The Crown (Sahasrara) Chakra

The Crown chakra is located on the crown of the head. It connects us to our spiritual side and our higher wisdom. This energetic spot also pertains to connection, grace, soul, and the Universe. It is here we feel the energy of self-unification, or a coming together of our personality with our higher self. We become aware of something greater than our self and are interested in being our very best.

Sahasrara is shown as a lotus with a thousand petals with shivalingham, a symbol of pure consciousness, in the center. The crown chakra is emotionally connected to purity and spirit. It is associated with inspiration and our relationship with that which is divine. It puts us in touch with our divine purpose and selfless service, and teaches us to be present in the moment. It holds our discovery of the knowledge that we are connected to all that is.

When this chakra is balanced in children, a child will be at peace with herself and have a magnetic personality. If it is overactive, a child may act manically; if it is underactive, she may feel isolated or fear any sort of change.

To balance Sahasrara, practice concentration and visualization exercises as well as guided imagery in Savasana. Meditation is also a good discipline to learn.

Third Eye Chakra

Ajna (Third Eye) chakra, or the Brow Chakra as it is sometimes called, is located in the middel of the forehead, in the brow area. Ajna means "to know" and is associated with your sixth sense or intuition and imagination. It is shown as a silver lotus with two petals. The two petals represent the two hemispheres of the brain that are portrayed as male and female energies; one being receptive, the other being dynamic.

The Third Eye Chakra is emotionally linked to intuition, intelligence, concentration, and visualization. This energy center stimulates imagination and intuition. Self-reflection is also evoked in this center. Lessons located in the brow center are concentration, wisdom, insight and peace of mind. Other aspects of this area include dreams, beauty, vision, and color. Guided imagery can stimulate the lessons of this chakra. Once a child is balanced by participating in the yoga postures of the program, it is time to encourage visual creation. This is how imagination is cultivated and the potential of thoughts expanded. Children have not yet formulated mental limitations, therefore they are still open to creating their dreams.

When the Third Eye Chakra is functioning well, a child will grasp concepts, be mentally alert, and have a charismatic personality that allows him to make friends easily. If it is overactive, he will be inattentive and unable to concentrate on anything. If it is underactive, he may have little personality or suffer from some learning problems or disabilities.

To improve the Brow (Ajna) Chakra, practice Balancing Stick Pose, Child's Pose, Savasana, and visualization and concentration exercises as well as guided imagery. You can find these exercises and guided imagery in books or on the internet.

Balancing Stick Pose

Child's Pose

Savasana

 

The Throat (Vishuddhi) Chakra and Kids

Plow Pose

The throat chakra is located in the throat, close to the larynx. Vishuddhi means "purification through words" such a reciting a mantra. It is represented by a violet lotus containing 16 petals. In the center of the lotus is a large white circle that represents the element of Ether, or Space. The throat chakra  is said to be the bridge between body and mind and is linked to self-expression.

Emotionally, the throat chakra is the communication center, giving us the ability to speak the truth and express all our ideas creatively. The lessons in this energy center are about self-expression. In addition, skills pertaining to rhythm, sound, connection, singing, chanting, writing, and public speaking are in focus. We learn the right to speak and to be heard. When this chakra is balanced, we are more able to attain our goal of being clear in our communication. We learn to speak the truth. We learn to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions.

For a child with a speech/language delay or disorder, stress can be created due to the barriers in the give-and-take of expressing wants, needs, and thoughts. A child who limited in verbal expression, often finds it more difficult to connect, be socially engaging and fulfill his needs to interact with others. Yoga chanting, use of hand postures and motor planning of sequences poses all support precursors to effective spoken communication.

Creative expression is exercised in the lessons of the throat chakra. This includes speaking, writing, and artistic expression. Music and art as well as creative dance, painting, and singing are all motivating outlets for a child to explore. These outlets help to facilitate speech or written language. Chanting and breathing activities are also good choices in working with the energy of the throat chakra.

When this chakra is balanced, a child will communicate well, be able to express himself verbally and be willing to listen attentively to others. If it is overactive, she may be a chatterbox, or a show-off who is always talking and has a tendency to exaggerate. If it is underactive, she may not say much or participate well in group activities.

To balance the throat chakra, practice Candle Pose, Plow Pose, Fish Pose, Bridge Pose, and Upward Facing Dog Pose.

Candle Pose

Fish Pose

Bridge Pose

       

Upward Facing Dog Pose

Children and the Heart (Anahata) Chakra

Bow Pose

Cobra Pose

     

Child's Pose

Bridge Pose

The Heart (Anahata) Charkra is located in the center of the chest, close to the physical heart. Anahata means "unstruck sound" and refers to the life beat of the universe, similar to the body's heartbeat: the pulse of life and love. This love is unconditional, constant, and pure. The heart chakra is shown as a blue lotus with 12 petals. In the center of the lotus are two interlocking triangles representing the Air element. Emotionally, this chakra holds our powerful emotions, such as love, compassion, patience, and contentment.

