Rainbow Mindfulness

I'm going to tell a story. Well, sort of. I'm going to talk about Fate and what it means to me. In A Room with a View , there is a conversation between George and Mr. Beebe about how the cast of characters keeps coming together. Mr. Beebe insists that it's Italy (and interest therein), but George refuses to accept that and argues that it's fate. In the end, George says "It is fate... but you can call it Italy if it makes you less unhappy."    I've always felt this sort of thing deep down that says "I'm happy. I'm where I'm meant to be right now." Always. I'm the opposite of George in that regard. That's what has made it so hard for me to know if I have found my home.  When I say that I felt a sense of  "meant to be", I really mean that. I always knew I was in the right place for me, until I didn't. And when I didn't, the stars aligned and sent me to the place I was meant to be. I can trace it back clearly ...

When I was in high school, what feels like ages ago, and realistically it was, I was really interested in the 60's counter-culture hippie movement. I was deeply drawn to the idea that love, empathy, and creativity are powerful and can make a real difference in people's lives. The problem was, I was in a very conservative environment, both at home and in school, and my gut was quashed by what I was being told. In my own way, I did challenge norms by dying my hair pink for a couple of weeks, but it wasn't pink long enough for any of my teachers to find out. I was scared of what would happen if my school knew.   Me at 18 challenging norms with pink hair I knew in my gut that being truly caring meant allowing people to exist as they are and helping those who need it in meaningful ways. It felt right to me that pursuing the creative things I love would improve my quality of life. I was taught that helping others meant teaching them a narrow view of morality, and that help came w...

  DISCLAIMER: I am by no means an expert on each chakra, and I don't know everything. I have read extensively and taken an online course through a Jain instructor. This is just a general outline with a couple tips I've learned from experience. Please do your own research on top of this, because our practices are all different.  We made it! Today is the last of the seven main chakras. What is the Sahasrara Chakra? As always: A chakra is a sphere of energy in our astral body that is connected to a place in our physical body. The Sahasrara Chakra is located just above the top of the head, or the crown. The symbol is a lotus with a thousand petals. Typically, not all of these are drawn, but there are many. When drawn with one thousand petals, it's usually 20 rows of 50 petals each. Element There are no elements surrounding the Crown Chakra. It is the only chakra that is free of elements. When I meditate on this chakra, I imagine the energy that has been drawn up through t...

  DISCLAIMER: I am by no means an expert on each chakra, and I don't know everything. I have read extensively and taken an online course through a Jain instructor. This is just a general outline with a couple tips I've learned from experience. Please do your own research on top of this, because our practices are all different.  Almost there! We are in the highest chakras now, the chakras of spiritual enlightenment. What is the Ajna Chakra? As always: A chakra is a sphere of energy in our astral body that is connected to a place in our physical body. The Ajna Chakra is located in the center of your brain, between where your eyes would be. The symbol is a 2 petaled lotus flower, representing the dualities we all poses (likes and dislikes for example). The lotus itself represents inner consciousness and the ability to balance those dualities.  The name, though spelled Ah-j-na, it is pronounced Ag-ya. Element The Element surrounding the Third Eye Chakra is a mixture of...

  DISCLAIMER: I am by no means an expert on each chakra, and I don't know everything. I have read extensively and taken an online course through a Jain instructor. This is just a general outline with a couple tips I've learned from experience. Please do your own research on top of this, because our practices are all different.  Three more to go! Today, we are on my favorite one: Vishuddha or Throat Chakra What is the Vishuddha Chakra? As always: A chakra is a sphere of energy in our astral body that is connected to a place in our physical body. The Vishuddha Chakra is located in the part of the spinal cord behind your throat. It's connected with communication, as it is close to the vocal cords. The symbol is a 16 petaled lotus flower surrounding a downward pointing triangle with a white circle inside. The circle represents ether or air, the element surrounding the chakra. Element The Element surrounding the Vishudda Chakra is space. Space is the capacity of an object...

  DISCLAIMER: I am by no means an expert on each chakra, and I don't know everything. I have read extensively and taken an online course through a Jain instructor. This is just a general outline with a couple tips I've learned from experience. Please do your own research on top of this, because our practices are all different.  We are halfway there! Only a few more chakras left before I finish covering the main seven. What is the Anahata Chakra? As always: A chakra is a sphere of energy in our astral body that is connected to a place in our physical body. The Anahata Chakra is located in the middle of the chest, at the same level as your heart (hence in colloquial name). Most people call it the heart chakra because of it's location and function. The symbol is a 12 petaled lotus flower with two intersecting triangles inside. This represents a union of opposites. The symbol it makes points in all directions, representing how air flows all around us. The petals represent...