If you've been practicing yoga or meditation for a while, you've probably come across the term "chakra." What is a Chakra? What are the invisible energy sources and how can you use the knowledge about them for your well-being?
In Indian health theory, the body's energy centers are called chakras. Translated from Sanskrit, chakra means circle or wheel. Each chakra has its own energy field. And each chakra is related to specific physical, organic and spiritual issues. In chakra theory we speak of activated, open chakras in contrast to blockages in one or more chakras. If a chakra is blocked, it can lead to problems in areas associated with that chakra. Or the other way around: When all chakras are open, you feel mentally and physically healthy and balanced.
There are 7 main chakras and, depending on the source, countless secondary chakras. Today we will focus on the important 7 main chakras and their meaning. And you will learn how you can open the chakras and release blockages through yoga and meditation.
The 7 chakras at a glance
The 7 chakras run along the spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head. They are connected to each other via the Nadis – the energy channels. The nadis supply you and your body with prana - the life energy. In addition to the meaning for the body and mind, each chakra is assigned a specific color and a lotus flower. The colors are arranged like a rainbow, the lotus flower is a symbol of enlightenment, creativity and purity.
These are the 7 chakras in detail:
1. Root Chakra (Muladhara)
- Location : Pelvic floor/coccyx
- Red color
- Symbol : four-petaled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : basic trust, stability, courage, connection to the earth
- Physical reference : legs, feet, skeleton, intestines, skin, nose
- Possible symptoms if the root chakra is blocked: mistrust, fear, depressive moods, lack of energy
2nd Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana)
- Location : lower abdomen
- Color orange
- Symbol : six-petaled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : sensuality, sexuality, relationships, creativity, joy of life
- Physical reference: sexual organs, bladder, kidneys, mouth, tongue
- Possible symptoms if the sacral chakra is blocked: sexual problems, lack of joy in life, feelings of guilt
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
- Location : Upper abdomen, in the depression under the costal arches, also called the solar plexus
- Color yellow
- Symbol : ten-petaled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : wisdom, purity, balance, self-worth, gut feeling
- Physical reference: digestive organs, skin
- Possible symptoms when the solar plexus chakra is blocked: insecurity, mood swings, difficulty making decisions, interpersonal conflicts
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata)
- Location : middle of chest
- Color green
- Symbol : twelve-petalled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : love, empathy, healing, peace, harmony, warmth
- Physical reference : heart, lungs
- Possible symptoms when the heart chakra is blocked: lack of love for yourself and others, loneliness, sadness, arguments, callousness
5th Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
- Location : neck area
- Color turquoise
- Symbol : 16-petaled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : creativity, friendliness, openness, communication, clarity
- Physical reference : Thyroid, ears, nose, mouth
- Possible symptoms if the throat chakra is blocked: difficulty communicating, lack of creativity, listlessness, inner restlessness
6. Forehead Chakra (Ajna / Third Eye)
- Location : in the middle of the forehead between the eyebrows
- Colour blue
- Symbol : 96-petalled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : wisdom, intuition, knowledge, thinking, imagination
- Physical reference : brain, eyes
- Possible symptoms if the forehead chakra is blocked: excessive demands, fear of loss, mentality, low self-esteem, depressive moods
7th Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
- Location : Vertex of the head
- Color Purple
- Symbol : 1000-petalled lotus flower
- Meaning for mind and psyche : spirituality, perfection, enlightenment, meaning of life, peace, divine connection
- Physical reference: brain, but the actual idea is that the crown chakra is outside the body
- Possible symptoms if the crown chakra is blocked: feeling of meaninglessness in life, aimlessness, lack of strength, constant stress
Open chakras: release blockages & stimulate energy flow
A blocked chakra can basically have two causes: it has never been opened or it has closed again due to certain life events.
Imagine a new life as a blank slate with closed chakras. At the beginning of our lives, the chakras open from bottom to top, starting with the root chakra - through a loving, strengthening environment and positive learning progress. If negative experiences occur here, a chakra cannot develop or can only develop incompletely. Too little affection or suppression of one's own needs can, for example, B. lead to a lack of basic trust.
Chakra blockages can also arise due to negative lifestyle habits, traumatic experiences or unprocessed emotions and conflicts. This means that a chakra that is actually open closes (partially or completely) again.
If you have problems in certain areas of your life, you may find a suitable match in one of the chakras. These can be physical or psychological symptoms as well as recurring interpersonal conflicts. It's worth taking a closer look here. Chakra work can help you work through issues with your body, your thinking, and your life. Recognizing a blockage is the first and most important step. Yoga and meditation can help you open chakras and clear blockages.
Chakra meditation
During a chakra meditation you can either work specifically on one chakra or address all 7 main chakras. If you have a topic that you can clearly associate with a chakra and are already practiced at meditating, the first option may be for you. The second variant is suitable for beginners, as well as if you are unsure whether and in which chakra there may be a blockage. Even if you don't suspect that you have a chakra blocked, you can of course try meditation. Most people find chakra meditation pleasant and beneficial.
This is how chakra meditation works:
Sit upright and comfortably, preferably cross-legged, close your eyes, breathe in and out deeply and get into a relaxed state. Now imagine the 7 chakras one after the other - start with the root chakra and end with the crown chakra. As you breathe in, feel the region of your body where the chakra is located and imagine the associated color. As you breathe out, you can imagine how the color radiating from the chakra spreads brightly and radiantly throughout your body. Maybe you would also like to imagine a positive feeling or a suitable affirmation, e.g. B. “I trust myself and life” at the root chakra. Stay with a chakra for as long as feels good to you and repeat the visualizations. Then move on to the next thing in your mind. Finally, you can imagine how all the colors flow through your body, warm and bright at the same time.
As a beginner, if you meditate alone, this may be a bit too much. You can find many guided chakra meditations online. This can be particularly helpful at the beginning if you don't yet know the chakras and their associated colors and meanings by heart. Guided meditations are also helpful for beginners because concentrating in complete silence takes some practice.
Chakra yoga
With yoga , body, mind and soul can be brought into harmony, which leads to greater well-being and a better body feeling. Each asana, the physical exercises in yoga, stimulates the flow of energy in certain areas of the body. You can use this specifically to open chakras.
A few examples: Twisted postures particularly appeal to the solar plexus, backbends like cobra open the heart chakra, and standing asanas like mountain pose strengthen the root chakra. Would you like to learn more about the asanas in yoga? In our article on asanas - the most important exercises and their effects, we explain in detail the meaning of the many exercises and what they are particularly good for.
Even if we cannot see or measure chakras - we can use the body's energy centers to achieve greater well-being, a better understanding of ourselves and more (self-)compassion. Almost all of us carry certain problems and issues that need to be dealt with in order to be let go. There are certainly different ways to do this. Chakra work, chakra yoga and chakra meditation are some of them. Maybe you just want to try it out.
Even more about yoga: Yoga not only improves mobility on a physical level .