Chakras

by Lady Bridget, © 1998

"Chakras" are the energy vortexes that occur naturally in our astral or etheric body. The word chakra is Sanskrit and means disk, wheel, or circle and is derived from the Sanskrit root word which indicates movement. There are hundreds of chakra points of varying degrees of intensity, however most people learn to deal with the major seven (7) which occur:

• at the crown of the head,
• center of the forehead,
• the throat,
• over the heart,
• in the upper abdomen,
• in the lower abdomen,
• and at the base of the spine.

In addition, each chakra has a color and is associated with different feelings and functions in our lives. When chakra centers are healthy and balanced, those areas of our lives are also healthy and balanced. When chakras become muddy or choked, then the energy doesn't flow correctly and it manifests that way in our lives also.

Root Chakra

located at the base of the spine and is tied to survival, physical vitality, healing, material power, stability, grounding, your will, security, and also sex and sexual energy
When in balance: there is a sense of security and stability. Sexual energy flows naturally and there is joy in sex.
When unbalanced: there can be over self-indulgence and self-centeredness stemming from a basic sense of insecurity and feelings of instability. Emotions such as grief and depression occur more often than normally. There is guilt or shame associated with sex and sexual energy is repressed. Some physical symptoms can be hemorrhoids, constipation, sciatica, prostrate problems, vaginal problems or dysfunctioning of the bladder, colon, or vaginal muscles.

Spleen Chakra

located about three fingers below the navel and relates to our empathy to the emotions of others, creativity, mental clarity, intellect, logical thought, intuition, desire, reproduction, death, and strong emotions such as fear and anger.
When in balance: a person will exude self-confidence and well being, exhibits endurance and patience with others.
When unbalanced: feelings of frustration, anxiety and fear are present and can manifest as over attachment to personal property or people. Physical problems may occur such as impotency or frigidity, or someone who is "over-sexed" and overly concerned with it. Diabetes, or kidney problems can also be evident.

Solar Plexus Chakra

located below the base of the rib cage and relates to energy distribution throughout the body, aspiration (breathing), sensitivity, ambition, personal power, protectiveness, also sentiments and emotions
When in balance: there is an abundance of personal power adn the person is self-motivating. An ability to make good decisions and a willingness to put oneself to the test. A good and wholesome self-image is also present.
When unbalanced: Feelings of powerlessness and self-doubt pervade, along with guilt. Person may be overly greedy or quick to anger. Physical symptoms will be associated with the digestive system, such as ulcers, or gall stones. Also hypoglycemia, hepatitis, or jaundice may occur.

Heart Chakra

located over the breast bone in line with the heart, this center is associated with the ability to love, both others and more importantly, ourselves. It also relates to generosity, growth, proseperity and wealth, emotional balance, compassion, universal conciousness, as well as imagination and dreaming.
When in balance: feelings of love, compassion, acceptance and fulfillment are evident. In control of emotions and easily forgives others.
When unbalanced: there is insensitivity to others, and the person seems closed off emotionally, blocked. Unresponsiveness and passivity will hide a deep sadness. Physical symptoms can be cardio problems such as stroke, or hypertension, or respiratory problems like asthma, and also arthritis.

Throat Chakra

located at the cleft of the throat and relates to communication, expression of thoughts and emotions, divine guidance can also be recieved here, through the heart
When in balance: there is easy communication and expression of creativity and feelings. Easy interaction with others on an equal basis, and expression of inspiration and intuitiveness.
When unbalanced: there will be a blockage of expression and a stagnation of communication, or the person can seem obsessed because of trying so hard to work through the blockages. Physical symptoms can include sore throat and voice problems, or thyroid gland problems, or flu like symptoms.

Brow or Third Eye Chakra

located in the center the eyes, over the eyebrows and the nose, this center has the ability to see beyond the physical, to see auras and to be clairvoyant, and to use this chakra will be to learn to trust in intuition. Spiritual awareness and psychic power emanate from this energy center.
When in balance: the person's intellectual and psychic abilities are well developed, or developing. There is strong imagination and visualization skills, as well as deep perception abilities. The person is also able to project their ideas to others.
When unbalanced: there is a difficulty in keeping things in focus, which results in fuzzy thinking. Emotional detachment is evident and can result in schizophrenia. There is intellectual stagnation, no new thoughts and no new learning, it's as if the abilities have been shut off. Physical symptoms can be headaches and unclear thinking.

