Several years ago, a friend of mine convinced me to take a tantra class with her. It was taught by her friend who also happened to be someone I knew from the kink community. I was curious – so I took the class. And it was great – eye opening – making me aware of energy and all.
After the week and weekend I had (see previous post), I had mixed feelings going to tonight’s class. One part of me wanted to stay home and continue just being here. The other part knew it would help – hoped it would help. Thankfully that part won.
Tonight was a review of the 7 key chakras that run from your tailbone to the top of your head. I knew the discussion would be interesting because the teacher was also key for putting together the ritual for the fall festival for the wiccan group she belongs. They spent 8 months studying the chakras to put together the chakra ritual at festival. I was curious to see how her material had evolved since that festival. To be honest, I had forgotten that 2 of the other students were involved in her ritual.
My teacher likes to say “pay attention to what the universe is trying to say to you – because it is speaking and giving you what you need in the moment.” I know this – I recall this – but when it happens so perfectly – I’m always like “wow”!
Tonight was the wow.
The sixth chakra is the 3rd eye – located where you would think – on the forehead.
One of my classmates happened to represent the 6th chakra in the ritual.
So we went through the chakra meditation which opens them all up or at least shows you how to do it.
Then we did the “feel up a friend” exercise where you use your hands to feel your friend’s energy along the main chakras. You don’t touch them but feel the vibration or heat or however you feel the energy along the body. While doing this with a classmate, she says to me – wow – your 2nd and 6th chakras are really warm, like something is off. The 2nd is your survival chakra. I wasn’t too surprised there because I have been taking the weekend to take care of myself. The 6th was interesting but baffling.
Until the classmate spoke about it.
We had been talking about ways a chakra can be “blocked” or “not working right” when she described it as:
“In the extreme, the 6th chakra blocked will make you feel like you can feel everything that everyone is experiencing. You may find yourself fine one moment, then crying the next because you’ve picked something up from someone. And you are not aware, but your emotions are impacted. It’s like you have become a magnet for everyone else’s crap. On the other end of the extreme, you could find you have walked into a situation and been totally oblivious to what is happening. Like there is a crisis, and you are acting like everything is normal. You are oblivious to what is happening. In a normal working chakra, you realize what is happening – and say ‘this is not mine to keep’ and you let it go. You may help the person, but you make sure they take it with them.”
Oh fuck.
As she continued to talk and give examples, I knew what she was talking about. At one point, I piped up – “oh, I get this one. I have had a week where I can’t seem to catch a break. I’ll go from having a great day to “boom!” I’m low energy, feeling off, feeling like I’m having a horrible day, etc. And it doesn’t matter where it comes from – it can be the person I’m talking to – it can be a friend, whatever – it just slams against me. Some days, I can be good and realize it is their shit – not mine – and let it roll off. But other times – when I’m also stressed – I don’t notice it until it’s too late.”
From there, the teacher started talking about ways to unblock chakras – giving examples of excess vs deprivation. In the case of excess, you get too much of a good thing in order to raise your energy and knock the block loose. In deprivation, you deprive yourself from something so that the energy builds up inside of you to blow it loose. “For things like a 6th chakra block, hermiting is sometimes the best to unblock it.”
What did I do this weekend? I tried to raise my energy level others ways. I was going to go to the Chinese gardens and take photos. I went to my favorite sock store. And what kept me from the Chinese gardens? There were people there – and while I wanted tranquil, the idea that there could be annoying people there…..well, it kept me from going. I went to my favorite sock shop. And celebrated the fact no one was in the shop for most of the time I was there. When one couple came into the shop, I could feel their relationship strife that continued through their visit. Then there was the mother-daughter combo that weren’t on the greatest terms either. I purchased my stuff and ran. I needed out – and on the drive home, I was almost in tears realizing I needed to stay home – I couldn’t go out. I wanted to see SB – but couldn’t go out even to dinner with him. I was not in the space.
I needed to hermit.
The upside, in hindsight, as we were talking in the class, was the realization that my communication chakra was working in this case. In the past, it would not have been. I would have flipped out or not communicated at all – pushing away the person that cares instead of letting them understand what was happening. That was the good realization.
My hope when I went to the class was to get some energy – to help me get to a good mental state again.
What I got was an acute education of what happened – why it happened – and universal approval that what I did was okay – what I did was necessary. I just didn’t realize it.
Yes, Universe, I am listening. Yes, I am also learning what you have to teach me. Thank you for giving me the chance to learn and grow.
Now here it to a better week.
