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It is very easy to dismiss this
A PSHE Teacher's solution to the challenges in our lives.
Within the teaching profession it is often difficult to ask for help, or tell someone that things just don't feel right, as we are the ones who are meant to have the answers.
But at times, something calls out to us with a solution - why else would you have arrived on this page?
As PSHE teachers, we must do what we ask of others, open our minds, and gain greater knowledge and understanding of the world and its teachings, as I found out.
This Summer, I embraced a new way of understanding the world.
Your Free Chakra Blockage Test
I have to be honest, when I was first shown this I was very skeptical. The test consisted of asking me a few questions about myself and clicking on a slide bar. As I moved forward to the video presentation, I found the Americanisation a bit too long and nearly turned it off with its 'I'll reveal that in a minute' style of drip-feeding information. (I've always had a very low boredom threshold since I was a child)
But when they revealed my blocked Chakra, I was quite blown away, it was revealed on screen with just one word, and that one word is something I have struggled with all my life, and only I know about it.
It really was a jaw-drop moment! This was something I was going to have to research further.
To achieve this Teacher Connect partnered with our friends at Mindfulness Valley to bring you the same FREE Chakra blockage test that I took to introduce you to something that could quite literally change your life.
I have put some time aside and am currently cleaning the aforementioned Chakra, I will keep you updated on my progress later in the year. We would love to hear about your own experiences with this as it's a concept that feels like it's one of our PSHE Achievement Awards just waiting to be won.
So all I ask of you is if you are anything like me, just for a moment, throw away that cynicism that I had, and indulge for a moment and give it a try, hold on, then get ready for the ride.
What are Chakras?
Chakras are complex and ancient energy systems that were first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts of spiritual knowledge dating from 1500 to 1000 BC.
Chakra is created when two forms of energy, physical and spiritual, known collectively as one's 'stamina' are molded together.
Chakras in the Classroom
According to Hindu and Buddhist thought, the energy generated at these chakra points moves around the body. Unbalanced chakras prevent energy from moving around in equilibrium.
This wisdom has subtlety filtered through to the modern day to be expressed in English idioms sometimes. For example, when something makes you feel disgust and impotence, you say “it made me sick to my stomach.” Guess where the chakra that has to do with personal power is: the solar plexus, that is, around where your stomach and viscera are.
We owe it to ourselves and those around us to have a greater understanding of these alternative ways of support. In what is a turbulent time for many of us.
Having as many solutions in our armory not only supports those learners around us but, also protects us from the emotional and ever-changing environments we teach in.
The Seven Year Cycle
It is said that our lives run in seven-year cycles, this is not uncommon knowledge and is shared by many, but did you know these cycles also correspond with Chakras?
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Years 1- 7 The Root Chakra
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Years 8 -14 Sacral Chakra
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Years 15 -21 The Solar Plexus Chakra
The majority of teens struggle with a Sakral Chakra imbalance, but how often do we consider this teaching as a remedy when trying to understand the challenges of youngsters during these transitions in their lives?
Learning more about other cultures and their remedies to our ailments is also the best way we can provide alternative solutions to our learners when they are struggling.
1 - 7 year-olds
8 - 14 year-olds
15 - 21 year-olds
The Muladhara, or root chakra, represents our foundation. On the human body, it sits at the base of the spine and gives us the feeling of being grounded.
When it's blocked, we feel threatened, as if people are undermining us leading to anxiety, stress, and loss of bearings.
With a blocked sacral chakra could feel a lack of control in your life resulting in an imbalance and detachment from self.
The Swadhisthana, or sacral chakra, helps inform how we relate to our emotions and the emotions of others as well as creative and sexual energy.
This third chakra, the solar plexus chakra, speaks to your ability to be confident and in control of your life. T
When the solar plexus chakra is blocked, you might feel overwhelming amounts of shame and self-doubt and be unable to express yourself on what is troubling you.
Government Guidelines for PSHE
We learned in our previous article on Government Guidance for PSHE that as a teacher we have to provide to our learners:
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Physical Health and Fitness: Including the characteristics and benefits of a healthy lifestyle; the importance of exercise; the dangers of an inactive lifestyle
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Schools should promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development
We have also learned that PSHE is served better when it is filtered through the whole curriculum as opposed to a 'one-off inoculation' which serves little purpose to the pupil or the school.
There appears to be an opportunity here. Clearing Chakras can involve slow but physical activity as well as expanding our knowledge of cultural awareness, and by collaborating with your P.E. department (which is ironically a compulsory subject unlike PSHE - I'll get off my soap box now) we can create a more innovative way of approaching this. We can join together a thousand-year-old understanding of the body's energy and enable us to better understand mental health and trauma in the modern-day classroom making learning immersive, engaging, and culturally diverse.
This is an opportunity that needs to be pursued. Imagine if we could apply this to help our learners to make education more immersive and wide-ranging, only positives could be gained from both the learner and the PSHE teacher.
But what about your own Chakras?
There are several more Chakras that we need to consider to identify which parts of our lives are not functioning properly and out of alignment.
Opening our thymus chakra enhances our willingness to forgive and to show compassion. Unlocking it corresponds to flinging open a window for your soul to work through in the material world.
When our Thymus Chakra is blocked, we find it difficult to forgive and show compassion and get clogged and hampered by negative emotions.
The Sahasrara, or crown chakra, the highest chakra, sits at the crown of the head and represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually.
When this Chakra is blocked you will be feeling a bit unstable in your physical body with overall poor coordination
The Anahata, or heart chakra, is the bridge between the lower chakras (associated with materiality) and the upper chakras (associated with spirituality).
Someone with a blocked heart chakra will have difficulty fully opening up to the people in their life. If someone's heart is open, they can experience deep compassion and empathy.
The Anja, or third-eye chakra, controls our ability to see the big picture and connect to intuition. Think of it as the eye of the soul: It registers information beyond the surface level.
This blocked Chakra will result in feeling mentally foggy, anxious or depressed and can result in physical and mental difficulties.
The Vishuddha, or throat chakra, gives voice to the heart chakra and controls our ability to communicate our personal power.
Someone with a blocked throat chakra will feel like they have trouble finding the words to say how they truly feel, they may have issues with creativity and feeling inspired.
But ultimately we are the drivers of our own lives, we can choose to expand our knowledge and awareness, and we can try new opportunities to expand on that.
Alternatively, you may be satisfied with our current situation in which case you only have one question to answer, why have you read so much of this article? The choice as always is yours!
Join the BIG PSHE Conversation
Q: What alternative strategies of PSHE have you seen or used to engage young minds and expand on their experience?
