If you’ve ever taken a yoga or meditation class, you may have heard the teacher mention “chakras”. Perhaps you didn’t want to pipe up and ask: “What is that?” But the complex and nuanced chakra system does merit a deeper explanation.

Read on to understand what chakras are and how they can inform meditation practice.

Align the Spine

On the most basic level, chakras represent energy centers along your spine. They start at the tailbone and extend all the way to the top of your skull. Technically, the uppermost Crown chakra hovers just above your head.

Scientific research has yet to determine whether or not there’s a physiological basis for these defined energy points. Some evidence supports the hypothesis that chakras correspond with nerve clusters along the spinal cord.

Metaphysical Value

Even without proof of physical presence, the concept of chakras can be useful to clarify and evaluate different realms of your life. When a chakra is “balanced”, that area of your life works well. When it’s unbalanced, that area may need some attention.

This becomes apparent when you learn what each chakra means. Let’s go through them now.

For simplicity’s sake, I refer to chakras by their common English names. The Sanskrit word is included in parentheses if you’d like to look it up.

Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Located at the very base of your spine, this chakra connects to physical foundations.

Survival
Family/generational situations (including trauma)
Grounding
The right to exist

Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana)

If you hold two or three fingers below your belly button, that’s about where your sacral chakra falls. This chakra often corresponds with water, as it’s all about the flow of inner emotion.

Emotional reactions
Sexuality
Desire/motivation
The right to feel

Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

Now place a few fingers above your belly button, and you’ll find your third chakra. It deals with taking action in the world as an individual.

Power
Autonomy
Self-trust (as opposed to self-doubt)
The right to act

Heart Chakra (Anahata)

Your heart chakra rests at the center of your sternum but often manifests in your shoulders and arms, too. Shoulder tension can result from heart troubles. Not surprisingly, this chakra relates to love, although it’s a more expansive definition than romance - truly wanting what’s best for someone else.

Social connection
Compassion
Unconditional Love
The right to relate in a community

Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

The includes your jaw, neck, and the soft, lower part of the throat where your clavicle converges. It’s connected to the sacral chakra as your “outbound response” to emotional reactions. Commonly blocked for many people, the throat catches messages of social conditioning, silencing, and repression.

Self-expression
Emotional processing
Language
Identity
The right to speak

Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)

This chakra occupies the space between your eyebrows. It invites you to regard your thoughts in an objective way. Several philosophers over time have purported its tie to the pineal gland, although this has yet to be empirically substantiated.

Perception
Cognition
Intuition
The right to think

Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

Sometimes called the “god chakra”, the crown does not subscribe to a particular religion. Rather, it encourages you to reflect on the meaning of your life within the framework of the universe.

Universality
Spirituality
Oneness
The right to make meaning

Incorporating Chakras in Meditation

Many guided meditations exist to balance your chakras. Usually, you’ll be instructed to sit in a posture with a straight, relaxed spine and visualize each chakra. Some systems assign colors to the chakras, so you might imagine the corresponding color to activate that chakra.

This kind of guided meditation can feel very centering and relaxing, even after a short practice. Certain materials, like fabrics and crystals, may support balancing your chakras, too. That’s why we include chakra-balancing mats in our private meditation rooms.

Give chakra meditation a try to see how your mood and mindset shift. If you are in Bend, Oregon area, stop by The Blissful Heart Wellness Center. Book an appointment for our private meditation spa.

SOURCES

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142191/

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/ajna-chakra-how-to-open-the-pineal-eye-669185

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineal_gland#:~:text=The%20pineal%20gland%2C%20conarium%2C%20or,and%20gives%20it%20its%20name.

Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith