“I felt that I could swim for miles, out into the ocean: a desire for freedom, an impulse to move, tugged at me as though it were a thread fastened to my chest.”

— Rachel Cusk

I purchased a new pair of glasses the other day. A woman named Ozlem assisted me, but she only spoke Turkish.

A couple helped me with the finer details, though midway through the experience, the man said, "You understand Turkish!"

I've had many occurrences like this, where I surprise myself and those around me with how well I am attuned to the conversation.

My building is bustling with music, banter, and festivities in alignment with the holidays. I'm invited to the foyer discussions and gatherings in the doorways, where I listen emphatically and attune to each person with my entire being.

I bumped into my favorite Turkish gentleman—a grandfather in his seventies, though he has the energy of a seven-year-old—in the elevator. He loves my pink pants and energy; he cheers me on whenever I go for a run.

He used to be sporty, he says. He loves his grandkids, he says. He helped the neighbors on the sixth floor with their move, he says.

Since my Turkish phrases are limited, I give more through my hands, facial expressions, and posture.

These interactions light me up, though I try not to anticipate such ease. A few days ago, while purchasing groceries, the cashier resisted me and made the exchange difficult when it did not need to be.

These exchanges happen often, and I am not received no matter how I attempt to connect - verbally or energetically.

I used to take out my phone and use Google Translate. Now, I stay steady and connect to my heartbeats, no matter how itchy my scalp gets (a sign that I'm getting close to anger) or how my eyes burn (a sign that I'm feeling frustrated and am close to crying).

I stay steady, connected to my heart, breathe deep, and wait for the resistance to pass. Because it does, it eventually shifts if I remain open and patient for whatever process the other person is moving through.

It's uncomfortable. It's time-consuming. It requires a deep, ongoing practice of Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the only way forward.

It is the practice of seeing and receiving the other person as you. It is the intimate work of recognizing the Soul Self in each individual, no matter the strength of the persona/shell/mask.

I've been that person—the judgmental person, the petty person, the inconsistent person, the unconscious person.

I've worn all these adornments!

As I reflected on my experiences connecting with people while abroad and navigating unique languages, it started to rain—heavy, thick raindrops like Vancouver.

The pellets were hardening into sleet when a flock of starlings swept before my window. They danced in great arcs, up and around, swirling and whirling above and beyond my building.

It was magnificent.

This process is called a Murmuration.

In simplistic terms, a murmuration is when a flock of starlings creates changing patterns in the sky. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of birds move together in an ever-changing formation.

The birds are all connected through a shared network.

Murmurations are a function of the crown chakra - the ability to synchronize, understand, and telepathically engage with others.

Forgiveness is my practice of working with the crown chakra, for when I see others as me, I am immediately charged with an energy that can empathize, vitalize, heal, and intimately feel.

I can move like a starling, connected to all and steady with my two strong wings.

Where do you feel intimately connected to others? What do you do when you encounter resistance or misunderstanding? How do you relate to the world through your Soul Self? What is your practice for Soulitude?

These are questions for the Crown Chakra, Sahasrara.

What is the Crown Chakra?

The crown chakra is the last of the seven chakras along the spine. It represents totality, unity, wholeness, acceptance, God-consciousness, and freedom from bondage. It encapsulates the themes and experiences from the lower chakras, for it needs the wisdom of each energy center to move beyond limitations.

There is no set order or path to move through the chakras. We may experience balance, release, obstacles, and stagnancy throughout our lives at any given point, depending on the circumstances.

Review the themes from the lower chakras, including calm (root), creative (sacral), courageous (navel), compassionate (heart), truth (throat), and intuition (third eye).

Crown Chakra Themes

Sound: Silence
Color: Violet
Balanced: Grace, Abundance, Surrender
Blocked: Desolation, Attachment, Control

About the Crown Chakra

The crown chakra works with the pituitary gland, the master gland of the body. Shaped like a fig, the pituitary gland is the size of a teardrop and is located at the base of the brain in line with the nose. Inside a little skull, the horse’s saddle, which acts as a protective sheath. The pituitary gland regulates all the other glands and manages hormone release. It knows what is needed (and the correct amount) to purify the blood. It aids in metabolism and sexuality and enhances focus and zeal for life!

It works with the pineal gland, thalamus, and hypothalamus. The pineal gland is the master gland for spirituality. The hypothalamus is responsible for learning, memory, and the conscious mind. It is the main link between the nervous and endocrine systems and facilitates the regulation of all the other glands.

The body has seventy-two thousand nerve endings (aka nadis or energy lines), controlled by the pituitary gland's secretion. The pineal gland directs the impulse, so the two work together to create harmony and health.

The crown chakra is associated with the neocortex of the brain. The neocortex is responsible for sensory perception, memory, spatial awareness/reasoning, and language. It governs the superconscious mind, the spirit-self, the soul-self, or the higher self. The superconscious connects us to God/Goddess Consciousness and where/how we integrate our life experience and design a life that serves the greater good. We integrate and digest the themes of the other chakras (grounded, creative, embodied, compassionate, truthful, and clear) and use our intuition to make decisions and act.

“The biggest embrace of love you’ll ever make is to embrace yourself completely. Then you’ll realize you’ve just embraced the whole universe, and everything and everybody in it.”

— Adyashanti

Ways to Observe the Crown Chakra

The following are some of the guidelines I use to work with the seventh chakra.

Reflecting on all the people I have been, the characters I’ve played, and the characters I’ve been attracted to over the years.
I read stories about places, people, and cultures that differ from my belief system and upbringing.
Traveling to countries and engaging with people who grew up with a different lens.
Practicing forgiveness.
Practicing putting myself in another person’s position: playing devil’s advocate.
Practicing neutrality: things are neither good nor bad; they just are as they are.
Observe my attachments and habits and see where I do things to stay comfortable because it is what I am used to.
Doing things contrary to what I want to develop discipline and see how I feel: making mySelf the case study to test my theories and ideas about what I think the world is.
Asking questions. Writing different answers.
Listening with a pure heart.