Many people associate the word “chakras” with Hinduism as the word chakra originated from India. In Sanskrit, the word chakra means “Spinning Energy Vortex”; and these energy vortices receive, give and express our vital life energy. If you are feeling unwell, it could be that one or more of your chakras are unbalanced. Therefore, understanding your chakras is beyond religion or culture.
The Location Of Our Chakras
These energy vortices are located along our spinal cord - beginning from our tail bone and ending at the crown (or top) of your head.
The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerves that connects our brain to our entire body. Our spinal cord contains many neural circuits that control our reflexes, and sends information down from our brain to the rest of our body. In other words, the Chakra centers are where the main nerves ‘meet’; a cross-road of nerves – hence any form of disturbance in our chakras will cause our nervous system and our body to feel unwell.
Our bodies have seven main chakras. If the chakras are ‘open and balanced’, they are considered operating well and the body, mind and soul of a person is well and happy. Closed and unbalanced chakras may cause emotional imbalances manifesting as anger, impatience or insecurity etc.
Importance Of Chakras
Each chakra in our body plays a very important role in our well-being. As our body acts as one, any imbalance in one chakra will act on another chakra. These imbalances besides causing emotional imbalances, may lead to a physical manifestation as an illness.
In order to live a healthy, happy, abundant and peaceful life, we must be:
- emotionally balanced
- feel secure
- physically healthy, free of any dis-ease
- feel abundant
- happy in our relationships with everyone.
Hence, as the chakras act as the main pilot of our central energy and nervous system; opening and balancing our chakras are important in maintaining a healthy, happy, abundant and peaceful life.
Types of Chakras
1. Root Chakra - Muladhara Chakra
The root chakra is all about security, survival and being physically present. It is represented by the colour red. Also called the base chakra, it is located at the base of the spine (tail bone region). The root chakra is responsible for the ‘Fight or Flight’ survival response. As the survival and security chakra, it governs your sense of stability, security and self-identity. If open and balanced, you will feel secure, stable and emotionally grounded. If closed and unbalanced or overactive, you will feel distrustful, greedy and obsessed with material things.
2. Sacral Chakra - Svadhishthana Chakra
The sacral chakra is all about feelings, self-identity and sexuality. It is represented by the colour orange. This is located at the reproductive organs region, about 3 inches above the root chakra. This sacral chakra is said to be related to the reproductive system and adrenals in your body. If open and balanced, you will feel free, expressive, joyful and passionate. You have abundant energy, and you are able to express yourself without being over-emotional. You are open to intimacy. If closed and unbalanced, you may be unemotional, unwilling to feel your emotions, possessive, emotionally attached easily and over-sexual.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra - Manipura Chakra
The solar plexus chakra is all about confidence, strength and personal power. It is represented by the colour yellow. This is located at the navel region and is said to govern the metabolic and digestive systems. Being the power-center of a person, if open and balanced, you are able to assert yourself confidently and possess sufficient self-esteem. If closed and unbalanced, you may feel indecisive, weak, bullied, or over-domineering and even aggressive.
4. Heart Chakra - Anahata Chakra
The heart chakra is all about love, self-love, compassion and affection. It is represented by the colour green. This is located at the chest region and is said to govern the immune, respiratory and thymus systems. Being the love-center of a person, if open and balanced, you feel compassionate, tender, and have unconditional love for all. If your heart chakra is closed and unbalanced, you may feel distant and cold, unable to love, or love with conditions or suffocate people with your love. As this chakra is part of the higher chakra system, it is spiritually important for this chakra to be open and balanced to realise one’s true spiritual nature.
5. Throat Chakra - Vishuddha Chakra
The throat chakra is all about self-expression, communicating with truth and speaking up. It is represented by the colour sky blue. This is located at the base of your throat and is said to govern the thyroid system. If your throat chakra is open and balanced, you speak your truth and express yourself well. You will also be able to think clearly. If your throat chakra is closed and unbalanced, you tend to be over-introverted, can’t speak up or speak too much, and may be a bad listener. Speaking and expressing oneself is important, but more important is speaking with compassion. Hence, this chakra needs to work well with the heart chakra to be kind and communicate lovingly.
6. Third Eye Chakra - Ajna Chakra
The third eye chakra is all about seeing the truth, insight and clear intuitive vision. It is represented by the colour indigo or dark blue. This is located in the middle of your eyebrows and is also said to be associated to the pineal gland. If your third eye chakra is open and balanced, you will have good intuition, think independently and understand life with clarity. You are able to balance the human aspects and spiritual aspects of your life. If your third eye chakra is closed and unbalanced, you will be rigid in your thinking, narrow-minded, resist change and confused. If it is over-active, you may day-dream excessively. This chakra bridges your humanity and survival as a human being with the spiritual side of you.
