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Chakra Energy Flow Meditation

Chakra Energy Flow Meditation ©

By Julie Lusk

Time: 12-15 minutes

Summary: Energy flows like a river in this guided imagery exercise. Sitting in a meditation posture is more effective than lying down for working with the chakras because the physical alignment encourages and amplifies the flow of energy.

Guided Imagery Meditation

Each of us has internal currents of energy within that flow like rivers. This energy is what gives us life and activates us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It influences everything from the concrete to the abstract. For instance, our flesh and bones are activated into life by this energy source. It gives us inspiration to accomplish our meaningful ambitions. Primarily, these rivers of energy span from the base of the spine up through the top of the head and move up and down, in and out, as well as forward and back. Furthermore, there are many other tributaries that extend throughout the rest of our being.

When this energy is open, flowing and balanced, we’re able to express our full potential and interact with the outside world. It enables us to easily receive information, love, and resources from outside of us. We’re also able to manifest our dreams and life purpose, liberate our awareness and actions, and free up energy to take action. It’s important for this energy to flow in a balanced, continuous way. Too often however, areas of energy become overly stimulated and excessive, or it bogs down to a trickle. It can get blocked, leaky, or hyperactive.

The purpose of this guided imagery is to balance these rivers and currents of energy in a wholesome way. So, in your own manner, set an intention to balance and align your energy flow so it serves the greater good for yourself…others…and in the world.

So, in your own way, become aware of a constant source of energy and power that is plentiful…and it’s readily available to you as well as to all others… There are many ways of experiencing the energy as it flow and you can use your senses to experience it…perhaps you can see it, feel it, or hear it… it may have a color, a shape or a sound … It may possibly sparkle…it may glow… How does the presence of energy occur to you?

Imagine tapping into this energy supply right now. Feel it moving and flowing now.

Let’s refine and focus on this energy more attentively by experiencing it as a fountain that flows from below your feet… and into your legs… and into the base of the spine… and it moves upward to the top of the head and beyond…a constant fountain of energy that flows, and moves and is alive…actively flowing through the core of your body from the base to the top…imagine this energy lighting up your awareness…increasing your freedom…and liberating you.

And now, imagine this energy as it showers down like a waterfall. It originates above you and pours down through the crown of the head, down throughout the core of the body, and back to the earth…Experiencing streams of energy running downward through you as it boosts and enlivens your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations into reality…and clearly imagine your dreams taking shape in the world.

So now, this energy flows evenly and fluidly…gracefully moving up and down…up and down the central core that spans from the top of the head to the base of the spine and back to the crown of the head…It can even extend from the earth, through you, and into the sky and back down again.

Imagine and allow this energy to continually flow…automatically…fluidly…and elegantly… whether or not you are paying direct attention to it.

Now it’s time to experience this flow of energy in a new way… This river of energy influences your incoming and outgoing interactions …so hold your attention on the whole length of your spine, from its base to the top. …Allow a wellspring of energy to radiate constantly through the length of your spine, …and feel it start to move in and out…forward and back… and sideways…. … Imagine a constant, abundant supply of energy radiating out from your core…Energy shining out through the front…out the back…to the sides…and all around…making it possible for you to express your self in your life… including your work …touching your relationships…and the world you live in …as this energy moves along the length of your spine, radiating outward in all directions.

And now, this energy returns to you, moving from the outside to the inside…replenishing your energy…receiving it in its many forms…in the form of information…thoughts…and love…being returned to you…naturally flowing into you until it begins flowing in and out like a dance…evenly…smoothly…and effortlessly…continuing to flow, whether or not you are paying attention to it.

And somehow, energy currents are flowing in all directions…up and down…in and out…in unison, balancing and blending and harmonizing…cooling and calming down where the energy is excessive and too strong…and activating and energizing where the energy is too weak or blocked.

And part of you steps out of the way so this can happen naturally…and this part of you notices how all this happens.

This energy source is inside you and all around you… It is constant and supportive…and it guides you…balances you…and makes you feel whole and complete.

It’s time to reawaken to your surroundings…Listen to the sounds (name some as they occur)… become aware of your breath…feel the air on your skin… feel your body, your physical presence…and when ready, stretch and open your eyes.

Author’s Note: Anodea Judith inspired this guided visualization. May her energy be abundant and a blessing to her and to all others.

Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices - Book & CD set

Awaken joy, peace and inspiration with this yoga meditations book. Yoga Meditations contains a wide variety of mind-body practices, such as: * Guided relaxation exercises * Breathing practices * Yoga Nidra * Meditations and guided imagery * Affirmations * Yoga postures and meditations for each chakra * Yoga wisdom for contemplation Get a FREE Wholesome Energizers CD in every book! CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...

