Exploring the Chakras: The Crown – Sahasrara Chakra

The primary purpose of the entire charka system is to serve as a tool to help on the journey of awakening or enlightenment. In the tantric seven chakra system, the sahasrara chakra, also known as the crown chakra, is the final or seventh chakra. This chakra is the culmination of all of the lower chakras, unifying all of the energies built up in the other chakras. 

The sahasrara chakra is the crown jewel of the chakra system and represents the final step in the chakra healing journey. When this chakra becomes balanced and opened, it causes a ripple effect out into the world, connecting you with a higher power and supreme consciousness. Awakening this chakra is a lifelong journey that many people may never reach, but every step along this path has the potential to create profound transformation. 

The Basics of the Crown Chakra

As the last chakra in the tantric seven chakra system, the sahasrara represents the final destination in kundalini awakening. In Sanskrit, the word sahasrara means thousand, infinite, thousand-spoked wheel, or top of the head. The correct pronunciation for this word is “sahasrāra” or “sahasraara.” 

The concept of infinity is deeply meaningful concerning this chakra because it relates to the realization of our connection with the universe and higher consciousness. The awakening of this chakra is also the awakening out of duality and into an understanding of complete unity. See below for a summary of the main details of the crown chakra.

Physical Location:  At the top or crown of the head or slightly above the head like a crown 

Color:  Violet or white 

Seed Sound:  Om ( ॐ ) 

Element:  None, ether, or thought

Mudra:  Mahamayuri Mudra

Sense:  Cosmic consciousness 

Action:  Awakening or enlightenment 

Organs:  Hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal gland, nervous system, skull, and brain 

Deity:  Shiva

Symbol:   A lotus flower with 1,000 petals 

Stone:   Clear Quartz, Diamond, Selenite, Howlite, Amethyst, Lepidolite, Fluorite, and Moonstone

The Development of the Sahasrara Chakra

The crown chakra begins to develop between the age of 43 to 49. At this stage of life, new depths of spirituality can truly be reached. The development of the crown chakra is marked by letting go of being ruled by the ego and surrendering to a profound connection with divinity and humanity at large. 

The crown chakra is the most subtle chakra since it is deeply related to pure consciousness. Additionally, this chakra is connected to the muladhara chakra or the first chakra because through the process of awakening, and ultimately the goal is to unify the energies between the root and crown chakras or to unify Shiva and Shakti. 

The Emotions & Energetics of the Sahasrara Chakra

The sahasrara chakra is the chakra of enlightenment, awakening, and deep spirituality. The subtle energy of this chakra can connect you to the spirit realm and universal consciousness itself. Additionally, this chakra is associated with the element of thought, which represents the awakening of wisdom, unity, and self-knowledge upon the opening of the sahasrara chakra. 

This chakra represents the union between the individual and universal consciousness, the material and the spiritual, and Shiva and Shakti. During the chakra healing process, ultimately, the goal is to raise the sleeping serpent of kundalini shakti in the muladhara chakra up the spine to unite with Shiva in the sahasrara chakra. 

Through this process, individual consciousness can meet the divine, and experienced yogis can access immortality. Ultimately, this awakening leads to complete clarity and the dissolution of illusion, resulting in samadhi or pure bliss. In this process, you will connect to a higher power, the collective humanity, and your true self all at the same time. Duality shifts into unified consciousness, resulting in profound spiritual understanding, ecstatic realization, and peaceful clarity.

How to Identify When Your Crown Chakra is Out of Balance

The crown chakra is the final point of the tantric seven chakra system, and when it is balanced, it also balances all of the lower chakras. But many people will never reach this stage, and imbalances in the crown chakra are very common. See below for the primary signs that your sahasrara chakra is out of balance:

Mental, Emotional, & Spiritual Signs Your Crown Chakra is Out of Balance:

• Confusion or frequent misunderstandings 

• Disconnection from the world

• Hyper spiritualization or disconnection from spirituality 

• Lack of focus or boredom

• Disillusionment 

• Depression 

• Psychosis or dissociation 

• Restlessness or anxiety 

• Attached to materialistic desires 

• Closed-minded 

Physical Signs Your Crown Chakra is Out of Balance:

• Balance issues

• Poor coordination 

• Neurological issues

• Chronic headaches or migraines 

• Fatigue or exhaustion 

• Epilepsy or seizures 

• Hormonal imbalance 

• Sympathetic nervous system dominance 

• Pituitary imbalance 

• Pineal gland or hypothalamus issues 

Have you noticed any of these signs or symptoms in your life? Remember that we all likely experience some level of imbalance in the chakras, and there is no judgment involved if you have any imbalances. Use this information as a guide to discover your inner self and encourage you to continue on the path of growth and self-development. 

