We have our brains and our bodies, but equally important is our chakras, or subtle energy centers that dictate how much stress we let in, and whether it will authorize negative repercussions on the body and mind. It impacts our overall wellbeing. If you’re attuned to cosmic energy, you may be lucky enough to decipher the vibrations and take charge of how your body and soul react to negative stimuli.
Chakras are known to emit colors while spinning and resonating at a specific frequency, according to Dr. Ray Long, M.D. in his book, The Key Muscles of Yoga. The colors form auras that surround each person, carrying within them energy that then connects individuals to one another and to the cosmos.
There are at least eight chakras, each associated with a different organ or gland, that start from the base of the spine and rise above the head. They signify the following concepts:
Root chakra: family and abundance; Sacral chakra: social fulfillment; Solar plexus chakra: capabilities and self-esteem; Heart chakra: romantic love; Throat chakra: personal expression and self-awareness; Third eye chakra: insight and rational thought; Crown chakra: intuition.
Chakras become blocked when body, mind and spirit are out of sync. Even hibernating at home all day can throw one’s energy out of rhythm. Practicing yoga, particularly hatha and kundalini energetically enables a more natural flow of energy in the chakras by bridging the conscious with the unconscious. Certain poses are geared toward catering to each chakra. For example, a slight bend at the knees in a mula bandha will awaken the pelvic floor muscles and therefore highlight the first chakra, according to Dr. Long. Contracting the upper abdominals focuses on the third chakra, and flexing neck muscles emphasizes the fifth chakra.
Pranayama, or breathing exercises — a key component in any sect of yoga — helps in aligning chakras. Meditating while breathing deeply also helps to clear blockage and connect one with cosmic force. Not surprisingly, meditation and deep breaths also trigger body relaxation, reducing stress levels. There are a number of meditation apps and YouTube videos that can help guide beginners on their meditation exercises.
In energy medicine, balancing the field can also be done through non-touch strategies, such as reiki. This is believed to pour universal life energy into the recipient, while raising the practitioner’s energetic vibrations. Some of these strategies that reiki experts utilize include moving their hands over and outward from a chakra’s center and guiding people to visualize energy movement. Some yoga instructors are well-versed in reiki, so booking a session at a local yoga studio to help align your chakra flow may be an option.
Acupuncture, or the insertion of needles on energy points, as well as examination of one’s health through an ayurvedic lens — where mind, body and spirit are joined — also help with energy alignment.
Since the chakras and their out-of-body energy are linked to bodily functions and wellbeing, experts have concluded that a healing plan for patients must take into account more than the physical body; it should also involve mental, and spiritual, energetic facets