The Seven Chakras For Beginners

Chakras are a source of energy located in the human body. The type and number of chakras varies depending on the system used. The Vajrayana or Buddhist tantra for example, recognizes 10 points found in the third eye between the eyebrows, the wind wheel on the forehead, the crown wheel on the top of the head, the throat wheel, the fire wheel between the throat and the heart, the heart wheel, the navel wheel, the secret place four fingers below the navel, the jewel wheel on the sexual organ, and the tip of the sexual organ. However, the best known system in the Western Hemisphere is that of the seven chakras. These points are not physical and need to be visualized.

The Seven Chakras System

The seven chakra system are points aligned in ascending order from the base of the spine to the top of the head. They are each related to a particular color and represented by a lotus with a different number of petals for every point. Their sanskrit names are Muladhara (root or base, color red, located in the coccyx), Svadisthana (spleen, orange, lower abdomen), Manipura (solar plexus, yellow, stomach area), Anahata (heart, green, chest), Visuddha (throat, blue, throat area), Anja (third eye, indigo, forehead) and Sahasrara (crown, violet, top of the head). Each one of the seven chakras rotates at a different speed, the first being the lowest and the last the fastest. A proper balance of the seven chakra system is required to experience a healthy emotional and physical life and to avoid a series of debilitating conditions and problems.

The seven chakras can be both depleted of and charged with energy. Our own thoughts, the sun, food, visualizations, gems or minerals, color bathing, aromatherapy, music and dance, toning and sounds, color tonations, solarized water, syntonics, decor, clothing, art and color are all vessels through which we can recharge our energy centers.

Additional Chakras

Besides the major seven chakras, there are several other energy points that perform different functions. The hrit or surya for example, is located below the heart and absorbs energy from the sun. The lalana or talumula is found either in the roof of the mouth or on the forehead, where the manas can also be located. Others include bindu visarga and shri.

Another seven lower points are believed to be positioned below Muladhara, each governing a base animal instinct. They are atala (fear and lust), vitala (anger and resentment), sutala (jealousy), talatala, rasatala (selfishness), mahatala (inner blindness) and patala (malice and hate).

Subpersonal and Transpersonal

Subpersonal chakras are points of energy that are thought to actually be four feet below the feet. The Earth Star Chakra for instance, would be six inches below the ground that a person is walking or standing on. This point is said to work in combination with the Muladhara to allow an individual to be centered and grounded. There are other four transpersonal chakras, namely the incarnation point (implementation of the soul journey), incarnator (connection to ancestry), leadership (contact with the female archetype) and earth centering (linked to archaic energy).

In contrast, the transpersonal chakras are located above the Sahasrara, in other words, above the head. The souls star chakra is supposedly found about four fingers above the head, and is related to spiritual connection with individuals and with one’s higher self.

Steps to well balanced chakras

Water purifies and refills energy, so taking long baths and showers , swimming, walking in the rain and drinking water every day are all highly recommended activities. As stated before, each chakra relates to a particular color, so if any given chakra is malfunctioning, it can be corrected by exposing oneself to more of its corresponding color. This can be done by wearing that color, buying flowers, burning candles and decorating a room with the right shade. Meditation is another tried and true method for naturally balancing chakras, a process that heavily relies on proper breathing. Light exercising such as walking or yoga can clear the mind and improve resonance. Sometimes a specific diet can also be of benefit, but this varies from person to person. Finally, getting constant and sufficient sleep provides rest for your chakras to balance themselves.