guide to chakras
By Mary Kathryn Jackson
We’re in challenging times, which is why it’s even more important that we take good care of ourselves. While there are many ways to do this, the chakra system is one of the most powerful systems for bettering yourself and deepening your connection to the world around you. In this blog post, you’ll learn about the chakra system: what it is, why it’s valuable, and how to start aligning your chakras with simple practices you can begin right away.
We’ve probably all heard the sentiment “you can’t pour from an empty cup” - it’s the same idea of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first. Studying the chakras, learning how they function in your body, and what it looks like in your life when they’re out of balance can bring tremendous benefits into your life — and it’s fun!
Down below, I’ll share a brief intro into each of the 7 chakras, plus easy tips to start understanding your chakra system. If you want to dive deeper after reading this, head over to my website to learn more about how we can work together.
What is a chakra?
The concept of chakras originates in Tantrik Yoga, which is essential to name as Yoga and its roots have become watered down among Western cultures. So, before I continue I’d like to take a moment here to honor and pay reverence to the roots of Yoga in South Asia. These practices do not stem from my own ancestral lineage, so I’d like to do my best to respect where they come from.
Pronounced “ch (like chair) uck-rrruh”. The Sanskrit word ‘chakra’ literally means: wheel or disk. They are focal points of energy in the body for meditation, and are the convergence of different energetic pathways in the body.
How many chakras are there?
Seven major chakras run along the central axis of the body from the base of the spine to crown. They are vital energy vortices that receive, assimilate, and transmit energy; responsible for balance at all levels of being. Existing in a subtle body, this hidden field of energy carries your urges, emotions, and habits, as well as the imprints of all that has happened to you.
As you become in tune with this ancient system you have the means to navigate through the blessings and difficulties of life. You can find deeper awareness of where you create barriers within yourself and how to overcome them, recalibrating your programmed responses from negative to positive. By balancing the chakras you become whole, healthy, and awakened. You’ll build strength in body, spirit, and mind.
Ultimately, this system is like a map that guides us to restore wholeness within. And it all just starts with developing awareness and learning about this powerful system!
Muladhara Chakra, the Root
The root chakra represents how you interact with the physical world, food, shelter, work, home, finances. It deals with grounding, stability, security, safety.
When it functions properly, you feel safe, secure, and grounded. When your sense of survival is threatened, fear responds. If fear becomes habitual from stress or trauma, your survival mechanism works overtime releasing the stress hormone, cortisol, throughout the body - ultimately constricting energy flow. Muladhara is the foundation beneath you as you move upward and forward in your life. Without a strong foundation, we lack stability.
Svadhisthana Chakra, the Sacral
Rise up into the sacral chakra, called Svadhisthana, located in the pelvic area. The sacral chakra is the seat of creation and emotion, sense of worthiness and belonging, sexuality, pleasure. It’s the place of feeling. When we establish our place in this chakra and express our sexual and emotional energy in a way that is in tune with our best self, we flourish. From a place of stability in the muladhara, we are open and able to receive pleasure, which is a natural healing force. This comes to us in many ways: witnessing a sunset, eating yummy food, affectionate touch, etc. Pleasure teaches us to open up and how to move. Through desire, emotions, and sensation we are more in touch with what we feel & how we feel – we are more aware. Emotions are a blend of feeling and sensation that gives us insight about our wellbeing.
Manipura Chakra, the Solar Plexus
Next up is the solar plexus chakra, called Manipura which means “lustrous gem”. Commonly referred to as the “gut instinct” in the west, we’re not strangers to the power center that lives within this solar plexus chakra. Statements like, “Trust your gut” or “I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach” directly relate to this energy center in the body. The Manipura chakra is the seat of our will, inner power, and determination.
When we are grounded and secure in the root, attuned to our emotional needs and creative expression in the sacral, we can step forward into action in the solar plexus. When it’s balanced, we feel a healthy level of courage, strength, determination, and will. Out of balance, this can be either low-self esteem, low drive or courage “I can’t do this” - or - inflated ego, inflated sense of power, “I’m better than everyone” type of attitude.
Anahata Chakra, the Heart
How are you feeling right now? What’s on your heart? .. let’s take a pause, close your eyes and ask your heart: “how are you?”, take a few deep, soft breaths and exhale with an audible sigh… wiggle your fingers and toes, and then return to this email.
Why did we stop and do that? It’s important to check in with our heart, breath, body, and spirit. This simple yet immensely powerful act deepens our awareness of our energy and emotional needs. This brings us to the next chakra: the HEART!
The heart chakra, called Anahata, is the place of love, acceptance, compassion for all beings - beginning with YOU. This is our primary center of connection. From the grounded, stable place of the root, to the creative emotional center of the sacral chakra, to the place of intentional action in the solar plexus chakra - we meet the world and share ourselves with others in the heart chakra. And in doing so, we’re open to receive the gift of connection from others too!
When in balance, Anahata chakra helps us remain compassionate, loving to others and self-loving, peaceful, and empathetic. When out of balance, one can develop critical and judgemental attitudes towards self or others, depression, lack of empathy, antisocial/withdrawn tendencies. It can also look like being overly loving towards others and not towards yourself, or vice versa.
Vissudha Chakra, the Throat
The throat chakra is the center of our communication and ability to express oneself.
This is all about opening your voice and speaking your truth to free your creativity and connect with others, as well as Sources bigger than us. This is where we commune with others through connection and expression!
When in balance, we are able to express our thoughts, ideas, and feelings - even if they’re difficult, we can communicate clearly, listen attentively, and have a resonant voice. When out of balance, it can go one of two ways: fear of speaking/difficulty putting feelings into words and expressing verbally, shyness - or - excessive talking, defensive talking, hard time truly listening (without thinking of what you’re going to say).
Ajna Chakra, the Third Eye
The third eye chakra, named Ajna, is the center of intuition, imagination, visualization, insight, dreams, and vision. We learn to see things as they really are - in their deepest sense beyond our limited thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs.
When ajna chakra is balanced, you’re very intuitive, perceptive, imaginative, able to think symbolically, and able to visualize. When out of balance, one could be insensitive, lack imagination, vision, and memory, be in denial about reality, and have difficulty visualizing their future - or - delusions, obsessions, and difficulty concentrating.
Sahasrara Chakra, the Crown
This is the center of our conscious awareness, unity with Source/Spirit/God(dess)/Universe - our spiritual center. Our Highest Self communicates with Consciousness, so it’s through the crown chakra that we’re able to remain connected to the Divine and achieve our creative potential. When we listen, we can carry the ideas from Source through the chakra system into manifestation here on Earth.
When in balance, we’re able to perceive, analyze, and assimilate information; we’re intelligent, thoughtful, aware, open-minded, and spiritually connected. When out of balance, one can be addicted to religion or spiritually, disassociate from the body, over-intellectualize things - or - be spiritually cynical, have rigid belief systems, apathy, and prone to greed, domination, materialism.
And that’s a wrap on our brief introductory exploration into the chakra system. I truly hope this has been helpful for you - my goal is to make these ancient teachings digestible and practical so that we can integrate the wisdom into our modern life! If you’re interested in diving deeper and want to start unblocking your chakras, consider scheduling an energy work session with me!