Meditation involves quieting and focusing the mind. It is a process of sitting quietly and holding the mind still and alert while free from thinking. There are two main types of meditation: focused attention and open monitoring. Meditation activates the seven major chakras according to Indian contexts. The document then provides detailed descriptions of each chakra, including their locations, associations, potential psychological and physical symptoms of imbalance, and how to heal each chakra. The document also discusses how meditation impacts different parts of the brain and provides health benefits for mental health conditions. Case studies on meditation's effects on PTSD, mood, cardiovascular factors, fibromyalgia, and anxiety disorders are mentioned.

1. P . MOUNIKA

2. MEDITATION
•Meditation as the process that “involves
quieting and focusing of the mind”(Miller,
2008).
• “It is a very special kind of sitting quietly
doing nothing, in which the mind is held
clear and still, alert and watchful, and free
from losing itself in thinking”(Fontana &
Slack, 1997).
Types of meditation
•Focused attention meditation
•Open monitoring meditation

3. According to Indian context meditation
activates the Seven major Chakras
Our seven major chakras are aligned in an
ascending column from the base of the spine to
the top of the head.

4. Root/Base: Red chakra located at the base of the
spine. Its Sanskrit name is muladhara. It is
associated with our connection to earth, survival,
health, abundance, family, passion, and moving
forward in life.
If the root (base) chakra becomes unbalanced, you
may feel "stuck" and just can't seem to move
forward in life. You may feel ungrounded, with a
depleting sense of self. This frequently happens
following traumatic events, family problems, death
of a loved one, and major life changes. A blockage
in the root chakra prevents the release of grief,
guilt, and sadness, contributing the the inability to
move forward and preventing you from following
your destiny.

5. Common psychological symptoms of an unbalanced root
chakra: loneliness, insecurities, feeling ungrounded,
unconfident, abandoned, indecisive, depressed, anxious,
addictions, phobias, obsessions.
Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced root
chakra: lower-back pain, sciatica, varicose veins, constipation,
diarrhea, rectal/anal problems, impotence, water retention, and
problems with groin, hips, legs, knees, calves, ankles, and feet.
Healing the Root Chakra:
Balancing and opening the root/base chakra allows negative
emotions to be released, regenerating confidence and your will to
move forward in life. A healthy root/base chakra promotes
feelings of security and encourages exploration to find your life's
purpose and achieve success. A balanced root chakra also
generates the flow of energy to all other chakras. It is important
to wear or carry crystals/gemstones to heal the root chakra and
maintain its positive energy flow.

6. 2nd - Sacral: Orange chakra located at the
base of the spine. Its Sanskrit name is
svadhisthana. It is associated with our
connection to other people, creativity,
energy, confidence, and sexual health.
If the sacral chakra becomes unbalanced,
you will have a lack of energy flow
throughout the entire body. You may feel
extremely lethargic and unmotivated for life,
particularly exercise and sex, leading to
sadness, loneliness, and mild depression.
Common psychological symptoms of an
unbalanced sacral chakra: eating
disorders, addictions, low self-confidence,
dependency issues, low libido, and
unbalanced emotions.

7. Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced
sacral chakra: kidney problems and urinary tract
infections, chronic lower back pain, sexual disorders,
infertility, gynecological problems, dysfunctional
menstrual cycles, and problems with the intestines,
spleen, and gallbladder.
Healing the Sacral Chakra:
Balancing and opening the sacral chakra allows you to
feel energized and confident in all aspects of your life.
You feel inspired and life seems to flow. People are
attracted to your positive energy and opportunities
open for you. With a healthy sacral chakra, you are
able to live in the moment and experience life to the
fullest. Physical tasks become easier while stamina
increases. It is important to wear or carry
crystals/gemstones to heal the sacral chakra and
maintain its positive energy flow.

8. 3rd Solar Plexus: Yellow chakra located at the
diaphragm. Its Sanskrit name is manipura. It is
associated with our physical center, personal power,
desire, inner-strength, emotions, instincts, and “gut”
feelings.
If the solar plexus chakra becomes unbalanced, you
may feel very stressed all the time and powerless to
gain control, leaving you mentally and physically
exhausted. You may have “gut” feelings but are not
sure of what or where they are coming from,
contributing to your distress and discomfort. The
stress of an unbalanced solar plexus chakra also
contributes to poor memory and concentration.

