Courtesy of a Cardiologist

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion 
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure 
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Emily Gems explains Crystals and Rocks and Stone Magic

Programming gemstones and crystals

The purpose of programming a stone is to focus its energy on something you specifically want or need, thereby magnifying its intent through your own. Once a stone has been programmed, it will continually emit that intention until it is cleared or reprogrammed. A stone can hold several intentions, up to four or five, as long as they are compatible.

Stones can be programmed for many purposes.

You might seek healing, protection, or spiritual guidance. Perhaps you wish to bring more love or prosperity into your life. You may desire to improve your home or work environment. These are just a few reasons you might wish to program a stone.

How to program a gemstone or crystal

Three things need to be done before a stone can be programmed. First, you need to formulate your intention. It is important that it is well thought out and properly focused. Vague or imprecise wording may confuse a stone's energies, but specific and meticulous wording will precisely direct its energy towards your intention.

Secondly, you need to select a stone that resonates with the intention you desire. For example, if you are looking for peace and calm, a meditation stone, or to let go of stress, choose a calming green stone or blue stone, such as chrysocolla or aquamarine. If you want an energizing stone to stimulate action or to bring positive results quickly, a red stone, such as ruby or garnet, would work well. If you feel that red is too forceful, choose an orange stone or yellow stone, such as carnelian or citrine.

And finally, before programming, the selected stone must be purified of any outside energies, and cleared of any previous programming. (Read more about cleansing a stone here.)

To program a stone, sit quietly and focus your mind on your intention.

Hold the stone and gaze at it. Sense its energy, letting your own become attuned to it. Once you feel in harmony with the stone, clearly and firmly state your intention aloud. You may wish to repeat it several times to anchor it into the stone. You will intuitively feel when the programming is complete.

Once a stone has been programmed, you may wish to spend time each day with it, asking its energies to be transferred to you. Depending on its purpose, you may wish to wear the stone, carry it in your pocket, or place it by your bed.

Stones can corrupt or exchange their programs when coming into physical contact with one another. To prevent this, protect your stone by wrapping it in white cloth made of natural fibers, such as silk or cotton, when not in use. As white is the most reflective color, it will reflect outside energies away from the stone and prevent it from absorbing any outside forces and from giving off its own programming. Protecting your stone's programming will prevent you from being influenced by other programming that is not what you currently want or need. Reprogram your stones if you become more attuned to finer details of the focus of your intention.

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More articles of interest:

• Dedicating stones and crystals for the highest good
• Making a Crystal Grid
• Cleansing Gemstones see below
• Gemstone articles index
•  

• Cleaning Gemstones - How to cleanse your stones

  There are many methods in use today for cleaning gemstones and crystals in order to increase the effects of their metaphysical energies.
  Stones are believed to have an extensive memory, remembering where they've been, who they've touched, and all forces and energies that have surrounded them. A stone can pass onto others any energy that it has stored within it. Periodically, stones need to be cleansed of any unwanted energies that they may have collected from you, from others, or from the environment.
  For instance, healers take care to clean their healing stones after each use because the stones might take pain (both physical and emotional) into themselves and pass it onto others if they have not been cleansed of those energies between uses. If a stone has absorbed negative energies, it may not work well for whatever purpose it has been programmed. (Read about programming gemstones here.)
  When should a stone be cleansed?
• As soon as it's purchased.
• Before it's programmed.
• After each use.
• When you feel it has become drained or dull.

How often should a stone be cleansed?

• Regularly used stones, such as those worn or carried, should be purified daily.
• Healing stones, massage wands and pendulums should be purified after each use.
• Altar stones and environmental healing stones should be cleansed monthly.

How long does it take to cleanse a stone?

The time needed varies depending upon how drained the stone is and which method is used. The durations mentioned below are minimums based on moderately drained stones. Heavily drained stones will take more time and mildly drained stones will take less. Newly acquired stones and stones to be programmed will take the greatest length of time. Exactly how long a cleansing takes is up to you. Listen to your intuition and it will tell you.

