Activating Sahasrara- the crown chakra

Sahasrara is the 7th chakra, located above the crown of the head. The body parts it pertains to are the pituitary gland and the cerebral cortex. The crown chakra is probably the hardest energy centre to connect with, although this may be different for everybody. When this chakra is balanced, we feel a complete oneness with all that is around us and connection to the divine. Sahasrara represents enlightenment and having a pure awareness, embracing a sense of selflessness and tuning into the collective consciousness as a whole. When the crown chakra is out of balance, we can experience depression, lose all sense of joy for life, feeling stuck and dissociated from the world or on the contrary, thinking as a self-guru, putting oneself above others.
 
The following practices can help activate and balance sahasrara. 

SIRSASANA
​HEADSTAND

​Named as the king of all asanas, sirsasana is a pose which requires complete self-trust, balance and strength. As it is an inversion, the headstand is a great energising asana releasing mental pressure, depression and feeling low. It boosts blood circulation and creates a balanced alignment within the physical, mental and emotional self. These are all required to be in harmony during this asana. As this asana requires us to stand upside down, it can often feel intimidating by some. But as we learn in yoga, sometimes we need to see the world from upside down in order to bring it back into balance, similar to from chaos comes order. Its energy is shaking things up, by completely turning the body from its standing natural state, engaging our core, legs and arms. As this brings a fresh supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, it also activates the crown chakra. 

SAVASANA
CORPSE POSE

​Savasana is actually a pose in which we can connect and bring in harmony all the chakras. As it requires no physical, mental or emotional effort, savasana encourages us to be completely still; to disconnect from any external chatter and observe the self. When we are sitting in savasana, we should feel a sense of lightness of the body, letting go of any physical feeling; a mental lightness, letting go of any thoughts and emotional clearness, not focusing on any type of feeling. We can start by focusing on the breath eventually withdrawing our attention away from it, knowing that it shall continue without us placing our awareness on it. As you lie there, become aware of the part of you that is being aware. Who is this person? Connect with the universal awareness, whilst also being aware of your body on the ground, with no separation between the two, stay there in simple observance. This is a powerful practice, one which can teach us to become one with the universe, understanding that all that is within is on the outside as well and vice versa. 

MANTRAS AND CHANTING

​Mantras and chanting are powerful ways to activate the kundalini energy, the dormant frequency within ourselves. The mantra that helps activate sahasrara is OM, the ancient sound known as the first sound ever heard. By repeatedly saying the mantra OM, we start to awaken any static energy within the body, mind and emotional self, creating a vibrant frequency which bring alignment in the body and connection to the universal energy. This mantra is also known as the sound of nature, for its vibration is at the same frequency for everything found in nature. Therefore, when we say this mantra, we become one with the nature around us and all that is. OM is a sound made of three syllables, A U M. Each one should be prolonged, feeling first the vibration in the throat, then moving onto the higher part and eventually to the final syllable M, bringing all three in harmony and becoming complete. This is a great mantra to do when feeling anxious, stressed or depressed, or simply before and after the yoga practice. 

Awakening sahasrara is a powerful feeling, perhaps not known by many. As always, it is not about the destination we reach but the process and the roads we take to get there. Therefore, the intention should not be on reaching enlightenment, but to become aware and embrace the moments we take towards creating more harmony and balance within our life. The connection we feel with the self, those around us and the universe can change at any moment, because after all, we are only human. We feel, we think, we move, we speak, we see, we listen etc… So we must not deprive ourselves from these tools we have given to savour life, but maybe to find a way in which we do not become dependent on anything in order to understand life. Often the most beauty is found in simplicity; although out ego will always push us to find ways of complicating and creating chaos of this simplicity, we can work on simply observing this and maybe with time we can slowly let go of this need to create chaos and just take things as they are, without needing to label or create an identity for everything.