A Beginner’s Guide to the 7 Chakras and Their Meanings
The chakras are energy points around the body, each with its particular function relating to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Knowing the 7 chakras and their meanings can serve as a tool for transformation toward chakra balancing and self-awareness.
In this beginner’s guide, we will deep dive into the chakras in the body. What are their special functions, the colors attributed to various chakras, and elaborate on how to maintain equilibrium through chakra balancing?
7 Chakras and their balancing
Let us dive deep into the seven chakras. How do they work? What are the meaning and functioning of all these chakras:
1. The Root Chakra
Located at the base of the spine, the root chakra is the first and foundational one of the 7 chakras. The colour associated with it is RED. This denotes a sense of stability, safety, and survival. This chakra is one of grounding and connection to earth.
Meaning and Function: The root chakra presides over the adrenal glands, kidneys, and bladder. It affects your feelings of security, emotionally and financially. A balanced root chakra provides a sense of safety, support, and groundedness in life.
Signs You Are Experiencing an Imbalance: The imbalance of the root chakra can show itself in both physical and emotional symptoms. Physically, you may experience chronic lower back pain, problems with the legs, feet, or knees, or frequent problems with the adrenal glands, kidneys, or bladder. These pains have much to do with one being ungrounded and unstable. Emotionally, you tend to feel fear, anxiety, or insecurity, sometimes manifesting as nervousness or panic wherever calmness or courage is required.
Balancing the Root Chakra: Grounding activities like walking barefoot on the earth can help in balancing the Root chakra. Join our tailored Yoga sessions to achieve balance in the root chakra.
2. The Sacral Chakra
The sacral chakra is the second energy centre in the body and is located just below the navel. Represented by the colour orange, this chakra is in charge of creativity, sensuality, and emotional well-being.
Meaning and Function: The sacral chakra governs the reproductive organs, kidneys, and bladder. It influences enjoyment in life, emotional expression, and the ability to form healthy relationships.
Signs of Imbalance: If the sacral chakra is unbalanced, the symptoms can present themselves on both emotional and physical levels. On an emotional level, you may feel hindered in creative expression, disconnected from your own sense of joy, or unable to enjoy life’s pleasures. Dysfunction of one would also adversely affect relationships that are romantic, familial, or platonic because this chakra governs the emotional capacity to connect and share love. On a physical level, such an imbalance may bring about lower back pain, hip problems, or pelvic discomfort. Other common issues that arise include reproductive disorders (such as menstrual irregularities and infertility).
How to Balance the Sacral Chakra: Balance your sacral chakra through creativity, emotional release through journaling, or sensual pleasures like dancing and bathing. Consuming coloured foods, including oranges, carrots, and sweet potatoes can also help stimulate this chakra. Our emotional wellness programmes can help you clear your emotional blockage and help to get a balanced Sacral Chakra with reuniting with your emotional well-being.
3. The Solar Plexus Chakra
Located in the upper abdomen near the stomach, the solar plexus chakra is the centre of personal power. Represented by yellow, this chakra governs the feeling of confidence, self-esteem, and willpower.
Meaning and Function: The solar plexus chakra relates to the digestive system, including the liver, pancreas, and stomach. It has to do with the assertion of self and the power of decision-making in achieving one’s goals.
Signs of Imbalance: An unbalanced solar plexus chakra is generally associated with a lack of self-confidence or an inability to make decisions, which results in indecisiveness. You may be hesitant to stand up for yourself in some situations, given that you have difficulty with pursuing your goal, as you might feel perpetually in search of direction. It controls the digestive system, so problems can include bloating, indigestion, and acid reflux.
How to Balance the Solar Plexus Chakra: Do confidence-boosting activities to restore balance, such as goal setting or self-care activities such as detoxification, and rejuvenation, or eat yellow foods like bananas, corn, and pineapples. You can also explore our wellness programs, which are designed especially to consider the health conditions of individuals.
4. Heart Chakra
The heart chakra is at the centre of your chest, a symbol of love, compassion, and connection. This chakra, which it governs with a green hue, wins over your relationships with yourself and with others.
Meaning and Function: The heart chakra influences your lungs, heart, and circulatory system. It governs your ability to give and receive love and feel empathy while maintaining emotional balance.
