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Chakras 101

Your Friendly Familiar

A Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve attended yoga classes or participated in Reiki, tai chi, or acupuncture sessions, then you’ve probably heard of chakras, their importance, and how they can become “blocked” and need to be opened or balanced.  I must admit, I’ve heard people discuss chakras often but didn’t quite understand what they were exactly and what it all entailed.  So fear not, my friends!  I did a ton of research and tried to compile an in-depth coverage all about chakras for your quick, one-stop resource.  There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive right in and learn all we can!

Table of Contents

    History

    The notion of chakras has grown in popularity and are becoming more well-known in recent years due to the correlation in the rise of “New Age” philosophies/beliefs and yoga, in particular.  The idea of chakras originated in India and can be found as far back as 1500 – 1000 B.C. in the Vedas, or ancient sacred texts regarding spiritual knowledge of the time.  Chakras are energy centers.  The word “chakra” is an old Sanskrit word for “wheel” or “disk” and chakras are envisioned as either wheels or swirls that are located in specific parts of the body.  Chakras are connected to one another by prana, which can be described as a peripheral nervous system, the ultimate pure healing energy, or life force.  While it is said there are actually over a 100 chakra points (114, in fact!) in a person’s body, we tend to focus on 7 chakras that are located down the spine.  Each chakra holds a specific, vital life force and by keeping them all balanced, aligned, and open, we can lead healthy lives physically, mentally, and spiritually.  So let’s have some fun learning more about the 7 specific chakras together, friends, for there is a lot more to cover!

    The 7 Chakras

    There are 7 chakras that are referred to as their location (root, throat, heart, etc.).  Each chakra has a specific location, purpose/representation, color, element, associated crystals and essential oils, sounds (which happen to be the vowels found in Sanskrit), and more.  I’m so excited to go over these and I hope you find it enjoyable to learn as much as I enjoyed learning about them and sharing them with you, my friends!

    Root Chakra (Muladhara)

    The red Root Chakra is located at the base of your spine and represents your life foundation.  It provides you a solid grounding with a sense of security, stability, and support so you can overcome life challenges.  It involves your basic survival needs, such as food, water, and shelter.  But it also supports basic emotional needs such as feeling safe and being able to overcome fear.  Below is the chart for further information:

    Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)

    The orange Sacral Chakra is located around your belly button or just below your navel.  It governs your sexual energy, passions, emotions, creativity, and overall pleasure.  Not only that, but it also plays a role on how you relate to your own personal emotions along with other people’s emotions.  Below is a chart that further explores this chakra point:

    Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

    The yellow Solar Plexus Chakra is found in your stomach area.  It houses your self-esteem, individual power, and confidence.  It also assists you with feeling in control of your life in that it governs your willpower, inner strength, and commitment.  In the chart below you will find this information about this chakra point plus more I didn’t have time to go further in detail:

    Heart Chakra (Anahata)

    The green (or pink) Heart Chakra is housed, well, where your heart is located.  Thus, it’s not too surprising to learn that is represents your ability to love and express compassion.  It’s also a special chakra point because it connects your lower, more physical three chakras (root, sacral, solar plexus) to your higher, spiritual three chakras (throat, third-eye, crown).  Being this bridge between the two groups of chakras, the Heart Chakra also expresses your ability to forgive, serve others, and have spiritual awareness.  You can find further details about this special chakra here:

    Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

    The blue (or light blue/turquoise) Throat Chakra is located in, well, where the name suggests.  It governs communication, especially one’s ability to verbally communicate.   Of course, it’s not so straightforward as being able to talk.  It’s more about being able to express your inner truth effectively.  Check out the chart below for more fun, detailed information about the Throat Chakra:

    Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)

    Your indigo (or dark blue or purple) Third-Eye Chakra can be found right in between your eyebrows in the center of your forehead.  It’s a subtle center of energy for your sixth sense.  It governs your intuition, imagination, intelligence, or your gut instinct.  It also represents the connection between you and the outer world in that it guides you through life drama or illusions that may block you from seeing the bigger picture with clear vision.  You can learn more fun details about the Third-Eye Chakra here:

    Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

    Your violet (or purple or white) Crown Chakra is found on the top of your head, where your crown lies.  It is your highest spiritual connection and consciousness between yourself, other people, and the universe itself.  It can be thought of the enlightenment center and guides your connection to the divine and plays a role in your life’s purpose.  Have some fun going through the chart below which goes over this special chakra point:

    Imbalanced Chakras

    Most of the time you may hear that one or more of your chakras or blocked.  Some people prefer to refer to chakras as becoming “imbalanced” as opposed to blocked.  That’s because chakras can be either low in energy (blocked) or overreactive (too open).  Depending on the chakra and how it is imbalanced, it can lead to different outcomes.  For example, if a specific chakra point is blocked or underactive, one may struggle expressing characteristics about that chakra.  On the other hand, if a specific chakra is too open or overactive, that chakra’s specific qualities become very dominant in that person.  It’s important to note that many believe that an imbalanced chakra can lead to both mental/emotional and physical symptoms.  This goes back to the idea of the mind and the body being connected.  As a result, if a particular chakra is blocked or too open, one may experience certain symptoms mentally/emotionally in the mind/heart as well as physically in the body.  Therefore, it’s important to take note of any symptoms you may be experiencing both psychologically and physiologically because it can provide information as to the root cause (or the underlying chakra) that may need to be addressed.  Below I made a slideshow of charts that explores each chakra and how it appears when it is both balanced/harmonized and imbalanced (both underactive and overactive).  Have some fun exploring and see if any of these applies to you!

