Giselle Toner

Chakra Chart

The list below gives the names of each Chakra, the body part it corresponds to, its color, and the mantra for that particular Chakra.

1. Muladhara -- base/sacral chakra -- red -- mantra: lam
2. Svadisthana -- belly chakra -- orange -- mantra: vam
3. Manipura -- solar plexus chakra -- yellow -- mantra: ram
4. Anahata -- heart chakra -- green -- mantra: hum
5. Vishuddha -- throat chakra--blue--mantra: hum
6. Ajna -- third eye chakra -- indigo -- mantra: om
7. Sahasrara -- crown chakra -- violet or white -- no mantra

The Seven Chakras

What are Chakras? The above-shown Chakra Chart shows the seven different Chakras and their locations in the physical body. Chakras are considered to be metaphysical and/or biophysical energy centers located along the spine at major branches of the human nervous system, beginning at the base of the spinal column, moving upward at seven different points to the top of the skull. They connect the mind, body and spiritual energies. They are...

In India, one of the most sacred and oldest available Divine hymns is the Gayatri Mantra. In the ancient Vedic literature, this mantra is dedicated to the deity Lord Sun. In our life, the sun represents life-giving energy.

This sacred mantra is considered to be the most important mantra written out in Gayatri meter. Gayatri is personified as a goddess, the consort of Brahma (Sarasvati), and mother of the Vedas.

It should not be chanted for the purpose of material gain, physical or otherwise. This mantra appeals to pure Consciousness to illumine our hearts and minds. It is a prayer to the Supreme Self to unveil itself and manifest as brilliant wisdom in our life. By repeating this mantra with the right understanding of its sacred meaning, the ordinary negative tendencies in the human mind can be erased. This mantra also is believed to alleviate many fears and will help...

Guided Meditation Script

Use this free guided meditations outline and guided meditation script to experience a deep feeling of peace, tranquility and transcendence. Meditation is a wonderful experience and provides an opportunity to draw deeper into your own being.

Guided meditation opens the door to calm the mind and nurture the spirit and does not take any work or effort on the part of the practitioner since you are passively being guided by an outside source. This customized meditation script can be used anytime. You can have someone read it aloud while you relax into a deep state of calm, or you can record this in your own voice and play it back whenever you need it.

Recording the guided meditation script on tape works well, so you can play it over repeatedly. As it is read or recorded, talk very slowly and take time to pause a while between sentences to allow the words to permeate the consciousness, bringing you into a deep state of relaxation. A soft, calm voice is most...

TRATAK

During our waking hours, our minds are usually filled with thoughts, good and bad. The mind has a tendency to stay in a state of disturbance and we have a propensity for being distracted easily. This leaves us feeling scattered and fragmented and unable to cope with situations that need focus. We are constantly being bombarded by thoughts and may feel out of control. It comes as no surprise that, with all the thoughts that invade the mind, our minds drift and wander and cannot stay still for longer than a few moments. As a result, we experience stress, memory loss and lack of concentration. We are unable to feel and experience the PRESENT MOMENT.

We can enhance our power of concentration and strengthen our memory by an ancient meditation technique called Tratak. Its benefits bring an end to the mind’s distractions, enhances our ability to concentrate, increases the power of memory and brings the mind into a state of supreme awareness, attention and focus.

WHAT IS...

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra, the name meaning "Sleep of the Yogi" or "Psychic Sleep," produces a highly relaxed and profoundly deep state of meditation that progresses through the many stages of the mind. It is a journey through stillness and mindfulness which bestows great clarity, calmness, and serenity to the practitioner. This guided meditation is a powerful, rejuvenating and restful practice for inducing mental, emotional and physical relaxation with the power to increase our vast reservoirs of creativity, intuition and self understanding.

Yoga Nidra guides you through awareness of the entire body, sensations, emotions, and visualization journeys, using a systematic method developed thousands of years ago. This guided meditation takes you to the borderline "state of mind" between sleep and wakefulness and is the science of relaxation which enables us to dive deep into the realms of the sub-conscious mind.

Patanjali's Sutras

Patanjali's Sutras codifies the Eight Limbs of...

NEW! Join in on our Forum on Types of Meditation. Do you have a great story or advice? It's a way to open discussions or ask questions, all on your own page! Click here to go to the bottom of the page for the Forums!

There are lots of different types of meditation, but these different methods all lead to the same place, the stillness that holds the infinity and vastness of all Creative Energy in the universe which we tap into when we quiet the chatter of the mind. Trying a few different types with good meditation instructions will eventually bring you to the right meditation practice. 

Time your meditations to last 30 minutes, twice a day, if possible. However, any time you can devote to your meditation practice will bring positive results. Always sit upright, either in a cross-legged position on the floor, or in a comfortable chair (experienced yoga practitioners may want to sit in half or full-lotus). The spine should be erect and straight. Lying down would allow the body to...

WHAT IS MEDITATION

Meditation, the Sanskrit name being Dhyana, is a stilling of the chatter of the mind and is recognized as a major component of Eastern religions, where it has been practiced for possibly well over 6,000 years.

It is not a difficult practice, but does take some basic instruction, which will help in smoothing out the process. It is not something that you must force upon yourself. The key words are - Easy, Gentle, Non-judgmental. Once you experience the inner joy it produces, you will want to enter into that blissful place often.

It is very helpful to establish a routine to your practice, so setting aside a certain time every day will be very beneficial. The best times to meditate are early morning and just before dinner. Of course, any time you can devote to it is fine.

Practicing is only difficult if we become too concerned and worried about doing it correctly. Although staying focused does become easier with time and practice, it is important to keep in...

The subject of Yoga and the Eight Limbs of Yoga is vast and there are many books, both new and ancient, on the subject. The sage, Patanjali, codified the Eight Limbs of Yoga in the Yoga Sutras.

There is much confusion regarding the different "Types" and "Styles" of yoga. The following may help clarify some confusion. Without writing volumes, here is a simple, brief breakdown of some of the different types of yoga (not to be confused with the many different styles, i.e., Iyengar, Bikram, Kundalini, etc.):

There are four "Types" of yoga, which are as follows:

1. Karma Yoga - the path of selfless service;

2. Bhakti Yoga - the path of devotion to the Divine through prayer, chanting, rituals;

3. Jnana Yoga - the path of intellect, wisdom and study of sacred texts;

4. Raja Yoga - also known as the "royal path," is the path to personal enlightenment, and is a balance of the first three types.

Also:

There are the Eight "Limbs" of Yoga, codified in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, around 200...

The health benefits of yoga are many. You will gain more and more knowledge as you explore further. Yoga, health and fitness are a complete combination. Some of the most noticeable and immediate benefits of practicing this amazing healing art include:

Improved Flexibility and Pain Reduction

Through the performance of yoga asanas (the physical movements) the body is stretched in forward, backward, twisting and inverted movements. These movements not only improve flexibility of the muscles, but also massage the internal organs.

The compression and releasing movements of yoga allow more blood flow to the organs, increasing circulation, which rids the body of accumulated toxins, promoting better health. Yoga helps to eliminate back pain. Back pain can be debilitating. Yoga helps ease back pain by strengthening and stretching the muscles that support the spine.

Increased Physical Strength

In yoga, many of the asanas require us to support our own body weight with our arms and/or legs. It...

Hatha Yoga

  It can be quite overwhelming and confusing to someone new 
  to yoga trying to figure out the differences between all the 
  many aspects of the practice.

  What Exactly is it?

  The word Hatha means "sun and moon." Ha is sun, Tha is moon. It signifies bringing union to opposing forces. It is the culmination and blending of yoga movement known as asana, breath control known as pranayama, and meditation known as Dhyana.

The practice can be looked at as the scientific blending of different aspects of yoga with the purpose of creating balance. In the quest for enlightenment we must first purify and strengthen the body to enable the purification of the mind. Greater mental and spiritual awareness can be brought about with a healthy and pure body. When balance is created, there is the possibility for greater evolution of human consciousness.

The physical movements, known as asanas, require attention to posture and alignment to create...