How is a stone cleansed?

There are many ways to cleanse a stone. Which method you choose should be based upon the type of stone, how much time you have, and what tools are readily available to you. Once again, let your intuition be your guide.

Natural forces, such as the elements of nature (fire, water, earth, and air), the sun, the moon, and plants, are very effective in cleansing stones of negative energies. Stones respond to the intentions of their users, so it is important that while you are actively cleansing your stone, no matter which method you use, you hold in your mind the intention of carrying away unwanted energies to a place where they can do no harm, and your desire to re-energize the stone with positive energies.

Methods for cleansing stones:

• Fire - carefully pass the stone through the flame of a candle several times until you intuitively feel it has been cleared. The fire will burn away any negative energy. (Always use care when dealing with fire to ensure safety for yourself and environment).
• Smudging - carefully pass the stone through the smoke of a white sage smudge stick several times until you intuitively feel it has been cleared. Read more about smudging gemstones here....
• Water - rinse the stone in moving water. This can be done in one of three ways:
  • by holding the stone in a river or brook (placing it into a mesh bag will make it easier to hold onto) for several minutes,
  • by leaving it out in the rain for several hours,
  • by holding it under the faucet for several minutes.
  The water will wash away negative energy and return it to the Earth where it can be neutralized. DO NOT USE WATER on soft stones such as angelite, some calcites, howlite, aragonite, azurite, dolomite, malachite, selenite, sulphur, etc. as it may dissolve the stone to a greater or lesser degree.
  
• Earth - bury the stone in the ground for one full day, placing a marker over it so as to be able to find it later, or bury the stone in a pot of ground soil. (Do not use potting soil as it has been treated.) The soil will absorb negative energy, disperse it, and transmute it into positive energy. Stones feel very comfortable in the earth as it is where they formed and grew.
• Air - smudge the stone on all sides with a sage smudge stick, or with dried sage or cedar, or pass it through the smoke of sandalwood or sage incense. Sage is a very effective cleanser, neutralizing negative energy and transmuting it into positive energy.
• Sea salt - the most common method of cleansing stones is with water and sea salt. You can do this by placing the stone in a mesh bag and rinsing it in the ocean for several minutes, or by soaking the stone for several hours in a glass of water with a pinch of sea salt. CAUTIONS: *Salt may damage the finish on some stones. * Water may damage soft or friable stones. *Placing a stone in dry sea salt (without the water) may damage its electromagnetic field.
• Light - place a stone in bright sunlight, either outside or on a windowsill, for at least an hour. NOTE: solar energy may be too violent for some stones, having been formed within the Earth devoid of any light. CAUTION: over time, sunlight may fade the color of some stones. An alternate, and gentler, method is to place the stone in moonlight for at least one night under a full moon, longer if the moon is not full.
• Sound - produce a tone using a bell, chime, or tuning fork. Repeat the sound until the stone's energies feel cleansed. A pure tone will reset a stone's vibration to one that cannot hold negative energy.
• Breath - hold the stone to your heart while inhaling. Then bring the stone to your mouth and exhale your breath onto it. Repeat several times, always keeping in mind your intention of cleansing the stone of all negative energies. Your breath (the Breath of Life), combined with your intention, is a powerful enough force to cleanse a stone of negative energy. Your intuition will tell you when the cleansing is complete.
• Visualization - visualize a column of pure white or golden light coming down and surrounding the stone. Imagine it cleansing and transmuting the stone's negative energies into positive ones. Visualization combined with intention is another force powerful enough to cleanse stones. Again, listen to your intuition.
• Plants - place the stone in a flower pot with one of your plants for several hours. Just as live plants purify the air; they can also purify stones as well, transmuting negative energy into positive energy. If you do not have a plant available, an alternate method is to bury the stone in a glass of dried sage or cedar for a full day. The herbs will absorb the negative energies. After use, burn the herbs, or bury them in the Earth, or discard them in a river or creek. Do not reuse them.
• Quartz cluster - place the stone on large clear quartz cluster or bag of crystal chips for at least one full day. Clear quartz is excellent for magnifying, focusing, and, in this case, transmuting energy.
• Pyramid - leave the stone under a glass pyramid for several days. The energy produced by a pyramid has the ability to neutralize any negative energy that is placed within it.

