Previously, I did an introduction to the 7 chakra system. We saw that having its roots in Sanskrit, an ancient language in Hinduism, Chakras are centers of energy that we find throughout our bodies.
Translated, the word Chakra literally means «wheel» because it acts as a vortex, a disk of spinning energy where matter and consciousness meet. At the core of each of us, spin 7 main chakras aligned along the spine starting from the base up to the crown of the head. The Chakras are important for anybody on the Spirit driven path and so we will go deeper into our understanding of each one of these ever-spinning wheels of life energy.
Our journey through the 7 chakras continues as we arrive to our chakra #7 : The Crown Chakra.
Sahasrara, the seventh Chakra
The Sanskrit name for the seventh chakra is Sahasrara, which means ‘thousandfold’. This is a reference to the petals of a lotus that represent the seventh chakras.
Our journey up the spine is coming to an end as we approach the crown chakra where we connect to the divine, to Source. It is through this chakra that our consciousness expands and reaches level of understanding far greater than that of any other chakra. It is the place of all manifestation, the place of ultimate liberation. We started this journey by taking roots in the solid earth and have ever since grown upwards through the elements of water, fire, air, sound and light. At last, was arrive at our last element – thought.
The Crown Chakra : Location in the body
The seventh chakra is called the ‘crown chakra’ as it sits slightly above our heads like the crown of a Queen, radiating upwards. This chakra is related to the pituitary gland as well as the hypothalamus which work hand in hand to regulate the endocrine system.
On a physical level, the seventh chakra relates to our brain and more particularly to the cerebral cortex as well as the whole nervous system. Our amazing brain contains some thirteen billion interconnected nerve cells, capable of making more connections among themselves than the number of stars in the entire universe *. When you think about it, this is quite incredible ! Our brains are virtually limitless.
At the unconscious level, the seventh chakra represents the wisdom of the body, whereas in the conscious mind it is rather the intellect and the belief systems that are represented. From a superconscious point of view, Sahasrara is knowledge of the divine.
The Crown Chakra Element : Thought
We have seen that while our four lower chakras each have their own element Root Chakra : Earth Element, Sacral Chakra : Water Element, Solar Plexus Chakra : Fire Element, Heart Chakra : Air Element. The three upper chakras, all share different aspects of the same element : Ether. Ether can be seen as space and represents both the space within as without.
At the seventh chakra level of awareness, we experience Ether in the form of thoughts which are strongly related to the mind and the awareness that creates the mind.
It is within our minds that we experience consciousness in the form of thoughts such as of happiness, sadness, love or hate. Through our minds we are spectators of a theater in which at times, our thoughts can seem so realistic that we start identifying with the character on stage and forget that it is all just a play. As we watch this play unfold, we assimilate experiences into meaning and form our belief system based on which we afterwards construct our reality.
Sitting at the top of our heads as a crown, this chakra is our connection to the divine consciousness within as well as without. At this level, we are far from the material world and gain a sense of freedom of space and time. Indeed, within our minds, time and space know no barrier. We can easily think of an event of the past one second and the next second imagine something that will take place in the future. Within our minds we become creators, destroyers, learners, lovers – all without even moving. The crown chakra is said to be the seat of the soul, the gateway to world beyond and within. It is our connection to the divine. We could try to describe it in many many ways, but the truth remains, that words will never be enough as it can only be experienced.
The Crown Chakra Colour : Violet (or white)
The Sahasrara is represented by the colour violet (although I have seen some books that say it is white).
On the visible spectrum of light, violet is the colour that present the shortest wavelength as well as the highest vibration. This colour is deeply related to spirituality, the connection to the divine within as without.
Our journey through the Chakras comes to an end !
Our journey through our chakra system started at the base of the spine, home of the Root Chakra and brought us stability, focus and form where we experienced unity. We then moved up to the Sacral Chakra where we gained an experience of movement, emotion, desire and polarity. As we continued, we expanded beyond survival instincts and desire for pleasure and merging with another. We then reached the Solar Plexus Chakra, where we grow in strength and found our power rising. Home to the element of fire, this chakra ignites the light of consciousness and pushes us away from inertia.
Continuing our journey upwards, we then arrive to the fifth chakra – The Throat Chakra. In this energy center located in the throat area, we learn to voice our thoughts and communicate. We learn to express ourselves, connect with others but also to expand our awareness allowing at the same time our world to become larger. We then continue our journey upwards as we reach the sixth chakra, the Third-Eye Chakra. Here we gain a sense of peacefulness and inner knowing – wisdom.
At last we arrived to the last chakra, our journey upwards comes to an end. We have climbed each chakra from the roots and have ever since grown upwards through the elements of water, fire, air, sound, light and ether. We have gained insight into ourselves. As a whole. As this journey comes to an end, a new one begins. Indeed, it is now time to come back to the roots, to the foundation of our system and apply what we have learned.
It is now time for the journey inwards to begin.
With Love,
