Balanced:

• Feeling secure and safe in all areas of life
• Feeling grounded
• Believing there is abundance for all and trusting you will always be provided for
• Cultivating prosperity
• Feeling connected to the earth and nature
• Having a strong sense of your life purpose
• Maintaining healthy boundaries in personal relationships

Imbalanced:

• Not feeling safe emotionally, financially or otherwise (extra weight may provide padding and protection)
• Feeling fearful about moving forward in life
• Overachieving, overworking or overeating to compensate for something that is missing in life
• Experiencing rifts in your family or in the groups you are from or are tied to (workplace, clubs, school, church/temple/synagogue, etc.)
• Feeling like you can’t connect to those around you, like you are “separate” from others
• Feeling that parts of your body regularly break down
• Having difficulty functioning or seeing yourself as a contributing member of society

Physical Manifestations of Imbalance:

The root chakra is located at the very base of the spine. Any type of hip issue is related to this chakra. This energy can extend down to the lower part of your body, including the legs and feet, and can involve the adrenals, bones and immune system. Weight held in the lower part of the body, as well as inflammatory or autoimmune conditions, are associated with this chakra. Anorexia and bulimia are also linked to energy imbalances in this chakra.

Healing Eating Disorders:

Eating disorders must be treated with extreme compassion and sensitivity. Healing such disorders often requires extensive effort and courage, and entails rebalancing emotions and changing habitual patterns and beliefs, especially about oneself. Eating disorders must be taken seriously and should never be dismissed offhandedly or brushed aside.

A lack of a sense of safety or a strong identity, as well as a sense of powerlessness, can lead to deep insecurities and energy blocks in the root chakra, and eating disorders may be a physical manifestation. Eating disorders can also reflect imbalances in the solar plexus chakra (the Manipura chakra). Starving oneself, as in anorexia, may have to do with not feeling truly secure in oneself and one’s “right to exist,” as well as increased self-criticism.(1) Research has found that self-imposed starvation often represents a deep desire to decrease self-consciousness by controlling one’s physical appearance,(2) which is indicative of not feeling rooted in a strong, secure sense of self.

Bulimia can also stem from feeling shame, repressed rage or anger; from perhaps feeling that you are living a life that is not a true reflection of who you are; and from not knowing who you really are. The Power Tips and Affirmations throughout this book can help foster your awareness of the truly beautiful being that you are and of your unique contribution to this planet, but as eating disorders are extremely complex issues, professional help may also be needed for you to deal adequately with an eating disorder.

Discussion:

By establishing balance in this root chakra, you create a strong foundation, which is essential to reaching your full potential in your body, beauty and life. This chakra has everything to do with safety, security and survival. If you don’t feel safe, then your body and emotions may try to establish security through imbalanced means, such as building extra layers of fat for protection and insulation.

Anything you can do to feel grounded on a regular basis is important. If you feel run-down from too many activities or events or from being surrounded by too many people, set aside time to rest. Give yourself the space to nest at home, quietly reading or writing. Touch the earth and connect with it directly whenever you can, whether it’s through gardening or walking barefoot on a beach, in the park or in your backyard.

Fears about life, including fear about sickness, accidents, travel and the unknown, can arise when there’s an imbalance in this chakra. The more you are able to go within and feel your essential connection to the whole universe, the more you will trust the path of life and live without fear.

You are safe to be you and to live a full life. And you will always ultimately be okay. Trust and believe in yourself and life.

Specific Foods:

• Foods that are grown right in the earth are the most balancing for this chakra. Root vegetables are a primary example of solid, sturdy foods that will feel stabilizing, and they include sweet potatoes, red-skinned potatoes and other potatoes, carrots, yams, all types of squash, ginger, onions, shallots, parsnips and radishes. Hearty vegetable soups featuring these root vegetables will feel particularly grounding and are a great option to make you feel more rooted. Connecting to where your food comes from can be very healing, so make it a point to go to the local farmers’ market and meet the people who grow your food.
• Dense, high-protein foods, such as seeds, nuts and legumes (which include lentils), are grounding in moderate quantities, so be sure not to consume too much of these foods at one time or you will feel heavy. Mushrooms are another great choice, and their texture can be appealing to those transitioning off meat. Calcium is an important mineral for this chakra, as it supports structure and shape, especially in the dense hip bones. Calcium-rich almonds and sesame seeds are exceptional choices.
• Since red is the color of this chakra, all red foods help boost and balance its vibration, including red apples, red pears, red cherries, strawberries, red tomatoes, radishes, red-skinned potatoes, red beets, red onions and red bell peppers. The lycopene found in tomatoes is a protective antioxidant. Beets assist in healthy red blood cell formation, which is critical to the distribution of oxygen throughout the body.
• Vitamin C, found in fresh fruits and vegetables, is important for supporting your collagen, including in your bones, teeth and skin, for maintaining structure all over your body.

POWER TIPS FOR MULADHARA (ROOT/FIRST CHAKRA)

• Release your fear of not having enough. Recognize that you will be able to eat when you want and you will have access to food when you need it. If you grew up in less fortunate circumstances, in a family where you had to fight to get your share at the table, or with parents for whom food was scarce at one time, you may now have to overcome this mentality of lack.
• If you do choose to eat some animal protein, make it a small amount and consume it, ideally, only a few times a week or month, maximum. If that sounds like a huge adjustment, then start with not eating meat more than once a day. Too much meat will make the body acidic and rigid. As I discuss at length in The Beauty Detox Solution, animal protein of all types takes a lot of energy, effort and time for your body to digest. If you aren’t ready to become a full-fledged vegetarian, that’s okay. Merely reducing your meat intake is a big improvement from a digestive and energetic standpoint. Remember, progress, not perfection!
• Choose organic, grass-fed and antibiotic-free animal proteins if and when you do choose to eat them. Your body also takes in the vibration of what you are eating. Meat from a factory farm contains the energy of animals that have lived a fearful life filled with pain and mistreatment. When you ingest meat from a factory farm, you ingest these energies along with it, and that can have negative energetic consequences for your root chakra. This is partly why many yoga masters stress to their students the importance of being vegetarian, especially at the beginning of their spiritual journey. And if you constantly ingest foods that are physically clogging, it can make it more difficult to transcend the material-based ego and live from higher energies.

