 A couple weeks ago, I had the honor of visiting the magical island of Yakushima off the mainland of Japan to learn about guiding Deep Forest-bathing. The concept of forest-bathing, or shinrin yoku, stems from a Japanese practice to promote well-being through immersing in nature and slowing down to truly connect through your senses. Backed by plenty of scientific research, regular forest-bathing promotes boosted immune system function, decreased stress, improved sleep, pain relief and awakened sense of joy, among other benefits. Deep forest-bathing, moreover, delves further - into the psycho-social connection between humans and the more-than-human natural world, with the intent of nurturing conscious relationship with Mother Earth and all her inhabitants. Here are five insights I received while training to guide deep forest-bathing in Yakushima:  1. Enter the forest with reverence. At the start of each deep forest-bathing session, like nature-connecting rituals I experienced with indigenous healers in Peru, we paused before entering the forest to honor the energy of that piece of land and its beings. In Yakushima, there is a Shinto shrine at every forest entrance, where visitors bow in reverence to the spirit of the mountain, river or other natural elements in the area. At the shrines, we also asked for permission to enter and to travel safely within the forest, with the intention of being in harmony with it and everyone there. Entering the forest with an attitude of respect set an intentional tone for being present, not taking my time spent there for granted.  2. Be humble and let the forest teach you. As a forest-bathing guide, I serve as a facilitator to support people’s openness to connect with nature. The actual teacher is nature, sharing her wisdom through her inspiring beauty, demonstrations, nurturing energy and intelligent ways she evokes insight and emotional connection with participants. Some of the trees I had the honor of meeting in Yakushima were over 1,000 years old, carrying the wisdom and stories of so many human lifetimes. When I approached them, I felt a visceral grounding energy inviting me to sit, bow and meditate with them. To have the willingness to listen with our whole being requires emptying our faculties and realizing that nature has been, and will be, here much longer than us humans. Nature is powerful and brilliant. We have a lot to learn from her.  3. Look at life from nature’s perspective. One of my favorite invitations I explored in Yakushima’s dense moss-covered forests was to sit beside a being that called me and try to see the forest and myself from their perspective. A ginormous tree had fallen towards a river and had a colorful garden already growing on top and inside of its hollowed trunk. I circled the tree and looked at different angles from its point of view. I discovered so many more details of life thriving and recycling around me and saw the interplay of bugs, sprouting cedar trees, the dark world of life under the fallen tree and details I would have missed had I only looked from my perspective. This tree taught me how dark, light, and in-between things can coexist harmoniously and that such diversity is life itself—in all its beauty.  4. Practice reciprocity. Harmony thrives in the balance of energy exchange. As plants and creatures decomposed in the Yakushima jungle, I saw leeches and other bugs ready to be nourished and contribute to the greater cycles of life. When forest-bathing, I receive so much benefit of feeling my belonging to the earth and my partnership with its creatures. In return, I offer prayers of gratitude, a cup of tea for the forest (tea-time with the forest regularly culminated our sessions) and a commitment to be of service in supporting the healing of human-nature relationship through guiding forest-bathing. We each can find a personally meaningful way to give back to nature.  5. Art is soul language. You don’t have to consider yourself an artist to create art. And art is not limited to formalized practices of painting on canvas or performing in a show. The forest doesn’t necessarily speak through audible words, yet we can feel nature’s message when we are open. As we allow ourselves to be open to our sensory experiences during forest-bathing, we can feel moved by creative energy. Let yourself be a vessel of expressing that by letting go of judgment and letting life flow like water through you. During one of my deep forest-bathing sessions in Yakushima, I received the support of a voice healer whose intent was to support my authentic expression. We hiked and sang in solitude through the jungle and gradually I felt a cathartic rhythmic dance and unintelligible chant emerge from my body. As I waved my arms and sang at the tall trees surrounding me, I touched a deep memory in my bones, and tears cascaded down my face as we connected in profound love. No, I hadn’t ingested any psychedelics or the like. I just trusted and surrendered to the life energy moving through me. And it felt nurturing and healing. Sometimes an experience just can’t be encapsulated in words.  The memories and insights from deep forest-bathing are engrained in me, and I appreciate my learning journey there and that which continues. (For three nights after returning to LA from Yakushima, I dreamt of its forest and jungles so vividly that in walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night I saw all the furniture in my apartment as plants.) I’m inspired to continue deepening the practice of forest-bathing that I guide within our Root 2 Rise Yoga community and retreats. I owe it to our Mother Earth and the more-than-human life that sustains and supports us, including our ancestors, who made it possible for us to be here now. May we embody the love that is our unifying essence with all life on this planet and beyond. About the AuthorMichelle Chua spreads her love for nature through monthly guided forest-bathing in Los Angeles, CA, and retreats in Ojai and abroad. Join her for Reverence, a nature-loving life-loving retreat in Peru in June 2025. Read more about the author here.
