Chakras

Chakras are a complex and ancient energy systems that originated in India. They were mentioned in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts of spiritual knowledge, dating from 1500 BC to 1000 BC.

In Sanskrit, the word “Chakra” means “Disc” or “Wheel” and refers to the energy centers in your body. These wheels or disks of spinning energy each correspond to certain nerve bundles and major organs along with certain emotions.

To function at their best, your chakras need to stay open, or balanced. If they get blocked, you may experience physical or emotional symptoms related to a particular chakra.

There are 7 main chakras that run along your spine. They start at the root, or base of your spine, and extend to the crown of your head. That said, it is believed the we have at least 114 different chakras in the body.

Blockages in the Chakras

In general, the location of the chakras that is out of balance may affect the parts of the body in close proximity to that chakra. This includes organs, bones, joints, and tissues near that area. Psychologically, imbalances in the chakras may cause an emotional imbalance too. This may lead to increased anger, sadness, depression, fear or indecisiveness, amongst other types of mental and emotional issues.

Unblocking the Chakras

A great way to maintain balance in the chakras are by aligning the mind, body and emotions through the following:

• Yoga postures (daily practice helps to maintain balance)
• Breathing practices to encourage the flow of energy
• Shadow work
• Meditation
• Mudras (minimum 20 minutes)
• Sound via singing bowls and gongs, or vocals

Root Chakra – Muladhara

• Location: Root Chakra is based at the base of the spine, or in the tailbone area.

• Colour: Red

• Element: Earth

• Affects: Physical Identity, Stability, Grounding, Security, Foundation

• Blockages can cause: Insecurity about finances, basic needs and/or well being, anxiety, fear, fear of illness and death, unrooted, arthritis, constipation, bladder or colon problems.

• Yoga Pose: Tree Pose or any balancing poses, like Mountain or Warrior poses are great for establishing a stronger relationship with your body’s foundation.

• Mudra: Muladhara Mudra

• Sound: LAM (l-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-m)

• Healing: Connect with nature, join groups or people that foster belonging, walking / jogging / running.

• Crystals: Blood stone, Tigers eye, Hematite, Fire agate, Black tourmaline

Sacral Chakra – Svadhistana

• Location: Just below the belly button, just above the pubic bone.

• Colour: Orange

• Element: Water

• Affects: Sexuality, Pleasure, Creativity

• Blockages can cause: Feelings of low self-worth especially around pleasure, sexuality, and creativity, trust issues, sense of loneliness, doubting the ability to attract love, sexual dysfunction, abuse in relationships, lack of life passion, parenting problems, urinary tract infections, lower back pain, impotency.

• Yoga Pose: Bridge pose or deep hip openers like Pigeon pose or Lizard pose are great for strengthening your sacral chakra.

• Mudra: Shakti Mudra

• Sound: VAM (v-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-m)

• Healing: Recognise and respond to wounded Inner-Child, uncover and heal painful memories of neglect, learn to forgive, release blame & guilt.

• Crystals: Citrine, Carnelian, Moonstone, Coral

Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura

• Location: The upper abdomen, in the Stomach area.

• Colour: Yellow

• Element: Fire

• Affects: Confidence, Self – esteem, feeling of being in control of your life, Will-power, Personal Responsibility.

• Blockages can cause: Low to no Self-confidence, sense of unworthiness & guilt, feeling of being disempowered, victimised, lacks sense of purpose, may develop control issues, manipulative behaviour.

• Yoga Pose: Core strengthening poses such as Boat pose or Triangle pose.

• Mudra: Rudra Mudra

• Sound: RAM (r-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-m)

• Healing: Identify and respond compassionately to our own painful stories, using Love to heal fears, awareness to co-creating with the divine instills sense of power.

• Crystals: Malachite, Calcite, Citrine

Heart Chakra – Anahata

• Location: The center of the chest, Just above the heart

• Colour: Green (or Pink)

• Element: Air

• Affects: Love, Compassion

• Blockages can cause: Lacks compassion, fear of loving, stinginess, anger, hatred, diminishes our ability to connect & love others and ourselves, loneliness, insecurity, isolation, putting others before our own needs, heart problems, asthma, weight issues. Blockages in the lower chakras will also block the heart chakra.

• Yoga Pose: Camel Pose or Wheel pose, Cow face pose and Humble warrior pose help to open the heart chakra as well as the chest, shoulder and arms to be able to fully embrace others.

• Mudra: Padma Mudra

• Sound: YAM (y-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-m)

• Healing: Heal your Lower chakras, heal the wounds from the past and childhood, learn to love your Shadow side (shadow work), forgive all who may have hurt you mentally- physically- emotionally, forgive yourself for feeling these feelings for so long, ask for forgiveness from others whom you may have hurt knowingly or unknowingly.

• Crystals: Rose quartz, Jade, Green calcite, Green tourmaline

Throat Chakra – Vishuddha

• Location: The throat

• Colour: Blue

• Element: Sound / Life

• Affects: Communication

• Blockages can cause: communication trouble, voice & throat problems, shyness, being withdrawn, arrogance, issues with teeth, gums, and mouth, dominating conversations, speaking without thinking, gossiping, having trouble to speak what’s in your mind/heart, living with chronic fear.

• Yoga Pose: Plow pose and Fish pose are great for the front and back of the neck, where the throat chakra resides.

• Mudra: Granthita Mudra

• Sound: HAM (h-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-m)

• Healing: Find your own truth, reclaim ability to express yourself, give permission to yourself to cry, voice your fears, share your stories, engage in active listening, meditate, sing, express Love & compassion towards yourself and others.

• Crystals: Lapis lazuli, Turquoise, Aquamarine

Third Eye Chakra – Ajna (Brow chakra)

• Location: Between the eyes, on the forehead

• Colour: Indigo

• Element: Time / Light

• Affects: Intuition, Imagination

• Blockages can cause: Doubt our own knowing & sense of self, confusion, negative beliefs, lack of direction, irresponsibility, mental rigidity, sometimes seem to know-it-all, attention problem, cut off from emotions, headaches, issue with sight & concentration, hearing problems.

• Yoga Pose: Poses that involve getting the upper body intimately connected with the lower body. Forward fold and Folded eagle poses are great for the third eye.

• Mudra: Mudra of the Great hand

• Sound: OM (a-a-a-a-u-u-u-u-m)

• Healing: Develop inner awareness, look for symbolic importance life behind events and people, record & analyse dreams, practice detachment in general, surrender judgement.

• Crystals: Amethyst, Purple fluorite, Black obsidian

Crown Chakra – Sahasrara

• Location: Top of the head

• Colour: Violet or White

• Element: Space / Thought

• Affects: Awareness, Intelligence

• Blockages can cause: Being narrow minded, cynicism, skepticism, stubborn, distracted, overwhelmed with difficulties, loss of faith, depression, clouded judgment, feeling existential angst, Dark night of the Soul, falsely identify with finite world, materialistic, can affect any organs as well as the brain and nervous system.

• Yoga Pose: Savasana or Corpse pose helps to onnect yourself with your Soul.

• Mudra: Mudra of the Thousand petals

• Sound: OM (a-a-a-a-u-u-u-u-m)

• Healing: Surrender to Divine Love, Commitment to spiritual practice, Prayer, Meditation, Yoga, chakra cleansing activities, Dancing.

• Crystals: Selenite, Clear quartz, Amethyst, Diamond