Chakras

Base Chakra

MULADHARA root or support 
lowest vibration of all the Chakras    

To Have, To be Here

Colour  -  RED

Element   -  EARTH

Associated shape  -  SQUARE or CUBE

Sound  -  LAM (Sanskrit) and RA (Tibetan)

Location   -   At the perineum (the area between anus & genitals)

Physical sense   -  Smell

Foods  -   Proteins, Meat

Planets  -   Earth, Saturn

Goddesses   -  Anat, Ceridwen, Dakini, Erda, Ereshkigal, Gaia, Demeter, Lakshmi — Gods  -   Ganesha

Crystals -  Garnet, Red Jasper, Carnelian, Hermatite, Obsidian

Essential Oils - Patchouli, Myrrh, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Cedarwood

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy - Sluggish, Heaviness, Monotony, Hoarding,  Greedy, Materialistic,, Workaholic.

Deficient Energy  -  Fear, anxiety, Lack of discipline, Restless, Spacey, Resists Structure.

Physical - Degenerative arthritis, Frequent illness, Obesity, Anorexia, Haemorrhoids, Constipation,

Balanced Chakra Energy

Feels safe and secure, Physically healthy, Good body image, Prosperous, Right livelihood, Lives in the here and now, Able to be still.

The centre of instinct, physical survival & basic necessities such as food, drink, sleep, pleasure and base sexuality. It controls the Gonads and the Adrenal Glands and governs the Excretory System as well as all that is solid in the body - bones, teeth, nails and hair.

The Sanskrit name means "The Foundation”, this Chakra supports all higher activities as well as being the point at which we are grounded and connected to Earth energies. It connects to all the Chakras in our feet

allowing us to connect with the earth energies and help us ground.

Without grounding we become unstable, have a tendency to fly off the handle or become deluded and live in a fantasy world.

Healing Activities

Walking, Play, Gardening, Working with the hands.

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Foot and Leg stretches & Standing poses, Core lift, forward fold, locust pose, child's pose, Dirgha breath (complete breath)

Grounding Exercise

To ground ourselves we must call the energy down from our Crown chakra to the base - Stand straight, arms at your side, feet about shoulder width apart. Imagine a line drawn from the heavens down through the top of the head to between the feet. Breathing in, rise upon your toes, bringing your hands slowly up to chest height, and keeping your body straight and bottom tucked in. Breathing out, come down on your heels bending your knees as you do, bring your hands back down again by your sides and sinking down to the floor. Your body should be relaxed as you do this and movement should flow. Imagine that you are bringing down energies from the heaves into your feet, the earth and your base chakra. (Raising and lowering your hands with the rise and fall of the body helps to influence the downward flow).

Lessons and Challenges  -  Self Preservation and overcoming Fear


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 Sacral Chakra

SVADDISTHANA 

meaning sweetness

To feel, To want, To create

Colour  -  ORANGE

Element  -  WATER

Associated Shape  -  CIRCLE OR SPHERE

Sound – VAM (Sanskrit) and MA (Tibetan)

Location - At the level of the sacrum, corresponding to a point slightly below the navel (Near the Hara centre of energy).

Physical sense  - Taste

Foods - Liquids

Planets - Moon

Goddesses - Aphrodite, Diana, Mari, Rakini, Tiamat

Gods - Neptune, Poseidon

Crystals -  Moonstone, Carnelian, Calcite

Essential Oils - Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Neroli, Rose, Geranium, Orange, Sandalwood

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy -  Too sensitive, Obsessive, poor boundaries,

emotional dependency and instability, sexual addictions.

Deficient Energy - Emotional numbness, Fear of pleasure, Apathetic, Fear of change, Bored,

Physical - Sexual difficulties, Impotence and Frigidity, Bladder & Uterine disorders, Back problems.

Balanced Chakra Energy

Emotional intelligence, Can change, Can nurture self & others, Healthy boundaries, Can feel pain and pleasure, Sensual satisfaction.

The centre of sexual and creative energy – The seat of life, sexuality, reproductive capacities, sensation, pleasure, movement, nurturance, our empathy with others and our social interaction. Also connected with water elements within the body i.e. seminal fluids ovaries and testicles, the spinal column, womb, bladder  and kidneys.

Healing Activities

Bathe, swim, Dance, Improve flexibility, , Experience emotions,

Enjoy your senses

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Cobra, Cat stretch, Eagle or Crow legs, Hip opening  postures.

