Although talking about chakras might seem quite esoteric and exotic, they are in fact actual biological areas in your body, and not just an abstract idea.
The chakras are central locations in your body where there is a greater concentration of hormone-producing cells. They are of great importance for your physical and mental well-being, energy level, and your personal spiritual development.
Each chakra represents both a physical/bodily area as well as a psychic/energy life area, and their health is reflected directly in your physical and psychological state. The health of your chakras impacts many areas of your life; your work, finances, relationships, creativity, your ability to manifest, and your relationship with yourself.
Chakras that are in balance create the foundation for a life-affirming and energetic life. If they become unbalanced, it can be experienced as both physical and psychological challenges.
In China, they work with the chakras via the medians, and in India via the nadis. Both consider the chakras and their location in the body as important energy centers associated with energy pathways that help ensure that life energy can flow freely.
In the West, the connective tissue pathways/facia (also called anatomy trains) are considered to work in the same way. The pathways ensure the transport of energy/hormones/fluid etc. and work to harmony and balance in the body.
Chakras and energy healing.
Chakra means spinning wheel of energy or energy center in Sanskrit. Each of these centers is associated with; specific organs, endocrine glands, specific areas of life, emotions, colors, and elements. Balancing these centers can have a physical, emotional, and spiritual effect.
There are many chakras distributed throughout the body, but we often only talk about the 7 central chakras the; Crown, Third eye, Throat, Heart, Solar plexus, Sacral, and Root chakra, and in connection with energy healing also the 3 smaller chakras; hands, feet, and knees. Physical imbalances in a chakra are also reflected in imbalances in the qualities associated with this chakra.
In connection with energy healing, we balance not only the physical aspects of a chakra, but also their spiritual and emotional aspects, and by balancing these centers, the physical body will also be treated.
Overall, I work with 3 diagnoses for a chakra:
1. It can be in balance.
2. It can be over-activated.
3. It can be under-activated.
This can be due to challenges in a given chakra, but also because the chakra is affected by imbalances in another chakra. As they are all connected, it is often not enough to focus on one chakra alone just because the symptoms appear here. We need to uncover the connection with other chakras and work on the root cause of the issue.
In a course of treatment, I therefore treat the whole body as a whole first, to let the body's own healing intelligence choose where any action is needed. Only then do I focus on a specific chakra.
Throughout life, you will experience that one or more chakras show symptoms of imbalance. This usually means that there are beliefs, energy, hormones, organs, or emotions associated with the chakra that are no longer working or no longer serving you.
Just as the energy in a chakra can fluctuate over time. The best way to ensure harmony and balance in the chakras is to continuously integrate energy modalities into your everyday life.
Ways to balance chakras:
1. Practice Yoga.
2. Practice Qi Gong.
3. Train Breathing exercises/doing breathwork.
4. Practice Meditating.
5. Use EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping).
6. Use Acupressure.
7. Get a sound healing treatment.
8. Get a Reiki treatment.
9. Get an acupuncture treatment.
10. Get a massage.
11. Get a Feldenkrais treatment.
12. Use essential oils.
13. Use incense.
The 7 main chakras are.
The 7 main chakras are the ones we most often refer to, in connection with training and treatments for energy healing. They are:
Crown Chakra (SAHASRARA) - Consciousness, the essence of the self.
Third Eye Chakra (ANJA) - Intuition, imagination, visions, dreams.
Throat Chakra (VISUDDHA) - Communication, self-expression.
Heart Chakra (ANAHATA) - Love, relationships.
Solar plexus (MANIPURA) - Vitality, energy, personal power.
Sacral Chakra (SVADHISTHANA) - Emotions, sexuality, pleasure.
Root Chakra (MULADHARA) - Survival, grounding, connection with the physical world.
A little anatomy for the more geeky of us.
The chakras are often treated as being primarily spiritually connected, which they are, but they are also rooted in something as physical as anatomy. Their direct connection to your biology and anatomy, enables us to treat the chakras in connection with your physical body, and achieve an even greater effect of treatments on the; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.
The Endocrine System.
The endocrine system consists of glands that produce and secrete hormones/chemical substances that regulate the activity of cells and organs, the system helps to regulate, among other things; the body's growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function.
The chakra system is based on and connected to the endocrine system, and important glands from the endocrine system are found in all the chakras:
Crown Chakra - Hypothalamus - regulates your bio-rhythms.
Third eye Chakra - Pituitary gland, Pineal gland - regulates your hormones.
Throat Chakra - Thyroid and parathyroid glands - regulate your metabolism.
Heart Chakra - Thymus gland - regulates blood pressure.
Solar plexus Chakra - Pancreas, Adrenal glands – regulate energy level, production of hormones.
Sacral Chakra - Fallopian tubes and Testicles - regulates sexual function.
Root Chakra - The adrenal cortex - regulates the nervous system (flight/fight), and produces hormones.
The lymphatic system.
Like the endocrine system, the chakras are connected to the lymphatic system, which is part of the circulatory and immune systems. It consists of thin vessels that run throughout the body and circulate a fluid called lymph.
Lymph is forced through the lymph nodes, where disease-fighting cells from the immune system reside. Lymph nodes are small oval structures that are scattered throughout the body. They are found in; the neck, chest, armpits, elbows, stomach, groin, knees, and ankles.
The spleen, which sits under the left side of the ribs, filters the blood and is an important part of the lymphatic system.
What to do next?
Now that you know more about the chakras and their vital functions, you can explore the many healing modalities that support and work with the chakra. Whether you prefer to do yoga, get a Reiki or sound healing treatment, do Qi Gong, or get a massage. Taking action and allowing this ancient wisdom to support you can completely change not only your present situation but also lay a path for a healthy and balanced future.