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Rooted in Love, by Michelle Chua
7/28/2024
 Yoga uprooted my life and led me on a healing journey of inspired wellbeing that moved me to share the practice with as many people it could also benefit. I envisioned a Yoga practice that was accessible, sustainable long-term and inclusive to diverse bodies, backgrounds, ages and experience, including beginners. At the heart of this vision was the knowing that when we root into our true nature of pure love, we rise individually and collectively in wellbeing and consciousness. "At the heart of this vision was the knowing that when we root into our true nature of pure love, we rise individually and collectively in wellbeing and consciousness."  The many practices of Yoga, from meditation and physical postures to balance energy to practicing non-harm (ahimsa) and devotion to what you hold sacred (isvara pranidhana), are tools for aligning with our true nature. Naturally, the name Root 2 Rise Yoga sprouted for this community offering. I began offering Yoga classes by donation at my mom’s home for family and friends in 2010, as I completed my first Yoga Teacher Certification at YogaWorks. Our monthly gatherings usually ended with a healthy potluck. Our Root 2 Rise Yoga community gradually grew to include regulars from the classes I facilitated at gyms, local YMCAs, universities, running clubs and more. While we stemmed from different walks of life (which contributes to broadening our perspectives), we were unified by common values: expanding our consciousness, wellness in all dimensions and sincerity in trying to live the values of Yoga. We began practicing together more regularly at parks, where nature invited us to connect with her. Our practices branched out into hiking and meditating among trees, retreats, and more recently, Reiki energy healing sessions and Soundbaths. "While we stemmed from different walks of life (which contributes to broadening our perspectives), we were unified by common values..."  Our first Yoga retreat (photo above) was a one-day gathering in my mom’s backyard in 2012 and included guest speakers from a meditation temple and the vegan chef and co-owner of Sun Café Organic. Over the years, our retreats expanded to other locations in California and internationally to Bali, Peru and Costa Rica, the latter where I received the impetus to reroute my vocational path to facilitating Yoga and the healing arts while teaching abroad as a schoolteacher in 2009-2010. Now in 2024, we prepare for our retreats in Yosemite in August and Northern Thailand in October. A universal theme that threads throughout our retreats is exploring ways to integrate the practices and values of Yoga in our daily lives to support our and the collective wellbeing. During our international retreats, we explore ways to connect with the local culture and nature meaningfully, embracing the definition of Yoga as union and expanding it to harmony with all beings. We also integrate creative arts, such as dancing freely, drumming or painting meditatively, as ways to tap into the expression of, and strengthen trust in, our true nature. Nature connection, such as through forest-bathing, is an integral part of our retreats, to help us deepen a conscious relationship with Mother Earth, who in turn awakens the remembering that we are nature too and carry wisdom deep within, just like the trees do. Retreats have allowed us to strengthen our relationships with life, nature, each other and ourselves.  As lives inevitably change, our community continues to evolve dynamically. Today, we gather weekly on Zoom (since the onset of the 2020 pandemic) and at Woodbridge Park in Studio City for donation-based Yoga. Additionally, we meet for twice monthly nature connection, such as forest-bathing and meditation outdoors. We have other gatherings, like full moon or seasonal mini-retreats, to enjoy community and dive deeper into our practices together. Our annual anniversary party (this year on August 25) is a sweet opportunity to reunite or kindle new friendships with like-hearted beings.