Chakra Chart

Finally! A complete Chakra Chart with all the chakra names, locations, colors, sounds, yoga postures, breathing techniques, psychological & energetic influences and more. There's handy tips for using the chart on the reverse side. It's 8 1/2 by 14" and laminated. CLICK on the blue title link above to find out more...

Guided Meditation for the Chakras

Real Relaxation Yoga Nidra takes you into a deeply relaxing and powerful restful state of being fully aware while being in the state of deep yogic sleep. It helps with balancing chakra energy, and can improve immunity, heart health, relieve stress and give you inner peace and balance.

Get it from Amazon, iTunes, Spotify & other online stores.

Handy Links

Learn about chakras and their influences | Get your Complete Chakra Chart
Chakra Balancing with Sound Healing. Use the Elemental Chakra Tone Chart to balance your chakra energy by either increasing or decreasing their energy with sound, color, and special mantras. The Vedic (Yoga) and Tibetan notes and tones are given. It’s fun.
How to balance chakra energy with toning and hand & finger movements called mudras.
Get info related to chakra elements, directions, sounds, senses, and other attributes
Chakra Energy Flow Meditation
Understanding OM | AUM
Book a Musical Sound Bath session

Guided Relaxation & its Benefits

March 28, 2014 by Julie Lusk

Relaxing regularly and deeply is the perfect remedy to conquer stress.

The World Health Organization predicts that stress-related disorders and psychological disorders will be the second leading cause of disabilities in the world by 2020.

The good news is that we can each take action to prevent and/or cope with stress. It’s time to take stress seriously and learn to do things that really release stress and result in reducing muscular tension, regulating blood pressure and even relieving pain.

Is rest and relaxation a waste of time? Hardly!

Isaac Newton made his breakthrough discovery on gravity while he was relaxing and watching apples fall from trees.
Archimedes had his “eureka” moment in the bath tub.
Albert Einstein was asked how he discovered the theory of relativity. He said, “I didn’t discover it. I meditated and it revealed itself.”
- Einstein also said, “Play is the best research.”
- “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Let’s define Guided Relaxation. It is a valuable tool for your stress relief toolbox.

The secret to gaining relaxed energy is to clear away the mental ruckus and emotional debris to make room for clear thinking. One of the easiest ways of doing this is through relaxing the muscular tension held in the body by tensing and releasing muscle groups throughout your body using a reliable technique known as progressive muscular relaxation. Doing so not only releases physical tension, it also teaches you the felt difference between tension and relaxation. By knowing this, you can catch physical tension early on and before it causes painful headaches, back problems and digestive trouble. A calming effect for the body, mind, emotions and spirit is awakened as well.

Progressive muscle relaxation, conscious breathing, creative visualization and guided imagery techniques are powerful techniques that are often incorporated into guided relaxation exercises.

Summary of Benefits

Guided relaxation will:

Improve immunity
Lower Stress
Feel more refreshed; especially when you need it most
Cellular rejuvenation and repair
Better sleep
More energy
Greater mental clarity while reducing worry
Increase creativity
Enhance problem-solving and intuition
Extra stamina and endurance
More productivity
Relieve pain
Improve your outlook
Better overall health
And more!

Enjoy recorded guided relaxation & imagery on CD here.

Come to a guided relaxation & imagery workshop. See your choices here.

Not Sleeping Soundly? Here’s Help

July 14, 2016 by Julie Lusk

Have you ever felt like you were ‘half-awake or only half asleep’ all night? Me too. It’s so frustrating, especially knowing that you have a big day ahead and want to be feel sharp and well rested. Perhaps you don’t want to miss a moment of your vacation or there’s an important conference you’re excited about.

As it turns out, half of your brain can sleep while the other half stays awake, according to sleep scientist Masako Tamaki and her colleagues at Brown University and reported in Current Biology*. They found that this usually happens when sleeping the first night in a new place, like a hotel, friend’s house, or while camping. The second night is much better.

It’s our brain’s attempt to protect us by going into survival mode. What happens is that the right half your brain sleeps while the left half stays alert, standing guard. How strange is that?

Scientists measured the slow-wave activity of the brain, something that occurs during deep sleep. They measured brain activity during light sleep by first playing a tone and then a different tone was played. Surprisingly, the brain reacted to the variation in sound only on the left side of the brain – the right side stayed asleep.