9. Common psychological symptoms of an
unbalanced solar plexus chakra: lack of memory
and concentration, frequent fearing, feeling
uncentered, sugar addictions, insomnia, and eating
disorders.
Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced
solar plexus chakra: digestive and intestinal
disorders, indigestion, food allergies, eating
disorders, poor metabolism, diabetes, obesity,
eczema, acne, and other stress-related skin
conditions.

10. Healing the Solar Plexus Chakra:
Balancing and opening the solar plexus chakra
allows you to feel centered in your mind, body, and
spirit. Relaxed and comfortable in your own
skin. The energy of this chakra permeates to the
other chakras relieving many physical and
psychological dis-eases or disorders. It allows you
to be more aware of your own energy and being,
comfortable in your decisions, and psychically
connected to your “gut” feelings so that you may
act accordingly with confidence. It is important to
wear or carry crystals/gemstones to heal the solar
plexus chakra and maintain its positive energy
flow.

11. 4th Heart: Green chakra located in the
region of the physical heart. Its Sanskrit
name is anahata. The heart chakra is the
center of your spirit as well as the center of
the chakras, making it a vital energy center
for our spiritual, mental, and physical well-
being. It is associated with love, compassion,
safety, trust, adventure, self-compassion,
forgiveness, and relationships.
If the heart chakra becomes unbalanced,
you may feel detached from the world
around you. Each breath we take that
connects us to our physical and spiritual
world is enveloped by the heart chakra, and
if unbalanced or blocked can lead to a
disconnection from the people we love, love
for ourselves, and love for the earth.

12. Problems in relationships heighten and we tend to
lose hope. We lose sight of beauty, love, empathy,
and compassion.
Common psychological symptoms of an
unbalanced heart chakra: apathetic,
faithlessness, unforgiving,
hopelessness, distrustful, uncommitted, and
detached.
Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced
heart chakra: pneumonia, asthma, breast
problems, respiratory problems, upper-back pain,
shoulder and upper-arm pain, and premature
aging,

13. Healing the Heart Chakra:
Balancing and opening the heart chakra enhances the
love for self and others. It allows you to feel
compassion, empathy, and forgiveness for others, and
reconnects you to the loving world around you. You are
able to connect with the child-like world vision of beaut
you were born with, generating adventure and zest for
life. Peace and harmony flourish in relationships with
others and self. It is important to wear or carry
crystals/gemstones to heal the heart chakra and
maintain its positive energy flow.
5th Throat: Blue chakra located at the base of the
throat. Its Sanskrit name is vishuddha. The throat chakra
is associated communication, expression, freedom,
responsibility, and leadership.

14. If the throat chakra becomes unbalanced, you may feel
you are unable to communicate verbally, physically,
and emotionally. The throat chakra connects us to our
ability to express ourselves, therefore creating a
number of issues if this chakra is blocked or
unbalanced, particularly from subconscious attitudes
or feelings becoming trapped and unable to
surface. Severe trauma can cause this chakra to close,
making it very difficult to express emotion.
Common psychological symptoms of an
unbalanced throat chakra: nervousness, anxiety,
fear, attention deficit disorders, poor coping skills,
feeling isolated.
Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced
throat chakra: problems with the nasal area, irritated
sinuses, sore throat, jaw pain and TMJ, voice loss,
thyroid problems, teeth and gum problems, and
ailments of the esophagus and tonsils.

15. Healing the Throat Chakra:
Balancing and opening the throat chakra allows you to
express your feelings and communicate freely, without
worry of criticism or judgment from self or others. It
promotes honesty and harmony with our feelings and
actions, and helps us to live more authentically and
free. A balanced throat chakra helps us with
successful communication in relationships and at
work, and is especially helpful to those with careers
relying on communication and self-expression. It is
important to wear or carry crystals/gemstones to heal
the throat chakra and maintain its positive energy
flow.

16. 6th Third-eye or Brow: Indigo chakra located
between and just above the physical eyes, in the center
of the brows. Its Sanskrit name is ajna. The third-eye
chakra is associated with the mind, ideas, thoughts,
dreams, intuition and psychic abilities.
If the third-eye chakra becomes unbalanced, we may
feel bombarded with our own thoughts, unable to
process them effectively and may feel stuck in an
emotional and intellectual rut. We lose our sense of
intuition, making our judgment clouded and causing
us to make poor decisions. With a blocked third-eye
chakra, we become closed to new ideas and fall off the
paths of our true destiny.

