Article Published By: MindValley
The entire universe is made of energy, and your body is no exception. The 7 chakras play an important role in the balance and health of our bodies.
Long before modern technology and science, ancient cultures knew that all living things carried a life force with them. They called the centers of energy that moved inside of us the 7 chakras. So, what are the 7 chakras?
Chakra is an old Sanskrit word that literally means wheel.
This is because the life force, or prana, that moves inside of you is spinning and rotating. This spinning energy has 7 centers in your body, starting at the base of your spine and moving all the way up to the top of your head.
In a healthy, balanced person, the 7 chakras provide the right balance of energy to every part of your body, mind, and spirit.
But, if one of your chakras spins too quickly, is blocked, or moves slowly, your health will suffer. By learning about the 7 chakras, you can become more in tune with the natural energy cycles of your body.
What religion are the 7 chakras?
Some believe chakras to be religious symbols. But the truth is, they don’t belong to any particular religion. That said, chakras are featured in both Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism.
The 1st chakra – Root Chakra – Muladhara
The official name of this chakra, Muladhara, comes from the words Mula, which means root and Dhara, which means support.
So, this chakra’s role is to connect all of your energy with the Earth, which is called grounding.
When you think of your Root Chakra, think of your day to day survival here on earth. This energy center’s role is to give you everything you need to survive. For us in this modern age, that typically translates to financial and emotional security.
Color: Red
Location: This chakra is located at the very base of your spine, near your tailbone. It goes up to just below your belly button.
What balanced feels like: When your 1st chakra is balanced, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and peace when you think about things like money, safety, and shelter.
You will feel connected to your human experience.
When this chakra is overactive: Our root chakra gets a lot of use, so having an overactive root chakra is very common.
The 2nd chakra – Sacral Chakra – Svadhishana
The 2nd chakra is the sacral chakra or svadhishana which translates to “the place of the self.”
This chakra is all about your identity as a human and what you do with it. From of all 7 chakras, this chakra is responsible for bringing you creative energy to help enrich your life.
Your sacral chakra is the home of the creative life force energy that helps you enjoy your life here on Earth.
It’s the energy that motivates you to enjoy the fruits of your labor, including indulging in pleasurable activities like sex and intimacy.
Color: Orange
Location: The sacral chakra is located right below the belly button and extends to its center.
What balanced feels like: When your 2nd chakra is balanced, you will relish in the pleasurable things life has to offer, without overdoing them.
Sex, good food, and creative activities will be inspiring and enjoyable, and you will get a sense of wellness and abundance from them.
The 3rd chakra – Solar Plexus – Manipura
The 3rd chakra is the Solar Plexus or Manipura which translates to “lustrous gem.” This chakra is where your self-confidence, identity, and personal power are born.
Have you ever been in a situation that you just knew wasn’t right for you? Where did you feel those cues in your body? Most people say they feel those types of cues in their “gut.”
In reality, this is the seat of your personal power, your solar plexus, and you can physically feel that confidence and wisdom in its location.
Color: Yellow
Location: The solar plexus starts in the center of the belly button and extends up to the breastbone or where your two sets of ribs connect in the center of your chest.
What balanced feels like: When your 3rd chakra is balanced, you will feel a sense of wisdom, decisiveness, and personal power.
Many call this chakra the warrior chakra, as the feeling you get from it is comparable to a wise warrior going into battle. He has the confidence to win and the wisdom to know the personal truth he is fighting for.
The 4th chakra – Heart – Anahata
The 4th chakra is the Heart or Anahata chakra, which translates to “unhurt.” This chakra is where your love, compassion, and kindness are empowered. It’s not hard to understand this chakra.
We all associate our hearts with love, and that’s exactly what the 4th chakra is all about. And this includes love for others and love for yourself, which is why this chakra is also associated with health and healing.
Color: Green
Location: The heart chakra’s center is located right over your heart and it radiates down to your breastbone and up to your throat. It is the middle one of the 7 chakras and it’s connecting the higher chakras (the heaven) with the lower chakras (the physical world).
What balanced feels like: When your 4th chakra is balanced, you are able to equally feel love for yourself and others. Even when tough things happen, you can still see the compassion and kindness in others.
The 5th chakra – Throat – Vishuddha
The 5th chakra is the Throat chakra or Vishuddha which translates to “very pure.” This chakra gives a voice to your personal truths.
So, where does your voice come from?
What provides the energy for you to speak?
On a physical level, of course, the answer is the throat, but on an energetic level, this energy actually comes from your 5th chakra. This chakra lets you speak your truth with clarity.
Resting right above the heart, the throat chakra is connected to the compassion and love you have for yourself and others.
Color: Blue
Location: The throat chakra’s center is right in between your collar bone, and it radiates down to the center of your heart and up to the center of your eyes.
What balanced feels like: When your throat chakra is balanced, you will be able to clearly speak with love, kindness, and truth.
In fact, you will know exactly which words are appropriate for each situation. And speaking with a balanced throat chakra will enlighten and inspire those around you.
The 6th chakra – The Third Eye – Ajna
The 6th chakra is the Third Eye Chakra Ajna which translates to “beyond wisdom.” This chakra opens up your mind to information beyond the material world and the 5 senses.
Extrasensory perception, intuition or psychic energy, all come from the third eye.
There is actually a small pinecone-shaped gland in your brain that takes in light. This gland, the pineal gland, is responsible for helping you feel awake in the daytime and sleepy at night.
Long before brain imaging, ancient cultures knew this Third Eye existed, and they also realized it received information from sources outside of the five senses.
Color: Indigo
Location: The third eye’s center is in between your eyebrows. It radiates down to your mouth and up to the top of your head.
What balanced feels like: A balanced third eye is a beautiful thing, and it’s really what you are trying to achieve when you start on a path to spiritual development.
When your third eye chakra is balanced, you will equally feel in tune with both the physical world and the material world. You will receive psychic information as frequently as you receive information from your 5 physical senses, but it will not overwhelm you.
The 7th chakra – Crown – Sahaswara
The 7th chakra is the Crown or Sahaswara, which translates to “thousand petaled.” This chakra is pure consciousness energy. The Crown chakra is one of those energies that’s hard to explain. You can think of it like magnetism.
When you hold a piece of metal to a magnet, you can feel the energy and tension, but you can’t see it. Consciousness energy is everywhere and in everything. It connects us to the entire universe.
Our own personal consciousness is located in the 7th chakra, but it’s really more like the seed of a universal energy than something personal or individual.
Color: Violet – white
Location: The crown chakra’s center is at the top of your head. It radiates down to between your eyes and then extends infinitely upward and outward, connecting you to the energy of the rest of the universe.
What balanced feels like: Achieving a balanced crown chakra is the goal of every spiritual warrior, and it’s not easy to do. You can think of it as the Buddhist concept of achieving nirvana.
Once you achieve it, you’re not really human anymore – you’ve conquered suffering and death.
Of course, it is the journey of attempting to achieve this balance that brings us happiness, good health, and wisdom. Trying to balance your 7th chakra will align and balance your other chakras.
We hope this guide has served you in your journey to a better understanding of the chakras, where they’re located. Although this blog has covered the very basics, there’s a lot more to learn when it comes to striking the right balance for your unique physical, emotional and spiritual body.