The lessons of love, compassion, and how to heal past wounds are held in the heart chakra. This energy center marks the midway point between the body's seven primary chakras. The three lower centers pertain to the lessons of the outside world and three upper centers are related to lesson of our inner world. In the heart chakra we learn the qualities of loving and being loved. There are lesson of openness, giving, receiving, balance, and compassion. This center is involved in our impressions of self-acceptance. When we accept and love ourselves, it is much easier to share love and accept others. Within our heart chakra is stored our emotional powers, and also the ability to forgive. Children enjoy activities that involve loving self and others.

When the heart chakra is functioning well, a child is caring and nurturing, can show compassion to others, and is contented. If it is overactive, she can become possessive, be divisive, or act melodramatically. If it is underactive, she may be spiteful, shut down emotionally, or have a fear of being rejected. To balance the heart chakra practice Bridge Pose, Bow Pose, Cobra Pose, Wheel Pose, and Child's Pose.

The Solar Plexus (Manipura) Chakra in Kids

The energy center located in the upper abdomen behind the navel, above the waist and below the heart is the Solar Plexus Chakra. Manipure or Solar Plexus is the center of heat and vitality, the area of the body where food is transformed into energy. Manipura means "city of jewels". This chakra is depicted as a bright yellow lotus with ten petals. Within the lotus is a red triangle, representing the Fire element.

Emotionally this chakra deals with our will power and self-belief. It also deals with how we use our basic creative energies. The lessons stimulated in this area of the body support a child's development of a sense of purpose and the establishment of self-control. With the cultivation of self-control the child begins to accept responsibility for the type of person he/she is to become. When this chakra is balanced, a child respects himself and other people, is energetic, spontaneous, and loves seeing friends. If it is overactive, he may be angry, controlling, or just ill tempered and dominating. If it is underactive, he can be frightened, insecure, painfully shy, and in need of constant reassurance.

To balance the Solar Plexus Chakra, pratice Boat Pose, Bridge Pose, and Cat Pose. Other ways to balance this chakra are with guided imagery and positive affirmations.

Boat Pose

Bridge Pose

Cat/Cow Pose

   

In a yoga environment, each person is perfect as they are, and the difference between one person and the next is simply an observation of how unique we are. At Dragonfly Yoga, we often talk about how our yoga is as unique as we are. Each person is special and each person's yoga is special. My yoga does not look like your yoga and your yoga does not look like your friends yoga. Everyone is unique. For more information about Dragonfly Yoga classes, visit our website at:

• http://dragonflyyogakids.com

The Navel Chakra (Svadhisthana) in Children

The second chakra is located in the pelvis and abdominal area. Svadhisthana means "an abode of one's own". This chakra is represented by an orange lotus with six petals. At the center of the lotus is a sliver crescent moon, denoting the Water element.

Emotionally this chakra relates to the need to find your identity. When this area of the body is stimulated with yoga, we become aware of the lessons about relating to others and the process of individuating from the family. The understanding of healthy parameters is forming, along with the rhythm of giving and receiving. Another lesson in this energy is about developing creative expression with others. A yoga environment naturally supports harmonious relationship with self, which can provide more confidence in relating to others.

When this chakra is balanced, a child is completely in tune with his/her feelings, is imaginative, and trustd the actions of other people. If it is overactive, the child can become too emotional and be manipulative. If it is underactive the child can be bored, disinterested, and self-critical.

To balance the navel chakra, practice Butterfly Pose, Chair Pose, Bridge Pose, and Triangle Pose.

Chair Pose

Triangle Pose

Butterfly Pose

Bridge Pose

The Root Chakra (Muladhara) in Children

The Root Chakra is situated at the base of the tail bone, where our body connects tot he earth when sitting. In yoga, it is depicted as a beautiful red lotus with four petals. In the center of the lotus is a yellow square that represents the Earth element and shakti or primal energy.

Emotionally, this chakra is about basic survival, feeling stable and safe in the world. The lesson stored within the energetic body is about establishing our foundation. This area stores lessons around the ways in which we connect with the world, such as through family, roots, and home. Children need to have a solid footing in the world and learn to understand the oneness of family and community. Children learn about group identity and how they fit in within a group. It is important for a child to know the security of their family unit and thrive through connection in their world. Having a feeling of security at home builds the foundation for the child to gain the confidence needed to individuate and explore outside the immediate family. Love and acceptance help a child to feel grounded.

