Chakra?...What is that?

Chakra? What is that now? I am pretty sure I don’t want to know more because it is unfamiliar and it seems like a weird word so I am sure the whole concept is weird!!

Do you find yourself saying those words about people. places, and things that you have no idea about? One of the greatest forms of ignorance is judging something you know nothing about. That statement I sure rings true to pretty much every person on earth. Maybe that is a bold statement but it is a person best defense mechanism, and it is used all fo the time!

Today I want to introduce something to you that maybe you have heard of before or maybe not. But I want to encourage to keep reading if you already were interested to know more, just by reading the title. And if you were one of those who thought ‘now what is this? Sounds weird” and maybe felt out of your comfort zone, I also encourage you to keep reading as well. It is time to dive in deeper!

Have you ever heard the word chakra? If so, are you aware of what it is? Where it is? Do you think it sounds freaky? Did you know that you have seven major chakras or energy centers within your body, along with many others that play a major role in your everyday life? Are you intrigued yet?

For me, the first time I was introduced to a what a chakra was is when I was going to school for massage therapy. It was very interesting to understand more about where they are located, how they can be affected by everything in life, but also how we have the ability to balance them ourselves through many different day-to-day activities! This includes something as simple as a good belly laugh!! I think that sounds wonderful.

One thing that I will admit though, was when I was being introduced to this concept of energy centers or chakras that were located within me, I was a bit confused. And to be completely honest, with my upbringing and understanding of anything out of the “norm” (whatever the hell that is), I instantly judged what I was being introduced to…and was maybe somewhat nervous of just what the hell I was being told!! But I then started to activate these energy centers each day. I have continued to be taught about them and have been encouraged to honor myself and my body by loving it and nourishing it in so many ways! I remember being told once that “just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t real," So true. So, I try and keep that in mind when someone is introducing me to something that sounds crazy!!

As I continued to train, I felt so drawn to activating these chakras in a positive way. To give a definition of a chakra is: centers of spiritual power in the human body, usually considered to be seven in number. To help you understand, I will go through each chakra, where it is, what its function is, and how it is represented.

The first chakra is located at the base or “Root”. Its color is red, and it is located at the perineum, the base of your spine. It is the chakra closest to the earth. Its function is concerned with earthly grounding and physical survival. This chakra is associated with your legs, feet, bones, large intestine, and adrenal glands. It controls your fight or flight response. A blockage may manifest as paranoia, fear, procrastination, and defensiveness.

The second chakra is known as the “Sacral” chakra. Its color is orange, and it is located between the base of your spine and your navel. It is associated with your lower abdomen, kidneys, bladder, circulatory system and your reproductive organs and glands. It is concerned with emotion. This chakra represents desire, pleasure, sexuality, procreation, and creativity. A blockage may manifest as emotional problems, compulsive or obsessive behavior, and sexual guilts.

The third chakra is known as the “Solar Plexus” and is located a few inches above the navel. Its color is yellow. This chakra is concerned with your digestive system, muscles, pancreas, and adrenals. It is the seat of your emotional life. Feelings of personal power, laughter, joy, and anger are associated with this center. Your sensitivity, ambition, and ability to achieve are stored here. A blockage may manifest as anger, frustration, lack of direction or a sense of victimization.

As I give short definitions of these, take a moment to think about each one and how you could relate to this. Maybe you have had a couple “ah ha” moments already and are curious to know more! I know that I was and continue to be very interested in how I can get these in balance each day!

Next, is the fourth chakra, known as the “Heart” chakra. Its color is green and it is located within your heart. It is the center of love, compassion, harmony, and peace. The Asians say that this is the house of the soul. This chakra is associated with your lungs, heart, arms, hands and thymus gland. We fall in love through our heart chakra, then that feeling of unconditional love moves to the emotional center, commonly known as the solar plexus. After that, it moves into the sexual center or Base chakra where strong feelings of attraction can be released. When these energies move into the Base chakra, we may have the desire to marry and settle down. Blockage can show itself as immune system, lung and heart problems, or manifest as inhumanity, lack of compassion or unprincipled behavior.

The fifth chakra is the Throat chakra. Personally, this one is out of balance for me much of the time. And if you know me personally, it is not because I don’t speak my truth or have a hard time talking at all!! It is more than likely because I talk too much! I will admit it!! Its color is blue or turquoise and it is located within the throat. It is the chakra of communication, creativity, self-expression, and judgment. It is associated with your neck, shoulders, arms, hands, thyroid and parathyroid glands. It is concerned with the senses of inner and outer hearing, the synthesizing of ideas, healing, transformation, and purification. Blockage can show up as creative blocks, dishonesty or general problems in communicating ones needs to others.

Sixth in line is the “Third Eye” or “Brow” chakra. Its color is Indigo (a combination of red and blue). It is located at the center of your forehead at eye level or slightly above. This chakra is used to question the spiritual nature of our life. It is the chakra of question, perception and knowing. It is concerned with inner vision, intuition, and wisdom. Your dreams for this life and recollections of other lifetimes are held in this chakra. A blockage may manifest as problems like lack of foresight, mental rigidity, ‘selective’ memory and depression.

And the seventh chakra is recognized as the “Crown” chakra. Its color is violet and it is located at the top of your head. It is associated with the cerebral cortex, central nervous system, and the pituitary gland. It is concerned with information, understanding, acceptance, and bliss. It is said to be your own place of connection to God, the chakra of Divine purpose and personal destiny. Blockage can manifest as psychological problems.

So there is have it. There are so many ways to align and balance these simple yet complex energy centers. In simplest form, our chakras connect our spiritual bodies to our physical bodies. They regulate the flow of energy throughout the electrical network (meridians) that runs through the physical body. The body’s electrical system resembles the wiring in a house. It allows electrical current to be sent to every part, and it is ready for use when needed.

Sometimes chakras become blocked because of stress, emotional or physical problems. If the body’s ‘energy system’ cannot flow freely, it is likely that problems will occur. The consequence of irregular energy flow may result in physical illness and discomfort or a sense of being mentally and emotionally out of balance.

The main reason I felt the pull to share this information is that I feel that there is so much out there, that is really at all our fingertips, that we can tap into for our wellbeing. And best of all, it is painless. You don’t need a prescription or a visit to the doctor to grab ahold of these types of tools. It has been gifted to us, through us and through our higher power.

There really are simple steps and tools that you can incorporate into your everyday life to enhance and balance your chakras. Wear specific colors of clothing. Eat certain types of nutritional foods and vitamins! Use essential oils, listen to mediations and meditative music, get massages, have a yoga practice, go for walks or literally do some intentional breathing. Most of us have forgotten even how to breathe properly! I didn’t think that was even a thing until I was taught how to breathe properly at a workshop called “Breathe Again”! So again, so so many ways that we can regain connection with our spiritual, emotional, physical self through our chakras!!

Thoughts? Interested to know more? Give me shout and we can dive deeper into getting aquatinted with your chakras and ways to get them connected with you and your higher self! And, if you really feel adventurous, we can set up a time for you or a group of people to experience balancing at its best!

Blessings and #behappy

Nikki @ Zen Den Therapy