4. Working with the chakras

The preceding sessions (especially 1 to 4) were focused on releasing the after-effects of major trauma held in the body. This was accomplished by targeting the trauma residue itself or specific emotional or energetic correlates. In the first two cases, intelligent healing energies were activated when the client brought awareness to the energetic residue of the trauma. In the third and fourth cases, the clients underwent major emotional catharsis of pain before the energy shifted. The notion of 'turnaround' was introduced, describing the shift that takes place to a more positive state after processing emotional trauma. The important role of intelligent healing energies or shakti was discussed. The fifth session further illustrated the turnaround principle and other forms of shakti.

The next series of sessions will illustrate working with the chakras. These sessions are less dramatic than major trauma release sessions, but equally profound in their own way. Before sharing them I'd like to discuss some general principles of chakra work. Assagioli (in personal communication) maintained that it's safer to focus on the qualities and issues associated with the chakras instead of attempting to manipulate the chakras directly. He believed that the chakras are interconnected in very complex ways that we don't sufficiently understand. Therefore, harm could result from misguided efforts to intervene in their functioning. Irving Feurst seems to concur with Assagioli on this point. He states, "The process of opening a chakra to change our consciousness is an organic one that can't be hurried… You can't make a flower grow more rapidly by prying its petals open... If you're going to use energy work to help your chakras open, the best way is to use a shakti because it knows exactly how much to work on each chakra and in what way. Using a shakti will help you to avoid the harm which misapplication of many commonly used practices can lead to." (Essene and Feurst, 1998)

In the session just quoted on healing the heart, this approach was used. We were not deliberately attempting to pry open the heart chakra. Instead, the heart was healed organically—first through processing the pain which was held there, then through the agency of a shakti.

I find that with most clients, the solar plexus is the chakra calling out for attention. The third chakra has to do with the right use of power, our sacred sovereignty, our ability to assert ourselves, maintain healthy boundaries, and take responsibility for our lives. The heart chakra cannot open fully until the solar plexus is able to support it. The next three sessions illustrate work with the solar plexus chakra.

Session 6: Energy knot in the belly
Session 7: Yellow ball of light in belly
Session 8: Rings of light
Session 9: Plugging in to the earth current
Session 10: Red light of a root chakra shakti
Session 11: Releasing the energy of shame