I am safe and secure, and I trust
that I will always be provided for.

Balanced:

• Feeling empowered to express yourself creatively
• Having a strong sense of self
• Establishing and maintaining healthy, balanced relationships based on good communication and respect
• Being tuned in to your emotions and your dreams
• Feeling liberated and fluid as you move through life, and not feeling “stuck” in any way

Imbalanced:

• Having difficulty expressing yourself in a direct manner and/or processing emotions
• Avoiding others because of a fear of not being able to relate fully to them
• Having repeated random, meaningless sexual encounters
• Fixating on the idea that you have to have something to “show” for your life
• Feeling powerless to achieve your dreams
• Engaging in self-criticism and feeling a sense of extreme guilt
• Deriving your self-worth from pleasing others
• Feeling you have to flaunt your sexuality to be liked
• Having relationships that are largely based on looks or on sex
• Feeling blocked in your creativity or feeling that you don’t get to express your creativity in your life

Physical Manifestations of Imbalance:

Issues around the sacral chakra are fairly common. When creative energies are not expressed, physical issues can manifest in the most creative of organs, the reproductive system. Chronic yeast infections, infertility, endometriosis, urinary tract infections, repeated or multiple sexually transmitted diseases, issues related to the ovaries or other sexual organs in women and men, and kidney and adrenal issues are some of the physical ailments that can arise when there is an energy imbalance in this chakra.

Discussion:

Our bodies are 57 to 75 percent water,(3) which is the element associated with the sacral chakra. The very nature of water is fluid movement. At the cellular level, we exhibit the dynamic qualities of flowing motion.

This chakra has to do with the ability to manifest desires, express creativity and evolve personally. Ego can play into the energy here, such as in deriving self-worth from outer validation. Imbalanced energy in this chakra can manifest in obsessive thoughts about food and sex.

Emotions are forms of moving energy. You must allow space for emotions to flow freely like water. In fact, the word emotion is partially derived from the Latin verb movēre, meaning “to move.”(4)(5) Allowing yourself to be fully present and to authentically express your emotions in healthy ways, rather than bottling them up, is key to balancing this energy. Affirmations, journaling and creative outlets are all balancing tools.

Relationships created with imbalanced sacral chakra energy are often characterized by lust, dependency, control and attachment to an idealized perception of the other person. Seduction and jealousy can arise, and these tend to go hand in hand with a deeper feeling of emptiness. The relationships in your life are reflections of how you feel about yourself and the world. Are your relationships healthy and balanced? In other words, do both sides in the relationship give and receive inspiration and support? If not, how can you adjust the dynamic to create health and balance in your relationships?

Your relationship with yourself is the most important one, as it influences all others. Believing that your self-worth resides largely in how physically attractive you are to the opposite sex reflects an imbalance in this second chakra. So many of us just want to be loved. And because of that, many women give themselves to men who just pay attention to them. You are so much more powerful than your sexuality. You are beautiful because you are you.

Specific Foods:

• Because the element associated with this chakra is water, hydration is key to keeping movement at an optimal level in your body. Fluids are essential for flushing out old waste and toxins through your kidneys and bowels.
• Juicy fruits are particularly hydrating, and tropical fruits often grow in places near the mother of all bodies of water: the ocean. Pineapples, papayas, pomelos, mangoes, oranges and coconuts are some of my favorite tropical fruits. Aim to consume fruits with seeds whenever possible, as these fruits contain reproductive and creative power within, and are in their natural form, instead of hybridized, seedless fruit.
• Orange is the color vibration of this chakra, and orange foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, butternut squash, orange bell peppers, oranges, papayas, apricots and peaches. The orange color in foods is present in part because of beta-carotene and other plant carotenoids, which help to protect your cells and keep you vibrant and fluid.

POWER TIPS FOR SVADHISTHANA (SACRAL/SECOND CHAKRA)

• Prepare your own meals as much as possible to reinforce the notion that you are worthy of proper nourishment. Tune in to which specific foods and dishes are calling to you on any given day. Prepare your food lovingly and in a relaxed way. Simple is totally fine. Whipping up Guacamole Pizza in just a few minutes is infinitely better than buying a submarine sandwich.
• The next best thing to preparing your own food is having someone who loves you cook for you. Love can be transmitted in the energy of the food. I truly believe that this is the reason my clients have so much passion for the food I make them. They can sense my love for them in their food! That cannot be bought at fancy restaurants, where the kitchens are hectic. Have family members, friends or roommates take turns cooking so there are always healthy meals available. If you’re expecting a crowd, try making Vegan Beauty Ranch Dressing and serving it with veggie sticks. Meditation is the essential activity for reconnecting with your whole being and your self-worth. Please refer to Power Alignment Shift 5 for a more thorough explanation of a beginner’s practice.

I am a creative, fluid being with
unlimited power to create what I want.