Next, they played a sound loud enough to awaken someone. They found that when it was transmitted into the right ear, the subjects in the experiment woke up faster than if it was sent to the left ear. The right ear is associated with the left side of the brain.

It stands to reason that it would be the left side of the brain that stays on duty since it is known to be objective, analytical, and rational and would be more prone to be protective whereas the right side is best at intuition and abstract thinking. Could this phenomenon be at play when sleeping in an unsafe neighborhood or household? What about when having to keep an ear out for a child or sick person. More studies are needed.

Sleeping ‘half-way’ is involuntary and the brain’s way to keep you alert enough to save yourself if something bad happened and most likely associated with the flight-fight-freeze response to stress. Because of this, scientists think there’s not much you can do about it other than to accept it rather than letting it bother you. Some suggest going two nights ahead of your big day since it’s so hard to sleep that first night.

Here are my suggestions:

Make the room feel familiar and safer to you, tricking the brain into sleeping better. Try using a familiar scent – lavender is calming and aids sleeping. If you’re used to sleeping with a fan whirling away, bring one with you. Using your own pillow makes sense too.
Try yoga nidra. It’s a comprehensive practice done lying down to go far beyond deep relaxation and mindfulness to a place of natural peace and quiet that is tremendously restful. Along with being a special type of meditation to increase uplifting levels of awareness, it can also be practiced at bedtime as a sleep aid. Layers of stress are cleared out so they don’t follow you to bed and disturb sleeping. In fact, while not a substitute for actual sleep, one hour of yoga nidra practice is equivalent to 4 hours of sleep. This is due to the types of brain waves experienced along the way. Proven relaxation skills, specialized breathing techniques, guided imagery, and mindfulness are systematically used. Learn more about yoga nidra here
Use a yoga nidra recording. See below for recommendations. Download it to your listening device, put it on airplane mode, and listen by putting the ear buds or the device itself under your pillow. It will transmit right through your pillow and not disturb your sleep partner.
Use a mudra. They are yoga positions for the hands. Curl your fingers into a fist. On the same hand, touch the tips of the thumbs to the tips of the first finger to form a circle. Rest your hands with your palms pointing down. It helps bring on sleep and reduces stress by promoting a sense of safety and security. Learn more about mudras here.
Breathe slowly and smoothly. To calm your nervous system, breathe in to the count of four or five and then breathe out for five to ten. When you get distracted, gently go back to focusing on your breathing.
Use the Moon Breath to calm your bodymind and brain by combining a mudra with breathing. Bend your index and middle finger of your right hand to your palm, leaving your ring and little finger softly extended. Softly press your right thumb to your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril. Next, release your right thumb and press your ring finger to your left nostril while exhaling. In other words, in left / out right / in left / out right and so on. Learn more about this and other practices in Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening (WPA, 2005)
Follow the guidelines for good sleep hygiene. Here’s the Mayo Clinic’s 7 tips for doing so. Read How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep – The Ultimate Guide. It’s excellent.

So even if you can’t sleep as soundly as you might like due to your brain’s insistence on staying half-awake, at least you now understand the reason why. The above suggestions may lull you to sleep, and if they don’t, you will at least make use of the time in a positive, productive way.

Sweet dreams!

Sleep Well | Yoga Nidra CD

Use deep relaxation, soothing flute music & ocean waves to go to sleep. "I slept like a log." Downloads available. By Julie Lusk, Yoga Nidra Meditations author.

Reference: Current Biology Volume 26, Issue 9, p1190–1194, 9 May 2016

Resources: Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief by Julie Lusk (NHP 2015)

Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditations for Relaxation & Renewal (Health Journeys 2016)

Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has more than 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at WholesomeResources.com

Yoga Nidra FAQ on Setting Intentions & Sankalpas

This article is a yoga nidra FAQ on setting intentions & sankalpas for making durable positive changes effectively.

Yoga nidra is rapidly gaining in popularity these days, mostly because it’s so blissfully exhilarating. Yoga nidra (pronounced nih-drah) means “yogic sleep” and is an ancient yoga practice with benefits supported by modern-day science. It’s a powerful experience of progressively relaxing and restoring physically, energetically, mentally, and emotionally that naturally opens us to accessing our intuition, unconditional joy, and deep restorative peace. It’s very refreshing too. In fact, one hour of practice is equivalent to four hours of sleep. See more documented benefits of yoga nidra here.

