Chakra Basics: What You Need to Know to Make Your Energy Flow
Chakra Basics: What You Need to Know to Make Your Energy Flow
So you’ve taken a yoga class or two, and maybe you’ve heard the instructor mention something about the chakras, but with all that breathing in and out and trying really hard not to fall over you just couldn’t catch whatever Sanskrit gibberish the instructor brushed over before moving on to the next cue. I get it. It can be really hard to take it all in when you’re in the flow of class. It would be nice if you could raise your hand and ask questions but sadly that’s not how most yoga classes work. If you’ve been curious about the chakras and want to know more read on. I’m going to walk you through the chakra system and give you a quick, bite sized introduction so that when you hear the chakras mentioned again in class you’ll know what the instructor is talking about. I’m also including the yoga poses, essential oils, and foods that help to bring the chakras into balance. It is always recommended that you speak with a medical professional before beginning any yoga exercises or wellness practice.
What are the chakras?
According to yogic history and philosophy, there are seven (7) energy centers within the body. They are located, starting at the base of the spine, and move up the spine through the crown of the head. These centers, called chakras, are believed to spin, like wheels (chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel), to move “prana” or life force (energy) in and around the body. When these energy centers are in balance and prana is flowing, we can achieve feelings of wellness and clarity in our lives. When these energy centers are out of balance, i.e. over or under active, prana doesn’t flow as effectively, and we experience feeling unwell and stuck in various areas of life.
With a consistent yoga, meditation and wellness practice, you can bring your chakras into balance, get your prana flowing effectively and gain clarity over your life.
Breakdown of the Seven Chakras
Here is a breakdown of the basic elements of the seven (7) chakras, including the yoga poses, essential oils, and foods that will help you bring your chakras into balance. For a quick reference guide you can download my FREE Chakra cheatsheet HERE.
1) The Root Chakra (Muladhara Chakra) - In Sanskrit, the word Muladhara means root or support. The root chakra is often called the center of connection. Think rooted in the ground or supported/connected to the earth. It is located at the base of the spine and the color associated with this chakra is red. The physical function of the root chakra is the legs, the feet, and elimination. The mental/emotional function is connection, stability, and security.
When the root chakra is over active or too open (meaning the chakra spins too fast) you may experience being overly materialistic, self centered or spend money excessively. You may also experience weight gain, obesity or addiction. When the root chakra is blocked or under active (meaning the chakra spins sluggishly) you may experience low self esteem, fear and anxiety. You could also feel emotionally needy and act out with self-destructive behaviors. When this chakra is in balance you will feel grounded, secure and healthy. You may also experience feelings of prosperity and having high energy.
To bring a sense of balance to the root chakra you will want to practice yoga poses that focus on grounding you to the earth. Some greats poses to try are Child’s Pose, Warrior II, Mountain, Tree and Triangle. You may also wish to incorporate essential oils into your practice. A good way to do this is to diffuse the oils into the air while you practice using an essential oil diffuser. Oils that resonate with the root chakra are patchouli, frankincense and cedarwood. You may also wish to try a focused root chakra meditation after your yoga practice. Try taking a deep inhale and say “I am connected”. Exhale. Repeat. Off the mat, you can focus on bringing more red foods into your diet such as strawberries and raspberries.
2) The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana Chakra) - The Sanskrit word, Savadhisthana, is translated to mean ‘dwelling place of the self’. The sacral chakra is believed to be the center of creativity, sexual energy, passion and pleasure. It is located below the navel, between the navel and the pubic bone and the color associated with this chakra is orange. The physical function of the sacral chakra is the bladder, sacrum, kidneys and reproductive organs. The mental/emotional function is creativity, sensuality, passion and pleasure.
When the sacral chakra is too open or is over active you may experience mood swings, sexual addiction, or being obsessed with fantasy. You may also feel emotionally unbalanced. When the sacral chakra is blocked or under active you may experience lower back pain, infertility, lack of passion, frigidity and poor social skills. When this chakra is in balance you may feel creative, self nurturing, expressive and open to embracing change. You may also enjoy healthy sexuality and set healthy boundaries for yourself.
