The crown chakra is one that many people will have heard of, even if they dont know much about energy centers, or chakras as they are known. Even the title sounds important – it evokes images of crowns, thrones, kings, and queens. The title is well deserved, because the crown chakra is key to understanding the energy centers of the body and using this knowledge to work towards health, wellness, and spiritual fulfilment. This chakra is about the self; how we see ourselves and self-awareness. It is the crown chakra that enables us to become one with the people around us and with the universe itself.
What is the Crown Chakra?
The Chakras are energy centers located throughout the body. It helps to imagine them as wheels that move energy into and through the body. The chakras are a focal point for the energy in the body, and if they become blocked, problems can occur. Clearing the chakras promotes health and wellness. There are seven chakras in the body and the Crown is the 7th Chakra, the highest of them all. It is located at the top of the head, just where a crown would sit. It is usually represented by the color white or by a deep indigo or purple. It is sometimes visualized as a lotus flower with a thousand petals, and this gives it the name Sahasrara which means thousand-petalled.
Why is the Crown Chakra Important?
The 7th chakra is the most spiritual of all the energy centers. Its position at the top of the body links us to higher states of consciousness and allows us to connect with what is universal and divine. This is the chakra most closely aligned with our ability to form a connection with a higher being or God. When we engage in prayer or any kind of spiritual practice, we are drawing energy into our bodies through the all-important crown chakra.
When trying to understand what this chakra is and what it does, it helps if you think of it as an opening through which the energy of the universe, the divine energy, can flow into the body. This energy can then flow through the body, moving through the other chakras and promoting health, wellness, and spiritual fulfilment.
The Physical Body
Each of the chakras has a profound effect on the physical body as well as the spiritual and emotional aspects of a person. The crown chakra is linked to the central nervous system. It is also associated with the skin and muscles of the body. Problems with the central nervous system, skin and muscles are linked to a closed chakra, as are problems with the head.
The Emotions
Gratitude by moving past the ego, we can each reach the point of feeling deep gratitude for life. This is more than simply being thankful for the blessings we have; it means feeling a depth of gratitude for life itself and for the energy that sustains us.
Faith and trust the crown chakra holds the potential of feeling secure in our faith. This nurtures our trust and rids us of cynicism while helping us to see things for what they really are.
Fearlessness Letting go of fear is only possible when this chakra is functioning as it should. If this important energy center is not open enough, or not functioning as it should, then fear and negativity grow.
Peace without fear, we can live in peace, with a fuller understanding of our place in the universe.
The Crown and the Divine
The crown chakra makes it possible for us each to move past the shackles of the Ego and the limitations of the human body and reach out into the universe and the higher powers beyond us. It is here that we are able to grasp the concept of being connected with one another and the universe. This means that we see the bigger picture; we understand that we are part of something much larger than the physical human world.
The crown chakra connects us to the divine power all around us and reminds us that this power is within us too. It is the crown chakra that inspires the divine in all of us; this is where our mystical abilities come from, including our intuition. It enables us to be guided by a higher power and bestows the gift of transcendence.
Malfunction and Blockages
If the crown chakra is not functioning, or not open enough to allow energy to flow, then the effects can be quite profound. People experiencing blockages of this energy center may have unhealthy ideas about life and death. They may feel blocked spiritually. Self-awareness will suffer and they may have a poor grasp of their effect on other people or the world around them. It is difficult to have a good sense of perspective when the crown chakra is not functioning well, and this can impact on lifestyle and relationships. Connecting with other people and forming meaningful relationships might be a struggle.
Negativity and cynicism is a problem for those who have issues related to this important energy center, as is being judgmental and closed-off to new ideas. Intrusive thoughts, often negative or damaging, can have a dramatic impact on the self-esteem and this leads to problems empathizing, further consolidating relationship issues.
Working with the Crown Chakra
As this chakra opens up, the Ego-driven fear dissolves and the person is able to see more clearly and to begin to experience the spiritual. The gifts of intuition, insight and inspiration are sure to follow.
