Balance your Chakras with Aroma Yoga [BEGINNER]

The poses for this chakra yoga series have been selected, presented and explained by Marzena Skowronska, a friend of Perfect Potion, passionate yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner. Marzena is the poet behind the beautiful Chakra poems in Sal’s book Aromatherapy and Chakras. Marzena also wrote the poetic affirmations for each pose in this series.To connect with Marzena visit her website www.MarzenaSkowronska.com or Instagram account @myyogarhythm. 

Important note: Please practice yoga respecting your body. If you have any injuries or pre-existing conditions, please make sure you respect the limitations of your body and avoid any poses that may aggravate your condition. My teaching serves as a guidance, but I cannot take responsibility for your practice and outcomes of your practice. In fact, you become your most empowered self when you realise all the benefits and consequences of the practice are a direct result of your own work. Please remember, yoga is meant to nourish us, not deplete.

Chakras, Yoga and Subtle Aromatherapy

We are all energetic beings in an energetic universe.

However, sometimes the vibrations of our body fall a little out of tune when we experience physical or emotional stress. Chakra healing focuses on the seven energetic, life-force centres in our bodies (chakras): a philosophy originating from ancient, esoteric Tantric Indian practises. By balancing our chakras, we realign and restore the body, mind and spirit to harmonic vibrational resonance – allowing us to self-heal, unleash our potential and live a life of vibrant wellness.

Similarly, subtle aromatherapy focuses on the vibrational aspect of essential oils and how it affects our aura and subtle body. Each pure essential oil resonates on a different vibrational attunement, which aligns and corresponds with the seven energetic frequencies of the chakras. This allows us to combine aromatherapy with chakra healing to form a new holistic framework to elevate our wellness.

To enhance this concept even further, we’ve merged subtle aromatherapy and energy healing with a yoga flow mindfully designed to open up each chakra, to create a ritual that brings alignment in body, mind and spirit.

Creating a Chakra Balancing Aroma-Yoga Ritual

What You Need:
- An Open Space
- A Yoga Mat
- Chakra Essential Oil Blend Kit or Chakra Balancing Blend
- A Diffuser 
- Chakra Balancing Mist 

Begin by creating your sacred space.

Lay down your mat and mist the space with our Chakra Balancing Mist.
Mist over your crown and inhale deeply, breathing in the divine aroma with awareness and attentiveness.
After a few inhalations, set up your space in a way that fully immerses you in your wellness practice.
Perhaps for you this is creating a lush forest with houseplants, or the pink glow of a Himalayan salt lamp.
Set up your diffuser and decide which chakra you would like to focus on.

Diffuse your chosen Perfect Potion Chakra Essential Oil Blend, and if you wish, anoint your body with a dilution of the blend – read how to anoint your body safely in our guide.

Settle in, and you are ready to begin!

In all poses, breathe in and out through the nose. Depending on the pose, stay in the pose anywhere from five breaths to a few minutes. Complete the flow by resting for five minutes in Savasana, even if you meditated for the Crown Chakra. It is advised to always finish your yoga in Savasana, allowing the practise to fully integrate. As always, listen to and honour your body when it comes to yoga, and modify poses to your abilities and needs. This Chakra Aroma-Yoga Ritual is designed as a guide, and so follow your own intuition or seek further instruction if in doubt.

Why this pose:

Easy Pose activates our Base Chakra, as the base of our spine connects to the earth. As you find a comfortable cross-legged seated position, visualise roots growing down from your spine to ground and centre your energy. Allow yourself to be held by the earth, invoking a feeling of absolute safety, security and relaxation. Connect to your breath to anchor into your body and remember that this body is your home. Synchronise your breath with your arm movements, using long, deep breaths to focus your wandering mind and be fully present in your body and in the current moment.

Pose Tips

Arms movement 1 cycle = 3 breaths

Inhale – arms up
Exhale – lower hands down behind your body
Inhale – clasp hands and open chest
Exhale – fold forward, lifting your clasped arms
Inhale – lift up, release the clasp and lift arms up
Exhale – lower arms down in front your body with hands in prayer pose.

Repeat the cycle 3 times or more. You can change the crossing of the legs and repeat the arms movements.

Why this pose:

Moving through Cow and Cat sequence connects with and activates the Sacral Chakra on a physical level, located just below the navel. The flowing, fluid movement also invokes the water element associated with this chakra. Like water, allow yourself to flow with life and become more adaptable. Let the fluid movements in your hips and pelvis release any stickiness and stiffness, and unlock creative energy. The Sacral Chakra is also associated with sensuality and pleasure, and all things that bring sweetness to life.

Pose Tips:  

Place your hands underneath your shoulders, shoulder width apart. Keep your hands flat on the mat, middle finger pointing forward. Place your knees beneath your hips, hip-width apart. As you inhale, spread your sitting bones, drop your spine, open your chest, lift your head and look up. As you exhale, tuck your tailbone, arch your spine and drop your head. Find your flow. You can go as slow or as fast as you like as long as the movement is done mindfully and in synchronicity with your breathing.

Why this Pose?

BOAT POSE

Boat Pose helps us ignite the fire of the Solar Plexus Chakra by building the heat in our body and engaging the core muscles where this chakra is located. It makes us feel strong, powerful and capable – we become our own sun. The fire in our belly helps us bring our creative dreams to life with action, motivation, ownership and self-belief. This chakra teaches us to have courage and confidence; by believing in ourselves, we believe in our dreams and bring our creative ideas into existence.