To return the sacral chakra to a balanced state, you will want to practice yoga poses that focus on the hips as well as cultivate a sense of expression. Some fun poses to try are hip circles, pelvic tilts, Goddess Pose, Pigeon, Warrior II and Sphinx. Dancing is also a great way to be more expressive on the mat. It’s fun and can inspire lots of laughs. Some essential oils that resonate with the sacral chakra are sandalwood, orange and rose. Following your yoga practice, you can do a sacral chakra focused meditation or you could try journaling, drawing, painting or another form or creative expression if meditation isn’t your thing. For extra credit try eating more orange foods…oranges, tangerines or sweet potatoes.
3) The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura Chakra) - Manipura in Sanskrit translates to ‘city of jewels’. It is associated with fire and the power of tranformation. It is thus the center of vitality, willpower, personality, self-esteem and identity. It is located above the navel, below the heart and the color associated with this chakra is yellow. Physically its energy controls the digestive system, stomach, small intestines, liver and gall bladder. Mentally/emotionally it is the center of self worth, authenticity, setting boundaries and taking action towards your goals. This one is my favorite chakra!
When the solar plexus chakra is over active or too open you may feel angry, judgmental, and superior to others. You may become a workaholic and controlling towards others. When the solar plexus chakra is under active or blocked you may feel a lack of energy and direction. You could feel rejected, insecure and have low self esteem. The solar plexus chakra in balance will inspire confidence, empowerment and a clear life purpose.
Bringing balance to the solar plexus chakra begins on your mat with yoga poses that stimulate and massage the gut. Some great poses to incorporate into your practice are Boat Pose, Spinal Twists, Sun Salutations, Bow, Wheel, and Plank. You may wish to diffuse cedarwood, lavender or rosemary essential oils during your practice to further stimulate this chakra. A simple meditation you can try following your yoga practice is to sit quietly for a few minutes and imagine yourself surrounded by a warm yellow light that is bathing you in confidence. In the kitchen, you’ll want to incorporate more yellow foods such as bananas and yellow squash into your daily regimen.
4) The Heart Chakra (Anahata Chakra) - Anahata means unbeaten or unhurt in Sanskrit. The heart chakra is believed to be the seat of love, compassion and joy. It is located in the center of the chest or around your heart and associated with the color green. The physical functioning of the heart chakra is the heart, lungs, shoulders and spine. Mentally and emotionally it governs trust, compassion, forgiveness, openness and love.
An over active or excessively open heart chakra will cause you to experience feelings of jealousy, bitterness, resentment and withholding emotionally to punish others. A sluggish or blocked heart chakra will bring about feelings of loneliness, negativity, sadness, self-pity and clinging to love. You may also experience the inability to follow your heart. When in balance, you may feel compassion and empathy for others and a healthy love and acceptance towards the self.
On your mat you can focus on practicing Bow Pose, Camel, Cobra, Bridge and other chest openers to cultivate a balanced heart chakra. During your practice you may wish to diffuse bergamot, jasmine or geranium essential oils which works to help stabilize emotions. Following your yoga practice, a simply love meditation is to close your eyes and imagine a green light emanating from your heart. It’s love. Now imagine sending it out to those who need it most. Eating more green foods will also help return this chakra to a healthy state. Try kale, broccoli, zucchini and avacado.
5) The Throat Chakra (Vishuddha Chakra) - Vishuddha comes from the Sanskrit word shuddhi and means ‘especially pure’. It is believed to represents self-will, self-expression and the ability to communicate truthfully. This chakra is located in the throat and is represented by the color of sky blue. The physical functioning of this chakra is the throat, ears, nose, mouth, tongue and thyroid. Mentally and emotionally it governs expressing your emotions and communicating your truth to yourself and others as well as listening to those around you.
You may experience feelings of arrogance and self-righteousness in addition to gossiping and lying when the throat chakra spins too fast. A blocked or sluggish throat chakra may cause shyness, the inability to make a decision, feeling ‘stuck’ and being unreliable. When your throat chakra is balanced you will be able to communicate clearly and honestly. You will feel free with your creative expression and will speak with wisdom.
