Journey Through The Chakras
Enjoy this journey through the chakras to begin to understand the energies that support and expand our human experience. But wait, before we take off on this colorful trip, let’s get some background on all this energy stuff.
Universal Energy
Universal Energy is the life-sustaining force providing vital energy to all living systems. It is the basis of our entire existence. Everything we see or do is made up of universal energy, at the most fundamental level.
In yoga, this energy is called prana. As for Chinese medicine and martial arts, it’s called chi. In both ancient studies, practitioners learn how to release energy blockages to promote health, longevity, intelligence, wisdom, and happiness.
Chakras
Discovered in ancient Sanskirt text called the Vedas, the chakra system originated in India between 1500 and 500 BC. The chakras include seven major energy centers in the body that affect our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. It is believed that there are up to 114 chakras in and around the body in total. For this trip, we’ll be working our way up through the 7 base chakras familiar with yoga.
The Journey Begins
Radiating from deep within the base of our spine, you’ll find the root chakra, where we learn to feel safe and secure while being our authentic selves.
The Root Chakra is the 1st chakra and is the center of our foundation.
Associated with: the pelvic plexus, the last 3 vertebrae, the rectum, large intestine, feet, and legs
Vibrational Frequency: Middle C
Corresponding Element: Earth
Color: Red
Dosha: Kapha
Mantra: ‘Lam’
In the root chakra, we establish our physical and emotional survival needs and our sense of stability and feeling grounded.
This base chakra deals with the sense of self-preservation and other issues that involve feeling secure in areas such as work, home, finances, and family.
The strength of our survival instinct depends heavily on the health of this first chakra. It manages our fight-or-flight instinct, as well as our ability to recognize danger. It can be thrown off balance through trauma and conflicts that arise within our lives.
Signs of a healthy root chakra include:
- feeling satisfied with your well-being
- feeling safe
- knowing your basic needs are being met
- feeling grounded
Signs of an unhealthy root chakra include:
- anxiety
- recklessness
- disconnected
- resistant to change
Traveling up from the base of our spine, nestled just below the navel and above the root, sits the sacral chakra.
The Sacral Chakra is the 2nd chakra and is the home of our emotional body.
Associated with: the thymus gland, reproductive organs, bladder, and the kidneys
Vibrational Frequency: D
Corresponding Element: Water
Color: Orange
Dosha: Kapha
Mantra: ‘Vam’
The sacral chakra is associated with the emotional senses, and creativity as well as sensuality and desire. It is defined by the flow of emotions running through our bodies as the center of our feelings.
Enjoying life through our senses, the sacral chakra allows us to feel and interact with the world around us. When this chakra is strong and balanced, our relationship with others and ourselves is more nurturing and pleasant.
The sacral chakra is our pleasure seeker. Through this energy center, we experience enjoyment, and connection to others through the undulating flow represented by water.
Signs of a healthy sacral chakra include:
- sensuality, sexual intimacy, and giving and receiving pleasure
- creativity and unstructured expression
- healthy emotions and intuition
Signs of an unhealthy sacral chakra include:
- emotions overtaking your actions,
- tendency to overindulge, episodes of mania
- feeling out of touch with your emotions and lack of desire
Rising from the sacrum we continue our upward journey toward our diaphragm area where heat emanates from our solar plexus.
The Solar Plexus Chakra Is Our 3rd Chakra And The Epicenter Of The Mental Body.
Associated with: stomach, intestines, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, muscles, and adrenal glands
Vibrational Frequency: E
Corresponding Element: Fire
Color: Yellow
Dosha: Pitta
Mantra: ‘Ram’
Well now, here we confront the opinions, judgments, and beliefs that limit us until we can cultivate true self-acceptance.
Our solar plexus chakra spins in the upper belly at the diaphragm, from above the belly button up to the breastbone. Here is where it acts as the center of personal power.