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    Balancing Your Chakras

    If a chakra is too open or too blocked/restricted, it impacts the other chakras.  So by balancing them, you are harmonizing the whole energy system.  There are many ways to balance chakras.  For this post, I’ll go over mediation and yoga, the most popular forms of cleansing and balancing.  But I’ll also go over other ways you can balance your chakras if meditation and yoga aren’t exactly your thing.  So let’s have some fun exploring and learning!

    Meditation

    Meditation is arguably the most effective way to bring your chakras into balance.  There are many ways one can meditate, so don’t worry.  Also, if you’re a beginner, I listed 3 steps with some guided visualization to help you get started.  Once you practice enough, you’ll be able to go through these steps easily on your own without direct guidance.  So let’s try meditating together, shall we?!

    Step 1: Get into a comfortable position.  Some people do a traditional position of sitting on the floor or on a pillow with crossed, lotus legs and a straight back.  But you can sit relaxed in a chair if you prefer.  Some people do meditation sessions while lying down on their back on the floor or on the couch/bed (but try not to fall asleep!).  The point is to stay comfortable, so you are not experiencing discomfort or pain.  Once you feel relaxed and ready, start some mindful contemplation.

    Step 2: Close your eyes, take slow, deep breaths, and think about your chakra(s) that you wish to balance.  If you wish to balance all your chakras, start from the Root Chakra.  You can sit in silence, or some people may slowly chant the Root Chakra’s sound, “Ohhhh.”  Think about its color, it swirling/glowing in the base of your spine and feel it radiating its energy evenly in your body.  After some moments, when you’re ready, move on to the next chakra (Sacral Chakra) and follow the same steps.  Do this for each chakra, taking the time to focus on each one’s properties.  If you wish to balance a particular chakra(s) that is imbalanced, merely focus on that chakra with the same visualization suggestions for however long you deem right.

    Step 3: Finish with final visualization and thought.  When you finish the last, Crown Chakra (or when you’re ready to wrap up your session on your specific chakra(s)), visualize all the chakra points glowing at the same time in balanced harmony.  Feel the rainbow of even energy glow and radiate throughout your body.  Have that rainbow color slowly change into a warm, bright white light that encompasses you.  Instead of chakra sounds, chant out loud or in your mind a positive affirmation that has special importance to you and fits with your meditation session.  Some examples include: “I am a peace.”  “I am ok/enough/loved.”  “The Universe/God/a higher power is here to guide me.”  “The possibilities are limitless.”  After some time, when you are ready, slowly open your eyes and reorient yourself out from your meditative state.  

    NOTE: People often associate with meditation as having zero thoughts and experiencing “nothingness.”  That is true, but meditations can also have you think about specific things to bring you inner peace and balance.  So don’t push yourself into thinking “nothing,” for that is very difficult that even meditation masters struggle with from time to time.  Instead, take note of any distracting thoughts and gently let them go without lingering on them.  Go back to your meditative state.  Also, meditation takes some practice and patience, so don’t worry if you find yourself easily distracted or fidgety.  If you try your best, you are sure to experience its benefits in time!

    TIPS: You can personalize your meditation sessions to maximize its potential benefits or your ability to get in touch with your chakra cleansing.  For example, you can use essential oils to have specific scents of chakras you wish to balance.  You can also use crystals that are associated with chakras.  For example, if you’re meditating on the Heart Chakra, you can hold a piece of rose quartz or jade in your hand as you do so.  If you’re lying down on your back, you can place associated crystals on your body where the chakra is located.  For example, you can place a piece of garnet where the base of spine would be for the Root Chakra, place a piece of sunstone just higher than that on your body where your Sacral Chakra lies, etc.  Try things out that seem interesting to you and see if it works!

    Yoga

    Doing yoga is a popular and effective way to balance chakras.  There are even specific yoga poses you can do if you wish to open or fine-tune specific chakra energies.  You can easily look up these yoga poses online for further details.  Look below and see if you’d be interested in trying them!

    Other Ways to Balance Chakras

    Of course, meditations and yoga are popular ways to cleanse your chakras.  But there are other ways to harmonize your chakras!  For example, some do sound therapy, go out to reconnect with nature, or use a chakra’s stones or essential oils.  Below is a big chart to give you some ideas you can try if there’s a particular chakra you’d like to try balancing without necessarily doing meditation or yoga. Sorry if the font is too small, I think you should be able to click on it and zoom in as needed!

    Wow!  We sure covered a lot together, huh?  And to think, there is actually a whole lot more behind chakras that I wasn’t able to cover!  So what are your thoughts?  Have you heard of chakras before and believe in their importance or abilities?  Please share your thoughts for I would love to hear from you all!  I hope you all have a splendid rest of your day, friends!

    “Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life.  It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.”

    – Thomas Kinkade

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