Wondering why is it even important? The knowledge of the 7 chakras.
Let me tell you a story.
For most of my life, I felt lost between people.
Overwhelmed, exposed and uncomfortable.
Sipping my Bloody Mary alone on a table in the middle of a party.
The pressure of making a conversation and projecting the best of myself, is something I always ran away from.
Because of-course it always entails being judged, and surely judging in return.
My inability of handling potential harsh judgments kept me away from making any connections for a big part of my life. And I did not particularly feel proud after judging others either.
Fortunately, while studying Yoga I found something that took all this fear of mutual judgment away.
A natural self-acceptance dawned over me.
There is something that made it clear to me that all the judging is in vain.
As a result, in the past three years, I have made some of the strongest new connections of my life. My existing relationships have become more aligned as I let myself and others express the way we really feel, without pretensions.
I find myself at home anywhere I go or anyone I meet, no longer scared of people judging me or rallying my mind in judgement of others.
It is our differences that make this world so interesting. We only need to learn how to accept each other in the best way possible.
And the easiest way to do that is to understand how the 7 chakras work.
Let me show you.
WHAT CHAKRAS MEAN FOR A COMMON MAN
You may have heard a lot of definitions for Chakras
- Energy centres
- Wheels of energy
- Life force
- Prana
- Centres of Qi
- Points in the subtle body, etc.
But let me translate these definitions into the most practical one for you.
The 7 chakras are really the ‘planes of existence’ in which we function day to day.
In each one of us, two of the chakras are most dominant, and that becomes our plane of existence.
For example, my life may be a pursuit of money and your life a pursuit of knowledge.
I may be a very short-tempered person and you, the chilled-out dude.
Not that I am wrong and you are right, just that we are operating on two very different planes of existence, because of the qualities of our different dominant chakras.
Therefore, without going into the spiritual mumbo-jumbo on this subject, it is important to understand the manifestation of Chakras in our personality and daily life.
Let us do that.
UNDERSTANDING THE MANIFESTATION OF CHAKRAS IN YOUR LIFE
Root Chakra – With the element Earth, this Chakra is all about having a solid foundation and stability we all need in our lives. Our lives thrive when we have at least a basic Emotional, Financial, and physical stability (for example changing your place of living too frequently can bring imbalance to your Root Chakra).
If your Root Chakra is not functioning well, you tend to hoard things and still have an omnipresent sense of insecurity. The hoarding can range from money to possessing people. One can also have an ever-looming sense of fear of the unknown.
If your root chakra is functioning well, you feel secure and rooted however you are. You have a sense of belonging from the inside which becomes a solid foundation of your confidence.
Sacral Chakra – Like water takes the shape of wherever it goes, this Chakra with water as its element is all about enjoying and flowing with life.
While accepting all aspects of your being is an integral quality of the Sacral Chakra, getting influenced too soon with everything can also be a downside.
If your Sacral Chakra is not functioning well, you tend to be a slave of desires that never seem to get fulfilled, no matter what you do. They can be sexual, material, and very often related to the tongue – too much eating and too much talking.
If your Sacral Chakra is functioning well, you feel fulfilled in life and with yourself in a general sense. You enjoy life, but do not get overwhelmed with indulgences.
Solar Plexus Chakra – With fire as its element, this Chakra is the storehouse of energy in our body and manifests as Ego in our personality.
And like Fire, you can use your Ego to either burn or transform.
If your Solar Plexus Chakra is not functioning well, you tend to suffer from low self-esteem. In some cases, so low, that you must put others down to feel a sense of achievement. And in other cases, you may just become so fascinated with power that it is all you live for.
If your Solar Plexus Chakra is functioning well, you feel capable and centered in life. You do the best you can and empower others.
Heart Chakra – The element that rules this Chakra is Air. Just like Air, it possesses the quality of limitless expansion.
If your Heart Chakra is not functioning well, you either tend to run away from people or wear your heart on a sleeve, just waiting to get hurt. Reserving your love for a few special people and being insensitive towards the rest of the world is another very common trait.
If your Heart Chakra is functioning well, you feel a sense of expansion and are able to reach out and connect to mostly everyone around. You include people and open yourself to vulnerability, but with care.
Throat Chakra – Like its ruling element Ether or Space, this Chakra is the domain of purity and clarity.
If your Throat Chakra is not functioning well, you tend to struggle with expressing yourself or you make wrong use of your communication skills like glib talk, trash talk, and earning money through lying.
If your Throat Chakra is functioning well, you are able to express yourself with clarity without intentionally hurting others, and sometimes even speaking for them.
Third Eye Chakra – With light as its basic element, the third eye Chakra is all about trusting your inner Guru – your intuition, inner lighting shining outwards.
If your Third Eye Chakra is not functioning well, you tend to struggle with making decisions and easily get caught up in over-analyzing everything around you, including yourself. You also tend to hoard information which you never use – one of the most common problems we see in the world today.
If your Third Eye Chakra is functioning well, you have developed a sense of surrender because you know the mind is not the end. You are the seeker of truth and you invest time in studying your own self, rather than wasting time in finding fault in the world.
Conclusion:
Understanding your own self and starting to see others in the light of Chakras can really bring about a whole lot of transformation in your life.
From self-acceptance to self-upliftment, just like in my own case, do not ignore Chakra Healing if you would like to become the best version of yourself.
However, be very careful while working with them. Opening your chakras to someone else’s energy can be the worst thing you can do to yourself, unless you un-conditionally trust that person and his or her capabilities.
There are many techniques in Hatha Yoga and even things in normal lifestyle which you can practice, thereby gradually causing the natural flowering or opening of a dormant chakra and its healing.
Take some time out to analyse which planes of existence are you living at, and take the most important step towards self-love and start healing your chakras today!
Roli Jain is a wellness-obsessed founder of Live Life Better with Yoga. Her clients say she was the best discovery in their quest for holistic health in India. Why so popular? It’s because she provides insanely practical Yoga advice that people like you can use to live a healthier life, body mind & soul, like this FREE 30 Day Chakra Healing Challenge.
Image courtesy of Elia Pellegrini.
