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Becoming In Touch with Ones Chakras Through Meditation

According to yogic traditions of both Buddhism and Hinduism, chakras are believed to be energy centers within the body. Each of the chakras corresponds to both an important part of our physical body as well as what is referred to as our ‘subtle body’ or spiritual body containing the universal force. Rooted in the Sanskrit word for ‘wheel’, the chakras are believed to be in an endless rotation of Shakti or the sacred force.

Located along a central channel, the chakras are spaced intermittently from the crown of the head to the base of the spine in correspondence with key areas of our bodies. Although the total number of chakras varies from teacher to teacher, many westerners define 7 major chakras: the root, the belly, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and ultimately crown. Each of these must remain healthy in order for good energy flow.

It is believed that if the chakras are not in balance with one another or are blocked, the universal force running between them will be slowed leaving one feeling unwoven, tired, stressed, and in cases susceptible to disease. A flowing balance between the chakras is vital to feeling an overall sense of health and well being.

Meditation can be used both to diagnose the health of our chakras as well as to heal and achieve balance within them. If you are currently feeling sluggish, tense, overwhelmed, or just plain overworked, your vital energies may be unbalanced. Try bringing meditation into your life as a healing power. There are many exercises and meditative techniques to help you once again achieve balance. Practice meditating at least once a day to promote relaxation. Start with small increments and work your way up in time as you become more skilled at keeping focus.

Zen Garden Buddha Statues: Bringing Serenity & Beauty to Your Outdoor Space

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”
~Chinese Proverb~

With summer in full swing, it is a pleasant time to enjoy nature and relax in your garden. A way to enhance and bring tranquility to any environment is to place a Buddha statue, particularly a portrayal of Buddha in a meditative state. The positive and peaceful energy of a Zen Buddha sculpture helps keep you in balance and harmony.

First, to accentuate your garden, and to create the best possible chi energy, the meditating Buddha should be seated on a pedestal off the ground. With the lotus throne, or padmasana, this position signifies gratitude and humility. Typically, the Buddha’s hands lies in his lap, one over the other, with thumb tips touching. This is known as dhyana mudra of meditation.

Another step is to plant with odd numbers in your garden to create balance and “yang”. Yang, which refers to the “sunny side”, is a masculine symbol and reflects the sun and day time. Since odd numbers are yang, they are considered auspicious, with a multiple of nine bringing the most positive energy.

Most of the large, stone garden Buddha statues at Lotus Sculpture are one-of-a-kind; created by artists in Bali. They are hand carved from lava stone, which is quarried from the volcanic mountains of Indonesia. The lava stone is a solid stone that is perfect for any type of location and weather conditions – hot or cold, wet or dry. The stone is versatile in that it can be colored in a wide spectrum of colors. It can also be polished or unpolished giving it a clean or rough feel. In humid conditions, when left untouched, it takes on a very mysterious, antique-look as you would see in the temple ruins of South East Asia.

The Laughing Buddha, Feng Shui Symbol

Fat and Happy Buddha of Wealth hand carved in Vietnam, 3 feet tall

The origins of feng shui, a Chinese art of aesthetics, based on astronomy to help improve life by conjuring positive energy, dates back around three thousand years ago. The techniques of this ancient practice have evolved since the invention of the magnetic compass, but the goal of enhancing the human built environment with good qi (chee) remains the same. Qi is referred to as energy– a movable positive or negative life force. The basic principle of feng shui being, “positive energy attracts positive energy”.

The use of symbols play an important role as feng shui cures. Symbols are used for various purposes and help shift the surrounding energy. One of the most popular feng shui cures is a symbol that represents good luck, abundance, happiness, health and success – the Laughing Buddha. He is also known as Fat & Happy Buddha or Budai (Chinese) or Hotai (Japanese), based on an historical figure of an obese Zen monk, who wandered in the 10th century China. People believed that he was the incarnation of the Maitreya Buddha.

“positive energy attracts positive energy”

A Laughing Buddha statue is considered to bring auspicious energy and joyful blessings. His enormous belly signifies abundance – not of material wealth, but good fortune and health. This statue can come in a variety of sizes, postures, materials and colors. It is an individual choice on which statue helps to attract the feng shui energy one desires. A popular location for a Laughing Buddha statue is displayed off the floor near the main entry area of the home. Since he is also considered the patron of children; a statue could be perfect for a child’s room. The Buddha pose most ideal for wealth and prosperity is one that carries a pot of gold, ingots or sack filled with treasure.

Wherever he is lovingly displayed, remember to rub the belly for good luck!

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