AuthorMichelle Chua is founder of Root 2 Rise Yoga. Read her bio here. Click below to receive updates on our Root 2 Rise Yoga gatherings and offerings and join us in community: Connect with us:  Photo: Root 2 Rise Yoga hike and meditation 2019 Imagine each of us as a part of the same body. When one body part is thriving, it contributes to the strength and wellbeing of the whole body. When one part is suffering or injured, the whole body is out of balance and cannot function optimally. Undeniably, we are affected and connected to each other. We have a responsibility to care for our health, and consequently, the global community that we cause balance or imbalance in. Self-care is our personal and global responsibility. What is Self-Care? It’s been a zealously used buzzword, sometimes depicted in memes as indulging in spa treatments or “retail therapy.” Some confuse self-care as only a luxury for those who have time or money to spare. Others even deem it selfish. According to this article in Psychology Today, true self-care consists of actions that promote your physical, mental, emotional, and financial health both now and in the future. In addition, true self-care can help you reconnect with the authentic, genuine you. A sustainable conscious lifestyle that values wellness necessitates regular self-care practices. Examples of Self-Care Self-care practices vary per individual needs and can span from daily routines to spontaneous moments. Mental-emotional self-care can include meditation to befriend the mind and encounter difficult emotions with compassion, like this RAIN Mindfulness Meditation. Social self-care can look like meeting regularly with a supportive peer group or establishing healthy boundaries in relationships. Physical self-care might entail balancing the weekly workout regimen between rigor and deep relaxation and ensuring a good night’s sleep and wholesome nutrition. Financial self-care may comprise of long-term budgeting and investments. Spiritual self-care might entail allotting moments for personal reflection, prayer and rituals that deepen your connection to what you hold sacred. As people evolve, so may their self-care practices. As with any habit or regular activity, it’s important to honestly evaluate their effectiveness and impact and be open to changing what may no longer support wellbeing. Arguments Against Self-CareMyth 1: Self-care is selfish. People who often put others first might feel guilty about self-care and call it selfish. Intention and method are crucial to the energy that an action emits. Realizing that you can’t give from an empty cup, recharging your batteries or fortifying your wellbeing enables you to serve with strength in passion, energy and pure love. When you’re on empty, you’re coming from a less empowered state. At times, such an organism is in survival mode. Instinctively overcompensating for unmet needs, they may tend to take more than give in daily interactions. This causes imbalance to the nature of reciprocity, which is a key element to living harmoniously, according to the indigenous Andean culture of Peru. Furthermore, resentment can unexpectedly creep into your heart and mind for choosing to (even unconsciously) overextend yourself, when you’re already not taking care of yourself. The misnomer of self-care as selfishness can create a vicious cycle of disharmony with needs being met superficially or not at all.  Myth 2: There’s not enough time for self-care. We all have 24 hours in a day, and what we do with them is based on our personal priorities. The obligations we’ve assumed, no matter how long-term they’ve been a part of our lives, ultimately stem from a series of choices based on our values. We make time for what we find meaningful and important. When you perceive self-care as necessary and connect to the bigger picture (even beyond yourself) of what it serves, you can find creative ways to integrate it into your daily life, just like brushing your teeth, taking a shower or checking your emails. Myth 3: Self-care is expensive. Stepping outside for a walk among trees to connect with nature costs nothing and can reset your mind and cultivate appreciation for your surroundings. Regular exercise, healthy eating and reducing stress through mindfulness can prevent medical bills due to unhealthy aging and disease. Moreover, eating more plants and less meat costs less and contributes to a long life, according to Blue Zones’ worldwide research on longevity. Just like time, money is a resource that we choose to spend based on our priorities.  Imagine This... Self-care affects the quality, and perhaps longevity, of our lives and the energy and presence we contribute to this world. When any aspect of our being is out of balance, we inevitably bring that imbalance into our surroundings and interactions. As Spiritual Teacher Kumu Ramsey shared, “The world is a reflection of us.” When we see imbalance in the world, we need to create balance within. Imagine a place where we all take the responsibility of regularly caring for our many dimensions of wellbeing, naturally affecting each other. As a result, we each feel empowered with confidence, joy and vitality and are inspired and available to support and uplift each other. Our personal thriving in turn ripples into collective thriving.  Photo: Root 2 Rise Yoga retreat in Malibu 2014 AuthorMichelle Chua founded Root 2 Rise Yoga in 2010, dedicated to practicing and promoting personal and collective well-being. Read her bio here. To receive your monthly self-care resources... Inspired by needing a quick and easy lunch after teaching Yoga classes, this recipe arose from a fun way of recycling leftover spinach dal, a basic lentil stew from Indian culture, that I made for dinner. As you may know, I don’t usually measure ingredients, but rather, add them little by little experimentally, and then taste and adjust. However, for the sake of sharing this recipe, as promised, below is basic measurements that I highly encourage you to experiment with, taste and adjust to your personal liking. Ingredients for 3-5 Tacos:For Dal Filling –
For Tacos –
Side salad –
Steps: 1. Saute the onions with coconut oil in a wide shallow saucepan. When they start to darken in color, add the garlic to sauté. 2. Add the curry powder, salt and pepper. Keep the pan moist. If it starts to dry out, add a Tbsp of coconut oil at a time. 3. Add the lentils and stir into the spices for about 7-10 minutes to douse in flavor. 4. Add coconut milk and tomatos and stir. 5. Cover and stir occasionally for about 7-10 minutes until the lentils’ consistently is soft, no longer crispy. 6. Add spinach and stir for last 2-3 minutes before removing from heat. 7. Add tamari and optional jalapeno sauce. Taste and experiment with little amounts at a time to flavor to your preference. 8. For each taco, melt a tsp of butter on a sauce pan, place a tortilla on the pan for about 2 minutes each side. 9. Add a few scoops of dal into a folded tortilla, and top with the Siete Jalapeno Botana sauce and/or a scoop of garlic sauce to taste. 10. Mix the cucumbers and kraut and serve on the side or in your taco. 11. Remember to take a moment to appreciate all the plants, earth elements, creatures, humans, sunshine and everything that went into your meal and your access to it. Enjoy with a happy food dance! How did you enjoy your tacos? Comment below with any recipe alterations you found delicious! Check out this recipe for raw vegan cheesecake!
