Following are some exercises to stand up to the malicious forces that can gather at the seventh chakra.
1. Regarding sectarianism, what have you done for deep ecumenism lately? What are you doing to get different churches together or churches and synagogues and mosques with spirituality as their common base?
2. Are you studying the mystics of your own and others’ traditions? With what results?
3. What examples do you detect in our culture of sorrow festering into hatred? Can you do something to turn this attitude around?
4. Where does resentment show itself in culture today? What can we do to diffuse it?
5. Create a puppet that names Resentment in our time. Create skits with it with self and then others. What do you learn?
6. Create rituals that can cleanse us of our various resentments.
7. Do you agree that Hitler was a master at feeding into resentment? Do you sense any other politicians in our day feeding on the same energy? How do they operate? What can you do to interfere? What lessons are to be learned from Hitler’s success at building resentments?
8. Have you ever encountered evil spirits in your life? Under what circumstances? What can you do about it?
9. Under what circumstances have you encountered angels in your life? How did they assist you or move you to greater love and sense of community?
10. What are you doing or can you do to create community where you work? Or where you live? Or where you learn and celebrate?
11. Make a list of advertising claims on television for three evenings or days. How do each of these advertisements either arouse envy and resentment, or not do so? What can you do to lessen the impact of their arousal of resentment?
12. Are you connected to your luminary ancestors? How or how not? How present to you are these beings? Do you connect with the communion of saints? How can you make these connections more real?
13. Create an altar to honor you ancestors. Pray there daily. How does this affect your courage and your energy?
14. Practice turning envy into emulation. Instead of stewing about another’s success, ask yourself: How can I learn from this person’s work and achievements?
15. Practice praise. Each day, find something to praise in the people you live with and the people you work with. Praise them to their face. Learn to accept praise yourself. Hold it in your heart as a gift from the gift-giver of life itself.
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society, pp. 369-371.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image:”Communion of Saints tapestry, Los Angeles Cathedral. This is part of the fresco-like Communion of Saints along the north wall of the nave. Twenty-five fresco-like tapestries depict 135 saints and blesseds from around the world, including holy men and women of North America canonized by the Church.” Photo by Barbara Hartford/James Strong on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
Which of these practices are you already engaged in? Which are new and appeal to you to give a try? Which trigger new avenues for you?
18 thoughts on “Practical Exercises to Bolster the Seventh Chakra”
Matthew, You give us these Queries for Contemplation to think on today: “Which of these practices are you already engaged in?” I facilitate a Creation Spirituality Community called,, “Spiritwind” which is guided by Matthew’s idea of “Deep Ecumenism” and his book, ONE RIVER, MANY WELLS. We meet every week for an hour or more and discuss various religions and philosophies; various spiritual paths and the mystics–and we also do cleansing rituals, and every year make an alter to the ancestors on the Eve of All Saint’s Day, or Halloween (but originally a Celtic holiday called, “Samhain”). My books are my spiritual and intellectual ancestors and I honor them as that. I have encountered what some would call “evil spirits” and have been involved in two exorcisms and a number of “house cleansings.” One last thing… it should be obvious that I have a spiritual community with my Creation Spirituality “Community”–I also have one in the senior mobile home park my wife and I live in. We all look out for each other.
The new ones that appeal to be and I would be willing to try, are also the ones which would trigger new avenues for me. First of all, when I see the sorrow that is festering into resentment and hatred, I want to do something about it, but I have to figure out what to do. Even worse than those whose sorrow is turning into hatred, are the politicians who play upon their hatred and encourage them–which has polarized our country. Secondly, I haven’t encountered angels. But I love studying the traditional Catholic angelology as Matthew has written in his book, THE PHYSICS OF ANGELS–which he co-authored with scientist, Rupert Sheldrake, who writes of angels from the perspective of what science tells us about light and photons. I’ve also even gone to a workshop on angels led by Doreen Virtue, angel expert extraordinaire! But then, I did have an experience where I thought I was visited by a dark angel, but that’s a story I’ll leave untold…
Sacred journaling is a way in which I connect with the realm of benevolent spiritual beings… as a source of comfort, consolation and wise counsel. Reading the sacred writings… the testimonies of the mystics, saints and prophets is a way of connecting to this essence, presence and the spiritual reality of these benevolent spiritual beings. As of late, I’ve been exploring working with Tarot, NOT as a form of divination… but rather as a spiritual practice… a means of connecting with the universal archetypal energies… in a consciousness way… through engaging reflectively, meditatively and contemplatively upon the imagery, symbolism and metaphoric stories that the Tarot cards reveal… which I write in my Tarot Journal. I also spend times of solitude in the beauty of nature, as a spiritual practice as well… observing and listening to Spirit… sensing this essence and presence within the all and the everything of creation.