Dirgha breath (complete breath)

BALANCING EXERCISE - Lie on your back on the floor, knees together bent and feet flat on the floor in front of your anus. Arms should be next to the body, palms flat on the ground. BREATHE IN and slowly raise your hips off the floor, keeping your shoulders on the floor, going as high as you can get your hips. BREATHING OUT slowly putting your hips back on the floor, moving the back down one vertebrae at a time. STAND up straight, bend your knees slightly and drop your pelvis forward. Keeping knees bent and flexible and your feet totally still, rotate the pelvis in gradually decreasing circles, and then slowly increase the circle rotation size. Repeat rotating in the other direction (like belly dancing).

Lessons and Challenges  -  Self gratification and Overcoming Guilt

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Solar Plexus Chakra

MANIPURA meaning lustrous jewel

To Act

Colour  -  YELLOW

Element  - FIRE

Associated Shape  -  TRIANGLE OR PRISM

Sound  -  RAM (Sanskrit) and DA (Tibetan)

Location  -  Situated approximately waist level

Physical sense  - Sight

Foods  -  Starches

Planets  -  Mars, Sun

Goddesses  -  Athena,  Bride, Lakini

Gods  -  Ares,  Bel,  Dionysus,  Mars

Crystals -  Citirne, Tigers Eye, Sunstone

Essential Oils - Lemon, Juniper, Vetivert, Petigrain, Palmarosa, Rosemary

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy -  Domineering, Blaming, Aggressive, Flighty,

Hyperactive, Competitive.

Deficient Energy - Weak will, Poor self-esteem, Submissive, Sluggish, Fearful, Lacking energy

Physical - Ulcers, Diabetes, Hypoglycaemia, Stomach problems.

Balanced Chakra Energy

Self confident, Good self-esteem, Right action, Healthy boundaries, Takes responsibility, Disciplined, Creative, Sense of belonging.

This is where we relate to the outer world.

Shock and stressful events affect this Chakra more directly than others.

It is the centre of our emotions and our will, and also where we connect with the Divine will and our interaction with the Universe. When the individual will is in harmony with the Divine, the Solar Plexus Chakra will generally be in balance. People under a lot of stress will almost always show some imbalance in this Chakra.

The fire element is concerned with digestion, the stomach, Liver, Gall bladder.  Pancreas, and Nervous system.

Healing Activities

Release anger & attachments, Nurture self, Laugh, Balance work, Get moving, Listen to instincts.

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Core Lift, Abdominal exercises, Sun Salute, Warrior 1, Twists, Boat/Cobra, Restorative backbends, Spinal twist, Forward fold.

Kapalabhati (Breath of fire)

BALANCING EXERCISE - Sit in an upright position. Take a deep breath and relax the abdomen muscles, the quickly snap in your abdomen ten times causing short quick exhalations of breath.

Some other good exercise for this chakra are - sit-ups and running (exercises which get energy flowing).

Lessons and Challenges  -  Self definition and Overcoming Shame

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Heart Chakra

ANAHATA meaning unstruck

To Love and Be Loved







Colour   -  GREEN also PINK (or Green at Centre surrounded by pink)Element   -  AIR

Associated Shape  -   CRESCENT OR SAUCER-LIKE SHAPE.

Sound   -  YAM (Sanskrit) and SA (Tibetan)

Location  -  Situated level with the physical Heart

Physical sense   -  Touch

Food  -   Vegetables

Planets   -  Venus

Goddesses  -  Aphrodite, Freya, Isis, Lakshmi, Maat

God   -  Avalokita, Vishnu

Crystals -  Rose Quartz, Aventurine

Essential Oils - Rose, Bergamot, Melissa, Jasmine, Rosewood

The centre of love for the self and others, unconventional love that

connects us to the whole universe or devotional love for a Deity.

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy -  Co-dependent, Poor boundaries, jealousy, being  a martyr, being a pleaser, too much focus on others.

Deficient Energy - Antisocial, Withdrawn, Critical, Intolerant, Isolated, Lacking empathy.

Physical - asthma, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, heart conditions, circulatory problems, Heart conditions

Balanced Chakra Energy

Loving, Caring, Compassionate, Accepting, Loving of self and others, Peaceful, Content, Centred, Trusting, Non-Judgmental.

The 3 Lower Chakras are primarily concerned with our experience of the physical world. The 3 Upper Chakras with mental and spiritual experiences. The Heart Chakra links and balances these opposites and is a connection  between body and spirit, through its association with the Air Element- The air entering and leaving our lungs maintains life. Without air life ceases and the Spirit and Physical Bodies are separated. Symbolically air/ breath connects our human selves to our higher selves and to other spiritual planes of being. BREATHING is central to meditation and helps achieve that connection.

