Chakras Talk
Have you ever heard about the 7 chakras? Maybe you have a vague idea of what they are, or maybe you have never heard about them. Well, in this new 3 week serie, we are gonna talk about all 7 main chakras, so that you can have a better understanding about what they are. Afterwards, you could even be able to have them leading your full yoga practice from your meditation, including your yoga flow, all the way to your savasana!
What are the Chakras?
Chakra (cakra in Sanskrit) means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.
Some say there are 114 different chakras, but there are seven main chakras that run along your spine. These are the chakras that most of us are referring to when we talk about them. They start at the root, or base, of the spine and extend to the crown of your head.
Each of these seven main chakras has a corresponding number, name, color, specific area of the spine from the sacrum to the crown of the head, and health focus.
When all chakras are open, the energy between them can run freely, and we are in harmony between our physical body, mind and spirit. If they get blocked, you may experience physical or emotional symptoms related to a particular chakra.
What does it mean if a chakra is blocked or unbalanced?
It is easier to define a chakra as out of balance instead of blocked. If a chakra is out of balance, there can be a depletion of energy flow or too much energetic activity in a chakra. This can show up in different ways.
When a chakra is low in energy, you’ll have difficulty expressing the particular qualities associated with that chakra. On the contrary, when a chakra has too much energy, its qualities will be dominant in someone’s life. This can result in both physical and emotional imbalances.
For example, as we are going to see, the first chakra is about security, survival, and the foundation of our life. If it is out of balance without enough energy, it can show up as depression or insecurity. If it contains too much energy, it can show up as fearlessness without precaution or hoarding because you are in need of feeling more secure.
Can a blocked chakra affect your health?
Usually, a blocked chakra can physically affect the area around it, such as bones, joints, organs and tissues. It can also affect the person psychologically with emotional imbalances, such as increased anger, sadness, fear or indecisiveness. This is why it is important to stay aware of both your physical as well as your psychological states.
How can you unblock a chakra?
A good way to keep your chakras in balance is by creating alignment in your physical body with:
Yoga postures
Pranayama (or breathing exercises) to encourage the flow of energy
Meditation to bring clarity of mind
As you will learn, each chakra has special yoga poses that will help balancing its energy.
1. Root Chakra / Muladhara
The first chakra is the root chakra, or Muladhara Chakra. It is located at the base of your spine, the pelvic floor and the first three vertebrae. It provides you with a base or foundation for life, and it helps you feel grounded and able to withstand challenges on this earthy journey. Your root chakra is responsible for your sense of security and stability. The word Muladhara comes from two sanskrit words: Mula meaning “root” and Adhara which means “support” or “base”.
This is the first of the chakras of matter. Balancing the root chakra creates the solid foundation for opening the chakras above. Imagine that you’re laying the foundation for a house in which you’re going to live for a long time. A solid foundation embedded in firm soil will provide the stability you need to create a home filled with joy for years to come.
The root chakra provides stability in your life. This includes your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety, as well as more emotional needs such as letting go of fear. When these needs are met, you feel grounded and safe, and you tend to worry less day to day.
If there is an imbalance in the root chakra you may experience anxiety disorders, fears, or nightmares. Physical imbalances may manifest as problems in the colon, with the bladder, with elimination, or with lower back, leg, or feet issues. In men, prostate problems may occur. Eating disorders may also be a sign of a root chakra imbalance.
How to balance Muladhara
While meditation does connect you to a higher spiritual plane, it also serves to ground you. You may not always be able to trust that the world will give you what you need to survive, but connection to your higher self and trust in a power higher than yourself will give you what you need to feel safe. It does not matter if you call that higher power God, Consciousness, Mother Nature, or Spirit. Connection to universal energy will bring you a sense of peace and stability. The animals in the forest have no idea if and when they will find food each day, yet somehow they trust in nature to provide for them.
Yoga Poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Child’s pose (Balasana)
Yogi squat (Malasana)
Dangling (Baddah Hasta Uttanasana)
Toe squat (Parivrtta Prapadasana
Straddle (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Frog (Mandukasana)
Square (Agnistambhasana)
An affirmation to meditate with: “I have the right to be on this Earth and in my body”
For your knowledge:
Color: Red
Number of petals: 4
Element: Water
Organ: Kidney
2. Sacral Chakra / Svadhisthana
Svadhisthana is situated 5 cm (2 inches) below the navel, and to be more precise, is in line with the spinal cord between the coccyx and the sacrum.
Svadhisthana is the Sanskrit name of Sacral chakra. Sva means “self” and adhishthana means “rule” or “dwelling place”. Therefore, Svadhisthana means “place of self”. This meaning shows that this chakra makes one aware of their identity, which is explored by an individual’s creativity, emotions, desire, pleasure seeking, etc.