Crown Chakra

located on the crown of the head and is associated cosmic consciousness, perfection, eternal knowledge, peace of mind and body. This chakra is above the others and therefore can exert control over them. This is the chakra through which many people leave their bodies when astral traveling, and this is the center which can be utilized in "drawing down the Moon" during circle.
When in balance: the flow of universal energy and cosmic conciousness is evident in the person's ability to project cosmic love and enlightenment.
When unbalanced: there is closed-mindedness and an inability to expand , confinement, which can result in depression, worry, psychosis or even insanity. Physical symptoms can be cerebral tumors or cranial pressure.

What should you do to balance your chakras?

There are several ways to balance the chakras, which can result in more balance of those areas in your life. If your chakras have been out of balance, choked, or clogged for a long time, you will need to do this "cleaning" and "balancing" on a daily basis for at least three weeks, and then once weekly to keep them healthy.

One of these methods is through meditation. Find a comfortable position and either sit or lie down, and breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, taking deep, even breaths. This is a type of mediation that focuses your inner mind, your third eye, on each chakra individually starting with the Root chakra at the base of your spine. First ground yourself properly, by imagining a long tap root coming out from either the base of the spine or the bottoms of your feet if you are sitting, and going deeply into the earth. Keep concentrating on going deeper into the earth, and feeling the earth's energy coming up this root. Feel this energy coming into your body and energizing your body.

This energy may feel like a warmth, or a tingle, or some other feeling that you can identify for yourself. When you have this flow well established, concentrate first on the root chakra. Visualize a ball of red energy surrounding this chakra, and infusing it. Visualize this chakra opening as if it were a flower, or a wheel, or however else you picture this. The important image is that of the energy revitalizing the chakra, and the chakra becoming energized and balanced. Clean out mentally any debris, dust, negative energy, or other detrimental debris that may be there. Picture this chakra flowing cleanly and freely with this energy.

When you have finished with the root chakra, move some of the energy up to the spleen chakra, and see the energy changing color to orange. Do exactly the same with this chakra as you did with the root chakra, only using the orange energy. The energy around the root chakra should still be there, so now you will have two balls of energy, one red one on the root, and one orange one on the spleen.

You should continue this exercise until you have drawn the energy up through each of the chakras in turn, and changed the colors accordingly. You will have seven spinning balls of energy in each of the chakra colors when you have finished this part of the exercise. Enjoy this feeling as long as you want to. Any extra energy that you feel, you may shoot out the top of your head like a waterfall, and let it fall down the outside of your body to also repair any holes and weak spots in your aura if you like.

When you feel complete with this process, then move the energy back down each of the chakras in turn, in the reverse order that you opened them. Starting with the crown chakra, then, see the chakra closing like a flower, or wheel, and see the energy moving down into the chakra below it. Close each chakra in turn, and send the energy back down into the earth from whence it came. Don't try to hang onto any of it, you won't need to. Your body has kept whatever it needed, the rest is surplus. Knowing that you can tap into this reserve of earth energy at any time means that you don't have to try to hoard it, or hang onto it at all.

When you are finished, breathe very deeply at least three times, and then begin to move fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, etc. Open your eyes and slowly stretch yourself out as far as you can, but remember to do this very slowly. You will feel balanced and invigorated. Your chakras have all been opened, cleaned, aligned, and balanced.

There are many associations for the chakras, and the table below has a few of them. You can use the gemstones in the same way as the notes, or the vowel sounds, by placing the appropriate stone on the chakra it goes with, and visualizing the energy of the stone cleansing and balancing.

Of course, you can purchase bags of stones which will give only one stone association per chakra, and these can be very useful. Not every stone works the same way on each chakra, you will notice that some of the stones can be used for more than one. Experiment with the different stones as you are able to, and see for yourself which ones you feel are the most effective for you. There are also "chakra wands" which will have the appropriate colors and stones either attached to them, or if they are glass, inside them. These can be a useful focus as well.

No matter how you choose to cleanse and balance your chakras, it is important to remember to close them afterwards. These are main energy vortexes or centers in your body. Persons or situations having a lot of negative energy around them can cause your chakras to be clogged up with this negativity. You are also most empathic and open to psychic impressions when your chakras are fully open, and in some situations this is desirable. Most of us, though, don't choose to have our chakras fully open and vulnerable all the time. You can leave your chakras partially open for some things, and in ritual or sacred space you may want to be open fully. As you use these exercises and become more proficient at them, you will become more aware of how your psychic bodies feel when your chakras are open to different levels. Then you will be able to make a concious choice as to how much to open or close each one, in keeping with the work you are doing.