What are Chakras
If you're living and breathing on this earth then you've probably heard of Ayurveda which comes from India and is one of the world's oldest medical systems. Ayurveda means "the knowledge of life", is a holistic theory of wellness and includes vegetarianism, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation and massage. When incorporating Ayurveda into your life, the goal is to find balance physically, mentally and spiritually. Some of the key components of Ayurveda are Prana, which is life force or energy, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether (space), the three Doshas (energies believed to circulate in the body) and Chakras, energy centers in the body.
There are 88,000 chakras mentioned in traditional writings but 7 main Chakras that run from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Chakras receive, transform and distribute prana (energy) so they are extremely important when it comes to maintaining mental, spiritual and physical health. Chakras can become blocked (which I'll explain later) and this is bad for business. We should keep our Chakras open and aligned in order to stay balanced.
Each of the 7 main chakras corresponds to a particular part of the body and area of your life as explained below:Â
1st Chakra: Root or Base Chakra Location: Base of Spine Color Association: Red
Associated Element: Earth Associated Zodiac Signs: Aries, Taurus, Scorpio & Capricorn What it's all about: Staying Grounded, survival, materialism & the physical world, security. What happens when it's Unbalanced: Fatigue, lower back pain, depression, colds, cold hands & feet
2nd Chakra: Sacral Chakra Location: Above genitals Color Association: Orange Associated Element: Water Associated Zodiac Signs: Cancer, Libra & Scorpio What it's all about: Creativity, creation, feelings, intimacy What happens when it's Unbalanced: Lower back pain, depression, eating disorders, sensuality issues
3rd Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra Location: Above the naval Color Association: Yellow Associated Element: Fire Associated Zodiac Signs: Leo, Sagittarius, Virgo What it's all about: Personal power, confidence, self-control, humor What happens when it's Unbalanced: digestive issues, nervousness, ulcers, poor memory
4th Chakra: Heart Chakra Location: Center of Chest Color Association: Green Associated Element: Air Associated Zodiac Signs: Leo, Libra What it's all about: Love, relationships, self-love, forgiveness What happens when it's Unbalanced: Heart and breathing disorders, Chest pain
5th Chakra: Throat Chakra Location: Throat Color Association:Â Pale Blue Associated Element: Ether Associated Zodiac Signs: Gemini, Taurus, Aquarius What it's all about: Communication & self expression, speaking your truth What happens when it's Unbalanced: Thyroid issues, fevers, mouth and neck problems.
6th Chakra: Third Eye Chakra Location: In between the eyes Color Association: Indigo Associated Element: All elements Associated Zodiac Signs: Sagittarius, Aquarius, Pisces What it's all about: Intuition & Insight, self-awareness, subconscious What happens when it's Unbalanced: Sleep disorders, vision impairment, forgetfulness
7th Chakra: Crown Chakra Location: Top of head Color Association: Violet Associated Element: space/cosmic energy Associated Zodiac Signs: Capricorn, Pisces What it's all about: Spirituality, mental clarity, knowingness What happens when it's Unbalanced: Confusion, headaches, mental illness
How Chakras Become Blocked and How to Balance Them
Chakra blockages are tied to our emotional, spiritual and physical well-being so it's important to work on all three of these areas in your life. No one is perfect so most of us have some sort of chakra imbalance going on at all times. Let's say you had a job interview that didn't go well and now you're scared to go on interviews because you fear repeating that one bad interview. Your self-confidence is low so you may have a block in your Solar Plexus chakra. Or perhaps you went through a bad breakup and you're afraid to give your heart to someone new. Your heart chakra is blocked. Â So how do you clear chakra blocks?? There are several things you can do to keep your chakras as balanced as possible.
Crystal / Gemstone Therapy
Crystals and gemstones are becoming more and more mainstream (hey I see them at TJ Maxx HomeGoods now!) but they have been used for thousands of years and by ancient civilizations for energy healing. Crystal therapy involves wearing, surrounding yourself and/or meditating with crystals/gemstones to help heal yourself emotionally and physically. According to Walter Schumann's Gemstones of the World, there are about 200 different varieties of natural gemstones. Some popular ones are Rose Quartz, Amethyst and Citrine. If you feel that you have a Chakra imbalance I recommend you visit www.crystaldictionary.com (there's a hard copy book as well) and type in the chakra you want to clear. For example, if you type in "heart chakra" a list of crystals that help keep your heart chakra balanced will appear. Rose Quartz is excellent for heart chakra imbalances by the way! Love By Luna has an Ultimate Chakra Crystal Set that is perfect for promoting chakra balance for all 7 chakras.
[caption id="attachment_2053" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Love By Luna, Ultimate Chakra Set, $34[/caption]
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of natural oils (essential oils) to uplift the spirit and improve your psychological and/or physical well-being. I absolutely love essential oils and they are apart of my daily routine. I use them topically and also diffuse them through an aromatherapy diffuser. You can even digest some of them (make sure to do your research before trying!) Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils tied to relaxation which I use before I go to sleep. If you're having issues sleeping and/or dreaming, your third eye chakra may be imbalanced and lavender is excellent for promoting healthy sleep. Or let's say you've been feeling sad and down, your sacral chakra may be blocked in which case uplifting peppermint oil would be good to use. I love the Aveda Chakra sprays that are formulated with essential oils and tied to each of the 7 main chakras.
Color Therapy
Since each of the 7 chakras is tied to a specific color, surrounding yourself with and/or wearing that color can help strengthen that chakra. So if you're feeling scattered and your life is out of control, try wearing or surrounding yourself with the color red to help you feel more grounded and stable.
Meditation
Meditation has become more and more mainstream thanks to people like Russell Simmons, Deepak Chopra and Gabrielle Bernstein. Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or as an end in itself. The term meditation refers to abroad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A daily meditation practice is excellent for keeping chakras balanced. Kick it up a notch by holding crystals that correspond to the chakra you want to work on AND diffuse an essential oil.
Reiki
I've mentioned Reiki before in my How to Heal from a Breakup with Astrology article. It's a Japanese healing technique that involves a reiki practitioner channeling energy to a person through their hands. The Reiki practitioner is able to feel blockages in your chakras and through their hands, help to clear those blockages to promote well-being.
Diet & Exercise
It's no secret that diet and exercise are tied to your emotional and physical well-being but there is also a spiritual component to eating and exercising. Earlier in this article I mentioned the three doshas in Ayurveda which are energies that dominate in the body. Similar to zodiac signs, we all have a primary dosha which will tell you a lot about your personality and physical makeup. Once you know your primary dosha you can figure our what foods you should eat and/eliminate from your diet to promote well-being and in turn help keep your chakras balanced. You can take this quiz to find out your primary dosha.
Exercise, specifically Yoga is also excellent for chakra balancing. The spiritual benefits and focus on stretching and breathing help to promote overall wellness. My good friend and former "corporate bestie" Kate Sirna is an amazing yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner.
So I hope you now have enough information about Chakras to help you live an overall better life. I'm always striving for balance and the use of crystals, aromatherapy, color therapy, reiki and meditation has drastically helped improve my life and overall wellness. Let me know in the comments if you think you have chakra imbalances and I can help you work to alleviate them!
Additional Reading:Â The Chakra Handbook