Mindfulness
A Simple Guide to Chakras and How to Find Balance
Seven energy pathways of the body
Plagued by anxiety, restlessness, depression, or sleepless nights? Would you like to learn how to welcome deeper happiness, stability, and fulfillment into your life? As living beings, we’re all made up of dynamic energy. Here’s how mastering the art of balancing that energy can be the turning point in your life!
The energy within
We have seven major energy centers called chakras. Keeping our chakras in balance is equally as important as any other lifestyle choice that affects our wellbeing mentally, physically, and emotionally.
What exactly are chakras?
In Sanskrit, the word chakra translates into wheel or disk. Each of the seven spinning wheels corresponds with specific major organs and nerve bundles within the human body, spanning from the base of the tailbone to the crown of the head.
When applied to the human body, every atom, molecule, cell, tissue and body system is composed of energy that when superimposed on each other create what is known as the human energy field.
The seven chakras
Though it’s believed by some people that there are over 114 individual chakras throughout the human body, we’ll be exploring the seven major chakras. Each chakra is commonly represented by a color, element, and unique symbol.
7 — The crown chakra — Sahasrara
The crown chakra is located at the top of the head. This chakra allows us to connect with our spirituality and represents, thought, universal consciousness, unity, and enlightenment. It’s associated with violet or a violet-white light color.
Element: Thought
Deficiency: A sense of alienation or a feeling of disconnect from life
6 — The third eye chakra — Ajna
The third eye chakra is located between the eyes. The word Ajna, in Sanskrit, translates to command. This makes sense, seeing as how the Ajna is situated directly over the pituitary gland. Many consider the pituitary gland to be the body's command center. The third eye is associated with intuition, imagination, and the color indigo.
Element: Light, illumination
Deficiency: Sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, paranoia, vivid nightmares, migraines, and sinusitis
5 — The throat chakra — Vishuddha
The throat chakra is located in the vicinity of the neck and throat. It directly affects one’s ability to communicate and effectively listen to others. The color associated with this chakra is blue.
Element: Ether
Deficiency: Excessive talking, dishonesty, gossip, poor listening arrogance, and difficulty communicating in general
4 — The heart chakra — Anahata
The heart chakra is, as you may have guessed, located in the center of the chest near the heart. This chakra directly relates to love, healthy relationships, and compassion. It’s associated with the color green.
Element: Air
Deficiency: Withdrawn, antisocial, difficulty with relationships, depression, fear of intimacy, and lack of empathy
3 — The solar plexus chakra — Manipura
The solar plexus chakra is located in the stomach area and is associated with the color yellow. Its element is fire. Have you ever heard of the saying “There’s a fire in your belly.”? Well, this is where that originated. This chakra is directly related to the amount of control you have in your life, confidence, and self-esteem.
Element: Fire
Deficiency: Restlessness, agitation, low self-esteem, inability to take on responsibility, poor digestion, and lack of self-trust
2 — The sacral chakra — Svadhisthana
The sacral chakra is located just below the belly button and is associated with the color orange. This chakra corresponds with emotions, sexuality, and pleasure. The sacral chakra directly ties into the realm of feelings and sensations.
Element: Water
Deficiency: An inability to experience pleasure, joint problems, low energy, anemia, addictive/compulsive behaviors, sexual dysfunction, and emotional instability
1 — The root chakra — Muladhara
The root chakra is located at the base of the spine and is associated with the color red. This chakra keeps us grounded and is most widely related to stability and security.
Element: Earth
Deficiency: Anxiety, overthinking, panic attacks, emotional disconnect, worry, and depression
Finding Energetic Balance
Chakras actively receive and transmit energy continually. When even one major chakra is unbalanced the effect can be felt throughout the entire body impacting our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Having a better understanding of how these energy hubs work allows us to use them to our benefit. Now that you know where each of the chakras is located, Let’s take a look at some simple ways to maintain the delicate balance of these incredible invisible energy hubs. Here are three easy ways to release blockages, create even flow, and kickstart your life force.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
— Albert Einstien
1- Meditative yoga
When one of our energy wheels becomes stuck or unbalanced, movement can be used to release the stagnant energy and regain a healthy spinning wheel. Yoga encourages the positive flow of energy through specific postures and breathing techniques. This beautiful form of self-care has been practiced for over 5000 years. That speaks volumes as a testament to its benefit.
2- Positive affirmations
The mind is a powerful tool. We have the ability to think things to fruition, especially when it comes to our health. We’ve heard this said for quite some time, but only in recent years has there been serious investigation into the validity of this statement.
The mind can also affect physiological functions such as digestion, circulation and the immune system, and again there’s nothing mysterious or magical about this. All of these processes are controlled by the brain, via the autonomic nervous system. Feeling stressed or afraid can cause your heart to race and your bowels to empty, for example, and triggers an immune response called inflammation.