Balanced:

• Radiating motivation and inspiration
• Feeling dynamic and empowered to follow through and realize goals and dreams
• Being comfortable with who you are, living without judgment, and not seeking constant validation from others
• Not taking criticism too personally, learning from it and moving on
• Having healthy self-esteem and self-worth
• Feeling balanced in life, rather than feeling overwhelmed
• Having an energy of sharing and cooperation

Imbalanced:

• Overthinking or overanalyzing situations, to the point of exhausting and confusing yourself (and those around you)
• Being easily angered or irritated, being overly “fiery”
• Fixating on external accomplishments and competition
• Using manipulation and control tactics
• Possessing a strong attachment and/or desire for material objects and status symbols
• Voicing strong opinions and not being open to others’ views
• Overcompensating in social settings due to a lack of self-esteem
• Lacking self-confidence and self-worth
• Feeling powerless to create change in your life
• Feeling uninspired and believing that you don’t make a difference

Physical Manifestations of Imbalance:

The fire element largely has to do with digestion, and this chakra is physically centered around your midsection and digestive tract, so digestive issues, such as heartburn, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea and constipation can arise with energy imbalances. Issues with the liver, pancreas, stomach, upper intestines, gallbladder, spleen and middle spine (lower thoracic region) may also be related to this third chakra. If you’ve ever experienced a “gut feeling” about a situation or felt butterflies in your stomach before a work interview or a speaking engagement, you’ve connected with your energy here.

Discussion:

A false, ego-based perception of power creates imbalances in this chakra’s energy. Possessing money, material objects, status symbols, fame or externally measurable accomplishments such as educational degrees, wealth, or job titles do not in any way indicate true power. Though the media and widespread societal beliefs often reinforce the idea that external accomplishments are of the highest importance, you won’t be truly happy if you believe that is where your power comes from. All these things can, of course, be enjoyed, but they should never be central to your self-worth.

True power emanates from within, feeling secure in your wholeness and inherent connection to universal energy without relying on outer things to try to make you feel or look better. The more you inspire and help to uplift others so that they discover their true light, the stronger your true connection to universal energy becomes and the more power you gain. When you approach life with this understanding of power, as well as with the mentality that there is enough for everyone, it eliminates the need to feel competitive and fixated on external accomplishments, such as your educational degree, finances, or job title, which ultimately have nothing to do with what you are. So relax and exhale, because you are awesome as you are and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone!

This chakra is like a filter between you and the external world. At any given time there is a lot of information and energy passing through your being from the external world. You need to ensure there is enough energy moving within this chakra to prevent stagnation and buildup on any level, including emotional (such as anger), and physical (in the form of waste and toxins).

Eva’s Story

Eva had recently landed her dream job as a high-end stylist. She always dressed like she just stepped off a fashion shoot, with her perfectly tailored clothes, her unique and perfectly put together accessories, and shoes you only see in Vogue. Yet her whole life was about external recognition. Naturally, Eva was one of those people who fished for compliments. She craved the validation she received all day from people telling her she had amazing style and was brilliant at what she did. But she would tell me how fierce the competition was for booking shoots, sourcing the right outfits from designers and keeping clients.

It was clear that the constant stress she was under was having an effect on Eva’s health, and along those lines I could not help but notice her foul breath. I’m sure it was related to her long-term constipation issues. (By the way, I’m pretty sure my breath wasn’t so great, either, when I was backed up, so I’m not one to judge.) Eva was throwing herself out of balance by holding all that frenetic fashion world energy right in her gut. She was so busy running from appointment to appointment every day that she wasn’t taking time for her own wellness. Ultimately, Eva reached a breaking point of utter exhaustion and unhappiness about her low energy, her puffy belly and her dependence on caffeine surges to pep her up.

I got Eva to carve out more time in the mornings so that she would slow down and set up her day properly. She started drinking hot water with lemon as her regular morning ritual. I also urged her to take time to reflect and meditate, to find some stillness, before commencing the constant moving around that filled her days. This was not the easiest thing for her, but we found some instrumental music that really helped to settle her mind, as well as a silky eye mask, which, she said, helped calm her down when she strapped it over her eyes.

The great news is that Eva now goes to the bathroom regularly as a result of her dietary changes and a magnesium-oxygen product (such as Detoxy, which I’ve recommended for years and which is helpful to all of us in getting things moving!), and she is making an effort to be still and to consciously relax on a consistent basis. She also makes the time to go to the bathroom in the morning, a lifestyle change she made as a result of my explaining to her how critical giving time to her body was for loving and taking care of herself. She goes jogging in her neighborhood to let off steam on the weekends, and she tries to get to Pilates class as often as possible. Her life is still fast-paced, but she handles that pace with much more ease and balance now.

Remember that nothing and no one can add to or take away from your self-worth. You are worthy, wonderful and whole just as you are.

Specific Foods:

• You need enough “digestive” fire to ensure that you are absorbing nutrients and breaking down food to the maximum extent possible. Include foods with warming properties, such as ginger, cayenne, turmeric and cinnamon, in your diet regularly.
• Fiber is one of the most important nutrients for a healthy Manipura chakra, because it keeps energies moving throughout the entire system. Fiber also has a stabilizing energy to help maintain blood sugar levels. Fiber-filled foods include fruits and vegetables, such as squash, as well as complex, whole carbohydrates, such as quinoa and legumes, which release fuel into your system in a controlled way.
• Yellow is the color of the Manipura chakra, and yellow foods that can help balance the energy vibration in this area include lemons, yellow summer squash, spaghetti squash, yellow bell peppers, pineapples, grains such as quinoa and millet, bananas (one of my personal all-time faves), yellow pears and yellow apples.