Part of the sympathetic nervous system, this chakra governs personality, ego, and identity, as well as personal freedom, choice, and authenticity. It’s the vehicle for expressing truth purpose, and individuality
Signs of a healthy solar plexus chakra include:
- confidence (without being arrogant)
- self-motivated
- strong sense of purpose
- individuality, and identity
Signs of an unhealthy solar plexus chakra include:
- low self-esteem
- trouble making decisions
- control issues, overly aggressive
- overly dominating toward others
Continuing upward, situated blissfully in the center of the chest awaits our heart chakra.
The Heart Chakra is our 4th Chakra and Is The Bridge Between Our Lower And Upper Chakras
Associated with: heart, lungs, chest, arms, hands, thymus glands
Vibrational Frequency: F
Corresponding Element: Air
Color: Green
Dosha: Vata
Mantra: ‘Yam’
The heart chakra is our center of love and healing where we source unconditional love and emotional power. It’s responsible for communication, self-expression, and the ability to speak your personal truth.
When the heart chakra is open, we love freely, have great compassion, feel joy, and foster healthy emotional relationships.
Once we have generated the self-love required to open this chakra, we are ready to move into the higher frequencies of the upper chakras.
Signs of a healthy heart chakra include:
- deeply connected
- harmonious exchange of energy
- a deep appreciation of beauty
- compassion and healthy emotional relationships
Signs of an unhealthy heart chakra include:
- difficulties in relating with others
- excessive jealousy
- codependency
- being closed down, withdrawn
Climbing past the center of the heart space, we rise into the throat chakra.
The Throat Chakra Is Our 5th Chakra And Is Our Vehicle For Expressing Truth.
Associated with: thyroid gland, neck vertebrae, esophagus, mouth, teeth, gums
Vibrational Frequency: G
Corresponding Element: Ether/Space
Color: Blue
Dosha: Vata
Mantra: ‘Ham’
Truth, purpose, and individuality – turning thoughts into manifested form. This is the power within the throat chakra.
It relates to our ability to speak the truth. This energy center connects the energies between your basic needs (lower chakras) and your higher wisdom (upper chakras).
The throat chakra is responsible for clear communication from intuition to mind and from mind to mouth.
Signs of a healthy throat chakra include:
- listen, and express ourselves openly and authentically
- expressing ideas clearly
- feel heard and understood
Signs of an unhealthy throat chakra include:
- Difficulty tuning into the true self
- urge to hide opinions and desires
- gossiping/dominating conversations
- difficulty listening to others
As we depart from the throat area, we lift into a realm of mystical wisdom situated in the center of the head about parallel to the eyebrows.
The Third Eye Chakra Is Our 6th Chakra and Is Our Center of Wisdom.
Associated with: pineal gland
Vibrational Frequency: A
Corresponding Element: Light
Color: Indigo
Dosha: Vata
Mantra: ‘Aum’
The third-eye chakra helps us see through illusion and provides the oversight and wisdom necessary to understand existence beyond time and space.
Intuition, imagination, and your personal perceptions of the outside world are all governed by the third-eye chakra.
The ability to embody the third eye’s energy requires the maturity, life experience, and wisdom that we gain with age.
Signs of a healthy third-eye chakra include:
- inner knowing/intuition
- greater understanding
- see things as they are without the shadow of the ego
Signs of an unhealthy third-eye chakra include:
- indecision, burnout
- anxiety/hormone imbalances
- nightmares
- lack of purpose
Finally, with an upward gaze, we end our journey at the crown chakra, embodying divine consciousness and cosmic energy -the gateway to the celestial world coming into view.
The Crown Chakra Is Our 7th Chakra Embodying Cosmic Energy/Divine Consciousness
Associated with: pituitary gland, central nervous system, and cerebral cortex, all organs in the body
Vibrational Frequency: B
Corresponding Element: Thought
Color: Violet
Dosha: N/A
Mantra: ‘Om’
Connected to source and living in peace and harmony with our values, the crown chakra governs our bliss body.
It provides the spiritual awareness that we are connected to something bigger than ourselves.
