If you’ve attended yoga classes for any length of time, or had any kind of energy work done, you’ve likely heard about chakras! But you might be wondering…what exactly are chakras and why are they important? Should I be concerned about my chakras? Is there anything I need to do?

If you’re a little confused about what all this chakra talk is about, then today’s post is for you!

Chakra is a Sanskrit word which translates to wheel. It refers to energy centers spin like wheels and allow energy to flow throughout our body. Most textbooks and experts suggest that there are 7 major chakras that run down the length of our spine, from our crown to our tailbone, as well as many minor chakras throughout the body. These chakras move energy or life force (called prana in Sanskrit), through all parts of our body.

At this point in time there is no concrete or credible evidence that chakras exist, and considering that they are said to exist in our “subtle body” (permeates through not only our physical body, but also mental & emotional aspects) I doubt there will be any evidence any time soon! However, many different ancient texts refer to chakras. I’ve also met a few psychics and energy workers who can see chakras.

Like anything that feels a little “out there” for you, I suggest taking what feels right and makes sense for you and ditching the rest! Personally, I always check in with my own intuition to see if something resonates — and I encourage you to do the same!

My own experience with chakras started many years ago in yoga class, with instructors who would say things like, “this pose will help you to ground through your root chakra” or “open your heart chakra”. I got the basic idea about chakras, but that’s about it. Chakras still felt like an obscure and slightly weird concept in my mind.

It wasn’t until my Reiki training, almost a decade ago now, that I took a second look at chakras. This time, I not only learned about the chakras, but I felt them. I began to connect with them in a whole new way.

Since then, I’ve continued to deepen my knowledge and work with my own chakras. In fact, a chakra cleanse meditation is still one of my favorite ways to feel relaxed, balanced and renewed.

I also connect to chakras both in coaching and intuitive readings. I use a chakra analysis to help clients uncover and release blocks and get an over feel for how they are doing from an energetic perspective.

Whatever is showing up in your chakras is usually reflected in your physical experience.

Often when I bring up chakras with clients I get 2 main questions: What are the chakras? And what can I do to keep them balanced? Let’s dive into those two questions…

What are the chakras?

As I mentioned, the word chakra means wheel and refers to spinning energy centers throughout your body.
There are 7 major chakras: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye & Crown.

There are also hundreds of minor chakras throughout the body, as well as some higher chakras, but these 7 chakras are the ones that are the easiest to work with and are the most helpful.

Generally chakras are associated with a specific spot in the body and often paired with an internal organ. I prefer to think of the chakra encompassing a general area instead of specific organs. Because our chakras are at an energetic level, the health of our chakras also ripples out to have an effect on all parts of us — mind, body & spirit.

What does it mean when chakras are balanced?

When our chakras are balanced, it means that energy flows freely through them. This in turn supports us in all areas of our life. When our root chakra is balanced, we feel grounded, safe and secure. When our third eye chakra is balanced, we’re in tune with our intuition and we feel clear & focused.

When we are taking care of ourselves, body, mind & spirit, our chakras thrive. However, when we neglect our body, make choices that feel wrong or continually think crappy thoughts, this negatively affects our chakras. Our chakras can become overactive or underactive (in other words, unbalanced) to compensate. Sometimes people will refer to a chakra as being blocked.

When our chakras are unbalanced, energy is not flowing freely and this ripples out into our life. We feel off or ungrounded. We feel unclear or lack confidence. It’s like a cycle: the choices we make affect our energetic health and energetic health affects the choices we make.

Our chakras reflect what’s going on in our lives, and what’s going on in our lives is reflected in our chakras.

Essentially, your chakra health is a reflection of your overall physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Getting a chakra analysis (something I do with my clients) is like getting an energetic check-up!

How can I balance my chakras?

Self-care is essential to healthy, balanced chakras. I don’t just mean physical self-care, although that’s a big part of it, but mental and spiritual self-care too. Getting outside in nature, indulging in a hobby or pastime, connecting with friends, laughing, dancing, or relaxing in an epsom salt bath are all ways to help balance chakras. If you’re not sure where to start with self-care!

You can also try visualization exercises to help balance your chakras. Try envisioning white light entering your crown chakra and flowing down through each chakra, one at a time, cleansing, refreshing and renewing them. This 3 minutes meditation is helpful!

Finally, the more we are being true to ourselves and making choices in our everyday life that feel good & authentic, the more balanced our chakras will be!

I hope that this has helped you to have a better understanding of your chakras. We will post about each chakra for the next days.

For more information about chakras you can visit michellekirsch.com

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