Healing Activities

Breath work, Practice self acceptance of self and others, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Love.

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Chest  & Shoulder openers, Fish, Cobra, Bridge. Nadi Shodhana Breath(Alternate nostril)

BALANCING EXERCISE

Sit or stand comfortably with hands out in front of you, shoulder height, elbows straight. Turn one palm downward, the other upward - quickly open and close both hand several times until your hands feel tired. Switch positions of the hands (so that the palm downwards is up and the upward one is down) and repeat the exercise until hands are tired. Continue switching positions of hands until it becomes too uncomfortable. Drop your arms, open fists and bring palms together slowly. Move your hands closer and further in and out and further in and out and feel the energy between your hands. This exercise helps the heart chakra through the connected hand chakras and is a good exercise to do before healing work (especially laying on of hands).

Lessons and Challenges—Self acceptance and Overcoming Grief

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Throat Chakra

VISHUDDHA meaning purification

To Create, To Speak,

To Be Heard





Colour  -   BLUE

Element  -   ETHER/SOUND

Associated Shape  -  STAR (a star radiates its Energy outwards, which is a function of the throat chakra)

Sound  -  HAM (Sanskrit) and SE (Tibetan)

Location  -  Situated at the base of the Throat

Physical Sense  -  Hearing

Foods  -  Fruit

Planets  -   Mercury, Neptune

Goddesses  - Bride, Ganga, the Muses, Sarasvati, Seshat

Gods  -  Hermes, Mercury, Thoth

Crystals -  Blue lace agate, Angelite, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise

Essential Oils - Sage, Hyssop, Lemongrass, Chamomile

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy -  Excessive talking, Poor Listener, Gossiping, Over extended, Too loud, Unable to keep secrets, Forced creative expression.

Deficient Energy - Fear of speaking, Poor rhythm, Weak voice,

Excessive shyness, Denial of creative expression.

Physical - Thyroid problems, Throat and ear conditions.

Balanced Chakra Energy

Voice that is full, resonant, Clearly communicates with others, Good self expression, Good listener, Truthful, Creative, expression.

Concerned with expression, in particular with giving outward expression to the truth understood by the Heart Chakra and the creative impulses of the Sacral Chakra.

It is the centre of active Magical Power and of Dreaming. In the physical body it controls the thyroid gland  and  governs the lungs, alimentary canal and the hearing, bronchial and vocal apparatus. The vehicle of this expression may be the voice (this chakra being in the region of the vocal cords) but it may equally well be any of the arts.

At a very subtle level the throat Chakra relates to spiritual teaching and certain teachers have highly refined energy in this chakra. People who find it hard to communicate, or who are denied the opportunity to give outer expression to their creativity will usually have some blockage or imbalance at the throat Chakra.

This Chakra will also show much imbalance in individuals who are not living the truth.

Healing Activities

Chanting, Singing, Listen to or create music, Be creative, Write a journal.

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Neck and shoulder stretches, Bridge, Shoulder stands, Fish, Camel. Ujjayi Breath (Ocean Breath)

BALANCING EXERCISE

Singing, Chanting your name. Using mantras, Shouting, Screaming,

Roaring and generally using the voice.

Lessons and Challenges—Self Expression and Overcoming deceit

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Brow Chakra (Third Eye)

AJNA meaning to perceive

Self Reflection

Colour  -  INDIGO

Element  -  Light - Relates to the mind

Sounds  -  AUM (Sanskrit) and SO (Tibetan) (Tibetan)

Location  -  Situated in the centre of the forehead at the location of the third eye.

Physical Sense   -   Sixth

Foods  -   Brain foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids and anti oxidants

Planets  -  Jupiter

Goddesses - Athena, Hakini, Hekate, Iris, Isis, Tara, Themis, Apollo,

Belenus, Krishna, Morpheus,  paramashiva

Crystals -  Sodalite, Lapis, Amethyst

Essential Oils - Rosemary, Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense, Sage

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy -  Trouble Concentrating, Headaches, Intrusive memories, Excessive fantasising, Nightmares, Obsessions, Delusions.

Deficient Energy - Unimaginative, Insensitive, Poor memory, Poor

vision, Cannot see patterns, Denial, Inflexible thinking.

Physical - Headaches and eye problems, Sleep problems, Dizziness,

Amnesia, Nervous breakdown, Dizziness

Balanced Chakra Energy

Keen intuition, Insightful, Imaginative, Good memory, Good dream recall, Guiding Vision for life, Able to watch and witness, Can see the big

picture.

