Friday, November 6, 2009

What Are Chakras?

If you have taken yoga or have had a hot stone massage or an energy balance treatment, you have probably heard the term "chakra." Several religions, holistic healers and others believe that the body has energy centers which are known as chakras. Chakra in Sanskrit means "wheel" as it is also believed that these energy centers, if one could actually see them, would look like spinning wheels or a vortex that moves in a circular motion, forming a vacuum in the center that draws in anything within its environment and also allows energy to flow from one part of the body to another.

The energy and vibrations that chakras draw from our surroundings can be positive or negative, such as another person’s aura. Therefore our environment and the people who are in contact with us have an effect on our chakras and therefore our energy and health. Have you ever been in the presence of someone and their energy just makes you feel great and brightens up your day? They might not even have said a word to you. They just simply glow. Or have you felt a "negative vibe" from someone and just being around them makes you tired or agitated?

It is believed that we have numerous chakras within our body, but the focus tends to be on seven main chakra centers that are aligned along the spinal column. Each chakra corresponds to an organ or gland, aspects of the psyche and is also believed to resonate with a specific color vibration and sound frequency.

THE SEVEN CHAKRAS

First Chakra (also known as) Root/Base Chakra (Red) Base of the spine.
Second Chakra - Spleen (Orange) Lower abdomen to the navel.
Third Chakra - Solar Plexus (Yellow) Above the navel and stomach area.
Fourth Chakra - Heart (Green) Center of the chest.
Fifth Chakra - Throat (Blue) Throat and neck region
Sixth Chakra - Brow/Third Eye (Indigo) Center of the forehead
Seventh Chakra - Crown (Violet) Top of the head.

When one or more chakra centers are out of balance, (often referred to as blockages) we can experience it at a mental, emotional or physical level--depression, sadness, stress, headache, etc. In energy work, which can be found in a variety of modalities such as energy balance massage, a therapist can sometimes find these imbalances before they manifest themselves in physical, emotional or mental illness. With the use of healing aids such as essential oils, crystals and sound healing, the therapist works to restore these imbalances so that energy within the body can flow freely and restore overall physical, mental and spiritual health.