POWER TIPS FOR MANIPURA (SOLAR PLEXUS/THIRD CHAKRA)

• This chakra’s element is fire, and it is responsible for the transformative processes involved in digestion. Efficient digestion is a big topic in the Beauty Detox lifestyle. Be sure to eat raw plant foods at the beginning of each meal, such as green salads and veggie sticks, as these are filled with enzymes, water and fiber, and improve digestion all around.
• One of the most important ways to balance this chakra is to avoid stagnation. Slow-digesting, fiberless foods, such as dairy (which is difficult for many to digest), stay in your gut for long periods, contributing to a feeling of heaviness, lethargy, and feeling “blocked.” Work to reduce your dairy intake, or give up dairy products completely, as I personally have. Instead of dairy, reach for oranges, almonds, greens and sesame seeds, which are just a few examples of great calcium-rich plant foods.
• Keep things in perspective. It’s fantastic to enjoy nice things, but be aware of how these things make you feel or trying to purposely “show” what you’ve done or what you have. Remember that you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.
• Doing twists, a physical practice whereby you physically “wring out” your liver and kidneys, helps work out energy in your “fire center” and helps push out toxins and stagnant energy. Keep your pelvis rooted as you stand or sit, or even lay on your back on your yoga mat, then twist your torso in both directions. You can even do this in your office chair. Do twists often (ideally daily, or at least 3-5 times a week).

True power comes from within me
and empowers me in all that I focus on.

Balanced:

• Feeling universal love for all, versus limiting love to individual circles, such as “my” family and friends
• Feeling compassionate and empathetic toward others
• Possessing healthy self-love
• Being open to giving and receiving love
• Committing to goals that serve the higher good and are beyond materialistic achievements and self-aggrandizement
• Seeing the world as a place of abundance rather than of constant competition
• Feeling joy from within
• Forgiving others with ease
• Feeling a higher degree of emotional wisdom, and not reacting to or being overly attached to materialistic endeavors and competition

Imbalanced:

• Having difficulty giving and receiving love
• Having difficulty expressing or being in touch with feelings and emotions, especially love
• Experiencing discomfort with being touched
• Having a cynical or overly analytical perspective on all parts of life
• Finding it challenging to feel grateful for yourself, others, life and/or a greater power
• Putting up boundaries to hide feelings
• Having a hard time forgiving others or yourself
• Holding on long term to hurt feelings and perceived rejection, and feeling that you are not loved by another in the way that you want to be loved
• Experiencing a loss of joy and feeling unmotivated or depressed about life in general

Physical Manifestations of Imbalance:

On a physical level, your heart, lungs and chest are in the energetic field of this chakra. Your hands and arms are considered extensions of the heart chakra, and therefore touching others is a physical extension of this chakra. Any physical conditions related to the center of your chest, including chest pains, heart attacks, other heart issues, breast issues and breathing difficulties, as well as arm and upper back issues, can be related to this chakra.

Discussion:

The joy and unconditional love that a heart-centered person emanates are so powerful that everyone around her or him can feel it. Living from your heart makes you highly magnetic to others, makes everything you do more powerful and aligns your actions with the higher good. Love is true power.

Dr. Rollin McCraty of the Institute of HeartMath reported that the magnetic field of the heart is around five thousand times stronger than the magnetic field of the brain and can be “measured several feet from the body.”(6) Just as you can feel the tremendous strength of a heart-centered person, you can also sense when someone is being led more by their analytical thoughts than their heart. A healthy heart chakra is also discerning. It rises above lower energies, such as petty jealousy and cattiness. Instead, its energy reflects joy, contentment, gratitude, awe in the face of beauty, and humility. When your heart is balanced, it is easy to be grateful for the daily miracles in life. The more you let gratitude flow from your heart, the more life unfolds fluidly and without a struggle. No, all problems don’t automatically go away, but your approach to them can shift so that you are in touch with the joy in your heart.

What are you grateful for? Seek out opportunities to say thank you, even for the smallest things. Smile at people you pass on the sidewalk or in the market—even if they don’t smile back or give you an odd look. What you put out, you get back, so put out beauty and love and get it right back, sometimes in unexpected ways.

A robust heart chakra energy can also make it easy to forgive. After moving to Los Angeles from New York City and having to drive again, I learned how quickly the white-hot anger of road rage can rise. Avoiding it requires consciously and simply letting things go (even if the other person is so very wrong). The deeper pain of deception or hurtful words or actions on the part of family members, colleagues or friends can feel more upsetting. And in those cases, it’s even more important to exercise radical forgiveness, as doing so prevents negative energy from getting lodged in your life or your body.

I know I talk about it a lot, but I strongly believe that meditation is the key to overall life improvement. (We’ll talk more about this in Power Alignment Shift 5.) Meditation is also one of the most powerful ways to become truly heart centered, as it expands your consciousness and allows you to feel that your true essence is unlimited love. The more you tune in and feel your true nature, the stronger love will be in all areas of your life. It is true that you have to give love to receive it, and this most certainly starts with loving yourself.

Mary Anne’s Story

Living from your heart can be difficult at first. It’s natural to feel more vulnerable initially if you’re used to living prag­matically. Mary Anne was almost robot-like when we started working together. I asked her questions about how she was feeling and doing, and every answer was, “Fine. I’m fine,” or a high-pitched “I’m good!” When I posed these questions, I tried to hold her gaze for as long as possible to get her to connect and tell me what was really going on, but she would give me a blank, inauthentic smile and would look away often while talking. I admit that sometimes I was tempted to (gently) push her out of her chair, just to see what she would do, and to see what a genuine reaction from her would be like!

Softening a “hardened” heart can take time and effort. With Mary Anne, I worked from the root up, first addressing any energetic imbalances with the first three chakras, as these often need to be handled first in order to open up the energy of the heart, which is higher up the spine. (This doesn’t necessarily mean that one chakra is more “important” than the others, as they are all important. But as you ascend the spine, the energies become more subtle to work with.)

First, I introduced grounding whole foods into her diet, such as almonds, beets, yams and pinto beans, and I talked extensively about the concept of healthy self-worth. I’ll admit it was like talking to a statue of Athena for a while, because she would just sit there, stone-faced, during most of our conversations. Still, we continued our work, and I continued to do most of the talking during our sessions and our phone calls, though I was always trying to dig for more. I wanted to know what was really going on with her, what was making it so hard for her to eat regular meals in front of others, and what was causing her to binge on treats in seclusion.

