Chakras

How nice it would be if you could “take off” your tensions, worries and anxieties as you take off your shoes in the evening. Right?

Practicing yoga and the combination of asana, breathing and meditation will take away the tension, worries, and anxieties like taking off your (tighter) shoes in the evening.

According to yoga, the part of the body you can’t see or touch is where the energy flows – your energy body. The energy that swirls in the energy body has seven key points called chakras.

The word chakra

The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means circle or swirl. Do you remember the word chakra – a circle – that circular device you spin with?

Well, it’s the same with chakras. They create and whirl the energy within us.

If the energy is hurt in any of these key points (chakras), it triggers physical, mental or emotional imbalances. This is what is thought to lead to the symptoms of anxiety, lethargy, indigestion, etc.

The most direct way to use the chakras is to learn how each one is connected to an element of nature and thus to yourself. The first five chakras are related to the physical elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space. The sixth and seventh chakras are associated with the elements of light and cosmic energy. They are located from the bottom up – starting at the base of the body, which is at the base of the torso and continuing up to the top of the head.

Restoring balance in the chakras is directly related to determining your emotional and physical state. Once you define clearly for yourself how you feel, you can stimulate (through asana, food influence, colors, thoughts, and essence stones) a specific chakra and counteract the imbalance.

Besides yoga, you can find chakra theory in some Buddhist, Chinese and Japanese practices.

Here’s how each chakra directly relates to you and how you can balance it:

Muladhara – Root Chakra (“I am”).

Located at the base of the spine. It is the foundation of everything, our connection to the earth and all things earthy. It holds your earliest memories and is responsible for your self-esteem and attitude.

    Element.

    Color: Red

    Sense: Smell

    Asana: To influence it, you can practice the Tree pose.

    Essential oil: cinnamon, ylang-ylang, patchouli, vetiver

    Natural stone: fire agate, tiger’s eye, hematite

Swadhishthana

Located at the base of the spine, two fingers from the Muladhara and two fingers below the navel. Sacral Chakra (“I feel”) – This chakra corresponds to the reproductive and sexual organs, creativity, and fertility.

    Element.

    Color: Orange

    Sense: Taste

    Asana: To keep your emotional state stable, you can practice the “Goddess” pose, which balances the feeling chakra.

    Essential oil.

    Natural stone: citrine, carnelian, silver quartz

Manipura – solar plexus chakra (“I do”)

Located just above the level of the navel, at the site of the sternum – the energy of your courage and actions is found in the solar plexus chakra. By working on this chakra you can awaken your inner power.

    Element.

    Color: Yellow

    Sense: Sight

    Asana: A good pose to balance it is the Boat pose.

    Essential oil: rosemary, grapefruit

    Natural stone: yellow citrine, chrysoberyl, golden quartz

Anahata – Heart Chakra (I love)

Associated with the lungs and the element of air, the heart chakra is the energy center of the feeling of unconditional love, forgiveness, compassion, faith, and acceptance. The heart chakra is the most powerful center of all.

    Element.

    Color: Green

    Sense: Touch

    Asana: You can balance this chakra with the “Shoulder Pose – Half-Bridge” or “Fish” asana.

    Essential oil: pine, eucalyptus

    Natural stone: rose quartz, malachite, emerald

Vishuddhi – Throat Chakra (I Speak)

Located where the throat is. This is the energetic home of speech and hearing. If you want to communicate fully with others, you need to work on harmony in the throat chakra. Also, the energy of this chakra controls metabolism.

    Element.

    Color: Blue

    Sense: Hearing

    Asana: You can practice camel or “Mountain”/”Looking Down Dog”

    Essential oil: peppermint, geranium, eucalyptus

    Natural stone: turquoise, aquamarine, azurite

Ajna – Third Eye Chakra (“I see”)

Located in the inner vertex. Responsible for intuition, your sixth sense, and the flow of energies in the other chakras are connected to the sixth chakra. Balancing the sixth chakra will open your mind and help you cultivate yourself.

    Element.

    Color: Indigo

    Sense: Intuition

    Asana: The so-called “easy pose” (Suhasini) will help you balance the third eye chakra.

    Essential oil: frankincense, jasmine

    Natural stone: purple fluorite, amethyst

Sahasrara – Crown Chakra (I understand)

This chakra will help you understand who you are beyond your physical self.

    Element.

    Color: White/Violet

    Sense:

    Asana: All inverted and meditative postures.

    Essential oil: jasmine and lavender

    Natural stone: diamond, gold, pure quartz

Each yoga practice will help you to become more aware of your body, mind, and spirit as well as your concentration.

Knowing about the chakras can deepen your practice, but the important thing is to be willing to practice yoga every day.