Your Guide to the Chakra System
et’s talk energetics! Written first in the Vedas between 1500 and 500 B.C.E., the chakra system has taught us how to bring awareness and alignment into our energetic bodies. I know I’m a few thousand years late to write about it, but I’d love to touch upon how you can use this ancient knowledge to control your prana or life force in the network of chakras that moves energy through the body. So, without further adieu.
Article Topics
What is a Chakra?
Chakra in Sanskrit or cakra means “wheel” or “disc.” You must know that many nonphysical wheels spin and emit energy throughout the system, but seven primary chakras, or energetic centers, do the bulk of the work. They are found vertically along the spine from the base to the crown of the head.
These wheels work together to send the energy up through the liberating current when you’re healing or releasing something and down through the manifesting current when you’re grounding your ideas or dreams into action.
Each of the seven chakras is related to a function, element, color, and body part/system. They develop through the different stages of your life, starting at the root chakra Muladhara when you are in your mother’s womb and continuing until your adult life in your 40s when you have attained spiritual awakening and opened your crown chakra.
In one of my favorite yoga books, Chakras Made Easy, Anodea Judith describes the chakra system as “a map for the journey through life or the architecture of your soul.”
How Does the Energetic System Work?
I want you to imagine that your spine is like the highway of our energetic system! The roads that the energy travels on are called Nadis, or channels. The chakras are like highway exits. If your energy were a car driving down the highway, you would hope for zero traffic and access to every exit, quickly traveling down your chosen route. But as you know, some days there are traffic jams or closed exits that may force you to slow down or take a different path!
When the chakras are open and activated, the energy flows freely, and your body, mind, and spirit can function in perfect harmony. When there is a clog in the system, you’re suddenly met with resistance, poor health, unhappiness, loss, etc., and alerts start that something needs to change!
Functions and Blocks
Photo: @dany_yogalover balancing the chakras
Understanding the chakras, you can zoom in and look at which chakras aren’t functioning correctly and start addressing their needs.
- The earth chakra at the base of the spine deals with survival and is blocked by fear.
- The water chakra at the low belly deals with pleasure and is blocked by guilt.
- The fire chakra above the navel deals with willpower and is blocked by shame.
- The air chakra at the heart deals with love and is blocked by grief
- The sound chakra at the throat deals with truth and is blocked by lies
- The light chakra at the third eye deals with insight and is blocked by illusion
- The thought chakra at the crown of the head deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment
Let’s put this into practice with an example! You start noticing feelings of shame, so you know that your 3rd chakra, Manipura, is out of balance. You know that willpower is its function, so you can empower yourself to start making aligned choices and taking action. It’s the element of fire so maybe you work with it by attending a power yoga class or adding some breath of fire to your yoga practice.
This newfound awareness can encourage major shifts and help open any blocks in the system.
In Closing
Personally, when I started to learn about the chakras, it changed how I engaged in my mental, physical, and emotional health. I now can quickly identify which chakras are blocked, and I have the tools to activate those energy points. I incorporate chakra balancing meditations and chants into my practice to strengthen my spiritual health. I also give myself more compassion when things aren’t flowing because I know I am empowered to take a different route.
This information has changed my life, and I want it to change yours, too!
