It is likely you already have heard all about the chakras. You may have even worked with a great deal or use them in your work. My own journey has taken me into the inner depths of chakras, I did not know existed.
As a quick introduction / reminder there are seven key energy centres in the body that we need to keep health and working optimally. When these are in in balance, we feel balanced inside and life is easier to navigate through our experiences. The seven chakras all have a different governing function in the body. This is ancient knowledge for modern life. You can s even see the basics of chakra knowledge used in Maslow's Hiercharchy of Needs Theory. It is the theory of human motivation and looking at what makes people feel happy and how they get there. It has slightly different variations but the gist is the same. Chakras are not individual centres you work on alone. With you chakras you need to take an integrated approach through all of them to understand them more deeply.
Base Chakra - presented as colour Red, earth element located bottom of spine, seed mantra Lam
Base chakra is the basic human needs, to so with safety and security. It includes food, water, shelter, health and well-being all the basic needs to be able to live a reasonable life. It is also connected to our flow of energy, where the kundalini looked upon as sexual energy lies dormant. this is the basic understanding of how chakras affect us. You can imagine it is the stage when a baby is born and all it needs to is someone to provide all the basic needs to allow growth and development. Once your core needs are taken care off, then it is easier to explore your needs deeper. This is the foundation of your life, and these things need to be in place. Whereas Maslows theory is about working at these needs before going to the next. In the chakra system, it takes it deeper into the foundation of who you are. It is strongly associated with the sacral at the basic level as it deals with beliefs and values that motivate you to take of your needs.
Sacral Chakra - presented as colour Orange and water element, located below the belly button, seed mantra Vam,
Sacral chakra is the next level that begins the process of socialization. this is allow about our relationships in the world, human interactions at all levels, and a basic sense of belonging. Family, friends, romantics relationships, social groups and communities and includes religions. It is a sense of having a role in life. This begins a wider awareness of your environment. with this chakra you can take it deeper to understanding your relationship with yourself and others, and how that affects your joy, creativity, and enthusiasm for life. It is also the centre for activating your core energy in the body, bringing vitality into your well-being. In many traditions this point is the where you below to activate the flow of energy in and out of your body.
Solar Plexus - presented as colour Yellow, fire element, located above the the belly button and some feel the energy in the lower torso, seed mantra Ram
Solar plexus affects personal sense of power, ability to digest life effectively, and is affected by feelings and emotions which can cause it feel a positive sense of expansive ness, or negative sense of contraction. It affects our self confidence and ability to take action. it connects to the root and the sacral for connection to the physical world of existence and how to relate to it. A strong solar plexus supports a strong foundation which in turn helps to build empowering relationships with all areas of life. It relates to feeling valued and making a contribution to life through personal participation with a need for recognition through esteem and accomplishment.
Heart Chakra - presented as colour Green, air elment, centre of the chest, seed mantra Yam
Heart Chakra is the one we all refer to in terms of emotions of the heart. Love and hate. Yet is much more than that. It holds the capacity to express passion and devotion. It is the centre to access our ability to give compassion and unconditional love. This is beyond a relationship of love for another / family but a sense of love for all, of life and all of nature. This is one of the hardest centres to work with. It is also the gateway to the next three chakras. It is about being able to deal with all is in our hearts including the emotions we don't want to feel. It is also the seat of the soul. Going deep into this chakra changes the way you see the world. The stronger the lower chakras the greater you are able to handle the lessons in this life, that the heart chakra encourages you to face. From the heart you personal development takes on deeper levels of understanding. it is the ability to be kind and forgiving.
Throat Chakra - presented as colour, space or akasha, on the throat, seed mantra Ham
Throat Chakra is our ability to express ourselves in this world and expresses our persona truth, often unconsciously. At the basic level it is about speech and our ability to verbally express ourselves or not. On a deeper note it is how we express at all levels of who we are. Our ability to be honest with ourselves and who we are. It is the chakra through which we create. The throat uses all the energies of the first four chakras to express out into the world. This means the state of the other chakras have a massive impact on how we live and what we experience in the world. In this sense our words create our experiences. This is the home of the breath of life. It is the essence of life itself and is the bridge to higher levels of understanding.
Ajna Chakra /Third Eye - presented as colour indigo or violet, and is the light, between the eyebrows seed mantra Om
Ajna Chakra is where we experience the light. It is the seat of thought and thoughtfulness when the mind is fully open to the inner sixth sense or inner wisdom. It is the ability to trust your intuition and allows your imagination to explore beyond what you know. It allow you to tap into deep inner knowing, with clarity and emotional balance. Your level of awareness is profoundly expanded. This feeds into the throat, the place of creation. A clear and balance third eye, supports your path in life.
Crown Chakra- presents as violet or white - pure consciousness, on top of the crown - no seed mantra - stillness and silence
Crown chakra is your gateway to the universe, beyond the physical body, and into the unknown. It is is most easily accessed through deep meditation. It is the feeling of freedom. Sense of beingness and detachment. From the crown chakra you are living in the world without being caught up in the emotional drama's of the world. This is the place of pure consciousness.
Working with the chakras
Understanding the basics is our start to working with the chakras. Most importantly it is about building your own connection to your energy body. There are a number of different tools out there to guide you through chakra meditations. The most common ways to begin is through colours, crystals and mantra. These work work well for most people who are working on their own. I would recommend choosing carefully what you resonate with most.
Meditation is great for visualization of the chakras. You can focus on the location of the body and then image, the colour. Then you can either choose to see it as a wheel, chakra means wheel or as a lotus.
If you have an affinity with crystals, then you can choose the crystal that meets the colour of the chakra. Having said that, if you do have a strong connection to crystals, then you can simply ask which crystal wants to work with you for the chakra you want to meditate on.
Mantra is great if you are sensitive to energy vibrations. As a practitioner of qigong and meditation, I like this way of working as it allows me to access through deep vibrational forces.
Make it your own practice
Though, I have provided a basic outline of how to get started, at the beginning it is always useful for you to try the different ways of access and see what works best for you. You can get started today. You have all the tools you need whether you are experienced or completely new to this. It is here in your chakras that the knowledge of your truth lives and the treasures of your own story. They provide personal information, this is what I encourage you to access. Tap into your own story and let your path unfold. It does not happen over night. It will depend on where you are on your own journey in life. Patients and consistency is the key to growth and expansion.
My Journey with Chakra
I initially started on my own, then worked through a system and then reverted back to deep meditations. I would research, connect with what resonated with and this is how I discovered the hidden depths of working with your own chakras. It took time to develop a deeper understanding. I began to paint with the chakra colours and this is when my understanding came through using colours, mandala and symbols. As the result of the painting I am now in the process of creating my own Chakra Yantra Oracle deck cards, as well as a course with a work book that I am currently writing. The paintings have evolved over the last 12 years. This is now the basis of a year long course and yet it is only now, I have decided I will share this knowledge. Even 2 years ago I was not sure what I was going to do with all the paintings I had done. You can develop this level of chakras insight too.
As a result of my journey I have integrated chakras with all the different trainings I have done. The Personal Commitment Pack (PCP) is the deepest work I take people through as it combines all techniques as required.
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