Signs of Imbalance: When the heart chakra is out of balance, it may cause emotional coldness or a tendency to isolate oneself from others. You may find it difficult to express love, compassion, or forgiveness either towards yourself or others leading to feelings of bitterness or resentment. On the other hand, some may experience emotional overwhelm, such as being overly giving and sacrificing their own emotional needs for others, causing feelings of being drained or unappreciated. On a physical level, issues with the heart or lungs, such as shortness of breath, frequent colds, or heart disease, could indicate an imbalance.
How to Balance the Heart Chakra: To balance this chakra, practice self-love and compassion. Establish acts of kindness. Medication can help balance in Heart chakra. Meditate on forgiveness. Incorporating things green into your diet-such as spinach, kale, cabbages, and broccoli-may also be good for balancing the energy of the heart chakra.
5. Throat Chakra
The throat chakra is found at the throat and is the energy centre of the expression of self and communication. The colour blue symbolizes this chakra, which is connected with people speaking their truth clearly.
Meaning and Function: The throat chakra is connected to your thyroid, vocal cords, and jaw. It influences your ability to express your thoughts, listen actively, and communicate openly.
Signs of Imbalance: When the throat chakra is blocked, one may have trouble stating exactly what is in one’s heart or manifest feelings of being unheard. The frustrating attempt to get one’s message across could translate into either feeling that one has been misunderstood or ignored. A blocked throat chakra might show up in the body as sore throats, laryngitis, or a tendency to cough frequently because the chakra is thought to govern the vocal cords and throat area. Those whose throat chakra has become unbalanced might sometimes feel neck pain, jaw tightness, or tension constricting the throat to the point where it feels somewhat limiting.
How to Balance the Throat Chakra: Engage in activities that set the environment for open communication, like journaling or singing. Drink plenty of water and eat blue foods, such as blueberries and blackberries, that will help to nourish this chakra. For a relaxed and pain free body, you can explore our therapeutic massage to relax your muscles and pain-free body.
6. The Third Eye Chakra
It is situated between the eyebrows and is said to be the centre of intuition and insight. This chakra is indigo in colour and governs your ability to look beyond the physical and tap into inner wisdom.
Meaning and Function: This chakra governs the brain, eyes, and the nervous system. It enables the clarity of sight which you have by developing a keen intuition.
Signs of Imbalance: A blocked third eye chakra creates confusion within the mind, lack of judgment, and clouded thinking. You may find it hard to see things clearly, or to trust your intuition and you may do plenty of second-guessing yourself and those around you. Those with an open third eye chakra may also experience migraines, tension headaches, or eye strain, which may accompany a feeling of discomfort somewhere between the two eyes. Sleep also could be disrupted if the third eye chakra is out of balance: trouble going to sleep or having nightmares may also be linked to the health of this chakra, which governs our capacity for mental clarity and insight.
How to Balance the Third Eye Chakra: The means of mediation into the processes of balancing this chakra are meditation, mindfulness, and each one of the visualization techniques. For better sleep, you can explore our Sleep Well retreat programme to get a sound sleep and a relaxed mind.
Eating blueberries, purple grapes, and eggplants is also thought to stimulate this chakra.
7. The Sahasrara
The crown chakra is found on the top of your head and signifies a connection to all things divinity along with higher consciousness. Violet or white in color, it regulates a sense of purpose and awareness of one’s spirit.
Meaning and Function: This chakra governs the brain, the nervous system, and the overall connection to the universe. It is the source of all peace, enlightenment, and a sense of higher purpose.
Signs of Imbalance: When the crown chakra is blocked, it might create spiritual disconnection or otherwise lack of a higher realization of purpose in life. You may be feeling cut off from higher consciousness or a constant feeling of dissatisfaction and pointlessness. There may be an imbalance where crown chakra unattractively manifests in depression, chronic fatigue, or feelings of isolation like feeling cut off from the greater picture of life or the universe. Mentally, you may feel ungrounded or disoriented, unable to either focus or see the larger picture. Another major sign of the blocked crown chakra is the presence of neurological disorders linked to the brain or the nervous system, such as migraines and epilepsy.
How to Balance the Crown Chakra: In balance this chakra through engagement in spirit-filled practices such as mindful prayer, meditation, or yoga. When ready, try to eat violet or white food, such as garlic or lavender, in order to facilitate opening the chakra. You can explore our spiritual wellness programme to balance the crown chakra with Mantras, meditation, sadhu board and satsang specially designed for inner peace and balance.
