Yoga for the Crown Chakra
Today, we’re diving into a crown chakra flow designed to align and activate your Sahasrara chakra, the energy center that governs spiritual connection and enlightenment. When balanced, the crown chakra opens us to deeper wisdom, clarity, and a profound sense of unity with the universe. As we move through this practice, we’ll focus on creating space for stillness, allowing our awareness to expand and our intuition to deepen.
Crown Chakra Flow: Warm-up
Easy
We’ll begin seated in easy pose. You can choose your own intention for this class, or you can use mine. “I am open to divine wisdom and connection.” Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths, focusing on your intention. Since this chakra rules over inner peace, we’re going to stay here for a bit—just five minutes or so.
Child
When you’re ready to move on, roll forward onto your hands and knees. Take a deep breath in, and on the exhale, send your hips back and your arms out long. Child pose. Take several breaths here, continuing to focus on your intention.
Cat / Cow
Come back to center. Press your palms firmly into the mat and arch your back, drawing your belly into your spine. Relax your head and draw your tailbone towards the floor. Cat pose. After a few seconds, arch your back the other way, lifting the chest and the tailbone. Draw your shoulders down and back, opening through your collarbones. Cow pose. Continue alternating between these two poses for a few rounds, moving mindfully with your breath.
Balancing Table
Return to a neutral spine position. Keeping your gaze on the floor between your thumbs, draw your belly in towards your spine and lift your left leg, bringing it parallel to the floor. Flex your toes down toward the ground and reach through your heel. Lift your left arm up so that it is also parallel with your palm facing toward the midline. Hold for a few breaths, and then switch sides.
Crown Chakra Flow: Round 1
Mountain
Come to a standing position at the front of your mat. Bring your big toes and inner heels to touch. Spread your toes and ground down through the four corners of the feet, lifting your kneecaps. Roll your upper arms back and squeeze your shoulder blades to lift through your chest. Imagine a line of energy pulling up through your front body and grounding down through your back body. You can keep your eyes on the horizon or close them if that feels more comfortable to you. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
Standing Forward Fold
On an inhale, sweep your arms up overhead. On the exhale, fold forward, bringing your hands to the floor outside your feet. Press down through the heels, keeping your legs engaged. Relax your head, allowing it to drop towards the floor. Stay here for a few breaths.
Downward Dog
When you’re ready, step or hop your feet back and send your hips toward the sky. Spread your fingers wide and claw into the earth. Pull your belly into your spine while keeping your neck soft. Draw your shoulder blades down and back. Downward-facing dog. Again, stay here for a few breaths.
Crown Chakra Flow: Round 2
Mountain
Step or hop your feet back to the front of the mat, and slowly roll back up to standing. Lift through the front body and ground down through the back body. Tadasana.
Standing Forward Fold
After a few breaths, sweep the arms up overhead and swan dive forward. Try to fold a little deeper this time. With each exhale, sink a little deeper into the pose.
Downward Dog
Hop your feet back and send your hips up. Downward-facing dog. Take a few breaths here, slow and steady.
Dolphin
Slowly lower your forearms to the earth. Continue grounding through your feet and press your palms, fingers, and forearms into the floor. Your forehead may rest on the floor. Dolphin pose.
Crown Chakra Flow: Floor Poses
Shoulderstand
Find a spot lying on the floor. If you’d like, you can place a few firm blankets under your neck and upper back. Roll your shoulder blades together. Bend your knees and bring them in towards your chest, keeping your arms by your sides. Keeping your upper body on the floor, lift your hips to bring your knees over your face. Bring your arms up to your hips to help keep them perpendicular to the floor, and slowly extend your legs towards the ceiling. Hug your elbows in to encourage your chest towards your chin. Hold here for a few breaths.
Plow
When you’re ready, allow your legs to come over your head, and slowly lower them to the floor, resting your toes on the mat. If your feet can’t quite reach, feel free to keep your hands on your lower back for support. Make sure to keep your weight distributed across your shoulders and upper back. Take a few slow, deep breaths here. When you’re ready to come out of the pose, engage your core to lift the legs and slowly lower them to the ground, rolling one vertebra at a time.
Crown Chakra Flow: Cooldown
Pigeon
Come back to a tabletop position. Bring the right foot in place it on the ground behind the left wrist. Extend your left leg back with the top of the foot resting on the mat. Come up onto your fingertips, and slowly walk your torso upright, broadening through the chest. Draw your shoulder blades down and lengthen your tailbone towards the mat. After a few breaths, switch sides.
Seated Forward Fold
Come back to a seated position with your legs out long. Lengthen up through the crown of your head, and draw your shoulders away from your ears. Lift your arms overhead, and, on an exhale, hinge your torso towards your legs, bending from the hips. Keep your spine straight, and allow your hands to fall to your toes, ankles, or shins. You can also use a strap here if it’s more comfortable to do so. Hold here for several breaths, trying to fold a little deeper with each exhale. To release, lift up from your hips with a flat back.
Wide Legged Forward Fold
Open your legs into a wide V-shape. Press down into your sit bones, and lengthen up through your spine. Point your toes towards the sky. Slowly walk your hands forward as far as is comfortable for you. Make sure you’re still bending from the hips. Take a few breaths here, again, trying to fold deeper with each exhale. To release, gently walk the hands all the way back up.
Savasana
Lie back on the mat. Close your eyes, and allow the muscles in your face to relax. Allow your body to relax and release toward the mat. If you’re cold, you can place a blanket over your hips.
After 5-7 minutes:
Slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. Allow your next breath to come a little deeper. Bend your knees and roll to one side. Slowly come to a seated position. Keep your eyes closed. Recall our intention for today and take it with you when you leave. “I am open to divine wisdom and connection.” Thank you all for joining me. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Namaste.
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