What are they and how do they work?
Regardless of whether you can see it or feel it, everything has energy and a vibration, therefore everything is connected to, and affected by each other! For me it is known as Universal Energy, for others who work with it they may have their own names.
The word Chakra comes from ancient Sanskrit language meaning “wheel of light”, therefore Chakras are energy wheels from which subtle energy flows into, from and through the human body, they are within us all regulating the energy of the human body. Chakras are influenced by the experiences and environment of the person and, in turn, influence the health of the person.
We have 7 major Chakras located in the head and trunk of the body, plus several other minor chakras in the hands, feet and joints, as well as auric ones.
The environmental energies vibrate at different frequencies as do our chakras:
· Lower chakras vibrate at lower/ more dense frequency, absorbing energies of the same frequencies
· Upper Chakras digest higher, faster vibrations
Colour is also representative of the scale:
· Lower Chakras attract reds/oranges: more tangible in its vibration, feelings are dense, more intense and we tend to be more aware of them e.g. sexuality
· Upper Chakras = blues/violets are more ethereal, focusing on traits such as wisdom and thought
Just like everything in the universe, a balance needs to be maintained and when the balance is tipped, we feel the effects - just think of global warming with its effects on the earth! It is the same with our bodies energy system, when they become unbalanced or blocked, the energy system of the body begins to show emotional signs of upset and physical dis-ease, resulting in either an under or over active Chakra.
There is a general acknowledgment by healers and therapists that the physical body impacts the energetic system and in turn the energy system impacts the physical body. An unbalance in one Chakra creates a knock-on effect to the others, sometimes creating some rather profound ailments throughout the human body.
So how do you know if the chakras are unbalanced or strong and healthy, I hear you ask!? Well, have a look at the circumstances in your life…
1. Root chakra
Location: Base of the spine
The Root Chakra can be thought of as the foundations of a house, only for your body. Sturdy, stabilising and supportive, its associated with the base of the spine and pelvis and is responsible for the sense of security and survival. Its connected to your basic needs i.e. food water, shelter and safety. As well as the emotional needs such as letting go of fear and feeling safe.
Balanced: when you love your career and get rewarded for being good at it. You feel wanted and loved by your friends and family, and you feel good about yourself. You feel as if you stand strong and solid.
Unbalanced-
Underactive: Lack of sense of security, co-dependency, inability to become grounded, abandonment issues, depression, lack of stamina or drive, little boundaries
Overactive: Materialistic, greedy, resistant to change, fearful, nervous, anxiety, insecurity, negativity, impatience, aggression
Physically, the first chakra is associated with problems in the colon, bladder, elimination, or with lower back, leg, or feet issues.
Affirmation: "I feel grounded, well supported and am unconditionally loved. I am safe."
Activities: Nature walks and sits, dancing, squats, yoga, going barefoot, cleaning, cooking, caring for plants, meditating focusing on the colour red.
2. Sacral Chakra.
Location: Lower abdomen, above pubic bone, below the navel.
Balanced: you will feel great! You’re friendly, passionate, and successfully fulfilled. You will have feelings of wellness, abundance, pleasure, and joy. Your Sacral Chakra is healthy when you see sex as a pleasurable and healthy activity. You’re able to attract the right partners. Emotions flow and you express them appropriately.
Unbalanced:
Underactive: Unemotional, closed off, lack of self-esteem or self-worth, stiff, frigid, pessimism or depression, sexual or pleasurable guilt/shame, lack of creativity, sluggishness
Overactive: Over-emotional, moody, dramatic, excessive emotional attachment or neediness, sexual addictions
Physically: your sex drive can be affected, and you may find your-self having addiction-like behaviours.
Affirmation: I welcome and acknowledge all my feelings and desires. I am easily able to identify support from all aspects of my life and know what I should let go of.
Activities: Creative pursuits, healthy and pleasurable sex, gardening, eating tasty food that enlivens the senses, dancing, swimming, meditating with orange.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra
Location: from the navel to the ribcage,
The 3rd Chakra is your source of individual power, ruling over self-esteem, willpower, personal power, and commitment. It governs all things metabolic, digestive, and stomach-related.
Balanced: Your Solar Plexus Chakra is healthy when you are confident and have good self-esteem. Your family, friends and community see you as a strong, intelligent individual able to make things happen.
Unbalanced:
Underactive: indecisiveness, lack of self-control or self-confidence, seeking external approval, worrying about what others think of them, victim mentality, prone to procrastination. People may be able to easily take advantage of you!
Overactive: Judgmental, critical, domineering, perfectionism, aggression/anger, self-righteous (“I’m always right”), bullying behaviour, on a “power trip”
Physically you may have tummy ache of some kind such as digestive issues or gas.
Affirmation: I honour my truth and my body. I am powerful.
“I am confident in all that I do. I am successful and effortlessly release my creative energy into this reality. I can laugh and positively express myself.”
4. Heart Chakra
Location: Centre of the chest
The meeting point between the physical and the spiritual! Physically, it’s related to the heart - thymus gland (which plays a vital role in your endocrine and lymphatic system) - lungs and the breasts. As the name implies it all about love, awakening you to spiritual awareness, forgiveness, and service.
Balanced: receiving love and compassion flows freely—both in terms of giving it out and getting it back. You have comfortable, loving and empathic relationships at home, work and in your social life. You feel gratitude for the life you lead and how wonderful it is. Good vibes ooze from you and are contagious to other 😊
Unbalanced:
Underactive: Cold, emotionally distant, lacking ability to forgive or open up to others, feeling of being unloved or inferior, lack of empathy.