 Raw Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
If, like me, you enjoy a semi-sweet dessert that is kind to the digestion and expanding for the heart, you might enjoy this one. I did some research on raw vegan cheesecake recipes and used the one with the least amount of ingredients (all natural), added a few flavor-enhancing plants and combined our previous recipe for cacao energy balls as the crust. As usual, remember to taste as you make and adjust proportions to your preferences. Make it your own. Ingredients: For Filling –
For Crust –
Instruments:
Steps: For the Crust… 1.In a strong blender or food processor, blend the walnuts until it’s a crumbly powder texture. Then, blend in the dates and cacao powder, until it’s all a textured paste. Depending on the size of your machine, you may need to do half the amount or less at a time. 2.With your hands, roll the dough you’ve blended until it’s rather evenly mixed and smooth it out onto a pie pan, shaped into a pie crust. 3.Cover and place in fridge. For the Filling… 1.Blend the drained cashew nuts until it’s generally a crumbly paste and set aside. If it’s too dry, you might add a tablespoon of the cashew water at a time (maximum 12 Tbs). 2.Blend the raspberries until pureed. 3.Add the cashews to the raspberries, long with the maple syrup, lemon juice (Try one lemon at a time, taste it and decide if you’ll want two lemons.) and salt. Blend together until it has a creamy texture. Altogether… 1.Pour the filling into the pie crust. 2.Decorate on top by placing other berries and pistachios as you please. I had fun sticking a pistachio nut in each raspberry hole. Finally… 1.Cover and freeze overnight. 2.Thaw before enjoying. Bless your raw vegan cacao berry cheesecake with lots of love, gratitude and the energy you’d like to receive as it enters your body. Remember all the plants, earth elements, harmonizing creatures in the ecosystems, humans and everything that went into the creation of this food. Enjoy with love! Feel free to share in the comments below how yours turned out and any tweeks you recommend! Peruvian-Inspired Vegan Ceviche
9/5/2023
By Michelle Chua  One of the joys of our Yoga adventure in Peru last June was getting to taste the delicious vegan cuisine of Cusco, Sacred Valley and near Machu Picchu. Inspired by Peruvian flavors, here's my version of vegan ceviche. To optimize the nutritional values of these plant ingredients, aim for organic! Also, remember to let your senses, like taste, smell, touch and sight guide you in adjusting the proportions as you go. I often don't measure when I'm cooking, but instead try to practice mindfulness as I choose flavor amounts and textures that make for an enjoyable edible experience. Ingredients (Serves about 5-7 hungry people):
Steps:
As we learned on our Peru Retreat, the Inkas were very spiritually connected to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and would make gratitude offerings to her throughout their day, sometimes in the form of a simple prayer. Remember to pause before you devour this nourishment and find a personally meaningful way to offer gratitude for your ability to enjoy it. Feel free to leave a comment below and share any feedback or fun tweeks you made to this recipe! Check out this Kitchari-inspired Vegan Soup recipe!
Refreshing Kale-Acai Smoothie
7/14/2023
By Michelle Chua After a summer-time run on the trails, I was inspired to mix together these amazing plants to hydrate and replenish my body. It’s a delicious way to recover from a sweaty cardio workout in the sun while nourishing yourself with electrolytes, potassium, magnesium and antioxidants and more!