Cleansing can be done using just one of these methods or a combination of them, such as the four elements, or light and quartz, or plants and breath, or smudging and visualization and sound, just to name a few of many possibilities. Combinations typically include using anywhere from two to five different methods.

All cleansing methods are compatible with each other; so use whatever combination feels right for you and your stone. Using a combination of methods is especially good for cleansing new stones, clearing stones for programming, and cleansing and recharging heavily drained stones. Combinations cleanse the stones more effectively and sometimes more quickly.

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• Gemstone articles index

•  

Yogacise - tool for aging gracefully

"I will tell you about yoga in very simple terms: The human mind is potentially Infinite and Creative. But in practical reality it is limited. So a technical know-how is required through which one can expand his mind to bring about the equilibrium that enables him to control his physical structure and experience his Infinite Self." ~Yogi Bhajan

What is this thing called yoga?

Many people misunderstand what we mean when we say yoga. The techniques of Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan form an owner's manual for human consciousness. This is not about intellectual knowledge of consciousness, but instead an experiential knowledge of Self. Knowledge of Kundalini yoga only becomes a source of wisdom when it becomes your personal experience. How do you make yoga your personal experience? Disciplining yourself to a regular practice.

Here's what yoga is NOT:
a religion
an exercise program
a psychological process

Here's what yoga IS:
union of an individual consciousness with Infinite Consciousness
a technology of awareness

The Threefold Structure of the Human

Body: The physical body is what we must master first. Our inner machinery is complex and subtle. Yoga addresses wear and tear, cleanses the operating system of our vehicle in this life, and gives us the ability to assess our capacity to act. In Kundalini yoga, you study the human body in the light of how to treat it, care for it, and utilize it.

Mind: The second fact of human life, the mind has the job of thought, understanding, compassion and vision. If our mind is not functioning properly, we stumble through life. The mind guides our actions and emotions, giving us a road map to life. The better the map, the greater your likelihood of arriving at the correct destination. Our mental outlook forms our experience. When you become conscious of Infinity, the potential of your experience becomes infinite.

The Soul and the Spirit: No candle burns without a wick; no life exists without a soul. Kundalini yoga helps you understand your own relationship with Cosmic Energy. The spirit awakens first as an individual consciousness, then progresses to group consciousness, then develops into Universal Consciousness. Joining with a group to develop the spirit is the bridge that links individual consciousness with Universal consciousness.

And what does this thing called Kundalini yoga do?

Kundalini is awareness. It means you get that you are a finite individual thing with infinite potential identity. Kundalini yoga is a technology to awaken your awareness. As you practice Kundalini yoga, you grow. You shed old behaviors, attitudes and habits, gaining new perspectives, capacities and habits that support your own continued evolution.

Ride the Wave

Life is like a wave. As you ride it, you go up and down, but you must remain neutral in your identity. Yoga helps you keep neutral.

Health

And yes, yoga makes you healthy. You get a strong immune system, glands, nervous system, circulation and above all the awareness of how your habits affect your body, so you can make sure they are healthy. It balances the prana and apana (the inner and outer flow) of the human body.

Relaxation

Yoga makes you calm, too. It helps to relax the mind and the body so you can actually be peaceful. It will make you confront self-doubt and self-belittlement, helping you reach a place where you are aware of your own Infinity.

What is Kundalini Yoga by Yogi Bhajan:

"Kundalini yoga is a science which works on the seven chakras, the arcline and the aura (the eighth chakra). It works directly on the total energy, and that flow of energy has one simple way; either you sway it or it sways you. Either you are above the energy and ride it , or you go below the energy and it rides you. That is where Kundalini yoga fits in; you will learn to ride your energy, to experience it and penetrate any given situation to attain balance. What is Kundalini actually? It is your creative potential. You experience it when the energy of the glandular system combines with the energy of the nervous system to create such a sensitivity that the totality of the brain receives signals and integrates them. Then you become totally and wholly aware, and your creative potential becomes available to you."

