Hello there!
We love being able to get in touch with you. You have probably heard the concept of chakra thrown around like a raggedy old towel should you happen to have ever placed your foot on a yoga mat or taken five minutes scrolling through wellness tips. You may have heard that someone is balancing their root or that their heart chakra is blocked.
It is a little mystic, isn’t it? We have long believed that chakras are merely a romanticized method of describing emotions. However, when we further developed my personal practice and began to teach, we came to find out that the chakra system is, in fact, a brilliant practical guide for how all the components of our physical health, our emotional health, and our daily energy level are all interrelated.
We live in a fast, modern-day world, where we are always being tugged in different directions. Knowing your chakras is not becoming a mystic; it is having a toolkit to be grounded when work is hectic, discover your voice when you feel nervous, and feel home in your own skin.
Then, make a cup of tea, sit back, and let us take a stroll through this ancient energy map as it actually makes sense in our busy lives today.
What is a chakra?
The term “Chakra” is translated in the old Sanskrit language to mean “wheel” or “disk.” Just picture seven spinning wheels of energy with your spine, and it goes all the way to the bottom of your back and all the way to the top of your head.
With these wheels turning freely and remaining open, the energy passes through us like a transparent mountain stream. We are energized, concentrated, and emotionally stable. However, life happens. These wheels may get stuck or slow down due to stress, bad habits, or even old emotional patterns.
An imbalanced chakra would tend to manifest in two forms:
- Underactive: You are tired, timid, or uninterested in that aspect.
- Overactive: You are aggressive, anxious, or overwhelmed in that area.
Yoga and meditation are not always aimed at achieving some form of perfection but at returning these centers to a healthy state of flow. We can take a look at the seven major chakras and their manifestations in your contemporary life.
While chakras are often discussed in spiritual traditions, they can also be understood as practical tools for self-reflection and personal growth. Many yoga schools, including Maa Shakti Yog Bali, integrate chakra awareness into practices designed to support balance in everyday life.
1. Root Chakra (Muladhara).
- Location: Tailbone (bottom of the spine)
- Color: Red
- Core Idea: Stability, Safety, and Survival.
Imagine the root chakra to be the base of a house. When the base is weak, there is no use having pretty curtains in the upper room—the entire structure is unsafe. In the contemporary world, this chakra has everything to do with your fundamental desires: your work, your money, and your place.
- The way it feels on balance: You feel secure. You have faith in your ability to cope with whatever comes along your way. You are “grounded” and physically strong.
- The experience of being off balance: You may always be in a state of survival anxiety. You have money in the bank, but even though you have enough, you fear losing it. This can manifest itself physically as fatigue or lower back pain.
- Fix in Modern Days: Go out in nature. Take your shoes off the grass. During your yoga practice, pay some attention to standing asanas such as Mountain Pose (Tadasana) or Warrior I. Remind yourself: I am safe, I am grounded.
2. Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra)
- Location: Below the belly button.
- Color: Orange
- Key Message: Imagination, Joy, and Passions.
This is the center of your “fluidity.” It controls our relationships to our feelings and feelings of others. It is also the place where your spark of creativity and your capacity to indulge in the delights of life are.
- Sensation in balance: You are not lost in your emotions but rather are aware of them. You are imaginative and at ease with your sexuality. You “go with the flow” easily.
- How it can feel disequilibrium: You may be emotionally numb or, at the other extreme, very dramatic and reactive. You may have no creativity at all or a sense of being stuck in your personal relationships.
- New Solution: Do something innovative simply because it is fun in itself—no productivity needed! Find hip-opening yoga poses such as Pigeon Pose or Bound Angle Pose. These assist in releasing the emotional stress that we usually accumulate in the hips.
3. Solar Plexus (Manipura) Chakra
- Location: The stomach area (upper abdomen).
- Color: Yellow
- Overall Idea: Individuality, Self-belief, and Determination.
This is your inner sun. It is the place of your gut instinct. It is the energy that makes you say to yourself, “I can do it,” and actually go on with what you want to accomplish.
- It feels good: You have healthy self-esteem. You can be able to have some limits and act on what you dream without being a control freak.
- The experience of being out of balance: low self-esteem, inability to make the decision, or the need to take everything under control. A very frequent physical manifestation of solar plexus imbalance manifests as digestion problems.