Mary Anne was more open in emails and texts, where there was no opportunity for her nervous, fake laughter to glide over my questions. Since writing seemed to be easier for her, I encouraged her to note her emotions and feelings regularly in a journal, which she shared with me during our consultations. She came from an emotionally unexpressive family, one in which no one really talked about their feelings or hugged. We added loads of greens to her diet, and I encouraged her to have large salad-based meals. I had her start a pranayama practice, which involves breathing techniques, to help her move beyond the analytical, outer world. It was hard for her to sit still, but she could focus her mind on the proper counts for the breathing practices, and that helped open up some space between her racing thoughts.

I’ve been working with Mary Anne for over four years now. I can say that she now smiles—and laughs—more authentically. She is more “real.” She’s no longer that plastic Mary Anne I first met, and I’m not tempted to push her gently out of her chair anymore. She has largely improved her digestion, and she eats more regular meals. She looks so much younger as a result of our increased detoxification and, I believe, as a result of living more joyfully from her heart and allowing more all-around nourishing love to flow into her daily life and, in doing so, into herself. Love is at the core of being centered and authentic and of tapping into your true power.

Specific Foods:

• Since green is the main color vibration of the heart chakra, you can guess which foods are most important for this chakra! Green foods vibrate with the frequency of nature and cultivate healing. Leafy greens, including spinach, kale, chard, romaine, mustard greens, arugula, mâche, mixed greens, collard greens and others, will help open up the heart chakra. Other beneficial green foods include broccoli, brussels sprouts, chlorella, spirulina, green cabbage, sprouts, bok choy, green peppers, green beans, scallions, zucchini, green apples and various herbs, such as parsley and cilantro.
• If you are experiencing an Anahata chakra imbalance, then you may have a very strong aversion to green vegetables. Over time this can change, as I’ve seen so many times. Greens are amongst the most balancing of all foods, as they support your entire body, and especially your heart area. Chlorophyll is anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants; it helps to build healthy blood, and it promotes circulation. Fresh greens are alive and ignite love energy. Have you noticed how much more alive and more connected you feel when drinking the Glowing Green Smoothie? This is due to the mind-boggling amount of nutrients you ingest, and to the fact that green is harmonizing and recharges the vibration of the heart chakra.
• Raw greens are considered to have a cooling (yin) effect, which is positive because the heart is tender. The heart chakra is associated with the air element, so light foods, like raw greens, are supportive of this energy.

POWER TIPS FOR ANAHATA (HEART/FOURTH CHAKRA)

• My beautiful mother, Sally, always used to say that the state of your refrigerator—how empty or how full it is—is a gauge of the love in your life. Keep your fridge stocked to cultivate love in your life.
• When you eat in a loving, compassionate, relaxed and open atmosphere, you actually digest your food better. Share your meal with your loved ones, or if you are eating alone, enjoy your food in a non-rushed, peaceful way. Avoid talking about politics or stressful work or family issues while eating. Treat your meals, even when brief, as sacred time.
• Take a moment before eating to express gratitude and usher in the energy of grace and love. Your expression of gratitude can be simple, so long as it means something to you. Sound is a powerful vibration: I often recite yoga mantras and sing song lyrics while I cook. Here’s a super-simple one for you to invoke your connection to higher love and gratitude: Om Namah Shivaya, which translates as “I bow down to the light within.”

I am pure love, and unlimited love
flows through me and surrounds me.

Balanced:

• Always speaking honestly to yourself and others
• Living with alignment between what you believe, what you say and your actions
• Expressing inner creativity
• Teaching and learning effectively
• Seeking truth in every situation and thus going beyond analytical data, which has limits
• Taking responsible action and speaking up for your own needs
• Feeling empowered to voice your needs and beliefs

Imbalanced:

• Feeling “blocked,” or choked up, when trying to express emotions, feelings or thoughts
• Lying
• Speaking from fear or doubt instead of from truth
• Lacking conviction behind your words
• Directing critical or hurtful words at others or the world
• Being overly talkative and not listening to others
• Experiencing difficulty in really hearing others
• Expressing your feelings, emotions or ideas in an overly aggressive way

Physical Manifestations of Imbalance:

The throat or neck region is related to the energy of the Vishuddha chakra. Common dysfunctions of this chakra include laryngitis and other voice or vocal cord issues, sore throat, TMJ, mouth ulcers and swollen glands. Issues with the neck vertebrae, trachea, gums, teeth, esophagus, thyroid, parathyroid, hypothalamus and ears are also governed by this chakra.

Discussion:

When you are in alignment within your Vishuddha chakra, you speak in truth. What you see is what you get. Isn’t that such a refreshing and attractive quality? We’ve all been around phony people who smile and give compliments while mentally criticizing others. In contrast, those with balanced energy in this chakra possess a calm wisdom, tend to have a broader perspective on any given situation, and consider the good of others, rather than just themselves, when making decisions.

The element of this chakra is space, which does not signify “emptiness” in any way, but rather vibrating potential energy that can be consciously shaped with the power of your voice and your expression. As you start to align more with the love and the wisdom within you, you are honest with yourself and others, and you express yourself through your words. There’s a real power in that. Paramahansa Yogananda taught that “[t]here is incredible creative power behind the words of one who always speaks truth.”(7)

Ellen’s Story

When I started working with Ellen, a restaurant manager, she used to lie to me all the time. She would lie about how much alcohol she drank, about what she ate and about other details of her life, though it really did her no good to lie to me at all. I was not a Supreme Court judge sitting in judgment; I was her teacher and nutritionist and was trying to help her!