17. Common psychological symptoms of an unbalanced third-eye
chakra: headaches and migraines, nightmares, seizures, neurological
disorders, personality disorders and neuroses, learning difficulties,
and hallucinations.
Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced third-eye chakra:
eye problems, glaucoma, ear problems and hearing difficulties,
spinal conditions, and scalp/hair issues.
Healing the Third-Eye Chakra:
Balancing and opening the third-eye chakra promotes clarity,
inspiration, and innovation. It allows us to follow our dreams and
enhances our innate psychic abilities and spiritual connections. A
balanced third-eye chakra helps us process the timeline of our own
lives, enabling us to learn from our past, be present in the now, and
see and achieve our future. Dream interpretation becomes easier,
intuitions are stronger and clearer, and we feel a deeper connection
to the universal plan of our lives. This sense of being “guided”
opens up doors of possibilities to reaching our goals. It is important
to wear or carry crystals/gemstones to heal the third-eye chakra
and maintain its positive energy flow.

18. 7th Crown: Violet/purple chakra located at the crown
of the head. Its Sanskrit name is sahasrara. It is
associated with God (or your particular belief system),
spirituality, divine wisdom, enlightening, connection to
the universe, imagination, awareness, and optimism.
If the crown chakra becomes unbalanced, we feel
unconnected spiritually and as though we are living
without any direction or purpose. If there are many
physical ailments and dis-eases that seem to
continually surface without a root trigger or cause, it is
likely to be an out-of-balance crown chakra, as this
chakra affects the six energy systems below, and
practically your entire being. A blocked crown chakra
can lead to depression and nervous system disorders
and feelings of being lost and incomplete.

19. Common psychological symptoms of an
unbalanced crown chakra: depression, confusion,
loss of faith, mentally disconnected, dementia,
epilepsy, schizophrenia.
Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced
crown chakra: light sensitivity, headaches, dementia,
autoimmune disorders, neurological disorders, (the
crown chakra affects the health of our brains and
therefore our entire mental, physical, and spiritual
health).
Healing the Crown Chakra:
Balancing and opening the crown chakra is essential
for a deep, spiritual connection within ourselves, the
universe, and God. Energy entering and leaving the
Crown facilitates our flow of positive energy with the
other six chakras, and creates the outlook we hold on
life. It is important to wear or carry
crystals/gemstones to heal the crown chakra and

20. The above picture shows how different parts of
your brain respond to meditation. It is a little
technical but makes fascinating reading.

21. Frontal lobe
This is the most highly evolved part of the brain,
responsible for reasoning, planning, emotions
and self-conscious awareness. During
meditation, the frontal cortex tends to go offline.
Parietal lobe
This part of the brain processes sensory
information about the surrounding world,
orienting you in time and space. During
meditation, activity in the parietal lobe slows
down.
Thalamus
The gatekeeper for the senses, this organ focuses
your attention by funneling some sensory data
deeper into the brain and stopping other signals
in their tracks. Meditation reduces the flow of
incoming information to a trickle.

22. Reticular formation
As the brain’s sentry, this structure receives incoming
stimuli and puts the brain on alert, ready to respond.
Meditating dials back the arousal signal.
In brief, by relaxing the brain through meditation you
reduce external stimuli and create mental space for
new ideas, intuition, inspiration and creativity to
emerge. This can help you rewire your brain for
success by encouraging more positive, empowering
thoughts.
But in addition to helping you mold your brain to be
more successful, there are also a ton of health benefits
- physical, emotional and mental that can be gained
from regular meditation.

23. In brief, by relaxing the brain through meditation you
reduce external stimuli and create mental space for new
ideas, intuition, inspiration and creativity to emerge. Thi
can help you rewire your brain for success by
encouraging more positive, empowering thoughts.

24. But in addition to helping you mold your brain to be
more successful, there are also a ton of health
benefits - physical, emotional and mental that can be
gained from regular meditation.

26. Meditation & Mental Health
• Attention Deficit Hyper Activity
(ADHD)
• Clinical Depression
• Anxiety (GAD)
• Stress (PTSD)
• Psychosis
• Schizophrenia
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Addiction (SUD)
• Eating Disorders (BED)

27. Case studies:
•Breathing-Based Meditation Decreases
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms
in U.S. Military Veterans(Davidson,2014)
•Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness
Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular
Variables (Zeidan,2010).

28. •The impact of a meditation-based
stress reduction program on
fibromyalgia (kaplan,1993).
•Effectiveness of a meditation-based
stress reduction program in the
treatment of anxiety
disorders(peterson,1992)

29. THANK YOU