Signs of a healthy crown chakra include:
- connected to source/universal consciousness/God
- living in peace and harmony with our values
- healthy sleep/rest
- connected to nature and one’s true purpose
Signs of an unhealthy crown chakra include:
- depression, insomnia, and hypersomnia
- Life becomes heavy, isolation
- disconnected from other people, disconnected from nature or life’s purpose
Transcending us from victimhood and isolation to trust and purpose, once this connection is truly understood, it can never be lost.
The Journey Begins
Radiating from deep within the base of our spine, you’ll find the root chakra, where we learn to feel safe and secure while being our authentic selves.
The Root Chakra is the 1st chakra and is the center of our foundation.
Associated with: the pelvic plexus, the last 3 vertebrae, the rectum, large intestine, feet, and legs
Vibrational Frequency: Middle C
Corresponding Element: Earth
Color: Red
Dosha: Kapha
Mantra: ‘Lam’
In the root chakra, we establish our physical and emotional survival needs and our sense of stability and groundedness.
This base chakra deals with the sense of self-preservation and other issues that involve feeling secure in areas such as work, home, finances, and family.
The strength of our survival instinct depends heavily on the health of this first chakra. It manages our fight-or-flight instinct, as well as our ability to recognize danger. It can be thrown off balance through trauma and conflicts that arise within our lives.
Signs of a healthy root chakra include:
- feeling satisfied with your well-being
- feeling safe
- knowing your basic needs are being met
- feeling grounded
Signs of an unhealthy root chakra include:
- anxiety
- recklessness
- disconnected
- resistant to change
Traveling up from the base of our spine, nestled just below the navel and above the root, sits the sacral chakra.
The Sacral Chakra is the 2nd chakra and is the home of our emotional body.
Associated with: the thymus gland, reproductive organs, bladder, and the kidneys
Vibrational Frequency: D
Corresponding Element: Water
Color: Orange
Dosha: Kapha
Mantra: ‘Vam’
The sacral chakra is associated with the emotional senses, and creativity as well as sensuality and desire. It is defined by the flow of emotions running through our bodies as the center of our feelings.
Enjoying life through our senses, the sacral chakra allows us to feel and interact with the world around us. When this chakra is strong and balanced, our relationship with others and ourselves is more nurturing and pleasant.
The sacral chakra is our pleasure seeker. Through this energy center, we experience enjoyment, and connection to others through the undulating flow represented by water.
Signs of a healthy sacral chakra include:
- sensuality, sexual intimacy, and giving and receiving pleasure
- creativity and unstructured expression
- healthy emotions and intuition
Signs of an unhealthy sacral chakra include:
- emotions overtaking your actions,
- tendency to overindulge, episodes of mania
- feeling out of touch with your emotions and lack of desire
Rising from the sacrum we continue our upward journey toward our diaphragm area where heat emanates from our solar plexus.
The Solar Plexus Chakra Is Our 3rd Chakra And The Epicenter Of The Mental Body.
Associated with: stomach, intestines, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, spleen, muscles, and adrenal glands
Vibrational Frequency: E
Corresponding Element: Fire
Color: Yellow
Dosha: Pitta
Mantra: ‘Ram’
Well now, here we confront the opinions, judgments, and beliefs that limit us until we can cultivate true self-acceptance.
Our solar plexus chakra spins in the upper belly at the diaphragm, from above the belly button up to the breastbone. Here is where it acts as the center of personal power.
Part of the sympathetic nervous system, this chakra governs personality, ego, and identity, as well as personal freedom, choice, and authenticity. It’s the vehicle for expressing truth purpose, and individuality
Signs of a healthy solar plexus chakra include:
- confidence (without being arrogant)
- self-motivated
- strong sense of purpose
- individuality, and identity
Signs of an unhealthy solar plexus chakra include:
- low self-esteem
- trouble making decisions
- control issues, overly aggressive
- overly dominating toward others
Continuing upward, situated blissfully in the center of the chest awaits our heart chakra.