The problem was that I could see things in her face and her body that simply did not equate with what she was telling me. For instance, she told me once that the only thing she had put in her body was “salad and some mushrooms” the day before, but I could tell from the way she looked that she had chased them down with something. Everyone else in Ellen’s life was a yes-person, but not me. I would challenge her, which she didn’t like at first. One time she sent me a super nasty email, then later apologized profusely (after I didn’t reply). I knew not to take it personally, because I know resistance can rise up in communication channels when you are pushing through energy blocks.

I worked on making her feel safe to tell me the truth, and I expressed disapproval only when I sensed she was lying so that she looked like a “perfect” student to me. One time, she had a little outburst in public and hissed at me, “Okay, fine. I ate the freaking pizza, okay? I’m a cheese whore. Are you happy now?” I just sat silently, being present with her. After a minute or two, I could see her hunched shoulders relax, and a softness appear in her eyes. She apologized, but witnessing her peaceful energetic transformation, her shift from stressful posing to just surrendering and being herself, was far more gratifying to me.

The more Ellen opened up to me honestly, the more we closed the gap between what she said and what truly was, and the more powerful she became. We found replacements for some of her old go-to foods, ones that didn’t serve her anymore, while she transitioned. Over time, she even gave up some of her favorite processed foods, switching, for instance, from packaged protein bars to almonds or oranges as a snack. Her honesty enabled her to gain strength, and in turn it was easier for her to stick to a balanced, healthy lifestyle program. Even with her occasional hiccups, when she would revisit her favorite junk foods, Ellen was still able to progress. She lost over fifteen pounds in six months and kept it off, which was her goal, and she did it without the struggle and hunger she had experienced with other diets in the past.

Examine areas or relationships in your life where there is less than completely honest expression. When you live in truth, everything becomes aligned and, therefore, stronger. Feel your power to shape your world, be authentic, and nothing can hold you back.

Specific Foods:

• There aren’t too many foods that correspond to this chakra’s color, which is blue, but not dark shades of blue (darker blues, such as the blue of blueberries, belong to the sixth chakra). Foods that are balancing for the energy of this chakra often combine different elements, like water and earth, from the other chakras.(8) Soups, stews, fruits with a high water content, and sea vegetables are examples of such foods.(9)
• Consuming sea vegetables, including dulse and nori (the seaweed wrapping for sushi), is an excellent way to incorporate into your diet the wide variety of trace minerals from the sea, and sea vegetables are a great complement to land vegetables. They are high in iodine and can help balance your thyroid and your metabolism. Sea vegetables are also a superb source of B vitamins, iron, and vitamins A and E. Sea vegetables have been consumed by the peoples of Asia and Northern Europe, including Ireland, for centuries. You can purchase them online, in the Asian section of your local market and in Asian markets. Once you stock up on nori, be sure to give the Sprouted Quinoa and Veggie Sushi recipe a go!
• Pureed or chunky vegetable-based soups, eaten mindfully one spoonful at a time, are soft and easy to digest, and they are soothing to your throat and jaw, too.

POWER TIPS FOR VISHUDDHA (THROAT/FIFTH CHAKRA)

• Physically connect with your foods the minute you start to smell them and put them in your mouth. Chewing thoroughly is key, not only for the assimilation of nutrients, but also for a truthful connection to what you are doing at that exact moment.
• Eat openly. If you find yourself trying to “hide” when you eat certain foods, it may indicate deeper, disempowering feelings of shame that stem from overeating or “cheating.” Remember, no one expects you to eat the ideal diet all the time. If you are going to eat something less than ideal, own up to it and be candid about it!
• Examine areas or relationships in your life where there is less than completely honest expression. This was a hard area for me in the past, as I would stay in relationships that I knew were not right for far longer than I should have, instead of using my power to express that and walk away sooner. Breakups and other relationship and friendship shifts can be hard at first, but being authentic is so tremendously empowering that you will feel a force supporting your genuine expression, one that perhaps you did not even know you had.

I am empowered to express myself fully.

Balanced:

• Trusting yourself and your intuition when making decisions, and having awareness of the motivations behind all your actions
• “Seeing” the truth that you and everything else are part of a larger whole
• Living in a fearless (rather than a reckless), courageous way
• Feeling in control of your life and following your dreams
• Not being attached to material things and situations
• Having psychic or higher-intuition experiences
• Being confident in yourself and not looking to others or outside means to feel whole or complete
• Observing the “outer theater” of life from a calm inner point of view
• Feeling inspired by your vision of your purpose
• Regularly practicing meditation or another technique to feel aligned to divine guidance or higher truth

Imbalanced:

• Not being able to stand up for yourself
• Fearing success on a deep level
• Being ego-based, that is, stuck in “my,” “mine” and “I”
• Experiencing confusion, indecision and a lack of clarity, despite overanalyzing
• Exhibiting an inability to concentrate or focus on the task at hand
• Suffering from depression or extreme moodiness
• Possessing obsessive-compulsive characteristics
• Feeling cut off from your life purpose

Physical Manifestations of Imbalance:

This chakra is located in the middle of the forehead, in the area between the eyebrows and slightly higher, and so the physical issues that can arise from imbalance in this chakra concern the face, the forehead, the central nervous system, the brain and pituitary gland, and the nose. Such physical issues include headaches, reoccurring nightmares, sinus problems, memory issues, blurred vision, blindness and other eye problems.

Discussion:

Balanced energy from your third eye is what some refer to as your “sixth sense.” The energy of this chakra enables you to have a deeper perception in all situations, a penetrating vision that “sees” beyond the limitations of the physical and is more sensitive to picking up nonverbal communication, which is where true communication largely takes place. For example, I’m sure you can think of a time when a friend insisted she was happy and then smiled, but you had an inner knowing that something was off.