SPINAL TWISTS IN EASY POSE

Spinal Twist activates the digestive fire of the Solar Plexus Chakra. A healthy Solar Plexus Chakra makes us feel stronger and more capable, more energised and powerful, and helps us shine our light and live our purpose.

Pose Tips:

BOAT POSE: Once you've found your edge, remember to balance on the back edge of the sitting bones without letting the lower back collapse towards the floor.

SPINAL TWISTS: Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Inhale and lengthen spine, exhale and twist. Keep lengthening the spine on inhalation, and go into the twist on exhalation. Inhale to come back to centre. You can change the crossing of the legs before twisting in the other direction.

Why this Pose?

Our posture influences our consciousness. By mindful positioning of our body, we can transform the way we feel and approach life. Yoga poses that open our chest open our Heart Chakra. As we unfurl from a slouched, closed stance to bloom for the world and let our hearts shine forward, in a tangible way we embrace vulnerability and open ourselves up to trust and love, releasing our heart from its protective enclosure. Physiologically, an open chest allows us to breathe more fully, activating the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for relaxation. Our energy moves from protective and defensive to expansive and receptive, and in turn, this relaxed , trusting state opens us up to absorb all the beauty around us.

Pose Tips:

Gomukhasana can be an intense pose. Keep your eyes open and looking forward or up to reinforce your ability to embody the strength of the Heart Chakra. This pose can be made gentler by choosing a seated position that is more accessible and comfortable for you: such as sitting on a rolled towel or a yoga block, straightening your bottom leg, or choosing an entirely different seated position: even on a chair. You can also use a strap or a towel to link your hands as you slowly work on increasing your flexibility, or support the elbow of your raised arm in a gentle overhead triceps stretch.

Why this Pose?

Our Throat Chakra is associated with expressiveness, creativity, communication and truth. It is how we speak ideas into existence, how we connect with and listen to others, and teaches us to be honest with others and honest with ourselves. The bridge pose stretches the neck and improves blood circulation in the throat, thyroid and parathyroid glands, i.e. activating the physical location of the Throat Chakra.. By humming as we perform this pose, we connect with the purifying energy of sound, which gently awakens and energises the Throat Chakra, and taps into its expressive nature. Opening the Throat Chakra allows us to speak our truth through communication and creative expression.

Pose Tips:

Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body, palms facing up and feet flat on the mat hip-width apart. As you inhale, lift your bottom and arms up. As you exhale, lower your bottom and arms back down. Inhale through the nose and while you exhale make a humming sound (as if you were saying “mmmmm”) with your mouth closed. Synchronise your breath with the movement of your body.

Why this Pose?

The Third Eye Chakra rests between our eyes on our forehead, and is connected to insight, intuition, and wisdom. Child’s Pose enables us to balance the Third Eye Chakra by physically grounding our brow to the earth. Press your forehead deeply into the mat, with your palms also grounded onto the floor, or put your hands together to form a prayer. The embracing nature of this forward fold is nourishing and nurturing and safe, and allows you to disconnect from the business of life and go within to listen to your inner wisdom.

Pose Tips:

If your head does not go all the way down to the floor, rest your forehead on stacked fists or yoga block(s). You can keep your knees together or apart. 

Why this Pose?

The Crown Chakra dissolves the boundaries between ourselves and universal consciousness. It is considered the highest vibrational centre in our subtle body, and merges our own divine nature with the vast expansive cosmos around us. Being a chakra of enlightenment and fulfilment, meditative poses allow us to tap into the higher states of consciousness. Either return to Easy Pose, as we did for our Base Chakra, or lie down for Savasana.

EASY POSE

Seat comfortably, lengthen your spine, soften your shoulders, close your eyes and focus on slow deep breathing. You can count your breathing (start with counting to 4) to synchronise the length of the inhalation and the exhalation. Form Gyan Mudra with your hands - a hand gesture that helps us to connect with sacred higher knowledge and direct your inner gaze towards your third eye or focus your attention at the crown of your head or just above your head.

SAVASANA

Resting in Savasana, we melt and merge with divine consciousness and fully surrender to the flow of the universe.

To finish the practice:

When you feel ready to finish your practice, start wiggling your fingers and toes. Gently move your head from side to side. Inhale your arms up and stretch in both directions, as if you are waking up from a long night's sleep.  Bring your knees into your chest, wrap your hands around your shins and give yourself a big loving hug. Roll into one side and when ready, use your hands to push yourself up into a seated position. Bring your hands into a prayer pose, Anjali Mudra, at your heart centre. Press your thumbs against your sternum and bow your head down in a gesture of honouring yourself and the practice of yoga. Allow yourself to be filled with gratitude for your life, your body, your practice and the ability to take time to nurture your physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It is the ultimate act of love to take good care of yourself, as it allows you to elevate your vibrational energy and meet the world as your most radiant and harmonious self.

To complete the practice, say aloud, whisper or mentaly vibrate the word “namaste” acknowledging the light within you that is also present in all beings, as we are one.

Thank you for taking time to tend to your needs. The outer world is a reflection of our inner state. The more we love ourselves and take time to cultivate our inner peace, the more loving and peaceful our surroundings will become. This is the way we make the change and heal, and elevate not only us, but also the world we live in. I acknowledge and honour your light and true essence.

Namaste, Marzena.

CHAKRA BALANCING AROMA YOGA [YIN FLOW]

CHAKRA BALANCING AROMA YOGA [ADVANCED FLOW]

We hope this Chakra Aroma Yoga flow helps you to find alignment and reconnection in body, mind and spirit. We are so grateful to our dear friend Marzena for her beautiful poetry, spiritual wisdom and yogic expertise for guiding this flow.