Are your chakras out of alignment? If you have been feeling disconnected to yourself or your body in any way, one or more of your chakras might be out of balance. Fortunately, there are many ways to realign your chakras if they are misaligned. One way to readjust these energy centers in your body is through yoga. Certain yoga poses can help to alleviate blockages in different chakras.
In this article, we will discuss the seven chakras and how you can use yoga to keep them aligned.
The Seven Chakras
Before we can talk about how to realign a blocked chakra, it’s important that you first understand what the seven chakras are and how they can affect us.
You may have heard your yoga teacher talk about opening your throat chakra or perhaps you saw someone talking about the seven chakras on social media. No matter how or if you’ve heard the word chakra, there’s a good chance you’re not too sure of what it is. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
The concept of Chakras is derived from ancient Hindu traditions but is found in Buddhism as well. Over time, the concept made its way into spiritual traditions and rituals such as yoga. According to ancient Hindu beliefs about chakras, our physical human body is not only made up of bones, muscles, organ, and skin. It also consists of several layers of energy fields that surround the physical body. The layers make up what is known as the “subtle body” or energy body, and our chakras are the energy centers where our Prana (life force) travels through.
The word chakra is Sanskrit for “wheel” and it refers to points of energy centers in your body. In our subtle body, these areas are spinning wheels of energy that should always be open and aligned, in correspondence with nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical health.
While some believe that there are 114 different chakras, there are seven main chakras that live vertically along the spine. These are the chakras that are most likely being referred to when we talk about chakras. Each of these seven chakras have a number, name, and color that corresponds to it as well as specific body parts.
Root Chakra (Muladhara chakra)
The first chakra is the root chakra. Located at the base of the spine in the tailbone area, it is the energy center that is responsible for our sense of physical identity, stability, and grounding. Red is the color that represents this chakra and its energy.
Blockages in the root chakra can present themselves in the body through physical conditions such as arthritis, constipation, and bladder or colon issues. Emotional manifestations of a blocked root chakra might include: financial insecurity, insecurities about basic needs.
Sacral Chakra (Svadhishthana chakra)
The second chakra is the sacral chakra which is located right below the bellybutton and slightly above our pubic bone. This energy center is responsible for our sexuality, pleasure, and creativity. This chakra’s color is orange.
When our sacral chakra is out of alignment, we might be prone to experience urinary tract infections, lower back pain, and impotency. On an emotional front, a blocked sacral chakra might cause us to have low self-worth, and negative feelings about our sexuality, ability to feel pleasure and be creative.
Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura chakra)
The third chakra is the solar plexus chakra which is in the upper abdomen in our stomach area. Its energy is responsible for general feelings of self-esteem and confidence. The color of this chakra is yellow.
A blocked solar plexus chakra are often brought to the surface through digestive issues like stomach ulcers, heartburn, and eating disorders. The third chakra is all about personal power, and is directly related to our self-esteem and confidence.
Heart Chakra (Anahata chakra)
The fourth chakra is located right in the center of the chest, slightly above the heart. You might have heard this area be referred to as the “heart center” in some yoga classes. The color of the fourth chakra is green, representing love and compassion.
A misaligned heart chakra can present itself in the body as heart problems, asthma, and weight issues. However, a blockage in the fourth chakra is oftentimes more noticeable through people’s actions. Our heart chakra represents our ability to love and form connections with others. When it is blocked, we tend to feel lonely, insecure, and isolated.
Throat Chakra (Vishuddhi chakra)
The fifth chakra is the throat chakra, the energy center responsible for our ability to communicate verbally. The color of the fifth chakra is blue.
A blockage in the throat chakra often manifests as throat and voice problems, as well as issues with the teeth, gums, and mouth. When our throat chakra is out of alignment, we may: dominate conversations, gossip, speak without thinking, or have difficulty speaking our mind.
Third Eye Chakra (Ajna chakra)
The sixth chakra, also known as the third eye chakra, is located in the space between the eyes, on our forehead. Indigo is the color of the third eye chakra, the energy center that is responsible for our intuition and imagination.
Because this chakra is physically located on our head, headaches, issues with sight or concentration, and hearing problems could all be physical manifestations of a third eye chakra blockage. Those who have difficulty listening to reality, appear to “know it all,” or who are not connected with their intuition may also be suffering from a blocked third eye chakra.
Crown Chakra (Sahasrara chakra)
The seventh chakra is the crown chakra, which is the energy center located at the top of the head, colored violet or white. The crown chakra holds energy related to our awareness and intelligence.
The crown chakra is linked to every other chakra that runs along the spine, and hence, every corresponding organ within the system. It not only affects all of those organs, but it is also the chakra connected to our brain and nervous system.
