In my psychotherapy practice in San Francisco, I work with people who need to heal. Healing in our lives can come from a multitude of methods – some extremely scientific and some that are more spiritual. Both are important in bringing about healing. There are many different ways to heal on a more spiritual level, today we’re going to talk about Chakras for beginners.
If you aren’t familiar with the word chakra it comes from the Sanskrit word for wheel or disk. In mediation and yoga a chakra refers to the energy within our bodies, more succinctly, the wheels of energy in our bodies. There are 7 chakras aligned along our spine, each one represents a different energy that flows through us and keeps us in balance. When we are ill or in need of healing, it is believed to be due to a blocked energy in one or more of our chakras.
Today, we’ll learn a little about each chakra, where it is located and what energy it represents. I’ll include a list of helpful books at the end of the post.
Located at the base of the spine, the root chakra represents just what you might think it would – our foundation, or root, the feeling of being grounded, centered or balanced. The Root Chakra is associated with day to day survival which translates to financial and emotional security. The Root Chakra is red.
Moving up the spine to the area just below where your belly button is, is the Sacral Chakra. The Sacral Chakra represents the self, how you identify as a human. It is where your creative life force is located – no surprise it is located in the area where our reproductive organs reside – as well as pleasure and sexuality. The Sacral Chakra is orange.
Continuing up the spine in the upper abdomen or stomach area you’ll find the Solar Plexus Chakra. This chakra is where your confidence and personal power energy is located. If your self-esteem or self-confidence is lacking it might be because your solar plexus chakra is blocked. The Solar Plexus Chakra is yellow.
Located just above the heart, the Heart Chakra encompasses our ability to love, be compassionate and kind. The energy to love others, love ourselves and be loved flows from this chakra. The heart chakra is associated with health and healing and inner peace. The Heart Chakra is green.
The throat chakra is located exactly where you’d think it would be, in the throat. It represents communication, self-expression and truth. When balanced a person speaks with truth, kindness and love. When out of balance a person might speak ill of others, and be in a general state of negativity. The Throat Chakra is blue.
Located on the forehead between the eyes this chakra represents our ability to focus and see what is important. From an emotional standpoint this chakra represents wisdom, intuition and the ability to focus to make decisions. Extra sensory perception and psychic energy come from the third eye. The third eye has also been associated with the pineal gland, a part of your endocrine system, that regulates your sleep and wake patterns. The Third Eye Chakra is indigo.
The final chakra, and highest chakra, is the Crown Chakra located at the top of the head. It has been described as a vibration, like a magnet or being fully connected spiritually when balanced. Nirvana comes to mind when describing the Crown Chakra. It is not easy to balance the crown chakra and it is believed that once you do you are no longer human anymore. The Crown Chakra is violet.
This is just a very basic understand of Chakras, in the coming weeks we’ll dig deeper into their power and how they facilitate healing. If you’d like to learn more about chakras there are plenty of great books out there to start. Here are two well regarded books about chakras.