A very recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in August this year provides a quantitative measure of the serious problem facing us from addiction:

• 46% of Americans have a family member or close friend who is addicted to drugs or has been in the past;
• Opioids account for more than 60% of drug overdose deaths;
• Since 1999, drug overdose-related deaths have tripled in number.

We have dealt with addiction in a lot of detail on our website. Sahaja meditation works in multiple ways to help with addiction, primarily by:

• Reducing stress and stress-induced cravings;
• Making the practitioner more self-aware and mindful of thoughts and emotions, especially in the area of any addictions he or she might be dealing with;
• Releasing negative thoughts and feelings through self-forgiveness that might otherwise lead to rumination;
• Positively impacting neurotransmitters and neurohormones which regulate health and well-being;
  Increasing resilience and better coping skills by re-wiring the neural circuitry.

By now, you’ve likely heard of the Kundalini energy and chakras. At Sahaja, we try to demystify these concepts as much as we can and explain how these things correlate with aspects of your life. Truthfully, meditation doesn’t have to be mystical or separate from real, normal living. Real meditation is actually quite the opposite, tightly integrated into practitioners’ everyday lives.

Our chakras are a system of inner energy centers at the core of our being and are at work each day. To give you an example, when we overeat, our Nabhi chakra becomes imbalanced. On a deeper level, when we strengthen our heart chakra, we get rid of our fears and insecurity.

Here is everything you need to know about the chakras in simple terms.

New to the concept of subtle energy, or want to know more? Today, we’re taking a moment to briefly explore the Kundalini energy and how it is actualized in the practice of Sahaja meditation.

While most forms of meditation rely on generic mind exercises, Sahaja meditation is based on an intricate subtle energy system within us. This system is so intricate that its components have built-in, perfect mathematical ratios and proportions.