Comprehensive Overview of the 7 Chakras and their Influences
What Are the Energy Centers Within Us Called?
let's call 'em chakras, smoke 'em if you got 'em!
Kidding aside, chakras are the fuckin' energy centers within our bodies, mate. You've got seven of these bad boys, each one located along your spinal column, starting from the base and extendin' up to the top of your skull. These astral energy bodies are residing inside our physical bodies, and they've got specific correspondin' physical body parts. Since they can't be seen or touched, we can only believe whatever sounds cool and gets circulated around, so remember there's no definite shape to a chakra – it might as well look like an ice-cream cone, yeah?
Now, these energy centers radiate specific colors and energy, coinciding with a gland in the physical body. Each chakra relates to spiritual, emotional, psychological, and physical aspects of our existence. If any one of these energy centers is blocked or malfunctioning, it can potentially lead to physical, psychological, and emotional disorders. On the flipside, conscious awareness, and balancin' these energy centers is believed to lead to well-being and good health.
The purpose of yoga is to stimulate and balance these chakras, achiev'd through practices like asanas. We're gonna run through the 7 chakras, their symbols, attributes, effects, and balancin' techniques.
How Many Chakras Are There in the Body in Total?
Most of you have heard about the "seven chakras," but there are more than just these seven in the human body. Each vibration, color, symbol, and sound have been assigned to all of the seven main chakras. Depending on the health of these energy centers, you may experience various attributes of your physical, mental, and emotional health. The 7 main chakras, in order, are:
- Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra
- Svadhishthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra
- Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra
- Anahata Chakra – Heart Chakra
- Vishuddha Chakra – Throat Chakra
- Ajna Chakra – Third Eye Chakra
- Sahastrara Chakra – Crown Chakra
Can a Chakra Have a Specific Shape?
There isn't much agreement about the shape of a chakra; some claim they're like whirling discs, while others believe they're flowers hanging from the spine. It's all just speculation since we can't observe them with our eyes or any scientific device. According to ancient scriptures, a chakra is shaped like a sphere or a ball. Some even suggest that planet Earth is a major chakra of the solar system and a minor chakra of our galaxy, the Milky Way, but that's beyond the scope of human comprehension.
The Size of a Chakra
There's considerable disagreement about the size of a chakra, with some stating they are one foot in radius, while others suggest they change in size according to the energy flow. However, scriptures inform us that the chakras are tiny, located within the astral spinal cord, which is further situated inside the physical spinal cord.
How Do Chakras Work?
Chakras act as distribution centers, dispersing the five pranas to their associated local regions. For instance, the root chakra will distribute the 'apana prana' to the pelvic region and provide energy for the organs in this region. When any one of these energy centers is blocked or not functioning properly, the distribution pattern gets messed up, and physical or psycho-emotional/energy issues arise.
Why Are Chakras Important?
Chakras are more than just energy centers; they are crucial in shaping our awareness. When a chakra is out of whack, our awareness gets trapped at that level, preventing us from ascending to higher states of consciousness. Only by balancin' each chakra can we climb this ladder of awareness.
Take the root chakra, for example, which anchors our sense of security and survival. If this chakra is out of balance, we might find ourselves overwhelmed by fears and insecurities similar to those seen in animals. Animals often act primarily from this chakra, driven by the survival instinct.
Meanwhile, humans often get stuck in the second chakra, which is all about desires. This fixation means that many of our actions are aimed at fulfillin' these desires, sometimes to our detriment.
Here are the seven levels of awareness, each associated with a specific chakra, from the root up to the crown:
- Survival – Root Chakra
- Desires – Sacral Chakra
- Intellect – Solar Plexus Chakra
- Compassion/Unconditional Love – Heart Chakra
- Acceptance – Throat Chakra
- Perception of Truth – Third Eye Chakra
- Freedom from Illusion – Crown Chakra
Now, let's dive deep into each of these seven chakras and explore their symbols, attributes, effects, and balancin' techniques.
Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra
Symbol: The Root Chakra symbol consists of a 4-petalled lotus flower, a square, and a downward-facing triangle. Each element is said to represent the four aspects of the human mind, uniting to form the birth of the human consciousness.
Color: Deep Red
Element: Earth
Location: At the base of the spine, between the anus and genitals. It's characterized by emotions of survival, stability, ambition, and self-sufficiency.
Symptoms of a blocked Root Chakra: When the root chakra is out of balance, you'll feel unstable, ungrounded, unmotivated, fearful, insecure, and frustrated.
Mantra: The root chakra's mantra is "Lam."
Yoga poses to balance the Root Chakra:
- Tree Pose (Vrkshasana)
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Svadhishthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra
Symbol: The symbol for the Sacral Chakra consists of multiple circles, a crescent moon, and six lotus flower petals. The circles and crescent moon represent the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, while the six petals portray the six negative aspects of our nature that we need to overcome to open this chakra.
Color: Orange
Element: Water
Location: In the lower abdomen, about four fingers below the navel. Its attributes include basic need for sexuality, as well as creativity and self-worth.
Symptoms of a blocked/imbalanced Sacral Chakra: A blocked/imbalanced sacral chakra may make you feel emotionally explosive and irritable, sense a lack of energy and creativity, feel manipulative, or be fixated on sexual thoughts.