Healthy Ajna energy enables you to focus and think more clearly. You’ll feel more intuitive about the decisions you make and the steps to take in your career and relationships, as well as in everyday life, including when it comes to what to feed yourself. There is such a joy in this. You feel like you’re flowing along in the sea of life, rather than thrashing around, trying to keep your head above the waves. You naturally seek less validation from other people, because your confidence and your trust in yourself has expanded.

Have you ever wondered why Hindus traditionally place the bindi, or red dot, on their forehead? It’s because the bindi represents the third eye and reminds Hindus to cultivate their spiritual vision. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, this energy center is present, and its balance is extremely beneficial. In many forms of meditation, including Kriya yoga meditation, which I practice, you focus your energy upon the third eye, right above the middle of your eyebrows. This area is said to be the seat of spiritual sight, where you can perceive what the two physical eyes cannot see.

My Story

Before and during college and for some time afterward, though I put up a good front, deep down I was actually totally confused as to my purpose and direction. I tried to find a sense of belonging through constantly going to parties and seeking out activities with friends and groups of people. Back then I did have periods of regularly consuming vodka and beer … and I am so grateful that our livers repair themselves!

I always felt compelled to find out what others were “up to” that night and join in. I sought validation and depended on input from others to make my decisions: where to go, what to do, what to wear, what activities to participate in, even what to eat. At the time it was hard for me to imagine that I could ever get sick of going out. So I understand that we all are on a personal journey, and some of us are not at the point yet to go out less, to spend more time eating at home and not in restaurants, or to be alone more and meditate, because I was very much there myself.

But a shift happened, gradually. I read the books Scientific Healing Affirmations and Autobiography of a Yogi, both by Paramahansa Yogananda, and they changed the direction of my life. I was inspired to seek the inner joy that Yogananda spoke of, the joy that was possible from spending time being still and meditating. It was a foreign, but thrilling prospectto me.

I started to transition into eating the Beauty Detox way, and I naturally got to the point where I didn’t want to put alcohol in my body regularly (though I’ll still have a glass of wine from time to time, if I really feel like it) and I wanted to get up earlier to meditate with a clear mind, rather than a groggy one. I gradually started becoming conscious that I was happier spending time with friends in smaller groups and spending more time alone instead of going out several times a week. I still enjoy social events, but not as often.

Perhaps the biggest leap into healthy Ajna energy for me is living with a clear vision of my purpose, which is creating a lifestyle that enables me to evolve and live my best possible life, and inspiring and teaching others to do the same through this lifestyle. I now focus my energies on whatever supports this purpose, and I have eliminated in my life those things that do not. It’s as clear as that. What truly nourishes me is meditation, learning in all forms, travel, writing, creating in the kitchen, practicing yoga and connecting on a deeper level, through authentic communication, with my husband, friends and family, not just my biological one but an expanded one that includes you and all others in our Beauty Detox community.

Balancing my Ajna chakra also really changed the way I interact with people. I really “see” more than hear what people are saying when I’m with them. I work from a place of much deeper intuition with clients and with whomever I’m talking to, feeling what they need to be nourished holistically. Learning and prescribing textbook knowledge are important in some instances, but it takes subtle awareness to work with people from this place of deeper vision. We all have the ability to develop this sensitivity, but it takes working to balance Ajna and the other chakras in our own selves first.

There is no right or wrong path to living life. No matter where you may be, look inward and try to listen to yourself more and more. If you create more space, you will live more from your “inner vision.”

Specific Foods:

• To create balanced perception, it’s important to avoid excessive amounts of caffeine and sugar, which alter your mood and can overstimulate your system, creating anxiety.
• Certain spices, herbs and spice blends, such as ginger, turmeric and curry, have stimulating qualities, but they are also protective. They help balance blood sugar levels and have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Purple/indigo foods resonate with the vibration of this chakra. These foods include purple grapes, purple cabbage, blackberries, blueberries, purple kale, purple potatoes, dates, purple plums, figs and black raisins.
• Dark purple foods contain an antioxidant known as anthocyanin, which protects your brain and nervous system.

POWER TIPS FOR AJNA (THIRD EYE/SIXTH CHAKRA)

• Use your intuition when making everyday food decisions. When you go to the market, stand in the produce section for a moment. Try to feel which vegetables and fruits are calling out to you, as this may signal which ones are most nourishing to you right now. You might feel lost at first by not sticking to a set shopping list, but the more you try it, the more confident you’ll feel when making your decisions. Do the same when eating at a restaurant. Does your body need something more grounding, such as a bean dish, dense protein, such as a tempeh dish or brown rice, or do you need something lighter, like a big salad? Don’t just order what your friends have chosen. Listen to yourself.
• When you talk to people, try to tune in to more than their words. Notice their body language, the expression in their eyes. Determine their emotional or mental state based on more than what they say. Don’t judge them in any way, but just focus on being more present and “seeing” more with your inner vision. As you practice this, it will foster more powerful and effective communication with your friends, family and coworkers.
• Excessive alcohol and drugs must be avoided, as they act as clouds over the third eye and can muddy its perception. They are drains of your true power and can lead to depression and sluggishness. Chemical-laden artificial foods and beverages, including ones in circus-like neon colors, are also congestive to your body and energy, so please avoid them.

I have access to infinite inspiration and power,
because I am one with the whole.

