Introduction to the Chakras
When your yoga teacher starts talking about the chakras do you raise an eyebrow and think “oh boy”? These teachings do seem a little out there, but as you delve into them, things start to make just a bit more sense! Understanding the chakras is like understanding ourselves on a whole new level. The chakra system can give us a huge insight into why we might sometimes feel ungrounded, why we crave certain things, how to access a sense of power, how to connect emotionally to others, why we may at times find it difficult to express our truth, and how to harness our natural intuition.
What are chakras?
The word chakra is Sanskrit and translates to “wheel”; and as we learn more about these points in the body, this word makes a lot of sense, since they are quite literally wheels of energy.
The chakras are essentially points of energy located throughout the subtle body (‘subtle’ refers to something we can’t see but can definitely feel energetically). There are many subtle bodies in our body, however, we are going to focus on 7 of them. The seven chakra points are located along the spine, from the tailbone right up to the top of the head, and they link to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The chakras link very closely to the endocrine and nervous systems, and this important relationship between them emphasises the essential nature of integrated and holistic health; we are way more than a physical body, we are a whole being and benefit hugely by observing wellbeing from a whole-istic perspective.
The 7 Chakras
The seven main chakra points in the body, are linked to the elements, and expand further, relating to all areas of the mind, body, soul and environment. Moving from the tailbone upward, these are the seven main chakras:
Muladhara Chakra
English Name: Root Chakra
Element: Earth
Location: Tailbone
Colour: Red
Sense: Smell
Emotions: Safety, security, primal urges, feeling grounded, stable, steady, having enough energy, confidence
Relation to body parts: Legs, feet, lower back, bladder, nose
Practices to balance this chakra: walking in nature, going barefoot, mountain pose and warrior poses, pranayama, chanting the bija mantra LAM.
read more about the Muladhara Chakra
Svadhisthana Chakra
English Name: Sacral Chakra / Abode of the ‘self’ (‘sva’ translates as ‘self’)
Element: Water
Location: Pelvis / sacrum
Colour: Orange
Sense: Taste
Emotions: Sensuality, joy, ability to ‘go with the flow’, self worth, creativity
Relation to body parts: Hips and pelvis, reproductive organs, adrenal glands, gall bladder, tongue
Practices to balance this chakra: Spending time near water, swimming, yoga postures that focus on the hips, ‘going with the flow’, experiencing joy, doing something creative, cooking and eating, chanting the bija mantra VAM.
read more about the Svadhisthana Chakra
Manipura Chakra
English Name: Solar Plexus / ‘City of Jewels’
Element: Fire
Location: Just above the navel
Colour: Yellow
Sense: Sight
Emotions: Willpower, determination, ego, inner strength, dominance, focus
Relation to body parts: Stomach, digestion, mid back, liver, spleen, intestines, eyes
Practices to balance this chakra: Tratak / candle gazing, doing something challenging that requires courage, twists and core-strengthening postures, pranayama practices like kappalabhati or bhastrika breath, chanting the bija mantra RAM.
read more about the Manipura Chakra
Anahata Chakra
English Name: Heart Chakra / ‘Unstruck’
Element: Air
Location: Chest / Heart
Colour: Green
Sense: Touch
Emotions: Love, compassion, energy, connection, authenticity, generosity
Relation to body parts: Heart, hands, lungs, blood, nerves
Practices to balance this chakra: Being kind to yourself and others, giving or receiving a massage, honesty, charity work, backbends and chest & shoulder openers, spending time in nature, gardening, metta bhavna medtiation, chanting the bija mantra YAM.
read more about the Anahata Chakra
Vishuddha Chakra
English Name: Throat Chakra / ‘Place of Purification’
Element: Ether
Location: Throat
Colour: Blue
Sense: Hearing & Speech
Emotions: Authenticity, self expression, confidence, communication
Relation to body parts: Throat, vocal cords, ears, mouth, upper lungs
Practices to balance this chakra: Speaking your mind, expressing yourself, listening to others, singing, listening to music, humming, talking to others, being yourself, spending time in silence, postures that bring awareness to the throat and neck, chanting the bija mantra HAM (pronounced ‘hum’).
read more about the Vishuddha Chakra
Ajna Chakra
English Name: Third Eye, / ‘Perception’
Element: Ether
Location: Between the eyebrows
Colour: Indigo
Sense: Intuition
Emotions: Trust, intuition, intelligence
Relation to body parts: Pineal gland, lower brain, sensory organs of the head
Practices to balance this chakra: Using your intuition, meditation, visualisation, trusting your gut instincts, postures that bring awareness to the head, chanting the bija mantra AUM.
read more about the Ajna Chakra
Sahasrara Chakra
English Name: Crown Chakra / Lotus of a thousand petals
Element: Beyond elements
Location: Said to be either at the top of the head or slightly above
Colour: Clear / White
Sense: Beyond senses
Emotions: Equanimity, balance, serenity, spiritual connectivity, wisdom, enlightenment
Relation to body parts: Upper brain and beyond
Practices to balance this chakra: headstand, meditation, observing the silence after chanting.
read more about the Sahasrara Chakra