Bridge Pose

When the root chakra is functioning properly, a child feels grounded, is full of energy, and gets along well with other children and adults. If it is overactive a child can become selfish, self-centered, or boisterous. A child with an overactive root chakra may bully other children. If the root chrkra is underactive, the child , may be needy, fearful, or suffer from low self-esteem or a bad self-image.

To balance Muladhara chakra, practice Bridge pose,Locust poses, Clam pose, and Squat pose.

Locust Pose

Squat Pose

Clam Pose

The Chakras

Chakras are our spiritual energy centers. Chakra means wheel or disk, as the chakras are tight circles of energy. There are seven primary centers of energy housed along the spine; starting at the tailbone and ending at the top of the head. This is known in yoga as the energy body. When our energy body is balanced, it aligns with our physical body to create a feeling of wellness and health. When the energetic body is not balanced we can experience a irritation, anxiety, or lack of balance. All the charkras are joined together by nadis (energy channels). How each chakra functions depends on the person's spiritual and physical health. Some chakras can be underactive, sluggish, or possibly overactive. If a chakra malfunctions, there will be a hormonal, physical, and/or emotional disturbance. Practicing yoga can help to shift energetic blockage and bring the chakras back in balance. Yoga poses and breathing can purify chakras and help to harmonize prana, allowing it to move freely through the body.

Each chakra stores energy that stimulates lessons that support our journey to become the best we can be. These energies influence how we view our world, love ourselves and others, and develop the ability to make choices in our life.Yoga stimulates the energetic body and awakens the lessons stored within the chakras. Each yoga pose stimulates one or more of the energy centers. Yoga sequences are designed to effectively move energy through the body for full balancing. Participating in a yoga program can improve a vast array of physical skills and also awaken the awareness of values and choices in everyday lesson of life. Life's journey can sometimes be rough therefore a program that can help guide self-awareness and development can be a precious gift.

Please stop by each day for the next seven days to read about each of the seven chakras.

How Yoga Affects the Endocrine System in Children

Our bodies are a complex systems that comprise numerous working parts, such as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and endocrine systems. When any part of the body is not functioning properly, it affects us both physically and spiritually. Yoga is a profound system of exercise that stimulates the body physically, mentally, energetically, and spiritually. One of the unique qualities of yoga is how it affects the endocrine system. The endocrine system, or glandular system, controls the body's functions, secreting hormones directly into the bloodstream. The hormones are chemical messengers, giving commands from the brain to the body. They not only affect how well the body functions, but also influence our moods and behavior, sometimes making us feel angry, depressed, happy, or sad. 

There are eight different kinds of glands in the body. Each gland has a different function. The pituitary gland is located in the head. It is the master gland of the body since all information feeds back to this gland and it controls all the other glands. It influences overall body growth and how the other glands and organs function. The pineal gland is also located in the head. It is active in the development of children until age eight, when it begins to calcify. As it becomes less active, the pituitary gland begins to take over, marking the start of puberty. The thyroid and parathyroid glands are located in the throat. The thyroid is responsible for the physical and mental growth, heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure, and glucose absorption. The secretions of the parathyroid gland control the calcium levels in the blood that affect bone strength, muscle tone, and the nervous system. The thymus gland is located in the heart region. It is active during a child's formative years, stimulating immune-system response and encouraging normal body growth. It starts to shrink and diminish at puberty, around the age of 14. The adrenal glands are situated above the kidneys and release hormones in the system such as hydrocortisone to regulate the metabolism and adrenaline to trigger the body's fight or flight mechanism. The eighth glands are the testes and ovaries. These are the sexual glands of the body.

How well the endocrine system is working is particularly important in children, as it determines how fast they grow and their emotional health. When a child practices yoga regularly, the endocrine system is kept in balance and the child grow and develops normally. But if there is a blockage in the hormonal system, such as an under- or overactive thyroid, a child can change and become sluggish or hyperactive.

Yoga poses also increase the intake of oxygen into the bloodstream, boosting the blood flow to the glandular areas, making them function more efficiently and improving the overall health and wellbeing. The poses can be performed to either slow down or energize the system. If a child suffers from hyperactivity, you can introduce calm breathing exercises or relaxation techniques. Hyperactive children, as well as children suffering from ADHD, can often become naturally balanced by participating in a regular yoga program. On the other hand, a child who seems dull and listless can boost bodily functions by doing some dynamic or energetic poses. When yoga is practiced during puberty, it can help regulate the physical changes and the hormonal surges that are taking place in the body. This regulation of the body may, in turn, reduce the unpredictable mood swings that seem to affect many teenagers.

Dragonfly Yoga is a yoga based, creative arts, interactive storytelling program for children of all abilities. For more information or to register for a class, see our website 

• http://dragonflyyogakids.com