Crown chakra - can it be too closed?

[YogaIsLife]

Hi everybody,

I have been dealing for years with some strange symptoms that affect my mood, my physical health and overall stamina, not to mention my quality of life. Since I started AYP I encountered substantial betterment but I feel I stumbled again forcefully into some of the old (maybe more stubborn) blocks. Although I am more able to deal with it now because I have been meditating it is still very much disturbing and affects my quality of life. I wonder if any of you may have some hints on what is going on.

I won't tell you the whole story but I feel the main blocks/disturbances are energetic in nature and are mainly related with the head or, maybe more accurately, with the abdomen to head connection.

To make it short here is what I found recently again (because I have noticed it in the past). When this "old patterns" become activated I start feeling a bit depressed and even dizzy and moody. And tingly with energy, kind of shaky. I also get poor digestion and a lot of gas. I feel energy accumulated in the head, around the eyes (many troubles there for years that I feel was the cause to this whole thing), also in the frontal lobes on both sides of the head and in the top (scalp) and back of the head/neck.

What is interesting is this: if I rub my scalp, right on top of the head, I get a relief. I feel myself getting a bit more relaxed and energy flowing more freely in my body. Especially if I rub it clockwise. Now, I really avoid getting into much detail on chakras and energy pathways and all that (that is why I appreciate AYP's 'global purification' strategy) but somehow maybe I have some kind of umbalance that other techniques might help? What exactly is happening? It must have to do with the crown chakra because that's where I feel the relief when I rub it like that. Also, in the last years where I have been suffering from this, this same areas were areas that got quite hot (like burning) in my scalp and it was interesting for me to find (although not pleaseant) that it was in exactly those areas that I lost gradually hair, and it was clear to me that the burning sensations had to do with that. There is sometimes the feeling that there are cracks in my head where energy seeps out, and I feel this explains my lack of stamina nad overall dizzyness.

Now, I might have had some kind of energy awakening (kundalini?)inside some years ago and maybe I burned my crown chakra. I don't know. It just not has been a funny ride since then. Now it comes back again due, I feel, from life circumstances that make me relive old fears (so maybe stumbling against the same blocks).

Does anybody ever felt something vaguely resembeling this? How did you treat it? I was thinking of going to some good shiatsu sessions, maybe they will be good for me, to get the life energy flowing harmoniously again? Can my crown chakra, on the other hand, be too closed and that is why the rubbing activates it and brings relief (it also seems to activate blood in the area and that is pleaseant - energy and blood flow go hand in hand I believe). AYP has been the only thing able to bring me some balance in all these years, but I still wonder about these specific unpleseant blocks.

Any ideas?

Thanks and sorry for the long post!

[Jo-self]

Since I don't have that experience of bodily manipulation effecting my chakras, I did a quick google search to confirm some ideas I have and read about in the past.

Chakras are describe or mean a Vortex.  Many bodywork and energetic approaches attempt to effect them by massage.  For example, one page had:
 

quote:7. Repeat this procedure for each chakra, ending at the crown.
8. Note: At the crown there is a difference in this procedure between men and women.
• Men: Begin clearing with a clockwise motion; end with a counterclockwise motion.
• Women: Begin with a counterclockwise motion; end with a clockwise motion.

Also note that sinus or dental issues can effect the head and moods, sometimes in referred pain.

Other then that, it does seem like an imbalance.

[Shanti]

Hi YIL,
I have experienced exactly what you have described above.. and I remember rubbing my head to take some of the pressure off.. that did always help. This was most prevalent during my depression at which time I had an active crown.. but later, after AYP, and after I got my energy balanced out.. any time I had these symptoms (I still had them on and off, esp. during major purification phases).. I would kinda automatically go into a mini depression.. get sad, upset, angry, irritated easily.. not fun.. not fun at all.

Things I did.. self pace.. cut back on energy practices.. if possible stop energy practices.. go with only meditation, take plenty of rest after meditation, do grounding  activity.. really.. go dig in a garden, scrub floors.. go to the gym and get a good workout.. get as much energy out of you as possible.. stay away from spiritually stimulating stuff.. books, music, art, groups.. And the thing that helped a lot.. bring your awareness down from head to heart or even lower... any time you realize you are in your head.. consciously bring your awareness down. I lived in my head.. and during these phases.. I would feel like I needed to pull my hair or massage or rub my crown area at times to get some relief from the pressure.. and bringing down awareness to my heart did take a lot of the pressure away from the head.

