The Chakras: What Are They?

You know, sometimes I forget that the things that come naturally to me may seem super “out there” to other people.  One of those things is my familiarity with energy and more specifically, the chakras. I don’t always know how to describe this really.   I've always been sensitive to energy and no one ever discouraged me to be otherwise.  And I’ve always just felt it. I can actually feel my insides, my organs functioning, my blood circulating, the oxygen in my breath being absorbed, etc. On top of that, I can feel energy moving through me and I can feel when and where within me that it becomes stuck. I can feel it in other people and I can feel it in living and non-living things too.  Maybe it sounds simplistic, but the best way I can describe the way this energy feels is like “life” or “aliveness.” I’ve always felt this, but not always known what it was.  It wasn’t until my journey into yoga and Reiki began that I truly understood what I was feeling and could give it a name. 

In yoga we call it Prana or life force energy.  Many people refer to it as the soul or spirit, chi, qi,  or ki.  Yoga is about many things, but at its most basic level, it is about properly circulating Pranic energy.  It is believed that with proper flow of Prana, all life can be lead to its fullest.  Prana is not to be confused with air or oxygen; it is not breath.  Prana, as I understand it, is what air and breath bring to the body.  Prana is life.  When your heart beats, it is filled with Prana.  When it stops, it is because Prana is gone.   It’s really a beautiful thing if you ask me. 

Ok so, Prana is an energy and like all energy, it is always moving.  It actually needs to flow.  So how does it flow?  Well, this is where the Chakras come in.  And this is where it gets tricky because the chakras are not a physical thing.  They cannot be measured like our heartbeat or our stomach digesting and so a lot of people get really turned off by this and that’s ok.  I think within all of us there a deep resonance with the idea of spirit or soul, but I know some of us are extremely logical and just really battle with the idea of not having tangible proof.  Believe it or not I have a logical side and I totally get it. 

So the Chakras….  Btw, there are thousands of BOOKS written on the Chakras, this is a very deep subject to dive into, so for the sake of this tiny blog, I am going to highlight the major stuff. 

It’s easy for me to think of my body as a map of a bustling city.  On the map there are highways, back roads, major stops and minor stops.  The roads are the nadis.  Nadis are the paths that the energy takes within our bodies.  The word “nadi” can be loosely translated into “conduit” or “flow”.  There are 3 major nadis and there are thousands of minor ones.  The three major nadis, Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the main highways of the city, and where they intersect, you have the major stops.  The major stops are the Chakras. 

So what is a chakra?  Again, this is something that I have a hard time finding the words for, because it is something I just feel.  Chakra can be literally translated to mean “wheel” or “vortex.” Within your body or city, the nadis or major roads intersect at certain points and these intersections are the chakras. The chakras are swirling or spinning vortices through which Prana is sifted and pushed through.  The chakras each have different vibrational frequencies and each one represents a different aspect of our consciousness.  Chakras can be balanced; you’ll know they are balanced because you feel good, confident and peaceful within yourself and your physical world reflects that.  But the chakras can be closed or blocked, too.  They can be out of balance and you’ll know this because you don’t feel as good.  Your life is not what you want it to be; you may feel restless and dissatisfied, or you may even have physical symptoms such as illness showing up in your life.  This is a tricky thing to say and again, for the sake of trying to keep this blog short, I won’t go into “creating your reality.”  That’s a whole other realm of things to talk about and I know it can be a touchy subject for some, but personally, I do believe when our energy is out of whack, it begins to manifest physically. 

So let's break down the 7 major chakras.  It is believed that there are many more but these 7 are the ones we deal with most in our life. 

At the base of our spine is Muladhara or Root Chakra.  This Chakra is associated with our most basic human needs for survival, i.e. food, shelter, safety and security.  It is associated with the element of earth and the color red.  When the root chakra is balanced, you feel secure in your life.  You are certain of your ability to take care of basic things like bills, groceries, etc.  When this chakra is out of balance, you will feel fearful, angry or stressed.  You may feel the need to dominate others.  Physical symptoms of an out of balance Root chakra are pain in the legs, and feet, intestinal and digestive issues, money issues, maybe even rage issues. 

