Perhaps you have heard of the word ‘chakras’ when you attend yoga or meditation classes and may have wondered what they mean. Chakras are important aspects of a healthy body and understanding how it works puts you in line to live a purposeful life. This article is a beginner’s guide to understanding the 7 main chakras in the human body.
What are Chakras?
Chakras have been existing since ancient times and have especially gained popularity in yoga and meditation classes. The chakra system is a complex concept that originated in India.
Chakras are Energy Centers in the Body Tied to Physical and Spiritual Health
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that literally means a spinning wheel. It cannot be seen or touched. It can only be felt. Thus, the chakras are spinning wheels of energy that form the life force of the human body. It is essential to keep the chakras open in order to optimize one’s physical, spiritual, and emotional health.
The human body is made up of an infinite number of chakras. Some say there are at least 114 of them. However, the seven chakras are the main energy points that are often talked about. Each of these chakras has its own symbol, colors, stones, elements, and balancing techniques. Each of them is found along the spine, from the base to the crown of the head.
Related: How to Activate Chakras in Human Body
The 7 Major Chakras and Their Meanings
Here’s a run-down of the Seven Chakras for Beginners. We’ll also look at what they stand for and where they are located in the body.
Root Chakra – Muladhara Chakra – Security and Survival
Literally, Muladhara means root or support. And just as the name implies, it is located at the end or base of the spine. It is depicted by a red color and the element of earth. The root chakra governs the primary urges of a human which are food, sex, sleep, and security. Its function includes helping someone to be grounded, stable, and secure. It helps someone to have a solid foundation.
You will agree that a good life starts with a good foundation. Thus, this is one of the most important chakras that should be opened to achieve wellness. A balanced root chakra gives you personal safety and close ties with families and communities.
Svadhisthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra – Creativity and Emotions
This one is located at the pelvis or lower abdomen. It is depicted by an orange color and the element of water. This accounts for its different characteristics such as fluidity, creativity, and emotions. When it is balanced, it helps us to control our emotions so that they do not control or consume us.
A person who has successfully unblocked this chakra possesses the ability to give and receive. He feels free to express his emotions and enjoys intimate relationships.
Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura Chakra – Willpower and Confidence
This third chakra is located in the upper abdomen or navel area. It is depicted by a yellow color and is associated with the element of fire. This is the seat of determination, personal power, and confidence. A balanced Manipura chakra makes you strive for excellence and to try new possibilities.
Heart Chakra – Anahata Chakra – Love and Compassion
This energy center is found in the heart or chest region. It is associated with a green color and the element of air. The heart as an organ is a seat of love. From the heart comes positive emotions and desires such as trust, love, and compassion. Negative desires can also stem from the heart. These ones include fear, lack of trust, wrath, jealousy, and anger.
Balancing this chakra enables you to love yourself and to possess warmth and care for others. You will be able to love unconditionally and cultivate a deep respect for yourself and others.
Vishuddha – Throat Chakra – Expression and Communication
Located in the throat region is the throat chakra. It is depicted by a light blue color and is associated with the elements of sound and music. This chakra represents our ability to possess a powerful and beautiful voice. It enables us to easily communicate and express ourselves to others in public places. It does not matter whether our opinions are rejected, we can stand up for ourselves and express our thoughts with clarity.
Third Eye Chakra – Ajna Chakra – Intuition and Insight
This chakra is also called the brow chakra and is situated in the center of the forehead. It is depicted by an indigo color and is associated with the element of light. This is often referred to as the center of knowledge, intuition, and insight. It enables you to dream, visualize, imagine, and to be creative. It is important for self-awareness and consciousness.
A person who has opened this chakra is believed to be emotionally intelligent. He has a strong sense of perception and is able to trust his instincts. He does not fear trouble but is able to develop strong creative and thinking ability to offer solutions. He possesses the ability to see the big picture of things.
Crown Chakra – Spirituality and Connection
The last on the list is the highest chakra called the crown. As a matter of fact, many people experience difficulty fully opening it. It is located at the crown or the top of the head. It is depicted by violet and white color and is associated with the element of consciousness. It is the seat of enlightenment and connection.
Cultivating a deep appreciation for the beauty of life is a sign that the crown chakra is open. He forms a deep connection with spirituality. He is enlightened and is liberated from limitations. It is even believed that a balanced crown chakra can make a person perform miracles.
Signs of a Blocked Chakra
A blocked chakra points to the fact that there is something wrong with energy flow. This could be a result of emotional issues, poor health, and stress. If one chakra is imbalanced, it can affect the other chakras. These damages could affect the physical body. And it could only be addressed when you close the bridge between the lower chakras, the upper chakras, and the middle ones. Let us now consider the signs of each of the blocked chakras for beginners.
You Can Read More About Blocked Chakra: https://www.myvinyasapractice.com/symptoms-of-blocked-energy-in-the-chakras/
Root Chakra Imbalance
A blocked root chakra can lead to problems such as leg pain and back pain. It could lead to constipation and lack of sleep. Emotional and mental problems include fear, anxiety, insecurity, depression, and money issues.
Sacral Chakra Imbalance
A person who has an imbalanced sacral chakra might feel pelvic pain, urinary problems, and menstrual problems (for females). He may become obsessed with sex. He may also be shy, irritable, and lack self-control.
Solar Plexus Chakra Imbalance
An imbalanced solar plexus chakra could result in negative symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen and spleen. If this chakra is underactive, it could lead to fear, anxiety, and low self-esteem. An overactive kind could lead to excessively judging and criticizing others. It could also make you become a perfectionist.