Organic Ingredients from Trader Joe's: 1 bottle of coconut water (10 oz.) 1 packet of frozen acai puree (partially defrosted into pieces) 1 large handful of frozen kale 1 medium handful of diced frozen mango 1 medium handful of diced frozen banana 1tsp cacao powder Simple Steps: 1. Blend together. 2. Offer gratitude. 3. Enjoy! By Michelle Chua  Costa Rica 2018 Travel can be a fun and meaningful opportunity to connect with your inner nature and new places and beings in life-enriching ways. Some powerful tools I’ve found transformative and simple, yet require intentionality and authenticity, are the Yogic practice of ahimsa, or a heart-centered mindset that values non-harm, compassion and loving kindness, and the practice of mindfulness, defined by Teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn as, “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Both practices invite wholehearted connection with the present moment and all of life that is there, for the purpose of deepening wisdom and enhancing wellbeing. It’s important to remember that our everyday decisions while traveling to other lands impact those who live there and our Mother Earth. Here are some ways to take your Yoga off the mat and travel mindfully with ahimsa for the benefit of all: Bali, Indonesia 2017 (left) & 2019 (right) 1. Choose modes of travel that are more sustainable. Google flight allows you to sort your flight searches by emission rates, enabling you to be aware and choose flights that cause less environmental pollution. 2. Choose accommodations that practice environmental care and support the local people where you are visiting. Sites like Booking.com allow you to filter your search for accommodations based on Travel Sustainable, which means you can opt for places that have sustainable practices, such as producing less waste. For example, in our upcoming Yoga retreat in Bali, all three of our accommodation sites have sustainability practices, with our second accommodation heading a reforestation and coral reef restoration project, which we’ll support during our stay. 3. Do your research beforehand to choose to support local businesses that practice sustainability, have kind work ethics, such as providing local workers with fair wages and hours, and positively impact the community. For example, our Yoga Retreat in Peru this June teams up with a retreat center managed by a local Peruvian family and has a non-profit organization through which guests’ purchases support a rural Andean children’s school. 4. Balance your itinerary with time to slow down, be spontaneous and authentically connect your senses with what’s around you. Value quality over quantity of experiences, letting go of expectations and letting yourself find ease and freedom in also going with the flow of what’s unplanned. Some of my best solo travel experiences came from trusting my instincts and following, with discernment, friendly invitations to new adventures. For example, while I was traveling in Ghana as a volunteer teacher and sought to learn West African drumming and dance, I met a choreographer who graciously invited me to attend a funeral and dance with his performers during the memorial celebration, at which numerous tribes came together to share in music and dance. It’s still one of my most memorable and uniquely rewarding travel experiences of feeling part of the local community, even if just briefly. 5. Consider when it’s helpful or harmful to bargain for locally made souvenirs. For some, bargaining is a fun pastime and can feel rewarding when gaining a huge discount. In the broader perspective, remember that sometimes people in developing countries who sell handmade goods or produce at a market are earning the only income source to sustain an extended family. What you save in a few dollars can mean a week or more of meals in the local currency. 6. Find beauty in simplicity. When visiting a new place, everything can seem fresh and enchanting, especially if you’re in a highly stimulating environment, busy with social media influencers posing at the touted attractions. Consider walking the footsteps of a local, visiting less touristy spots and appreciating hidden joys and insights embedded in their everyday lives. 7. Keep your daily meditation and mindful movement or physical Yoga practices alive during your travels! As you bring your wellness practices with you, notice how they support you in feeling grounded and resilient, such as when unexpected conflicts may arise. When I first traveled to Bali alone, an ash-spewing volcano extended my planned 7-day visit indefinitely. I felt deep gratitude for my physical Yoga and Meditation practice that empowered by ability to calm mental What If’s and worst-case scenarios. My meditation practice spurred me to cultivate friendly curiosity about the situation and take things moment by moment, eventually awakening me to the reality that I was gifted the privilege of staying longer in such a beautiful paradise, and I was safe. Moreover, my physical Yoga kept me healthy, agile and strong to better enjoy my experiences, especially when I first arrived after sitting for almost a day in airplanes. 8. Integrate mindfulness throughout your travels as fun ways to fully immerse in moments. In the context of walking, eating, sitting and people watching or riding a taxi, experiment with allocating a few minutes to consciously focus on what you can feel through your various senses that are applicable – smell, touch, taste, hear and see. With a caring attention and non-judgment, hold space for what comes and goes through your senses, and tune into your body, breath and mind. Notice how they respond as well. You can also practice deep listening while having a conversation with someone, sensing the feeling tone they are trying express to you through words, tone, gestures and energy, and pausing with a deep breath before responding. 