Notes from a Teacher: Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa on Yoga

"I have a whole lot of thoughts on yoga in this grand western BS of yoga and what it is and what the west has turned it into. Yoga is of unisoness, a system best described by Patanjali by which to reach infinity. Today one says yoga in the western world and most people think asana which in the system of the 8 fold path is merely one of the aspects. Asana is actually # 3 in that process with the aspects of lifestyle and choices being the first two paths of the path Yama and niyam. Most people in the world today take to asana first and never study and think about the commitments that need to be thought about in the yama and niyam, so the question becomes are they really practicing yoga or just exercising? Unisoness will not likely be a achieved without all the 8 aspects of the path of yoga put into practice by the aspirant. One of my favorite books on Yoga would be Swami Satchanaada's work on Patanjal's How To Know God." ~Guru Shabad

Remember Carlos Casteneda?

Here are his followers and their workshops based on the shamanic teachings of

Carlos Casteneda and his shaman

August 2012

Dear Dreamers with Wolves:

The ‘call of the wild’ is real; it’s in our bones, our blood, our roots! The sun, the moon, the stars, the wind, the land, the water – all speak to us and call us as our event at The Wolf Connection Conservancy approaches!

To help you with the practical details of our very easy-level camping experience at The Wolf Connection Conservancy we have posted on our web some “Answers to Frequently Asked Questions/ Some Helpful Practical Information About this Event”. Please read this, and if other questions come to mind you may email them to us so that we may answer them here for the benefit of all.

Additionally, a short Pre-Assignment for this workshop is now ready to be explored and enjoyed by all who register. Please register with enough time in advance to give yourself time to complete.

Looking forward to sharing this amazing workshop with you!

The Instructors of Tensegrity

A Carlos Castaneda's Tensegrity® Workshop Dreaming with Wolves* At The Wolf Connection Conservancy Acton, California August 31 to September 2 – Full Moon Weekend or September 14 to September 16 – New Moon Weekend*

Scientists consider wolves among the most successful ‘social animals.’ The seers of don Juan’s lineage, which originates in ancient Mexico, suggest we would do well to consider ourselves social animals too.

Once in trees, our hominid ancestors lived in close bands, and when they ‘came down’ from their arboreal lairs and evolved into the bipedal humans we are today, the desire for and efficiency of operating in a group was nurtured along.

At times, however, within some of our own social gatherings, feelings of security, connectedness and contentment are mixed with feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and disenchantment. We suffer silently with thoughts of not being appreciated for our contributions; we find fault with the methods of others hoping to rank ourselves above them; we want what others have because we neither relish nor develop gifts of our own.

Wolves operate differently within their social groups, or ‘packs.’ From pups they learn a purpose greater than themselves that also serves their individual needs – and that their best chance for survival is to be a responsible member of a well-functioning and cooperative team. Resultantly, not every member of a pack seems to want to be boss; positions of hunter, scout, and puppy-sitter are just as important as others. And positions within such a pack can change, because they are determined by which wolf displays the most talent and energy for a particular task at a particular time.

The seers of the lineage of Mexico make a point; we would do well to return to nature – the elements; the earth, moon and stars; the wolves – and retrieve from our energetic core what we once knew about our own gifts and how to use them in service with others.

