So, now that we have taken a look at our Posture, let’s take a deeper look at what aligning our body means. Keeping a bad posture can not only affect our physical well-being but also our emotions, mental, and spiritual well-being. Now I do not want to come across as someone that is deep into spirituality, however, whether you are a spiritual individual or a skeptical one, we all should agree on the force that keeps us alive, our consciousness, or the soul, in other words, that part of us that keeps eluding science or maybe just neuro electricity.
Chakras may be responsible for the pain that medical exams cannot explain, emotions that we struggle with that make no real sense, creative people may experience a writer’s block, or for no reason, one seems to struggle with keeping a positive attitude on life. All this might come from one or more blocked or unbalanced chakra! Now believing in the spiritual flow, or calling it the electricity that connects our thoughts to our body, trying to balance the flow can do no harm, right? So let’s give these chakras a look and see what they represent and what we can do to balance them! (Of course, this doesn’t mean ditch the medical side of life, that’s what doctors are there for, however, if we can help them, why not, right?)
What are Chakras?
Chakras are the major centers of energy in our bodies, more or less like train stations in a city where the trains (energy) gathers and redirects to where it needs to go, or maybe power hubs for our electrical currents. Some people believe we have around 114 different power chakras, however, there are seven main Chakras that all agree about. Each Chakra is responsible for different major areas of our bodies and has different emotions and aspects of our lives linked to it. Negativity, trauma, bad posture, or simply stress can influence the flow of energy to and from our Chakras and so send us off balance, and problems that seem unrelated will start to manifest in our lives. So let’s take a look at where these major Chakras are, what they represent, what problems are mostly associated with them, and how we can charge them.
1. Root Chakra – Muladhara
Located at the very end of our spine, the first chakra is the base for our stability and sense of security. It’s linked to the origin of life, and thus provides a sense of care and well-being for the self. It is the house of the unconscious mind and provides us with the most basic instincts, survival, and basic needs.
Signs of Root Chakra Imbalance:
- Anemia
- Fatigue
- Lower back pain
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Poor circulation
- Low Immune system
- Problems related to legs, feet, or tailbone
- Arthritis
- Sciatica
- Eating disorder
- Constipation
Root Chakra can be helped through balance exercises, physical exercise, good hygiene practice, and sound sleep. Connecting to nature with activities like gardening, pottery, or nature walks can be helpful. Red foods and teas can also help, like beetroots, rooibos tea, or pomegranate. The color assigned to this Chakra is red, so introducing some red into your life might help (clothes, gemstones, or simply some red home decorations).
2. Sacral Chakra – Svadhisthana
Slightly higher, the second Chakra is located just below our belly button and is responsible for our creativity as well as our sexuality. It is linked to a sense of wellness and strength. It also helps us be proactive and confident, as well as connect to the more emotional aspect of life.
Signs of Sacral Chakra Imbalance:
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Depression
- Hip, pelvic, or lower back pain
- Asthma or allergies
- Candida and yeast infections
- Urinary problems
- Kidney dysfunctions
- Dulled senses or lack of feelings
- Impotence
- Rigidity
Sacral Chakra can be helped with deep hip opener poses and pelvic floor exercises. Connecting to the water might help, that means activities like swimming or simply relaxing close to the sea or watching the rain. This time orange-colored foods should be helpful like oranges and carrots as well as orange items and clothes. The citrusy smell should also be effective.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura
Further up the spine, we find our third Chakra in our stomach area, as one would aspect, this is directly linked to our digestion, however, it is also responsible for our self-confidence and emotional balance. This is what motivates us to fulfill our dreams and ambitions, it gives us identity and purpose in life. It is what helps you feel in control of your life.
Signs of Solar Plexus Chakra Imbalance:
- Indigestion
- Stomach ulcers
- Liver dysfunction
- Chronic fatigue
- High blood pressure
- Gallbladder issues like gallstones
- Pancreas disorders such as diabetes or hypoglycemia
- Colon disease
- Self-shaming
- Overachiever personality
Solar Plexus Chakra can be helped with abdominal and core strengthening exercises. Sunlight helps reactivate this Chakra, so simply going outside should help as well as engaging in creative works, finding empowering books or videos, or even puzzles can help. Detox programs as well as eating yellow foods like squash and camomile tea can also improve this Chakra as well as introducing the color yellow to your clothes or surroundings.
