Chakra basics
Our chakras are where our energetic bodies meet the physical world. Each chakra is associated with different parts of our physical body, our psychological growth, our emotions, and when these are balanced and open we feel great!
Read on to learn more about them!
The Root Chakra - Muladhara
The root chakra. Our base. Our safety. The first chakra to develop in utero, even before we are born and take our first breath here on earth.
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This chakra has to do with feeling supported, safe, grounded. Feeling trusting of the world around us.
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As parents we can help instill these things by being responsive to our non verbal little one. But that doesn’t alway happen for all of us. For many of us it does.
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How we move through life and experience things can affect our energetic bodies.
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If this chakra is unbalanced we may feel unsafe, unsteady. It may affect our feet, legs and low back. We may over worry about things like finance.
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And as tarot readers we can see this similarity with the pentacles suit. The suit that has this earthy energy of the first chakra and reminds us of our supports in life.
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There are a lot of similarities in all the spiritual work we do, we are all aiming to understand ourselves and the world and spirit more-and how we connect.
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The chakras and our energetic body is one way we can connect with the external world and find balance with in ourselves, and connection.
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If you want to nurture this chakra do things like grounding. Walk barefoot outside.
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Mediate and visualize roots growing deep into the earth.
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Eat a nutritious heavy meal with beans and potatos or other root veggies. If you eat meat that works too.
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Get a foot massage or trade with your partner!
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Grab a grounding red crystal and meditate with it. (Red is this chakras color)
The Sacral Chara - Svadhisthana
The second chakra. Located in the pelvic region. This is, as my yoga teacher friend used to say the junk drawer of our emotions. It can be! It has to do with the fluidity of our emotions, our sensuality, procreation and all the physical things that are in that area of our body-sex organs, kidneys, bladder, hips. It is also an area that can stabilize us. We need healthy hips to walk.
As we move through the chakras from bottom to top - these wheels, or gears work with each other. So as the earth energy of the first chakra is healthy it can support this fluid part of us. With trust we have strong relationships. With healthy boundaries we do too, and with a good relationship to our bodies we have a healthy respect and love for our sensuality. The color for this chakra is orange. The element water - like the cups in our tarot deck. (The wands suit could also fit in here, think creativity/procreation.)
To help keep this part of us connected and healthy - hip openers in yoga, dancing and loosing our selves to the music, delicious food you have to eat with your hands that you engage in, good sex, connection to our emotions.
The Solar Plexus Chakra - Manipura
Our third chakra, located in our solar plexus belly region - the Manipura chakra is our center of self and will. Our connection to our source and mama. Our self esteem.
This charka is also the only chakra not supported by a skeletal frame. (Yea we have a back bone, but our belly is open - this ironically is where our energetic backbone and boundaries start)
This is our digestive system. Our fire of transformation. Where we turn food/fuel into energy for us, where we hatch and create plans and ideas. It’s element is fire. Like our Wanda suit. It is the driving force of energy in our lives.
To nourish this chakra you can chant ram - the seed sound of this chakra.
You can visualize the fire in your belly bright as the sun.
Yoga poses that help are twists, boat poses, kahlabhati breathing, and belly massages are good too.
The Heart Chakra - Anahata
The heart chakra. The Anahata. The unstuck cord. Our center of love. This chakra takes care of the energy in our heart, lungs and down our arms and hands. Think of how we spread love, hugs and reaching out to others ❤️
This chakra has the tone of F and the seed sound is Yam.
Imbalances here could show up as issues with heart or blood issues, lung issues. Shoulders issues. Fear of being hurt, over expressing love, or unable to share love. Over bearing behavior and codependence.
How do we nourish this area? Heart openers in yoga, affirmations, breathwork, self over exercises.
The Throat Chakra - Vishuddha
Our fifth chakra. Where we find our communication. And some flexibility too. Our truth. Our literal voice.
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Do we live in alignment with our truth? Can we speak when we need to? Or do we feel silenced? This chakra deals with all our vocal organs, our throat, our thyroid and our neck.
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It’s color is blue - think of the beautiful blue in a piece of lapis lazuli. That’s the color.
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It’s seed sound is ham-you can chant this to help open this. Think long aaaaaa haaaam. Not the meat 😉
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As we move up through our chakras the elements get lighter. More ethereal and this chakras element is ether, the space in which we can create this open communication.
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Things that can help this chakra are being open with your dialogue. Journaling to find your truth, neck stretches and neck rolls, if you are practiced in it a shoulder stand is good too! Singing too! Sometimes a long ride with the music turned up is very healing.
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From a skeletal/anatomical mindset check in with your posture for this chakras sake. Ears lined up over you shoulders. Head held high. Let your voice and light shine bright. So many of us work at desks, spend too much time on on phone and our neck is not in alignment. This also can mess with our shoulders and close off our chest and heart ❤️. I know I personally need this reminder.and of course the swords card fit here too 🗡️
Third Eye Chakra - Ajna
Ajna Chakra. Our third eye. Our seat of wisdom and intuition. Our senses.
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Do you listen? Are you connected to this inner knowing?
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This chakras color is indigo like a beautiful night sky.
It’s sound is the note G and it’s seed sound is ohm.
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I associate this and the crown chakra with the major arcana. Our deep lessons. Connecting to our Karma.
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When this chakra is balanced we can hear our inner voice. We can connect and flow with it.
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When it’s off we deny that intuition and sometimes get ourselves in pickles (as my mother would say 😉), or we feel stuck!
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We can nurture this chakra with things like meditation, incense and by listening to our intuition- like a muscle the more we do that the more comes. Lean in my friend. Lean in.
The Crown Chakra - Sahasrara
Our 7th chakra. The crown chakra. Our connection to divinity. To the source. Located at the top of the head or just above it.
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The Sanskrit name for this is Sahasrara means 1000 petal led lotus-so many ways to connect.
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When this is balanced we can flow. We can feel the universes love & connection
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When it’s unbalanced you may feel rigid and unmoving in your beliefs.
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It’s color is purple or white. It’s sound is silence.
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Th nurture this chakra inversions in yoga. Meditations and prayer. Silence. Which is the sound of this chakra are important. Take some time to just be. Mush like the third eye chakra. Make time to connect..