- Modern Sepulchre: Get some heat into your body. This is good with planks or boat pose (Navasana). Small wins will also work—do one small thing that you have been avoiding doing to yourself to show that you can do it.
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata)
- Location: mid-chest.
- Color: Green
- Primary Motifs: Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness.
The heart chakra lies between the lower chakra (oriented to the physical world) and the upper chakra (centered on the spiritual/mental world). It’s the center of your being.
- It’s feeling in balance: You have a strong feeling of connectedness with other people. You can easily treat yourself kindly, and you can forgive others as they do wrong. You radiate warmth.
- What it is like to be out of balance: You may experience loneliness, isolation, or protection. You may end up being too judgmental of others or have old scores to settle that drag you back.
- Modern remedy: Try the Metta (loving-kindness) meditation. Cobra pose or bridge pose are heart-openers to focus on in your yoga practice. Just deep breathing in the chest can perform miracles.
5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
- Location: Throat
- Color: Blue
- Main Theme: Communication and Truth
This has everything to do with finding a voice. It is not only about yelling; it is about being kind and clear in speaking your truth. It also controls your listening performance.
- Feelings in the balance: You are able to articulate yourself in words. You are not afraid to say no when you mean no, and you take an interest in what people have to say to you.
- How it is experienced when you are out of balance: You may feel like you are swallowing your words to maintain the peace, or you may talk too much so as not to listen. This may be physical in nature, whereby the throat or neck may be sore or tense.
- Contemporary Remedy: Journaling is an excellent method of clearing this chakra. In yoga, attempt fish pose or shoulder stand (under supervision). Another great method of getting this energy going is chanting or even singing in the car!
6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
- Location: Over eyebrows.
- Color: Indigo
- Key Message: Intuition, Imagination, and Wisdom.
Have you at some point just known something without being able to tell why? That’s your Third Eye. It is your mind map. It helps you see the “big picture” beyond the daily clutter of emails and to-do lists.
- How it balances: You have faith in your intuition. You are mentally sharp and can see through illusions or “fake” situations. You are wise and relaxed.
- The experience when it is not in balance: You are mentally fogged, cynical, or caught in an overthinking state. You may not be able to find value in your everyday life.
- Contemporary Remedy: The main tool in this is meditation. Five minutes of silence are beneficial. Child’s Pose (with your forehead on the mat) is a lovely pose in yoga to relax and activate this center.
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
- Position: Crown of the head.
- Color: violet or white.
- Main Theme: Spiritual Connection and Pure Awareness
The Crown Chakra symbolizes our belonging to something bigger than ourselves—be it the Universe, Nature, or the Divine. It is concerning the understanding that we are all linked.
- How it feels in balance: You feel a sense of peace and “oneness.” You know you are part of a larger story, and this makes you put daily stresses into perspective.
- Its experience when it is out of balance: you may experience disconnection, feeling lost, or being too attached to physical objects. You may experience some spiritual boredom.
- Fix in the present: Be grateful. This center is simply opened by recognizing the beauty in the world around you. Inverted poses such as headstand (for advanced yogis) or just sitting in silent meditation are customary to venerate the crown.
A Daily Practice: Bringing It All Together
You don’t need to spend hours every day focusing on your chakras to see a difference. The wonder of being a modern-day yogi is that you can incorporate this awareness into your hectic schedule.
- Check-in with yourself: Per day, scan your body. Do you have a knot in your stomach (solar plexus)? Do you have a tight feeling in your chest (heart)?
- Apply Affirmation: In case you are nervous about a meeting, say to yourself, “I speak my truth clearly” (Throat).
- Be Simple: Yoga does not mean the most advanced pose; it is the thoughts behind it.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the chakras is a map of your inside world. There are days when your “root” may require a little more love since you are either relocating or switching jobs. On other days you may have to work on your “heart” following a difficult talk with a friend.
Exploring the chakra system is often just the beginning of a much deeper journey into yoga. For those seeking a more structured understanding of yogic philosophy, meditation, anatomy, and energy practices, a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali can provide a strong foundation for continued growth.
The aim is equilibrium, not excellence. Listening to these centers of energy, you begin to walk around the world more gracefully, more confidently, and with a great deal more joy.
And thank you so much for being with us on this chakra trip! We would like to know what you think—which chakra does it seem to you that you need the most in your life? Make a comment and continue the discussion.