Heart Chakra Imbalance
The negative signs of a blocked heart chakra include problems with the lungs and heart. Emotional symptoms could also include relationship problems, inability to love yourself, and inability to develop intimacy.
Throat Chakra Imbalance
An underactive throat chakra could result in shyness, fear of speaking in public, and fear of judgment and criticism. An overactive kind could result in talking too much, being overly defensive, and the inability to hear others. The throat chakra is blocked when you experience weak voice, frequent sore throats, and pain in the neck and shoulder area.
Third Eye Chakra Imbalance
Physical signs that your third-eye chakra is imbalanced include headaches, memory and vision problems, and dizziness. Emotional signs of an underactive type are being afraid of the future, being close-minded, inability to trust others, and believing in your intuition. An overactive type includes hallucinations, nightmares, and inability to focus.
Crown Chakra Imbalance
Physical signs of an imbalanced crown chakra include tiredness, oversleepiness, and acute headaches. You could also experience emotional symptoms such as feeling lost in life, feeling demotivated, abandoned, and stressed. You could also find yourself only concerned with spirituality and disconnect yourself from the physical world. You could feel a lack of empathy and isolation.
Achieving Chakra Balance
Chakra balancing is the practice of restoring balance to the wheels of energy in the body. It involves clearing out any chakra blockage that may hinder the flow of energy in those centers. A chakra is balanced when the right amount of energy flows through it – not too much and not too little.
Balancing chakras can help promote chakra healing, including your health and wellness. It helps to optimize mental clarity and stability and to make you have an energetic body. We’ll be taking a look at three main ways to balance chakras for beginners.
Lifestyle Adjustments for Chakra Balancing
Adjusting your lifestyle to a healthy one is a good way to start balancing your chakra. Eating healthy and managing stress levels could make you freely experience energy flows in your body. Expose your body to the color of the corresponding chakra you want to balance. For instance, for the heart chakra, you can eat green leafy vegetables or fruits like green apples. You can also drink green tea.
Make it a practice to stay hydrated. Involve yourself in exercise or in any physical activity like walking or cycling. Get adequate rest. Practice care and strive to cultivate positive connections. Cultivating a healthy lifestyle can help unblock chakras for beginners.
Meditation and Yoga for Chakra Balancing
Chakra meditation is like traditional meditation just that in this case, your intention is to open and unblock your chakras. Here, you channel your focus to the particular chakra that is blocked and drive energy to it using breathing techniques, mantras, or positive affirmations. Visualize it as a spinning wheel of energy radiating energy. You can also engage in a full meditation that addresses the seven chakras at once.
Breath awareness is another kind of meditation that can help drive energy to a chakra if it’s blocked. In this case, you pay full attention to your breath and use it to enable energy flow. Stay in a comfortable position and with your eyes closed, take in deep and slow breaths. As you inhale, imagine drawing up energy from the root chakra to the crown chakra, activating all of them. As you exhale, imagine yourself clearing out any blockage and releasing any negative energy.
Yoga is a practice that can successfully balance chakra. Each of the seven chakras has a specific yoga pose that you can try. There are different poses you can try such as the mountain pose, child pose and boat pose. Ensure your environment is serene and quiet and make this a regular practice.
Using Crystals, Colors and Essential Oils
Chakra crystals can help you to achieve balance. Each of the seven main chakras are associated with a particular crystal. A few examples include red agate, carnelian, jade, green moss agate, aquamarine tiger eye, and amethyst. Pick up the crystal that is associated with the one you want to balance, lie on the floor, and place it on the situated area. Close your eyes and imagine that area unleashing a surging flow of energy.
Chakra colors can also help you feel energy. The earlier part of this article mentioned the colors that are linked to a particular chakra. You can paint your home or office with the particular color of the chakra you want to balance. You can wear clothes and accessories matching the color of the particular chakra you want to balance.
You can utilize essential oils that are linked to a particular chakra. Some of these essential oils include spikenard, ylang-ylang, frankincense, myrrh, and lemon oil. You can add these directly to your skin or your baths. You can dilute with carrier oil and perform a patch test to ensure there is no irritation. You could also have a mixture of different essential oils and inhale them.
FAQ’s:
- How do you align your chakras for beginners?
Make use of stones/crystals, colors, and oils. Practice meditation and yoga. Connect yourself with nature.
- What happens if you open all 7 chakras?
The opening of all 7 chakras will lead to alignment and harmony in one’s mind, spirit, and body.
- Which chakra should I activate first?
The root chakra is the first that should be activated. If this one is out of balance, other chakras can be affected.
- What is the chakra in simple terms?
The chakra refers to energy centers in the body. To function at their best, they need to be open or balanced.
- How do you explain chakras to a kid?
First, you need to compare the chakras to what the child already knows like a bicycle with wheels. Explain to the child that just like a stuck wheel can affect the movement of a bicycle or car, that is how a blocked chakra can affect the entire body of a human.
- How do you open chakras for beginners?
Chakras are opened by meditating, visualizing and using sound or mantra. Try engaging in activity. Try a cross-legged position with your thumb and index finger touching each other.
- Are chakras a religion?
Chakras are part of the concept featured in several religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
- Do you practice chakra balancing daily or enjoy the benefits of Reiki healing?
Balancing your chakra helps you achieve maximum health. Reiki healing can also offer some benefits such as decreased anxiety and reduced fatigue. It is up to you to go for the one you want.
- Where did the chakra concept come from?
The concept came from the early traditions of Hinduism. While different Indian religions reference different numbers of chakras, Hindus reference seven main ones.