Within this particular season of my life… I am in the process of much needed healing… a neccessary time, of retreating from being around alot of people as well as releasing myself from alot of doing… in order to simply be… to be held, to receive the rest,rejuvenation and healing I need, to recover from literally years of giving to the elders in need, while in a toxic environment. I’ve made changes in the past eight months, leaving this environment… now working the night shift, in a much smaller retirement home setting… still tending to and caring for the elders, however in a less demanding, stressful and negatively toxic inducing atmosphere.
I’m having difficulty recovering from work related PTSD… which I didn’t even know I was suffering from… due to the high level of stress simply being the norm within my life, for many years… impacted further by the pandemic and other worldly issues going on. Recently… as I work through this… I’ve been experiencing panic attacks… not in the sense of not being able to breathe… but rather in a nervous tension in my body… particularly in my legs. It’s an experience of kind like being really uncomfortable being in your own skin. I’ve also been experiencing alot of unpleasant dreams. As an empath, I am highly sensitive to collective energies… and it’s been challenging processing this energy… discerning what’s mine and what isn’t… what’s mine personally to work on and what isn’t mine… discerning what needs to be let go of, regarding both. I’m accepting that this is an important season within my life… of less doing and more being… being alone with Spirit in its many expressive ways, through reflection, meditation and contemplation… which I am learning to surrender to in TRUST.
Being apart of this on-line community and engaging with not only Mathew’s DM’s and others within the comment section, Richard Rohr’s DM’s and Henri Nouwen’s podcasts, along with engaging with some of the spiritual teachings that the Shift Network offers, has also been a beneficial blessing during this important and challenging season of my life that I am experiencing… that being the wounded giver now receiving much needed healing, rest and rejuvenation.
Having shared all of this, I guess I don’t have much to contribute in the ways of doing, listed within today’s DM… as I need to honor respectfully where I’m at within my own souls journey… and be okay with this.
Thank you for your honest sharing. I too feel often uncomfortable in my skin and often tense, as a result of multiple traumae over the decades. I know that you must do embodied practices–the Welcoming Prayer helps me. Locating where the anxiety or other feeling (s) is in my body and fully experiencing it usually results in some relief. I too have unpleasant and intense dreams usually and have come to realize that it’s probably “dumping” of unresolved grief and other negative feeling and experiences—I don’t get upset about it any more except it makes me tired, but just take it for what it is–recognizing the feelings they may leave when I wake and letting them go.
Sue, thank you so very much for your vulnerable honest reply to my comment. It really helped me to understand that I’m not the only one whom is experiencing what I am going through. Thank you for also sharing what helps you to let go and move through the anxiety of what we both sense in common. I agree with you, that the unsettling dreams is a way of processing and releasing negative feelings and thoughts, around things experienced and encountered from others, that I am unable to change… and that in some way throughout this process, there is some kind of resolution and healing taking place, beyond my comprehension. Today, I did some body/prayer work… during a counseling session… identifying the tension of energy in my body, and then intentionally releasing it… along with the emotions of sorrow, pain and grief… through many tears… as well as the stories, the negative self-talk attached to this. I also find myself praying certain psalms, personalizing them… which also helps me to remain open in heart, receptive in mind and surrendering in soul… to receiving and accepting the love, compassion, mercy, comfort and consolation offered me from the living fountain of God’s grace.
