30 Classic Cocktails

How to Open Your Spiritual Chakras

According to Hindu and/or Buddhist belief, chakras are vast (yet confined) pools of energy in our bodies which govern our psychological qualities. There are said to be seven main chakras in all; four in our upper body, which govern our mental properties, and three in the lower body, which govern our instinctual properties. They are:

The Muladhara (root) chakra. The Svadhisthana (sacral) chakra. The Manipura (solar plexus) chakra. The Anahata(heart) chakra. The Visuddhi (throat) chakra. The Ajna (third eye) chakra. The Sahasrara (crown) chakra.
According to Buddhist/Hindu teaching, all of the chakras should contribute to a human's well-being. Our instincts would join forces with our feelings and thinking. Some of our chakras are usually not open all the way (meaning, they operate just like when you were born), but some are over-active, or even near closed. If the chakras are not balanced, peace with the self cannot be achieved.

Read on to discover the art of becoming aware of the chakras, as well as a very reliable technique designed to open them.

Steps

1

Understand that if you are opening your chakras, there is no need to try to make over-active chakras less active. They are simply compensating for the inactivity of closed chakras. Once all of the chakras are opened, the energy evens out, and becomes balanced.

2

Open the Root Chakra (red). This chakra is based on being physically aware and feeling comfortable in many situations. If opened, you should feel well-balanced and sensible, stable and secure. You don't distrust people around you for no reason.You feel present in what is happening right now and very connected to your physical body. If it's under-active: you tend to be fearful or nervous, and easily feel unwelcome. If it's over-active: you may be materialistic and greedy. You feel as if you should be secure and are unwelcome to a change.

• Use the body and become aware of it. Do yoga, walk around the block, or do some manual house-cleaning. These activities let your body become known to you and will strengthen the chakra.
  
• Ground yourself. This means that you should connect with the ground, and feel it beneath you. To do this, stand up straight and relaxed, put your feet shoulder-width apart, and slightly bend your knees. Move your pelvis forward a little, and keep your body balanced, so that your weight is evenly distributed over the soles of your feet. Then sink your weight forward. Stay in this position for several minutes.
• 
• After grounding yourself, sit cross-legged, as shown in the picture below.
  
• Let the tips of your thumb and index finger touch gently, in a peaceful motion.
  
• Concentrate on the Root Chakra and what it stands for, at the spot in between the genitals and the anus.
  
• Silently, yet clearly, chant the sound "LAM."
• All this time, let yourself relax, still thinking about the chakra, it's meaning, and how it does or should affect your life.
• Keep doing this until you are completely relaxed. You may have a "clean" feeling.
• Visualize a closed red flower. Imagine a very powerful energy radiating it: it slowly opens showing four red petals full of energy.
  
• Contract the perineum holding breath and releasing.
  

2. 
   3
   Open the Sacral Chakra (Orange). This chakra deals with feeling and sexuality. If open, feeling is released with liberty and are expressed without you being over-emotional. You would be open to affinity and can be passionate as well as outgoing. You also have no problems based on sexuality. If it's under-active: you tend to be unemotional or impassive, and are not very open to anybody. If it's over-active: you tend to be sensitive and emotional all the time. You may also be very sexual.

   • Sit on your knees, with your back straight, but relaxed.
3. 
   
   
• Lay your hands in your lap, palms ups, on top of each other. Left hand underneath, the palm touching the back fingers of the right hand, and the thumbs touch gently.
  
• Concentrate on the Sacral Chakra and what it stands for, at the sacral bone (lower back).
  
• Silently, yet clearly, chant the sound "VAM."
• All this time, let yourself relax, still thinking about the chakra, it's meaning, and how it does or should affect your life.
• Keep doing this until you are completely relaxed. Again, you may have a "clean" feeling.

4

Open the Navel Chakra (yellow). This chakra encircles confidence, especially when in a group. When open, you should feel in control and have a good feeling of dignity in yourself. If it's under-active: you tend to be passive and indecisive. You could be frequently apprehensive and this doesn't reward you. If it's over-active: you tend to be imperious and aggressive.

• Sit on your knees, with your back straight, but relaxed.
  
• Put your hands before your stomach, slightly below your solar plexus. Let the fingers join at the tops, all pointing away from you. Cross the thumbs and straighten the fingers (this is important).
  
• Concentrate on the Navel Chakra and what it stands for, at the spine, slightly above the navel.
  
• Silently, yet clearly, chant the sound "RAM."
• All this time, let yourself relax, even more, continuing to think about the chakra, it's meaning, and how it does or should affect your life.
• Keep doing this until you are completely relaxed. You should have a "clean" feeling (for every chakra).

