Let’s open the doorway to the healthy life through the knowledge of 7 Chakras of the human body.
When we talk about elements it is always asked “How 5 elements are related to our body energy centers and how energy centers affect us?” Energy centers are called Chakras. As per the Yogic Sciences, these energy centers affect our health in different ways. In this blog, we shall discuss about the seven chakras, i.e. the energy centers of our body, which govern our life, and how the complete energy flow through all the chakras becomes the ultimate solution to all problems faced by us; be it stress, fatigue, mental illness, or any kinds of physical ailments.
How do we define Chakras?
Chakra, is a Sanskrit word which refers to a disc or a wheel. According to Yogic sciences, chakras in the human body refer to the various energy centers or focal points starting from the base of the body, running through the spine, till the crown, i.e. the head. All in all, there are seven energy centers in our body. For a healthy life, energy needs to flow continuously through all the chakras, and for the same, the chakras need to be open. In the old traditions of Hinduism, meditating every day on each of the seven chakras was considered an essential way of life. Each chakra defines the combination and balance of the elements.
Let us further discuss each of the seven chakras, and their relationship with the five elements in our bodies.
Seven Chakras of Human Body
The Root Chakra (Sanskrit: “Muladhara”)
- The word Muladhara refers to ‘root place’. The Root chakra represents the Earth element, which further represents the foundation of our body and the basic needs of human life i.e. food, clothing, shelter, sleep, and sex. It is storehouse of Kundalini energy, the energy of our life force.
- It is located at the base of the spine and is physically manifested through gonads and Pelvic Plexus.
- It is connected with the sense of Smell.
- The Root Chakra is associated with the colour Red, the colour of blood, a symbol of life and vitality.
- Over-eating, feeling of ‘Tamas’ (darkness), lethargy, sense of darkness, recurring fear, unbalanced sex life, and a shifted focus are all symptoms of blocked Muladhara chakra.
The Sacral Chakra (Sanskrit: “Swadisthana”)
- The word Swadisthana refers to ‘one’s own place’ (‘Swa’+’adhisthan’) in English. The Sacral chakra represents the Water element, which further represents fluidity, creativity, emotions, attitude towards life, intimacy, sense of expression and feelings and passion in relationships.
- It is located in the first few vertebrae of the sacral region and controls all the fluids of the body. It takes care of adrenal glands, kidneys, and hypo-gastric plexus.
- It is connected with the sense of Taste.
- The Sacral Chakra is associated with the colour Orange, the bright colour which brings about a sense of healthy and happy life. The colour also represents stimulation of emotions.
- Emotional excess/ blockage, negative attitude, jealousy, hatred, anger, fear, lack of passion, objective or confidence in life, and creative blockages are the major symptoms of an unbalanced Sacral chakra.
The Solar Plexus Chakra (Sanskrit: “Manipur”)
- The word Manipur refers to Lustrous Gem in Sanskrit. The Solar Plexus chakra represents the Fire element, associated with energy and passion, and refers to the ‘fire’ required for digestion.
- It is located between the naval and the ribcage, and takes care of the pancreas, spleen, and liver, gall bladder, stomach, and eyes.
- The Solar Plexus is associated with the colour Yellow, representing clarity of thought, desire and passion. It contains ‘Gyanagni’, i.e. ‘the fire of thought and knowledge’.
- It is related to the sense of Sight.
- Anger issues, digestive issues, low or extremely high energy state, lack or excess of passion, egotism, stomach cramps, hypertension, gall stones, ulcers, emotional issues, eye disorders, skin eruptions and imbalanced state of mind are the major concerns associated with the Solar Plexus imbalance.
The Heart Chakra (Sanskrit: “Anahata”)
- Relating to ‘sound’, the word ‘Anahata’ refers to ‘the unstruck chord’ in Sanskrit, a music that is ever present. The Anahata chakra represents the Air element, associated with imagination, compassion, breathing rhythm, and nurture.
- The chakra is physically located between upper thoracic vertebrae and manifests through cardiac plexus and thymus gland. It controls tactile response from the skin.
- The Anahata chakra represents the colour Green, the colour of love, creativity, and nature.
- It is associated with the sense of Touch.
- Lack of empathy, over dependence on others, bronchial issues, uneasiness, over-excitement, uncontrolled love, relationship issues, and fatigue are symptoms of the chakra imbalance or blockage.
The Throat Chakra (Sanskrit: “Vishuddhi”)
- The word ‘Vishuddhi’ refers to purity. The Throat chakra represents the Space element, and is associated with voice, creative expression and speech.
- The Throat Chakra is located at the cervical/neck vertebrae. It governs the thyroid and parathyroid glands, and is associated with communication, voice modulation, and speech quality. The Throat chakra enables the quality of developing compassionate relationships through realizing the importance of enough space in the same
- It is associated with the colour Blue, which represents purity, clarity, calmness and compassion.
- It related to the sense of Hearing.
- Difficulty of expression, societal concerns, relationship issues, poor voice quality, hearing problems, speech problems and lack of confidence are symptoms of the Throat chakra blockage.
Third Eye Chakra (Sanskrit: “Ajna”)
- The word ‘Ajna’ can be translated as ‘the command center’. The Third Eye chakra commands and takes care of the functions of the mind.
- Located right between the two eyebrows, the chakra takes care of the pituitary gland as well as governs the all five chakras below it. It is associated with imagination, power of intuitions, intellect, insight, understanding, and knowledge.
- The colour Indigo connects us with the space and time.
- It is connected with the sense of Vision.
- Issues of comprehension, problems in imagination, sight issues and at times Sleep problems, memory loss, are the major problems related to the Ajna blockage.
The Crown Chakra (Sanskrit: “Sahasrara”)
- The word ‘Sahasrara’ refers to a thousand-petaled lotus, or the ‘seat of the ultimate’.
- The Crown chakra is located at the highest point of our body, the cerebrum, and connects us to our higher selves.
- This chakra represents intellect and higher knowledge, and connects with the feeling of bliss, joy, celebration and liberation.
- It is represented by the colour Violet, the pure and divine light.
- Lack of empathy, brain fog, depression and lack of understanding, are major concerns related to the Crown chakra imbalance. Unblocking the Crown chakra directly refers to the acquisition of the divine knowledge, and recognition of the higher self.
The seven chakras function together to govern our body and mind, and their blockages can be removed naturally.
Learn how to balance the chakras and take care of your physical and mental health, in my next blog.