Seems the key words in today’s DM are “practice” and “exercise.” Both are key to mastering any endeavor, especially overcoming and maintaining distance on one’s own shortcomings and dark side. Thank you for reminding us of them daily via your teachings. Polish child prodigy, classical pianist Ignancy Paderewski often spoke of same early last century. In his day it was thought by his master teacher that he wouldn’t attain concert level mastery of his craft. Yet the pianist persisted and practiced, over time attaining world-wide acclaim that rivaled the status of today’s top musical performers. A master himself at his art, as was Christ in the spiritual arts and disciplines, he knew the importance of maintaining an edge. Said Paderewski, “if I miss one day of practice, I know it. If I miss two days of practice, my manager knows it. If I miss three days of practice, the audience knows it.” If the great ones, Jesus himself, and the mystics had to practice and exercise in perfecting their crown chakra gifts, energies and auras, shall we do any less in this area as stewards of kingdom privileges? Said the apostle Peter of same, “Judgment must begin at the house of God . . . if the righteous scarcely be saved (from themselves), where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?” (1 Pet. 4:17, 18). Lord, via practice and exercise, help us be worthy of our name, identity, and high calling as citizens and stewards of your kingdom.
Joe, You have spoken masterfully about practice, I’m curious to know what your own practices are…
The Dia de los muertos film reminds me of my mother’s passing. She had a deep devotion to St. Theresa the Little Flower. And she was a volunteer president of the fundraising foundation for the Carmelite convent nearby. After mom passed away I found this wonderful prayer in her stack of prayer cards. I put it on her memorial prayer card. Family and friends began to do likewise for their deceased family members. I was recently reminded of this by my sister whose brother-in-law who chose this prayer for his funeral memorial card.
St. Theresa’s Prayer:
May today be peace within,
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be,
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on that
love that has been given to you,
May you be content knowing that you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones [chakra], and allow your soul
the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of you.
Gwen, Thank you for sharing that beautiful prayer !!!
Matthew, in today’s inspiring and profound meditation you give us permission to be more open on our spiritual journeys to awareness and sharing of our faith and experiences of the non-physical spiritual dimensions of existence in our multiverse Cosmos, and how this might also help guide and strengthen us to improving our earthly human relations, societal issues, and saving Mother Earth and all Her creatures. In the last four years of my contemplative spiritual journey of studying the past and present mystics from all the genuine spiritual traditions, my journey has recently included studying the afterlife and spirit guides/Angels, especially as transmitted by genuinely spiritual channelers and mediums. It began with the research of Michael Newton, Ph.D. psychologist — “Journey of Souls” and “Destiny of Souls.” The most recent spiritual channeler I’ve been reading is from the Netherlands, — Pamela Kribbe, Ph.D., “The Jeshua Channelings: Christ Consciousness in a new era” (2008), and “The Forbidden Female Speaks: Conversations with Mary Magdalene” (2018). This is a quote from the back cover of this last book:
“Mary Magdalene was regarded as “the forbidden female” in the Christian tradition: wild, free and sinful. This book contains a dialogue with and messages from Mary Magdalene, channeled by Pamela Kribbe. It is about male and female energy, relationships, sexuality and healing. In these teachings, Mary Magdalene speaks with a clear, loving voice that is sometimes direct and confrontational but mostly compassionate and deeply appreciative of human nature.
In both men and women, there is a forbidden female energy, Mary Magdalene says, which has to do with feeling, intuition and the heart. In this day and age, both sexes are invited to become aware of this energy and to heal the old wound of separation between them. In this way, we learn to listen to our heart’s whispers again and reconnect with our soul.”
Pamela Kribbe’s website, jeshua.net, is also very informative about her personal story of how she became a channeler after an academic career, about “lightworkers,” and more recent spiritual channeling messages/teachings.
🔥❤️🙏
Combating darkness and evil in the world—no matter your own faith tradition. Holding great suffering in and with Greater LOVE. Listen to the still, calm voice in your heart.
I have often wondered if any connections have been made between Angels and Serendipity? I have experienced many serendipities which make me feel ‘seen’, protected, advised. Sometimes the serendipity is actually humorous. Is it imaginable that angels have a sense of humor???
Gwen, There are probably more serendipitous ways that we experience angels than we know, for the last chapter of the book of Hebrews say, “Be careful to entertain strangers, for some have entertains unaware.”
Thank you Richard. I searched and found your quote: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). Perhaps that was Jesus’ message in his parable about the Good Samaritan rescuing a wounded Jewish man.
It is an interesting essay about angels and demons in the bible:
https://www.compellingtruth.org/angels-among-us.html#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20references%20of%20people%20encountering%20angels,thereby%20some%20have%20entertained%20angels%20unawares%22%20%28Hebrews%2013%3A2%29.
