What are Chakras Exactly?

Chakras are nothing but energy centres. They provide openings for life energy to flow in and out of our aura. Their main function is to revitalize our physical body and to bring about complete development of our self-consciousness. They are associated with our physical, mental and emotional interactions.

Our aura is often depicted to as the eighth chakra. The first chakra (root) actually hangs outside of your body. It is located between your thighs, about halfway between your knees and your physical body. The seventh chakra (crown) is located on the top of your head. The remaining chakras, (sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, and third eye) are aligned in sequence along your spine, neck, and skull.

1. The Base or Root Chakra is associated with red colour. This chakra allows us to connect to the earth energies and empower our beings. Focusing one's attention on the colour of a blood or a juicy red apple assists in grounding our energetic body and in alignment with our physical body when we find ourselves energetically fleeting.

2. The Sacral Chakra is associated with orange colour or red-orange. It can be visualized as orange fruit that has been dyed to attract the buyer, or the orange red of an evening sunset while focusing on this second chakra.

This chakra often deals with our "control issues" and finds a balance in our lives, teaches us to recognize that acceptance and rejection are not the only options in our relationships. The process of making changes in our life stream through our personal choices is a product of second chakra energy.

3. The Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with yellow colour. This area of human body defines our "self-esteem." The personality that develops during puberty is witnessed in this chakra known as the "EGO."

Anyone experiencing dysfunction of the third chakra is having difficulty obtaining or maintaining his/her own "personal power." This is where we get our "gut instincts" that indicate us to do or not to do something. Strong self-esteem is necessary for developing intuitive skills.

4. The Heart Chakra is associated with Green & or Pink colour. This is love centre of our human energy system & focuses on bringing about a healing. Hurtful situations that can affect our emotional being are adultery, grief through death, divorce or separation, emotional abuse, abandonment etc.

Your physical illnesses caused by heartbreak require an emotional healing as well as physical healing. Learning to love you is a powerful key to secure a healthy heart chakra.

5. The Throat Chakra is associated with sky blue colour. This chakra is our will centre. The healthiness of this chakra is in relation to how honestly one expresses himself/herself. We speak our choices with our voices (throats). Even choosing not to make a choice such as in repressing our anger (not speaking out) may manifest into laryngitis. We have all experienced that uncertain feeling in our throats when we are at a crossroad of not knowing how to speak the right words in any given situation.

The healthiness of throat chakra is ensured by how openly and honestly a person expresses himself or herself. A challenge to the throat chakra for us is expressing ourselves in the most truthful manner, to receive and analyze information & seek only the truth. When we lose our authenticity the throat chakra shuts down.

6. The Adnya Chakra is associated with indigo colour. It is also known as the third eye. It is our avenue to wisdom - learning from our experiences and putting them in perspective. Our ability to separate reality from fantasy or delusions is in connection with the healthiness of this chakra.

Achieving the art of detachment is accomplished through developing impersonal intuitive reasoning. It is through this chakra that visual images are perceived.

7. The Crown Chakra is associated with the violet or white colour. This chakra is used as a tool to communicate with our spiritual nature. It is via this chakra that the life force is dispersed from the universe into the lower 6 chakras. It has been referred to as our spiritual connection or communicator.

This chakra is often visualized as a lotus flower opening to allow spiritual awakening in an individual.

Simple Chakra Exercises

Activating & stimulating chakras

Crown Chakra Exercises regular prayer or meditation.

Adnya Chakra Exercises Lucid dreaming, visualization & remote viewing.

Throat Chakra Exercises Singing, gargling with saltwater or screaming.

Heart Chakra Exercises Hugging yourself, doing push ups & swimming (breast stroke).

Solar Plexus Chakra Exercises Different types of dancing (doing Twist, hip hop, belly dancing).

Sacral Chakra Exercises Pelvic thrusts and circular pelvis movements

Root Chakra Exercises Tapping your feet upon the ground, marching in place, and doing squats.

Aura Cleansing Exercises soaking an Epsom salt bath, cleansing by showering, smudging with smoke of sage or lavender, or deep cleansing breaths.

Methods of Aura Cleansing

Our auras are like magnets attracting vibrational energies around everywhere we go. It is important to cleanse our auras for freeing them of unknown vibrations and negative energies. Let’s do it.

Key methods:

1. Soaking with Saltwater – Have a bath in a steaming tub of water. Eucalyptus is wonderful for cleansing the sinuses. A lavender sea salt bath cleanses and calms body and spirit. Unscented bath is best for scent sensitive individuals.

2. Taking Hot / Cold Shower - Standing under a waterfall or bathroom shower is a lovely experience. Allow the water to flow over every inch of your body from head to feet. As you watch the water disappearing down the drain just breathe freely and imagine all your troubles and stress flowing away from your mind along with the water.

3. Rainwater cleansing – Get a walk in the rainfall & let raindrops wash your body & face. So refreshing & cleansing!

4. Finger Combing your Aura – First wash and dry your hands properly. Using your fingers as a comb, comb through the space surrounding your body starting at your head & continue till toes. Then wash your hands with running water allowing all-picked up negative energies to be washed away.

5. Smudging your aura - Smudge your surrounding body aura with the smoke from sage, lavender or other smudging herbs. You can also gently breathe in some of the smudged air (not for asthmatic patients).

6. Aura sweeping with Feathers – Using a single feather or a whisk of feathers through the space surrounding your body. Start from your feet and work upwards. Ask a friend to assist by sweeping your backside or any areas that you cannot reach easily.

Significant Cleaning and Your Chakras

Clutter closes shutters of your Chakras!