The crown chakra is considered the chakra of enlightenment as it represents our connection to our overarching life purpose and spirituality. A blocked crown chakra might cause you to be close minded, skeptical, and stubborn.
Yoga And Your Chakras
An easy way to unblock your chakras is through the practice of yoga. When we do yoga, we are moving around the energy in our body, regardless of whether we are focusing on any one chakra. However, if you do yoga intentionally for the purpose of aligning your chakras, there are specific yoga poses that you can do to target each energy center.
Here are some yoga poses you can do to make sure all your chakras are aligned and open for energy to flow through:
If your root chakra is out of balance
Tree Pose: With one foot rooted into the ground, bring your other foot to tough the inside of your opposite thigh. You can bring your palms to meet at heart center or raise your arms above your head. This pose will help you to become more alert, feel more secure and stable.
Mountain Pose: Stand with your feet slightly apart and pressed firmly into the mat. Activate your core, relax your shoulders gently, and energetically reach the top of your head toward the sky. You can reach your arms above your head or bring your palms to meet at heart center.
While doing both of these poses, you will want to visualize your root chakra having a bright red light shining from your tailbone.
If your sacral chakra is out of balance
Revolved triangle pose: Begin in pyramid pose with right foot forward and hips square to the front of your mat. Position a yoga block inside your right foot directly below your face and place your left hand on the block. Bring your right hand to your hip. This pose stimulates the abdominal organs to help the energy circulate within the sacral chakra, allowing you to feel grounded in the present moment.
Goddess pose: Begin in mountain pose, with your big toes touching, heels slightly apart, and hands at your sides. Step your left leg back and move your heels toward the center of your mat until you face the long edge of the mat. Pivot your toes out 45-degrees and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Reach your arms straight above your head and turn palms to face each other. This pose will help to generate creativity and emotional stability.
If your solar plexus chakra is out of balance
Boat pose: Begin seated with your knees bent and feet on the mat, put your hands behind your hips, lift the chest and lengthen the spine. For greater intensity, reach your arms forward and lift your shins so that they are parallel with the mat. Imagine a subtle yellow light coming from your core. This pose will activate your core and build internal fire to help align energy blockages or imbalances.
If your heart chakra is out of balance
Low lunge: Start in downward facing dog, step your right foot toward the front of the mat between your hands and lower your left knee to the ground. Keep hips square and shift your weight forward onto your right foot, while stretching the front of the left hip. Extend your hand skyward and bring your left hand to your left leg. This yoga pose is known as a “heart opener.”
Camel pose: Stand on your knees at the front of the mat with your knees hip-width apart in a kneeling position with the tops of your feet on the mat. Touch the base of your spine with your fingertips and slowly lean backwards. Reach for your heels, then lift and pull up. This pose is known as a “heart opener” and can help us become more joyful, loving and empathetic.
When doing either of these poses, it’s important to visualize a bright green light radiating from your heart center, filling it with love, kindness, and compassion.
If your throat chakra is out of balance
A seated posture while chanting: Sit in a seated yoga posture with legs grossed and hands resting on both legs with the index fingers touching thumbs and remaining fingers extended. Take a few mindful breaths, and then tuck your chin to your chest to stimulate the throat chakra. For a balanced throat chakra, chant the mantra “Humee Hum Brahm Hum” while visualizing a blue light near your throat as it removes any doubt you might be holding onto regarding your truth.
If your third eye chakra is out of balance
Dolphin pose: Start in downward facing dog, and then lower your forearms to the ground, stacking your shoulders over your elbows. Bring your palms to touch with your thumbs pointing up and your pinkie fingers pressing down into the mat. Rock forward bringing your chin to the front of your thumbs and then rock back into dolphin pose. Visualize an indigo-colored energy connecting your Third Eye to your thumb knuckles. Do this movement 5 to 10 times before releasing into child’s pose. Dolphin pose increases the circulation to our face and brain, stimulating our third eye chakra.
If your crown chakra is out of balance
Balancing butterfly: Begin kneeling on your mat with your toes tucked, and then lift your knees and come up onto the balls of your feet. Keeping your heels together, open your knees as wide as possible. Once you are stable, slowly bring your hands to heart center. Visualize energy traveling from your root chakra to your crown chakra, passing through each chakra on the way as a golden white light surrounds you. This pose helps to bring us a sense of concentration, peace and balance.
Corpse pose: Lie on the mat with your hands and feet as wide as feels comfortable to you with your palms facing up and toes pointed out. This pose is great for lifting your mood and helping you to detach from the ego.
