Chakras and their role is somewhat subtle. Some call the seven main chakras the switchboard of the body. They are the main energy points that helps to disperse Prana or Qi through the nadis or the meridians to the smaller chakras and to different part of the body. Nadis or meridians are subtle channels that carries energy from the base of the spine to different parts of the body through the chakras. Both chakras and nadis are subtle and not visible to the eye, therefore, are not recognized by modern medicine. Yet, it doesn’t mean that they do not exist.
Prana is the bridge that connects the physical body to the soul. Prana, the life giving force or energy, enters the body at the time of birth and leaves at the time of death as it is how the soul is held inside. Prana is replenished through breath or through food into the body. The absorbed Prana is then dispersed to the body through the spinning disks that adorn the spinal chord. These disks are called chakras in Sanskrit translated to mean exactly that.
The energy dispersed gives movement to the body by allowing muscle movement and coordination with the brain to perform daily physical activities. It fuels the mental body by perceptions taken in through the 5 senses. The information from the outside world is processed and stored as different experiences, outcomes and your reaction to them. The emotional body uses it to attach feelings to the perceptions taken in by the mental body. These mental perceptions and emotions formulate how our aura is projected to the rest of the world.
Energy blocks are created if the energy is not allowed to flow freely causing suffering and disease. That’s why its important to make sure that the external perceptions taken in are of pure nature as we are easily influenced by the outside world on a subtle level without being aware of it. Watching television is one of the subtle ways our mental body is influenced. Paying close attention to what you perceive through the senses and using discernment are ways to avoid negative concepts from taking root. The right living is to strive for a Sattvic mindset.
The first chakra is Muladhara or Root Chakra. This is the starting place of the nadis. This is where stability of all kinds come from be it mental, financial, emotional etc. Our sense of security and the feeling of safety comes from a healthy, balanced root chakra. Fear, worry, panic and many other lower emotions stem from the imbalances. A solid foundation of life comes from balancing this chakra as its disturbance aggravates the Patala chakras or the lower chakras that ignites negative traits. Mantra is Lam. Color is red.
The second chakra is the Swadhistana or Sacral chakra. This is the lower creative center and the store house for sexual energy. The creation of life and creativity of physical manifestations comes through the energy of this chakra. Self-love, self-worth and confidence stems from here. This is an important chakra for women as this chakra represents water that is linked with feminine energy that attracts the masculine or fire energy. Imbalances of this chakra can show as lack of creativity, not feeling worthy or low self-esteem. By balancing this, we are able to find balance and unleash the creative force within ourselves and be in healthy romantic relationships. Mantra is Vam. Color is orange.
The third chakra is Manipura or Solar Plexus. This is the seat of personal power and how we relate to the rest of the world. This is also the seat of higher creativity or spiritual level manifestations. Our perception of the world is mirrored back to the world through this. Derangement causes inability to socialize or get along with others, inability to relate to others, and lack of want to interact. To improve our external relationships, we must improve the relationship we have with ourselves. Balanced chakra will lead to friendly relationships, personal power and ability to receive blessings like abundance from the universe. This is also where the solar energy is stored and located. Mantra is Ram. Color is Yellow.
The fourth chakra is Anahata or heart chakra. This is the seat of love, compassion and empathy. This is the seat of emotions and where energy of unconditional love is given out. Life experiences will contribute to the welfare of the heart chakra as we stack emotions related to each experience, creating blocks. Imbalances of this chakra gives rise to many emotional issues. This is also the center point of the chakras as it is the mid point between the lower chakras to the higher chakras. Balance is absolutely necessary to balance spirituality with physicality. Mantra is Yam. Color is green.
The fifth chakra is Vishuddha or Throat chakra. This is the seat of communication and leadership. This is where we express our personal truths that comes from the heart. Expression is very much a part of healthy living and suppression of speech leads to imbalances in the throat chakra. Fear of public speaking, fear of standing up for ourselves and inability to express feelings are restrictions caused. The act of speaking from the heart is important as speech is one of the outlets of creativity and self-expression. The mantra is Hum. The color is blue.
The sixth chakra is Ajna or Third Eye chakra. This is the seat of intuition and the key to lifting the veil beyond the third dimension. The infinite possibilities and knowledge available from the universe is accessed through this chakra as we gain psychic abilities granting higher perception. The ability to know before making decision, clarity, and higher perception transforms a life in the dark and doubt to a more enlightened existence. The imbalances cause limited intuition and lack of perception. Intuition is not the sixth sense as it is not associated with the physical body. It is sharpened with the opening and balancing of this chakra that allows us to go beyond just using the 5 senses. The mantra is Om. The color is Indigo.
The seventh chakra is Sahasrara or Crown chakra. This is the portal to the universe and where we connect to the Source God. The infinite wisdom, higher perception, reason for our being and the access to Akashic records and other knowledge libraries can be accessed through this chakra. Imbalances show up as the opposite to the above listed qualities where the individual is not able to grow beyond the third dimensional world to grasp the higher concepts of existence, the universal and higher truth. Clearing of this chakra enables communication with higher beings easier along with the third eye. The mantra is Aum. The color is violet.
This concludes the blog post for chakras and their role.
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