The yoga nidra process also makes it completely possible to clear out useless habits and bring about positive and durable changes to your lifestyle and positive personality changes by using a sankalpa at the start and the end of the practice. A sankalpa is a special intention, a self-selected resolve that you choose yourself. It’s a sacred vow and promise you make in support of your highest truth. Sample sankalpas are “I am courageous,” or “I have confidence,” or “My life is worthwhile.” It’s a quality that helps you become or do something worthwhile with your life. Likewise, it can be a reflection of your True Self such as “I am conduit of love,” or “My true nature is peace.”

How yoga nidra helps you make behavior changes and enables you to develop positive personal qualities.

“Our day-to-day frame of consciousness (beta brain waves) makes it extremely difficult to make and maintain our good intentions because they crash into our long term conditioning, habits, and social pressures,” as reported in Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief (New Harbinger Publications, 2015). “Through no fault of your own, your mind is simply not very receptive to making these changes. During yoga nidra, we knowingly, consciously, and consecutively experience different types of brainwave levels that are receptive to change that include alpha, theta and delta frequencies and are associated with levels of consciousness. The level reached during yoga nidra depends on the depth of your experience. When we implant a resolve in the subconscious mind, useless thoughts and behaviors can be weeded out and the conditions are created for significant and transformative change to take root and grow.” Success is fortified by staying with the same sankalpa from practice to practice until it becomes a reality and takes root. Consistency counts.

Setting Intentions & Sankalpas

Time is set aside at the beginning of yoga nidra for a sankalpa to reveal itself naturally instead of intellectually. Making intellectual sankalpas rarely yield results. In other words, one that you “should” make or one to please others. Instead, have one that resonates and rings true with you. Go for a balance between letting it come to you intuitively and thinking it through. Furthermore, you could have one specific to help with weight loss, getting more exercise or stopping an unhealthy habit, but it’s advised that you pick a grander quality instead. In doing so, the behavior change is likely to happen anyway and you will also reap many more benefits. For example, if you choose kindness as your sankalpa, true self-kindness will lead to eating better and exercising more by being kinder to yourself in support of your health. In addition, kindness will naturally bring on generosity, patience, and other positive qualities.

Word your sankalpa positively, in the present tense, clearly, and concisely. Keep it consistent. Back it up sincerely with gratitude and inner will. If using “I am” seems too challenging or too mindboggling, try adding “more and more” to it. For example, “I am content, more and more.”

Sample Sankalpas:

I am kind.
I am trusting.
I am accepting of my feelings. Or, I accept unhappiness as part of my human experience.
I have abundance.
I am grateful for a peaceful nature.
I embrace all of who I am.
I enjoy life fully.
I welcome health and wellness.
My true nature is joyful.

Using a Sankalpa during Yoga Nidra.

A sankalpa is first silently said at the beginning of your yoga nidra experience and with your whole heart. It helps if you use your senses to imagine what it would be like if it were already true. Once again, repeat your sankalpa several times near the end of yoga nidra. Namely, when you are totally at ease and in the fertile delta brainwave state, and before coming back to full awareness. This is when your brain is most receptive.

Outcomes

I had my doubts about the effectiveness of using a sankalpa, especially when writing Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, so I put it to the test with a variety of students. Much to our delight and satisfaction, results started rolling in. Find out for yourself by reading their stories in the book. Better yet, try it yourself. Please let us know about your experience.

How to Experience Yoga Nidra:

Like all worthwhile things, regular practice yields the best results. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

Listen to Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation | Audible – iTunes – Amazon
Read about it and get free audio downloads in Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief (New Harbinger, 2015).
Experience yoga nidra on video/audio.
Attend a virtual yoga nidra class held weekly on Zoom.
Take a yoga nidra teacher training course and earn a certificate.
Get yoga nidra downloads here.

Resources: Books, Recordings & More

Get yoga nidra downloads here.

NEW! Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation

Experience peace and deeply restorative rest that heals your body, mind & spirit. Features 24 Yoga Nidra scripts written by author Julie Lusk and 12 of the world's master teachers. Enjoy 6 levels of relaxation for a joyful meditative experience. Learn to use yogic sleep to revitalize your inner reservoir of intuitive understanding and unconditional joy. Audiobook available. CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...

Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief - Print Book & Audio download

Yoga Nidra can stop tension in its tracks with a wonderfully, powerful & unique state of deep relaxation, mental clarity & insightful awareness. These practical, empowering relaxation exercises, meditations that soothe and visualizations that renew are based on classic yoga and backed by modern science. They’ll help you unwind, replenish, and feel refreshed with durable peace and unconditional joy. CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...