Balanced:

• Believing there is a power greater than yourself (this can be based on spiritual practices or on a reverence for nature/the universe) and trusting that you are part of this greater universal power
• Going beyond materialistic pursuits alone and feeling abundant joy, a sense of purpose and curiosity about life
• Surrendering to the present moment
• Feeling animated and connected to your purpose for existence
• Practicing any form of devotion that feels authentic to you, including meditation, prayer, the chanting of hymns or mantras, a yoga practice approached with bhakti (devotion), or spending time in nature if you are an agnostic
• Being an agent for universal peace
• Feeling liberated from material labels
• Feeling connected and feeling that you are never truly alone
• Having a strong interest in humanitarian efforts and service to others

Imbalanced:

• Feeling the need to always debate or defend your beliefs with others
• Feeling confused about what you believe
• Being overly materialistic, rational, skeptical or cynical
• Having strong religious or spiritual viewpoints, to the extent that you are not open to others’ beliefs
• Lacking purpose or inspiration
• Having difficulty learning new information
• Lacking sensitivity to the greater good or to the needs of others, animals and/or the environment
• Feeling limited and not expansive beyond your limited being
• Feeling bored with life
• Feeling chronically tired and worn down

Physical Manifestations:

There is less of a physical essence to this chakra than to the others. It can be likened to the aliveness of your vibration as a total being. Since it is more broad-spectrum, it oversees hormonal and nervous system function, and an imbalance can lead to a deterioration of the central nervous system or depression. An imbalance in this chakra can also lead to general accelerated aging.

Discussion:

When your crown chakra energy is balanced, you feel centered and capable of reaching your full potential. It is easy for you to tap into your connection to the ocean of universal energy. The electrical activity of your central nervous system and the firing of neurons and synapses throughout your body are part of this etheric energy.

In some Eastern traditions Sahasrara is described as a gradually blooming lotus flower, which represents a life increasingly rooted in spirituality. The lotus rises out of the mud into the sunlight and sheds debris as it fulfills its potential as a radiant, pure blossom. Some have theorized that the halo depicted in religious imagery of Jesus Christ and other Christian saints is representative of the seventh chakra.(10) It’s pretty interesting whether you are Christian or not. But in a broader sense, you can simply focus on the imagery of overall balance and feeling your limitless energy and potential.

Greg’s Story

I’ve had so many clients who are intensely attached to their coffee, but one of the most extreme cases was my client Greg. He had a high-powered technology career, but many facets of his job were far from glamorous. Dealing with constant office politics and red tape, conference calls, meetings and endless emails led to chronic stress. Coffee was definitely one of Greg’s daily treats, and he was very strongly protective of it. He drank seven or more cups of joe on an average day. Eating less dairy and more veggies? That he could handle with no problem. But there was no way he was giving up his coffee!

I noticed that Greg’s days were bookended by coffee drinking in the morning and staying up late at night. He told me he consistently went to bed at around one in the morning or later. His whole lifestyle was imbalanced. I couldn’t control his job, but I knew that it was important for him to cut back on his extreme coffee drinking, which was acid forming in his body (especially given the creamer he added to his cup) and contributed to the imbalance of his nervous system and adrenals. The key would be to help him experience feeling better without coffee. In this case, we had to tackle not only Greg’s morning routine but also his late nights.

We reached an agreement that he would get into bed by eleven o’clock for at least two weeks. Since he would often get sucked into watching a TV show (and then the one after that) and would end up staying up late, I asked him to commit to leaving the television off when he got home and not even browsing the web. I told him he could read magazines or books instead. He didn’t really want to do that (he was not a big reader, apparently), so he just naturally ended up going to sleep earlier. Though he got more sleep, he still drank coffee in the morning, but it was now easier to improve his diet. I instructed him to consume larger amounts of vegetables, to keep easy-to-stock fruit, such as blueberries, to snack on in his work fridge, to give up dairy, and to stock the necessary ingredients to whip up super-easy and energizing natural energy drinks.

Greg now feels a lot more balanced and has energy throughout the day. These days he usually goes to bed before midnight. He still drinks coffee … but only one or two cups a day and sans creamer. A huge improvement!

Specific Foods:

• Practicing nonattachment to particular foods is a great way to balance energy. People always ask me what I eat when I travel. The answer is that I do my best but remain flexible. It’s hard to find big salads when I’m in Rwanda, but I eat a lot of cooked greens and tons of yams and potatoes. In South Korea I get a lot of great sea vegetables and kimchi, but I have to forgo some of my favorite fruits, like fresh figs, which I can get readily in California. In Greece I missed making smoothies, but I was incredibly grateful to be able to enjoy salads and fava, a dish made of yellow split peas. Try to practice this openness no matter which restaurant you visit or which place you travel to.
• Simplicity goes hand in hand with nonattachment. The Glowing Green Smoothie in the morning, instead of an elaborate breakfast, fuses the glory of the earth’s perfectly crafted fruits and vegetables, which radiate with the brilliant harmony of the crown chakra. Edible flowers are another way to ingest the essence of beauty embodied in nature.
• Adhering to The Beauty Detox Solution principle of eating 80 percent alkaline-forming foods, which increases the oxygen circulating in the body, is of utmost importance. Eating this way also fosters greater detoxification, the removal of heavy old matter, and this makes more room for lightness and space to circulate through the body.

POWER TIPS FOR SAHASRARA (CROWN/SEVENTH CHAKRA)

• Find moments to listen to the universe around you, of which you are part. Listen to the birds, the wind rustling the tree branches, and the sounds of human life if you live in a city. Experience your connection, rather than isolation, to everything around you that you can hear, feel and see.
• Stay curious to cultivating new knowledge and experiences, as this keeps energy flowing freely. To help open new pathways and neurons in your brain, take up crossword puzzles and/or brain games, or take a class in a subject that interests you.
• To balance the crown chakra, it is also important to spend more time in the limitless elements of nature, and especially in the sunlight (exercise moderation), and to swim in the ocean or in lakes or ponds. Opening up space in your body can help you feel more expansive, so enemas or gravity colonics, which are water-based tools for cleansing waste from your digestive system, can be very helpful.

I fulfill my unique purpose
and reach my full potential.