As just mentioned, this chakra is situated in the lower abdomen, just below the pubic area. This is why sexual organs, bladder, bowel, and lower intestine are associated with it.
Emotionally, when Svadhisthana is in balance you are able to feel free in expressing yourself creatively and sexually, allowing yourself to play and experience pleasure in a healthy way. Respecting your body and taking care of its needs.
As Svadhisthana’s element is water and therefore liquidity, in your mental body this chakra is about allowing money to flow freely from and to you, without having any blockages. It is also about being flexible in changing environments and not excessively holding on to what you thought before. It is about exploring your boundaries in creative and sexual ways without feelings of guilt. The ability to be fluid and playful and having a sense of self-worth.
Due to stress in any layer of the body (physical, mental, emotional and energetic) you can slow down, stagnate or go completely into overdrive. If you’ve had a very unpleasant sexual experience in your younger years that caused you great emotional and/or mental stress, it may still be affecting your life on some level. Strong emotions sometimes get stuck in our system on a vibrational level.
Getting to know your body and its different layers, and learning about the chakras can give you valuable insight into where you have imbalances and stagnation.
Here is a checklist you can use to determine the state of your second chakra:
Do you feel free in your creative and sexual expression? Or is there a sense of guilt or discomfort?
Is there an open sensation in your lower back and sacral area, or is there tightness and gripping?
Are you able to respond to changing situations with flexibility?
Do you drink enough water?
Do you have reproductive or menstrual issues?
How is your relationship with money?
How to balance Svadhisthana
There are many things you can do on and off the mat to balance this chakra:
First of all, as orange is the colour of this chakra, you can try to meditate on this colour.
You could also wear orange underwear.
You can try to meditate on the fluidity inside of you, by visualising cleansing waves going through the body.
Drink a lot of water.
Move and dance with your hips, find some creative moves that feel good.
Try something new in the bedroom or anywhere else in any area of your life. Spicing things up and doing new things allows you to discover new ways of doing things and feel confident and comfortable about it. You’ll find a newness inside yourself, a spontaneous you that can handle any situation and is not afraid to change and evolve.
An affirmation to meditate with: “ I am honouring my body and treat myself respectfully. My sexuality is sacred.”
Yoga Poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana)
Straddle (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Frog (Mandukasana)
Dangling (Baddah Hasta Uttanasana)
Square pose (Agnistambhasana)
Snail pose (Halasana)
Yogi Squat (Malasana)
For your knowledge:
Color: Orange
Number of petals: 6
Element: Water
Organ: Bladder
3. Solar Plexus Chakra / Manipura
The Solar Plexus Chakra, or Manipura is located in your stomach area, still aligned with your spinal cord. The term Mani means “gem” and pura means “city”. So it’s often translated as the “city of jewels”, which helps us to metaphorically think of this chakra as our own personal treasure centre of power and well-being. It is also believed to have a magnetic effect, attracting prana (life force) from the universe to ourselves. Yogic teachings say that this chakra gives us clear sense of who we are and what our purpose is.
This chakra is associated with the natural element fire, and more broadly to the sun. Therefore, it makes sense that it’s colour is yellow.
Think of this chakra as your body’s energy power-house. This energy centre is associated with your self-esteem, sense of purpose, personal identity, individual will, metabolism and digestion (your inner fire). When consciousness moves freely in this centre, you are empowered by transformative energy (fire of transformation).
When Manipura is in balance, you will be comfortable with your own inherent power, and also, become empowered. You will have a sense of who you are and why you are here. When you connect with your purpose you gain a deeper understanding of who you as an individual can contribute to the collective in a beneficial way. You will let go of the things - whether it’s your job or bank account - that you depend on to define who you are. Those things may have value, but over-evaluating anything that is subject to change is a quick road to suffering. You have inherent value; take the time through practice to investigate it, and you will be less dependent on external sources of happiness.
When your third chakra is out of balance, digestive issues can arise. This misalignment can manifest in the physical body in a variety of ways, including improper processing of nutrients, constipation, irritable bowl syndrome, eating disorders, ulcers, diabetes, issues with pancreas, liver disease and diseases of the colon.
When you work with this chakra, you want to cultivate a willingness to gain insight into your understanding of power, individuality, and identification.
Are there areas of your life where you feel powerless?
How does this manifest?
Some of the mental signs you can have are difficulty of expression, quick to anger, aggressive behaviour, neediness, lack of direction, feeling afraid, lack of courage, poor self-esteem and feelings of stagnation.
How to balance Manipura
Again, there are many ways to balance the Solar Plexus Chakra:
Eat healthy, balanced meals will help you keep your digestive fire healthy.
Don’t overeat and don’t drink icy cold water.
