In meditation, you will often hear me refer to the chakras, especially when guiding in meditation. I will ask you to open your crown chakra, third eye, and heart.

I recently came across a newsletter from Alberto Villoldo of The Four Winds, where he describes the shamanic belief of chakras, and I thought I would share the article with you.

For more information on chakras, check out “Chakra 101 .”

What are the chakras, how many are there, and how do they work together?

The chakras (a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”) are swirling disks of energy. They spin three to four inches outside the body, rotating clockwise in the same direction that the spiral arms of the galaxy revolve. The chakras link to our spine and central nervous system and are a direct pipeline to the human neural network.

The descriptions of the chakras we are most familiar with come from yoga, but we can find references to the chakras among the Hopi, the lnka, the Maya, and many other aboriginal cultures around the world.

Shamans in the Americas do not believe in a division between the body and the spirit or between the visible world of form and the invisible world of energy. Whereas some schools of yoga might say that you are not your body, the shaman says that you are your body and much more.

Shamans know that the visible and invisible worlds permeate and suffuse each other, we are not separate from nature, and we were never kicked out of the garden. We know

that all matter is a manifestation of Spirit and infused with Spirit.

The chakras represent elemental human qualities. Rather than suppress our instinctual desire and passion, the shaman hones them into finely tuned instruments. I believe that fear is compassion in seed form. Heal the fear, and compassion bursts forth. The instinctual self must not become the enemy. Anger, greed, and lust are all hidden resources that can be transformed into love, clarity, wisdom, and courage. Everything in nature is holy, and every chakra holds the seeds of our illumination and who we are becoming.

Like the organs in the body, each chakra performs a unique function. Each chakra also has a unique frequency that we perceive as one of the seven colors of the rainbow. The chakras in a newborn child display their pure color, from red in the first chakra to violet in the seventh. As we grow older, the colors in the chakras become dull. The trauma and loss in our lives leave their toxic residues behind. The sludge that adheres to a chakra does not permit it to vibrate at its pure frequency, and physical aging is accelerated.

The Amazon shamans believe that when you clear all your chakras, you acquire a “rainbow body.” Each center vibrates at its natural frequency, and you radiate the seven colors of the rainbow. According to legend, when you acquire the rainbow body, you can make the journey beyond death to the Spirit world. You can assist others in their healing and die consciously since you already know the way back home.

While the practitioners of yoga recognize seven chakras, my mentor, Don Antonio, taught me that we have nine chakras. Seven of them are within the physical body, while two are outside the body. He called the eighth chakra the wiracocha, which is the name of the Creator or Great Spirit (the word means “sacred source”). The eighth chakra resides within the Luminous Energy Field. It hovers above the head like a spinning sun. It is our connection with the Great Spirit, the place where God dwells within us. The ninth chakra is the Self that has never been born and will never die. This Self is prior to time, and it never enters the river through with time flows. It is prior to space and existed before the universe manifested.

Alberto Villoldo - The Four Winds

• For online sessions: Headphones are recommended to help deepen your meditation experience; Ensure your device is on “do not disturb.”

• It's okay to have lots of thoughts during meditation. It's to be expected. That is your brain's way of keeping you safe. Create space behind the thoughts to receive messages.

• Sounds will become more heightened during meditation because you become more aware of the sounds surrounding you and your thoughts.

• As we start the meditation, envision yourself breathing in blue light to your head; to receive clarity and messages from your higher self, bring your energy and focus on the crown of your head.

• It is not uncommon for emotions to start to rise. Keep breathing in and leaning in as you envision expanding your heart.

• After the session, I recommend spending some time journaling.

Meditation enhances your awareness. It is like stepping into a cave with a flashlight. You often can only see where your flashlight is shining. However, with time and practice, you expand your internal light and see more of the cave, and so you begin to expand your awareness.

Spiral Growth.
We grow and expand through the spirals of self-unraveling.

We tend to think in terms of linearity concerning time and growth. However, as you begin your journey of being still and going inward, you will start to discover the layers of self that, through exploration, you may expand your consciousness. When creating a daily practice, you will rediscover some old and new patterns that, with awareness, you can begin healing and releasing to create space for renewal.

Our soul encompasses our body, and as we begin to take responsibility for the energies we create through our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies, we can start aligning with our higher self.

“There is an Indian proverb that says that everyone is a house with four rooms: a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.”

-Rumer Godden

Physical

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We can begin to feel and heal through our physical experiences in the world and our psychology. The strength we can draw from being physical can provide much energy. However, the balance of output versus input requires diligence.

Mental

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Our intellect and analytical thought help us process the information we receive and create the reality in which we live. If we allow ourselves the discomfort of embracing cognitive dissonance, we can discern the various lenses, patterns, and layers that exist within.

Emotional

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We interpret the world through physical, mental, and emotional combinations. However, understanding which emotions guide you and which emotions override the current state of what is—learning how to heal on a cellular level.

Spiritual Body

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Encompassing all living things and in connection to all that surrounds us both within and externally. Creating a union within allows for the alignment of all living creations to live in harmony with greater understanding and purpose.

Creating a Daily Practice.

It all begins with breathing and being still. Maybe you want to launch a business, create a new habit, or heal past or current wounds. Meditation has been proven to help heal all aspects of the mind, body, and spirit. Here’s a breakdown of how I began my meditation journey and the habits I created to discover how to connect with the Universe.