5 Ways to Balance and Open Your Sahasrara Chakra

1. Practice Enlightening Yoga Asana

Balancing and opening the crown chakra requires all of the prior six chakras to be balanced. So, as you begin to add and explore the following sahasrara chakra poses to your yoga practice, remember to incorporate poses from the other chakras. To balance the crown chakra through yoga asana, any postures that stimulate the flow of energy towards the crown of the head while also grounding the body are excellent to help your energies move upwards but continue to stay rooted in yourself. 

Yoga Poses for the Sahasrara Chakra:

• Headstand (Shirshasana)

• Rabbit Pose (Sasangasana)

• Corpse Pose (Savasana)

• Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• Lotus Pose (Padmasana)

• Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)

• Plough Pose (Halasana)

• Reclining Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

• Crocodile pose (Makarasana)

• Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

2. Meditate on the Sahasrara Chakra

Regular meditation practice has the potential to facilitate complete transformation, no matter the technique that you use. But for the sahasrara chakra, any meditation practices that incorporate mindful awareness, self-reflection, and surrender are excellent for both connecting you with your inner self while reminding you of the bigger picture and higher power. 

An outstanding meditation practice for the sahasrara chakra is to move through a visualization or chanting meditation incorporating all of the seven chakras. In this sequential practice, you can help to move the kundalini energy upwards towards the top of your head. Additionally, chanting the mantra “om” is a wonderful way to calm the mind and connect you to the energy of universal consciousness.  

3. Harness the Power of Prana

Prana is the vital life force energy that flows through the entire body in the system of nadis or channels. Weaving around the seven chakra system are three essential nadis: the ida, pingala, and sushumna. As prana concentrates through these nadis, it can eventually be pushed upwards to help the movement of kundalini and awaken the crown chakra. 

Nadi shodhana or alternate nostril breathing is a practice that cleanses the nadi system of any blockages and helps to move this energy upwards for awakening. Other pranayama practices that support opening the sahasrara chakra include kapalabhati or skull shining breath and ujjayi pranayama or victorious breath. 

4. Awaken Your Subtle Body Through Sound

Sound influences all of the chakras, and as these vibrations begin to build higher, they can lead to a movement of energy in the body and ultimately through the crown chakra. 

The solfeggio frequency that harmonizes this chakra center is at 963 hertz, so listening to music or Tibetan singing bowls at this frequency can be profoundly healing and harmonizing for this chakra. See below for the top affirmations and mantras for the crown chakra:

• Om

• Om Namah Shivaya

• Mahamrityunjaya Mantra – “Om Trayambakam Yaja Mahe, Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam, Urva Rukami Bhavandana, Mritormokchya Ma Mritat”

• I surrender to my higher power.

• I am one with the universe. 

• I am connected to the divinity within me and all around me. 

5. Deepen Your Connection with Humanity and Surrender

The ultimate intention of the crown chakra is to unite the individual soul with the supreme soul. In this unification process comes the realization that we are all intimately connected with each other and with everything around us. Along this journey, we can continue to deepen our connection with others by recognizing our shared humanity and connecting with the earth herself. 

A fantastic way to deepen this practice is through volunteer work or selfless service, also known as seva. As you deepen your connection with your inner self, remember to balance this by connecting with others and realizing how they are just like you, we all have the same struggles and dreams at the end of the day. And through all of this inner work, the most significant component is to connect with something greater than all of us and surrender to that higher power. 

Discover the Sahasrara Chakra in Our 200hr Yoga Teacher Training

The chakras are subtle energy centers that can often take a lifetime or even multiple lifetimes to balance. But the journey of awakening through the chakras is one that cannot be replaced. During our online 200hr and 300hr yoga teacher trainings, you will learn how to begin your journey of awakening all of the seven chakras and how to address imbalances in others through yoga. 

We all have the potential to achieve awakening, but it is a long path that must be taken one step at a time. So, are you ready to begin the journey of a lifetime towards becoming a yoga teacher? Reach out to us today to get started in your yoga teacher training program!