Understanding Our Chakras
What Chakras Are
Much of today’s energy medicine is based on the concept of chakras.
Think of chakras as computers and databases stored within your body’s energy system. There are seven major chakras aligned along your spine. Each chakra stores information about specific types of events and powers specific organs.
As we go through life, this recorded data comes into play in determining how we will react to a particular person, situation or stimulus. This data also determines whether we remain balanced and in our power or whether we will lose our power and become victims of our environment.
The information stored within the chakras can be incredibly diverse. Here are some of the things I have seen stored within the chakras: energy of other people’s opinions, memories of childhood traumas, energetic post-surgical scars, past lives experiences, energetic entities, ancestral wounds, energetic chords or attachments, self-devaluation beliefs, fear of being human, money issues, control issues, fear of being seen, fear of success or failure. The list goes on and on.
How I use the data stored within the chakras
The knowledge and data stored in each chakra provide the basis for my energy healing work.
When working with individual clients I first look into each chakra to see the energy flow. Is enough energy coming in, is enough energy being released, is there a surplus or a deficit? Are there strings or connections to the past or the future that are draining each chakra?
Then I look deeper within each chakra to get the specifics about what is going on with the person energetically. How is the data that is stored within each chakra influencing my client’s physical, emotional and spiritual health at this time? Which chakra needs to be healed first and what specifically in the chakra must be healed? Where should the healing begin and how should it progress?
Why understanding chakras is important
To understand the chakras means to understand how our experiences, beliefs and behavioral patterns shape our day to day lives, physical and mental health.
For example, if we are having problems concentrating, focusing and getting things done, chances are our first chakra is not at its optimal health. If we discover that we have a pattern of unhealthy interpersonal relationships, then out second chakra needs work. If we are experiencing low self-esteem then we must look into the third chakra.
Chakra overview
The following is a quick overview of each chakra, its location within the body’s energy system, the color wavelength at which it vibrates and beliefs stored within that chakra.
First chakra
Location: Base of spine
Color: Red
Beliefs: Relationship with our community and family. Balance and stability of life. Basic food and shelter needs. Connection with earth and nature. Ability to focus, concentrate and stay in your body.
Second Chakra
Location: Lower abdomen
Color: Orange
Beliefs: Creativity, reproduction, sexuality, money and personal relationships. Avoidance of feelings and emotions.
Third Chakra
Location: Solar plexus
Color: Yellow
Beliefs: Your identity, personality, worthiness, personal power and self-esteem. Beliefs about yourself as an individual.
Fourth Chakra
Location: Hearth center
Color: Green or pink
Beliefs: Love for ourselves and others. Kindness (but not martyrdom).
Fifth Chakra
Location: Throat
Color: Light Blue
Beliefs: Communication and willpower. Staying true to your word. Ability to follow through.
Sixth Chakra
Location: 3rd eye
Color: Indigo
Beliefs: Intuition and discernment of truth versus illusion. Logic, reason. Understanding of things seen and unseen.
Seventh Chakra
Location: Top of head
Color: Violet, white
Beliefs: Connection to Spirit.
All chakras are equally important
When we first begin to work with chakras we are tempted to focus on the upper chakras as they are the most fun. It feels good to explore our intuition and to connect with the divine. It feels good to leave our body and become one with the universal energy of all there is.
However, we are earth creatures and being physical, we cannot neglect our lower chakras. Failure to balance and heal our first, second and third chakras results in our becoming ungrounded, unfocused and failing to bring our ideas into fruition.
To illustrate the importance of balancing all chakras, let’s take a look at how the energy travels down our chakras:
An inspirational idea comes into the seventh chakra.
It travels down to the sixth chakra where the mind takes a look at it and says, “OK good plan, it falls within my value system and I think it will benefit me well.”
Then it moves to the fifth chakra where you determine that yes, you indeed have the will power to turn the idea into reality.
The idea now moves to the fourth chakra to check if your heart is in it. Let’s say the heart is on-board. Your heart tells you that is a good idea, it will benefit you, your family and your community.
Now this idea travels down to your third chakra, you personal power center, where you take a look inside yourself to see whether you are “worthy” of this new creation and if you are willing to put in the time to bring the idea into reality. For many of us the idea dies here, way before it comes into the physical because we find ourselves unwilling to work 14-16 hour days for no pay or we do not believe that we are capable of achieving anything of greatness.
But for the sake of argument let’s say that you are willing to put in the time and the energy. The idea moves into the second chakra and deep into your physical reality. Now you must invest actual money into this idea and perhaps find a business partner. Here all your beliefs about money and trusting another person start to come up. If the idea did not die at the third chakra it is most likely to die here unless you have worked through your second chakra issues of trust and relationship to money.
Perhaps you do have the money and the perfect partner and you are willing to go forward. Now the idea moves down into the tribal territory where you ask yourself: “Is this idea socially acceptable? What will “they” say? Will my family, social group, tribe approve? Will they think I am worthy? My parents have paid for my medical school and now I want to create shoes for the needy. Am I disappointing my parents, spouse, kids? Will my friends respect my new not-so-fancy profession?” And once again, any unresolved issues here will prevent this divinely inspired idea from turning into reality.
So you see, all seven chakras are equally important.
Astral travel, escaping from your body, “love and light”, “seeing only positivity”, “peace on earth” on their own will not bring you emotional, spiritual and physical health. Looking at yourself as an entire being – physical and spiritual, seeing your flaws as well as your inner light, meditating and healing your inner child, praying and healing interpersonal relationships, exercising and eating healthy, honoring yourself as an individual and honoring your neighbor – are all keys in becoming a healthy human spirit.
What makes chakras magical
Chakras provide us a map to self-understanding and healing. Knowing where we are losing power, why we are losing power and how to stop the energy leaks are keys in personal growth and development
Once we understand ourselves and where we are losing energy, we can begin to work on our emotional and physical healing.
May your chakras be balanced and healthy. May you receive as much as you give. May you feel safe, grounded, stable and happy.