Understanding the Chakras
Energy is something that all living creatures value, but it takes on a bit of a unique application for humans in the sense of metaphysical energy. This “life energy,” known as prana, exists within an “astral body” that houses energy within the physical body.
Energy can have an impact on your day in many ways. For example, when you arrive in the morning with good energy, you can approach the day with a place of positivity and manage all the challenges that present themselves. When your energy feels off, it can create difficulties that can make the day feel dark and filled with worry. Controlling your energy starts with an understanding of how the energy in the body works and how to realign that energy when it is faced with challenges.
Realigning the energy in your body and returning to a state of well-being begins with the knowledge of how the vibrations in the body correspond to specific chakra points. When a chakra point is more heavily influenced, it can throw off the balance in your body. All of us face different challenges, unique experiences with trauma, injuries, and more, which can cause constant imbalances. Increased knowledge of your own body’s chakras and how they work can help you return to a place of peace.
What Are the 7 Chakras?
Chakras are the energy centers in the human body that align with the spinal cord and extend from the tailbone to the top of the head. Existing metaphysically as spinning wheels of energy, they are connected to physical nerve bundles and organs, thus providing subtle influences on our body’s behaviors and reactions to the encounters of every day. When chakras are aligned and open, they work in unison to manage the energy levels of the body. They also provide an outlet for negative energy to escape in order to create the space for positive energies to set in.
Symbolically, chakra meanings are associated with chakra colors, which become central in realigning and bringing awareness to specific energies.
Sahasrara
Known more commonly as the crown chakra, sahasrara is located just above the top of the head. It has an influence on our knowledge, fulfillment, spirituality, and self-realization. Represented by the colors purple and white and represents the element of cosmic energy. This chakra connects us with the knowledge of ourselves beyond our physical being.
Anja
Referred to as the third eye, this chakra aligns with your body at the eyebrow level, or the midbrain. Thought to be a person’s sixth sense, this chakra helps you align with your intuition. This chakra helps all the others to function in their best capacity and connects together multiple energy levels. In other words, this is the place where the mind and the body converge. It is represented by the color indigo and the element of light.
Vishuddha
The throat chakra vishuddha helps your energies in the realm of speaking and hearing. This chakra helps you communicate further with whomever you may consider the divine. It represents the element of ether and is visualized in the form of the color blue.
Anahata
This green-colored chakra aligns itself with the element of air and is known as the heart chakra. While this chakra aligns with the heart and chest, it is most often associated with your lungs. Spiritually, this is the space believed to be where the soul rests.
In fact, the emotional journey of humans rests within this chakra. The feelings of faith, compassion, and unconditional love live within this space. However, this is also the place where our fears, loneliness, insecurities, and disappointment reside. Blockage of this chakra can bring about many physical and emotional challenges. You may find yourself falling into a state of possessiveness or even an overreliance on others.
This can lead to unhealthy relationships, could increase your own insecurities, and may cause you to isolate yourself from others because rejection moves to the top of the fear list. Reigniting the energy in this chakra will help open the heart to healing old wounds and rebuild healthy relationships.
Manipura
Symbolizing the element of fire, this yellow-colored chakra aligns itself in the navel. While the fire represents the recognition of your own purpose or power, it also helps to promote your digestive energies. This chakra powers the body to be in the best alignment it can to receive balanced energies.
Alignment of this chakra will help to drive the forces that leave you feeling confident and productive. Blockage of this chakra could leave you self-deprecating, stuck, and conscious of your lack of energy. Realigning the chakra will empower you to overcome fears of failure and push you to take risks.
Svadhisthana
The element of water identifies with this chakra, which is represented by the color orange. Svadhistana aligns in the lower pelvic area of the body, known as the sacrum. In this area exist our sexual organs, thus the chakra’s associations with reproduction. This energy pushes our desires for fertility while supporting fluidity and creativity. While some people focus on the sexual components of this energy, others may better identify with its ability to leave people feeling deserving of pleasure, abundance, and creativity.
This chakra, when out of alignment, can cause us to be overly critical of ourselves, feel guilty, or leave us in emotional chaos. Reestablishing this energy can help you to open up and be receptive to changes.
Muladhara
Depicted as red and representing the earth element, this chakra keeps you feeling grounded and rooted in yourself. It is located on the pelvic floor of the body and helps you to feel safe, secure, and physically strong. This chakra helps you determine how you will interact with others and how well you feel you belong. Memories of others are stored here, in addition to the ability to measure how well you’ve met your basic needs.
Self-destructive behaviors and neediness can be the result of a misaligned root chakra. Reestablishing the energies here can reestablish a sense of strength and confidence.
How Do You Open Your Chakras for Beginners?
Understanding how to unblock your chakras is crucial for realigning your energies and balancing your body. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to opening up chakras, but there are several ways these energies can be sparked. Try some of the tips below and then decide which ways help you the most.
Eat a Healthy Diet
The foods that you eat can impact the way your body’s energy works. Food is one of the five elements within the body, and when these elements are out of line, it can cause the chakras to do the same.
Try Meditation
Sitting in a meditative position and allowing your mind to release and refocus can allow your body to naturally realign its energies. One of the errors many people make in meditation is trying to force the thoughts they want to come forward. Rather, when you meditate, it is best to let the mind wander and simply focus on breathing and noticing how your body feels through the process.
Focus on Breathing
Breathing is essential for life, but when you’re focusing on breath for chakra alignment, it is about understanding how your body receives, processes, and releases air. Performing breathing exercises, often in conjunction with meditation, can prove to be effective. From box breathing to focused nasal breathing, each style can help calm the mind, focus energies, or help release tension that is blocking specific chakras.
Participate in Yoga
Yoga is commonly associated with chakras because it is the body’s way to focus. Yoga poses are designed to bring focus to muscles within the body and the abilities of those muscles. Then, you can establish a balance that you aren’t always aware of. Yoga can also increase the circulation of blood throughout the body and help the body find its center by participating in poses that require balance.
Carry Energy Crystals
Each chakra can be impacted by specific naturally occurring minerals. These crystals are aligned to the frequency of the specific chakra that you are seeking to impact. Various crystals include obsidian, smoky quartz, orange jasper, tiger’s eye, rose quartz, amazonite, amethyst, celestite, and many others. Crystals can be placed directly on the body, carried in the pocket, or simply placed nearby during work or rest.
Establish Mantras
Positive mantras can help you reestablish your own self-worth. Humans have a tendency to believe what they hear, particularly in repetition. The more you allow your mind to speak negatively to yourself, the more you start to believe it, and the more out of line your chakras become. Mantras can help reverse this. When put into practice with other methods such as yoga or meditation, mantras can help you tap into positive energies.
Consider Essential Oils
Scents can be powerful for retrieving memories and also allowing you to feel grounded. Essential oils can unlock the power of chakras by opening the mind and body to sources of healing that may otherwise be blocked. Essential oils may also help to alleviate ailments like stress and anxiety which can then help to open the mind.
Develop a Personal Plan to Align Your Chakras
Having a plan for self-care can help realign the chakras and restore the confidence in yourself that you need. While chakra energies can help maintain day-to-day interactions with yourself and others, truly misaligned chakras could also need the help of professionals who can help to understand why your energy may be negatively impacting you. Speaking with a therapist, counselor, or other specialist can help you discover what you may need.
Understanding how your chakras impact you and what it feels like when you are out of alignment can build your self-awareness and develop your ability to discover what you need. When your chakras work together and are aligned, it can create a powerful connected energy that can help you reestablish the connection you need to feel healthy, happy, and whole.
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