What is cycle? How is this important? There are seven chakras or energy centers in our body through which our vital energy or life force flows. Sometimes, these energy channels get blocked and this leads to illness and disturbances in the body’s natural processes. It is important to understand what each chakra represents and what we can do to keep this energy flowing freely. This is possible only when the chakras are balanced.
How Yoga Helps to Balance the 7 Chakras
When a chakra, the wheel of energy, is trapped, movement can help release prana (energy). Yoga postures are a great way to release stale or stuck energy from the body as they invite fresh, vital energy back through the pose and breath.
The practice of yoga ultimately leads us to a state of union, which is possible when we create a state in our body where energy flows freely from the base of the spine (the root chakra) up and out of the head. Might be possible. Crown Chakra). When energy in this way can flow freely through us, we can achieve a state of oneness with the cosmic energy, which flows through all living things. When each chakra is unblocked, it spins like a wheel, hence the word ‘chakra’ meaning ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit.
Since yoga is both a physical and spiritual practice, yoga postures are exercises not only for your body but also for your mind, emotions and spirit, making it an ideal practice to balance your chakras.
7 Chakras and Yoga Asanas to Balance Them
Let’s explore the seven chakras in our body, how they affect the body, what imbalances do to our personality and organs, and how to correct it by balancing the chakras with yoga asanas or postures.
7 chakras are:
Muladhara Chakra, Swadhisthana Chakra, Manipura Chakra, Anahata Chakra, Vishuddhi Chakra, Ajna Chakra, Sahasrara Chakra
Muladhara Chakra
Element: Earth
Red color
Mantra: Lam
Location: The base of the spine between the anus and the genitals
How it affects the body: Muladhara chakra affects the health of bones, teeth, nails, anus, prostate, adrenals, kidneys, lower digestive functions, excretory functions and sexual activity. An imbalance in the chakra leads to fatigue, poor sleep, lower back pain, sciatica, constipation, depression, immune disorders, obesity and eating disorders.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
Unfounded fear, anger, low self-esteem, insecurities obsession with comfort, possessiveness
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
Feeling of being grounded and focused, feeling of commitment and independence, energy and vitality, vigor and calmness, ability to digest food well
Swadhisthana Chakra
Element: Water
Orange color
Mantra: Left
Location: Located at the base of the pubic between the genitals and the sacral nerve plexus
How it affects the body: The Swadhisthana Chakra is related to the individual’s emotional identity, creativity, desire, pleasure and self-satisfaction, fertility and personal relationships. It governs the sex organs, stomach, upper intestines, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen, middle spine and the autoimmune system. An imbalanced Swadhisthana chakra leads to lower back pain, sciatica, decreased libido, pelvic pain, urinary problems, poor digestion, low resistance to infections and viruses, fatigue, hormonal imbalances and menstrual problems.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
Irritability, shyness, guilt, blaming tendencies, sexual passion, lack of creativity
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
sense of compassion and friendliness, spontaneity, vitality, sense of belonging, good sense of humor
Manipura Chakra
Element: Fire
Color: Yellow
Mantra: Ram
Location: at the level of the navel corresponding to the gastric or solar plexus
How it affects the body: Manipura Chakra is related to a sense of belonging, mental understanding of emotions and defines self-esteem in a person. It regulates the effective functioning of upper stomach, gallbladder, liver, middle spine, kidneys, adrenals, small intestines and stomach. An imbalanced Manipura chakra can lead to diabetes, pancreatitis, adrenal imbalance, arthritis, stomach diseases, stomach ulcers, intestinal tumors, anorexia/bulimia or low blood pressure.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
Low self-esteem, timidity, feeling of depression, fear of rejection, inability to make decisions, inability to make decisions, judgmental and angry temper, hostility
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
Energetic and self-confident temperament, intelligence, high productivity, better focus, good digestion.
Anahata Chakra
Element: Air
Color: Green or Pink
Mantra: Yama
Location: On the cardiac plexus in the region of the heart
How it affects the body: The Anahata Chakra affects a person’s social identity and influences traits such as trust, forgiveness, unconditional love, wisdom, compassion, and soul issues. It is related to the functioning of the heart, rib cage, blood, circulatory system, lungs and diaphragm, thymus gland, breast, esophagus, shoulder, arm, hand. Imbalance can cause issues related to the thoracic spine, upper back and shoulder problems, asthma, heart conditions, shallow breathing and lung diseases.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
Difficulty with love, Lack of hope, Compassion and confidence, Feelings of hopelessness, Mood changes
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
sense of wholeness and wholeness, compassion, empathy, friendliness, optimism, increased motivation, outgoing nature
Vishuddhi Chakra
Element: sound or ether
color blue
Mantra: Hami
Location: at the level of the throat, nerve plexus of the pharyngeal region
How it affects the body: The Vishuddhi Chakra deals with personality traits such as communication, creativity, trust, truthfulness, self-awareness, and expression. It governs the throat, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, trachea, cervical vertebrae, vocal cords, neck and shoulders, arms, hands, esophagus, mouth, teeth, and gums. An imbalance of the Vishuddhi chakra leads to thyroid disorders, sore throat, stiff neck, mouth ulcers, gum or dental problems, laryngitis and hearing loss.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
Shaken confidence, Indecision, Weak will, Lack of expression, Lack of creativity, Tendency to addictions
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
Increased creativity and expression, Effective communication skills, Contentment, Good listening ability
Command Wheel
Element: Light
Color: Indigo
Mantra: Ya
Location: Between the eyebrows (third eye)
How it affects the body: Ajna Chakra is related to self-awareness, wisdom, intelligence, foresight, implementation of ideas, detachment, insight, understanding, and instinctive reasoning. It controls the functions of the brain, eyes, ears, nose, pituitary gland, pineal glands and nervous system. Any imbalance can lead to headaches, nightmares, eye strain, learning disabilities, nervousness, depression, blindness, deafness, seizures or spinal cord defects.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
Poor judgment, delusions, fear of the truth, indiscipline, lack of concentration, tendency towards addictions
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
Clear thinking, A healthy imagination, Strong intuition power, Good concentration, Better focus
Sahasrara Chakra
Element: discretion
Colour: purple or white
Mantra: Silence
Location: Crown of Head
How it affects the body: The Sahasrara Chakra affects intuition, connection to spirituality, mind-body-spirit integration, and conscious awareness. It controls the center of the head and the midline above the ears, brain, nervous system and the pineal gland. An imbalance in the Sahasrara Chakra results in chronic fatigue and sensitivity to light and sound.
Behavioral effect of imbalance:
lack of purpose, identity crisis, disbelief in any spiritual practice, or devotion, lack of motivation, feeling of fear, materialistic nature
Characteristics of a balanced chakra:
A sense of oneness with the universe, open mind, intelligence, thoughtfulness, receptivity to thoughts and ideas, an overall harmonious personality
Asanas that balance the chakras:
Tree pose, balancing poses that bring awareness to the body
yoga pose
Attention
Imbalance is a part of life, however, regular practice of yoga asanas will help you balance your chakras, allowing you to live a full, satisfied and happy life in the pink of health!