the sixteen petaled lotus. It is associated with the lungs, vocal chords, bronchials, throat, thyroid, voice, jaw, neck, nape of neck and hearing. The throat chakra is located between the inner collarbone, its associated colour if light blue and it is concerned with communication and expression. This chakra deals with everything relating to sound and communication of emotions and feelings. It provides an outlet for inner reflection. When in harmony, there is a balance between expression, silence and speech. A person with a balanced throat chakra knows how to listen to the ‘inner voice’ and trusts their intuition. When out of harmony, one simply cannot express their feelings, regardless of how much they talk, which can lead to frustration and tension. They are perfectionists, their creativity is blocked, they are fearful of being judged and rejected and there is a fear of silence2,5. From a physical perspective, if Vishuddha is out of balance, one may suffer from sore throats, neck ache, thyroid problems, tinnitus and asthma5.
How chakras become unbalanced
Chakras lose balance through negatives such as abuse, loss of a loved one or pain. They may also be out of harmony for several other reasons including: stress, pollution, an unhealthy diet and a distressed physical body. Of course, since humans are dynamic beings, there are methods that can be used to revitalize one’s chakras. In turn, because these methods are holistic, there effects are felt physically, emotionally and spiritually
The mind body connection
The road to good overall health begins with the understanding that there is a very strong mind – body connection. Once the mind begins to feel at ease, the body will follow. For example, we all have old patterns that ‘rule’ us at times. To heal, we have to come to the realization that these (mostly) emotional patterns may manifest themselves negatively in our physical bodies. These emotional patterns however, are frequently comforting because they’ve been a part of our lives and we would feel bare without them. A prime example is a person who remains in an abusive relationship – they know that that relationship is hurtful but they lack the energy and have enough fear to not want to get away from it. By taking a step back, in order to see the larger picture of our life patterns, we come to understand that some patterns can be destructive to our overall health. Making the decision to break out of a harmful pattern is a difficult one (and a brave decision) but one that must be undertaken to achieve good health in body, mind and spirit and to achieve higher levels of consciousness. Therefore, working on emotional aspects may reveal what the actual ‘message’ of a disease really is. Understanding the intricacies of the mind-body connection is part of the path to good health.
There are solutions to all of life’s problems. The basic recipe for optimal overall health in my opinion includes: eating fresh real foods and practicing yoga. Fresh real foods bring life energy into one’s being. Yoga, for me includes meditation and deep breathing exercises. Of course, when time and energy permit, meditation should be practiced alone so that the mind can have a chance to rest and so that a relationship can form between one’s ‘everyday self’ and their subconscious. We seldom listen to what our body and mind are telling us – if we can get into that habit, we can practice the best type of healthcare…the preventative kind.
General techniques for balancing the chakras
Since most of us are out of balance in one way or another at the present time, we need to find some real and effective healthcare solutions to help bring our chakras back into balance.
There are therapies that benefit all of the chakras and most can be conducted on one’s own. Some of the therapies require a qualified practitioner. Therapies for balancing one’s chakras include:
Archetype: models of human condition. Acknowledge those parts in ourselves that we may not instinctively like or admire; empowering our free will. Therefore, we can discard those behaviours that no longer serve us5.
Altars: one’s own sacred space – a place to focus on healing; include only items that you like and that inspire you5. This can be any room so long as there is a sense of peace and quiet associated with it and in it you can practice your yoga, meditation and other healing practices.
Physical exercise – yoga movements, proper breathing and meditation tone the body and boost the spirit. Yoga helps release physical and mental tension, which can contribute to the improper functioning of the chakras5. When one is physically well, it is much easier to deal with mental and emotional challenges.
Meditation – calming the mind, calms the body. There’s a specific type of meditation, called ‘loving kindness’ which is particularly beautiful. Love is one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself to assist in self healing. Whenever there is pain or discomfort, place your hand on the area that is hurt and think of love unconditional love – the type of love that a pet has for its master4.
Sound therapy (affirmations, mantras, chanting, toning) harmonize the body and the chakras. Affirmations (positive sentences that are repeated) become mantric if repeated with the intention of transforming oneself5. The more we think these beneficial, optimistic messages, the greater our chances of changing thought patterns and behaviours. Affirmations can be made up and changed to suit your daily requirements; as long as the intention of the affirmation remains constant, one will see results (the subconscious registers the affirmation and will eventually process it).
Daily Questions – knowledge is power. Ask yourself a question (write is down) every night and see what kind of answer your consciousness will give you5. This exercise is used so that you can start translating and listening to what your subconscious is telling you.
Visualization exercises: you can visualize the chakra spinning to your preference – either slowing down if it’s overactive or speeding up if it’s sluggish. Or, the visualization of divine light penetrating the chakras can be tremendously beneficial.
Colour therapy: each chakra is associated with a specific colour and if you breathe that colour into your chakra, it will balance itself out.
Reflexology: a pressure point technique that stimulates the chakras to balance through the hands and feet. Specific areas of the feet (or hands) are stimulated and healing takes place throughout the body.
Flower essences: Bach flower remedies are very popular for balancing the system. There are 38 remedies made from English wildflowers that help bring negative moods and emotions back into balance. They are natural, safe, non-addictive and without side effects.
Essential oils may be massaged on the chakras directly or used as aromatherapy to bring an overall sense of well being. Each chakra is associated with a specific essential oil (see insert)
Reiki – universal love or universal life force will channel through a practitioner and go to the chakras and throughout the body as required Chanting the sound of the chakra (one at a time) during a meditation and visualizing the chakra’s associated colour will bring the chakra into harmony.
Specific techniques for balancing the three higher chakras
Some of the therapies that work particularly well to restore the balance of the three higher chakras include:
Crown chakra: transcendental meditation. All other chakras need to be in balance for the crown chakra to be activated. Only then can true consciousness be achieved. The goal when balancing the Crown chakra is for the individual to feel true connectedness to the universe and pure divinity.
Third Eye chakra: Reiki and all forms of spiritual healing. When in balance, the individual has a clear mind, can make sound decisions (even through intuition) and is aware of their spirituality.
Throat chakra: toning sounds, metamorphic technique (working on the spinal reflexes of feet, hands and head that relate to a person’s prenatal period) and radionics (holistic energy healing that focuses on wholeness and sharing common ground with all life forms) 5. The emphasis when balancing this chakra is to bring expression to an acceptable level for the individual – a place where their thoughts can be expressed without fear and they can be confident with what they are saying.
The last word
Our lives are full of stress and often we forget that we have control over the way we feel (physically and mentally). By introducing some basic techniques into our daily lives, we can balance our chakras and in turn our mind, body and spirit. Of course, the most effective type of healthcare is the preventative type but should the chakras become unbalanced (it will be evident through physical and emotional manifestations), we can fall back on any of the numerous holistic approaches listed above. Relaxation, meditation and physical exercise promote healing and an overall sense of well being. Striving for life balance and self awareness is all one can strive for. By starting with the tiniest of steps, our lives can be transformed for the better and that’s all one is after.