Practice some pranayama exercises, such as Kapalbhati
Meditate on the colour yellow or on the following affirmation: “ I give myself permission to be my authentic self.”
Yoga Poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Dragon pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
Frog pose (Mandukasana)
Shoelace (Supta Gomukhasana)
Square pose (Agnistambhasana)
Yogi squat (Malasana)
Sleeping swan (Kapotasana II)
Toe squat (Vajrasana variation on toes)
For your knowledge:
Color: Yellow
Number of petals: 10
Element: Fire
Organ: Liver
4. Heart Chakra / Anahata
Anahata is situated on your spinal cord at the level of your heart.
Anahata is the Sanskrit name of Heart chakra. In sanskrit, it means “unhurt”, “unbeaten”, “unstruck”. It is the fourth primary chakra and serves as our centre of love for oneself and others, compassion, empathy and forgiveness. The anahata chakra is associated with unconditional love, compassion, and joy. It is the source of deep and profound truths that cannot be expressed in words. Anahata is a bridge between the lower and upper chakras integrating the manifest with the spiritual.
Anahata is associated with the element air. As a reminder, the first chakra is earth, steady and grounded; the second chakra is water, brings a fertile creativity; the third chakra is the “fire in the belly” required to transform that grounded creativity into positive action. Air disperses and integrates spiritual understanding of love, compassion, and connection to everything you encounter. Air, like love, is within and all around us. We can embody this element by keeping our heart centre open and our love free-flowing.
The anahata chakra is associated with the colour green, which represents transformation and love energy.
When the heart chakra is in healthy alignment you will feel surrounded by love, compassion, and joy and feel connected to the world around you. You will feel open to all experiences in life, and it will feel like challenges, especially in relationships, flow through you and are resolved with ease. An open heart chakra allows us to see all the beauty and love around us, and truly connect to ourselves, our loved ones, and the natural world. This chakra also helps direct love back to ourselves to truly be able to love and accept ourselves and our bodies.
If the heart chakra becomes blocked, you will notice the opposite, both physically, and mentally.
The heart chakra directly affects the heart, lungs, chest, arms, and hands. When misaligned, poor circulation, high or low blood pressure, and other heart and lung conditions can result. Issues that can occur in the body can also include infections of the lungs, bronchitis, and circulatory problems.
Blocked energy can also have a profound effect on the nature of our mind and mental state. Mentally, an imbalanced heart chakra can result in problematic issues, such as co-dependency, manipulative behaviours, feeling of unworthiness, and an inability to trust yourself or others.
Other signs your heart chakra may be blocked:
You may tend to isolate yourself excessively
You feel lonely
You hold grudges against people you love
You frequently feel jealous
You’re overly defensive
You have a fear of intimacy
You put yourself in the role of the rescuer or victim
You find it difficult to trust others
How to balance Anahata
There are many things you can do on and off the mat to balance this chakra:
Practice gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal, writing down three things a day you are grateful for.
Practice a loving kindness meditation.
Use rose quartz and other heart opening crystals.
Drink heart opening beverages like rose tea and cacao.
An affirmation to meditate with: “ I am worthy of the purest love.”
Yoga Poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Puppy pose (Anahatasana)
Banana pose (Bananasana)
Camel pose (Ustrasana)
Wheel pose (Chakrasana)
For your knowledge:
Color: Green
Number of petals: 12
Element: Air
Organ: Heart
5. Throat Chakra / Vishuddhi
The fifth chakra, Vishuddhi Chakra, is located at the base of the throat, at the center of the larynx. This is the reason why this chakra is also called the Throat Chakra. The energy element governed by this chakra is effective communication. It also represents inspiration and expression. Vishuddhi Chakra establishes a strong connection to both verbal and body language.
The Sanskrit word ‘vishuddhi’ means purifying the body from harmful substances. The Throat Chakra restores the energy by detoxifying the impurities from the body and mind. Unhealthy food and polluted air block the Throat Chakra. An active Vishuddhi Chakra contributes to the preservation of health.
The Throat Chakra is associated with the color bright blue. Blue energy is pure, soothing, calming, and healing and connects a person with the divine. The element of space defines the Throat Chakra. Emotions can only expand when there are space and freedom.
The element of Vishuddhi is space. Space opens the possibility of an expansion of perspective. It symbolizes the energy of seeking and speaking the truth. Vishuddhi also governs our internal communication with our true Self. When this chakra is balanced, we are able to listen to the guidance of pure energy and to understand others deeply and effectively.
When the energy of the Vishuddhi Chakra is imbalanced, communication breaks down. We refuse to listen to our inner Self and to others. Others are unable to understand us and feelings of loneliness surround us. The symptoms of a disturbed Throat Chakra are:
Hesitation in expressing emotions
Lacking the vocabulary to describe your feelings
A sense of feeling misunderstood by people around you
Aggressive behaviour
Use of negative words and actions
Since the Vishuddhi Chakra is connected to the throat, there are visible physical problems due to imbalances. A sore throat, fluctuations in hormone levels, and pain or stiffness in the neck area can be symptoms of a misaligned Throat Chakra.
