Muladhara

Colour: red. Location: the base of the torso. Mystical property: mastery over the elements.

Svadhisthana

Colour: orange. Location: 1–2 cm below the navel. Mystical property: a sense of beauty and the capacity for creativity.

Manipura

Colour: yellow. Location: the solar plexus. Mystical property: power of the mind and unsurpassed mental abilities.

Anahata

Colour: green. Location: the centre of the chest. Mystical property: the ability to create an atmosphere of love and bliss around you.

Vishuddha

Colour: light blue. Location: the base of the throat. Mystical property: the ability to persuade, lead, speak the Truth and teach.

Ajna

Colour: deep blue. Location: the centre of the head. Mystical property: intuition, clairvoyance and absolute knowledge.

Sahasrara

Colour: white or violet. Location: the crown of the head. Mystical property: the ability to change the future and fulfil any wish.

First Practice (An Effort of Will)

1. Sit upright, on a chair, in the lotus position (preferably), or cross-legged. Keep your back straight and do not slouch.
2. Relax as fully as possible.
3. Concentrate on your chosen chakra. Begin with muladhara and work upwards to sahasrara.
4. Keep your hands clasped. The best way is to hold your right wrist with your left hand, with your right hand loosely closed into a fist.
5. Begin to breathe in slowly and deeply. As you inhale, imagine breathing in the energy of the Cosmos, entering your body through the crown of your head. This energy is dense, rich and concentrated. After inhaling, pause briefly, then begin to exhale slowly. As you exhale, imagine the energy concentrating in your chosen chakra. Pause briefly after exhaling.
6. Throughout this time, hold the image of a funnel beginning at your chosen chakra and widening infinitely as it extends away from it.

Second Practice (Mantra)

1. Sit upright, on a chair, in the lotus position, or cross-legged. Keep your back straight and do not slouch.
2. Relax as fully as possible.
3. Concentrate on your chosen chakra. Begin with muladhara and work upwards to sahasrara.
4. Straighten your hands and bring your palms together in front of the centre of your chest.
5. Begin to chant the mantra "O-O-O-M-M-M-M-M-M" in a low voice. The louder the better, but only while the sound remains low. The "O-O-O" sound is very short. The "M-M-M-M-M-M" sound is very long and low. It seems to come from within, making your whole body vibrate.
6. Throughout this time, hold the image of a sphere at the location of your chosen chakra, in that chakra's colour.

Third Practice (Spinning the Chakras)

1. Sit upright, on a chair, in the lotus position, or cross-legged. Keep your back straight and do not slouch.
2. Relax as fully as possible.
3. Concentrate on your chosen chakra. Begin with muladhara and work upwards to sahasrara.
4. Then, continuing to concentrate on your chosen chakra, look at the images linked below.

1. muladhara
2. svadhisthana
3. manipura
4. anahata
5. vishuddha
6. ajna
7. sahasrara

Notes on the "Opening, Strengthening and Spinning the Chakras" Course:

Use one of these approaches to working with the chakras:

a) Begin by working with just one chakra, for example for a week, then move to the chakra above it and work with that one for a week too, continuing up to sahasrara.

b) Work with all the chakras in each session. In other words, during one meditation you go through all the chakras from muladhara to sahasrara.

The greatest effect is achieved by performing all three practices in sequence in one session: first "An Effort of Will", then "Mantra", then "Spinning the Chakras".

Concentrate on the chakra at approximately the point on the line joining the base of the spine to the crown of the head, at the level specified for that chakra, while sitting with your back straight.

Spend at least 5–10 minutes a day on each practice, or at least 15–30 minutes a day for all three.

See also the practice "Working with the Chakras Using Animation".

© Author: Sergey Veretennikov (Om Shanti)
(Meditation given on 25 September 2006.)