WHAT’S A CHAKRA?
HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO A YOGA CLASS, ALL DECKED OUT IN YOUR STYLISH YOGA CLOTHES, ON YOUR PERSONAL YOGA MAT, THINKING YOU GOT THIS ZEN THING DOWN…ONLY TO BE CONFUSED BY THE TEACHER SUGGESTING THAT YOU OPEN YOUR THROAT CHAKRA? JUST WHEN YOU GOT CLEAR ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR DOWNWARD FACING DOG AND YOUR UPWARD FACING DOG, YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT IS THIS CHAKRA TERM NOW BEING SPRUNG ON YOU. WELL, WORRY NO MAS, MY YOGI FRIEND. HOPEFULLY, THIS QUICK CLIFF’S NOTES EXPLANATION OF CHAKRAS WILL HELP YOU FEEL ENLIGHTENED.
CHAKRA LITERALLY TRANSLATES TO MEAN “WHEEL” OR “VORTEX”. THEY ARE THE 7 (AND IN SOME CULTURES 5) MAIN ENERGY CENTERS IN OUR SPIRITUAL BODIES. THEY ARE POSITIONED IN FRONT OF THE ACTUAL SPINE AND ARE ALL ASSOCIATED WITH A REPRESENTATIVE COLOR, SYMBOL AND STATE OF BEING. BY BALANCING THESE ENERGY CENTERS (MANY TIMES BY OPENING AND CLOSING THEM IN VARIOUS YOGA POSES), THE ENERGY (PRANA) IS ALLOWED TO FLOW FREELY UP AND DOWN THIS IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL CHANNEL. CHECK OUT THE SIMPLIFED CHART BELOW FOR SOME CLARIFICATION…
1ST CHAKRA- MULADHARA (THE ROOT CHAKRA)- COLOR RED- LOCATED AT THE BASE OF YOUR SPINE, THIS CHAKRA GROUNDS YOU IN GOOD HEALTH AND MATERIAL WEALTH
2ND CHAKRA- SVADHISTHANA (THE SACRAL CHAKRA)- COLOR ORANGE- LOCATED IN THE GENITAL AREA, THIS CHAKRA IS THE CENTER OF CREATION (BOTH LITERALLY AND SPIRITUALLY)
3RD CHAKRA- MANIPURA (THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA)- COLOR YELLOW- LOCATED IN THE SOLAR PLEXUS AREA, THIS CHAKRA IS YOUR “GUT FEELING”, YOUR SENSE OF WILFULNESS AND PERSONAL POWER
4TH CHAKRA- ANAHATA (THE HEART CHAKRA)- COLOR GREEN- LOCATED AT THE HEART CENTER, THIS CHAKRA GENERATES THE FEELING OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
5TH CHAKRA- VISHUDDHA (THE THROAT CHAKRA)- COLOR BLUE- LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE THROAT, THIS CHAKRA REPRESENTS YOUR SELF EXPRESSION AND ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE
6TH CHAKRA- AJNA (THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA)- COLOR- INDIGO- LOCATED AT THE THIRD EYE (CENTER OF THE FOREHEAD), THIS CHAKRA REPRESENTS INTUITION AND THE ABILITY TO CALMLY SEE INTO THE FUTURE
7TH CHAKRA- SAHASRARA (THE CROWN CHAKRA)- COLOR- VIOLET- LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE HEAD, THIS IS WHERE ALL THE OTHER CHAKRAS JOIN UP IN UNION (THE WORD “YOGA” TRANSLATES TO MEAN “UNION”) FOR THE FEELING OF ETERNAL BLISS.
THE ANCIENT YOGIS CREATED THE PRACTICE OF YOGA WITH THE GOAL OF SAMADHI (NIRVANA) IN MIND. THEY FOUND THAT SITTING STILL AND MEDITATING (ESPECIALLY AFTER EXHAUSTING THE PHYSICAL BODY WITH ASANA- POSES), THEY COULD OPEN THESE CHAKRAS AND ULTIMATELY EXPERIENCE SAMADHI. AS THE CHAKRAS ARE ALL POSITIONED NEAR THE SPINE, THE EXTREMETIES ARE NOT NEEDED FOR THIS MEDITATION. THAT IS OFTEN WHY YOU SEE THE CROSS-LEGGED SEATED MEDITATION POSE. CONSCIOUS MEDITATION CAN ALSO BE PRACTICED WHILE LYING DOWN.
FEEL INSPIRED? THERE IS PLENTY OF INTERESTING LITERALLY THAT CAN GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL ON CHAKRAS. YOU CAN ALSO START BY ASKING YOUR TEACHER FOR POSES THAT HELP TO BALANCE THE CHAKRA ABOUT WHICH YOU ARE MOST CURIOUS/CONCERNED. OVERWHELMED? TRY BALANCING YOUR CHAKRAS BY ROCKING SOME CHAKRA CLOTHING (OURLOVEYOGA.COM HAS MY FAVE COLLECTION OF CHAKRA ITEMS!)
OMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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