5

Open the Heart Chakra (green). This chakra is all about love, caring, and endearment. When open, you seem to be compassionate and friendly, always working in amicable relationships. If it's under-active: you tend to be cold and unfriendly. If it's over-active: you tend to be so "loving" towards people that you suffocate them, and you could be seen as selfish for it.

• Sit cross-legged.
  
• Let the tips of your index finger and thumb touch on both hands.
  
• Put your left hand on your left knee and your right hand in front of the lower part of your breastbone.
  
• Concentrate on the Heart Chakra and what it stands for, at the spine, level with the heart.
  
• Silently, but clearly, chant the sound "YAM."
• All this time, continue to relax your body and think of the chakra, it's meaning, and how it does or should affect your life.
• Keep doing this until you are completely relaxed, and the "clean" feeling returns and/or intensifies within your body.

6

Open the Throat Chakra (light blue). This chakra is based on self-expression and communication. When the chakra is open, expressing yourself is easy, and art seems to be a great way to do this. If it's under-active: you tend not to speak too much, so you are classified as shy. If you lie often, this chakra can be blocked. If it's over-active: you tend to speak so much, it annoys a lot of people. You could also be a pretty bad listener.

• Once again, sit on your knees.
  
• Cross your fingers on the inside of your hands, without the thumbs. Let the thumbs touch at the tops, and pull them up a bit.
  
• Concentrate on the Throat Chakra and what it stands for, at the base of the throat.
  
• Silently, but clearly, chant the sound "HAM."
• All this time, keep on relaxing your body, thinking of the chakra, it's meaning, and how it does or should affect your life.
• Keep doing this for about five minutes, and the "clean" feeling will intensify once again.

7

Open the Third Eye Chakra (Indigo). Like its name, this chakra deals with insight. When open, you have excellent clairvoyance and tend to dream a lot. If it's under-active: you tend to look up to other people to think for you. Relying on beliefs too often, you also tend to be confused most of the time. If it's over-active: you tend to live in a world imagination all day long. In the extremes, you could suffer from frequent daydreams or even hallucinations.

• Sit cross-legged.
  
• Put your hands in front of the lower part of the breast. The middle fingers should be straight and touch the tops, pointing away from you. The other fingers are bent and touch at the two upper phalanges. The thumbs point towards you and meet at the tops.
  
• Concentrate on the Third Eye Chakra and what it stands for, a little above the center of the two eyebrows.
  
• Silently, but clearly, chant the sound "OM" or "AUM."
• All this time, relaxation of the body should come a bit naturally and continue to think of the chakra, it's meaning, and how it does or should affect your life.
• Keep doing this until the same "clean" feeling seems to come back or intensify.

8

Open the Crown Chakra (purple). This is the seventh and most spiritual chakra. It encircles a being's wisdom and being one with the universe. When this chakra is open, prejudice disappears from your To Do list, and you seem to become more aware of the world and it's connection to yourself. If it's under-active: you tend to not be very spiritual and may be quite rigid in your thoughts. If it's over-active: you tend to intellectualize things all the time. Spirituality seems to come first in your mind, and if you are really over-active, you may even ignore your bodily needs (food, water, shelter).

• Sit cross-legged.
• Lay your hand on your stomach. Let the little fingers point up and away from you, touching at their tops, and cross the rest of the fingers with the left thumb underneath the right.
  
• Concentrate on the Crown Chakra and what it stands for, at the very top of your head.
  
• Silently, but clearly, chant the sound "NG" (yes, this chant is as hard as it looks).
• All this time, your body should now be totally relaxed, and your mind should be at peace. However, do not stop concentrating on the Crown Chakra.
• This meditation is the longest, and should take no less than ten minutes.
• WARNING: don't use this meditation for the Crown Chakra if your Root Chakra is not strong or open. Before dealing with this last chakra, you need a strong "foundation" first, which the Root exercises will present to you.

Last Minute Cruising: 9 Tips for Getting a Deal

It's no longer possible to show up at the dock on embarkation day, suitcase in hand, hoping to negotiate your way onboard for the ultimate last minute cruise deal. But nabbing a serious bargain is easier than ever.

Last minute cruises -- defined roughly as sailings booked between several days and three months prior to the embarkation date -- offer savings to those of us who either procrastinate for a living or enjoy the luxury of cruising on a whim. And even better: The Internet is a terrific resource for deals, and travel agencies regularly receive offers from cruise lines trying to fill ships on close-in voyages.

But, like any deal that comes with a "too good to be true" price tag, buying a last minute cruise has its pros and cons. Read these tips and tricks for cruising on the cheap and avoiding potential savings pitfalls.

