7 chakras of the body: What are they and why are they important

Inner balance is crucial to a person’s well-being. Feelings of security, contentment, happiness, fear, stability and many more are brought about by a balance winner. There are various chakras, or whirlpools of energy, which, when activated, lead us to feeling different things. Each of these chakras is like a switch. So, when you turn on the switch. It opens a huge pool of patterns of behavior, thoughts, emotions, characteristics. Know about the chakras of body and how to unblock them.

What do you mean by chakras?

The literal translation of the chakras is a wheel or a circle. But in a yogic context, they are better understood as whirlpools.

Holistic health and lifestyle coach Aarti Babhoota, a certified teacher in advanced Classical Hatha Yoga, explains chakras as a part of the subtle body, not the physical body. They are the meeting points of the ‘nadi’, subtle channels through which the ‘pranic’ force flows. “These chakras are dormant. For most of the people, these chakras don’t work, unless they are activated,” explains Babhoota.

What are the 7 chakras in our body?

There are a total of seven chakras in the body. The chakras are depicted symbolically as a lotus flower, which has a different number of petals. Also, each chakra will have a bija mantra or a sound in a yogic context.

1. Root chakra or the Mooladhara chakra

This is denoted by the colour red and has four lotus petals. The element that it corresponds to is earth. Here, the sound is LAM. This is the lowest chakra of the body, and it is known for stability and solidarity and balance. It is also related to instinct, security, and survival. It is responsible for the fight-or-flight response when survival is threatened in humans. It governs sexuality, stability and a sense of security, and it also has a connection to the sense of smell. This is it is situated at the perineum in a male body and at the cervix in a female body.

2. Sacral Chakra or the Svadhisthana

This is located two fingers above the Mooldhara Chakra. This is denoted by the colour orange, six lotus petals and the element that corresponds to it is water. The sound here is VAM. It is related to a sense of taste, creativity, joy, enthusiasm in physical, emotional, spiritual outlook and if this chakra is not balanced it can lead to issues with relationships, violence, addiction, reproduction or emotional needs. It is basically associated with seeking pleasures and security. The ‘swa’ means self and ‘sthana’ means dwelling place.

3. Solar Plexus or the Manipura

This is situated behind the navel, in the spine. For this, the colour is yellow, number of lotus petals is ten and the element corresponding is fire. The sound for this chakra is RAM. The Manipura Chakra corresponds directly to the digestive system and the metabolic system, the gastric glands, the pancreas, the gallbladder and so on, and obviously the kidney also plays a very important role. It is the center of self-assertion or dynamism or dominance, it is associated to vision, and if this chakra is not balanced, then it can lead to issues like personal power, fear, anxiety or being an introvert.

Also Read: Gomukhasana or Cow Face Pose: A perfect yoga asana to stretch and restore energy

4. Heart chakra or the Anahata

It is situated behind the sternum. Here, the colour is green. It has twelve lotus petals and the element is air. The sound here is YAM. It is related to the sense of touch, and it translates to the unstruck sound, the sound from beyond the material world, and it is also denoted as a union of male and female. It is related to the thymus element in the immune system, which is responsible for tending of diseases, and also is related to the circulatory and respiratory system. The issues that can arise with an imbalance of this chakra could be complex emotions, stress, tenderness, unconditional love or rejection or jealousy, and it is basically governed by circulation and unconditional emotion, and passion and devotion as a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspect respectively.

5. Throat chakra or the Visuddha or Vishuddhi

It is situated at the back of the neck. Here, the colour is blue. It has sixteen lotus petals and it corresponds to ether or space. HAM is the sound here. It is related to the sense of listening, governs the ears and the vocal cords and the region of larynx, the thyroid and the parathyroid glands. It is parallel to the thyroid gland, which is responsible for growth and maturation through the thyroid hormone. And it largely governs communication, independence, fluent thoughts, sense of security at a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level respectively.

6. Third eye or the Ajna

This is situated at the midbrain behind the eyebrow center at the top of the spine. This is the center of the eyebrow, the colour is violet. It has two lotus petals. The sound is AUM. Ajna Chakra is related to the pineal gland, responsible for producing the hormone melatonin and regulating sleep. With the Ajna Chakra, one gains access to wisdom, intuition, a steady and strong mind, heightened visual consciousness, clarity on an intuitive level, improved concentration, and memory.

7. Crown chakra or the Sahasrara

It is situated at the crown of the head. This is more than a chakra, it is a state of being. The colour is white and is denoted by thousand lotus petals. The sound here is OM. It is known to be a mystical union of Shiva and Shakti, a state of pure consciousness.

How can you unblock the chakras?

There are some simple and practical ways to unblock the chakras. Your physical body needs to be properly aligned and this can be done by doing yoga postures correctly, implementing healthy breathing practices so that the energy flows correctly, and meditation, which will help in clearing your thoughts.

There are a few yoga poses that can help in unblocking your chakras. Balancing poses such as the Tree pose or the Mountain or Warrior pose can help unblock your Root Chakra, while the Sacral Chakra can be unblocked with the Bridge pose or the Pigeon Pose. The Solar Plexus Chakra needs core strengthening poses and can be boar or the triangle pose, whole Camel Pose and Wheel Pose are best for the Heart Chakra. Plow and Fish pose helps with the Throat Chakra, while Forward Fold and Folded Eagle can unblock the Third Eye Chakra.