Connecting to Source: Understanding the Crown Chakra
Crown Chakra: Connection
Location: crown of the head, pituitary gland, brain
Bija Mantra: Om (silent Om, vibration is felt within the body)
Sanskrit Name: Sahasrara (thousand-petaled lotus)
The crown chakra is located at the very top of our head and represents our connection to the source. This chakra incorporates our pituitary gland, and our brain. The element of this chakra is ether (or, space), as the medium of cosmic connection is made through this element. Whether we are connecting to another, to ourselves, or to the source, this chakra presides over how that connection is made. Similar to the way we plug in our phones at night in order to recharge them, we are fed by these intimate connections. When we are disconnected—from ourselves, from others or from the source—we become depleted.
In fact, as humans, we need connection.
It is vital for our intrinsic health and well-being. Without it, we suffer physical, psychological, emotional and mental consequences. Disconnection occurs when we feel isolated, or limit our whole-hearted interactions with others. Social media, and the internet are sometimes more isolating than connecting. It is important that we see another person’s face and witness their joy at participating in life with us. We must be able to hug our friends and look into the eyes of those we love. Clicking “like” and texting each other on the couch limits that connective tissue between humans. Strengthening this connective tissue is like creating a lifeline to health and well-being.
We strengthen our connection to others by finding ways of interacting in person with those we love (using digital connection to bridge the gaps when necessary). We strengthen our connection to ourselves and the source through our spiritual practices. Perhaps the most important type of spiritual practice to strengthen our internal connection is ritual.
Ritual is a practice that human beings have used for millennia all over the world as a way to bridge the gap between our inner experiences and our outer reality. It helps us to feel like an intrinsic part of something bigger than ourselves, and to participate in the spiritual reality that we feel and experience, but cannot necessarily see. In modern, Western culture, much of our participation in this kind of ritual has been lost and as a result, we suffer from a disconnection of spirit and soul.
To reconnect ourselves, we must create rituals that are potent and powerful for us as individuals. The ritual must reflect what is alive and real for us on the inside. We bring it out through the ritual in order to participate in our own spiritual reality…to bring our spirit to life!
Ritual is simple, profound and deeply transformational. There is a reason that every human culture has developed rituals…they work! When it comes to strengthening our bond between ourselves and our source, few things come close to the power of ritual to do this. This connection reminds us that we are not alone, that we all have a purpose, and that our work as individuals here on this earth plays an integral role in the balance of life.
