IntuitiveBridges - Alan Bridges

With six chakras under our belt, there’s only one left. And as we reach our destination, this instalment marks the conclusion of the Chakra Series. But let’s not dive into the Seventh Chakra just yet. Instead let’s reflect on where we’ve been so far on this journey.

We started at the First Chakra, discovering the energy that grounds us. This chakra gives us our first sense of identity. This is where we encounter Jungian archetype – the tribe. All of us are part of some group. And this group gives us a sense of identity, a sense of belonging. The group also gives us our first set of traditions and beliefs. It’s what connects us to those physically around us and helps define who we are – within the context of who they are. As such, I tend to think of it as the Culture Chakra.

Our next stop was at the Second Chakra. This energy develops as we form relationships with people outside our home. More importantly, we begin attempting to exert influence and maintain control over our external lives. The energy of this chakra resonates with how we relate to authority – those we believe are superior to us, and naturally those we believe are somehow beneath us. The other key relationship of the Second Chakra is the one we have with money.

Things became a bit more complicated at the Third Chakra. The energy of the first two chakras relate exclusively to what’s around us – the outside world. However, here the perspective shifts from being completely external to one that is partly internal and partly external. Here it’s no longer solely about us and them. In this centre, it’s about our understanding of ourselves and how we relate that understanding to the outside world.

At the Fourth Chakra we found the centre of our emotions. It’s how we feel about, perceive and react to our circumstances and the world we live in. What is the most prevalent emotion in your life? Is it fear? Despair? Hate? Envy? Or is it hope? Love? Compassion? Whichever one you identify with most (and of course, you have to be honest with yourself) I’m here to tell you that it has greater impact on the state of your health than any other single factor. And it’s all taking place in the Fourth Chakra.

Expression takes centre stage within the Fifth Chakra. We’re now just above the heart and just below the head. In other words, we’re in the throat or as I call it – Communication Central! The Fifth Chakra corresponds to how we make the choices and decisions in our lives. It’s all about willpower and intuition in this centre.

Moving up to the Sixth Chakra we saw that it’s all in the mind. The challenge this chakra presents us with is to learn to distinguish between thoughts motivated by faith and those tainted with fear. We start to learn our own minds. It’s not merely about independence as that could have connotations of isolationism. On the contrary, the Sixth Chakra is all about opening the mind. It’s where we detach and begin to examine our lives objectively.

And so this week we reach the summit of the chakras – the Seventh Chakra. This is where the spirit connects to mind and body. The energy of this centre motivates us to seek more, to find a higher purpose. It’s not just about being aware of our spiritual nature or so-called Higher Self. The Seventh Chakra pushes us to make our spirituality a conscious and fundamental part of our lives.

We build this energy and cultivate its flow through our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and actions. That should sound familiar because that’s the same way we ignite the energy of the other chakras we have encountered. The spark might be the same. It’s the fuel that’s different.

The Seventh Chakra is powered by altruistic acts, kindness and selflessness. And as with the other chakras, it’s a matter of degrees. The key is the extent to which we allow our spiritual side to guide us in our day-to-day activities.

The Seventh Chakra Force is actually found in all of the chakras. It can be thought of as the glue that holds us together – mind, body and spirit. But it’s greater than any one of us. It transcends us. This energy is what powers the Universe. Some like to think of it as flowing directly from God. Others see it as the energy of the collective unconscious. Either way, what matters is that it is something that transcends the ordinary and yet is something with which we can connect. How? Through meditation and prayer.

I like to associate this chakra with the notion of the Force found in the Star Wars films. There, the Force was a ubiquitous and unifying energy that linked everyone and everything. It is very similar to the life-force we find in the Seventh Chakra. Hence why in this context I always say – May the Force be with us!

As we are dealing with a universal life-force that is triggered through meditation and prayer, it makes sense that the Seventh Chakra is located at the top or crown of the head. Some believe that it is represented in religious painting and iconography as the halos we see above the heads of those who are pure and pious in thought and deed – Saints for example.

Because this energy is everywhere, including the other chakras, it should come as no surprise that it corresponds to the major systems of the physical body, namely the central nervous system, the muscular system, the skeletal system and the skin. This is after all the glue that holds us altogether.

The most common physical ailments associated with Seventh Chakra issues include dysfunctions with the body’s major systems (nervous, muscular, skeletal and skin), but they also encompass depression, acute and chronic exhaustion as well as extreme sensitivities to one’s environment (light, sound, etc.).

At an energetic level we can map Seventh Chakra ailments to issues with an ability to see where one’s life is going and one’s role in the so-called big picture. Struggles with one’s personal code of honour, values and ethics are key symptoms together with questions of faith. In other words, spiritual crisis.

The challenge of the Seventh Chakra is formidable. It requires that we are centred in the present moment – not regretting what has come to pass and not worrying about what might come to be. And in so doing, we are compelled to accept the way things are. They are not good or bad – they just are. Choices made in the past and feelings about what could have been or should have been are released.

No-one ever said that the road to enlightenment would be easy. To be sure, most people who experience a spiritual awakening have to struggle first through a spiritual crisis. But what does that entail? How do you know if your particular struggle is spiritual in nature?

The telltale signs of a spiritual crisis are pretty easy to spot. It usually begins with the recognition that someone’s life isn’t working. What worked before no longer works. What had meaning doesn’t anymore. Business as usual comes to a screeching halt.

Someone who’s merely unmotivated or lacks the drive to do anything with their life isn’t suffering from a spiritual crisis. The person experiencing this kind of crisis feels that something is awakening deep within. There is a stirring deep within their soul.

And because they cannot explain it, they are scared. So fear is another indicator as they feel that they are losing touch with reality, having become someone that they no longer know.

The third, and confirming symptom of a spiritual crisis, is the need to reach out to something more than ourselves – a higher power. This could be a need for contact with God or the Universe. But in essence someone who is suffering a spiritual crisis seeks to contact and commune with the power of spirit – the Force.

It’s sad but true that too many of us have to experience spiritual crisis or illness before we allow ourselves to see the destructive potential of our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs on our lives and bodies. With nearly every person who comes to me in illness or crisis I can identify points in their past when the body (directed by the spirit) tried to get their attention. It sent messages and signals that they dismissed. So it tried harder to be heard until eventually it had no alternative but to succumb.

The Seventh Chakra is not just the source of our life-force. It is also the source of our ability to heal ourselves. When we learn to live in the present moment, release the past and embrace love, there is no challenge or illness that our body cannot overcome. Each and every day our goal should be to live an authentic life in the service of others and all that is around us.

We’ve now considered the main centres of the human energy system. And by now you are hopefully seeing yourself as an energetic being and have a better understanding of how you participate in your illness as much as your wellness. In short, you should be asking yourself these questions. How’s your health? Is your energy flowing as it should? Are you learning the lessons life is trying to teach you? My Intuitive Assessments answer these questions with a comprehensive analysis of your energetic body. Learn more and then book your assessment here.

And don’t forget to read my latest Weekly Insights at PsychicBridges. Do psychics talk to the dead? Or is that a medium? What's the difference between a psychic and a medium? Read my article to find out!

I always welcome your thoughts and feedback on IntuitiveBridges, so let me hear from you by clicking here.

Until next week,

Kindest regards,