9. Take actions to truly learn about and connect with the land and living beings where you are visiting. Before arriving, you might learn a few important greetings and words of gratitude in the local language. These can be helpful in other countries, as saying “Thank you” in the local tongue with a smile can do wonders to break the language barrier and help see each other’s common humanity. Also, research the local etiquette in dress and manners to come with knowledge and respect for the culture. Use discernment in practicing behaviors that may be common and acceptable at home, as they may mean something different where you are visiting. For example, a specific hand gesture in one country can be deemed playful and friendly, while in another it’s translated as rude and confrontational. 10. Find ways to personally harmonize and intimately connect with the natural world, attuning your body’s intelligence with the plants and earth elements surrounding you. For example, you might seek out local organic produce to taste and boost your immune system with, as nature’s medicines often grow where they may are most needed. Coca leaves grow abundantly in the Andean region of Peru and are a natural remedy when brewed as tea for appeasing altitude sickness in the high elevation of Cusco. Spend quality time in nearby nature and enjoy meals at farm-to-table restaurants to acclimate with the planet in this region.  Ghana 2008 AuthorMichelle Chua is a lover of nature, traveling as a form of expanding perspective, dance, delicious plant-based foods and Yoga. Find her bio here. See the upcoming Nature, Culture & Yoga Retreats she's hosting here. The 8 Limbs of Yoga
5/29/2023
Simplified by Michelle Chua I created these schoolchildren-friendly posters to help middle-school students remember and easily reference these Yoga wisdom teachings of the Sage Patanjali from his Yoga Sutras. Adults may find them as helpful reference tools, too, in bringing Yoga into everyday life.  Here's the first Limb simplified:  Here's the second Limb simplified:  Adults, I highly recommend the modern interpretation of the Yoga Sutras, The Secret Power of Yoga, a book written by Nischala Joy Devi. Our Yoga community met for several months to share reflections on this book. It offers a heart-centered and practical approach to applying the 8 Limbs and beyond. More Resources:
Understand Chakras to Empower Well-Being
5/29/2023
Updated by Michelle Chua, from Jan. 2022  Background for this Article...Through past physical and emotional injuries, I’ve grown to believe in the inseparable relationship between my thoughts, emotions, energetic state and physical wellbeing. However, it took many years of studying yoga to finally dive deeper into the exploration of chakras, succinctly defined as energy centers in the body. I admit I had a slight aversion to using this word for a while, as it’s been a trendy buzzword in the modern Western yoga circles and has unfortunately been dismissed by some as woo woo. However, studying the chakras with an open mind can provide practical insights for optimizing your well being on many levels. As I sought to deepen my yoga practice years after I first tried yoga in 2001, I grew interest in understanding chakras and how such knowledge might empower my personal practice, and now as a yoga teacher, help me facilitate more informed multi-dimensional practices for my students and clientele. When the recent pandemic hit California in spring 2020, energetic turbulence clouded my mind and body. Repeated trail-running injuries drew me to investigate how my specific thought patterns, intense emotions and chronic injuries were related. I researched psychology literature online and read books by mindfulness teachers. I met with intuitive energy healers (from reiki to pranic healing and mindset coaching), dove into trauma-informed yoga courses and eventually graduated from a neuroscience-backed 300-hour Yoga Psychology certification program that focused largely on the chakras and their connection to mind-body-spirit healing, including for traumas rooted in childhood and ancestry. Most intimately, I integrated what I was learning into my daily self-care and experienced directly how chakra-informed yoga affected my layers of self—from physical to spiritual. I’m deeply thankful for this journey and what it’s taught me, so I’m inspired to share basic chakra information as practically applicable as I can from my experience, research and teachers. Concept of Energy Centers, or Chakras, Shared Among Different CulturesPhysicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) famously concluded, “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” Greek Physician Hippocrates (ca. 460 bce—ca. 370 bce) believed that body and mind are a unity, and to affect one is to affect the other. Different cultures have similar teachings about the mind-body connection and energy centers within the human body that affect mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. Mayan culture named chaclas as force centers in the body and kultunlilni as the life energy and the power of consciousness, spurring human growth and development. (See Similarities between the Hindu and the Maya Culture) In ancient Egypt, an energy healing practice called sekhem, worked to harmonize and balance a person’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing through energy centers. (See Sekhem - A Form of Ancient Egyptian Healing) Chinese Medicine names six yang and six yin main