4. Heart Chakra – Anahata
As the name suggests our fourth Chakra is located close to our heart in the middle of our chest, and of course is linked to love and compassion. The Heart Chakra inspires integrity and good ethical conduct, it is also the center of all our relationships. It is mainly responsible for our emotions and maybe it’s the easiest of our Chakras to get unbalanced!
Signs of Heart Chakra Imbalance:
- Heart disease and disorders
- Breathing disorders or lung disease
- Breast issues
- Lymphatic systems
- Chest pains
- High blood pressure
- Passivity
- Immune system problems
- Shoulder, arms, and upper back pain
- Muscular tension
Heart Chakras can be helped by heart opener poses as well as chest, shoulders, and arms exercises. Spending time with loved ones or engaging in volunteer work should also boost this Chakra. Fresh air and deep breathing may also help. This Chakra is associated with green foods and the green color in general as well as pink and gold, so decorations, clothes, and essential oils in those colors can help you recharge this Chakra.
5. Throat Chakra – Vishuddha
This time the name says it all, the fifth Chakra is located in our throat and is directly responsible for our verbal communication. This enables us to express our emotions and let our feelings out. This Chakra is all about truth and communication as well as expression of the self.
Signs of Throat Chakra Imbalance:
- Thyroid imbalances
- Swollen glands
- Sore throat
- Laryngitis
- Facial problems (jaw, chin, cheek, and mouth problems)
- Ear infections
- Neck and shoulders problems
- Ulcers
- Stuttering
Throat Chakra can be helped with neck and throat exercises, so singing here can be considered as a physical exercise too. Deep and meaningful conversations will also help, letting the emotions off your chest, as well as reciting poetry, especially ones that resonate with your feelings. Blue is the color combined with this chakra, so gems, decorations as well as clothes or essential oils in blue will help. Also eating blue food or taking teas (like thyme) that helps with a sore throat will recharge this Chakra.
6. Third Eye Chakra – Ajna
Right in the middle of our forehead resides the Sixth Chakra, linked to our intuition and imagination. This Chakra is linked more to gut feelings and spirituality, however, it is also responsible for insight and clarity. In other words, this Chakra is responsible for matters of the mind, like wisdom and concentration, or mind over matter, like telepathy and psychic powers.
Signs of Third Eye Chakra Imbalance:
- Learning disabilities
- Mental fogginess
- Coordination problems
- Sleep disorders
- Delusional thinking
- Blurred vision
- Sinus issues
- Hearing loss
- Psychic misinterpretations
- Headaches
Third Eye Chakra can be helped by meditation and exercises where your upper body meets your lower body, like touching your toes. For best results, meditation in open spaces is suggested, under the sunlight or moonlight. Good sleep, of course, will help you focus and thus helps this Chakra. Indigo is the color you are looking for here, so clothes, decorations, gems, and even foods or essential oils that are indigo will help.
7. Crown Chakra – Sahasrara
At the very top of our head resides the Seventh and last major Chakra, tieing us to the universe and all that is greater. This Chakra is responsible for our spirituality, however, it is also what helps us find our place in the world and gives a sense of belonging with your surrounding. This Chakra gives a sense of unity and is also responsible for our consciousness.
Signs of Crown Chakra Imbalance:
- Headaches or migraines
- Mental illness
- Worry
- Skin rashes
- Hyper-intellectuality
- Lack of faith or belief
Crown Chakra can be helped with the corpse pose, which is lying flat on your back and breathing deeply. Meditation can also help as well as keeping a dream journal or a vision board. The color associated with this Chakra is violet, so foods, infusions, oils as well as clothes, gems, and decorations that are violet should help with this Chakra.
Hope this will get you interested enough to dive deeper into the Chakras that concern you the most while provide you with some basic knowledge. Let us know your experiences and thoughts, we’re always interested to listen!