From this weekend of Tensegrity® at The Wolf Connection Conservancy, this is what each of you will have the opportunity to do:

Go on hikes, designed for the light to mature walker, throughout the conservancy, with the intent of focusing attention, becoming more conscious and ‘slowing down;’
Uncover, through self-inquiry exercises, your likelihood to currently experience groups the same as your early family group – replaying roles related to sibling birth-order, scapegoating and blame...
Practice movements of Tensegrity® to open up channels in your physical form, allowing your energetic core to shine through...
Explore and gather new ways of being from experiences with the elements – air, water, fire and earth – and from frequent visitations with the wolves;
Sleep at night in tents arranged in a dreaming circle to enhance dreams;
Rise with the sun; eat out of doors; assemble in a native teepee; partake in a fire-pit storytelling event and give away the habits you want to release; recapture how your ancestors, in alignment with the surrounding natural energies, once walked in harmony with other beings upon this earth.

Here is an introduction given by Teo Alfero, Tensegrity Faciltitator and Founder-Director of Wolf Connection:

Music: R. Carlos Nakai, Canyon Records http://www.canyonrecords.com/

Click here for an inspiring example of the
Teamwork of Wolves

* * *

This workshop experience is open to newcomers and seasoned practitioners of Tensegrity® alike.

The content of this workshop is considered Tensegrity® Facilitator-in-Training material; it will be offered again in different settings - urban or elemental, in various locations in 2013; the experience of exploring the content in the context and setting of The Wolf Connection Conservancy is a unique event!

*Answers to Frequently Asked Questions / Some Helpful Practical Information About this Event

* * *

Schedule for either weekend:

*Friday 2:30 pm:	Arrive at Cleargreen Studio, Culver City, for registration and Cleargreen-provided transportation to conservancy.
Friday evening to Sunday 4:00 pm	Tensegrity® workshop activities
Sunday 4:30 pm	Cleargreen-provided transportation from site back to Cleargreen Studio, Culver City, arriving at 6:30 pm.
Optional:
Sunday 4:00 pm to Monday 4:00 pm	Enjoy the conservancy more on your own or by participating in ranch activities such as exercising and tending to the wolves.
Monday 4:30pm	Cleargreen-provided transportation from site back to Cleargreen Studio, Culver City, arriving at 6:30 pm.

* (Each weekend invites 40 practitioners; a third weekend can be added upon popular demand.)

Contribution includes:

Transportation to and from site; all lectures, workshop activities and hikes; all meals from Friday lunch to Sunday lunch; healthy snacks and water available at all times; a cot and tent that sleeps four (of single gender) under the stars; portable hygienic facilities; light morning or evening solar shower.

$610	Full Moon Weekend – Friday, August 31 – Sunday, September 2 Register
$610	New Moon Weekend – Friday, September 14 – Sunday, September 16 Register

Contribution for Optional includes:

Transportation from site; all meals from Sunday dinner to Monday lunch; healthy snacks and water available at all times; a cot and tent that sleeps four (of single gender) under the stars; portable hygienic facilities; light morning or evening solar shower.

$115	Optional time at Conservancy – Sunday, September 2 – Monday, September 3 Register
$115	Optional time at Conservancy – Sunday, September 16 – Monday, September 17 Register

Payment plan: If you are registering with a credit card and wish to pay ½ registration price before the workshop + 3 equal payments after – please contact the Cleargreen offices directly. Tel. (310) 839-7150 (9 am to 5 pm PDT); cleargreen@cleargreen.com

You must provide:

Sleeping bag and walking ‘kit’ (containing day backpack, stainless steel or aluminum water bottle, flashlight, hat and t-shirt) or register below for either to be delivered to you once you reach the site; you must register by August 15 in order to reserve and receive these items.

$45	Sleeping Bag Register
$85	Walking Kit Register
$130	Sleeping Bag + Walking Kit Register

To be mindful of our carbon footprint, plastic water bottles will not be available; hence the requested steel or aluminum water bottle. Similarly, no disposable plates or utensils will be used; you will be asked to wash those given to you after each meal.

* * *

Translation: This workshop will be given in English with translation into other languages available in small groups.

We look forward to seeing you at this unique event!