This you know already.. spinal breathing 3rd eye to root.. over time stabilizes the energy.

One last thing that helped.. but don't try it while you are still feeling this pressure.. but add it slowly when this phase has passed.. Yoni Spinal Breathing Pranayama.  Yogani had suggested I try Yoni spinal breathing... he said that at times the "pressure" in the head could be due to lack of energy coming up... and not the other way around.. where there is too much energy.. and if doing uddiyana and mulabandha reduced this pressure.. that that was my proof. So, what may seem like an excess in the head can actually be a shortage under certain circumstances. This was true in my case. If I remember right, you did say you had a block in your throat area.. that is exactly what I had.. Yoni Spinal Breathing helped me a lot.. it was like the lesson was written for me.

It's not a fun phase.. but it will be gone.. have heart.

[YogaIsLife]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

Thank you so much Shanti. You do seem to understand, everything you say makes sense. It is a phase that comes and goes, maybe purification.

Yes, I agree, I think it is rather energy having difficulty getting to the head, than the other way around. I think this is due to a long term pattern of accumulating tension in the head. I also lived in my head a lot It created a habit and many blocks in the head/neck area. This is very true. I guess that is why the head message is so pleasuring, it activates the blood and energy in the head, thus bringing energy there.

I will follow your advice. For now will contnue with the massages (as it is the only thing bringing me relief now - there is even a pleasure associated with it, probably the result of relief of tension). I also have been working too much and demanding too much of myself. Will take it easier for a while and I think I will follow through on the Shiatsu treatments and thought also trying cranio-sacral therapy since it is all about the neck and head.

Thank you a lot my friends. Appreciate it.

[Shanti]

Yes, massage sounds like a great idea.. also thought about a few other things over night..

Chin pump is great for throat blocks. Cranio-sacral therapy that you have talked about may be good too.. I have not personally tried it.. but I know many who have said it is awesome. Chiropractic treatment helps a lot too.

Yogani had told me, sometimes the throat block actually may happen when the heart is not open. At that point I added the heart breathing later attended a heart workshop http://heartsanctuary.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=144&Itemid=100039. These definitely helped. So that maybe something that you can keep in mind.

[YogaIsLife]

Thanks a lot Shanti. It is actually great that someone can relate, I never thought it was possible!

It seems strange but the head massage helps me a lot. It is indeed something with the neck/head and I know it was due to years strainig the eyes and the head, the habit just stood in place and now it is an organic thing, possible bad irrigation of the head. I figure the massage brings blood (and energy) to the area and hence the relief. It is very noticeable.

Will keep your tips in mind. I already tried the lite chin pump (actually comes automatically sometimes before and after meditation) and the relief is also quite noticeable. I also had many problems of pressure building in the head during spinal breathing in the beggining (8 months ago) but that got better overtime, and I attributed that to the overall purification effect of meditation, gradually opening up the channels. I guess this is just a step further

I did not find cranio-sacral therapy in the town I'm in at the moment but found an 'Indian Head massage'. Will try that and shiatsu. Can't do much harm...

In regard to the heart, it is possible there is some connection there as well. I recently started dating again and of course that is doing something to my heart

Funny how things seem to start coming together...slowly but surely...Thank you very much Shanti.

[Shanti]

Your welcome YIL. It's good to share with someone else who has a similar problem.

[YogaIsLife]

Hi Shanti,

Just wish to say that I tried the Heart Breathing and indeed it had very profound effects. Thanks!

Hope I'm in the right track now...it's been years of a poor life quality because of this...can't believe doors are actually opening for me!

[Shanti]

The Heart Breathing is very powerful.. so don't overdo OK?

[YogaIsLife]

Ok Shanti. I did it at night yesterday, in bed before sleep. Is this ok? Could I do it like this daily?

[Shanti]

quote:Originally posted by YogaIsLife

Ok Shanti. I did it at night yesterday, in bed before sleep. Is this ok? Could I do it like this daily?

If it does not interfere with your sleep.. yes, you can do it in bed before sleep.
The lesson says you can do it at any time.

quote: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/220.html
It can be done for 5-10 minutes before or after sitting practices, or anytime. Be careful not to overdo it in the beginning, as it can bring excessive karmic releases in the heart if overdone. It is suggested you start off slow and work up gradually according to comfort and effect.

[YogaIsLife]

Great, thanks Shanti! I also had read the lesson, it seems clear enough.

Cheers!