Overactive: Clingy or suffocating in love, lack of sense of self within relationships, lacking boundaries, possessiveness, feelings of superiority, jealousy, extreme emotional reactions, lack of self-control over emotions.
Affirmation: I am deeply loved and very lovable.
“Love is the way. I am an infinite being of Divine love, which I give and accept openly and freely to and from others and myself. I forgive. I am intimately connected to all that is.”
5. Throat Chakra
Location: Throat
The 5th chakra relates to your communication and self-expression. It’s also the first of the three solely spiritual chakras (as opposed to the lower ones, which manifest themselves in a more physical way). Physically, it’s associated with the thyroid, parathyroid, jaw, neck, mouth, tongue, and larynx.
Balanced: you are willing to voice your thoughts, ideas and emotions to those around you. You speak your personal truth and express yourself clearly to others without fear of rejection. You are also able to fully listen to others!
Blocked:
Underactive: Shyness, difficulty speaking truth, inability to express needs or views, unable to stand up for self, forgetful
Overactive: Overly talkative, inability to listen to others, condescending and critical, loud and shrill, over analysing or avoiding vulnerability of emotions, dishonesty, possibly verbally abusive
Physically, this blockage can manifest itself as a sore throat, thyroid issues, neck and shoulder stiffness, or tension headaches.
Affirmation: In silence, I hear my deepest truth and it’s from there I speak my truth.
Activities: Singing, listening to or creating music, having open and honest conversations, activism, gazing at the blue sky or water, art, chanting, journaling, meditating on blue, seeking knowledge and sharing it.
6.Third Eye Chakra
Location: Centre of the forehead, between your eyebrows.
The 3rd Eye relates to your intuition and influences your perception for all things between you and the outside world, acting as a bridge, allowing you to see dramas and illusions which you can expel to see a clear picture. Physically, it relates to the pituitary gland, eyes, head, and lower part of the brain.
Balanced: you intuitively make decisions and evaluations. You have an inner knowing and a clear sense of direction and clarity.
Blocked: If your lower chakras (root, sacral, solar plexus, and heart) are unbalanced, your third eye will likely be as well.
Underactive: Rigid thinking, closed off to new ideas or excessive reliance on authority, insensitivity, lack of connection to and distrustful of intuition, inability to imagine or visualize things, memory issues, attachment to past, anxious, more judgmental, dismissive,
Overactive: Overactive imagination, lives in fantasy world, lacks judgment or sympathy, unable to focus
Physically, headaches and dizziness.
Affirmation: I see with clarity through the eyes of Source.
Activities: Working with imagination and visualization, daydreaming, creative pursuits, strengthening intuitive abilities, sun gazing, meditation, looking deeper into experiences and contemplating the meaning.
7. Crown Chakra
Location: Top of the head
The Crown Chakra is the centre of enlightenment and our spiritual connection to our higher selves, others, and ultimately, the divine.
Balanced: When aligned, the realizations that occur within you are said to be along the lines of pure awareness, consciousness, undivided, and all expansive. Basically, bigger than yourself and yet part of one giant universe. In your daily life, you have a sense of being watched over, protected and you feel gratitude. A feeling of being connected to a higher power.
Unbalanced:
Underactive: Lack of direction or meaning in life, no sense of spirituality, disconnected from yourself and others, distrust or lack of faith, excessive attachment to material things, rigidity or selfishness, inability to see the bigger picture
Overactive: Addiction to spirituality, ignorance of reality and physical needs, obsessive thoughts, “head in the clouds”
Unlike the other chakras, the crown chakra is often only opened fully through specific yogic or meditative exercises, or at certain times—which is not a skill set you can call upon at any given moment. You may be able to get a taste of it through daily practices e.g. meditation, prayer, to moments of silence and gratitude.
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Affirmation: I trust the higher power and know that I am one with all that exists.
Activities: Silent meditation, seeking spiritual growth and knowledge, connecting to higher power, chanting, spending time in sunlight, reading, journaling, meditate on pure white light, practicing gratitude and prayer.
So how do you balance a Chakra?
You can restore the flow and clear any stagnation or blockages from the chakras using the following techniques:
Massage: Physically: Traditional Chinese medicine tells us that Chi (energy) follows the blood, when chakras become blocked and energies suppressed, physically, circulation decreases, and slight vasoconstriction takes place in that area. This weakens the tissue, priming the areas for injury or dis-ease. Massage therapists release physical restrictions in the soft tissue using different techniques; this shifts out the toxins in that area allowing blood and lymph to flow through the injured area. This helps to heal any ailments and restoring the free flow of “chi” or energy throughout the body.
As a massage therapist I mainly work with the physical body, but I am attuned to Reiki and often channel energy during my treatments should clients wish.
· Yoga: Opens up your energy lines and increases energetic flow.
· Meditation: Rebalances chakras by increasing energy flow, enhancing relaxation, clarity and healing.
· Visualization: Seeing the vortex of chakra energy, vibrant with colour and spinning optimally, will reset the centres to proper alignment.
· Wearing certain colours and eating certain coloured food - believe it or not-can help rebalance.
· Affirmations: Positive statements that reinforce healthy energy flow in each chakra centre. Chants to produce specific sounds/vibrations.
Energetic healing is another way to restore balance and flow to your chakra centres. There are many modalities and healers who can do this, here are two:
· Reiki therapy channels universal energy, with set intent through the therapists’ body into the clients’ chakra system through a laying or hovering of hands.
. Crystals can be used as they too hold an energy, a vibration which can be used to balance yours.
References, with thanks.
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