1. Book at the Right Time

One of the best times to find last minute rates on a particular sailing is 60 to 90 days before departure. The reason? This is the last call (for most, but not all, cruise lines and itineraries) for travelers to cancel existing reservations without penalty. At that point, the cruise line will know exactly how many cabins are left -- and if there is more space available than the cruise line would like, it will quickly (and often heavily) reduce the fare so that it can sell out the ship.

2. Don't Expect "Peak" Travel

There's a reason why a cruise is being unloaded with little time to spare -- and it's not because it's a hot seller. Calendar-wise, you probably won't find a last minute bargain on Christmas or New Year's sailings or spring break weeks. You might -- but don't hold out if you have your heart set on traveling during those times. On the flip side, you're very likely to find plenty of variety in the shoulder season, such as the Caribbean during peak hurricane season (September through early November) or during the pre-holiday (first week or two of December) and the post-holiday (first two weeks of January) travel lulls. But never rule anything out. Some years, holiday cruises or peak summer sailings don't sell out like they usually do, and there are surprise bargains on normally popular itineraries.

3. Embrace Repositioning Cruises

Odd-duck itineraries don't always sell well, leading to last minute deals. Among them are repositioning cruises, when vessels change "regions" for the season and sail unusual routes to get to their new homeports, often across an ocean or sea. These voyages are usually longer -- maybe two weeks or so instead of seven days -- and include lots of sea days, as well as a mishmash of ports, all at a reasonable price. There is a catch: Because these voyages begin in one port and end in another, passengers are responsible for picking up generally expensive one-way or open-jaw airfares. Still, crunch the numbers; if you can find a good deal on airfare, you'll save big on eleventh-hour repositionings.

4. Shop Around

Though cruise lines have tight restrictions on travel agency discounting, cruise sellers have authorized ways of accessing lower prices or offering different booking bonuses than their competitors. Shop around to look for the best deals. Many agencies have web pages focusing on last minute deals or weekly bargains emails. And if you don't see anything you like, call. Often agencies have low prices that they can only tell customers about over the phone. (And -- shameless plug -- don't forget to check out Cruise Critic's last minute deals page.)

5. Defining Value is Key

How much of a bargain is a cheap cruise that requires you to spend twice as much on airfare? For instance, you'll typically see more Anchorage-to-Vancouver voyages on last minute lists than the more affordable round trip Seattle itineraries. Why? Air is typically cheaper on the latter, which sails into and out of the same city. The former has you flying in and out of different airports, including one in Alaska where fares are often high. Account for that cost before committing.

6. Read the Fine Print

Read each offer carefully because it will specify exactly what your purchase entitles you to. An inside cabin is no bargain if you suffer from claustrophobia. Outside cabins on sale may have obstructed views. Some last minute deals are for guarantee cabins, for which you cannot request a cabin number or location. Look for information on service fees, government taxes and port charges, which often aren't included in the sale price. And check whether special offers mandate that you pay in full at time of booking or if deposits are nonrefundable.

7. Be Flexible

Booking late means you'll get what's left after all the early planners have made their arrangements. You are less likely to get an in-demand suite or balcony cabin, a prime dinner table or seating, or a choice cabin location. If you don't have your heart set on specific details, you'll be more likely to enjoy your discounted cruise.

8. Take the Car

It's easier to say yes to an eleventh-hour offer if you don't have to worry about buying airfare and can just drive to your cruise port. If you live within driving distance of a homeport, focus your deal search on those departures. Find a deal, and you can quickly plan a pre-cruise road trip to get there. Some hotels near major embarkation ports offer park-sleep-cruise packages.

9. Keep Your Passport Up to Date

You don't want to book a last minute sailing only to find that a passport is necessary and yours has expired. If you want to plan a getaway at a moment's notice, we recommend making sure there are at least six months left before your passport expires -- and renewing it in advance if not.

$13500 玩轉新西蘭南島之最

【最刺激】提供笨豬跳的公司很會做生意，會將你參與極限運動的過程拍下，事後欲購買相片或影片，收費由45-80紐元（約256-454港元）。

讀者Noel笑言自小夢想流浪，開着一輛麵包車浪迹天涯。去年他在悉尼工作過後，曾經短暫實現夢想。當時他們一行6人駕着露營車逃離喧囂，短短8日玩盡新西蘭南島之最。首次踏足地球南端這片淨土，他形容新西蘭是個讓人驚呼連連、事後魂縈夢繫的天堂；帶着相機隨便拍，青山綠水，任何一幀都可變成明信片。雖然暫時無法不顧一切去流浪，但能夠經驗這次旅程，已讓他感恩不已。

【最高峰】新西蘭庫克峰坐直升機行冰川（HK$2,266/4小時體驗）

行山是港人常做的事，但行冰川你試過嗎？新西蘭最高峰、南阿爾卑斯山主峰庫克峰（Mt.Cook），海拔3,764米的高峰上有兩條著名冰川：Fox及這次我們行走的Franz Josef。

