The Seven Chakras

Yoga and meditation practitioners often talk about keeping the chakras balanced to promote health and well-being. What exactly are chakras and how do we keep them balanced? What happens when they are unbalanced?

Chakra is the Sanskrit word for disc or wheel. There are seven chakras along the spine believed to correspond with neural ganglia and major organs. Energy or Prana flows through these seven chakras unless one or more becomes blocked. Blocked chakras eventually result in disease or emotional turmoil.

The first chakra is located at the base of the spine; the seventh chakra at the crown of the head.

The Seven Chakras

1. Muladhara ~ Root Chakra ~”I am”: Governs stability, security, and our basic needs.
2. Svadhisthana ~ Sacral Chakra ~ “I feel”: Governs our sexual center and creativity.
3. Manipura ~ Solar Plexus Chakra ~ “I do”: Our source of personal power.
4. Anahata ~ Heart Chakra ~ “I love”: Our source of love and connection.
   
5. Vishuddha ~ Throat Chakra ~ “I speak”: Governs verbal expression and our ability to speak our highest truth.
6. Ajna ~ Third Eye Chakra ~ “I see”: Governs our sense of intuition.
7. Sahaswara ~ Crown Chakra ~ “I understand”: Our center of enlightenment and spiritual connection to our higher selves, others, and the Divine.

Asana flows are often created so each chakra is worked. Understanding the chakras and their influence on our body’s health helps us decide what poses to work on when we take to the mat. Check back here over the next few weeks to learn more about the different chakras and how to keep them balanced.

In the meantime, to learn more about chakras visit www.chopra.com  or www.gaia.com.

Image credit: Heather Ivany

Disclaimer: All articles written on microyogi are opinions and not meant to serve as any kind of instruction for how to move your body. I am merely writing to serve as a means of trying to find my own answers. I am not a certified trainer or medical expert.