Moving up the spine about two inches below the navel we have Svadisthana or our Sacral Chakra.  This chakra is our pleasure and emotion center in the body.  It is represented by the element of water and the color orange.  When this chakra is balanced you are able to enjoy life’s little pleasures.  Food tastes better, songs sound prettier, art is more beautiful, and sex is more desirable and feels better.  When this chakra is out of whack, you may feel lackluster or even depressed, let down, unlovable, unattractive, lonely, etc.  Physical symptoms of an unbalanced sacral chakra are reproductive issues, lower back pain, lack of desire for sex. 

Next up we have Manipura or our Solar Plexus Chakra.  This chakra is located in the center of our body or abdomen.  This is truly where you begin to feel a sense of who You actually are.  This is your center for confidence, your sense of freedom and ease.  It is represented by the element of fire and the color yellow.  When this chakra is balanced you will feel confident in yourself, brave enough to take risks you know are good for you, and feel comfortable in with your power.  When this chakra is out of balance you may feel afraid of challenging yourself or lack confidence in your abilities.  Physical symptoms of an out of balance solar plexus chakra are liver issues, gall bladder issues, even vision problems.

Up the spine, correlating with our lungs and rib cage we have Anahata or Heart Chakra.  This chakra is our love center. It is represented by the element of air and the color green.  When this chakra is balanced you feel a sense of pure love for yourself and those around you.  Your relationships are healthy and compassionate.  If this chakra is out of balance you will know because the idea of unconditional love for someone you know you care about feels impossible, love feels hard to do, for yourself and others.  Physical symptoms of the heart chakra unbalanced are breathing and lung issues or an inability to receive physical touch.

Moving up the spine and into the neck we have Vishuddha or Throat Chakra.  This chakra is our center for creativity, listening and expression; verbal expression but also physical expression such as dance or yoga.  It is represented by the element of “ether” and the color sky blue.  When this chakra is open and balanced, you are confident in your ability to communicate and express the highest vision you have for your life.  When this chakra is not balanced, you may fear putting yourself out there, unable to make decisions or be unable to express your desires.  You may have trouble communicating with others or listening to others.  Physical symptoms of an unbalanced throat chakra are a sore throat, sore mouth and teeth, earaches, and/or sore neck and shoulders.

Upward to the center of our forehead is Ajna, our Third Eye Chakra.  This is our center for discernment.  Many people think of this as our psychic center but it really is so much more than that.  To be truly psychic, one must use both intuition AND intellect.  This chakra, when balanced, is exactly that; a strong inner knowing about what is the right course of action for your life.  When balanced, this chakra gives us the ability to make decisions rooted in fact but also by trusting the intuitive “gut” feelings we get.  When this chakra is not balanced, you’ll know because you tend to escape into daydreaming or you may feel spacey, airheaded and out of sync with reality.  This chakra is supposedly beyond the physical earthly elements and so it is said to be represented by “mind” and the color indigo.  Physical symptoms of this unbalanced crown chakra would be headaches, poor sleep or nightmares, etc.

And finally, at the crown of our head is Sahasrara or Crown Chakra.  This is our connection to the Divine or spiritual center.  This chakra is also beyond earthly elements and is represented by “cosmic energy” and the color violet, gold or white.  When this chakra is balanced you will feel a sense of Universal Oneness or enlightenment.  You have a sense of trust and faith in the universe or God working for you instead of against you.  When this chakra is not balanced you begin to feel apathy, lack of spirituality, or that you have lost your purpose and understanding for your life.  Physical symptoms of an unbalanced crown chakra are learning disabilities and nerve issues, as this chakra governs the nervous system.

So WHY am I writing about the chakras today?  I was inspired to write this blog because I feel having an understanding of our energy body helps us understand our physical and mental bodies.  I believe and understanding of where and how our energy flows helps us to see our lives more accurately and gives us insight on how to correct any perceived glitches that may be occurring .  

This blog also leads to my next blog on Reiki. And what is Reiki?  Well, that’s my next blog post…but to sum up, it is a hands on energy healing treatment that dissolves energetic blockages within the chakras but also, it is extremely relaxing and brings you into a deep meditative state.  Reiki is subtle but can be quite profound, as I know from firsthand experience.  I will share more about that in my next blog. But I believe that Reiki, combined with yogic movement and breath wor,k can provide a boost for anyone feeling stuck in a pattern of unhealthy habits, physical and/or mental habits, and leave a person feeling relaxed. Because it is only when we are relaxed that we are open to receive wellness.  

Namaste <3

Stephanie