meridians, or complimentary channels of qi, or life force energy, in the human body and promotes healing through balanced energy flow through them. (See Traveling the Energetic Highway: What are Meridians?) These are some globally impactful cultures that have parallel systems to the chakras. Perhaps you know of others? Chakras: Brief History and DefinitionsAccording to Tantric Academy, the notion of chakras originates from about 2700 years ago and was first mentioned in sacred Hindu texts, called Upanishads, in 700-800BCE. However, knowledge of the chakra system was most likely passed down through oral tradition prior to written recordings. According to my teacher Ashley Turner’s research in Yoga Psychology, chakra is a center of activity that receives, assimilates and expresses life force energy. Its literal translation from Sanskrit is “wheel” or “disc” and “denotes a point of intersection where mind and body meet,” according to Anodea Judith, PhD, author of Wheels of Life: The Classical Guide to the Chakra System. Anodea explains, “To work with the chakras is to heal ourselves of old constricting patterns lodged in the body or the mind, or habitual behavior.” Through the lens of Developmental Psychology, Ashley conveys that the vitality of each chakra is affected by how a person has digested their experiences within a correlating phase of their human development and that each chakra links to specific glands of the endocrine system, affecting their bio-chemistry. Spiritual teacher, Shai Tubali, drew an insightful parallel to the wellness needs of each main chakra to each stage of Psychologist Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs—from food and safety to self-actualization. While a human’s energy body, named Pranamaya Kosha in yoga philosophy, contains over 70,000 nadis, or energy channels, a compounding number intersect at seven main points that lie along the spine, and these are the 7 main chakras I will focus on describing next. Overview of the 7 Chakras“Understanding the chakras gives us self-knowledge at every level of our being,” wrote Sandra Anderson in Yoga International, “The chakras govern our behavior, shape our emotional life, give expression to our deepest desires, and build the structure of our physical body and personality.” Whether or not you fully subscribe to the details about chakras, consider the following information as an invitation to look into these various aspects of your life when tending to your whole wellbeing. Here’s a brief overview of each main chakra, its physiological location, its mind-body characteristics when in balance, it’s associated endocrine gland, the developmental stage that highly influences its health and a few practical ways to cultivate its wellness:  1. Root Energy Center (Muladhara Chakra) spins at the base of the spine and offers a sense of safety, belonging and feeling supported in all aspects of life, including feeling connected to Mother Earth and to your physical body. It’s linked to the adrenal glands, which spurs us into fight or flight reactivity when we perceive that our sense of survival is threatened. It’s highly influenced by the experiences you had as early as when you were a fetus in the womb through 12 months after birth, affecting physical growth, motor skills and sense of object permanence. Cultivate balance at your root energy center by regularly spending quality time in nature-- mindfully breathing, earthing with bare feet, preparing your meals with your hands using whole foods from the earth, running, walking, hiking, gardening, swimming or practicing grounding yoga. 2. Sacral Energy Center (Svadhistana Chakra) spins at the area of the sacrum or lower back and lower belly. It gifts the ability to trust our emotions as guides, adapt to change, honor our sexuality and sensuality and play in life’s flow. It’s related to the ovaries and testes, sexual organs of reproduction. It’s greatly affected by your experiences during 6 to 24 months old, characterized by sensate exploration of the world and beginning locomotion. Support its health by practicing moving your body with ease and fluidity and enjoying healthy sensual pleasures, like eating delicious meals, dancing, playing and having meaningful conversations with friends and loved ones. 3. Solar Plexus Energy Center (Manipura Chakra) spins at the upper abdominal/middle back region. It provides our fire for action towards our vision and soul purpose, ability to digest life situations and extract the “nourishment” needed for our continued evolution and ability to tame our ego and feel genuinely confident. It’s connected to the adrenals and pancreas. The latter helps digest food and manage your body’s use of sugar for energy after digestion. It’s affected by your development during 18-42 months old, when you’re initially establishing a sense of separateness and autonomy, like learning to say, “mine” and “no.” Nurture its wellbeing by building self-trust and confidence, facing your fears and decluttering your life and home of what no longer serves your highest wellbeing. 4. Heart Energy Center (Anahata Chakra) spins at the middle of the chest and upper back. It balances our giving and receiving of unconditional love, our essence or true nature, and enables forgiveness, compassion and pure joy. It’s associated with the thymus gland, which helps the body fight infection and is a part of your immune system. It’s largely affected by your experiences during 3.5 to 7 years old, in which you’re forming loving peer and family relationships and developing persona. Balance energy here through regular yogic breathwork, practicing forgiveness and compassion, singing and laughing, connecting with other beings or animals and allowing yourself to experience joy daily. 