The Chakras According to Guru Patik

"You must gain balance within yourself before you can bring balance to the world."

Guru Patik introduced the concept of the seven chakras to Avatar Aang. Moving up the body, he described each and what blocks them, and then challenged Aang in order to open them up.

The first is the Earth chakra, located at the base of the spine. It deals with survival and is blocked by fear.

What are you most afraid of?

The second is the Water chakra. It deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt.

What do you blame yourself for?

The third is the Fire chakra, located in the stomach. It deals with willpower and is blocked by shame.

What are you ashamed of? What are your biggest disappointments in yourself?

The fourth is the Heart chakra. It deals with love and is blocked by grief.

Lay all your grief out in front of you.

The fifth is the Sound chakra, located in the throat. It deals with truth and is blocked by lies--the ones we tell ourselves.

What lies do you tell yourself?

The sixth is Light chakra, located in the center of the forehead. It deals with insight and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion in this world is that of separation.

Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same.

The seventh is the Thought chakra, located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment.

What attaches you to this world?

This information comes from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender, season 2, episode entitled "The Guru". Buy it on iTunes here.

What would you tell your old self?

I just woke from a dream where I was back with classmates from my elementary, junior high, and senior high school years. It was in the past--I even saw my old self there. Such a treat, to see me sitting there on this bizarre last day of classes, skinny with a full head of hair (which was blond for some reason--I had only done that in about 2001).

In this dream, I was desperate to take my old self aside and give him stern warnings: get into computer science, screw Biology--and study hard, go for a 4.0, 'cause grad schools won't accept mediocrity. Don't get the septoplasty, your deviated septum isn't that bad--it'll end up failing requiring a second surgery. Work out more, eat less crappy food. Tell your father that he'll have cancer and a heart attack in a few years and to do what he can to avoid them.

I also wanted to warn some of my friends that I saw there about the pitfalls they'd face in the years ahead--but that's their business. So I put the question to you, friends: if you could sit down with your old self, from whatever time period, what advice or warnings would you give yourself?

Why Not Require Proof of Legal Status?

As far as I can understand it, the Republican contention is that while you might include language in a bill stating that illegal immigrants cannot receive coverage or tax credits for health care, they will get these things anyway because they are not forced to prove their legal status. Can someone please explain to me why we can't require someone to prove their legal status before receiving a government service or benefit?

Make no mistake: I am pro-health care reform. I am however anti-illegal immigration. Being a foreign national living here in the United States legally, people taking advantage of 'the system' irks me no end. I pay taxes here, and those taxes must be for the benefit of law-abiding legal residents and temporary workers.