Imagine that your body has a circuit network. In the physical body, this circuit network is made up of arteries, veins, nerves, and the organs they are connected to.
According to the yogis of ancient times, in addition to the circuit network in the physical body, there is a subtle body, or energy body, that you can’t see or touch. This is where all the life-force energy flows. The circuit network in the subtle body is made up of chakras (energy centers) and channels.
Topics covered:
- What are chakras, and why are they important?
- What is the chakra system?
- Why are chakras important?
- How do chakras affect your health and well-being?
- The 7 Chakras: Symbols, symptoms, and effects
- Chakra infographic
- 1. Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra
- 2. Svadhishthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra
- 3. Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra
- 4. Anahata Chakra – Heart Chakra
- 5. Vishuddha Chakra – Throat Chakra
- 6. Ajna Chakra – Third Eye Chakra
- 7. Sahasrara Chakra – Crown Chakra
- How to tell if your chakras are stuck
- How to balance your chakras: Beginner's guide to chakra meditation and affirmations
- Chakra meditation
- Affirmations for energy healing
- The connection between yoga and chakras: Balancing your energy centers
- Understanding the chakras through the lens of yoga
- Balancing the chakras with yoga
- Muladhara (Root Chakra)
- Svadhisthana (Sacral or Pelvic Chakra)
- Manipura (Navel Chakraor Solar Plexus Chakra)
- Anahata (Heart Chakra)
- Vishuddha (Throat Chakra)
- Anja (Third-Eye Chakra)
- Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)
- The science behind chakras: How they influence your health and well-being
- What are chakras, and how do they work?
- The connection between chakras and your nervous system
- The benefits of balancing your chakras
- How to clear stuck chakras with the Art of Living
What are chakras, and why are they important?
One part of this ancient philosophy is Kundalini energy. Kunda means ‘pot’ in Sanskrit (the ancient language of yoga). The body is like a pot, and the energy in the body is called the kundalini shakti (kundalini energy). In ancient times, artists portrayed this subtle energy as a coiled serpent. The coiled serpent conveys the resting or dormant state of the kundalini shakti. It sits at the base of your spine, at your root chakra.
When this energy is awakened and rises, life becomes more and more of a celebration. The entire world appears more beautiful and wonderful when the power of consciousness gets awakened within you.
What is the chakra system?
Before we go any further, what does “chakra” mean? Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel or circular. The chakras correspond to the nerve centers or nerve plexuses in the physical body; a chakra is simply an energy center or reservoir. It is believed that the human body actually has 109 total chakras, but seven energy centers are of primary importance. These are the seven main chakras you’ve likely heard of.
All these energy centers are connected through channels, subtle energy pathways through which life force energy flows freely. It is similar to how roads meet at an intersection with cars flowing in and out. You can think of chakras as the intersection (the convergence point), while the channels are the roads, and the life-force energy is the cars.
Why are chakras important?
When the subtle lifeforce energy isn’t flowing properly, your physical health can deteriorate while also having a negative impact on your mental health.
This can feel like your chakras are blocked, though it is really the downward flow of the energy. The good news is that you can influence the flow of energy to improve your overall health. Keep reading to learn more.
How do chakras affect your health and well-being?
Whenever you are experiencing health issues or a negative mindset, there are things you can do to generate an upward movement of this energy and begin to feel better. Here’s a list of what to do and what not to do in order to facilitate the energy flow in an upward direction.
Do this to reverse a downward flow of energy and encourage an upward flow of energy
☐ Avoid eating meats, canned, processed, or leftover foods.
☐ Eat more high prana foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, especially sprouted foods and hard shell squashes.
☐ Avoid watching too much TV or playing video games for an extended period of time.
☐ Attend live musical or inspirational performances.
☐ Don’t oversleep, but also be sure to get enough sleep.
☐ Spend time in nature and in silence.
☐ Meditate and practice breathing exercises like bellows breath and bee breath.
The 7 Chakras: Location, colors, symbols, and effects
The ancient sages described each of the seven chakras as a lotus or different flowers. This is because when you go deeper in meditation, the consciousness becomes very subtle, alive, and fresh, like a flower. In such a delicate state of consciousness, you experience the rise of energy in the system. Lightness is connected with subtlety and positive expressions. Grossness is connected with inertia and negative sensations. Let’s look at the subtleties and gross expressions of the seven chakras.
1. Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra
Location: Base of the spine
Associated color: Red
Symbol: The root chakra is depicted with a four-petaled lotus flower representing the elements: earth, water, fire, and air. In the center of the lotus, there is a square and an inverted triangle, the foundation and the root, which connects us to the earth.
Keyword: Enthusiasm
Element: Earth
Upward effects: When you have a balanced root chakra, and the energy is flowing upward, you experience a feeling of enthusiasm, dynamism, and liveliness. This energy supports and enlivens our lives.
Downward effects: When the energy is moving downward toward the root chakra, we feel inertia, dullness, and stuck. Without enthusiasm, life can become meaningless, boring, and stagnant. Physical symptoms could include constipation and illnesses that result in little to no energy, while mental symptoms are connected to depression and insecurity.
2. Svadhishthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra
Location: Behind the genitals
Associated color: Orange
Keyword: Creativity
Symbol: The symbol for the sacral chakra is a six-petalled lotus representing the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. The crescent moon in the center reminds us of the connection we have with the moon and its influence on the water element.
Element: The sacral chakra is connected with the water element. The maximum amount of water resides around the sacral chakra in the bladder region.
Upward effects: When the life-force energy moves upwards to the second chakra, it manifests as procreation, creative energy, and sexual energy. You can kindle this energy through art, writing, dancing, or other forms of creative expression.
Downward effects: When energy flows downwards, this is reversed. You may feel uncreative, uninspired, and don’t feel like doing much of anything. This can flip into lust and an obsession with sex. Physical symptoms could include infections in the bladder or reproductive organs.
3. Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: Navel region
Associated color: Yellow
Keyword: Giving
Symbol: The solar plexus chakra energy is depicted by a ten-petaled flower representing the ten pranas that converge in the naval region.
Element: The solar plexus chakra is connected with the fire element. The digestive fire present in the belly region here helps with digestion.
Upward effects: When the energy is flowing upwards through the Manipura chakra, it manifests as joy and generosity. Generosity and joy are often symbolized as having a big belly. Santa Claus and the Laughing Buddha— they both have big bellies!
Downward effects: The same energy moves downwards to the solar plexus chakra in the navel region and manifests in jealousy or greed. When people feel jealous, they feel some sensation in the stomach region. Issues on the physical level could include the inability to break down food properly and other digestive imbalances.
4. Anahata Chakra – Heart Chakra
Location: Heart or chest region
Associated color: Green
Keyword: Love
Element: The heart chakra is the fourth chakra and is connected with the air element. The greatest proportion of air in the body is in the lungs, in the chest region around the Anahata chakra.
Symbol: Artists depict the heart chakra as having twelve petals. Though traditions vary in their interpretation of these twelve petals, all stem from either love, fear, or hate.
Upward effects: From the navel region, the energy moves upwards to the heart chakra, where it manifests as love.
Downward effects: When energy flows downward, it manifests as fear or hate. Issues affecting the mind and body could include not being able to recover from a broken heart.
