Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning spinning wheel. These are a system of seven energy centre's located along your spine. Each chakra corresponds to an area of your body, a set of behavioural characteristics and stages of spiritual growth.
You’ve possibly heard them mentioned in yoga class. You’ve almost definitely heard the “New Age” character on TV or in a movie talk about someone’s chakras being blocked. Maybe someone’s even given you the advice that you should work on a specific chakra. But that doesn’t mean you know what they are. Rest assured: You are not alone.
There are seven chakras, each associated with a different part of your body along your spine from the perineum to the crown of your head. Each chakra is associated with a particular body location, a colour, a central emotional/behavioural issue, as well as many other personal aspects including identity, goals, rights, etc.
The seven chakras are:
✨ Muladhara (Root) - Located at the base of your spine . A blocked root chakra can manifest as physical issues like arthritis, constipation, and bladder or colon problems, or emotionally through feeling insecure about finances or your basic needs and well-being. When it’s in alignment and open, you will feel grounded and secure, both physically and emotionally.
✨ Svadhisthana (Sacral) - Located in your abdomen, genitals, lower back/hip . Issues with this chakra can be seen via problems with the associated organs, like urinary tract infections, lower back pain, and impotency. Emotionally, this chakra is connected to your feelings of self-worth, and even more specifically, your self-worth around pleasure, sexuality, and creativity.
✨ Manipura- (Solar Plexus) - Located in your upper abdomen, and your stomach area. Blockages in your solar plexus are often experienced through digestive issues like ulcers, heartburn, eating disorders, and indigestion. It’s the chakra of your personal power. This means it’s related to your self-esteem and self-confidence.
✨ Anahata- (Heart) - Located in the centre of your chest, just above your heart. Blocks in your heart chakra can manifest in your physical health through heart problems, asthma, and weight issues. But blocks are often seen even more clearly through people’s actions.
People with heart chakra blocks often put others first, to their own detriment. It’s the middle of the seven chakras, so it bridges the gap between your upper and lower chakras, and it also represents your ability to love and connect to others. When out of alignment, it can make you feel lonely, insecure, and isolated.
✨ Vishuddha- (Throat ) - Located in your throat. As one would expect, this chakra is connected to our ability to communicate verbally. Voice and throat problems as well as any problems with everything surrounding that area, such as the teeth, gums, and mouth, can indicate a blockage. Blocks or misalignment can also be seen through dominating conversations, gossiping, speaking without thinking, and having trouble speaking your mind. When in alignment, you will speak and listen with compassion and feel confident when you speak because you know you are being true to yourself with your words.
✨ Ajna- (Third eye) - Located between your eyes. Since this chakra is physically located on your head, blockages can manifest as headaches, issues with sight or concentration, and hearing problems. People who have trouble listening to reality (who seem to “know it all”) or who are not in touch with their intuition may also have a block. When open and in alignment, it’s thought that people will follow their intuition and be able to see the big picture.
✨ Sahasrara- (Crown) - Located on the top of your head and your cerebral cortex. Your crown chakra is linked to every other chakra (and therefore every organ in this system), and so it affects not just all of those organs, but also your brain and nervous system. It is considered the chakra of enlightenment and represents your connection to your life’s purpose and spirituality. Those with a blocked crown chakra may seem narrow-minded, sceptical, or stubborn. When this chakra is open, it is thought to help keep all the other chakras open and to bring the person bliss and enlightenment.
As these are all energetic centres of your body that correspond to feelings, one of them probably resonated with you as you were reading. A different one may resonate with you tomorrow. It’s likely that one resonates with you more than any others as a continuous problem, a chakra where you often deal with blocks. Other blockages may pop up every now and then. In the chakra system, these patterns have specific terms and there are recommended treatments.
When the chakras are balanced and spinning effortlessly, life is beautiful. You experience a sense of fullness in all aspects – emotional, mental and physical; mind, body and soul. Your relationships, conversations, actions, goals and interests just flow.
A balanced chakra system can be thought of as refreshing water running down a stream, gently caressing everything it meets, and continuing down its journey with ease, grace and fluidity.
When the chakras are misaligned – one being overactive and another being under-active – life can be challenging. This misalignment might not be apparent on the surface, but delve down a layer or two and you’ll quickly notice where your work lies.
This is where yoga comes into play and why we love the practice so damn much. But unlike our physical yoga postures, the chakra system is unseen and internal.
The seven chakras are part of the subtle body, or the energetic body. It’s the part that you can’t see or touch but can always feel. It’s the part of you that makes your heart beat, the piece of you that feels a gut intuition, and the energy within you that connects, moves, and creates your being.
Practicing yoga and focusing your energies during different postures can help you to align your chakras and get all the wheels spinning in the same direction and speed. Understanding how to fine tune and control your chakras through yoga and meditation can help bring balance and peace to your mind, body and spirit.
Through the movements and postures of yoga, you can learn to focus your concentration and energy to and from the various chakras in your body. This can allow you to compensate for areas that may be out of sync with the rest of your body or not active at all. By balancing the energy among all seven of the chakras, balance can be achieved.
The 7 chakras are powerful points in the energy body that help you maintain a healthy physical and emotional balance in life. For this reason, it’s vital that you observe these energy centre's regularly and take time out of your busy day to improve the flow of prana to each. On a deeper level, aligning your chakras can also help you tune into your true Self and unlock the divine power within.