Look at your own home environment & surrounding to discover which chakra centres are disturbed or blocked. Perhaps, you may be at risk of a complete chakra system shutdown. You may get certain clues as to which of your chakras need attention by simply analysing your surroundings. Chakra blockages are directly proportional to the clutter in the various rooms in your home.

Dirty window panes may indicate clouded third eye. A cluttered home office may indicate mental confusion or lack of focus. A messy or disorganized kitchen mirrors an imbalanced Heart chakra. An unorganized master bedroom can affect your love relationship negatively. An overstuffed dirty rain gutters denote a blocked Crown chakra.

Co-relation of Rooms and living spaces with 7 Chakras:

· Crown Chakra - Rain Gutters, Roof, Attic

· Adnya Chakra - Home Office, Windows

· Throat Chakra - Living Room, Family Room, Guest Room

· Heart Chakra - Kitchen, Dining Areas

· Solar Plexus Chakra - Bathrooms, Personal Spaces

· Sacral Chakra - Master Bedroom

· Root Chakra - Basement, Crawl Spaces

· Aura - Porches, Decks, Landscaping, Garages

Chakra nourishing Foods

Just by following these simple tips you can bring balance to our chakras by eating a balanced diet & clearing any deficiency thereby.

Nourishing Foods for your Root Chakra

Importance: Grounding

Vegetables & fruits: beets, potatoes, tomatoes, raspberries, red apples, & Pomegranates etc.
Protein-rich foods: peanut butter, eggs, meat, beans, tofu, soya products
Spices: pepper, hot paprika, chives, cayenne

Nourishing Foods for Your Sacral Chakra

Importance: Sexual / Creativity Centre

Fruits: oranges, apricot, squash, peaches, pumpkins, mangos etc.
Honey & Nuts: almonds, walnuts, etc.
​Spices: cinnamon, vanilla, sweet paprika, sesame seeds, caraway seeds

Nourishing Foods for Your Solar Plexus Chakra

Importance: Self-Esteem and Encouraging Self-Love

Grains: sunflower seeds, breads, cereal, rice, pastas, flax seed etc.

Fruits & dairy: bananas, eggs, pineapples, milk, cheeses & yogurt etc.
Spices: turmeric, fennel, mints (peppermint, spearmint, etc.), ginger, chamomile etc.

Nourishing Foods for Your Heart Chakra

Importance: Healing Emotional Hurts

Leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, dandelion greens, etc.
Vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus etc.
Liquids: green teas
Spices: parsley, basil, thyme, cilantro

Nourishing Foods for Your Throat Chakra

Importance: Speaking Truth

Liquids: water, fruit juices, herbal teas
Fruits: lemons, limes, grapefruit & kiwi etc.
Spices: salt, lemon grass

Nourishing Food for Your Brow Chakra

Importance: Awakening intuitive senses

Fruits: plums, eggplant, blueberries, red grapes, black berries, raspberries, etc.
Liquids: red wines and grape juice
Spices: lavender, poppy seed etc.

Nourishing Foods for Your Crown Chakra

Importance: Connecting to higher self & God

Mushroom, ginger, lychee, onion & coconut are useful.

This chakra is different than the rest in one way: The crown chakra is in some ways more spirit than matter i.e. connecting with the realm of spirit means you.

ROOT CHAKRA ( Muladhara )

When balanced: centred, grounded, lots of vital energy, manifests abundance

When imbalanced: egotistic, greedy, obsessed with material possessions, OR no trust in life, unable to meet goals

Recommended affirmation: "The Universe fulfils all my needs. I am safe & I trust life."

SACRAL CHAKRA (Swadhisthana)

When balanced: friendly, outgoing, concerned for others, joyous & happy

When imbalanced: emotionally explosive, bombastic, overindulgent and self-serving, OR overly sensitive

Suggested affirmation: "I have created my own world of freedom & I have complete control on my emotions. I respond to all in loving ways and respectful to all involved."

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA (Manipura)

When balanced: strong sense of personal worth and power, respects boundaries, expressive, likes to take on challenges, intelligent

When imbalance: judgemental, workaholic, perfectionist, OR depressed, lacking confidence, and victimised

Suggested affirmation: "I am aware of my personal power and accept myself the way universe has accepted me”.

HEART CHAKRA (Anahata)

When balanced: compassionate, empathic, loving all, friendly and outgoing.

When imbalanced: possessive, moody, and melodramatic, OR paranoid, indecisive, afraid of intimacy.

Suggested affirmation: "I am open to give and receive love, freely and effortlessly. I forgive and release the pains of my past, and I am free to love in the present."

THROAT CHAKRA (Vishuddha)

When balanced: content, centred, creative and expressive, lives in present, truthfulness

When imbalanced: arrogant and self-righteous OR scared, quiet and inconsistent

Suggested affirmation: "I express my deepest feelings gracefully, respectfully, and confidently & it is good to express them."

THIRD EYE CHAKRA (Adnya)

When balanced: access to guidance, intuition, past lives, charisma

When imbalanced: dogmatic, egotistic, and manipulative, or unassertive, undisciplined, and afraid of success.

Suggested affirmation: "I always receive and perceive the guidance I need."

CROWN CHAKRA (Sahasrara)

When balanced: Open to Divine, access to conscious and unconscious, able to see the patterns in existence

When imbalanced: fear of religion or spirituality, frustration and unrealised power, little joy, fearful of unknown physical senses, migraines, schizophrenia

Suggested affirmation: "I acknowledge and rejoice in my spirituality."