Beltane and the 7 Chakras
At Beltane, with the arrival of summer, flowers are opening and trees are laden with blossom. You too can blossom at this time! The chakras can be visualized as seven flowers. As each chakra flower opens, we are one step closer to an enlightened state of bliss. Beltane is the perfect time to visualize the blossoming of our chakra flowers.
Over the seven days of the challenge we'll be working our way up through the chakras, from the root chakra (muladhara), on day one, to the crown chakra (sahasrara), on day seven.
We begin each day of the challenge with a Chakra Flower Visualization and affirmation. This is followed by a yoga practice that is inspired by the Beltane theme of blossoming and which focuses on one of the seven chakras.
Each day you will also be offered the opportunity to contemplate Beltane meditation questions which relate to and increase awareness of the day's chosen chakra.
About the Course
This self-paced online course is divided into seven days. Each day is made up of three practices:
- A Chakra Flower Visualization
- A Beltane Yoga Practice.
- Beltane Seasonal Meditation Questions.
Your challenge is to complete at least one of the practices each day. So, for example, one day you might do a yoga practice, another day, you might do a journaling prompt or a visualization. On the days you have more time, you could do all three. Or spread the practices out across the day. Perhaps, you'll do a yoga practice and visualization in the morning, and a journaling prompt later in the day.
The beauty of this course is that it's yours forever, so, if you miss any of the practices out, you can always come back to them, within the next few weeks (or next year at Beltane). The challenge has been devised in such a way that it can easily be fitted into even the busiest of days.
Chakra Flower Visualization
Each day of the challenge begins with the day's Chakra Flower Visualization. This will enable you to focus on the day's chosen chakra and prepare you for the day's yoga practice.
There is a downloadable PDF of all the Chakra Flower Visualizations
Beltane Yoga Practices
Each of the seven daily yoga practices will focus on the Beltane theme of blossoming. The yoga practices will take you on a journey through the seven chakras, from the root chakra on day one, to the crown chakra on day seven.
Each day's yoga practice begins with a chakra flower visualization and affirmation. Each practice takes between 15-30 minutes to do.
Each of the yoga practices has its own downloadable PDF.
Although the practices have been designed with Beltane in mind, you could use them at any time of the year as a way to tune and balance your chakras.
Beltane Meditation Questions
Each day of the challenge you will be invited to contemplate upon meditation questions that correspond with the Beltane theme and chakra that you have been focussing upon in the day's yoga practice.
If you are short of time simply read the questions through, and trust that your mind will come up with answers for you. Or, if writing is your thing, you could could spend some time meditatively writing your responses to the questions. Or you could turn the questions over in your mind during a meditative walk, or whilst holding a yoga pose.
There is a downloadable PDF of all the meditation questions
Example Curriculum
Your Tutor & Course Guide
Jilly Shipway is a writer and a qualified yoga teacher with over thirty years teaching experience. Jilly is the author of Yoga Through the Year, Yoga by the Stars, and Chakras for Creativity: Meditations & Yoga-Based Practices to Awaken Your Creative Potential. She regularly contributes to various magazines and yoga publications.
The 7-day challenge is a self-paced online course, designed by Jilly. Although there is no formal tuition or video content, Jilly looks forward to interacting with you, offering guidance, and answering questions in the (optional) discussion forums during the course.
