The Seven Chakras, their Meanings, and How I Connect Them to My Life
According to Healthline “A Beginner’s Guide to the 7 Chakras”, Chakra (cakra in Sanskrit) means “wheel” and refers to energy points in our bodies. They are thought to be spinning discs of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.
Each Chakra has a color association as well as words and “I statements” that describe the action, emotion, or feeling ignited by the centering on or opening of the chakra.
Root Chakra (Muladhara)- energy, stability, comfort and safety “I AM” - located at sacrum
Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana)- sensuality, sexuality, pleasure and sociability “I FEEL”-located in genital area
Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)-strength, personality, power, determination “I DO”-located at the naval
Heart Chakra (Anahata)-acceptance, love, compassion, sincerity “I LOVE”-located at the heart
Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)-communication, expression, creativity, inspiration “I TALK”-located at the throat
Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)-intuition, lucidity, meditation, trust “I SEE”-located at the space between the brows on forehead
Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)-knowledge, consciousness, fulfillment, spirituality “I UNDERSTAND”-located at crown of head
Connecting the Chakras to my life, my feelings, my beliefs, my overall well being
I first began learning about the 7 chakras when I started a regular, routine practice of yoga. I was attending yoga classes at Anahata Yoga Studio in Mason, Oh, and the instructor of one of the Gentle Vinyasa classes did a 7 week series of themed classes, centering on the Chakras. Each week she would introduce a chakra (starting from the ground/root up) by explaining the name, location, color and descriptive words and “I” statements affiliated with each chakra. I was instantaneously entertained and curious about these “wheels of energy” and how they work independently of each other as well as codependently to bring us to our fullest being. Jill, the instructor would lead each class with a theme based flow each week for each chakra. (see Flows and Meditations that Focus on Chakras). Throughout the class, Jill would explain the different poses she was leading us through and how the poses were “working to stimulate or open each specific chakra”. At the end of the practice, during our meditation, Jill would share with us the colors, smells, foods and essential oils that were most closely related to each chakra.
From this 7 week series of exploring the chakras through yoga, I was intrigued to do some research in hopes of learning more about the chakras and being able to make connections to the events and happenings of my daily life. From the start of Jill’s 7 week series of chakra themed classes, and my comprehensive study of Yoga as a whole during my RYT-200 training, I almost instantly made the personal connection and association of the 7 chakras with my post-secondary learning in the field of education and the psychology courses that focused on the study of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
As explained in SimplyPsychology, “Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. ... From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
Maslow’s use of a five-tier pyramid to depict the various levels of human needs in a hierarchical concept, in my mind, directly correlates to the chakras aligning the spine from the “root” up. Maslow's theory, much like the “opening of the chakras” argues that humans have a series of needs: physiological, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual; and that certain basic level needs (i.e. food, shelter, sleep, shelter, etc.) must be met before one can reach the higher levels of emotional and spiritual living (i.e. social connections,respect for self and others, self-esteem, freedom). I am fairly certain I am not the first, last, or only person to make the connection between the 7 Chakras and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, my understanding of the chakras and my ability to explore them and dig deeper into their benefits has taken my yoga practices to another level.
Being able to take my newfound knowledge of the chakras and connect my understanding of them in order to apply them to my daily life as a human being with needs, as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and teacher has sparked a new level of mindfulness in my day to day being as well as selecting yoga flows that will assist in “opening” the various chakras. (see Chakras and Maslow and Flows and Meditations that Focus on Chakras)