Chakras: What They Are and How They Work

Basically, chakras are the energy centers of your body. There are 7 main ones that are connected to different areas of the body through meridians, which in turn connect to “lesser” or minor chakras. Learning more about chakras and how they work can open new doors of healing and well being for you.

How Do the Chakras Fit into the Body?

Some people claim that the chakra system is compatible to the nervous system. According to conventional neurology, the nervous system is made up of neurons. Each neuron has a rounded area that works pretty much like every other cell in your body. The neuron also has an extension, or axon that looks something like a wire. It is the job of the axon to transmit electrical and chemical signals from the main area of the neuron to other parts of the body. When several axons are bundled together, it creates the nerve structures you are familiar with. The chakra system also has main nodes that pass information through and receive information from smaller centers, however the meridians are not simply an extension of the chakras.

What Do Chakras Do?

Chakras have several purposes. Their most important function is to regulate the flow of energy through different parts of your body. The source of the energy they are channeling comes from the universe itself. From that perspective, chakras are also said to be the interface or connection point between you and the universe.

Depending on the condition of the chakra it will be in one of three states:

• The chakra will be open and balanced – this is the ideal state for each of chakras in the body, regardless of their size and location. When the chakras are open just the right amount and balanced, you will experience good health and a sense of well being.

• The chakra will be partly or completely closed – in this state, the chakra is taking in very little, or no energy at all from the cosmic source of energetic sustenance. As with your physical body in relation to food and oxygen, when you don’t have enough energy coming in, you will feel tired, and eventually get sick. The areas where you experience illness (physical, mental and emotional) will correspond directly to the chakras that aren’t taking in enough energy.

• The chakra will be out of balance – in many cultures, the chakras are described as spinning wheels of pure energy. A chakra out of balance is a bit like a flat tire. It will not spin correctly, and it may also spin at a rate that is not optimal for wellness. When a chakra is out of balance, you will also experience disease and emotional distress.

Where are the Chakras Located?

Aside from the seven main chakras, there are several hundred “minor” ones located throughout the body and outside of it. For example, there are chakras in each palm of your hands and soles of your feet, as well as a series of chakras above your head and below. All of the chakras within your body are connected to the seven main ones via the meridians; while the ones outside your body are in line with the 7 primary ones that are located near your spine.

Here are the 7 main chakras, their basic locations, and what they do:

• Root – associated with the colors red and black and is located at the base of the spine. The sacral chakra receives energy from the Earth and directs it upward. It is referred to as the “grounding” chakra because it has to do with physical wellness and the essentials of survival. When open and balanced, you will feel energetic, healthy, vibrant, and strong. This is the chakra most associated with physical health, wellness, bones, legs, feet, and adrenals. If this chakra is out of balance, you will feel tired, and basically have problems with most aspects of your physical and tangible life. It is also the chakra that accounts for your sense of security and belief that you belong in this world. Problems with this chakra can lead to paranoia, a great deal of emotional anger, and greed. For those that can see auras, dysfunction in this chakra will produce an muddy red color that may veer into cloudy maroons.

• Sacral – associated with the color orange and is located in the lower abdomen. This is the seat of creativity, emotionalism, and sexuality. Now, and through history, many sources of media and other institutions seek to control how you express yourself and the energies of this chakra because it is the most powerful refinement of the energy that comes from the Earth. It is also the chakra responsible for producing the next generation and ensuring that your light, and that of your ancestor is carried forward. Dysfunction in this chakra leads kidney, bladder, circulatory, reproductive problems, guilt, obsessions, and sexual disorders. As with the sacral chakra, people that read auras may see a muddy orange color or one that seems to have a sickening greyish to the orange.

• Solar – associated with the color yellow and is located just above the solar plexus. This chakra is the seat of emotional development and wellness. It is also the chakra responsible for digestion, adrenals, muscles, and pancreas. If you have metabolic disorders, digestive problems, or never feel any ambition, there may be a disbalance or blockage in this chakra. When this chakra is in optimal condition, anger, hostility, and loss of direction, and a sense of being the victim will all go away. In terms of auric colors, a dysfunctional solar plexus chakra will also produce a muddy yellow that may go down to a dark mustard, sickish brown, or dark and cloudy like urine from someone experiencing kidney failure.

• Heart – Even though we associate love with colors like pink and red, the heart chakra is actually green. This chakra is the first of the “higher chakras” and the last in line that directs energy downward from the cosmic plane. It is also the union chakra where the energies coming upward from the Earth are balanced with the cosmic ones. The heart chakra is often referred to as the seat of the soul. When in balance, you are able to fall in love as well as have good relationships in other areas of life. This is also the chakra that healers and many others that work in alternative energy industries project from. When this chakra is out of balance, cruelty, unethical behavior, and jealousy may result. Disbalances or blockages in this chakra can also cause lung and heart problems.

• Throat – the chakra is associated with the color blue and is located in the throat, near the voice box. It is the seat of communication, honesty, and expression. A dysfunction in this chakra can lead to telling lies, having poor communication skills, and a sense of confusion because you won’t have an accurate sense of yourself. When this chakra is disbalanced or blocked, you may also experience blocks in creativity, or their expression. You may also have illnesses related to your shoulders, parathyroid, hands, neck, and arms. For intuitives, this chakra has a bright blue, almost electric appearance when it is in balance and open. It will appear muddy with greyish or even black streaks when blocked or disbalanced.

• Third Eye – associated with the color indigo. This color is clearly more blue than purple, yet distinct from the turquoise color of the throat chakra. The third eye chakra is located between your physical eyes and just slightly above. It is considered the seat of inner wisdom, spiritual wisdom, questioning, and insight. When this chakra is open and balanced, you will be comfortable with pursuing spiritual matters without being trapped by dogma. If this chakra is blocked or closed, you may feel like you are cut off from something that others seem connected to, or your inner eye may be filled only with darkness. When this chakra is blocked, you may also feel depressed, unable to change your ways when new and accurate information comes to light, or be unable to make important lifestyle changes. Intuitives will see this chakra as almost black, with a sickening roiling of muddiness, perhaps not so different from tornado clouds when blocked.

• Crown – associated with the color violet, and is located at the top of your head. This is the first chakra in your body to receive energy from the cosmos, and then direct it downward. The goal of yoga and some other meditation practices aim to unite the flow of energy (kundalini) which is coiled at the base of your spine with the energy flowing into the crown chakra. It is believed that a person achieves enlightenment and cosmic bliss when this occurs in the crown chakra (note – this is not the same as the balance of Earth and cosmic energy that happens in the heart chakra. Kundalini originates in the body.) When Kundalini rises unexpectedly, or this chakra is out of balance, it can lead to mental instability and madness. To an intuitive, this chakra will also appear muddy and dark when out of balance. In some instances, when someone has especially serious problems, the color may be a sickening purplish with malevolent muddy reddish flashes, not unlike what you might see in places of evil and torture.

If you are looking to achieve good health and wellness, you can consider cosmic energy and associated hidden sources as the point where everything starts. Since the chakras are an interface between the physical body, emotions, and the cosmic unseen, they offer a point that you can use to restore health or maintain it. Knowing what the main chakras are, and how they work is a good place to begin your journey to wellness and unexpected levels of wholeness.

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