Focus on: The Crown Chakra

The Crown chakra, known as Sahasrara in Sanskrit, is the 7th chakra and the furthest from the ground. It sits like a crown at the top of the head or slightly above, radiating upwards, from here its name.

Body connection and symbol

The meaning of its Sanskrit name is “thousand petals”, as its symbol is composed of a circle and a thousand petals of a lotus flower. This chakra is most commonly represented with the colour white, although it can also be pictured as deep purple.

Sahasrara is primarily associated to the pineal gland, the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, which work together to regulate the endocrine system. Because of its location, the Crown chakra is closely associated with the brain and the whole nervous system.

Lessons from the Crown Chakra

Because it is located centrally at the top of the head, Sahasrara gives us access to higher states of consciousness as we open to what is beyond our personal preoccupations and visions. In fact, the function of the Crown chakra is driven by consciousness and gets us in touch with the universal source. Its energy allows us to experience mystical oneness with everyone and everything in nature.

The “way of the Crown chakra” is the way of going beyond the limits of your own ego, knowing that everything around us is interconnected at a fundamental level. The challenge of this chakra is to “let go” the unhelpful attachments, to liberate the spirit, open to the divine, and at the same time stay firmly rooted deep in the ground, as energetically it is linked with the first chakra, being both the extremities of the body system.

When the Crown Chakra is balanced

As we are immersed in the energy of Sahasrara, we feel a state of blissful union with all that is, allowing us to access to the upmost clarity and enlightened wisdom. The quality of awareness that comes with it is universal, transcendent, and it makes us feel present, conscious, aware of the main connection and free from our limiting patterns (i.e. negative beliefs, moods, fears and phobias, etc.).

When the Crown Chakra is imbalanced

A deficiency in the Crown chakra tends to cause subtle systemic problems. These might include: depression and mental fog, chronic fatigue, migraines and other chronic headaches, greed and materialism. On the other hand, an excess of energy in the 7th chakra can also cause problems including: sensitivity to light and sound, neurological or endocrine disorders, boredom and frustration, a sense of unearned accomplishment.

An unbalanced Crown chakra can also play a role in dementia, learning disabilities, comas, sleep disorders and mental illness.

How to open and rebalance the Crown Chakra:

• Focus your attention on the top of the head and clearly set your intention of balancing the chakra. You can also visualise the violet colour when doing this. Feel the energy from the universal source coming from the top of your head and passing through you until it reaches the centre of the Earth, enlightning and grounding you.
• Practice gratitude and contentment. This is the simplest way of strengthening this chakra. You can write down a list of things you are grateful for, or simply mentally thank the Universe before falling asleep every night.
• Floral essences such as lotus, angelica and white tulip when applied to the pulse points can enhance the meditation process.
• Poses like Shavasana, Rabbit, Tree or Lotus position are recommended for aiding the Crown chakra. If you are an advanced practitioner another pose is the headstand or Shirshasan, which helps balance the Crown chakra by increasing blood flow to the top of the head.
• Practice silence. It is one of the best practice for activation, because it does not distract you from spiritual practice. The sound of Om and deep, tonal sounds can also be healing music for Sahasrara because of their universal nature.
• The Crown chakra’s elements are thought and light, so spending time in the sunlight is good for opening it.

Work on these believes you may have consciously or subconsciously in order to figure out where they come from and solve them:

Crown Chakra Affirmations

I am part of the Divine.
I honour the Divine within me.
I seek to understand and to learn from my life experiences.
I cherish my spirit.
I seek experiences that nurture my spirit.
I am open to and listen to the wisdom of Universe.
I trust my intuition.
I am open to letting go of my attachments.
I live in the present moment.
I am grateful for all the goodness in my life.
I love and accept myself.
I know that all is well in my world.
I am connected with the wisdom of the universe.
My life moves with grace.
I am at peace.