I love the prayer Richard Rohr gave us at the end of the meditation, in which he asks that we be helped not to fall into denial, cynicism, fear and despair. These are the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse for me, now. Building trust and having a small prayer community have helped me weather the pandemic, but it was a struggle. I have a local Lectio Divina group which has been very important to me. Reading the Gospel 3 times, and reflecting on what I feel about a word or phrase in it which come alive for me today, has been a big help. Having about 12 of us, and a preponderance of women is also really a help, as I get to hear reflections from a woman’s perspective, which is a refreshing and strengthening support.
I appreciate the list and the questions you are asking, but this is a time for me of more contemplation, not so much action. My real action is in deep listening as a sponsor in the Al-Anon program to people who have been devastated by the family disease of alcoholism. This one-on-one work is valuable, as I see growth and strength and healing in the sponsees, as they learn from the 12 Steps, Traditions and Concepts. Trying to do political advocacy for candidates who see themselves as public servants, and trying to advocate for the common good, when it is possible to engage someone in conversation, are perhaps small but useful actions. Today I am going to vote for some outstanding public servants in California politics!
The video about the day of the dead was extremely moving to me. I am not into angels, though I loved the series, “Touched by An Angel”. To each her/their/his own. Your suggestion about paying attention to tv advertising reminded me of my 11th English teacher, who spent a good deal of time going over propaganda and how to recognize it, so I have always paid attention to the deceptive ways of all advertising, including political advertising. I can still remember “glittering generalities”, meaning sweeping claims that on second thought had to be false, “appeal to authority”, e.g., 90% of doctors recommend ________. I wish that this kind of critical thinking would be taught now but doubt it very much. This was back in the 1950’s before advertising became such a behemoth.
Learning about the mystics is vital, I agree, and so very much appreciate Matthew’s including them. I think they can teach us perspective, among other things. They did not live in easy times, either. Richard Rohr also writes about them, and the CAC podcast, “Turning to The Mystics” has been very illuminating. https://cac.org/podcast/turning-to-the-mystics/page/2/
I keep in contact with various organizations such as the ACLU, Sierra Club, American Friends Service, and others to keep up to date with issues that need contacts with either Congress or other government offices. I have made phone calls and written letters to urge people to vote and will continue to do so, even though prospects for some relief from the darkness rolling over us seem dim. I plant seeds without any knowledge of whether they will grow or die.
In a very painful and contentious period in the life of the church I belong to but cannot attend because of disability, somehow I have become a source of some comfort to some people–Zoom helped me re-connect to a congregation that, very frankly, had basically erased me once I could not longer attend some years ago. Keep in mind, you all, that out of sight out of mind can be very hurtful. With the help of spiritual practices, somehow I have been able to project love and caring, which are genuine even though I still have periods of resentment–mercifully short, now. And that love has reached out to and caused people to call on me for support. I would love to be part of the healing of this truly dark time in the church and will do everything I can to help. In my old age, I believe that we are to bear each other’s burdens and walk each other home. A few years ago, when I started a more mystical path, my only goal was to be usable to God, and it still is. Others long for union with God, but I’m content with being there for others–which may end up to be the same thing in the end. Sorry this is so long.
A very inspiring statement:
“In my old age, I believe that we are to bear each other’s burdens and walk each other home.” You might be an angel on their path.
Thank you Gwen, but I took the first phrase from Paul and the second from Ram Dass–they do mean a lot to me.
I read something today, from Brian McLaren, which I’ve paraphrased in relationship to today’s DM. “We also encounter Divine Love in times of chaotic conflict and the inner tension of this. As we expand the opening of our 7th chakra… we FEEL our wounds and we weep… we work towards the reconciliation of balancing the opposites… the shadows and the light, the human and the divine, the masculine and the feminine, the good and the not so good… integrating the parts into a unified whole… through the daily practice of humble acceptance, forgiveness, compassionate understanding, and infinite mercy… there we glimpse moments of peace, beyond our understanding… and there we are also touched by the depths, the heights, the widths, the breadths of the incomprehensible vastness of God’s unconditional, all embracing, all encompassing, everlasting, steadfast Divine Love!”