The Dreamer-Stalkers' Continuum The purpose of this subscription is to help carry the intent of what is practiced in the workshop beyond the time of the workshop itself and into our day-to-day life on an ongoing basis. In it, Tensegrity® instructors will: share with you findings of your fellow workshop participants provide ongoing guidelines - in response to these findings - for tracking energy in your day-to-day encounters. The yearly subscription is valid until July 31, 2013 and includes at least three issues sent via e-mail. The prorated subscription fee is 25 USD. The publication is available to registered workshop participants, seasoned and new.

Workshop Cancellation Policy:
Before the start of the event: Refunds or credits will be available less a $50 administration fee. After the start of event, no refunds or credits available. Exception: Anyone attending a Cleargreen-sponsored event for the first time may receive a refund, less a $50 administration fee if they notify the registration supervisor in person during or immediately after the first session of the wo

Howling at the Moon

There is not a more eerie or beautiful sound at night than the musical extravaganza of a howling wolf pack. Because of the melody of voices, it often sounds like you are surrounded by scores of wolves.

In truth, there are usually no more than five to eight wolves howling in a pack. The secret is that the wolves are always careful not to duplicate each other. Each wolf assumes a unique pitch, respecting the distinctiveness of the other members the pack. While the notes may change, as in any beautiful song, one wolf will not copy the pitch of another.

Interestingly, this respect for the individual only emphasizes the true unity of the group. They are one, but they are individuals, each contributing to the organization in their own unique way. Every wolf has his own voice. Every wolf respects the voice of every other wolf.
- Twyman L Towery, Ph.D.
Wisdom of Wolves

Emily's Gems of Stones and Wisdom

 http://crystal-cure.com/index.html

East Indian religions embrace the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called samsa-ra) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies.

To understand karma you must understand cause and effect. What you give, you also receive. Your own actions determine the type of karma you are creating for yourself. Positive actions or deeds will bring positive results. When you do something good, you will get something good in return. The same applies when you do something bad or negative, you will in turn, pull in something bad or negative. This is what is generally understood as “karma”.

Karma is not a moral issue, it is a natural law. It has to do with the balance of all and has nothing to do with the process of punishment or reward for your actions.

The idea of karma was popularized in the Western world through the work of the Theosophical Society. In this conception, karma is affiliated with the Neopagan law of return or Threefold Law, the idea that the beneficial or harmful effects one has on the world will return to oneself. Colloquially this may be summed up as “what goes around comes around.”

Karma can be balanced or eliminated by living a diligently loving, faithful, sincere, honest and devoted life and by taking responsibility for your actions that may have had a negative effect on others. This can also be referred to as mindfulness, or devotion.

If all your actions are based on the understanding that what you do to others , you are essentially doing to yourself, then you would be much more likely to live a life that creates a loving, prosperous karma for yourself.

The primary focus of some therapeutic gemstones is to help resolve limiting karmic patterns. Working with these gems can help transform negative behavior patterns, break bad habits, and eliminate destructive relationship dynamics. They can also help resolve the negative patterns that perpetuate physical or mental conditions. The results are a greater sense of inner freedom and improved vitality and health.

• Change self-destructive habits
• Climb out of a rut
• Develop new, healthier ways of relating to others
• Eliminate the behavior patterns underlying an unwanted physical condition
• Break free of a pattern of destructive relationships
• Align your dreams with your life path

I have chosen here some stones that can help you to balance your life in such a way that you will break negative patterns and create a more loving environment for yourself and those around you.

Rhodochrosite helps develop inner freedom by neutralizing the destructive behavioral patterns that restrict personal growth and undermine physical health. Rhodochrosite's energy comes like a storm: it destroys negative patterns, sweeps away emotional "clutter," and works with you to build healthier patterns. By helping resolve inner conflicts, Rhodochrosite encourages all aspects of your being to work together with a unified focus. It imparts self-confidence as it helps you realize your power to transform your life. 

Blue Chalcedony is a very good balance stone. When there is a need for softness in the auric field, at times when stresses amount and one’s center begins to wobble, Blue Chalcedony can restore calm and balance allowing one to center in the present and not worry of the future. It helps alleviate worry and anxiety as well as irrational anger or fear. 

