Chakra Tai Chi

WHAT IT IS AND WHY WE DO IT

Chakra Tai Chi is a movement meditation, designed to activate and
enlighten all parts of being—body, mind, emotions and even soul.
It stimulates and aligns the energy from the base of the body to the
crown of the head. When the Chakras are activated and aligned,
they provide access to the full range of human consciousness and
stabilize this consciousness in the body. The purpose of Chakra
Tai Chi is to bring more consciousness into all the chakras and all
aspects of their influence on our lives as well as to bring awareness
to integration of the whole person. It is a powerful tool for self-care.
Practiced
consistently, you can gain deeper understanding and connection
with yourself and others.

Although it uses simple traditional tai chi movements its purpose

is not technical refinement, although that may happen as you con-
tinue to practice. Like traditional tai chi, it activates the energy sys-
tems so that chi can flow more fully and smoothly. And as chi flows,
more consciousness can open up, from within your own awareness,
not as a result of following an outer teacher, but from contacting
your own inner teacher.

The emphasis of this meditation is on expanding consciousness, at

all levels. For example, as you practice you will become more aware
of your body, in different and exact parts, you will attune naturally
to the thoughts that flow through your mind and the emotions that
arise. Then, even beyond these specific awarenesses, sometimes all
of it will come together in a grand gestalt of insight, which perme-
ates you completely. An “aha” moment will occur and suddenly
something that was a mystery before will become clear to you.

There are several advantages of keying the meditation to body

movement
• the body’s wisdom becomes more available
• we can learn where and how emotions and thoughts arise
in the body
 • we can instantly learn the effect of thought(s) and emotions on
all parts of our being
• insight is immediately a whole-being phenomenon, not
restricted to head and thinking
• as awareness of the body, thinking and feeling continue
to open up as we go deeper with each session until we are finally
accessing the very core of our being, our true nature, the soul.
• the more we move the body in harmony with the body’s energy
systems (meridians, chakras and nadis) the more chi opens up in
a cumulative fashion which in turn, enhances our health,
awareness and well being.

At first the practice may seem too simple, especially if you compare
it to traditional tai chi. But as you keep opening to inner awareness
of all that is going on with you, the exploration becomes unexpected
and fascinating. As you have a feeling in the body an image may
arise, or a word, or song. Then a recent dream or a long lost memory
may surface. As you keep moving up through the chakras all of these
impressions may come together in a completely new perspective.
You will experience consciousness of each chakra directly. And as you
continue to practice you will come to know yourself at levels that you
have not penetrated before.

You will also become more aware of your own auric field and, beyond
it, to the field around you. You will experience how your field is con-
nected to the greater field, for example how your movement may
affect the environment around you, including plants, animals or
humans. Then you may attune to the universal field and even tap into
its wisdom, just as some indigenous people are able to anticipate
weather changes. These awarenesses are not intellectual understand-
ings but direct, body-felt realities.

The practice can be done in as few as 8 minutes, when you need to

clear your field between clients or prepare for a presentation, or it
can be extended to an hour, as a complete meditation. It is classic to
do the movements in groups of three, that is 3, or 6, or 9, or 12, times
for each movement. Experiment with different times of day and with
your own rhythm and pace.

As you do the practice you will discover untold treasures within

yourself and the world around you. With continued practice you will
discover flowing with the Tao, within yourself and the cosmos.
The New Millennium Chakra Tai Chi 1/07

Root & 2nd Rocking with the Earth: Stand with feet flat,
shoulder width apart. Swing arms up (as if
lifting energy), rising on toes slightly. Then
swing them back, coming back onto balls of
feet and lifting toes slightly off floor. Exhale
when lifting up; inhale when coming back
toward body. Focus attention on root chakra
for 3, 6 or 9 swings.Then bring attention to
focus on second chakra for another 3, 6 or 9
swings. End with graceful conclusion.

Third Clearing the Path: Place left heel out in front

of body, while rocking forward on the left
foot, swipe to the left with both hands (as if
scraping around a platter). Then coming back
with weight onto the right foot, swipe back
around toward the body, making a full circle.
Throw away whatever is no longer useful as
you swipe away from the body. 3, 6 or 9 times.
Repeat the same full motion on the right side
but start with the right foot out in front. Focus
attention on the third chakra 3, 6 or 9 times.
End with graceful conclusion.

Heart Giving and Receiving: Place left heel out

in front of the body. Place both hands, palms
facing forward, at the heart level, close in to
the heart. While rocking forward on the left
foot push hands away from heart, giving. Then
coming back with weight onto the right foot,
turn hands so they are facing your heart and
bring them back into your chest, receiving.
Give and receive the love you need as you
keep attention focused in the heart. Repeat
 the same full motion on the right side but start
with the right foot forward. Do 3, 6 or 9 times
on each side. End with graceful conclusion.

Higher Heart Gathering in to Serve: Foot motions same as

beginning with left heel out. Begin with hands
at higher heart, then reach arms out to gather
energy from outside and draw it back into the
body, at root chakra level. Then gather energy
up, from inside your body, starting at the root
chakra, coming up to the Higher Heart . Dis-
tribute this energy out to serve,each time you
rock forward on the foot. 3, 6 or 9 times each
foot. End with graceful conclusion.

