Talking of Chakras

The meaning of Chakra
Chakra means ‘wheel’ or ‘disc’ in the Sanskrit language of ancient India. According to Indian teachings, all of the chakras spin within our bodies like windmills, channeling the Universal Life Force into us and through us, regulating our energies, emotions and health.

The centre of the body contains seven major chakras, or energy centres, positioned vertically along the spine from the groin to the crown of the head.

Each of the chakras relates to a different aspect of your life. The lowest chakra corresponds to fundamental requirements, such as the need for security and survival. As the chakras move up the body, their effects elevate to our higher-level functions and desires, such as communication and spirituality.

But no chakra is an island. Together, the seven chakras form a holistic system – they must spin in harmony for you to feel energized and to achieve your full potential. When your system becomes unbalanced because one chakra is spinning too fast or too slow, you are thrown off stride and weakened. Your life ‘force’ becomes less forceful and as a result, you become less content, confident, healthy and effective.

By working to balance your chakras using the following techniques, you can optimize the functioning of the chakra system – thereby clearing the path to deeper personal fulfillment, wholeness and a sense of harmony with the world.

Chakra 1 – The Root Chakra (Muladhara)
Colour : Red
Element : Earth
Stone : Smoky Quartz
Sense : Smell
Just as a tree without strong roots will topple with the first strong wind, a person without a strong base can never hope to achieve lasting balance. So let’s start your journey to greater balance fulfillment at the Root Chakra.

Known as the Muladhara in Sanskrit, the Root Chakra sits within the perineum – the area between the tailbone and the genitals. This chakra relates to our primary physical needs such as survival and security. A healthy Root Chakra helps one feel grounded – connected to the planet and to the people and creatures that inhabit it.

Challenges that can weaken your Root Chakra include travel, illness, financial problems, or anything else that threatens your sense of security. An underactive root may manifest itself in weight gain, sluggishness, low self-esteem and worry. Signs of an overactive Root Chakra include preoccupation with money and shopping, as well as an excessive need for control.

Exercise remains one of the most effective ways to balance your Root Chakra. Gardening, tai-chi, walks in the woods and yoga – all of these activities strengthen the body while relaxing the mind so that it can access your body’s wisdom and power.

Chakra 2 – The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)
Colour : Orange
Element : Water
Sense : Taste
Stone : Carnelian
Life is sweet for those in tune with their Svadhisthana, or Sacral Chakra. Meaning sweetness in Sanskrit, Svadhisthana governs your ability to feel pleasure. Your emotions, sensuality, sexuality, creativity and sense of taste are all regulated by this energy centre between the sex organs and the belly button.

Water serves as the key metaphor for the Sacral Chakra. And like a stream flowing upward, a balance Svadhisthana helps energy run from the lower chakras up into the higher regions of the system.

Struggles with stress, taboos and past sexual traumas rank as major life issues that can wreak havoc on the balance of the sacral system.

Symptons of sacral underactivity include sexual disinterest, creative blocks and a fear of pleasure. An overactive sacral chakra might lead to problems like sexual or substance addiction.

To balance the Sacral Chakra, you must turn pleasure into a fundamental daily ritual with activities like healthy sex and intimacy, creative stimulation, savouring delicious meals and ecstatic dance. Therapy for past physical and emotional traumas may also be necessary.

Chakra 3 – The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
Colour : Yellow
Element : Fire
Sense : Sight
Stone : Aragonite
Ever known someone so dynamic that he or she seemed to have a fire burning in the belly? Then you’ve witnessed the power of a balanced Solar Plexus Chakra. Called Manipura (lustrous gem) in Sanskrit, this chakra rests in the area between the solar plexus and the navel, emanating the energy to light the way down your own unique path in the world.

You’ll know your solar plexus needs soothing if you’re experiencing problems with perfectionism or are overly focused on achieving material status or power. To balance an overheated solar plexus try cooling, restorative baths, gentle stretches and supported back bends.

An underactive Manipura manifests itself as passivity and can be balanced by acts of bravery, educated risks and deep belly laughs, as well as yoga poses that focus on toning or opening up the stomach area.

Chakra 4 – The Heart Chakra (Anahata)
Colour : Pink and Green
Element : Air
Sense : Touch
Stone : Rose Quartz
The Heart Chakra governs our ability to love others, as well as to love ourselves. Anahata in Sanskrit, this chakra forms the centre of the entire chakra system, providing a connection between your basic needs and your higher more spiritual desires.

Signs of an underactive Heart Chakra include feeling like a martyr in relationships, burying your emotions and fearing rejection.

A Heart Chakra that spins too fast may result in jealousy or controlling behaviour and can lead to your lover feeling that you are withholding.

Balance for the Heart Chakra can be achieved by striving for healthy, fulfilling relationships. To put it simply : love and be loved. Yoga poses that open the chest can also help you unleash this awesome power.

Chakra 5 – The Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
Colour : Blue
Element : Ether
Sense : Hearing
Stone : Sodalite
The Sanskrit name for the fifth chakra, Vishuddha means purity. Located at the base of the throat, this chakra regulates your ability to communicate honestly and forcefully.

Vishuddha corresponds with our sense of hearing. A person with a balanced Throat Chakra excels as a good listener as well as an eloquent speaker.

When the Throat Chakra is overactive, you might feel yourself talking too much or too fast and experience trouble concentrating when other speak. If your Throat Chakra is underactive, you will probably have a hard time communicating your thoughts and needs.

Suggestions for balancing this chakra include striving for purity in your diet and lifestyle, drinking adequate amounts of water, listening to music and practicing yoga moves that stretch the throat.

Chakra 6 – The Brow or Third Eye Chakra (Anja)
Colour : Indigo
Element : Light
Sense : Intuition
Stone : Lapis Lazuli
Not all that exists can be seen – at least not by our first two eyes. Located in the centre of the brow, the Anja, or Third Eye Chakra, serves as a ‘perception centre’ for the imaginative and intuitive aspects of your life – your dreams, your ability to visualize, your capacity to fantasize, plus your ability to create and perceive meaning in art.

People with balanced Third Eye Chakra usually thrive in creative or therapeutic professions and are valued for their insight by friends. When the third eye becomes excessively active, one may experience symptoms like headaches, lack of concentration and nightmares. To soothe an overactive Third Eye Chakra, try restorative yoga, meditation and good old-fashioned sleep. Symptoms of a sluggish third eye include memory loss, eye problems and difficulties with visualization. Exercises for developing the third eye include positive visualization, hypnosis, dream analysis, meditation and yoga.

Chakra 7 – The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
Colour : Violet, Gold and White
Element : Thought
Sense : Beyond Self
Stone : Amethyst
The final chakra represents a synthesis of all the chakras and provides a portal to infinite wisdom, spiritual enlightenment and rebirth into a state of bliss.

Individuals with balanced Crown Chakras tend to be charismatic spiritual leaders, great thinkers, artists and visionaries.

Hyperactivity in this chakra manifests itself in over-intellectualism, delusions of grandeur, even psychosis. Signs of deficient energy are difficulty thinking for yourself, apathy and spiritual disconnection.

Meditation ranks as the best therapy for an imbalanced Crown Chakra. Also, since all of the chakras must function properly for the crown to achieve balance, it is important to revisit the chakras below, making sure they are all lined up along the way to the crown.