Interesting thread. I've been trying chakra meditation for the last two days. I worked with the root chakra and then gave both root and sacral one a try today as well. I was able to visualize much better today than the previous day since I reflected on what I could have done better in order to improve the techniques. What I do is try to imagine a closed flower(closed green bud with some red, orange, etc.... from its middle) and then open it. Once it's open, I rotate it clockwise rapidly until it forms an energy ball of red, orange, etc.... Today, I decided to add some lightning within the ball since I can do that pretty easily and should help with the visualization. My three main concerns are this:
a) When visualizing, I try to imagine that I am observing myself meditate and then I focus on where the chakras are supposed to be located and do the above visualization. I find this a bit difficult in some cases and my visualizations wonder, as in I can see the bud then I'll see the flower than half a bud all within the span of a couple of seconds, kinda like it's unstabilized. How do you guys deal with this or am I the only one that gets this?
b) In terms of closing them, usually I visualize the reversal, so, the ball slows down, becomes a flower and then goes back into a bud at which point I try to stop my meditation immediately to avoid reopening them. Am I supposed to take my time in closing them and would it be harmful to close them quickly? Should I stop saying the chant when closing them and at which point? Also, what are the problems with keeping them open? Do you get drained of energy if they are left open, since, we are dealing with energy here?
c) I've been looking at that chakra website and have been trying to follow the ways the hands are done along with the chant, etc.... is that really necessary(the hands part) or can I just keep them the same way(like in the root chakra one) and do the chant?
Thanks in advance