Mantra: The seed mantra (beej mantra) of the Sacral Chakra is "Vam."
Yoga poses to activate the Sacral Chakra:
- Crow Pose (Kakasana)
- Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra
Symbol: The symbol of the Solar Plexus Chakra consists of a downward-pointing triangle within a ten-petalled lotus flower. The ten petals symbolize ten negative character traits that we have to conquer, while the triangle is the Agni tattva or fire of kundalini energy which signifies our inner strength.
Color: Yellow
Element: Fire
Location: At the solar plexus, between the navel and the bottom of the rib cage. This chakra is characterized by emotions like ego, anger, and aggression.
Symptoms of a blocked/imbalanced Solar Plexus Chakra: An imbalance of the Solar Plexus Chakra can manifest physically as digestive problems, liver problems, or diabetes. Emotionally, one might struggle with depression, lack of self-esteem, anger, and perfectionism.
Mantra: The seed mantra (beej mantra) of the Solar Plexus Chakra is "Ram."
Yoga poses for Solar Plexus Chakra alignment:
- Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
- Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
- Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Anahata Chakra – Heart Chakra
Symbol: In the Heart Chakra symbol, two triangles intersect to form a yantra which represents the balance of yin and yang, or upward and downward forces. Outside, there is a lotus flower with 12 petals symbolizing the twelve divine qualities associated with the heart.
Color: Green
Element: Air
Location: In the heart region. This chakra is the seat of balance, and it is characterized by emotions of love, attachment, compassion, trust, and passion.
Symptoms of a blocked/imbalanced Heart Chakra: A blocked/imbalanced heart chakra may deal with emotional issues like anger, lack of trust, anxiety, jealousy, fear, and moodiness.
Mantra: The seed mantra (beej mantra) of the Heart Chakra is "Yam."
Yoga poses to balance the Heart Chakra:
- Half Bridge Pose (Ardha Setubandhasana)
- Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Vishuddha Chakra – Throat Chakra
Symbol: The symbol of the Throat Chakra consists of a 16-petalled lotus flower surrounding an inverted triangle which holds a circle within. This represents spiritual growth and the purification of the body, mind, and spirit.
Color: Blue
Element: Space
Location: At the base of the throat, coinciding with the thyroid gland. It is associated with inspiration, healthy expression, faith, and the ability to communicate well.
Symptoms of a blocked/imbalanced Throat Chakra: A blockage in the throat chakra may be experienced as timidity, quietness, a feeling of weakness, or the inability to express our thoughts.
Mantra: The seed mantra (beej mantra) of the Throat Chakra is "Ham."
Yoga poses for Throat Chakra balance:
- Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)
- Plough Pose (Halasana)
Ajna Chakra – Third Eye Chakra
Symbol: The Third Eye Chakra symbol consists of an inverted triangle resting in a circle between two lotus petals. The two petals and downward-facing pyramid both signify wisdom, emphasizing the Third Eye Chakra's role in our journey to spiritual awareness.
Color: Indigo
Element: None
Location: Between the eyebrows. Also known as the Third Eye Chakra, it is often used as a focal point during asana practice to develop more concentration and awareness. It is said that meditating upon this chakra destroys the karma of past lives and brings liberation and intuitive knowledge. Its attributes are intelligence, intuition, insight, and self-knowledge.
Symptoms of a blocked/imbalanced Third Eye Chakra: When imbalanced, it may make you feel non-assertive and afraid of success, or on the contrary, it can make you more egotistical. An imbalance can manifest as physical problems like headaches, blurry vision, and eye strain.
Mantra: The seed mantra (beej mantra) of the Third Eye Chakra is "Om."
Yoga poses to balance the Third Eye Chakra:
- Headstand (Shirshasana)
Sahastrara Chakra – Crown Chakra
Symbol: The Crown Chakra symbol is depicted as a ring of a thousand lotus petals surrounding an inverted triangle. This symbolizes the rising of divine energy into the Crown Chakra, bringing spiritual liberation and enlightenment.
Color: Violet White
Element: None
Location: At the crown of the head. This is the center of spirituality, enlightenment, and dynamic thought and energy. It allows for the inward flow of wisdom and brings the gift of cosmic consciousness.
Symptoms of a blocked/imbalanced Crown Chakra: When it gets imbalanced, one might suffer from a constant sense of frustration, melancholy and destructive feelings.
Mantra: The seed mantra (beej mantra) of the Crown Chakra is "Aum."
Yoga poses to align the Crown Chakra:
- Headstand (Shirshasana)
It's important to note that while chakras are integral to certain health-and-wellness practices and spiritual beliefs, they are not recognized as physical entities within scientific medicine. The seven main chakras, in order, are the Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra), the Svadhishthana Chakra (Sacral Chakra), the Manipura Chakra (Solar Plexus Chakra), the Anahata Chakra (Heart Chakra), the Vishuddha Chakra (Throat Chakra), the Ajna Chakra (Third Eye Chakra), and the Sahastrara Chakra (Crown Chakra). Each chakra is associated with specific energy, colors, physical body parts, and accurate balancing techniques, all of which are believed to contribute positively to mental health and lifestyle.