Thoughts create reality.
Using positive affirmations is a great way to support a healthy chakra system. Affirmations are thoughts we say out loud or to ourselves to fight off negativity. We can speak these anytime and the more often the better. Mornings in a mirror before we start our day is one of the best times to incorporate affirmations into your life. Here are a few examples of affirmations one might use.
Root chakra affirmation: I am grounded. I am taken care of. I am safe. I am at home where ever I am. I am all I need to be happy.
Sacral chakra affirmation: I deserve to be loved. I’m at peace inside. I’m a sensual being and I’m confident in my body and looks.
Solar Plexus chakra affirmation: I forgive myself for past mistakes and can easily grow and learn from them. I don’t find the need to control others. I’m confident in myself and am capable of making my own decisions. I am of value to the people I love and the world around me.
Heart chakra affirmations: I release all resentment. I’m completely open to giving and receiving pure love. My heart is open. It’s safe for me to feel love. I feel deep compassion and gratitude for others.
Throat chakra affirmations: I express my feelings freely and easily. I am confident and well-spoken. I’m honest and speak the truth. I have strong integrity. I know when to listen and when to speak.
Third eye chakra affirmations: I listen to my deepest wisdom. I completely trust my own intuition. I love and accept myself. I am connected to the universe and everything around me. I live in the light of my truth. I open myself to new energy and experiences.
Crown chakra: I am selfless. I am light. I honor my body as a temple. I am infinite and boundless. I am connected to my higher self. I seek to understand and am open to wisdom.
“Matter is energy having lowered vibrations perceptible to their senses. Every matter-being vibrates at quite specified rates, making everything to have their own melody.”
— Albert Einstein
3- Healing frequencies
We are all vibrational beings. It only stands to reason that our chakras also vibrate at specific frequencies. When those vibrations are thrown off-kilter, they can be set right using vibration therapy. Vibrational therapy uses frequency vibration to heal our energy fields.
There are six main frequencies known to resonate directly with the chakras. These are called the solfeggio frequencies. These sacred tones have been in use by Buddhist monks for centuries. Today, it’s common practice to use singing bowls in many temples, healing practices, and yoga studios.
Singing bowls are individual beautiful works of art. Each bowl is made of multiple metals that, when rang, resonate at one of the solfeggio frequencies.
Here is a list of the solfeggio frequencies along with their uses:
- The 396 Hz for liberating one from fear and guilt
- The 417 Hz frequencies for facilitating change and undoing situations
- The 528 Hz for miracles and transformations like DNA repair
- The 639 Hz frequencies for relationships and reconnecting
- The 741 Hz solfeggio frequencies for getting solutions and expressing themselves
- The 852 Hz frequencies for returning one to a spiritual order
How can you access solfeggio frequencies?
Technology is wonderful! Once you know which frequency you’d like to explore, a quick online search will uncover a wealth of soothing solfeggio melodies to relax and listen to.
Here’s how…
- Find a peaceful place where you can relax.
- Lay down and find a comfortable position.
- Ideally, you’ll want to listen to these frequencies with headphones or earbuds for the best results.
- Lay in a distraction-free state, clear your mind, and focus on the vibration. Let yourself drift into a meditative state.
You can listen to these therapeutic melodies as much and as often as you’d like. Have trouble sleeping? Let the soothing melody sweep you off to a tranquil dreamland.
Singing Bowls
Singing bowls aren’t just for monks! These powerful tools are an excellent and easy way to balance the chakras. Singing bowls are available for purchase in many holistic shops and online. I purchased two beautiful vintage bowls on Etsy. They were shipped to me from the Himilayas. My bowls resonate with the heart and crown chakras.
Singing bowls, the genuine ones, are said to be made of seven metals, each having a specific planetary influence... gold- the sun, silver- the moon, mercury- Mercury, copper- Venus, iron- Mars, tin- Jupiter, and lead- Saturn. Traditionally authentic singing bowls are hand-hammered and tuned.
“Once you learn the system, you can then practice exercises associated with each chakra to help open, develop, and evolve that particular center.”
— Anodea Judith
Chakras are beautiful gateways into a deeper, richer quality of being. Acknowledging them is the beginning of a wonderful relationship between us and our higher selves. Adopting a daily, or even weekly practice of caring for our chakras can help us to lead a more balanced, joyful, and fulfilled life.
Namaste!
My name is Jamie Golob. I’m a writer, artist, and lover of life, motivated by the collective experiences and stories of the creative community. My mission is to illuminate and preserve the beautiful complexities of what it means to be human. Join my tribe for fun FREEBIES and more great content like this.