Emerald is a beautiful water element stone that has wonderful effects on the emotional and physical body. It brings an energy of hope, encouragement, gentleness and abundance into one’s auric field. Emerald stimulates the physical heart and clears the emotional body of patterns of victimization and rejection. It allows him to forgive and find truth and love within himself and others. This is good for letting go of unwanted negativity, anger and fear, and opening up your heart for true love and compassion. 

Lapis Lazuli helps one move one’s consciousness beyond the mundane and allows one to identify habits, patterns and lessons one may have difficulty perceiving consciously, and which may be blocking one from making spiritual progress. Lapis Lazuli is a stone of self-knowledge and reflection. I gives you an expanded view of your motivations and beliefs. 

Turquoise is a stone for finding wholeness and truth, it is also an aid in the communication of those abilities. Turquoise teaches the wisdom of compassion and forgiveness and offers one the opportunity to experience the insight that enlightened selfishness is identical with kindness and generosity. Turquoise demonstrates that when one releases one’s insistence on ‘justice’ and views others through the lens of compassion and forgiveness, one immediately receives those gifts in return. Thus the most generous gesture toward others also brings about what one most desires for oneself. Not only that- such actions are contagious and self-reinforcing!

Other good balancing stones include: Amethyst, Citrine, Crystal Quartz, Epidote, Garnet, Malachite, Opal, Quartz, Cat's Eye, Tourmaline, and Ruby

Chakras and Tattvas

The Five Tattvas

Tattvas are the elements from which you are made, at least in the premise of Kundalini yogic philosophy. They are Earth, Water, Fire, Air*, and Ether. You may find it more useful to think of these metaphysically as opposed to the literal truth, although in fairness there are uniquely talented healers who have established successful practices by treating the tattvas.
What follows is a discussion of the tattvas and how they are considered in Kundalini yogic philosophy. Most of you know I am a teacher and not a philosopher! Accordingly, the next five Tuesday classes at Hazard Center and Thursday classes at Toby Wells will be devoted to giving you an in-the-body experience of each tattva through yoga.
The tattvas are associated with the chakras, but only the first Five. The Sixth, Seventh and Eighth chakras are beyond the elements. These upper chakras are associated with the quality of light.

Tattvas are the densest form of Maya. They produce the illusion of separation, or in Western terms duality. Each tattva projects Maya in a specific way which leads to suffering. Since tattvas are the elements you are comprised of, you cannot get rid of their projections. However, you can re-direct those projects in an uplifting way. This may not be as easy to do as it it is to say, but it can be done.

The tattvas summarized:
Earth corresponds with the First Chakra. Although this Chakra’s energy is associated with elimination, the projection of Earth is greed to acquire. This leads to heaviness, fixity and depression. Re-channel greed from acquiring material possessions to acquiring the qualities of a great person.

Water corresponds with the Second Chakra, which we associate with creativity. The projection of Water is lust, which leads to guilt, delusion and pitilessness. Re-channel lust from exploitation to service that fosters creativity and affection.

Fire corresponds with the Third Chakra, which we associate with our personal power and the digestive organs. The projection of fire is the desire to control, which leads to fear and anger. Re-channel anger from others onto your own negativity; not in a self-destructive shaming way, but one that uses that energy for purification.

Air corresponds with the Fourth Chakra, which we associate with the Heart. The projection of Air is attachment (“I have my heart set on…”) to earthly possessions. Note the distinction regarding earthly possessions between Earth (greed, or the desire to acquire) and Air! Attachment to things leads to anxiety and indecisiveness. Re-channel attachment from specific things to the whole Universe. Love ideas and ideals, become attached to happiness and health and your connection to the divine.

Ether corresponds with the Fifth Chakra, which we associate with the Throat and speaking and hearing Truth. Your small “t” truth contains your sense of self, and may lead to egomania. Re-channel your sense of the ego, or the small, transitory self into the capital T Truth of oneness with the Infinite Being which is all that there is.