Chakras: wheels of Life
Chakras! We’ve all heard of them but unless we’re really into yoga or interested in energy, there’s an aura of mystery around what they are, where they’re located and what they do. You often find drawings of them in yoga studios or in holistic / alternative healing centers - the 7 rainbow-colored discs, or wheels, that are said to be located along our bodies.
Why is it interesting to know more about them?
If you’ve ever been sick physically, had an illness or affection - one of the causes could be linked to the malfunctioning of one of your chakras - an energetic “blockage”.
Take for instance the lower back: lower back pain - depending which vertebrae is affected (painful) your blockage could either be at the first or second chakra. Big difference! If it’s the first, it could be related to not feeling grounded, stable, financial issues, personal security…. if it’s the second, it could be related to your emotions, feelings, desire, intuition.
It’s a beautiful adventure looking into this… and it makes perfect sense once you get the hang of it. What I love about it is that so often when we have an issue, we turn to traditional medicine and try to cure the effect - disregarding the cause. Taking care of your chakras, being in tune with your body - nurturing it, will allow it to take good care of you so you’ll stay healthy and happy.
Chakras and Imbalances
I started my Reiki journey years ago, training to become a Practitioner and later a “Reiki Master”. If you are not familiar with the concept, it is a holistic therapy that works with energy. I will write about my experience with it soon. Anyways, the ABC of Reiki is knowing the chakras very well… why? Because they are our body’s energy centers that keep us in balance - physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. In fact, every one of those energy centers is directly linked to a part of our body (governs it) and when our chakras are “aligned” or “spinning well”, we should be in perfect health. When there’s an imbalance, problems may start to appear. Problems from back pain to ulcers, depression, vision issues… etc. you name it, but also issues with self-confidence, love, ego, need for security, materialism… literally everything is interconnected.
The chakras can be opened through various meditations, physical exercises, healing methods and life experiences, leading to deeper states of consciousness.
If you believe in the idea that illnesses have spiritual causes, that when you are sick it isn’t simply a chemical imbalance but that there is actually an emotional - spiritual problem that triggers it - the study of chakras brings light to this. I feel it provides a key to understanding our bodies - not being victimized by them but understanding them and learning to work together for our highest benefit.
Wheels of Life
In an attempt to better understand the topic, I started reading about energy and where better to start learning about our own energy than by reading about the chakras? There’s a book I highly recommend - “Wheels of Life" by Anodea Judith. It’s an incredible journey into the world of the chakras - what they govern, how to work with them, how to balance them. It’s one of my favorite books ever that is both poetic and empowering… a gold mine for the soul.
Here is Anodea Judith’s description of what Chakras are:
At the inner core of each one of us spin seven wheel-like energy centers called Chakras. Swirling intersections of vital life forces, each chakra reflects an aspect of consciousness essential to our lives. Together the seven chakras form a profound formula for wholeness that integrates mind, body and spirit. As a complete system, the chakras provide a powerful tool for both personal and planetary growth.
Chakras are organizing centers for the reception, assimilation, and transmission of life energies. Our chakras, as core centers, form the coordinating network of our complicated mind/body system. From instinctual behavior to consciously planned strategies, from emotions to artistic creations, the chakras are the master programs that govern our life, loves, learning and illumination.
Chakra ABC
Base Chakra - Muladhara
Location: Base of Spine
Governs: Feet, Legs, Bone, Teeth, Large Intestine
Related to: Stability, Security, Grounding (Finance, Roots), Food, Beginning
Colour: Red
Second Chakra - Swadhisthana
Location: Pelvis
Governs: Reproductive Organs, Womb, Lumbar Spine, Kidneys, Circulatory System
Related to: Emotions, Sexuality, Control, Nurturance, Change, Movement
Colour: Orange
Third Chakra - Manipura
Location: Solar Plexus
Governs: Digestive system
Related to: Sense of Self, Ego, Power, Will, Autonomy, Metabolism, Transformation
Colour: Yellow
Fourth Chakra - Anahata
Location: Heart, Chest
Governs: Arms, Heart, Lungs, Hands
Related to: Love, Gratitude, Relationship, Balance, Unity, Healing
Colour: Green
Fifth Chakra - Vissudha
Location: Throat
Governs: Respiratory System, Shoulders, Thyroid, Neck
Related to: Communication, Telepathy, Creativity
Colour: Blue
Sixth Chakra - Ajna
Location: Third Eye (in between your eyebrows)
Governs: Eyes
Related to: Clairvoyance, Seeing beyond the surface, Knowledge, Intuition, Vision
Colour: Violet
Seventh Chakra - Sahasrara
Location: Above the head
Governs: Cerebral Cortex, Central Nervous System
Related to: Consciousness, Thought, Information, Knowledge, Transcedence
Colour: Pink / White
You can understand what “state” each of your chakras are in by first tuning into the area of the body that corresponds to it. Is it fluid, alive, painful, relaxed? The physical plane often gives us a lot of clues about what is going on inside on deeper levels.
Liberation & Manifestation
You’ve probably heard people talk about base energies and higher energies… or are familiar with the concept: the tangible, material vs the spiritual (enlightenment… etc.). Often when these concepts are talked about, it is implied that “base” energies - basic needs in the material plane are inferior to higher energies that deal with our emotions, with intellectuality, with the spirit… and that we should always strive to rise above.
The truth is, in order to be balanced, happy and whole - ALL of your energy centers must be in good health and they are all as important as each other - from the material to the spiritual - they each have their place.
In fact, there are two currents that run through all of your chakras - one that runs downward and one that runs upward - they are called the manifesting and liberating currents.
Manifesting current: begins in pure consciousness and descends through the chakras into the manifested plane.
Liberating current: begins in the manifested plane and moves up through the chakras toward freedom, expansion, abstraction and universality.
In short, the liberating current brings in excitement, energy and novelty, whereas the manifesting current brings, peace, boundaries and stability. In order for both of these pathways to be whole - all of our chakras must be open and working well.