You will want to incorporate poses that stimulate the throat such as Lions Breath, Plow, Fish and Shoulder Stand into your yoga practice to keep the throat chakra balanced. Diffusing basil, cypress, or peppermint essential oils will resonate with your throat chakra. Using mantras during your meditation time is great for the throat chakra. You can try visualizing a clean sky blue light in your throat and repeat a mantra such as “I speak my truth with confidence”. Repeat this mantra throughout your mediation time. Incorporating blueberries into your diet as well as tart fruits such as peaches, plums and kiwi will help with balancing the throat chakra.
6) The Third Eye Chakra (Anja Chakra) - In Sanskrit the word Anja means ‘beyond wisdom’. The Anja Chakra is commonly called the third eye chakra and is the center of insight, wisdom and developed intellect. It’s location is between the eyebrows and is represented by the color indigo blue. Physically the third eye chakra governs the eyes, hypothalamus and pineal gland. Its mental/emotional function is intuition, focus, imagination and memory.
When the third eye chakra is over active you may experience obsessions, nightmares and insensitivity. A blocked or sluggish third eye chakra will cause difficulty focusing, lack of discipline and setting your sights too low. When this chakra is in balance you will enjoy strong charisma and intuition. You will have good memory and dream recall and be able to clearly visualize your life.
You can bring this chakra into balance by working on poses that draw the eye inward such as Child’s Pose, Downward Dog, Eagle and through meditation. Frankincense, sandalwood, or patchouli are three great essential oils that will enhance your third eye chakra practice. Practicing creative visualization during your meditation time will allow you to exercise your third eye chakra. Visualize your future life. Where do you see yourself? What are you doing? Fill in with as much detail as you’d like. Bring your dreams to life in your mind’s eye. Off the mat try eating more purple sweet potatoes, eggplant and purple grapes. Think dark, purple foods.
7) The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara Chakra) - Sahasrara means ‘thousand petaled’ and this chakra is representative of a lotus flower with 1000 petals arranged in 20 layers sitting just at the crown of the head. The crown chakra energy is the center of our connection to the divine and allows us to experience unity and the realization that everything is connected. The color associated with the crown chakra is violet. The physical functioning is cellular and genetics. The mental/emotional function is wisdom and connection.
When the crown chakra is over active you may feel frustration and confusion. You could suffer from depression. An under active crown chakra leads to exhaustion and having no sense of belonging or purpose in the world. The crown chakra, when balanced, can give you feelings of a higher purpose and spiritual connectedness. You may also feel magnetic to those around you and enjoy an easy open mindedness.
To work on balancing the crown chakra you will want to do yoga poses that draw your perceptions inward. Practice Headstand, Legs up the Wall and a nice long Savasana. You will benefit from diffusing lavender, jasmine or cedarwood essential oils while you practice. If you choose to meditate, you can try focusing in on cultivating feelings of spiritual connectedness, gratitude and joy. Inhale gratitude. Exhale joy. Repeat. There are no foods associated with the crown chakra energy. Instead, try fasting to cultivate connection with the divine.
Wrap Up
Chakra work is subtle and it takes more than a single yoga or meditation session to get your prana energy flowing again and bring your chakras into balance. Staying focused on what each chakra represents, while also doing the yoga and meditation work, as well as layering the foods and the oils, you will begin to notice a change in how you feel. There is a reason you just feel better when you practice yoga consistently. Your prana energy is moving effectively and you feel that mind, body, spirit connection.
A lot of chakra work is simply knowing the characteristics of the deficiencies and excesses and doing the work to bring them into balance. If you’re curious and want to explore a little deeper, check out my course Clarity | Confidence | Create. The course is designed to not only help you balance all seven (7) chakras using yoga and meditation, but when done in tandem with the coaching lessons, it will accelerate your progress towards gaining clarity, building confidence and creating a life you truly love.
©2023 Life and Wellness With Amy