這經驗實太難忘，我們先乘坐直升機到庫克峰，在高空鳥瞰一周後停在冰川上。落機換上冰爪鞋，由領隊以十字鎬開疆闢土，領我們尋找冰河中美麗的幽境。過程明顯感覺到地球暖化，看着冰川一點一滴溶化，走在其中不冷反而感到熱。未來它將慢慢消失，推薦你趕快前往體驗。

Franz Josef Glacier體驗團

地址︰Glacier Base, 63 Cron Street, Franz Josef Glacier

電話︰+64-3752-0763

網址︰www.franzjosefglacier.com

【最好味】必食最大漢堡外酥內軟又多汁（HK$136/套餐，夠2人享用）

來到新西蘭皇后鎮，品嘗號稱世界最大、最好吃的Fergburger，已成為遊客必做的事。這次我們選擇了招牌牛肉漢堡，牛肉用了Prime等級的牛肉製成，鮮嫩多汁，搭配了生菜番茄大蔥，加上獨特醬汁，若你喜歡還可以另加芝士，麵包烤得脆脆的，整個熱騰騰剛拿到手，外酥內軟！這時請第一時間將嘴巴張到最大，一口給它咬下去！當這世界級的漢堡肉汁在你嘴內爆開那一霎那，你會感到幸福！

FERGBURGER

地址︰42 Shotover Street, Queenstown

電話︰+64-3-4411-232

營業時間︰8:30am-5am

網址︰www.fergburger.com

【最大國家公園】世界十大登山路綫探索原始美（HK$1,931/包4日住宿和交通）

米佛步道在新西蘭最大的峽灣國家公園，面積達12,120平方公里，被評為世界10大最佳行山路綫，總長53.5公里。這裏從200萬年前開始歷經了多次冰河侵蝕，公園綜合了大自然所有最原始湖泊、溪浴、河流、國內最高的瀑布、海拔1,069米山頂常年覆蓋的雪山、山洞、蕨類、熱帶雨林及珍奇鳥類等。每年10月尾到翌年4月尾是新西蘭夏季，氣溫舒適，也是米佛步道熱門行山時段，然而官方限制每天只有40位獨立行山客和50位有嚮導登山客可以入山，走畢全程需4日3夜。若你喜歡行山和原始自然美，這一生定要來感受走在新西蘭最大的國家公園內是甚麼感覺。

峽灣國家公園遊客中心 Fiordland National Park

地址︰Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9600

電話︰+64-3249-7924

網址︰www.fiordland.org.nz

Milford Track官方行程預訂︰http://booking.doc.govt.nz/Menu.aspx？sg=MIL（每年5月開放預約）

【最刺激】最高笨豬跳8.5秒俯衝50層樓（HK$1,590/包接送、裝備和證書）

新西蘭有超過300多種的極限運動，皇后鎮更是「笨豬跳」的發源地。我們抱着一不做二不休的精神，選擇了新西蘭最高、足足有134米（近50層樓高）的The Nevis Bungy參與。這天早上心情五味雜陳，有種興奮又怕受傷害的矛盾，但我知道今日絕對是一生難忘的。的確，那僅以8.5秒超速急促向地心衝的快感，令人刺激又恐懼。來到這裏還可一併試玩世界最大的Nevis Swing，它離地160公尺，時速最可達到每小時144公里，絕對是世上最刺激的高空盪鞦韆呢！

AJ Hackett Bungy

地址︰Cnr Shotover and Camp St,Queenstown 9300

電話︰+64-3450-1300

營業時間︰8am-8pm

網址︰www.bungy.co.nz

優惠套餐預訂網站︰www.bookme.co.nz/bookings/queenstown/activities/air/bungy-swings

撰文︰Noel

滙率︰全文已兌港元，每1紐西蘭元兌5.68港元

【最高峰】我們就這樣一步一腳印走在白白、灰灰的雪地上。

【最高峰】一行8人在領隊帶領下，在好高、好大、好壯觀的冰川爬上爬落。

【最高峰】在冰川中捐窿捐罅，就像在走冰雕迷宮一樣。

【最好味】漢堡包幾乎比人的臉還大！

【最好味】這裏還有羊肉、鹿肉、肋眼牛排、豬肉及雞肉供選擇。值得一讚是店員熱情又親切。

【最大國家公園】看到眼前湖光山色的景緻，心情真是很雀躍。

【最刺激】我喜歡新西蘭有一句話︰「當你真正感受並接受了恐懼，你人生會開始成長」，果然挑戰了前所未有的極限後，這一天確實有重生的快感！