It is the centre of spiritual power, of magical senses such as telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance or channelling which is symbolized by the idea of the THIRD EYE It is the focus of light Associated with INTELLECT AND UNDERSTANDING - (understanding also implies an understanding  of moral issues and the lessons to be learnt in this life). In the physical body it controls the Pituitary gland and represents Intuition, governing the Lower Brain, the second (least dominant) Eye, Nose and nervous system.

Working with this Chakra will usually benefit anybody who is woolly-minded as well as those who are engaged in much intellectual effort The energy is likely to be distorted in those who close their eyes to the lessons  implicit in a human incarnation.

Healing  Activities

Meditate, Enjoy and create beauty, Journal writing, Create visual art,

Visual stimulation.

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Eye exercises, Gazing, Close eyes, Spinal twist, Yoga Mudra.

Kapalabhati and Nadi Shodhana Breath.

BALANCING EXERCISE

 Rub your palms together vigorously, then

close your eyes and cup palms over eyes. Let your eyes bathe in warmth and darkness. Open your eyes, while your palms are still cupped over them, then slowly move your palms away from your face

Lessons and Challenges—Self reflection and Overcoming Illusion

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Crown Chakra

SAHASRARA meaning thousand fold

To Know







Colour  -  VIOLET (amethyst shade)

Element   -  Not linked to any element —Vibration is SPIRIT.

Shape  -  Thousand-petaled Lotus

Sound  -   AUMGN (Sanskrit) and HUNG (Tibetan)

Foods  -  None - Fasting

Planets   -   Uranus

Goddesses   -  Ama-Kala, Ennoia, Inanna, Nuit

Gods   -  Shiva

Crystals -  Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Selenite

Essential Oils -  Frankincense, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Benzoin, Neroli

(The vibrations of every Chakra are united at the Crown Chakra)

Imbalance Issues

Excessive Energy -  Too Intellectual, Spiritual Religious addiction,

Confusion, Detachment from spirit, Disassociation from body, Living in your head.

Deficient Energy - Trouble learning, Spiritual uncertainty, Limited

beliefs, Materialism, Apathetic, Closed mind

Physical - Eye problems, Headaches and Nightmares, Epilepsy

Balanced Chakra Energy

Spiritually connected, Wisdom and mastery, Intelligence, Presence, Able to question, Able to assimilate and analyze information, Open Mind

It is the centre of evolution, the focus of Thought representing Consciousness. The Crown rules all the processes and actions of the body and mind and embodies our spirituality - The Guru within. Enables us to express our highest wisdom and to be open to the Ultimate Wisdom.

The Crown Chakra is often opened during meditation, contemplation and prayer - People who are highly evolved at a spiritual level will have this Chakra fully open all the time.

In the physical body it controls the Pineal Gland and governs the Upper Brain and first - more dominant Eye. There may be some blocking in this Chakra in people who are unwilling or afraid to open to their own Spiritual potential.

The energy will probably be rather deficient in people who are very attached to the material aspects of human life.

Healing  Activities

Meditate, Pray, Learn & create, Experience beauty, Use you brainpower, Define beliefs and values.

Yoga Postures and Breathing Exercises

Inversions, Headstand, Yoga Mudra.

Nadi Shodhana (Alternative Nostril)

BALANCING EXERCISE

Head Massage

Lessons and Challenges—Self knowledge and Overcoming Attachment issues

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Exercise to Keep the Aura Energized and Sealed

Visualize the base chakra as a disk or sphere of red spinning light, and when you see it clearly imagine a globe of gold light on the disk, chanting (aloud or in your mind) the sound for this chakra (Ra). Then move to the sacral chakra and visualize it as a spinning orange disk or sphere, imagine a globe of gold light on it as you chant (Ma). Then the solar plexus chakra as a yellow spinning disk or sphere, chanting (Da) as you imagine a globe of gold light on it. Then the heart chakra as a green spinning disk or sphere, chanting (Sa). The throat chakra as a bright blue disk, chanting (Se – pronounced 'say"). The brow chakra as an indigo disk, chanting (So) and finally the crown chakra as an Violet disk, chanting (ING).

You should feel the energy moving up your spine as you do this. After having imagined a globe of gold light on the crown chakra, imagine each globe of light was a seed and visualize that seed bursting forth gold light, surrounding the body and filling your aura.

When you feel the gold light surrounding your body, concentrate the energy on any areas of your body which feel weaker or are in pain.

Do the exercise daily to strengthen your aura.