The Heart Chakra is our 4th Chakra and Is The Bridge Between Our Lower And Upper Chakras
Associated with: heart, lungs, chest, arms, hands, thymus glands
Vibrational Frequency: F
Corresponding Element: Air
Color: Green
Dosha: Vata
Mantra: ‘Yam’
The heart chakra is our center of love and healing where we source unconditional love and emotional power. It’s responsible for communication, self-expression, and the ability to speak your truth.
When the heart chakra is open, we love freely, have great compassion, feel joy, and foster healthy emotional relationships.
Once we have generated the self-love required to open this chakra, we are ready to move into the higher frequencies of the upper chakras.
Signs of a healthy heart chakra include:
- deeply connected
- harmonious exchange of energy
- a deep appreciation of beauty
- compassion and healthy emotional relationships
Signs of an unhealthy heart chakra include:
- difficulties in relating with others
- excessive jealousy
- codependency
- being closed down, withdrawn
Climbing past the center of the heart space, we rise into the throat chakra.
The Throat Chakra Is Our 5th Chakra And Is Our Vehicle For Expressing Truth.
Associated with: thyroid gland, neck vertebrae, esophagus, mouth, teeth, gums
Vibrational Frequency: G
Corresponding Element: Ether/Space
Color: Blue
Dosha: Vata
Mantra: ‘Ham’
Truth, purpose, and individuality – turning thoughts into manifested form. This is the power within the throat chakra.
It relates to our ability to speak the truth. This energy center connects the energies between your basic needs (lower chakras) and your higher wisdom (upper chakras).
The throat chakra is responsible for clear communication from intuition to mind and from mind to mouth.
Signs of a healthy throat chakra include:
- listen, and express ourselves openly and authentically
- expressing ideas clearly
- feel heard and understood
Signs of an unhealthy throat chakra include:
- Difficulty tuning into the true self
- urge to hide opinions and desires
- gossiping/dominating conversations
- difficulty listening to others
As we depart from the throat area, we lift into a realm of mystical wisdom situated in the center of the head parallel to the eyebrows.
The Third Eye Chakra Is Our 6th Chakra and Is Our Center of Wisdom.
Associated with: pineal gland
Vibrational Frequency: A
Corresponding Element: Light
Color: Indigo
Dosha: Vata
Mantra: ‘Aum’
The third-eye chakra helps us see through illusion and provides the oversight and wisdom necessary to understand existence beyond time and space.
Intuition, imagination, and your personal perceptions of the outside world are all governed by the third-eye chakra.
The ability to embody the third eye’s energy requires the maturity, life experience, and wisdom that we gain with age.
Signs of a healthy throat chakra include:
- inner knowing/intuition
- greater understanding
- see things as they are without the shadow of the ego
Signs of an unhealthy throat chakra include:
- indecision, burnout
- anxiety/hormone imbalances
- nightmares
- lack of purpose
Finally, with an upward gaze, we end our journey at the crown chakra, embodying divine consciousness and cosmic energy -the gateway to the celestial world coming into view.
The Crown Chakra Is Our 7th Chakra Embodying Cosmic Energy/Divine Consciousness
Associated with: pituitary gland, central nervous system, and cerebral cortex, all organs in the body
Vibrational Frequency: B
Corresponding Element: Thought
Color: Violet
Dosha: N/A
Mantra: ‘Om’
Connected to source and living in peace and harmony with our values, the crown chakra governs our bliss body.
It provides the spiritual awareness that we are connected to something bigger than ourselves.
Signs of a healthy crown chakra include:
- connected to source/universal consciousness/God
- living in peace and harmony with our values
- healthy sleep/rest
- connected to nature and one’s true purpose
Signs of an unhealthy throat chakra include:
- depression, insomnia, and hypersomnia
- Life becomes heavy, isolation
- disconnected from other people, disconnected from nature or life’s purpose
Transcending us from victimhood and isolation to trust and purpose, once this connection is truly understood, it can never be lost.
Yoga and Meridians - How Do They Relate?
For more on how our energy relates to our internal organs and emotions, check out this next post. and begin to explore the meridians in relation to yoga. Yoga and Meridians – How Do They Relate?