Why Chakras Are the 51st Shade of Grey

When I ran the idea of this title past a good friend, she got a slightly annoyed look on her face and said, “You know what that book’s about don’t you?”Yes. And no.To be honest I haven’t read it –– for many reasons that I’m not going to go into in this post, one of which includes I have very limited free time and would rather eat pizza or go for walk.However, I find it slightly ironic that a book about shades of grey sparks a lot of black and white reactions. Like the chakras.Notice what the word “chakra” brings up for you. Would you say it out loud at a family function or at work? Do you love it? Are you a little freaked out by it? Are you curious? Do you think it’s total BS? (And if you are one of those people I commend for sticking with this post as long as you have.)Maybe it’s my innate personality, my career as a life coach and healer, a little of my law schooling, or an overly optimistic internal translator that helps me make sense of things, but I truly believe there is more than one valid way to view every story, person, situation, or belief.  There’s a lot of grey in our human existence.I came to the world of chakras through my yoga teacher training.  I came to yoga teacher training and reiki through chronic stress and pain. I came to chronic stress and pain because my body was holding things that my head and social-self weren’t sure what to do with.I gave chakras a whirl because nothing else was working and they made sense to me and how I interpreted my science degrees, sociology and psychology studies, spiritual background, and personal experiences.  I didn’t care if they were called chakras or shoehorns, they provided me with a road map that helped me figure out how I could navigate the mental, emotional, and physical territory I found myself in.Chakras are not going to resonate with or have the same impact on everyone. But, I don’t want the word “chakra” or a rigid belief about the type of people who talk about chakras or any type of black and white thinking to keep really useful and practical information out of people’s hands.The information I discovered under the label “chakras” is information that led me to a healthy relationship with my body, my emotions, my mental state, my spirit and Source, and how I see and empathize with other humans.  When I think back to 15 years ago, there is no way in Toledo that I would have said I was going to be living in Wyoming, teaching yoga, running my own business, truly content and happy, and saying the word chakra everyday.  Yes. Every. Day. (Ask my husband. He probably knows a heck of a lot more about chakras than he bargained for 20 years ago.)What are you keeping out of your paradigm or toolbox because you’re not open to it, because you see it as black or white, right or wrong?  Maybe it’s a book, a potential new friend, a belief system, a group of people, information, or a way of letting yourself be in the world?In the comments below I’d love to hear your stories about your shades of grey, so-to-speak.  Please share something you discovered unexpectedly about yourself, someone, or something else that you would have never done or believed years ago and has had a profound impact on who you are today.What is your “shade of grey”?If you want to give chakras a whirl or just want to know more about how to feel more aligned and hear your Soul’s wisdom join me for a FREE teleclass THIS week.  I’m fairly harmless, sometimes funny, and have a ton of great info (and free prizes) to share.  If the word chakra is a turn-off substitute another word - fuzzy bunnies, awareness centers, pizza. Check it out HERE.