by Angela Christine
The chakra energetic system originated in India. It is even mentioned in the Upanishads, which dates between 1800 and 800 B.C. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or “circle.” According to yogic sages, there are seven invisible major chakras in the energetic body, but there are many, many more. It is believed these energy centers animate a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. If they are thrown out of alignment, then disease or distress is often a symptom. Each chakra represents an aspect of life. The lower three chakras regulate primal issues (survival, power, motivation, procreation) and the upper four chakras deal with metaphysical issues (love, creativity, inspiration, insight).
The Root Chakra (Muladhara) is located at the base of the tailbone. Its color is red and it deals with grounding, stability, setting healthy personal boundaries, connects us to reality, generates empowerment, and confidence. It governs the perineum, rectum, large intestines, and bones. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to confusion, distraction, feeling fearful, insecure, restlessness, obesity, greed. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are ulcerative colitis, IBS, Osteoporosis, and hemorrhoids. To stabilize this chakra, one must perform leg strengthening exercises such as walking, running, standing yoga poses and listening to soothing music or playing percussive instruments.
The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana) is located just below the navel. Its color is orange and it deals with sexuality, identity, creativity, procreation, and emotions. It governs the sex organs, pelvis, and lower back. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to lack of sexual desire or over-interest in sexual activity, overly indulgent, promiscuous, jadedness, compulsiveness, obsession, crude behavior, emotional numbness, and sexual frigidity. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are enlarged prostate, cystitis, chronic vaginitis, and lower back pain. To stabilize this chakra, one must perform pelvic and lower back exercises (yogic hip openers are good for this), consider your passions and actively pursue them, practice moderation and limit consumption of alcohol.
The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) is located above the navel and near the diaphragm. Its color is yellow and it deals with our ego and intuition, gut feelings and reactions, power, vitality, individuality, confidence and assertiveness. It governs the navel, belly, and small intestine. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to being domineering, aggressiveness, boastfulness, being prideful or overly ambitious, authoritarianism, being patronizing, being passive, lethargy, doubtfulness, submissiveness, avoidance, self-defeating, and self-deprecating behavior. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are digestive troubles, ulcers, fatigue, compromised liver function, problems with adrenal glands, pancreas, and kidneys. To stabilize this chakra, do diaphragmatic breathing (that is, deep breathing), use positive, present-tense affirmations, and adopt stress-reduction techniques to reduce anxiety.
The Heart Chakra (Anahata) is located at the heart. Its color is green (with a secondary color association of pink) and it deals with love, relationships, compassion, and service. It governs the heart and lungs. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to co-dependency, sentimentality, smothering, overdoing things and burning out, being hard-hearted, stingy, uncaring, cold, thoughtless, greedy, or calculating. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are asthma, bronchitis, and heart or lung diseases. To stabilize this chakra, practice breath work and doing chest opening yogic poses (such as cobra, camel, bridge pose, or backward bend), examine your relationships and your attitudes and assumptions about them, practice volunteerism without the sense of obligation.
The Throat Chakra (Visuddha) is located at the centre of the neck. Its color is blue (sky blue or turquoise) and it deals with communication, self-expression, and creativity. It governs the throat, larynx, thyroid, tonsils, and neck. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to gossiping, being overly talkative, interruptive, shyness, dishonesty, incommunicative, overly literal, introversion, suspicion, and unresponsiveness. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are chronic tonsillitis, thyroid problems, sore throat, or stiff neck. To stabilize this chakra, chant or sing, perform self expression (either spoken or written), and take classes in how to draw, dance, or sing.
The Third-eye Chakra (Ajna) is located in the middle of the forehead. Its color is indigo blue and it deals with wisdom, insight, discernment, remaining objective, open-mindedness, intuition, imagination, dreams, and visualization. It governs the pineal gland and the eyes. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to intrusive memories, delusions, hallucinations, obsessions, nightmares, difficulty concentrating, dullness, unquestioning, and superficiality. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are chronic sinusitis, migraine headaches, and vision problems. To stabilize this chakra, practice meditation, visualization, and dream imagery.
The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) is located at the top of the head. Its color is violet and it deals with spiritual understanding, seeing the big picture, and self-realization. It governs the brain and nervous system. If it is out of alignment, it can lead to being overly intellectual, confusion, spiritual addiction, skepticism, hard-headedness, rigidity, and imperviousness. Physical complaints associated with imbalance are nervous disorders, and psycho-emotional issues. To stabilize this chakra, become engaged in your spiritual journey; find a tradition that suits you and study its teachings and do all you can to promote your own spiritual growth.
Crystals are another wonderful way to help balance the chakra system. You can either place them directly onto the body in the chakra locations, or you can set up a healing grid and place them in corresponding areas to bring about healing vitality. Cleanse your crystals prior to every healing session. For those that may be sensitive to crystal energies, please use the grid and do not place the crystals directly on the body.
Red colored crystals/stones to use: red jasper, red goldstone, aragonite, red aventurine, braciated jasper, ruby, sunstone, and red tigers eye.
Orange colored crystals/stones to use: carnelian, sunstone, calcite, and tangerine quartz.
Yellow colored crystals/stones to use: amber, citrine, lemon quartz, imperial topaz, yellow fluorite, honey calcite, and sulphur.
Green colored crystals/stones to use: emerald, unakite, jade, aventurine, malachite, peridot, serpentine, moss agate, chrysoprase, blood stone, green topaz, green tourmaline, dioptase, epidote, and moldavite.
Blue colored crystals/stones to use: sapphire, lapis lazuli, sodalite, turquoise, aquamarine, blue lace agate, larmiar, and tanzanite.
Indigo colored crystals/stones to use: azurite, iolite, and covellite.
Violet colored crystals/stones to use: amethyst, sugilite, lepidolite, charoite, fluorite, purpurite, and stichtite.
Happy healing and rebalancing!
Angela is an ordained minister (high priestess) through Our Lady of Enchantment Seminary of Wicca in Clearlake, CA. She has been reading auras and chakras for 21 years. Angela is also a credentialed Spiritual Wellness Advisor through Universal Class and has a Bachelor’s in English and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies. Visit integrativespirithealing.com for more information.