Throat Freeing Expression: Left heel out, left hand

extended. Right hand at throat. Push right
hand away from throat, clearing it, while
left hand brings fresh energy back into it, as
you go forward on left foot. Then right hand
extends, as you come forward on left foot. As
it comes back toward the body rock back with
full weight onto right foot. 3, 6 or 9 times.
Repeat the same full motion on the right side,
starting with right side forward. 3, 6 or 9 times.
Focus attention on throat. End with graceful
conclusion.

Brow Clearing the Vision: Scoop up fresh energy

with hands and ground it. Using same foot-
work as before with left heel out in front of the
body, swing your hands behind you to gather
up fresh energy. While rocking forward on
the left foot raise the energy with your hands
forward. Then coming back with weight onto
the right foot, raise the energy to your brow
and comb it back through your brow chakra,
clearing it 3, 6 or 9 times. Repeat the same full
motion on the right side 3, 6 or 9 times. Focus
attention on brow chakra. End with graceful
conclusion. At the end, take whatever time you
need at the brow for seeing beyond ordinary
sight into clairvoyance.
Crown Bringing down Heavenly Chi: Scoop up
fresh energy and ground it. Lift the energy up
to the crown over the top of your head. Clear
the crown by blowing out while you come up
on toes slightly and then take hands away
from the head. Repeat three times. Then “stir”
the energy. Repeat twice. Take time to connect
to your soul and the Universe.

Finishing in Reach high above your head into Heaven.

the present Sweep Heavenly energy down through all the
moment chakras, all the way to Earth. Say the mantra
aloud or to yourself, “I align with my Soul
Now.”

End with Left hand over crown while right hand

Chakra attunes all remaining chakras to crown with a
Balancing downward motion.

©Aminah Raheem, 2007

Chakra Illustrated Woman

7 Crown: cosmic consciousness,

union with universal mind

6 Brow: intuition, objective knowledge,

clairvoyance

5 Throat: manifested creativity,

clairaudience, expression of truth

Higher Heart: manifested values and

dreams of the heart, “walking one’s talk”
4 Heart: unconditional love and
compassion, ability to love and forgive
all things

3 Solar Plexus: personal power, ego

2 Pelvis: sexuality, sensuality,

fundamental creativity, physical energy

1 Root: physical survival, procreation,

grounding, sense of security
CENTRAL ALIGNMENT AND THE CHAKRAS
Chakra development progresses as we age: it begins at birth
with the root chakra and continues, chakra by chakra in stages
up through later life (about 60 on) when the crown chakra can be
predominant. As we grow and develop each of the chakras
activates its corresponding abilities. In simplest terms: root
activates survival instincts; second activates sexual and creative
potentials; third activates personal identity and power; heart
activates empathy and love; throat activates truth telling and
higher creative expression; brow activates higher intuition,
intelligence and witness consciousness and crown activates our
conscious connection with the greater Cosmos.

LOCATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF THE CHAKRAS

All eight major chakras penetrate the midline of the body. They
bulge out from the front of the body in energy centers which
have been described as spinning wheels. They penetrate the body
in a cone shape, extending through and beyond the spine in the
back. They can be located with touch in either the front or back
of the body but are easier to feel at first on the front. Location and
position may vary from body to body.

Crown, or seventh chakra: Located directly above the

crown point of the head, extending upward. Sometimes named
the “thousand petaled lotus” to indicate the extensive
consciousness potential an open crown provides. Associated with
cosmic consciousness, union with universal mind.

Brow, or sixth chakra: Located at the middle of the forehead.

Sometimes called the “third eye” because it can provide
paranormal vision and knowing beyond thinking when activated.
Associated with intuition, objective knowledge, clairvoyance.

Throat, or fifth chakra: Located in the middle of the throat.

Associated with manifested creativity, paranormal healing abili-
ties, clairaudience, expression of truth from the self.
Higher Heart chakra: Located over the manubrium and
thymus gland. Associated with manifesting the values and dreams
of the heart. “Walking one’s talk.” Only recently recognized as
important.

Heart, or fourth chakra: Located in the middle of the

chest, in the heart region. Associated with unconditional love and
compassion, the ability to forgive and accept all beings. Both Jesus
and Buddha exhibited fully open heart chakras.

Solar plexus, or third chakra: Usually located at the

navel, this chakra is the one most likely to have a variable position,
all the way from the bottom of the sternum to the navel. Associated
with personal power and ego. Sometimes termed the emotional
center because most ordinary emotions are thought to center here.
Also identified with ordinary thinking (analysis, logic, etc.). This is
the center most likely involved when a person either over-identifies
with others (feels others’ feelings in his/her body), or cannot
connect with others.

Second chakra: Located about 2 to 3 inches below the

navel. Associated with sexuality, sensuality, fundamental creativity
in general and physical energy.

Root, or first chakra: Located at the base of the spine.

It is the first chakra activated in early life. Pertains to physical
survival, procreation at the most basic level, grounding and a sense
of security in life.