Chakras have their mention dating back to the world of Vedas between 1500 – 500 BC. If you have ever attended a yoga, healing or meditation session, chakras will be a familiar term. Let us learn about these energy centers and the highly beneficial process of chakra meditation. Get healthy and experience stability and energy.
What is a Chakra?
“Chakra”, which is a Sanskrit word, signifies a wheel. There are eight chakras in the human body with each having its importance and functionality. Chakras are considered to be highly important in Yoga, as they connect the subtle body to the physical one. They traverse along the spine and that is how they allow the energy to flow upwards in a channel. This way of channelizing energy is acknowledged in Buddhism too.
Types of Chakras
1. Root Chakra (Muladhara)
Element: Earth
This Root Chakra (Muladhara), the basis of your stability, plays a tethering role. It governs the issues of food, shelter and your material base in the world. An imbalance of energy here can invite issues like emotional and physical disturbances and can also weaken your digestion.
2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)
Element: Water
The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana) is located just below the navel. It is responsible for creativity, imagination, and your perception of the world. The chakra lets you absorb worldly experiences and then articulate your worldly responses creatively. It balances your sexuality and reproductive capacity.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
Element: Fire
Your solar plexus chakra (Manipura) means City of Jewels in Sanskrit and is situated in the center of the body, between the rib cage and the navel. It plays a pivotal and elementary role in the body by controlling your stomach and digestion. Also, this chakra is responsible for emotional, spiritual abilities, and governs the self-esteem.
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata)
Element: Air
The fourth chakra (Anahata) is the heart chakra. Located at the center of the cardiovascular system, it is the supervisory chakra for heart and the lungs. The chakra regulates respiration and high blood pressure. It also helps in letting you experience better feelings of compassion and emotional connection with people.
5. Throat Chakra (Visshuddha)
Element: Ether
As the name suggests, the Throat Chakra (Visshuddha) is located in the throat, near the thyroid gland. This chakra is responsible for the health of neck, mouth, tongue and also your abilities at communication and articulation. A blockage in this chakra can affect self-expression negatively and this may bring down one’s confidence.
6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
Element: Light
The Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) places itself between the eyebrows, and helps one have spiritual maturity. A balanced ajna chakra gives you the ability to accurately assess situations, and can help you excel personally and professionally.
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
Mantra: No element
The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) dominates the other chakras and is superior in some ways. Also called the “thousand petal lotus” chakra, it carries the spirit or the source of connection to the wider world, or super consciousness. Some may even call it divine. A healthy crown chakra imparts a feeling of peace, well-being, and elevates confidence.
8. Lalana Chakra (Taluka)
Though lalana chakra is not a part of the seven main chakra system, it is a minor chakra associated with the throat chakra. This chakra is situated just above Ajna and below Sahasrara Chakra. As twelve yoga nadis emerge from this center, the chakra has control over the 12 pairs of nerves that go from brain to different sense organs.
What is Chakra Meditation?
Chakras channel energy, and a blockage in one or even an imbalance will direct the body’s energy to the more functional chakras. This makes the energy distribution erratic. Now the chakras that slow down or the ones that become hyperactive are both mentally and physically disturbing for the body. Meditation can balance the chakras letting them carry the right energy and leading to your best mental and physical existence.
Why do Chakra Meditation?
Knowing about all the potential pros and cons of balancing chakra energies, you will realize the importance of chakra meditation. Chakra meditation with certain mantras and mudras can cleanse and clear the energy channels and in turn clear the mind and consciousness for you to live healthier and more spiritedly.
How to do Chakra Meditation?
Chakra meditation is very simple. Just find a quiet place and sit comfortably with the spine erect, take a few deep breaths and relax your body. Let your hands be placed comfortably on your knees. Now while breathing deeply, visualize the energy from the root to the crown chakras. Also, there are some mudras and positions you can sit in while doing chakra meditation.
In a relaxed and patient manner, concentrate on each chakra for a few minutes. Your crown chakra towards the end of meditation will have a strong visualization of positive energy that is flowing vertically across the across.
All the chakras need to be included in the meditation because your chakras are all a part of an energy system. As you learn to observe and absorb the individual imbalances and the ways of directing your meditation to heal the imbalances, you excel in Chakra meditation.
Final Words
Like any meditation, you have to be gentle in chakra meditation. Try not to force energies but let them drift carefully. Chakra meditation will let you feel sensitized to the energies of your body at these energy centers. You will start finding the relativity between your energy and your being. Later, you may practice meditation focusing on individual chakras in each session.
If possible, do this simple meditation under professional guidance, and it will be an immensely beneficial, relaxing, and elevating experience.