How to balance Vishuddhi
Again, there are many ways to balance the Throat Chakra:
Mindful breathing presents a way to calm thoughts by focusing attention on the breath. While inhaling deeply, experience the flow of air passing smoothly to the lungs. While exhaling slowly, experience the release of all negative impurities blocking the body and mind.
Wear something blue. For example, you can wear a ring with a turquoise stone.
Do some neck stretches.
Meditate on the colour blue or on the following affirmation: “ I can express myself fully and confidently.”
Yoga Poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Puppy pose (Anahatasana)
Candle pose (Sarvangasana)
Camel pose (Ustrasana)
For your knowledge:
Color: Blue
Number of petals: 16
Element: Space
Organ: Lung
6. Third Eye Chakra - Ajna
Ajna is situated on your forehead between the eyebrows.
The third eye chakra is believed to be related to clarity, concentration, imagination, intuition, spiritual perception and universal connection. It can sometimes be referred to as our sixth sense and is believed by some to be linked to the pineal gland. However, there is no evidence that proves the existence of the third eye.
Some believe that the third eye is a window to the spiritual world and that the illusion of separation between self and spirit dissolves when the third eye connection is cultivated.
If your third eye chakra is blocked, you can have feelings of confusion, uncertainty, cynicism, lack of purpose and pessimism.
However, once your third eye chakra is balanced, you can benefit from:
Mental clarity
Improved concentration
Clear self-expression
Strengthened intuition
Sense of bliss
Decisiveness
Insight
The role of the third eye has also been discussed in parapsychology, or the study of unexplainable mental phenomena. Some believe that, when open, the third eye acts as a doorway for spiritual communication.
This is said to include:
telepathy
clairvoyance
lucid dreaming
astral projection
aura perception
Some traditions emphasise the need to open and harmonise all your other chakras prior to opening the third eye.
This is said to establish the grounding and capacity necessary to handle the insights of higher consciousness. Otherwise, some believe that opening the third eye could be destabilising.
How to balance Ajna
There are a few things you can do in order to balance this chakra:
Apply essential oils (jasmine, lemon or sandalwood) on your third eye
Watch the sunrise or sunset, the sun is a great source of power
Use crystals in the purple, indigo or violet colour palette (amethyst, purple sapphire, sodalite…)
Practice meditation and chanting
An affirmation to meditate with: “ I trust my intuition, always.”
Yoga Poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Any yin poses that are helping to wind down the central nervous system.
For your knowledge:
Color: Indigo
Number of petals: 2
Organ: Triple burner
7. Crown Chakra / Sahasrara
The final chakra, Sahasrara Chakra, is located on the crown area of the skull. It is the seventh and highest of the seven primary chakras. This wheel, or vortex, of pranic energy is said to be the centre of one’s spiritual connection to the divine and yogic teachings assert that it gives us the ability to experience a connection with God, or the universal Consciousness.
Meaning "thousand petaled," sahasrara is called that way because this chakra is said to be in the form of a lotus with 1,000 petals arranged in 20 layers.
In some yogic teachings, sahasrara is said to be located precisely four finger widths above the crown of the head, residing in the "plane of truth and reality."
When this chakra is balanced, it enables spiritual growth and one experiences connection with the higher or universal Consciousness. Also, one can feel deep serenity and joy because one is able to trust in the universe and live with gratitude and peace.
In Kundalini yoga, sahasrara is seen as the place where the Kundalini Shakti merges with Shiva, or where the individual consciousness meets the divine. It is said that this chakra is the point where immortality can be found. This is because when the Kundalini reaches the level of this chakra, illusions of one's self as an individual dissolves and one experiences samadhi, or pure bliss.
It is said that a person with a blocked crown chakra may experience unwillingness to be open to other ideas, thoughts, or knowledge. The signs such as psychosis, dissociation from the body, being disconnected and ungrounded are also manifested when the Crown Chakra is unbalanced.
How to balance Sahasrara
Here are some ways that help to balance the crown chakra:
The mantra associated with sahasrara is “om,” and chanting it is thought to be one of the ways to bring this chakra into balance.
Another way is to use violet gemstones or violet essential oils such as lavender.
Visualising a blooming lotus during meditation is also thought to help us connect with this chakra.
An affirmation you can meditate with: “I seek to understand and learn from my life experiences”.
Yoga poses that can help you balance this chakra:
Any yin poses that are helping to wind down the central nervous system.
For your knowledge:
Color: Purple
Number of petals: 1000
Organ: Triple burner