7. Crown Chakra - Sahastrara Chakra
The crown chakra is all about your connection with the Divine – source of it all and pure consciousness. It is represented by the colour violet. This is located at the top of your head and is said to govern the entire flow of the central nervous system. If your crown chakra is open and balanced, you experience a deep understanding of life, experience ‘Oneness’, possess deep wisdom and are very aware of yourself. When you are connected to the universal wisdom, you may get inspiration that can help you in your actions. If your crown chakra is closed and unbalanced, you will be over-thinking and over-analyzing, or too addicted to spirituality and ignore your physical body needs.
Balancing Your Chakras
If the chakras are balanced, this means that the body, mind and soul of a person is well and happy. It is important to clear and balance your chakras, as energy build-up can cause imbalances in your health as well as your emotions. Clearing and balancing your chakras is as easy as ABC.
Step A: Find The Right Environment
Finding the right environment to balance your chakras is very important. It is difficult to do so in a busy street, in the office or when driving.
This is because balancing your chakras is a ‘sacred’ act where you connect with your body, with your soul and with the Universe, to be at peace. You can do your chakra balancing either indoors or outdoors.
Indoors: Keep a sacred space in your home. This may be a small corner in your bedroom, or a special room in the home where you do your energy work. The energy of this space must be clean and peaceful. One can clean a space through opening the windows and burning sandalwood or frankincense incense. This offering to the space will assist in your intention.
Put a comfortable cushion on the floor, and burn a few candles to set the mood. Essential oils also help. Blue lotus oil or frankincense oil helps to slow your thoughts and keep you heart centered. Playing soothing meditation music or a chakra cleansing CD in the background, like “Tibetan Chakra Meditations CD” by Christa Michell & Ben Scott, can be extremely helpful to induce the appropriate energies. Sit cross-legged comfortably, in a semi-lotus position.
Outdoors: Being with Mother Nature is the easiest way to balance your chakras, as nature’s energy is extremely calming and grounding. Just being outdoors will calm you. Nature's energy, having a higher negative ion count than that in the city, will soothe you.
Nature has a beautiful way of moving its energy into your system and assisting you in connecting with your heart. You will find it easy to be yourself with few thoughts or worries, because Gaia has actually been contracted to assist humankind in our spiritual path.
Breathe in deeply, the light and clean air and revel in the fact that you are alive and thriving. Thank Mother Nature for this wonderful safe space where you will do your chakra cleansing. Give this sacred space in nature your gratitude and you will receive bountiful love in return.
Step B: Focus On Balancing Your Chakras
(i) Take three deep breaths and with each breath; bring your focus to the way your chest rises and falls with each breath.
(ii) Give clear intent to balance and clear each chakra to its wondrous original state. As you give this intent, say words of gratitude to the Universe and the space for helping you.
(iii) Focus on the lowest chakra first; moving your way up.
(iv) Start with the Root chakra (red). Visualize a strong ray of white light coming in from the Divine to the top of your head and spilling down all the way to your Root chakra (red). Allow this white light to completely cover your Root chakra, cleansing it completely.
If the chakra feels off-balance; looks wobbly or the size is too big or too small, adjust the size of the chakra with the white light. Give intent to the chakra size to return to its original state. Next, visualize the white light cleansing it completely to its vibrant red.
If there are black spots or grey areas, allow the brilliant light to cleanse it. Once you feel and see that it is balanced and aligned with your spinal cord; give thanks and move towards balancing your next chakra.
(v) Now focus on your Sacral chakra (orange). Again, visualize a strong ray of white light coming from the Divine to the top of your head and spilling down all the way to your Sacral chakra (orange). Allow this white light to completely cover your Sacral chakra, cleansing it completely.
Focus all your attention on bringing the chakra size to its original state and at the center of your spinal cord.
Next, continue to visualize the white light pouring onto and around your Sacral chakra to cleanse it. Continue until you see it return to its original Sacral chakra size, vibrant in orange.
(vi) Bring your attention towards your Solar Plexus chakra (yellow). Repeat step (iv) until balanced.
(vii) Next, continue and repeat the same process all the way upwards in sequence from your Heart chakra (green), Throat chakra (blue), Third Eye chakra (indigo) until you reach the Crown chakra (violet purple). Once it is all balanced, take three deep breaths.
Step C: Giving Gratitude
After completing the cleansing process, lastly visualize a white big ball of light covering your entire body. This white light will act as a protection and keep your calm state for a longer period of time.
Now start gently tapping various parts of your body, for example, your arms, torso and legs to bring yourself back to the present.
When you are ready, open your eyes. Remember to thank Mother Nature and the sacred space where you have done this beautiful process in. Also, give deep thanks to all your guardian angels and guides for assisting you on this journey towards inner peace.
Your chakras need to be balanced at least once a week for you to maintain a centered state of body, mind and soul. By giving yourself these few precious minutes every week, you will find that your heart feels lighter and your emotions calmer.
May you be enlightened and have a clearer path ahead of you.
Namaste.
This article was first published in volume 1 & 2 of bodymindsoul Magazine.
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