If you are an avid reader of theosophy, gnosticism or new age articles, you'll probably have seen at least one reference to chakras. These are specific points in our body where we receive, transform and distribute energy.
Their function, according to Hindu tradition, is to stabilize our emotions, guarantee our physical health and our mental clairvoyance. We explain all the keys in this article!
What the chakras are: their meaning
In Indian culture, the word chakra comes from ancient Sanskrit and means "wheel", it is also a spinning, disk-like weapon used by the Hindu god Vishnu. In accordance with ancient oriental medicines, there are seven chakras in the human body which are arranged along the spinal cord, from its base to the top of the head
We are talking about connection points, different energy channels in the body all in the shape of a disc, but always invisible to the naked eye. Depending on our health, our chakras vary in rigidity, subsidence, congestion or loss of vitality, They can also communicate with each other and can support each other if there are any problems. That said, if a chakra stops working correctly, energy absorption decreases and the local organs may weaken.
The 7 chakras and their colours
Regarding what we've just said, chakras can also be defined as health indicators, if we aren't at our best physically, or if we have anxiety or stress, we can affirm an unbalance of our chakras.
These discs of energy only have one objective: harmony between the body and the spirit, and between our personality and our environment. Each of the 7 chakras has specific functions and regulates different aspects of our organism and our personality, read on to find out more!
The first chakra: Muladhara
Also known as the root chakra or root support, this chakra is associated with the suprarenal glands, the osseous system, the lower digestive system (which includes the colon, the rectum and the anus), the circulatory system and cellular structure. It's also linked to our primary needs such as eating, drinking, sleeping, and to our balance and anchors in our life.
We can find this chakra in the perineum, between the anus and the sexual organs. It's linked to the colours red and black, with the Earth and with our sense of smell.
The second chakra: Svadhisthana
The second chakra is the sacred chakra and is found between 3 or 5 centimetres below the belly button on the stomach and corresponds to the colour orange, to the element water, and to our sense of taste.
This chakra governs our genitalia, our reproductive system, our renal system, our sexual energies and our creative energies.
The third chakra: Manipura
This is the chakra of the solar plexus, which lies a couple of centimetres above the belly button and corresponds to the colour yellow, to the element fire and to our sense of sight. This is the chakra responsible for creating our image of ourselves, our ego, personal power, also linked with the transmission of ideas. It also dominates our willpower and is the key to controlling our fury when we get aggravated.
The organs associated with this chakra are the pancreas, the upper digestive system (stomach, liver, gall bladder) and the spleen.
The fourth chakra: Anahata
This chakra is found in the middle of our chest, just above our nipples, and is associated with our thymus, our immune system, our cardiopulmonary sytem, our circulatory system and our integumentary system.
It corresponds to the colours green and pink, to the element air and to our sense of touch. It directs our emotions, our generosity, our acceptance of others and our forgiveness. Due to this, it can sometimes be known as the chakra of our heart.
The fifth chakra: Vishuddhi
This chakra is found at the base of our throats and is sometimes called our throat chakra. It is associated with our throat, our hands and arms, our mouth, our teeth, or jaw, our ears, our voice, our respiratory system, our vertebrae and our cervical spine.
It corresponds to the colour blue, to the element ether and to our sense of hearing, it controls the way we express ourselves, our knowledge and our communication. If we feel shy, it's possible for this energy point to be blocked.
The sixth chakra: Anja
It is known as the third eye chakra, and is responsible for uniting our consciousness with our self-consciousness. Its purpose is to capture spiritual forces through the human spirit. This chakra is associated with our knowledge, our perception, our command of ourselves, the epicentre of our internal vision and our intuition.
It is located between the eyebrows, at the base of the forehead, and this chakra (linked to our pituitary, hormonal and nervous system) corresponds to the colour indigo and violet and to our sixth sense.
The seventh chakra: Sahasrara
Found at the top of our head, the crown chakra allows cosmic energy to enter and leave the body freely, Its energy is linked to the spiritual world and allow us to experience mysticism and enlightenment.
This chakra is associated to our brains, our skull and our spirituality. It corresponds to the colours purple, white and gold.
How to open them: Exercises to unblock your chakras
Ever since we were born, we lived in harmony with our environment, and our chakras were wide open; we felt a sense of harmony. But as the years progressed, we discovered fear, pain and anxiety, leading to our body and mind closing themselves off from the rest of the world. When this happens we must unblock our chakras.
In order to do so, we can take part in simple (and progressively complex) activities such as yoga, meditation or sophrology, which help us maintain our internal balance and stay healthy. The most popular exercise is undoubtedly yoga, the postures are also known as asanas. These allow you to balance and open your chakras, as they circulate energy throughout the body.
At home, if we sit down somewhere comfortable, breathe deeply, close our eyes and visualize our bodies, we can see how with each inhale we receive one of the seven colours of the chakras, and how with each exhale we get rid of all the bad energy tied to the same chakra as the colour we see. The next step is to visualize the energy constantly moving between our chakras.
The best stones for our chakras
Regarding what was mentioned earlier about the chakras and their colours, there are healing stones which help us open our chakras. The easiest method to use them is to lie down keeping your arms by your side, relaxed and silent, maybe lighting a candle or some incense to accompany you.
Place the stones where the chakra lies while you lie down and disconnect from everything, we should try to keep our attention focused on the stones. Eventually, we'll notice a strange heat spreading from the stones, which is a sign of the gem therapy contributing towards our energy.
These are some gemstones and the chakras they affect:
The first chakra: Jasper, obsidian, ox eye, ruby granite, black tourmaline.
The second chakra: Amber, orange calcite, carnelian, sunstone, imperial topaz.
The third chakra: Citrine, yellow quartz, yellow jasper, tiger's eye.
The fourth chakra: Green aventurine, emerald, jade, rose quartz, malachite.
The fifth chakra: Amazonite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, beryl, blue topaz.
The sixth chakra: Azurite, sodalite, iolite and blue sapphire.
The seventh chakra: Amethyst, clear quartz, diamond.