5. Throat Energy Center (Visuddha Chakra) spins at the throat and offers the ability to communicate with clear intent and loving kindness, listen with empathy and express yourself creatively. It’s associated with your thyroid, which regulates metabolism, and parathyroid, which affects calcium levels in your blood. It’s highly influenced by your experiences during 7-12 years old, especially focused on your speaking and hearing truth. Cultivate its health by voicing your truth, singing and chanting, journaling, establishing healthy boundaries by saying “no” when you need to, exploring creative means of expression through art and practicing whole-being listening to understand others’ feelings and needs when they’re communicating to you. 6. Third Eye or Brow Center (Ajna Chakra) spins at the center of the forehead and gifts connection to inner guidance, ability to see past delusions, including false inner narratives, and wise discernment to see the bigger picture of your spiritual journey amid challenging situations. It’s associated with your pineal gland, which produces melatonin, regulating your circadian rhythm. It’s highly affected by puberty and establishing personal identity and perceiving patterns in life. Nurture its wellbeing through regular meditation, developing a regular spiritual practice, practicing gratitude, journaling about your dreams, creating or viewing visual art, listening to music, strengthening your connection to your intuition and visualizing. 7. Crown Energy Center (Sahasrara Chakra) spins at the crown of the head and gifts an internalization of the knowledge that all is connected. It’s connected to your pituitary gland, considered the “master gland” in that it regulates the many other endocrine glands throughout the body and affects vital parts like your brain, skin, energy, mood, reproductive organs, vision, growth and more. Its health is greatly affected throughout the stages of life in your assimilation of knowledge and development of wisdom. Cultivate its vitality by meditating daily, practicing compassion for yourself and all of life, reading wisdom texts by inspiring spiritual teachers, spending regular quality time with nature and sharing your joy with others.  Observe Your Energy DailyThis information is a concise compilation of key points to acquaint you with general qualities of each of the seven chakras. Most importantly, observe, experiment and reflect on how these suggested practices or your current daily doings and interactions affect you physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically. Are there any impactful events you experienced during your specific developmental stages that may continue to affect your overall health? Do you experience patterns of high or low energy in certain aspects of your being or life? Do you notice any patterns of thoughts and beliefs related to patterns in your physical wellbeing or relationship with others? Self-study is an important practice of yoga and maintaining whole-being wellness. And, chakra-informed and skillfully sequenced yoga—from poses, movements, breathing techniques, meditations and life applications—can help address certain conditions of mind-body and invite balance into certain chakras. May this knowledge contribute to your leading a conscious, happy, healthy and fulfilling life, as you nourish yourself at every level of your being and ripple that thriving presence into our world! More Chakras Resources:Find our free YouTube Playlist here of Yoga with Meditation Practices to support balancing energy according to the 7 main chakras.
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REviews of Root 2 Rise Yoga with Michelle chua:
Michelle truly lives out what she teaches. She is so much more than a yoga teacher - I learned this when I went on her exquisitely curated trip that she organized to Costa Rica this past June 2018...Hopefully like me, you'll be delighted by her effervescent love of movement, nature, and all people! Michelle clearly stands out with her beautiful and bright energy. I love how her practice and teaching encompass body, mind and spirit. She not only teaches yoga but lives and exudes it. Michelle not only teaches 'yoga', she embodies it fully with her heart and soul... Michelle is by far one of the best instructors I've ever had, period. Patient, clear in her explanations and demos, and so encouraging... My first yoga class was with Michelle years ago. You can have the best (yoga pose) sequence and not teach from your heart. With Michelle, I also feel her passion when I'm in her class. I can see she loves what she does, and she inspired me to want to teach yoga, too. |
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I'm so grateful to have met Michelle! Her kind energy opened up my interest in pursuing yoga and meditation. She is such an incredibly light and soul. She starts with grounding ourselves through mindfulness and breathing exercise. She brings the most authentic energy to the class by sharing the history and understanding behind poses, names, and techniques. I truly appreciate her work and impact on my well-being! I’ve had dozens of instructors over the years, but Michelle is far and away the best yoga mentor I’ve ever practiced with. She epitomizes grace during these difficult times. Michelle has saved my sanity and my back while working from home, keeping me grounded with her sharing of yogic teachings and meditation techniques. Her repertoire of physical asanas is encyclopedic, and I’ve loved learning new poses and stretching my boundaries. Jump in, all. You’ve got this! |
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