Yoga Nidra Essentials CD

Find your calm spot. Brighten your energy. Enjoy a more meaningful life. Experience 6 levels of relaxation. Reclaim optimal health for your body, mind & heart. Laura says "My focused mind easily. I was 100% worry-free. It's wonderful." By Julie Lusk, 6-time author. Digital downloads available.

Author: Julie Lusk, M.Ed., E-RYT 500

details DARE to Relax workshop

Book a Professional Speaker for your Employee Training, Conference, Workshop, and Lunch and Learn sessions. Contact Julie Lusk by email or call 513-248-9642

Transform daily stress into the energy needed to enjoy life. DARE’s self-care principles include Diet; Attitude and Awareness; Rest, Relaxation, and Relationships; and Exercise.

Learning to cope with the stressors of daily living is crucial to health, happiness and well-being. It is estimated that 60 to 90 percent of medical conditions are stress-induced or worsened by stress. This is costly in terms of medical bills, absenteeism, and loss of productivity. An obvious remedy is to learn self-care techniques that both reduce stress and help one cope with the effects of stress.

DARE to Relax ä is a wellness-based relaxation training and stress management program that is practical and well rounded. The format includes a balance of factual information and experiential activities. Participants will:

Understand the dynamics of stress and it’s causes
Understand the positive and negative effects of stress
Learn how to reduce stress using the self-care principles of DARE to Relax ä

Diet: Nutritional considerations are discussed. For example, stress depletes Vitamins A, B, C, and calcium. Dietary recommendations are given to maintain proper nutrition.

Attitude and Awareness: The stress response is activated by the way a person perceives an event. Becoming aware of stressors can help a person modify their thoughts and behavior so their reactions are healthier. The mind/body connection is addressed and mind/body interventions are demonstrated and practiced to reduce stress.

Rest, Relaxation and Relationships: Discovering the difference of active and passive relaxation is taught. A relaxation exercise is done so participants can learn experientially. Information is covered on the recent research on relationships that shows the negative effects of loneliness on health.

Exercise: The benefits of exercise are well known. In particular, physical activity helps burns off the bio-chemical effects of stress. Participants are encouraged to maintain a practical exercise routine.

DARE to Relax Testimonials

Ethicon Edno-Surgery, Inc.

100% rated the content as excellent or above average

100% rated the speaker as excellent or above average

100% rated the program as excellent or above average

Everything was interesting. I liked the relaxation exercises.
I learned relaxation tips to gain more energy.
I learned how to relax in short periods of time. I liked the 2-minute nap.
I learned techniques to help relax and reduce stress. I hope some of these techniques will help reduce my stress at work.
The program reiterated things I know, but was good to have confirmed. I liked the stretches.
I learned to release stress with little time and quickly. How food plays a part in stress and illness. The instructor had excellent content. Very beneficial.
It’s important to take time to relax and reduce stress.
I appreciated the ideas that were relevant to my situation.
Thank you

Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems

100% rated the content as excellent or above average

100% rated the speaker as excellent or above average

100% rated the program as excellent or above average.

The stress fighting techniques allow me to be more focused and therefore a better team player
How to relax at work when things get you down. Reinforced healthy eating and its benefits
Things I can do to minimize the effects of stress on my life
The info and exercises motivated me to start exercising again and to start yoga
To try and think more positive thoughts
I’d like more information on journaling
The info on the mind/body connection was excellent
Stop being a perfectionist – I am one and it is stressful
You have reinforced the idea that I can do anything I put my mind to!!

Mike Sterling, Director of Human Resources, The Art Institute of Ohio writes:

Dear Julie: Thanks for sharing the Dare to Relax session with our staff. I have received several positive comments about it, especially the “2- Hour Nap in 10-minutes” segment.

Our staff received several valuable tips on reducing stress and the consequences of stress at work and in our personal lives. It was definitely time well spent. Mike

Rebecca Laney
Director, Center for Yoga and Health

Julie is a petite powerhouse!

SPICES for Life is featured in

Stress Solutions Now - Instant PDF Download!

Improve your mind, body, and spirit with this amazing manual. This instant download gives you stress relieving solutions that work every time. First, you get quick, easy ways to identify sources and symptoms of stress. Next, you'll learn simple techniques for getting genuine stress relief. Finally, you'll benefit from 6 wellness strategies for living a worthwhile life, 8 practical solutions to handle stress with ease, and find out how to make remarkable improvements at work and home.

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Julie travels from Cincinnati, Ohio

Julie T. Lusk, M.Ed.
Wholesome Resources
Milford, OH 45150

Greater Cincinnati Area

513-248-9642

email

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