Chakras, is a Sanskrit word which means wheels of light. There are 7 major energy centers you need to connect to when you balance and heal your energy body. These centers allow for a smooth flow of energy to move through you. When a chakra is blocked, dis-ease follows. When a chakra is open and spinning its light, you experience good health. This is wisdom the yogis in ancient India spoke of long ago. To this day yoga practitioners and healers of all sorts such as Reiki Masters and Shamans refer to the chakras when they speak of the energy body. In ancient Egypt, the chakras were viewed as the endocrine system.
I lead the subtle/energy body teachings at Ramapo College of New Jersey's 200hr Yoga Teacher Training. In this post I'm sharing a few notes and artwork I created over the years to introduce you to or expand on your understanding of the chakras. As you review this post, I suggest you gaze into the artwork for a bit and notice what you feel. Then read out loud the English and Sanskrit name of the chakra. Don't worry about pronouncing it wrong. The effort in trying is a good thing. Under the chakra's Sanskrit name is a characteristic of the chakra. I'm also including a mini paragraph about each chakra. Here you will learn its color association, mantra, and a bit more. If you find this information about the energy body interesting, please join me for the:
Bandhas-Our Inner Energy Locks Online Workshop at Ramapo College of NJ Friday October 23rd 6pm-9pm
- $35/Community Member
- $10/ Ramapo Student
To register this workshop, please click here!
Muladhara means root support. The 1st Chakra is red in color and its mantra is LAM. It is associated with security, strength, and feeling at home. Its physical manifestation are the adrenal glands and its stone is jasper. When this chakra is unbalanced you may feel unsafe and uncertain. To balance this chakra you must ground yourself with grounding practices like spending time in nature where you sit and meditate or go for a nice long walk. If you can, walking barefoot will ground you and have you feeling great in no time. Also, standing and sitting yoga poses are great for balancing your root chakra.
Svadhishthana means the sweet abode of self. The 2nd Chakra is the creative and pleasure seeking chakra. Its color is orange and its mantra is VAM. The reproductive organs is its physical manifestation. Carnelian and Tiger's Eye is its stone. Do you love your body? Do you have a health attitude towards sex? Are you utilizing your creativity or just wishing you will get to it one day? These are questions to ask yourself to heal and balance your 2nd Chakra.
Manipura means the city of the shining jewel. Also called the Solar Plexus, the 3rd Chakra is located above your navel. Its color is yellow and its mantra is RAM. Its stone is citrine. The pancreas and spleen is its physical site. This chakra deals with your will to do anything in your life. Sometimes that inner flame is dim and you're not accomplishing much and other times in your life that inner fire is blazing and your passion to move mountains is steering you. To balance this center, go into nature and watch the sunrise and the sunset.
Anahata means the sound of two things hitting each other and not making a sound. The 4th Chakra's color is green and its mantra is YAM. Emerald and Jade are just a couple of its many stones. Its location is at the heart and its physical manifestation is the Thymus Gland. This chakra transcends the energies of me and my needs that are prevalent within the lower body and moves into balancing loving yourself while simultaneously loving others. To balance this chakra be sure to take care of yourself with a hot bath or get a massage every once in a while, but do make it a habit to serve others as often as possible. Embodying gratitude will get that green light spinning.
Visshudha means pure. The 5th Chakra's color is blue and its mantra is HAM. Its stone is aquamarine and blue lapis. It is located in the throat and the thyroid is its physical site. This chakra governs communication. Sometimes we speak more than we need to or not enough. To balance this chakra watch your words. Keep them pure and use your words as blessings.
Ajna means to know or to perceive. Its color is purple and its mantra is OM. Amethyst is its stone. The 6th Chakra is our 6th sense. Located at the center of the brow line, it's referred to as the 3rd Eye. Its physical manifestation is the pineal gland. It's our seat of intuition and imagination. The ability to see things beyond the surface and embodying a deep inner standing as to why things are the way they are is a sign your 6th Chakra is balanced. Headaches and confusion are signs its off balance. A great practice to balance your 3rd Eye is to sit in the sun and question everything.
Sahasrara means 1,000 petal lotus. The 7th Chakra is white in color and its mantra is OM. It is located at the crown of the head and like Ajna Chakra its physical site is the pineal gland. Diamonds and clear crystals are a few of its stones. The Crown Chakra connects us to the spirit realm. It's like our spiritual Wifi. Connecting to this center means retreating to a higher realm. That could mean sitting in meditation, gardening, or retreating to the mountains without your devices to check in on. There are so many yogas, meaning ways to yoke or more simply put, connect yourself to yourself. Once you connect fully to yourself, that feeling of being at one with the universe comes next. What is your yoga? What connects you to your limitless potential?
