What are Chakras? Know your Energy Centers & Why They are Important
What are Chakras? Get to Know your Energy Centers & Why They are Important
Chakras are the energy centers in the body. Every human being is surrounded by a hidden energy field which consists of this Prana energy. This invisible energy field is made up of the chakra system (which consists of the seven chakras) and the aura (which will manifest itself in seven layers). Chakra is a Sanskrit word literally meaning wheel or circle of light and it originates from the ancient, Indian yoga system and the philosophy of Tantra. Chakras are located vertically along the spine and that correspond to the spinal plexuses in the physical body.
1. Root Chakra | Muladhara : located at the base of the spine in the tailbone area, this first energy center governs the region of your sex organs. A tremendous amount of creative energy exists in this first center. When energy center is in balance, your creative energy flows easily and you also grounded in your sexual identity. This chakra embodies the very basic foundations of your life and facilitates your feeling of being grounded. It represent emotional and survival issues, such as financial independence, money and food.
2. Splenic or Sacral Chakra | Svadhishthana: the second energy is located behind and slightly below your navel. It governs the ovaries, uterus, colon, pancreas and lower back. This energy center is related to social networks and structures, relationships, support systems, family, cultures and interpersonal relationships. When this center is in balance you feel safe and secure both in your environment and in the world.
3. Navel or Solar Plexus Chakra| Manipura : the third energy center is located in the pit of your gut. It governs the stomach, small intestine, spleen, liver, gall bladder, adrenal glands, and kidneys. This center is associated with will, power, self-importance, control, drive, aggression and dominance. It is the center of competitive action and of personal power, self-esteem, and directed intention. When the third chakra is in balance you use your will and drive to overcome your environment and the conditions in your life. Unlike the second center, this center becomes naturally activated when you perceive that your environment is not safe or is unpredictable, so you must protect and take care of your tribe and yourself. The third center is also active when you want something and you need to use your body to get it.
4. Heart Chakra | Anahata: the fourth center is located in the space behind your breastbone, right above the hearth. It governs the heart, lungs, and thymus gland (the body’s main immunity gland, known as the “fountain of youth”). This chakra represents your ability to love. The first three chakras or energy centers are all about survival and reflect our animal nature or our humanity. But in this fourth energy center, we are moving from being selfish to being selfless. This chakra is associated with the emotions of love and caring, nurturing, compassion, gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, kindness, inspiration, selflessness, wholeness, and trust. It is where our divinity originates, it is the seat of the soul. When the fourth chakra is in balance, we care about others and we want to work in cooperation for the greatest good of the community. We feel a genuine love for life. We feel whole, and we are satisfied with who we are.
5. Throat Chakra | Vishuddha: the fifth energy center is located in the center of your throat. It governs the thyroid, parathyroid, the salivary glands and tissues of the neck. This center is associated with expressing the love you felt in the fourth center, as well as speaking your truth and personally empowering your reality through language and sound. When the throat chakra is in balance, your voice present truth, which includes expressing your love. You feel so please with yourself and with life that you just have to share your thoughts and feelings.
6. Third Eye Chakra | Ajna: the sixth energy center is located on your forehead above and between the eyes, your Third Eye or Brow Chakra represents your ability to focus on and see the “bigger picture.” Your Third Eye Chakra focuses on intuition, imagination, and wisdom, as well as the all-important ability to think and make decisions. It’s associated with the door to higher dimensions and shifting your perception so you can see beyond the veil or see reality in a nonlinear way. When this chakra is opened, it’s like a radio antenna you can use to tune in to higher frequencies beyond the five senses. This is where the alchemist in you awakens. When this energy center is in balance, your brain works in clear manner. You are lucid, more conscious of both your inner world and your outer world, seeing more each day.
7. Crown Chakra | Sahasrara: the seventh energy center is located at the very top of your head and includes the pituitary gland. This chakra allows you to experience the greatest expression of divinity. This is where your divinity, your highest level of consciousness, originates. When this chakra is in balance you are in harmony with all the things.
8. Eighth Chakra: this eight energy center is located about 40 centimeters (16 inches) above the head, so it is the only energy center that is not associated with an area of physical body. The Egyptians called it the Ka. It represents your connection to the cosmos, to the universe, to the whole. When this center becomes activated, you feel worth to receive - and that opens you up to insights, epiphanies, deep understandings, and creative downloads of frequency and information that come into your nervous system but from the cosmos, the universe, and the unified field. We access the data and memory of the quantum field through this center.
Understanding the world of chakras is an effective first step in harnessing your hidden but innate life-changing energies. Channel energy to your chakras through yoga, meditation and mindful breathing.