Egyptian Pose and Chakra Work

Contents:

• Introduction
• Muladhara Chakra
• Swadhisthana Chakra
• Manipura Chakra
• Anahata Chakra
• Vishuddha Chakra
• Ajna Chakra
• Sahasrara Chakra

Introduction

Sitting on a chair in Egyptian Pose might be considered to be resting in Muladhara chakra because it is an easy and safe posture – or perhaps Sahasrara chakra if one is sitting meditatively or for meditation. However, the approach to a posture greatly influences the effect of the posture on the chakra system. So, what I offer here are some examples of the sort of approaches to Egyptian Pose to try for having an effect on a particular chakra. I have also attempted to distinguish between practices and approaches that will tend to stimulate (make more active) the chakra and those that will tend to stabilize (strengthen) the chakra. Inevitably, there is significant overlap in this and you may well find that for you personally something that I suggest as stimulating is more stabilizing and vice versa. In any case what is offered here is very much a personal view (rather than a consensual view of experienced experts) so my strong recommendation is that you play and experiment with these ideas both to find what works for you and to help you form your own views (as opposed to absorbing and trusting these ideas as they are.) [For information about the chakra system please see the Pranic Anatomy section of this website.]

Muladhara Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
Holding for an extended time with a sense of stillness.	Holding the pose with a sense of gravity drawing down through the pelvic girdle and allowing the trunk to relax around the “stable rod” supplied by the spine.
Actively pressing a foot or feet down into the floor (so leg muscles are activated).	Being aware of one’s feet’s contact with the ground.
Use of Mula Bandha and pelvic floor exercises.	Use of “base support” practices (e.g. “core strength” idea in Pilates).

Swadhisthana Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
Sinuous movements within the body (e.g. “pelvic tilt” whilst sitting or sitting cat breathing).	Observing the experiences & sensations (& movements within the “stillness” of the pose).
Movement of legs or hips / pelvic girdle or lower spine.	Awareness of legs or hips / pelvic girdle or lower spine.
Use of “base support” practices (e.g. “core strength” idea in Pilates).	Use of Mula Bandha and pelvic floor exercises.

Manipura Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
With awareness on breath.	Linking movement (e.g. of legs, arms, spine) with breath.
Use of energizing breaths (e.g. short or forceful exhalations).	Using calming or soothing breaths (e.g. long or passive exhalations).
Using active abdominal breathing.	Hold with awareness of breath caused movements (if only slight) of the abdomen (especially the upper abdomen) – i.e. passive abdominal breathing.
Holding (pose) with tone (or active contraction) of abdomen (e.g. ashtanga style Uddiyana Bandha & Base support).	Hold (pose) with awareness resting in upper abdomen.

Anahata Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
Encouraging chest to open and expand e.g. imagining shoulders and elbows pointing sideways or mentally directing breath into chest or incorporating a spinal backbend.	Twists or side-bends from Egyptian Pose.
“Open” sitting e.g. hands palms face up on lap, or arms open wide, or hands in prayer position behind back.	“Closed” sitting e.g. hands palms face down on lap, or hands in namaste (in front of chest) or arms in a self-hug.
With a sense of a lift or elongation up through the spine.	With a sense of relationship between oneself and things like Earth, air, others in the world.
Movement of hands / arms to and from chest (e.g. hands in namaste, hands wide and returning to namaste).	Movement of arms through air (e.g. to / from sides of trunk).
With awareness on centre of chest.	With awareness on air around or body in relation to centre of chest.
With awareness on emotional feelings.	With awareness of breath and thoughts in relationship with emotional sensations.

Vishuddha Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
Incorporating / linking with sound work & / or mantra or saying words.	Incorporating / linking with affirmations and / or thinking sounds / words / mantra.
Taking attentive care to see if one can improve / refine the quality or alignment in the different stages of the posture practice.	Attention on how changes in one part of posture has an effect elsewhere e.g. effect of hand mudras on breathing.
Listening to sound of breath (e.g. in nostrils or in Ujjayi breathing or in Bhramari breathing).	Synchronizing and coordinating complicated arm / trunk / leg movements with breath.
Sitting with a throat focus e.g. Ujjayi breathing.	Neck exercises from Egyptian pose.
Sitting for a “cleansing” visualization e.g. imagining rain from the “heavens” flowing over and through one, dissolving and carrying to the earth “impurities”.	Sitting with awareness of connectivity between one part of the body and another e.g. spine connecting head to pelvic girdle and how the spine moves with breath.

Ajna Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
Analysing some aspect of the posture (e.g. effects, muscle use …).	While practising, observing the experience of practising the posture.
Imagining or visualizing practising the posture or some aspect of the posture.	Practising “meditatively” or sitting for meditation.
Using “imagery” to aid practising posture – e.g. imagining space between the vertebrae slightly expanding.	Practising with one’s awareness resting on a simple focus e.g. rhythm of breath, “third eye”, heels …..

Sahasrara Chakra

Stimulate	Stabilize
“Just sitting” – with no particular aim, thought or practice.	Meditating while sitting.