Dance freely and use the tips for music and movement below to focus on specific chakras. There are also some ideas for rituals to match.
Why: To feel more rooted and grounded, to feel safe, to experience your basis.
Music: Ethnic and electronic music with lots of drums and beats. Didgeridoo sounds, low tones.
Movement: Leg and feet movements, emphasizing contact with the floor. As if you use your lower body to feel the ground, push it away, caress it, stamp it or ‘kiss’ it.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is earth. Make an altar with earth, leaves, bits of wood – anything that grows from the soil.
Why: To boost your sensuality, creativity and emotions.
Music: Jazz, soul and Latin: anything that makes your hips move.
Movement: Move your hips/pelvis most of all, in rotating motions and in a rhythmical flow.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is water. Use anything that you associate with water: put down some shells, or simply a container filled with water, to remind you of the quality of fluidity.
Why: This helps you work on your willpower, confidence, finding your identity, and transformation
Music: Pop, hiphop, rap, rock: rebellious music by people who rose up and found their identity.
Movement: This chakra is around your midriff. The movements that go with it come from the martial arts: punch, slap, kick.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is fire, because to burn is also to transform. Place candles in the room, or ashes.
Why: To feel love, gratitude, compassion and peace.
Music: Melodious songs, love songs, often in minor because that makes the feeling go to the heart.
Movement: Open your heart by opening your hands and arms in front of your chest, press your palms together in front of your heart, or swing your arms and hands back and forth together, in parallel.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is air. Use feathers – because birds fly in the air – and heart-shaped things.
Why: For more self-expression, to speak your mind, and to communicate clearly.
Music: Songs you can sing along to, literally to let your voice be heard. For example ‘Don’t worry, be happy’ or ‘Let it be’.
Movement: Allow your whole body to vibrate to the music. Feel your breath flow through your body, tremble, shake everything loose, hum, make some noise.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is sound. Set out bells and singing bowls and let them chime.
Why: When you want to work on your intuition, wisdom, imagination and concentration.
Music: Fusion world music, with various styles, languages and melodies in one track.
Movement: Move your head, face and neck, play with looking inward and outward, and stick out your tongue.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is light. Find some personal items that give you wisdom: jewelry or photographs of loved ones or parents, a story from which you learned. These items bring light into your life.
Why: To experience unity and oneness with the world, animals, people, the universe, everything.
Music: Spiritual music, mantras, overtones, singing bowls, meditation music, healing songs.
Movement: Become aware of the sphere around your body – and around everything. Feel the energy go up and down your spine, feel how all your chakras are working together. Stretch in all directions like a sunstar, like the person in the famous Da Vinci drawing.
Ritual: The element for this chakra is community, the whole. You can use mindfulness here, and if you’re in a group you can form a circle or do a group hug.
This article is part of our issue 21 ‘Practice Peace’
Text: Bianca Bartels
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