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May 11, 2023 · Learn the basics of the seven chakras, the main energy centers of the body, and how to keep them open and balanced. Find out the characteristics, colors, elements, stones, and yoga poses for each chakra, from root to crown.
- Overview
- The history of chakras
- Chakra 101
- The takeaway
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The seven chakras are thought of as the main energy points in your body, which run down the spine. Here’s what to know about this ancient, complex energy system.
Chakras. You’ve possibly heard them mentioned in yoga class. You’ve almost definitely heard the “New Age” character on TV or in a movie talk about someone’s chakras being blocked.
Chakras have only recently become more well-known, with the growth in popularity of yoga and New Age philosophies in general. They are a complex and ancient energy system that originated in India. They were first mentioned in the Vedas, ancient sacred texts of spiritual knowledge dating from 1500 to 1000 BC. There’s a lot one can study about them.
So what should you know about the chakras? Below is your crash course.
Chakra (cakra in Sanskrit) means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.
Some say there are 114 different chakras, but there are seven main chakras that run along your spine. These are the chakras that most of us are referring to when we talk about them.
Each of these seven main chakras has a corresponding number, name, color, specific area of the spine from the sacrum to the crown of the head, and health focus.
A blocked root chakra can manifest as physical issues like arthritis, constipation, and bladder or colon problems, or emotionally through feeling insecure about finances or our basic needs and well-being. When it’s in alignment and open, we will feel grounded and secure, both physically and emotionally.
Issues with this chakra can be seen via problems with the associated organs, like urinary tract infections, lower back pain, and impotency. Emotionally, this chakra is connected to our feelings of self-worth, and even more specifically, our self-worth around pleasure, sexuality, and creativity.
Blockages in the third chakra are often experienced through digestive issues like ulcers, heartburn, eating disorders, and indigestion. It’s the chakra of our personal power. This means it’s related to our self-esteem and self-confidence.
If chakras interest you beyond the above breakdown, you can find information about chakra balancing and realignment. This can involve many things including yoga, meditation, chakra cleansing, certain types of bodywork, and even music.
Learn about the seven main chakras, the energy points in your body that affect your physical and emotional well-being. Find out how to identify and clear blockages, and what each chakra represents.
- Gretchen Stelter
Aug 24, 2020 · Learn about the seven main chakras that run along your spine and how they affect your physical and emotional well-being. Find out how to balance your chakras with yoga poses, breathing exercises, or meditation.
- 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 4 aspects of the human mind, uniting to form the birth of the human consciousness.
- Svadhishthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra. Symbol: The symbol for the Svadhishthana Chakra or Sacral Chakra is made up of multiple circles, a crescent moon, and six lotus flower petals.
- Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra. Symbol: The Solar Plexus Chakra symbol consists of a downward-pointing triangle within a ten-petalled lotus flower.
- 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.
- The Root Chakra. Sanskrit Translation: Muladhara. Color: Red. Location: At the bottom of the tailbone–in the perineum for men and the cervical area for women.
- The Sacral Chakra. Sanskrit Translation: Svadhisthana. Color: Orange. Location: In your pelvic region, a couple of inches below the belly button. Also known as ‘the place of the self’, the Sacral Chakra is therefore all about your creative identity as a human.
- The Solar Plexus Chakra. Sanskrit Translation: Manipura. Color: Yellow. Location: In your stomach–around 2-3 inches above the belly button. The Manipura energy center further translates as ‘the lustrous gem.’
- The Heart Chakra. Sanskrit Translation: Anahata. Color: Green. Location: In the chest, in and around the heart space. Interestingly, the Sanskrit term for the Heart Chakra translates to the state of being ‘unhurt.’
Ancient history. The word chakra appears to first emerge within the Vedas, though not in the sense of psychic energy centers, rather as chakravartin or the king who "turns the wheel of his empire" in all directions from a center, representing his influence and power. [18] .
Jun 12, 2020 · 7 Major Chakras Overview. The basic human chakra system, as it is commonly accepted, consists of seven chakras stretching from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Their names, locations and corresponding chakra colors are: Root chakra — base of the spine — red. Sacral chakra — just below the navel — orange.
